Weekly Round Up - with a big birthday

My baby girl turned thirteen on Friday.  Wow.  Big birthday.  She celebrated small.  Just family for the most part.

She opened cards from grandparents before Zippy and her Dad headed off for Cedar Point for the day. They had a great time riding the roller coasters and water rides.

The Little Dude and I stayed home.  We still had fun though, went to the farmer's market and the playground.

The next day we had chocolate cupcakes with Grandma.

Zippy got Legos, so we had some photo fun with it.

Tomorrow officially starts a new year of school for Zippy.  Wednesday is when the Little Dude starts preschool.  Just kicking back today to enjoy the last unofficial day of summer.

Weekly Round Up - with a birthday

What an exciting week this has been.

Started off with a boat:

Tonight is the pre-school's annual rain gutter regatta.  That is where the kids finish a sail boat (just like the ones the boy scouts use).  Then they race their boats in rain gutters powered by their breath.  Yep they blow their boats right to the finish line.  With a carry-in dinner before the big race it is a real opportunity to fellowship with the other parents and kids.  The Little Dude had a great time sanding and painting with his Dad. Sadly he is not going tonight because he has a really nasty cold and fever, but he still had a great time making the boat.  I volunteered to help out, so I am still going (possible pictures to follow).

Wednesday was a Birthday:

Little Dude turned four.  He had a fun adventure day.

Preschool in the morning with a special brownie snack.  Then McDonalds for lunch and a special present.

I couldn't resist this picture.  It looks like such a commercial. 

Then we went to the zoo.  Do you know the best time to go to the zoo?  The middle of the week when it is wet.

We had the whole place to ourselves. It was so great we got to spend time in the seal tunnel, this is the Little Dude's favorite place in the whole Zoo.  It is also inside, which was a huge incentive.

On the homeschool front, this trip to the Zoo worked out well as a field trip.  Zippy read about true seals in her science book just that morning.  She was our expert guide as we watched them swim around.

We ended the day with fire.  Now Little Dude has no desire whatsoever to eat the brownies.  He really does not like sweet things.  But blowing out candles, now that is a whole different thing.  We used every candle in the package and he blew them out three times.

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39 by 39

This is a little bit late, but I've wanted to a list like this for a while

1. Finish my family scrapbook up to the end of 2012.
2. Complete a 
3. Go to the Zoo
4. Photograph ice bubbles
5. Read 12 books
6. Get much better at PhotoShop {maybe get the new one?}
7. Build a snowman
8. Go to an Art Museum
9. Learn how to crochet a granny square.  
10. Go to Canada 
11. Make and mail birthday cards for friends and family
12. Pick apples. 
13. Make origami
14. Get a manicure
15. Make a pie from scratch
16. Make an art display for the kids
17. Knit something
18. Visit Ohio Caverns
19. Learn to crochet snowflakes
20. Start running
21. Lose weight 
22. Hunt for fossils
23. Photograph sparkler words
24. Go to a festival
25. Take a class
26. Take a family photograph
27. Plant tomatoes
28. Do a random act of kindness
29. Work on Little Dude's cross stitch
30. Play miniature golf
31. Organize all the pictures
32. Have an all day movie marathon {with popcorn}
33. Run a 5k
34. Go on a hot air balloon ride.
35. Try Yoga
36. Play board games
37. Finish an entire coloring book
38. Make giant ice marbles
39. Buy a pair of Converse Chuck Taylors.

So, what do you want to do this year?

Weekly Round Up - with a Birthday

#MOMeo Tip: Monday sets a critical tone for your entire week. Start it off by getting stuff DONE!
— Carla Young (@CarlaYoung) January 23, 2013

Truth via Twitter.

Monday was a mess. Well it is fair to say  Sunday night was a mess, which flowed into Monday.  I did not get my plan for the week written down, big mistake, I will never go into a homeschool week with the idea of "we will just wing it this week". Nothing gets done.  Nothing got done, because I did not have a written plan.

So here is the short version of a short week.

