It's your birthday mate!

We went to Safari Sam's for Tophers "birthday party". I figured he is still too little to have an actual friend party, so it was just us and Grandma, Papa and Uncle Tyler. The boys had a blast climbing all over the jungle gym-Bekah was terrified of it-Chad took her up there once and she cried almost the entire time-but you couldn't get Topher off it. Bekah settled for a game of miniature golf which she loved-so I think we all had a good time. I don't think I will be taking her back for her birthday though!

Can we Party? Yes We Can!

Topher's birthday came and we had ourself a great little construction party with 3 of his little pals. I made this banner with chipboard, paper and wire-it turned out even better than I planned-it's super heavy duty, so it should last for a few more boy birthday's! If anyone wants me to custom make one for their kid's birthday let me know, I think I'll start selling them, it was lots of fun, (although pretty time consuming)!The table was pretty simple-along with the cake, almost embarassingly simple-but it went with the construction theme, and the boys loved it which is what really matters right? The cake was just one of Topher's dump trucks, I cleaned out the bed, laid down some parchment paper and baked a couple boxes of brownie mixes. I cut them into little squares and piled them in the back to look like dirt. I hid some gummy worms inside for the boys to find-they ate it up figuratively and literally!For the party favors, we did in several stages-when the boys came in they each got a nail belt that I sewed a piece of elastic on for a hammer to hang and then they each picked out a measuring tape to put in their belt. Then we had a construction workers brown bag lunch-sandwiches, ding dongs, cheeto's and a juice box. They played with the train table that we had set up and just hung out. Then we had them all build their own toolboxes. Chad cut out all the pieces and sanded them down and then they got to glue and hammer them. I was impressed at how well this activity held their attention! They loved it, even the youngest who doesn't have much of an attention span yet, sat and hammered it, until it was all done with his daddy. They all got to keep the hammer and put it in their box or their belt. The finished project-so proud of his handiwork!Then we hit the wrecking ball piniata that I made out of paper mache, I know embarassing simple again right? Well the kids loved it-what kid doesn't like to hit something with a stick and when it breaks candy comes pouring out? Who needs anything fancier than a paper mache wrecking ball, for that purpose?Then we had present time, and he got spoiled, and loved every minute of it! He got some space books, a rubber frog, a steamroller, some sponge grow capsules, some glow sticks and an awesome erupting volcano. He was very polite and said thank you to everyone and then he gave everyone their thank you gift.They had thank you cards attached, I tried to help him write them, but he wanted to do them him self after the first one, so one is somewhat readable and then the other two are more abstract-but to me so cute! He is a pretty good little writer for a 3 year old if you ask his biast mama!This is what came in the gift bags-some tractor fruit snacks, a wrapped candybar and a screwdriver to add to their toolbox or belt. I think the boys really liked them. They felt pretty cool and not babyish at all to get their own real tools!This is the party-Paxton is mad because he wants another piniata-way too much to ask for them all to look at me and smile-classic!He had a blast with his first real birthday party-and that my friends is what I call a success!

Choo Choo Cake

This is my attempt at a Train Cake-it was very last minute that I threw it together, but all I cared about was him knowing what it was-when it was all done I set it on the table and showed him-and he said "Wow! Choo Choo Cake".

Success.

Topher is 2!

My little baby is 2! He woke up to balloons, crepe paper and Happy Birthday signs. He was most excited about the letter T in the Happy BirThday signs. I don't think he knew what it meant that it was HIS birthday-we have had so many lately-and what it means to him is that there are balloons, fun and cake-so he was stoked!

Pinewood Derby, Big Boy Style

The Elders Quorum in our ward did a Pinewood Derby on Friday night, Chad made a really cool car for it, spent lots of time, sanding it, priming it, painting it and getting it just right. Unfortunately he did not take as much time on the wheels and axels as he did on making it pretty so it didn't win any races, but it sure looked good!

It was a whole family affair with yummy food and desserts, and a designated area for the kids to ride their little bikes and scooters. We brought our little cars that you see Chad riding below for the kids to play on-but I think the Big kids had more fun on them racing around the gym!Christopher wanted to play with Chad's car so bad all week that he was working on it, but of course he didn't get a chance until after the races were over. He wanted to race too, so he brought some little matchbox cars over to the track and started sending them down, it was so cute-but he didn't get to do it for long, since it was right in the middle of the races.......so he settled for sitting in the crate that the track is stored in! Such a doll isn't he? BTW Thanks Lisa for these great pics of him-I didn't get any, my camera was not around at this point!Here is the winner board-Eric Kunz won this year-he was also the one that organized the event...coincedence? We think not....heee hee, totally kidding-but his wifes, brothers and daughters car all did pretty well too-so maybe...

Chopped, Painting and CKC

So...I took Bekah to Great Clips and had her hair chopped off some time last week, so those of you who live around here have probably seen her new do-but I am posting for those of you who haven't. I cut her hair for a couple of reasons-first of all, she complains any time I try to put "bows" (and bows can mean rubberbands, headbands or of course bows) in her hair and secondly because Chad and I take turns getting her ready and off to school each morning, and even on the mornings he gets up with her, I was still getting up with her to do her hair because he couldn't (or claims he couldn't-I'm pretty sure he was just trying to get me up!) Now she is ready for the summer, and ready for school practically right out of bed-just a few squirts of water to get rid of the bed head and a comb and she's ready to go! Woohoo-sleep in for me!!! She also painted this butterfly that she got at Michaels-because every time we go to the craft store she wants to get something she can paint. I know it's not a perfect paint job-but for a little 4 year old-I'm pretty impressed at how it turned out! She wants to do crafts all the time, and she always wants to go to Craft and Scrapbooking stores with me, so I decided to take her to CKC-the scrapbook convention downtown on Friday-I didn't really need anything, just wanted to look and of course I found a couple of things I "needed", but Bekah found LOTS of things she "NEEDED" for scrapbooking-here is a typical conversation we had that day- Bekah: "Mom I need a heart book for my scrapbook pages" Me: " I have a book to put your scrapbook pages in" Bekah: "Mom-it's not always about you-I need stuff for scrapbooking too-don't you know?" Me: "Fine" -Not my usual answer in a situation like that with her pulling attitude with me, but I am pregnant, tired and the album was only $5, the problem was, that after about 20 more conversations pretty much identical to that one-the receipts were adding up and I ended up carrying bags of scrapbook stuff for her around while she skipped along finding more things for me to buy for her-I'm not so sure I'll be taking her next year...

