Ponies, pinatas, and pumpkins, Oh My!

Sutton Turns 5!!!!!

When people ask me about our kids, I start with, :well, our oldest is 10, and the baby is almost 5", and they ask, "So you have just the two then?" And my reply,

" We have four wonderful, amazing kids. Four kids in Five years. And yes, life is nuts. And yes, I love it. " And now my "baby" is 5.

Too old to be carried around, too old to call the baby, too old to stay at home with Mom all day. But as he threw his arms around me yesterday and laid a big old smooch on my cheek I thought, definitely not too old for some snuggling in the morning, never too old for bedtime stories, and heaven help me if he ever gets too old to be my little boy!

But in celebration of this landmark event, (no more diapers at our house, Hooray!)

We threw a carnival shindig of epic proportions.

One pony, one pinata, seventeen pumpkins, 32 hot dogs, 2 cans of hot chocolate mix, 22 kids, and lots and lots of fun! Painting pumpkins, punting pinatas,
and Playing with ponies!!

Ride em cowboy!!
All the other kids got into the action, including the older "kids" of all ages in our neighborhood.
Lots of fantastic friends, and memories for when they really are all grown up!

Self Portraits al la van gogh!

This is what happens when your daughter figures out that the viewfinder rotates backwards on the digital camera.
YAAAAAWWWWNNNNN!!!
Imagine my surprise when I downloaded pictures this weekend. There are about 32 of these charmers!
Is this her librarian look?

I hope you enjoyed these as much as I did.

Serendipity! (Or why gossip is BAD!)

Last friday I had a wedding cake for Dawn. Dawn was a cute girl, who called me because I had done a cheesecake wedding cake for her cousin Kathy. And in conversation it came out that she was Evie's teacher's roommate until August. (Ms. Hackworth we love you.) This is one of the reason's I never gossip about anyone in Utah. EVERYONE knows someone who knows you. It is like the six degrees of Kevin Bacon, only WORSE!

Dawn had a very definite idea of what she wanted.

Hatboxes.

Now, I normally don't do hatbox wedding cakes. To me a little bit of fluff and flowery victoriana goes a LONG way. But these sounded neat.

So I sketched out three contrasting hatboxes, with antique gold accents, and cabbage roses on top.

This is how it turned out. What do you think? I love the gold braid handles. (not real fondant, I cheated and went to the fabric store. ) And the gold touched scrollwork.
And the stripes. The stripes were cool. Dawn and Jon's names were done in gold scrollwork around the top band, with brown and pink accents. It all went really nicely with her centerpieces, which were actual hatboxes, and gold runners.

Just don't ask me about the pink food.

MotherHood

Last weekend I made a cake for a very good friend of Ron and I's. It was a beautiful autumn themed wedding in a backyard in Orem. It was a lovely day. and although I had to rush through some of the week to get it done, it was a beautiful cake. Four small bottom layers, a larger second layer, glass pillars and a small top layer. All were done in a dusty pink, with white crown borders, and brown ribbon accents.
The flowers were red zinnias, gerbera daisies, alstromeria, white mini zinnias, and some awesome brown, red, and green foilage I purloined from someone's overgrown shrub. (Thanks, it was just what I needed!)
It was all balanced on a plexiglass square, on four glass vases, filled with red petals. It did turn out quite well, and I was pleased. I knew I wanted to take pictures, so I took the girls with me, set up, and the boys came later to wish them well. (Congratulations Noelani!)

While I was there, in a beautiful setting, with my four kids, all reasonably mess free, camara dangling from my shoulder I thought, "hey, why don't I take some pictures of the kids?" As I look at these pictures now, I wonder why I wait for some special event to take pictures. Aren't the every day events just as special? (If a little more messy) My kids are growing up faster than I would like, and I would like to freeze them all, just an hour, and sit down. Forget cakes, and lessons, and homework, and just laugh, and treasure the little moments we have together.
"Author Anna Quindlen reminds us not to rush past the fleeting moments. She said: “The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make. . . . I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of [my three children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less”
So this is my goal. Play with the toys, don't just pick them up. Laugh with my kids everyday. Let them help, even if it makes a mess. Let them be themselves. Make time just for time. And hope they don't grow up too fast. I love you guys!

Birthday Party Fun!!

Evie's birthday party for friends was this last weekend, and she wanted to have a fairy bash. Right now she is into anything tinkerbell.
Her birthday cake was a fairy world, with tinkerbell on the top. (she got to keep tink, of course)Her friends all came, we colored fairy pictures, had a fairy treasure hunt, and ate pizza and fairy cake. Then they decorated picture frames, which we sent home with a picture of each girl with evie. (I love digital camaras!!!)
But by far the biggest hit of the afternoon was the "wrap sutton in tiolet paper" game. By the time they were done the family room resembled a blizzard. All the tinkerbell theme was fun, and it got me thinking about disney, and how successful they have been.

Walt Disney once said that " Age old entertainment based on the classic fairy tale knows no young, no old." That is certainly true. While looking for cake ideas for the party I found these pictures, a series done by Annie Leibovitz for a disney promotion this year. The entire series can be found on the disney blog, here. But these are two I especially loved.

