Every party needs a theme!

The darling cupcake tower from my sister...I made the cupcakes myself, pretty proud of myself since baking isn't my strong point!

A banner, sign and one of the ribbon topiaries I made.

Another sign.

Some of the serving bowls I used.

One of my favorite new finds....a handy serving caddy.

So I went a little crazy with Ev's party this year. It all started with the invite. I picked three colors from it orange, lime green, and blue and went crazy with it. I made party hats, banners, cupcake toppers (with help from my new favorite blog tomkatstudio), two really cute ribbon topiaries, and even ordered Ev a special shirt to coordinate. I had so much fun with it all, I have even contemplated starting a side business. Unfortunately my camera was not working and mom's ran our of batteries, so we didn't get everything documented. Amy bought me the darling cupcake tower this Christmas and this was the first time I was able to use it....so cute!!

My Baby Turns Three

I can't believe my baby boy turned three! Although this is a super busy time of year for me with the end of school, I really wanted to have a special little party for Ev. We had a great day with close family and friends. I just love that each one of my boys has their own distinct personality. Ev is my little jokester....he loves to be silly and make people laugh, especially his big brothers. He is still a bit of a monster (into everything), but is also the one still curling up in my lap at night and giving me the best hugs. I absolutely love this child to death! Happy birthday my sweet boy!

What a difference a couple of weeks make!

So we stripped Blake of his legos, puzzles, Wii, the computer and even limited his time in front of the television. We encouraged him to play nicely with his brothers, to get outside more often and to watch the way he spoke to adults. Everytime he would start to argue, we would stop him. He spent a few evenings in his room for his behavior, but overall we saw a difference within the first couple of days. Even his teacher commented on how well behaved he was in class! Athough, we are not completely out of the woods yet, I am happy to say that I have my sweet, kind, loving Blake back.

Help, I lost my son and want him back!

So my perfect little Blake, who never cried as a baby, slept through the night at a month, never experienced the terrible two's, or three's for that matter, and is smarter and sweeter than you can possibly imagine, is gone! I don't know when it happened exactly, but in just the last two weeks, someone else is living in this sweet boy's body. This "new" Blake is whinny, say's "no" to his parents, fights bedtime, picks on his brother, and is how can I say this lightly...disrespectful! My heart is breaking and I am at my wit's end!

As a parent you try to do everything right. You love your child, you give him a warm bed to sleep in and put food on the table. You give them a bedtime, set boundaries, read to them nightly, buy them nice things (but not always), send them to a very expensive Catholic school, yet still they think all you ever do is tell them no! Somehow Blake has got it in his mind that we expect him to be perfect. Perfect? What is that anyways? Not something anyone in this family is...although I must admit, Patrick thinks he is pretty close to.

So what do you do? Do you ground this 6 year old? Take away all of his toys? Strip his room? Well, that is where this is heading. Lego's are packed away, computer and the wii are off limits, bedtime is now half an hour earlier, and kid's t.v. programs are going to be very limited (and that is only because I have two younger kids). Patrick and I have both talked to him individually about his behavior and together, even Grandma Sue has spoken with him but we still have a whinny, entitled child. Now don't get me wrong, there are still glimpses of that sweet, loving child, but I want him back full time! Oh the joys of parenting! For those of you who have been there...this is only temporary, right?

My Dad

What a lucky girl I am to have my dad! He is loving, kind and extremely hard working. He loves being a dad and that is apparent to anyone who has ever met him...he can be a bit of a bragger : ). I am so lucky that I had a dad who was so involved in my life and ALWAYS put his family first. He was my coach, he helped me with my homework, and when tempers flared in my household (which didn't happen a lot) he was always the calming force. I love him so very much and I am happy to say that I am definitely a "Daddy's Girl!" He is the reason I wanted so badly to have a little girl. I wanted Patrick to have that special bond between a dad and his daughter....who knows maybe one day we will adopt : )!