Brystol is Three!!

Our sweet Brystol turned three-years-old on Monday. It was a bittersweet day for me because my mom's health and strength had declined to the point that I had to cancel her playgroup party to take my Mom to see her specialty neurologist in Houston. Our friends were understanding, of course, but all day long I struggled with hard feelings -- happy to be available for and present with my mom, but sad that we'd gotten to that point so quickly and sad to miss my baby's big day.

Fortunately, we were able to make it back to the Metroplex in time to blow out some birthday candles (even if they were on a storebought cake) and to open a few gifts. The best thing about having a big family -- instant birthday party! Brystol had fun, but she did notice when we tucked her in for bedtime that her playgroup friends never came by. We'll reschedule that celebration for a less hectic time.

Cake and Presents

Instant Birthday Party

Special Time with Nanny

Double-Digit Gracie Girl

Gracie turned ten last week, and my friend Randi, party planner extraordinaire, stepped in during this very overwhelming season of life to help make her birthday super fun. Gracie wanted a rainbow-themed birthday party, and she had been scouring Pinterest for ideas. Randi incorporated all of Gracie's favorite ideas, and Gracie and her little girlfriends had a blast at her colorful celebration. In addition to enjoying fun decorations and eating yummy rainbow-themed snacks, the girls made gumball bracelets and visited painting stations for rainbow-themed manicures. They then played a hands-free game wiggling cookies from their foreheads into their mouths while Gracie's birthday music playlist played in the background. It was a simple and inexpensive party, but my girl had so much fun and felt so special. Thanks, Mrs. Randi!

A Rainbow-Themed Birthday Party...

Source: dukesandduchesses.com via Amanda on Pinterest

for one sweet ten-year-old!

Source: dukesandduchesses.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Happy Birthday, Gracie!

Happy Birthday, Sweet Baby. Five years have passed since I held you in my arms. I imagine what life would be like with you here, life with another son. Would you be silly or studious? Would you enjoy your schoolwork, or would you be the class clown keeping us all on our toes? Would you be a fan of all your sisters, or would they be a bother? Would you be a bother -- an ornery little mess? What would today -- your fifth birthday -- hold for you? Would training wheels come off today, a milestone event marking a milestone birthday? How would you direct our day? So many questions never to be answered, so many longings never to be filled.

The time you were here, the time since you slipped away -- it all raced by. My sweet baby, I miss you today as I did that very first day, and my heart longs for the moment you're in my arms once again.

Downhill to Forty

Today is my birthday, and as James so kindly pointed out this evening, I'm officially closer to forty than to thirty. (I'm thirty-five years and a few hours old.) My mom came over, and we had a simple family celebration with cake and ice-cream after dinner -- perfect for a very busy birthday week!

I love sitting at a table packed with my children. It makes me think years into the future when they're each married with children of their own, everyone packed around a holiday table. I don't want to wish away any of these days, but I'm honestly excited about those days too! I really do feel so very blessed...

The contractors were still upstairs working on the baby suite, so I sent up dinner plates along with dishes of cake and ice cream. I imagine they didn't know it was my birthday, and they probably think we always serve dessert at dinnertime -- they'll be sorely disappointed if they work late again.

Mom setting the cake ablaze


Me asking if the balloons are strategically placed
to hide the laundry on the couch.


Brystol asking me where the new toys are...
(We've been prepping her for her own birthday party in just two days.)


"What, no toys?!"


Fire Hazard


"In the end, it's not the years in your life that count.
It's the life in your years."

-- Abraham Lincoln

Glamour for Gracie's Ninth

For Gracie's ninth birthday, she opted to celebrate with a low-key day of glamour and relaxation. I don't know if all the busyness and upheaval in our family of late had anything to do with her decision, but when I presented the option of a day alone with me and one special friend, she jumped on it.

Gracie invited her school friend Jane to join the family for breakfast at The Snooty Pig where she opened presents and ate sugary cupcakes immediately after sugary pancakes. After breakfast, the girls and I ditched Dad, the brother, and the babies for some time alone. After a quick stop at Starbucks for even more sugar, the girls enjoyed mani/pedi appointments at a local salon geared for tweens. Once they were all gussied up, we caught a showing of African Cats at the Fork & Screen. (Note: a pregnant woman eating Thai Chicken Tenders while watching an enormous lioness rip apart a dead zebra will not finish her meal.) Though it would have been fun to have had a party with lots of friends and frivolity, I think the peaceful day of undivided attention was just what Gracie needed. She sure seemed to have a happy birthday.

