Liam has been asking me to cut his hair all summer. All of his friends have buzz cuts and he wants one too. I just knew he wouldn't look like my Liam anymore so I kept pushing it off. I may have even told him that getting your hair cut hurts... I promised him we would cut his hair before kindergarten. There were a few days where I felt his hair was more "homeless child" than "surfer dude."(not that I surf--the whole idea of being knocked over by a giant wave with a giant board strapped to my ankle sounds terrifying.) So, I knew it was time to at least clean it up a bit.

Kindergarten starts Monday, so yesterday we took him to the only person I would trust--our friend Patrice. She knows me and she knows what level of change I can handle and what level will leave me curled in the fetal position holding blond curls wailing with gnashing of teeth.

Liam was pretty nervous so he sat on my mom's lap while Patrice snipped away. I really think she did a PERFECT job! He still looks like Liam, but more surfer and less homeless. He was happy with it but said next time he wants more cut off. I think I will be ok with doing this gradually...I think...next time there may be wailing and gnashing of teeth...

I am not sure what's going on with his face, but this is the only picture I had of the final cut at Patrice's

This is him today--see, he still looks like himself, but less disheveled :) Thank you Patrice! (Note: he and Stanley have matching Superman shirts on!--Stanley is Aunt Nicki and Uncle Nicholas' dog) 

Rori's Birthday Party

So I am also late doing this post. I really should just stop commenting on my lateness, as it is no longer unusual, but has become the norm. Anyway, Rori's birthday party was the weekend after Liam's and 3 days before we left for Florida. I was a little stressed, so I popped one of my airplane Xanax (I had a couple of extras). My allergies were also acting up, so I also popped two benadryl. This was me about an hour before the party. My mom was pretty worried.

Anyway, enough about me. I pulled it together in time for the party. Rori wanted a Rapunzel birthday party, and she requested a pinata. It was 8000 degrees out that day. Bill hung the pinata outside about 30 min before the party. We figured we would play some of the games and then do the pinata. My mother brilliantly realized the candy (much of which was chocolate) was probably melting. So, it became the first activity. Bill thought of hitting it with a frying pan.

Unfortunately it just knocked the pinata off it's string. So we re-connected it, and tried again

Same result. Since the candy was melting we decided to have them just pull the strings.

Success! I suggested they put their candy bags in the fridge when they got home...

Next we played pin the Pasqual on the Rapunzel

Then we headed back outside for the dress up game. The girls had two teams and each had to put on a princess dress, shoes, and jewelry, spin around and say "bibbidy bobbity boo" then run back and tag the next person.

The next game was an Ariel game. The girls were blindfolded and had to dig in a sandbox for sea shells. Whomever found the most was the winner. I didn't realize until later, that some of the moms didn't know me, and I wonder if they thought, when dropping their girls off, that we kept a litter box in the front yard. Hopefully their girls told them what it was there for!

I was worried that the girls would get antsy while waiting for their turns, but they were really good at self-entertaining. They found bugs to look at!

Then we had cupcakes. We had to rush the girls. They take much longer to eat cupcakes than boys do!

Then we did presents and it was time for them to go! We were thankful for my mom and my sister who took pictures, and Ryan and my mother in law for all their help!

Happy Birthday, Rori Rose

Alas, I am a month late, but to be fair, we were in Florida for Rori's 7th birthday. This year has been a year of big changes. Rori went to first grade, so it was the first year of all day school. You were in the school play of The Wizard of Oz in the Tornado Dance. You showed a real love for art.

You can play with anyone--your brothers, kids older than you, younger than you, and with grandmas :) Your cousin, Noah, followed you around like you were the Pied Piper while we were in Florida. You share really well, and you are good at being able to see both sides of an argument. You love to share things your are thankful for, and you love to hear what others are thankful for.

You love to help around the house--you get great pleasure out of setting a lovely dinner table. I love this about you, because I love the looks of a lovely table, but never do it. You danced in your first ballet recital. You were so beautiful, and when I looked at you, I couldn't believe you were mine.

Rori Rose, I love you so much. It takes my breath away. Happy 7th Birthday, my love!

A Tale of Two Bubbas

Once upon a time there was a chubby baby. He was affectionately called "Chubba Bubba"

He had a cousin named Juli. She called him "Bubba." Once he was able to talk, he called her "Bubba." They loved each other very much. One year they went on vacation together and were inseparable.

They walked up and down with their suitcases

They checked out grandpa's shoes

They listened to stories of the days of yor

They asked great-grandma for her cupcake

They checked all the beds

and made sure none were sleeping

They regaled each other with tales

They read stories on their Kindles

They shunned society's requirements of clothing

They fought crime as fearless superheroes

And they watched the sunset as their mom's discussed that someday, they will realize they are cousins, and this magic is going to be fleeting. But for now, they are "the Bubba's" 

I overshare for you

I am behind in the posts that I need to do--we had Rori's birthday party, her actual birthday, and our fabulous vacation. However, I need to edit pictures for those, and well, I finally booted up our computer for the first time since vacation, and haven't had time to play with the pictures. However, I have a bit of a public service announcement. A PSA.

