A Magical Birthday Party For Lyla

If you know our Lyla, she sprinkles a little magic wherever she goes! There is something about her that is so electric, fun, silly, contagious, and joyful that a magical birthday party seemed like the perfect fit. I saw that "She is magic that one" banner, knew it would be perfect for her room, and used it as my inspiration for her whole party. We kept it really small last minute due to traveling family and trying to be as safe as possible with Covid exposure right before baby's arrival so it was just my mom and our sweet little neighbor girls that came. 

The thing that was so fun to watch was how special Lyla felt the whole day ... like when I put this "Birthday Girl" banner on her. <3

We surprised her with a bounce house rental and she was in total heaven and LOVED it!! So many adorable giggles happened in there ...

The giant slide was the favorite part!

Her only request was a rainbow cake like her first birthday. So sweet! Who doesn't love a funfetti cake with rainbow chip frosting?!

She both acted shy and soaked in the attention when we sang "Happy Birthday" to her!

I was so happy with how the cake turned out with my little experience in baking them myself. Typically I order cakes for my kids' parties. But really, you can't go wrong with a boxed cake mix ... it was more the leveling, coloring, and frosting part that intimidated me. How fun is the inside though?!

The cake was a BIG hit ...

Opening presents ... she has played with a baking playdo set that she got from her friends all weekend!

We saved most of her presents for this week so she could open them on her actual birthday but something that has been such a fun tradition for me as her mom is gifting her one of my dolls from my childhood each birthday. This year I gave her "Scott". I always loved him because he looks and feels like a real baby so I was hoping it would be special for her right before she has a new sibling come along. The hilarious part for Nic and I was that she kept calling him a baby girl despite the fact that he is in blue ... she is still very much convinced that her sibling is going to be a sister just like this baby girl doll. haha

I made them all magic wands ...

Liam thought they were cool for a minute but then pulled out his true Harry Potter wand. ;)

My mom got her this adorable coat for winter and a pretend princess laptop that she has carted everywhere so she can "do her work just like dad!" ;) So cute!

Also wearing her favorite twirl dress to celebrate!

We loved spoiling this beautiful girl and can't wait to continue the celebration on Wednesday when our baby turns FOUR! 

Baby Sprinkle

 On Saturday, my mom and sister-in-law hosted a sprinkle for baby and I and it was the sweetest thing ever! Lyla came as my "girl date" and wanted to twirl with me all morning in her new dress. <3 It felt so special to share it with her along with every other family member and friend who came!

Nicole had the cutest balloons installed on my mom's porch as well as a balloon arch inside! There were beautiful flowers everywhere and a stack of thank you notes for guests to write their address on (such a genius idea).  

Isn't the balloon arch amazing?! Nicole also had adorable cookies made as party favors in the shape of bottles, onesies, etc. and sprinkle donuts! Both were Lyla's favorite part. ;) I even took some home to my boys who greatly appreciated it!

Besides the amazing treats, we had yummy quiche and fruit salad made by mom for brunch!

It was so fun to have a couple of my nieces join this time with their grandmas and moms. My sweet neighbor Danica came and my long time friends from high school, Dani and Sidnee, were there too! So lucky to have so many amazing people in my life who love this baby and I so much!

We played a pass the gift game that went with a poem all about the guests in the room. Danica won that one. Everyone also guessed how many "sprinkles" (Mike n' Ikes) were in a jar and Edie won that game.

Lyla was all about playing puppy all morning but accidentally knocked over an end table and got extremely embarrassed about it. She spent the whole time hiding under my arm while I opened gifts and I felt bad I couldn't get her to come around for this part. We were spoiled with so many diapers and wipes, something you can never have enough of, along with a forward facing baby carrier, swaddle sack, new toys for the baby, and even some amazing products to pamper myself postpartum. So grateful!!!

A cute cookie monster!

I didn't take a single picture because I just wanted to soak up the moment so I tried to gather a few my mom took. I just wanted to give an extra special thank you to the woman who has now hosted 3 special baby showers for me over the years. Each one I won't forget! Love you mom! I'm also so grateful to my sister-in-law, Nicole, who went over the top to make this celebration so special for me. I'm so lucky to have both of these women in my life!