Frugal Friday: Money Saving Tips and Linkage

Frugal Friday posts contain personal money-saving tips
and/or are collections of news articles or blog posts related to finances or frugality.

"He who fails to plan, plans to fail." This old Proverb could be applied to so much, but these are words that often come to mind when I consider the principles of frugality. Many spendthrifts hold fast to the principle of planning ahead: stockpiling the pantry, storing the next size of clothing for children, etc.

One small thing I do that saves loads of money when compared to my contemporaries is plan ahead for birthday parties. We love having parties for our kids, and because of some forethought, they never cost us very much. I frequently find themed party supplies on sale or clearance throughout the year. I supplement theme-specific items with products I already have or things picked up last minute from Dollar Tree or another bargain outlet.

The goody bag is a party expense that can add up very quickly if not planned for. My kiddos love to take home favors from parties, so we make sure they send favors home with their own party guests. After-holiday sales are GREAT for finding and stocking up on party favors (or stocking stuffers, teacher's gifts, tiny "thinking of you" gifts, etc). In preparation for Gracie's birthday in May, I've gathered girly things (that aren't really season specific) from the post-Christmas clearance bins -- bath soaps, little pens, blingy rings and card games. When the actual day approaches, I'll pick up an inexpensive sweet treat to include and tuck all of the goodies inside of homemade bags or brand new generic-looking ones I gather at yard sales and thrift stores year round.

Who Doesn't Love a Luau?

We celebrated Gracie's eighth birthday with a luau party. She invited several classmates to our house, as well as some homeschool friends and some friends from church. Always the hands-on girl, Gracie wanted to do more than fill out her invitations, so she helped me decorate and plan the menu. Together, we baked a flip flop cake and made fruit kebabs. The menu also included a slushy Luau Punch, storebought Hawaiian Punch, "Limbo Sticks" (pretzels), Pirate's Booty, Cheesy Sharks, red rope licorice and Blue Bell Pineapple Vanilla ice cream.

Gracie also had a hand in planning the party games. She wanted to have a hula dance contest, so while at Dollar Tree one day, I picked up a "How To Hula Dance" DVD geared for kids. James thought the video would be way too cheesy, but it actually turned out to be a big hit. All the little girls were so intense and really worked hard to pick up a few moves! Rebecca and Madison tied for the win and each chose a Ty 2.0 from the prize basket we assembled. The only other structured game the kids played was "Hot Flamingo" -- same game as Hot Potato, only with an inflatable flamingo instead of a Russet. In the end, Sara was left holding the flamingo, so Madeline was the big winner.

Besides those activities, all of the girls paired off to play in Gracie's bedroom, with the Barbie house, on our whiteboard in the game room, or to run crazily around my house, pausing for sugar breaks at the snack table. The boys -- who were astonishingly quiet, by the way -- built all varieties of Lego creations in the fortress of male solitude (otherwise known as Bub's room).


The luau party was a budget-friendly way to celebrate Gracie's special day and a super-fun way to kick off the summer. Gracie has such sweet friendships and felt so blessed the whole day long -- a happy birthday for a wonderful girl!




This reminds me: In the midst of all the fall health whatnot, I failed to post when Bub Turned Nine. Sorry, Bub!

The Reason is Really Irrelevant

Look at what I just got!

This Canon Rebel EOS T1i EF-S (plus starter kit) is an early
Birthday-Anniversary-"Hey, thanks for bearing my child"
gift from my thoughtful husband.

My birthday is on the 20th, my anniversary is on August 5th, and the baby -- well, we're fairly certain she'll show sometime among the days between the two dates. Those two weeks will certainly be very busy, which is the reason James gave for my getting the camera now. However, I personally think he's trying to distract me from "The List" -- particularly considering how a portion of our house has been without power since yesterday when I shut off a breaker to try my hand in installing a new light fixture. I'm out of control!

