Birthday Festivities

It's so hard to believe that my first born is having his last single-digit birthday this year!  He has been planning his party for about a month, and we were excited to have it all come together this past weekend.  We were thankful for the beautiful weather since this party was a flag football party in the park near our house.

We had a few activities for the early arrivers.  The kids got to apply some "eye black" tattoos and make some football keychains.  There was a football toss game, too, but they were most interested in playing the real football game!

Some of the kids had never played football before, but they all did really well!  They learned the game and really got into it.  Steve stayed on the field with them and tried to make sure that they all got some playing time, and got to try out different positions, too.

After some hard playing time on the field, it was time to replenish with food.  After lunch it was time for cake.  Evan had requested a lemon-lime cake, so I searched around and found a recipe for a light summer cake. 

Then it was time to open presents.  He got some fun presents, including some soccer balls.  The guys then all went back onto the field to play soccer.  They had a lot of fun, but I was watching and talking to the parents, so I didn't get any pics of the soccer.

After we got home, Evan got to open his present from his grandparents.  They gave him a badminton set and we have all been having SO much fun with it in the backyard!  Unfortunately, we need to replenish our supply of birdies soon.  The bushes seem to be eating them. 

Tomorrow will be his actual birthday, and I am trying to plan something extra-fun for him.  He gets out of school early, so I am trying to find a cool diversion for us for the afternoon. 

The Mother of All Days

or, Happy Mother's Day!

Since we have moved I have been thinking about my mom more.  Really, I think about her a lot so I am not sure that it has been more, but it does seem like it.  I still miss her like crazy and wish that she was here ... to know my boys, teach me how to can, spend time together, let me sit in her lap, etc.  (Yes, I still sat in her lap even after I was "grown" and married.)  Recently I have been remembering all the times that I and my nieces and nephews sat in her lap or laid our heads in her lap while we were in church.  Since my children have been raised in churches that have children's church I haven't really done that with them.  But our church here has the kids stay in the service with the parents a few times each year.  Once a month they stay out just for the singing.  About 4 times a year they stay for the whole service.  Today was one of those days.  And I had both of the boys laying on me or sitting in my lap for most of the service.  And it was nice.  And I thought of my mom and smiled instead of crying.

Joel woke me up this morning to give me my present.  It was shaped like a purse, and you opened it up to see two pages he had made.  I am sharing the second page since it is where he really wrote. 

I am irritated that this pic got flipped, and I can't flip it back.  But anyway, can you make it all out?  Apparently the only "work" that he knows that I do is "working" out.  And some days he has to go shopping with me when he gets out of school.

Evan gave me my presents at breakfast.  He had decorated a mug, made a flower, and made a card for me.  I am sharing the flower because that's where he wrote. 

You may have to click on it to read it, but my favorite is "Without you I'd be dead."

Steve got my favorite breakfast for me - an egg mcmuffin, hashbrown, and coffee.  He also gave me some tulips, ordered a new coffee carafe (since I broke mine last week), and is currently grilling some burgers and hot dogs for me.  He was telling a friend at church that he was grilling burgers for me today and the friend was a little surprised.  He didn't expect that a woman's favorite grilled food would be burgers.  But I do love those burgers.  And I made chili to go with it.  Yum-yum!

 

Well, I am going to call this post done, and get back to the family.  After I say again, Happy Mother's Day!

Staying busy

I thought I had blogged more recently than I have, so I guess I have some catching up to do.  We have been pretty busy the last few weeks with science week, a visiting Flat Stanley, working on the yard, and exploring our new surroundings.

Science week started with an egg drop at the boys' school.  The students who wanted to participate made a devise for holding a raw egg as it was dropped from a 70 foot tall firetruck ladder.  Joel chose not to participate, but Evan did.  He worked on a design, tested it, re-designed, etc, etc.  His final design worked from the second story of our home, but not at the school unfortunately.  It was a fun event and I am already looking forward to seeing what he comes up with next year.

The next night we went to the science fair assembly at school.  All of the projects were on displays, and students who had signed up were able to present their projects.  Both of the boys did projects, and Evan presented his.  He practiced a lot and did a good job of speaking loudly and talking about the project.  Way to go, Evan!

That Friday after school we took Flat Stanley into Seattle and West Seattle for some sightseeing.  We started off with getting some free Friday afternoon sodas from Jones Soda Co.  I have been wanting to do that since we moved here and finally made it when they were open!  We had fun trying lots of flavors. 

After that, we went to the waterfront area and visited Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe.  We were supposed to go there over Spring Break, but that was the day Joel got sick.  The boys were a little "freaked out" (to quote Joel) in there.  It has even been renamed "the freaky place" by Joel.  They saw mummies, shrunken heads, stuffed animals (including a 2-headed lamb) - to name a few things.  This place is a store and a museum of sorts.  It was the first time we had been, and I don't anticipate the boys asking to go back any time soon.

Then it was time to walk around Pike Place Market.  We saw lots of fun sights there, and even enjoyed a Texas-sized donut.  It was big enough for the whole family!  Of course, we visited the gross gum wall, too.  I thought the kids getting Flat Stanley back would be very interested in that.

After Steve got off work he joined us in the market and we took off for West Seattle and Alki Beach.  Our first stop was Spud's for dinner.  It was very yummy and we all enjoyed eating at "the oldest fast food restaurant in Seattle"!  After we ate, we walked across the street to the "beach".  Joel pointed out that it wasn't a real beach since it didn't have sand. 

The next day was Saturday, and it was time to head out for the Tulip Festival!  We went to a farm (with vegetables and animals), a tulip farm, and Padilla Bay for a bike ride.  It was a long day, but a lot of fun.

This week was a bit of a recovery week.  Evan and I did head out to a Mariners game last night.  It was our first game at Safeco field and we had a blast!  We went with a group from their school, so he was able to hang out with some friends, and I was able to talk to the moms.  And the Mariners won! 

In our "spare time" we have been working on the yard, too.  It's really been more Steve, but I have decided that I like working in the yard more here than I did in Texas.  I would assume it is because it is cooler here.  And the ground is easier to work with, too.  The yard is looking pretty good now and we have some beautiful flowers blooming.  We both have visions for what we would like the yard to look like in a few years.  Hopefully we can have fun together working to achieve that.