Grateful for friends who no matter how busy their lives are or how far away they live, are always there for me. <3

Getting so excited for this baby to arrive!!!

a Halloween party with friends

 About a year ago we started a tradition of rotating a Halloween and Christmas party with our friends. It is something we've looked so forward to this year but weren't sure it was going to happen. In fact, it had to be canceled and moved at one point during the month but we finally made it happen and it was so much fun! It was our turn to host the Halloween one this year and I made all the fun treats! haha There was a definite sugar coma from this party between the Frankenstein rice krispie treats, oreo bats, witch's brooms, and my favorite, chocolate chip pumpkin cookies!! The bubbling pot was a punch bowl with dried ice in it!  

I planned several games for our kids to play with candy, spider rings, funny teeth, and sticky hands for prizes. The started with pin the spider on the web ...

Then we played the hilarious one I put together for my dad and Edie's Halloween party the year before where you put panty hoes on your head with a tennis ball at the end and have to race someone else to be the first to knock down all of your ghost cups. Lyla was hysterical ... she had the hardest time abiding by the rooms of no hands that eventually Nic just picked her up and swung her around like a human bowling ball! haha

The cup stacking game was too advanced for the little ones in race form so they just had fun building the pumpkin face instead ...

After games and pizza for dinner, we all ate treats and watched the first half of Hotel Transylvania 3. 

Thanks to my friend Lauren for all of these pictures because I didn't take a single one during the party. It was nice to just experience it without feeling like I needed to capture every moment. 

Liam turns six

 On October 20th, Liam turned SIX! Just like that, he rounded the corner from the true "toddler" years and seems so grown up lately. He was beaming with pride at this new number attached to his name ad it made me happy to see how much joy each stage of life brings him. 

My final night tucking in my five year old ... <3

We kicked off his special day with "donuts just like Ya Ya's birthday" (nothing like a little healthy sibling jealousy haha) complete with a star sparkler candle! He was beyond thrilled!

Immediately following breakfast he was ready to open his presents! 

He got a football, some legos, and a real wand from Diagon Alley! 

We gave him the option to choose how he wanted to spend the afternoon. He narrowed it down between another trip to Farmstead to walk through that awful blow up lizard that I failed at my promise last time or Build a Bear. No, I didn't convince him to choose Build a Bear. ;) 

Build a Bear it was!

The whole experience was so fun to watch from start to finish because of how giddy they both were! Of course you start the process by selecting a stuffed animal. Liam chose to build Jolteon (a Pokemon character) and Lyla picked a big bunny. They were enamored watching them be filled with stuffing and loved the part where the employee had them jump up and down to be the ones to start the stuffing machine. Lyla never really did stop jumping because she was convinced she was the one working the machine the whole time. ;) It was adorable! They got to make a wish and add a heart inside their animals. It was a sweet experience and the best part, they both have slept with their stuffed animals ever since.  

He weekend before his birthday, we had a family party for Liam. His biggest request for his sixth birthday was a Gotham City party. It turned out to be my favorite party I've ever planned for one of our kids and the one that stretched my creativity the most. The inspiration started from a picture I saw of Batman that looked like a mug shot. I thought it would be so fun to do something similar with Liam in his Batman costume for both party decor and a piece of art in his new bedroom I was working on for him. It could not have turned out more perfect ...

The thing that made it my favorite party was the excitement that came from Liam, down to every single detail. He adored it all and told me several times, "This is the best day of my life!". How sweet is that?! Sometimes as a mom, moments of gratitude from them can feel few and far between but it truly was the best compliment he could have ever given me without even realizing it. I was so happy I made his day feel so special because that's all I ever want for him!

My idea for the party was to design a newspaper, The Gotham Gazette, and fill it with news stories about how each DC villain had captured a super hero and was holding them hostage. We invited his cousins to join in on the fun and together they worked to save each super hero from an evil villain. 

Rescuing Robin from the Joker's live wired bombs ... look at the pride in his face!! The best super hero I know!