Monday - The hubs was off of work, not because of MLK day, but because he wanted to go to Little Dudes doctor appointment.  Anytime the hubs is off work is a holiday to me.  We went on a family field trip to see the LEGO exhibit.  Little Dude has his check up doctor appointment.  Only gained a half a pound.  Needs to eat. more, going to try PediaSure. (Any other suggestions on how to get more calories into him would be ever so greatly appreciated.) Other than that all was status quo.

Tuesday - The temperature was zero. Zero degrees.  Zero degrees Fahrenheit.  Monday, something unfortunate happened to the hubs front brakes.  This is not the catastrophe it might first appear. He fixed it, eventually after purchasing two different tools (one to take the old part off and one to put the new part on - really).  He had to take my car to work. Again, normally not a big deal, we live within walking distance of Little Dude's preschool.  But when it is zero degrees one does not walk anywhere, unless it is truly a life altering kind of situation.  So rides were found, he got to school and Zippy did spelling, math and science. 

Wednesday: Still cold, but I had a car again, so less drama. 

Thursday: My birthday, woohoo.  I'm old, although if you ask me my exact age, I always have to think about it for a minute.  Is that a sign of age?  No cake, ice cream or singing, but I got to go bowling with the Little Dude and his class {truly a lesson in patience for all the little ones}, and I got to go out to eat with the Hubs and Zippy while a dear friend watched the Little Dude.  The hubs also bought me a candy bar.  

Zippy's interpretation of Benihana's heart o' fried rice.

Friday - The best laid plans... Today was supposed to be a big trip out to get Science supplies.  Looking out the window at the snow, I think we may put off some of that running around until tomorrow.  (The Apologia lab kits are looking better and better.) 

How was your week?

Photos taken with InstaGram.  I love InstaGram.  Follow me!  I'm hollyoshesky.

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The Big Birthday Bonanza

Zippy had a birthday this year and we celebrated in fine fashion with nearly all her friends and family over a two week time frame, so it really was a birthday bonanza.  Well in the paraphrased words of one of my favorite authors "it isn't every day your young lady turns 12."

Here is the photographic proof:

The Little Dude learned how to blow out candles this year and loves, I mean loves to blow out any candle anywhere for any reason.  Zippy was trying to keep him from blowing out her candles here.  All in good fun.

Birthday bonanza #1 Zippy had two of her friends over for dinner and doughnut holes.  Afterward they had a wonderful time playing mini golf.  This is turning into quite the tradition for Zippy. 

Birthday bonanza #2 (of which I have no pictures).  My wonderful brother came up for a completely non-birthday related reason and we had cupcakes, with candles and pizza.

This is the last year Zippy qualifies for the "kids" birthday program.  My baby is growing up. 

Loves, I mean loves blowing out candles.

Birthday bonanza #3 Bennihana, presents and cake

Guernsey Farms has great ice cream!

Birthday Bonanza #4 The Fair/Circus and ice cream.  There is a movement in Michigan to reinstate our State Fair and I won tickets to the first Great Lakes State Fair VIP preview, which included a small circus on Zippy's birthday.  She said it was lots of fun!  When we got home another birthday gift was waiting on the doorstep. It was a great day.

Bonus but not birthday related:

We got to spend some time with our church family over the Labor Day weekend.  There was swimming in the lake, hot dogs roasted over an open fire, snow cones, scavenger hunt, and Zippy even got to hold the newest member of church for just a few minutes. 

 

5 Money Saving Birthday Tips

Yesterday was Little Dude's Birthday, 2 years old.  In honor of his big day, I thought I would share some money saving birthday party tips.

1. Make your own invitations.  Not feeling particularly crafty, Microsoft Office has many party invitation templates

2. For a fun party, go to a local park.  It is free and kids love to play outside on swings and slide.

3.  Keep games simple.  Some great games that don't cost anything:  telephone, musical chairs, and tag.

4. Just serve cake and ice cream.  For more money savings make your own cake.

5.  Make a craft (and there a loads and loads of inexpensive craft ideas online) as a fun activity.  The finished craft is a great take-home party favor.