How to have a PAR-TAY!

Number One: Have a reason to celebrate. Phoebe and Jabe born June 27th 2006. Our world is a better place because of them.

Number Two: Find a theme to set the tone of the party. I decided on rubber ducky.
Hint: I totally cheated on these invite by buying a pack of thank you cards from Target. I found these ducky stickers and covered up the "thank you" greeting and drew a little glittery pink bow on one ducks head. Very easy and very cheep.

Number Three: Have your mom come over early to help you clean and set up. Jump in the shower 15 minuets before guests arrive! Yikes! (Couldn't have done it with out you mom!)

Number Four: Think simple. I went for a hot dog bar with disposable everything. Cupcakes with no ice cream. No mess; no fuss.

Number Five: Have your Talented Mother-in-law make thirty of the most adorable cupcakes you have ever seen. (delish too!)

Number Six: Fill your little house with lots of people you love.

Number Seven: Bubbles

Number Eight: Watch two babies eat sweets for the first time. (notice how much cake Jabe ate!)

Number Nine and Ten: Sprinkle a few gifts on top and put bubbles in the fountain.

What a year. What a reason to celebrate.

One almost

I've been in a denial fog this month. Because it's coming. My babies are turning one next week. This panic has come over me. And as much as I beg father time it just keeps on ticking. I'm done breast feeding and my sagging bras are the only things sad about that. But I suppose my body misses burning those extra calories and I could really use some of those endorphins that are realised while nursing. I will not miss nursing one while the other is screaming for me or squeezing into my mini van trying to find a quite place to feed.
I feel guilt over their blank pages in their baby books. I almost wish I didn't write anything in them, I could at least sell them on eBay. But no, I had to write one obsolete fact in each of them. Phoebe first tooth bottom right came in at four months and Jabe rolled over . . . oh I don't know when but I have it written down so if we ever want to have an anniversary party on that glorious day I've got it. So sorry Jabe and Phoebe, I never documented when you first laughed or clapped or had your first solid poop. I know that one day you will ask to see your baby books and I will tell you a sad story of how they burned in a house fire but I rescued you while crying for the precious pages going up in flames. (Do you think they will buy it?) I can only say this: everything that was supposed to happen developmentally DID. No signs of either of you being a genius or super athlete (although I'm not ruling that out for your future.) That being said, no signs of needing to ride the special short bus either. So you're normal. As far as Parents Magazine is concerned.
I am busy planning their party and will post pictures early next week of the bash.

Good Thinkin

Matt, Happy 30th birthday! So glad God thought you up. Hope you feel loved and cherished today because you are.
Thirty things I love about Matt.
1. His ambition to go above and beyond with every task. (You ask for a bowl of ice cream and he brings you a Sundae with a cherry)
2. His love of God and his efforts to be like Him.
3. His devotion to his country and all war movies.
4. His inability to cry. ( I do enough for both of us)
5. The way he melts around Phoebe.
6. The way he admires Jabes looks and always says he got them from me. (even though he looks just like Matt's dad.)
7. The way he never tires of Tobin following his every move.
8. The way he can recite EVERY line from Star Wars.
9. His desire to keep his family safe at all cost.
10. The way other people want to be with him.
11. The way he feels a compulsion to answer the phone no matter WHAT we are doing.
12. The way he cares about his health by jogging during almost every lunch break
13. The struggle he has every time he is faced with drinking a coke. (tonight honey you can have one after the other without guilt.)
14. He sleeps only in his underwear even during naps.
15. Speaking of naps; he can sleep though anything.
16. He is a self-taught genius with all things electronic.
17. He makes up his own lyrics to songs and sings them boldly.
18. He can't do math in his head and doesn't apologist for having to use his cacluator on his phone to figure out a 20% tip.
19. You give him an address of where we are going and he know exactly how to get there.
20. Everytime I make him cookies he says they are the best he's ever had.
21. He loves green plaid shirts.
22. He LOVES squirrels.
23. He still calls his mom, mommy.
24. He has this weird number thing where he memorizes every phone number. (even wierd things like G.I. Joes)
25. He is always dreaming of ways to create a better life for us but at the same time is happy and greatful for where we are.
26. He doesn't mind changing a poppy diaper.
27. He reads my mind and make me a coffee at just the right time.
28. He cooks really, really good. About 98% of the time he is in charge of dinner.
29. He loves clean sheet day.
30. When he comes home from work I feel like my day is complete.

Love all of you honey.

Are you trying to tell me something?

What does it mean when you're at your son's preschool program and one of the teachers stops you and says, "Oh, so YOUR Tobin's mom."

I say, "Yes, I am"

And then she says nothing.

We just stare at each other with polite smiles. What does that mean?



Maybe this video of the school's performance tells it all.






For those of you who don't know that's my boy deciding a solo by Tobin was needed in Jesus loves me.