We Have Pink, People! We Have Pink!

Living in a house of boys can be  is loud, dirty, smelly and really BLUE! I trip over tool belts, step on legos, and read stories about dinosaurs. I throw footballs, climb trees and teach my boys how to be secret spies in the backyard. I stop to admire the snakes slithering along the trail, gather up slugs, and go on bug hunts.

I have joked about being the mom of three bustling boys. It goes something like this: "Hubs, if you come home and find me decked out in heels (which I rarely wear), gallons of make-up, and wearing layer after layer of ruffles you will know that I have hit my testosterone limit for the day."

After scrubbing and wiping and mopping (and encouraging some big-little, responsible party fingers to help) the crevices around our potty chairs, I decided it is high time to have a girly stamp in an area that was becoming less and less enjoyable to be in. Introducing Pink into a world of boys. Not too much, but just enough!
                                                                           Before:

We had already taken down the flat edge- less mirror when I took the photo. Bleh.

After:

B.P.s Are On The Brain (and I'm ready for a break!)

B.P.s? What are those you ask? Let me give you a hint or two. We I plan them months in advance. They are  for me little people. They are meant to be fun and celebratory. They are elaborately planned. They are work fun! And the guesses are?

Yup...birthday parties. We've been in full B.P. season now since October, planning and executing just two parties (though one had to be cancelled and rescheduled because of the flu - yuck!, so if truth be told it felt like three parties).

My first rule for throwing a birthday party: robust party favors. Yes, robust. No cheesy dollar store plastic disposable toys here. I want the kiddos who are taking the time out of their parents' busy schedules to walk away with a toy/item with real staying power. Something that lasts longer than a day. Something that will remind them of the party they were at. Not a bad rule, really, but generally for me it's a time consuming rule.

My second rule for throwing a birthday party: easy on the budget. I don't care for the word cheap. 'Cheap' has never really been my thing. 'Frugal' is just a nicer way of saying 'cheap.' Parties need to be affordable. Doable. Easy on the wallet. Not a bad rule either, but sometimes a little harder to follow since I'm not stopping in the dollar store to buy my party favors.

And rule number three? Maybe the most important rule of the entire party: planning, planning and more planning. The more I'm planned, the more I'm prepared. The more I'm prepared the more I can prevent possible obstacles throughout the day. This same rule applied to my teaching days and I stick by it 100% when planning a get together of a lot of busy little bodies. Otherwise there's chaos. You know the kind - kids   bouncing off walls, tables, each other. I don't do so well with chaos.

Here's a sneak peek at some of the parties that have been occupying my brain this last year:

                                                                     H's Owl Party

O's Soccer Party

C's Robot Party

All the parties were a success, though some were more fun than others. I'll certainly take that into consideration the next time I'm planning a party. 

   

Time Flies

It's about time, isn't it? I mean, really...little C looks nothing, I repeat, NOTHING like he did in the last post.He is now a very precocious 20 month old who is decidedly more of a risk taker than his big brothers. He'squick as a wink, both in toddle and in wit. His language is clear and his sentences are growing by the day. Some may think that now that I have three very mobile boys I must have more time on my hands to recreate (aka write posts about life as The W5). Ha! Fooled you. Did I mention that C is precocious? He is in to absolutely, I repeat, ABSOLUTELY everything. It's only when he's in the 28" x 52" slatted safe house (aka crib) that I can get anything done. But he's darling. He's fun. He's sweet as can be. And I am madly in love.

Little C in a rare moment sitting still.