Regardless of the reason, this is the greatest Birthday-Anniversary-"Hey, thanks for bearing my child" gift ever! Thanks, James -- you're the BEST!

Gracie Turns SEVEN! (The Celebration, Part Two)

For Gracie's Birthday Celebration, Part Two, I took a gaggle of girls and a couple of very tolerant boys to see the new Disney Pixar film, Up. The vote was unanimous -- Up is one of the best movies ever! We laughed, we cried, we learned lines to repeat incessantly later on -- a good time was had by all. After the movie, Gracie's little friends blessed her with very thoughtful gifts. Since we'd already done a gift exchange at her family party, she was so surprised by the generous gestures of her sweet friends, and so excited!


After the movie and gift exchange, two friends went on to a prior engagement and three friends came home with us. Once here, the girls played Barbies and dress-up and gave each other makeovers, while the boys vacillated between playing with Legos and playing the Lego Star Wars video game. Afterwards, each child made their own pizza for dinner. Dinner was followed by the "Happy Birthday" song and a second round of cupcakes.


Matthew's friend went home about 8:00 P.M. and I attempted to get the remaining kids settled down for bed by turning on a movie. After an hour of too much giggling and games still being invented, the kids were sent to their respective beds and sleeping bags. Matthew conked out right away, but the room full of giggly girls was going strong. After a half-hour of reminders to lower voices and work on sleeping, I turned on another movie hoping focused little girls would become sleepy little girls. My plan did not work. All three girls, though focused and considerably quieter, did not go to sleep as I hoped, but instead, stayed up until the movie's end.

At 11:00 P.M., lights were shut off, and everyone was sleeping by 11:30. I, on the other hand, could not get to sleep until 2:00 A.M., which made the giggling and goofing around at 6:00 A.M. not the happiest of surprises. Since the rest of the house still slept for hours, only the girls had homemade chocolate chip waffles with whipped cream before returning to their play. Both of our little girl guests were returned to their parents by 10:30 A.M. and Gracie spent the day gushing about what an amazing time she had.

Gracie and Her Girlfriends

Gracie Turns SEVEN! (The Celebration, Part One)

Our little baby Gracie has turned seven -- where did the time go? For about half the year, Gracie kept an active count down until her big day. She threw party venue options out from time to time and kept a wish-list that was updated after nearly every toy commercial. Her mind changed constantly.

When it came time to schedule something, she was tormented by her indecisiveness, so we talked about key things she wanted out of her birthday celebration: having fun, spending time with friends, getting balloons and eating cake. I called around to a few of the venues she mentioned and discovered the economy could do a 180 if the government more heavily taxed kid's birthday parties. To clarify, prices have climbed and they aren't reasonable. In fact, they're a joke.

Because I have no intention of spending $400 for an hour in a pink-clad retail store (no joke!) where my little girl and the other girly invitees with beg and plead with me to spend another $400, we decided on a home birthday party. I scheduled a date, made arrangements with a friend to borrow a huge inflatable water slide, covered a few of the other details, and jotted out the guest list. Gracie was very happy with our alternate plan.

And then came the Swine Flu scare. Schools were being canceled, sporting events were rescheduled, the news was daunting. It was troublesome not to know what the next day would look like. In retrospect, there was a lot of unnecessary media hype, but I (in my present condition) had no interest in filling my house with a whole bunch of potentially exposed children. I talked to Gracie about my concerns, and since we'd already been missing out on a few previously scheduled events, she understood.

We didn't want the day to go by in a way that in her mind it seemed to be unnoticed, so we brainstormed to come up with a second round of alternate plans. Gracie's been asking to have a couple of friends over for a slumber party, so we set a date for later in the month when a movie she really wants to see releases at the theatre. We'll take a gaggle of girls to the movies, go out for ice cream, then have a couple stay behind to sleep over.

The grandparents were already planning to be here for her actual birthday, so when the Swine Flu scare blew over, we moved our at-home family plans to Peter Piper Pizza. Gracie invited her BFF Rachel, and Bub and the girls played coin games and collected tickets until we drug them back over for pizza, cupcakes and birthday presents. Gracie had a great time on her actual birthday, and feels like the upcoming slumber party is her birthday, part two. She's such a precious child and was really content to have a little celebration with loved ones over lunch. She just makes me so proud!