Then they untangled Firestorm from Poison Ivy's vines ...

I had told them the rule was that they had to untangle all of the vines to get him out (thinking it would take them longer) ... does it look like they followed that rule?! haha

Next up, finding out what puzzle lay behind the Riddler's secret door. 

It turned out to be a Batman puzzle that they needed to solve together in order to find the missing Spiderman. 

Then they went on a missing gem hunt to locate 4 hidden gems that Cat Woman had left hidden with each of her cats around the room.

Liam's little gem collection from his room ...

We knew this would be a hit but he was ecstatic when he found a giant ruby, emerald, sapphire, and diamond that he got to keep!

Last but not least, they freed the Flash from Captain Freeze's frozen ice block. No pictures from this one. Then it was one to the food! It was a harder part to get creative on but the Batman symbol cheese slices did the trick. ;)

I forgot to mention how much was stacked against this day from the beginning. I had all the helium balloons filled the night before the party so it was one less thing to have to do that Saturday. I've chosen to do both regular helium and the high float one before, both have yielded balloons for me that have lasted LONG before the expiration date of the party. So I just opted for the regular and who knows, maybe the high float wouldn't have even been enough, but I walked down the stairs the next morning to find about 30 balloons laying on the floor (not the cheapest mistake). I didn't have it in me to spend the money a second time and go have a whole other set refilled so I cut off all of the strings and taped them up around the room. Crisis averted! 

But then the cake was delivered ... first of all, I went with a more expensive option of having a local cake lady make it for me. I asked for a black Batman mask cake, provided a picture and everything. This was what arrived to me ... 

Not the right color, I asked for black and it was a purplish grey. Only a fondant cut out of a mask, not the whole thing shaped as such like the picture shows. Then to top it off, the fondant mask on the front was broken in multiple spots, one of which you can see by the eye, didn't even line up. I was a little disappointed for the cost sake. The redeeming part, everyone thought it tasted good and Liam could have cared less. He loved it! 

The one other bummer was having one of his cousins sick and not able to come. 

Despite all of that, it was still my favorite party I've ever done and Liam's favorite day ever, remember. ;) Nothing can get us down on holidays around here!! How cute is this Batman loving birthday boy?!

He was the best big brother ever and let his little sister help him blow out his birthday candles ...

The kids ate cake and then it was present time! Liam got so many fun nerf guns, laser tag, gem excavating kits, and legos. 

Cousins. These two had a BLAST together during the party! Both super herring loving boys who totally loved saving the super heroes. 

Happy 6th Birthday to my favorite super hero in the whole world!!! We love you, Liam buddy!

Liam at S I X 

- Started Kindergarten and rides the bus!

- Has a need for speed one his bike without training wheels.

- Loves legos, super heroes, Pokemon, stuffed animals, and gem collecting.

- Thinks PE, computer, music, and recess are the best things about going to school.

- Hoards everything in sight because he truly believes he can find something to do with everything.

- An incredible helper with chores and his sister.

- A natural with computers, anything technology, and building.

- Struggles at times to stand up for himself but he's working so hard on it.

- Above grade level in reading. 

- Has lost 2 bottom teeth.

- Grows his food palette daily from what it used to be ... I'm talking meats, vegetables, stir fry, and spaghetti.

- Still looks forward to pizza night on Friday and a banana with peanut butter for breakfast every morning.

- Has almost graduated from speech therapy!

- Loves the colors blue and black with a new room to prove it.

- Is growing like a week and wears boy sizes now like an xs and size 13 shoes.

- Adores his family and says the cutest prayers.

- Achieved all of the goals he set for himself while he was 5 like learning to ride a bike with no training wheels, learning to say prayers, and making new friends at his new school.

- He beat Mulluscum Contagium, a wart spreading skin issue that he had for almost a year.

- Tried flag football.

- Takes showers now.

- Says he prefers "cold weather". haha

- Watched Harry Potter for the first time and loved it!!

- Wants to marry his sister. (can't wait to tell him this someday when he is freaked out by it, ha!)