Spaghetti Face!

Spaghetti Face-
I have a picture of Bekah much like this one, I can't believe how much he looks like her! He scratched his eye today, unfortunately it is not more spaghetti sauce. This kid loves to eat and can out eat his brother and sister at almost every meal. This is the first time we let him eat spaghetti on his own and he caught right on, with the whole noodle slurping bit!

Basket Cases

As you can see from previous posts-my kids have a wierd obsession with sitting in buckets-but it's not just limited to buckets-they do not discriminate! Buckets, baskets, empty cupboards (or full cupboards if they can fit) if they can get in it, under it, on it then that's what they do. Chad took this picture a couple weeks ago. Bekah was sitting in the empty laundry basket looking through her notebook-and Topher went and found this basket in one of our still unpacked boxes, dumped it out and put it next to Bekah and got in-he always wants to do whatever big sis is doing! Too cute the way these guys are such good buddies!

Not Exactly What I meant!

...when I told the kids to clean up all their Little People and put them in the buckets! Although they are little people in buckets, I guess I need to be more specific when I send them in to clean their room!Do you see our sick addiction to buying all these Little People sets? The 2 huge buckets are for all the Little People and then that whole corner is where all the buildings sit-they are all so cute though! I know, I know we have a problem. As you can see though the kids get lots of use out of them-those buckets are constantly emptied and there are little villages set up all over the room. We still need the school, the circus and Noah's Ark....hmmmm. maybe the Easter Bunny could leave some! I mean look how cute those kids are...they NEED them!

What a Man!

My friend Heather tagged everyone on her blog to answer these questions and I thought it was only fitting for Valentines Day afterall.

All about my man...

What is his name? Chad Christopher Hewlett

How long have you been married? Almost 7 years

How long did you date? About 3 1/2 months

How old is he? He just turned 35

Who eats more? Probably me, depending on what meal though-he can down breakfast, and I like a bigger dinner

Who is taller? I am by 2 inches

Who sings better? He most definately sings better-he used to sing to me all the time when we were dating, he makes me swoon...

Who is smarter? I'm a bigger smart A, but he is more book smart

Whose temper is worse? Mine by far.

Who does the laundry? We both do, whoever happens to get to it first I guess, and we put it away together

Who does the dishes? Same as laundry, we both do it, sometimes together.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Right now I do, it seems to change depending on where we put the bed, and he always lets me choose

Who pays the bills? We both do, we usually sit down together after we get paid, pay the bills, figure out where we can pay extra, and divide the money into different savings accounts and spending accounts, that way we both know where we are each week.

Who mows the lawn? When ever we have had a lawn he has mowed it, probably just because it bothers him more when it's long-so I don't ever think about it

Who cooks dinner? We both do, we usually do it together, or whoever decides something sounds good and just does it

Who drives when you are together? Usually Chad, it is rare that I drive when we are together, it's usually only when I pick him up and just stay in the drivers seat

Who is more stubborn? Guaranteed that's me, he is very easy going and pretty much lets me get away with whatever I want, there isn't much he is stubborn about, and I have a list that stretches pretty far!

Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Probably Chad, though we don't fight all that often or even argue that much-plus I'm usually right!

Whose parents do you see the most? Right now, mine, a few years ago-his. His mom lives in Utah and mine lives here, but before we moved here, we lived with his mom, so we saw her A LOT!

Who proposed? Chad did, 9 weeks after our first date, and he recreated our first date too-so sweet.

Who has more friends? Probably me, but we both would rather just spend time together

Who has more siblings? Chad has 5 brothers and 2 sisters, and I have 2 sisters and a brother-so definately him-his family parties are LOUD

Who wears the pants? Sad to say, probably me, just because I have an opinion about everything though and he is always the one willing to compromise to make me happy-I know I'm lucky, and a bit of a brat!

So I know I have a great man who spoils me rotten and can make me melt when he sings or writes me a sweet love note, right? Well this morning for Valentines Day I wake up to a box of chocolates, a love note and Nacho Libre, (a favorite movie of ours), and I am thinking oh-so sweet! Then I come into my office and there is this HUGE 22" widescreen monitor and new computer that is flashing "Happy Valentines Day" on it. That is what I am writing this blog on right now. He completely surprised me, I was in need of a computer, mine was on it's way out-but I thought I would have to wait until at least Christmas before I could even start thinking about one! To top it all off he is taking me to the Melting Pot tomorrow, one of my top 3 favorite restaraunts ever! What did I get him-oh nothing, a little Valentine card that says "Be mine". I wanted to get him something, but he says Valentines Day is a girls holiday-it's just to spoil your girls rotten! (He also gets his daughters something every year). He always delivers the spoiling, but this year is completely over the top! I love you sweetie, thanks for all the spoiling-I don't deserve it, but I sure like it!He also got the kids chocolates and cards-here are some scary pics of them enjoying their spoils...