On another note, Gracie received Chrissa, her first American Girl doll, this year. It's no secret she's been obsessed with American Girl stuff for the last couple of years. She checks the mail every single day for new catalogs and loves visits to the retail store and bistro. She's wanted a doll for quite some time, but we delayed the purchase to ensure she was prepared to care for such a spendy toy. Gracie has grown quite responsible this year, and she is going to be a big sister. Plus, she has her Poppa John wrapped around her little finger, which really helps her cause. Poppa John gave Gracie the doll, Nanny gave her the Chrissa movie, and James and I supplied her with accessories, matching outfits, and a gift certificate for more.

The Birthday Breakfast:
Teddy Bear Pancakes with Scrambled Egg Hair


"I'm the Birthday Girl!"


The Big Surprise


One Shocked Little Lady


Chrissa: Gracie's First American Girl Doll


Scenes from the Day



We Love You, Birthday Girl --
You are Our Joy and Our Treasure!

A Pizza Playdate for the Birthday Boy

On Bub's actual birthday, we met good friends for a pizza playdate at Chuck E. Cheese. I told Gracie that morning where we were going, but we kept our outing a secret from Bub. I'm so cruel, but I just love to watch Gracie struggle to keep a secret. It's so hilarious! She often looks like she may actually burst.

Since he'd been given his presents at the family party, we'd picked up a little Texas A&M basketball hoop for him to open on his actual birthday, and included a couple of smaller items from our stocking stuffer bin. Our friend, Mrs. DeDe, gave Bub money, which he spent on a guitar at Wal-Mart immediately after lunch.

Bub, Rachel, and Gracie spent their time bouncing from game to game to game, while DeDe stood at a ball game hitting the 100-ticket jackpot time and again. (I think the final count for DeDe was 8 or 9 jackpots, a huge number compared to my one.) The kids split all tickets and still had over 400 each. They promptly turned their stacks of paper tickets into piles of plastic junk loot. Happy birthday, Bub! You'll always be my little buttercup...

Bub's Family Birthday Fun

We took advantage of our visit with Poppa John to have a family birthday party for Bub. Bub has the unfortunate disadvantage of having a birthday that falls right in the middle of Thanksgiving week. In general, people are unavailable to celebrate then, and since we seem to host on the holidays, I'm afraid his birthday often feels like an afterthought (though it's not).

We often schedule parties before his actual birthday, just to avoid any holiday rush, but because of work commitments in the past, Poppa John hasn't been able to come before now. Now that he's retired, he's able to travel a bit more, and he just happened to be coming on the week we were planning some birthday thing anyway. Because of his visit, we decided to keep things low-key and family-focused.

We sat around and visited, then had Bub's favorite meal for dinner -- Frito chili pie. I made a homemade cake with the greenest green frosting and sprinkles. We had vanilla ice cream cups and sweet tea, then Bub opened birthday presents from everyone. He said it was the best birthday of his life, which makes me wonder why in the world I've spent so much money on more extravagant parties in the past. :)

Happy Birthday, Dustin!

Happy Birthday, Little Brother!
I love you, and I'm so proud of the amazing life you lead.
God has done wonderful things in you and through you.
You are a true blessing, indeed.

Happy Birthday, Unco Wusso!

Wishing you a happy birthday, big brother!
I love you, and I love the relationship we've come to know.
May this new year be even better than the last...

Soccer Buddy Birthday Girl and Encouraging My Own

Gracie spent Sunday afternoon celebrating a soccer buddy's birthday -- her new friend Eva turned seven. This is Gracie's first season on a team, and Sunday was her first team party. It was also the first time she expressed any concern of being embarrassed in front of others, and that disturbed me in every way possible.

Gracie is my self-confident child. She's never cared what people think of her, and laughs at her mistakes. Lately, though, she's begun asking me not to share her faux pas (not even with her dad) because my retelling will embarrass her. On Sunday, she was concerned her teammates would laugh at her because she's not very skilled at skating just yet. I assured her that they wouldn't laugh, but rather, they would likely be concerned about their own abilities. Still, she was troubled.

