SOCCER!!!

Little man started soccer this week.  He was SO CUTE!  It was pretty entertaining watching 3-4 year olds running around the soccer field.  Few kiddos listened.  Few followed directions.  Most of them wandered back to moms and dads for drinks and snacks while their coaches were talking. And several cried.  Oh the drama! 
Little man actually was pretty great as long as when he checked in with us he got goldfish and water.  He was also quite possessive with his soccer ball - actually no one else needed to touch it, AT ALL.  After soccer was over I asked him if he had fun.  His response was "Yeah.  But it was kinda LONG!"  ;)

We think he will be excited about going again after spring break.  He has already been practicing at home.  Too cute!

Pretty Yellow Flowers

We took our annual trip out to the daffodil fields on Saturday, March 10th.  The weather was beautiful and the place was packed with people!  As usual we met some of our buddies out there.  I would say it is a completely lovely experience but more often than not we end up shouting "don't step on the flowers, watch where you are going, be careful, please step out of their shot."  ;)  We actually do have some fun, though!  I thought there were fewer flowers in bloom this time compared to years past but I would guess our odd winter/spring weather may have contributed to that issue. 

Our kiddos enjoyed playing around the few trees/stumps that are scattered throughout the field more than the maze of flowers this year.  Usually we have more pictures but since they mostly want to run around these days there are fewer photo ops.  But here are some favs:

Circus Folk

Little man is currently training for the circus.  This means we have seen more than plenty of bloody noses and cuts and scrapes around here.  Sigh.

Bus Field Trip

Little man got to take his first field trip on February 22nd.  He was ecstatic!  I was thankful I could take off work to attend this one.  It was his class' turn to ride the city bus.  Nothing is cuter than a group of 3 year olds enjoying something as simple as a bus ride!  He sat with his best friend and they giggled at all the funny things we saw and heard. Of course we also sang "The wheels on the bus go round and round."  It lasted all of 30 minutes but definitely one of my favorites!

Little man's classmates

Little man and his best friend

Birthday Fairy

In our house we are visited by the birthday fairy each year.  She does a great job decorating the birthday girl's or boy's seat at the dining room table.  This year she even treated big sis to a bit of pixie dust. ;)

Fancy Nancy

Big sis celebrated her 6th birthday with a Fancy Nancy party at our house on March 3rd.  Her birthday isn't until March 6th so she thought it was a real treat to celebrate early!

This year we only invited kindergarten girls (and their siblings).  Even when limited the crowd a bit we still ended up with 20 kiddos in our house!  It was organized chaos for sure but they really had FUN! 

Fancy attire was requested but not required.  The party was a spa theme and they had their toe nails painted, fingernail stickers, a foot bath, and aunt K and her best bud did make-up for the girls.  The plan had been to have them out in the yard but it was so windy and a little cool outside.  So we decided to stay on the back porch and inside the house.  Before we got started the girls got to do their own decorating - which was basically a free-for-all of streamers and rose petals.

It was another low-cost party.  Big sis, Disco, and I baked and decorated the cupcakes ourselves.  I picked up most of the supplies at the dollar store or collected them from the random assortment we had stashed from previous parties and projects.  We ended up with a lot of help from family and friends before and after the party - which was greatly appreciated!

Big sis had a blast!  I'm so glad we got to do the Fancy Nancy party before she grows out of the "dress up" phase.  I can't believe she is already 6 years old - as usual time keeps flying by!

Home-made cupcakes

The decorations and supplies before the guests arrive

Banner

Make-up time!

The Fancy Crew

Pinata!!!!

Waiting for pens with plumes

Make a wish!

The aftermath

Fancy Family (sans little man who wasn't
interested in getting fancy for the party)

Door banner - Happy 6th B-day Big Sis!!!

Turning 6

And here is the obligatory look back at birthdays as big sis turns 6 on March 6th:

3-6-06

4th Birthday

5th Birthday

6th Birthday

100 Days

Big sis had her 100 Days of School celebration recently. She had to create a "100 Days" project. We bought several materials for her to choose from (knowing left unselected would be added to the craft closet). Big sis chose to hot glue 100 petals to a hat. It was SO CUTE! She did a great job with deciding what patterns to create for each row. I had to help some with the gluing process - but not as much as I thought I would. At Hobby Lobby they have a "cool" glue gun for about $6. It was SO worth it because it allowed big sis to be much more independent. And no one in the room yelled or melted into tears . . . success!  Here is the story she wrote about her project and the hat:

Make-shift King Cake

On Fat Tuesday I wasn't organized enough to get to the store in time to buy a king cake.  So we had to improvise!  I took a can of cinnamon rolls (reduced fat and trans fat-free) and created our own king cake.  Of course the kiddos helped.  We unrolled all the dough and then braided individual lengths first.  Then we braided those braids.  Finally we placed the braided dough in a ring in a non-stick baking pan.  We backed the "king cake" for about 20 mins and then iced it with the icing that came with the cinnamon rolls.  Being a king cake, it needed something a little extra special.  Little man and big sis added purple, green, and yellow sprinkles.  Finally I "hid" the baby in the cake.  Little man found it this year. :).

I have to say it was quite tasty!  Here is the final cake: