Tangled Party = Epic SUCCESS!!

The Banana is in love with Rapunzel. She LOVES the movie "Tangled," and wants to marry Flynn Rider when she grows up. When it came time to plan a birthday party, she knew exactly what she wanted. And I complied...in my own way.

She chose a pink and purple cake. I chose this:



Yeah, that's a doughnut tower. I RULE! It was super-easy, and Janna and her guests (especially the Mommies) loved it!! I also used frying pans for the snacks (pardon the pitiful lack of cast-iron pans - all I have are my beloved blue T-Fal)! The snacks were tiny sammies, braided pretzels and crackers, grapes, and apples (just in case Maximus stopped by).

She chose a bunch of silly Rapunzel-themed loot for the bags. I complied, but the girls also got these:

Bows (handmade by me, of course) inspired by each girls' favorite Princess (a missing guest chose Ariel) and Rapunzel, herself...


Pascal party blowers (I think these are just so freaking cool - and also very easy to make)...


And Rapunzel braids (again, crazy easy to make)...

It was a party fit for a princess...especially a Princess of Pink Bananas and her BFFs!!

The Banana is 4!!

Yep...she's 4. Which is ridiculous. And so is her cuteness. Janna is ridiculously cute!! And attitudinal, and sweet, and smart, and funny, and accident-prone, and everything wonderfully aggravating and amazing that a 4 year-old girl should be.

[And just in case you want to see how The Princess of Pink, aka The Banana, has changed since July of 2007, click here, here, and here!!]

Here's 2010-2011 in review...

37 months: The Banana LOVES flowers! She picks any and all that she sees - including Grammie's carnations and marigolds.

38 months: Ready for school!!

39 months: The cutest little Halloweenie EVER!

40 months: Enjoying the muffins Daddy helped make at preschool for her Thanksgiving Feast.

41 months: Merry Christmas!!

42 months: Senorita Snaggletooth!

43 months: The Dancing Queen! Janna started dance lessons - and after 6 she decided she was all done. All she really wanted was the outfit!

44 months: Meet Agnes, Janna's unicorn. She is now completely obsessed with them.

45 months: Hamming it up in Florida!!

46 months: The Princess of Pink Bananas is all done with her first year of school!! She LOVED it!

47 months: My little rocker knows what she likes to listen to - she is in love with ROCK! And 60s pop. No country, no rap, and very little "children's" music.

HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY, JANNA ELLEN!
You make every day just a little brighter, and I love you to pieces!!

Awesomeness and Princesses

I've said it before, and I will say it again...I'm awesome. I'm a lot of other things, too, but right now? Awesome is the word I use to describe myself.

The reasons for my awesomeness are many, but right now I attribute that trait to the following Princesses and Fairies:



Those? Are made completely out of ribbon and glue. And some blood, sweat, and tears on my part (well, no blood, but I did burn the hell out of my fingers trying to make some of the smaller pieces of the sculptures, and I teared up like the pansy I am, in my hot kitchen).

The Banana (who will be 4 in 10 days!!!) is a girly-girl, and she loves hair accessories. Her sister does, too, but not to the same extent. Janna asked for some new Princess hair stuff, and I complied. She also asked for Tinkerbell and Pinkalicious stuff. Again, I complied. Because I'm awesome. Go ahead...try to deny it!!

Last Day of School

Today is the kids' last day of school (and also my 10th anniversary). If I was less confident in my abilities as a parent, then I would look at this day as a lot of my acquaintances view it - I would be all weepy and emotional. But...I'm just not. Well, I guess I'm kind of emotional...

DUDE! It's the last day of school!!! Hooray! Summer can officially begin!

My kiddos have surpassed yet another milestone with flying colors. And I just can't be weepy about that. It's like the first day of school for me - how on Earth could I ever cry about them growing up? I knew that when they were babies, they weren't going to stay small forever. And I am filled with pride at the fact that each of my kids is a happy, independent little creature.

This school year has been wonderful. Each kidlet has had the teacher that was absolutely perfect for him or her. Janna thrived in pre-school. Elliott was in Kindergarten heaven. And Gabriel changed so much in first grade.

The teachers the kids had were also a perfect fit for me, too. None of them wanted "parental interference" (as Gabe's teacher called it). They didn't want the Moms and Dads coming in every day to help out. And I loved that! My kids don't do well with me hanging around their classes - they act differently, they don't participate, and they hang on me. Which is annoying...and not at all their typical behavior. When I went in to help, the kids were basket cases. I prefer letting them enjoy their school stuff without me. Those moments are not for me - they're for them. And they enjoyed every single one of them. And I enjoyed having them write stories or draw pictures about them. Listening to their glee and watching them grow are the moments meant for me.

At 3:01 this afternoon, I will officially be the overly proud Momma to a UPK-er, a First Grader, and a Second Grader. How freakin' cool is that?

My big, handsome boy! He insisted on wearing the outfit he wore the first day of school. he said, "I look just like I did when I started First Grade. Only my mouth looks different (he pulled out a tooth this morning)." Sorry to tell you, Gabe, but you have gotten a LOT bigger in the last 9 months!

My sweet Elliott Jane (with one of her favorite things in the world - her American Girl Doll) all dressed up for her last day of Kindergarten. She is so excited for First Grade! She insists that she's having the same teacher Gabe has, and she can't wait to go to the Primary School. She's the light of my life!

"Look at my hands, Momma!! I'm making Metallica hands!" Janna's pre-school ended in May, so she's been hanging out with me. n the fall she'll start AM UPK - and she's so excited! She already packed her backpack!

Trotting

For the past 2 months, we've been almost constantly on-the-go. Between school, sporting events, Jon's travel schedule, vet trips, and all other kinds of random excitement, things have been hectic.

Which kind of makes me nuts.

I like down-time. A LOT. I like to sit on my butt with a book and a mug of tea. I like peace and quiet. And when I don't have any, I get...well...bitchy.

So I've taken up jogging. Which, if you know me, really doesn't sound like something I would do. But...I did. And I'm proud of myself!! The jogging may be very slow, jiggly, and really ugly...but it's jogging!

I started about 2 months ago. I would jog half-assed for a little while (and I do mean little), then I would walk for a long while. It was probably a 30 second/5 minute+ interval. Which is a great way to start. If you stick to it, and increase the jogging time. I didn't. I just hung out there.

Then my husband decided he would get back into running (which I LOVE!!). So I decided that I needed to stop being a pansy. In two weeks, I've gone from a 30 sec. jogging/5 min. walking interval to a 6-8 min. jogging/2 min. walking interval. 6-8 minutes? Is over a half-mile at my pace. Which is AWESOME!! Especially for someone who didn't "run" for" the first 33 years of her life!!