We started her on the same four-wheeled skates we used at homeschool skating party, but the manager caught us to say the inline skates were easier to learn on. Gracie was reluctant to try the inlines. I insisted hoping they'd be the miracle he promised, but she struggled. She actually didn't struggle on the skates -- they did seem easier to manage -- instead, she struggled with the fact that the manager noticed she was an inexperienced skater. She outright refused to give the skates a chance.

We didn't have long in the rink before we were called to the party, and there, Gracie's attitude improved. She watched all her little friends struggle across the tile, and when she saw she wasn't alone, she instantly felt more confident and comfortable. She enjoyed hot dogs and birthday cake and made her way to the middle during gift time. She played skee-ball and air hockey with her teammates. She even did the hokey pokey and played red light/green light on her skates without falling down. She made it around the rink one time and a half before she realized what she was doing and decided she was ready to go home.

As for her wavering confidence level, I think this transition is normal. However, instead of just accepting this change and letting it take her wherever it will, I've decided to be more purposeful about encouraging her and uplifting her. What about you -- how have you encouraged your little girl? Any suggested resources?

Is it just me,
or is my daughter a head above her peers?

On Luaus and Leftover Cake

Yesterday, we had such fun with our friend Rachel, who is turning six. She had a pool/luau party at a new activity center, where the amenities were fantastic. Rachel and her mommy were surrounded by many dear friends, and it turned out to be such a sweet celebration. My kids had a blast and agreed that the goody bag they came away with was the best ever (which it was -- thank you DeDe and the Oriental Trading Company). They even asked to have leftover cake for dinner (as if it was ours to take home, or as if I would allow that. They know that leftover cake is for breakfast*).

As for pictures, I thought I had more. Because I'd just been to the podiatrist, I didn't get in the water. Instead, I snapped photos the whole time. It didn't occur to me until now that I had DeDe's camera all along.

Happy Birthday, Rachel!

*I'm kidding about the cake. Leftover cake is only for my breakfast. Tee hee!

July Twenny

I have been told that when I was three and my uncle William would ask me my birthday, I would reply, "July Twenny." To him, it was a phrase so cute that he would draw it out of me again and again, just as one would draw out the squealing giggle of a child's baby doll. Well, today is July Twenny -- Happy Birthday to me!

The kids bought presents for me yesterday, and they couldn’t stand to wait until today to give them to me. They gave me candles in scents I love, and chocolates which they expected me to share immediately. I didn’t even have the boxes of candy out of the gift bag before Gracie and Bub had their mouths open like hungry little birds.


James gave me the DVD version of So I Married an Axe Murderer, and tickets to the off-Broadway production The Color Purple, which is coming to Dallas in October. Those gifts are great on several accounts -- let me tell you why.

First, James must have overheard a conversation I had with Marcie about So I Married an Axe Murderer where I mentioned I should upgrade my VHS tape. Not only did he listen, he remembered. Moreover, he acted on what he remembered. In the midst of all the remembering, he recalled that I have a deep appreciation for the Pulitzer Prize winning novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker and sought out tickets for the show. All of that together (coupled with the fact that he will attend a musical) has got to be some sort of birthday miracle.

After the early exchange of birthday gifts, Chelsea and I stole away to the movies where we saw The Dark Knight. Overall, I thought the movie was pretty good. Christian Bale played a good Batman, but he was nothing like Michael Keaton to a thirteen-year-old girl. Heath Ledger, however, was incredible in the role of the joker, and were he not dead, this movie would have catapulted his career. That makes his death even more tragic.

I spent a couple of hours in the ER last night after the movie, which was a great way to begin my actual birthday. Happy birthday greetings from a gravely-voiced nurse straight in from a smoke break sure start the day off right! I wish I could say I was at the ER for something fun, but I'd be lying.

I'm still having issues with a slow-healing spot from the day I hurt my foot at Six Flags, and late last night, my foot swelled considerably. James and his trusty Web MD determined I needed to be rushed to the ER -- by ambulance, if I would have allowed it -- where I may have to be admitted to the hospital for IV fluids and possible amputation. Instead, the ER doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics and another Band-Aid just like the one I wore in. The only thing different about last night and today is my need to check-in with a podiatrist and a new big hospital bill to pay. Oh, and the fact that I now have a legitimate excuse to lay around with my feet propped up. Nice.