I have a teeny tiny bladder. My friends can attest to this. The guy at work whose office is right next to the bathroom, can attest to this.  I blame the giant babies that sat on my bladder for nine months. It's well known that I will not be able to make it through a movie at the theater without either squirming and leaping up at the credits, or more likely, missing part of the movie for a potty run. Then I get back to my seat and annoy Bill by asking what I have missed. We have contemplated getting me one of those suits that race car drivers wear--but I have decided that would be gross. Enter runpee.com! My friend Leslie sent me a link to this app a while ago. I tested it out last night when we went to see Spiderman. I downloaded it to my iPod (I am the second to last person on the planet to get a smart phone--if my sister beats me to it, I know I will officially be the last person on the planet). I wasn't sure if it would work at the theater because there is no wifi, but I figured I would give it a go. What do you know, it worked! It gave me 3 different potty options--and told me how long I had. Then when I got back to my seat, I could read the quick synopsis of what happened. You start the timer when the movie starts and it gives you the cues right before you should leave for the bathroom. As a bonus, it tells you if there are any scenes after the credits! Totally helpful--we will never miss scenes like the Avengers eating shwarma at a restaurant together again!

Anyway, just had to share my new favorite app (and it's free)! You now know me a little better...

Coolest party we've ever planned!

Last Saturday Liam got to have his very own birthday party at our house. Bill and I had planned this before school got out because he had a few friends from school he wanted to invite. Yet, somehow, it still crept up on us. Liam had decided he wanted an Angry Birds and Super Mario party. So, Bill and I scoured the internet to steal other people's ideas. It's what we do best.

Bill stayed up until midnight on Friday decorating the balls for the Angry Birds game. We had this game planned for a month, however, Bill and I are the same and neither one of us likes to plan ahead. Love us as we are, people. They turned out awesome. The kids were very impressed, and Bill became the coolest dad ever!

We also played "Pin the Mustache on Mario." The mustaches were cut out at noon on Saturday. The party was at 1:00. Do you sense a pattern? We would make excellent wedding planners... This game was also a hit--if not just because it was inside where we could cool off from the 879 degree weather. I am not exaggerating. It was really funny watching the kids with their blindfolds on! They were completely disoriented. I loved it :)

The last game we played before cupcakes and presents, was "Shoot the Bad Mario Guy." I am not sure if that is the technical name. It too was a complete hit! Some of the kids played Angry Birds again and some played the Mario game, so nobody had to wait too long.

The kids had nerf-like guns (we didn't spring for the name brand--don't be like us, get the name brand) to shoot the bad guy when Bill, or one of his helpers held up two signs--one with a good guy and one with a bad guy.

Bill's minions

Then we broke for cupcakes. I made the Angry Birds cupcakes that I had made a few weeks earlier for his actual birthday. They were a big hit and several kids had two. You know that gives me a thrill because I love to feed people. It's my calling.

It looks like the yellow bird pooped over the side. What can I say?

Please notice the angry birds hanging from the ceiling--I didn't get a good picture of them, but they were to replace the helium balloons we were going to get. Apparently there is a nationwide shortage of helium and the party store isn't doing balloons. I'm not making that up. It's true. 

Bill and I were so thrilled to be able to pull this party off--even with our penchant for avoiding the details until the last minute. We did have a lot of help from Grandma Casey, and if Grandma Hoo Hoo hadn't been there, there would have been zero pictures. So thank you Grandmas! Can't wait to do it all again in a few days for Rori!

All the kids!

Happy Fifth Birthday, Liam James!

Happy Birthday, to my special boy, Liam James! This has been a big year for you! You went to pre-school at your future elementary school, five days a week. I worried about how you would handle that because you are such a homebody. You love to be home and will pass up on going to other people's houses if it means that someone from your family won't be there. However, I felt that it was the right thing for you. Fortunately you thrived! You loved school and were sad when you couldn't go. It made me very happy to know that you were in the right place.

So brave on your first day of school! 

You play very well with others. You love to play with your brother, and you will even play girl things with Rori, in exchange for her playing boy things with you. You are a very good listener, and you always amaze me at how smart you are. You understand when we tell you that you can't do something, and you don't fight or argue about it. You are sensitive, and really want to be a good boy (which you are!). You have grown so much in your independence, cleaning up after yourself, getting dressed, and helping me in the kitchen.

You were the "first pig" in your class play  The Three Little Pigs--and you were so proud!

You have started asking me to cut your hair! You promise me that it will grow back, I smile and say I know. But what I really know is that once it's gone, it will be gone forever. We won't be able to go back to the wild blond boy. So I am going to wait as long as I can, but don't worry, I won't let you be the weird kid in school with crazy hair.  I love you so much and you make me so proud to be your mama. I can't believe that it's been 5 years since I held you in my arms for the first time. I love you, my Liam James!

Look at that hair! How can you want me to cut it?!