The Latest Fashions

After school shopping this year, the girls had a fun idea that might become a new tradition. They wanted to model their new clothes for daddy and remembered that we have a Fashion Show curtain thinga-majig from Natalie's fashion birthday party a year and a half ago. So when we got home, we set it up and they modeled away. It was quite entertaining and they got lots of compliments from daddy. The fashion show thing has a sensor that plays upbeat "runway" music as you strut down the pink runway. I can hear it playing over and over when I see these pictures. The girls totally hammed it up as you can see...

It's hard to see, but Sarah is airborne for this picture. What amazing modeling moves.
This is so Natalie and makes me laugh out loud! The scarf is my favorite part of this outfit.

Angela and her new leotard. (o:

Matching hot pink zebra jackets were our splurge. They didn't need them, but have been the biggest hit for these fashionistas. Notice, they even have little ears on the hood. Ha!

Colorful Carnival for Loo

For Angela's fourth birthday, I decided it was time to finally throw her a friend party. Being the third child has perks and disadvantages. I was feeling guilty because Sarah has had birthday parties since she was 1 year old - but then, I didn't have other kids at the time (when Sarah was 1 and 2) and Angela has always had built in friends (her sisters) to celebrate with.

So that mother's guilt kicked in. And this time around I decided to make things "easy" on myself and just rent a pavillion at a park to host the party. I wouldn't have to clean the house or worry about messes there. But then I started thinking about a theme. I LOVE themes. I always have some sort of theme for parties and once I got going with the theme, I can't control myself. My idea for a simple party at the park exploded into a carnival. It's not my fault - I can't help it. I have a problem. These monsters just create themselves in my head.

It started with the idea to order a colorful parachute when I was ordering preschool supplies for the coming year. I thought it would be perfect party entertainment. Then I found cute colorful paper while shopping at the craft store for invitation supplies. The Colorful Carnival idea started coming to mind and here is what the party ended up like. A little chaotic, but tons of fun . . .

This merry go round was one of the big reasons why we picked this park. Angela LOVES it. I wish I got a video of the kids screaming and squealing on it. I'm pretty sure Kaitlin burned about 4,000 caleries twirling this thing around for the first part of the party.

Angela LOVED the parachute games.

One of the carnival stations was a cupcake decorating station. Each of the kids got 15 tickets to spend at the carnival and each activity was one ticket. They could also buy cotton candy for one ticket. Plus most of the prizes for the games were candy. It was a sugar FEST.

"Knock 'Em Down"

"Target Toss"

Yummy green cupcake . . . mmmmm (o:

Disappearing Candy game - a tootsie roll was hiding in one of the moving cups and had to be found.

Face painting fun! I love how Rylan's turned out. (o:

Sarah got a big kick out of getting glasses and a mustache!

Kaitlin at the cupcake decorating station. She was my lifesaver for the party! She helped me set up, take the girls to the bathroom, twirled the merry go round, helped clean up and probably a million other things I can't remember right now. Also, you can see above my centerpieces that I was very proud of, but never got a good picture of. They were big "Popcorn" bowls filled with popcorn, licorice and a boquet of balloons weighted down at the bottom.

Tina resting at the marble painting station because she was helping me so much. Cutting watermelon, picking up parachutes, fetching this and that, keeping me on track, oh, and incubating an 8 month old fetus at the same time! What a good friend! (o:

I also enlisted Tana to come help me at the party. She was great helping set up, running some of the games and cleaning up. I had so many great friends helping and friends' kids, little sisters, etc. Everyone helped make it such a fun time!

Our fun birthday setting. We had a blast!

Kaitlin told me that while taking Angela to the bathroom, Angela said with a huge smile (as her friends were screaming and laughing in the background), "Everyone is having fun at my party!" This made her so happy and that comment made all that work worth it! Most importantly, I think Angela had a pretty great day.

President Monson's Birthday

I read this idea today and wanted to share - it's a wonderful way to celebrate the prophet's birthday. Which is Friday, August 21st. I challenged our young women to do this and plan to do something with my own girls. President Monson's entire life is such a sweet example of Christ-like service to those he came into contact with. Read below his one request he would like for his birthday. Whether your a member or not, it's a great way to make the world a little better!

Picture taken by Chuck Wing, Deseret News

During an interview for an article on his birthday last year, the Church News asked President Thomas S. Monson to describe what he would consider the ideal gift that members worldwide could give him. Without a moment's hesitation he said, "Do something for someone else on that day to make his or her life better. Find someone who is having a hard time or is ill or lonely, and do something for them. That's all I would ask."

What a perfect gift idea.

Mantracker Family

I crack myself up. I wish I could show this picture with my real man, and our actual family, but as you all know, part of the deal of making our family life public was to keep my mysterious husband anonymous. (o: I love this picture of the girls. We were doing family pictures at the beach during the very brief time Hank* was able to come. We got some fun ones and I chose Mantracker for Hank's* face replacement because we are big fans of his show on the Science Discovery Channel. He he. (o:

Yes, I am Still Alive

A few very kind souls who humor me and actually read my blog have noticed that I have been MIA for quite some time. Almost 36 days to be exact. How did this happen? How did that much time pass so quickly and why have I been so lazy? I've kind of been rebelling. I want to enjoy our summer without feeling obligated to document every little thing. Who do I feel obligated to, I wonder? I am not narcissistic (thank you spell check on that one!) enough to think that people, nay, fans, were hounding my blog living in deep depression when day in and day out there was nothing new to satisfy their hunger. I do feel a little obliged to keep in touch with family and friends because I love feeling connected and having them as a part of my life - even if it is in cyberspace.

No, I feel obligated to my kids and myself to be better at keeping this up. After rebelling for a while - I only planned to take a two week "vacation" - I got overwhelmed with the prospect. In case you didn't notice I take a ginormous amount of pictures and I tend to blab like theirs no tomorrow. The mountain of memories to sift through has risen higher and higher. But then today as Angela was talking about her new "banastic" outfit (she says the word gymnastics almost like "banana") and I was thinking what a cute way to say gymnastics that was and how I love her funny way of saying things. I realized, it's those cute little things that I miss when I try to recall a month's worth of memories in one sitting.

So I am turning over a new leaf. Until I fall off the wagon again. I am recommitting and ready to climb this "mountain of memories" and take you on a journey of our family summer thus far.