We decided after a late night at the hospital to sleep through church this morning, but the birthday phone calls began for me at 8:00. I got up early to a quiet house, and enjoyed the silence for about two hours. Gracie woke up at 10:00, James at 11:00, and Chelsea and Bub at noon. Unbelievable! We got ourselves together and went to a Teppenyaki/Sushi restaurant for lunch. The rest of my day has been spent eating Oreos, reading books and blogs, and telling the kids, "Go ask Dad, it's my birthday."

Thank you, friends and family, for the cards, phone calls, text messages, e-cards, e-mails, and blog shout-outs. My friend DeDe sent over a very sweet scripture that blessed my heart deeply: "God not only loves you very much but also has put his hand on you for something special." I Thessalonians 1:4 (MSG)

There's Something So Different

There's something so different about being five and being six, and I'm accepting it, but sadly. It amazes me to recall yesterday and realize yesterday was years ago, and that marks the difference in our girl. Our baby has with all certainty cleared that baby stage.

Coloring books have become secret diaries. Caillou and Boz the Bear have been replaced by Hannah Montana and Ty Girlz. What was once Veggie Tales on repeat in the car for all the world to hear is now Worship Jamz downloaded into an MP3 player for little girl ears only. Constant sweetness gives way to occasional sassiness. Though we miss our itty-bitty baby, we love the funny, silly, crazy girl she's become.

Happy birthday, Gracie. You are a joy, a treasure, and God's constant blessing upon our lives.




"A daughter is a day brightener and a heart warmer." -- Author Unknown

Kindergarten Cupcakes

Gracie turns six on Friday.
Let them eat cake.

Birthday Girl

This weekend was spent with my sister and niece who came to town to celebrate my niece turning 18 tomorrow, a fact I'm still struggling to wrap my mind around. In my mind, Chelsea made it to seven and there remains forever and ever. It's easy to trick my mind, trapping her there, even when I myself have a seven-year-old. When I'm with her, however, I'm reminded most clearly that she's now an adult, and by that, I am deeply disturbed.

Stuck at Seven

In celebration of her last weekend as a non-adult, we spent the weekend behaving very casually. There was a good bit of lounging around, plenty of junk food eating, some sleeping in and a great deal of shopping. We planned to spend all of Saturday shopping for a prom dress, but found the perfect one at the very first store we went to. We spent the rest of the afternoon browsing through clothing stores at an enormous outlet mall and came home for a family dinner of fried chicken and mashed potatoes.

After church on Sunday, we went to IKEA to shop for dorm supplies (as she goes to University in the fall -- ACK!), we browsed at Barnes and Noble, we saw a movie, and we went to a Sushi restaurant with the most horrendous wait service. Back at home, we sang an out-of-tune birthday song with accompaniment by a boy on a pink plastic piano. We ate the ugliest store-bought birthday cake, lettered crookedly and featuring mustard-colored frosting and gaudy flowers. After everyone had gone to bed, I subjected her to the obligatory after-school-special sort of talking to about choices and decisions*, though she is the most level-headed teen I've ever known. Then she and I watched an hour or two of ridiculousness on Comedy Central, laughing together at exactly the same things.

They left this morning with compliments of a fun-filled weekend, but I honestly wish I could have done more to celebrate this milestone in her life. I would like to have wrapped up the very best parts of the world as a gift, and would have still found it to be lacking. I love that girl -- she is the absolute best. We're thirteen years apart, but despite an age difference, we relate so closely. I could rehash all of our joint experiences, but suffice it to say that she has been an absolute blessing to my life. Happy birthday, my sweet girl.



* She found out on Saturday while she was here that someone in her life (a boy who was more than an acquaintance, but less than a close friend) just died Friday night from an overdose. Though there's no question in my mind that these sorts of behaviors is something she personally avoids, it's possible that this boy died while experimenting. She'd not known him to be a drug user, and was surprised by his death. My badgering was more about being conscious of the world around her than it was about withstanding peer pressure. I'm so grateful that she's so wise, but good gracious -- it's so frightening to send a girl into the world!