Beckham as Prince Charming. I mean, how cliche. But a great picture. You can just imagine the dragon just out of the frame.

And this Cinderella is fantastic. If you check out more, look at Beyonce as Alice in Wonderland.

I can tell it is just about time for another Disneyland vacation. Sutton does not remember going, (he was only 18 months old the last time we went) and he is just at the age where it is so fun to see them enjoying themselves.

On another front, check out this game. Quiddler.

It has become one of our favorites. A combination of scrabble and gin rummy, you play seven hands, trying to make words out of the letters you have been dealt. Try it, you will like it!

Skating through Life!

Fall is in the air . . . the smell of leaves, the cool, crisp morning air, the sound of skates swooshing across the ice. WHAAAAAT? Skates?
Yes, I have taken up the time honored olympic sport of figure skating. As a "non-traditional" student at BYU I am mere inches away from my Bachelor's degree. The only classes I have left to take are biology, an exercise class, and my senior lecture.
SO, I signed up for . . . Ice Skating!
Yes, just like anyone raised in North Dakota I skated my way through the winters. I have regaled the kids with stories of how they used to flood the soccer field at my elementary school, and we skated for P.E.
But that was 15 years, four kids, and a few pounds ago.
Yesterday was the first day of class, and after two hours on the ice I am happy to note that unlike others in the class, I DID NOT fall down. Hooray.
Now just 14 classes to go.

What a Party!!!

Today was Evie's ninth birthday. Convenient that it was Labor Day, so she got to do the thing she loves the most-SLEEP IN!!!

We had a great time today. We went to Borders, where she got to pick out a CD and book.

Her book pick was this one, about a mermaid. (just knew it was mermaids or fairies!)
And her CD was the new Cheetah Girl's One World Soundtrack.

Afterwards we went to Mamma Mia!!!! (OK, this was for me, but it's not all about you on your birthday, is it?)

If you haven't seen it, do!! Such a relief to come out of the theatre smiling and happy, singing and dancing, rather than dreary and depressing.

We had the fam over for dinner, Grandma and Grandpa Spotts, Grandma and Grandpa Baxter, Nana, Papa, Lauren, and Britt. Evie got to pick the meal, so of course it was pasta with cheese, but she has upgraded from good old kraft mac an cheese, to pasta alfredo.

Grandma Spotts made a coconut cake, and everyone else chipped in too.

Evie is determined to make her birthday last all week, so Saturday is her friends birthday party.

I better get out those balloons!

Have a great week everybody!

Back To School

DO you remember the first day of school? Do you remember the nervous butterflies, the excited anticipation, the dread? Do you remember seeing old friends again, and making new ones? Packing a school lunch, and getting up an hour earlier than you needed to? Mom fixing a great breakfast, when the rest of the year you eat cold cereal?
As I watch my kids get ready to go back to school all of these old feelings come back, along with new ones. Will they be okay? Will they be loved and cherished as I can love them? Will they be permanently scarred?:) No one warned me that being a mother was so full of emotional pitfalls, or that I would be going through elementary school four more times. (like the first time wasn't bad enough) But it is an exciting time.

Channing and Evie planned their wardrobe VERY carefully. Channing and her best friend were chic in Black and white, (always one of my favorites) while Evie was stylish in Red.
Ryder was excited to see Spencer and Cassie. (of course he has played with Spencer everyday all summer long.)
And I never can get them to all smile at the same time. (thank you Evie!)

And here is a little line that made me smile. Don't forget your apple for the teacher!

School
A little girl had just finished her first week of school.
"I'm just wasting my time," she said to her mother.
"I can't read, I can't write and they won't let me talk!"
~ Author Unknown ~

Summer Fun, Over at Last.

Yesterday was back to school night (??? it was at 3 in the afternoon) at the kids elementary school. We got to meet and greet all the teachers, and all of the kids are going to love their classes. They have great teachers, who I have gotten to know through the PTA, and who love the kids.


We also ran a booth for Orchestra sign ups. We have 37 students signed up so far.


There is a definite cooling trend in the air; paper, pens, and pencils are floating through our house; backpacks are packed; and lunchboxes are ready and waiting.
Until this week, the summer seemed to fly by, and I wanted it to be longer and longer, but now that we are looking forward to a new year, I am read to move on. Earlier bedtimes, schedules, and lessons. The crisp scent of fall in the air, sweaters and jackets in the closets, and time inside to sew. I love the fall.

But here is a quick view of some of the end of summer hilarity. Sutton and all of his friends in the pool, channing, Evie, and Brenna. They spent all summer in their swimsuits with hair pulled back into a ponytail. Here come the real clothes, neat hair do's, and organization. Gasp! Maybe I am not ready to go back to school!!!

All Aboard

Is there anything a little boy loves more than trains? From thomas the train, to SLC's trax, my boys are fascinated with any mobile unit of transportation that travels along a track, and occasionally emits a piercing whistle, designed to rupture the eardrums. One of our favorite places to eat in northern Utah has always been the "train place" otherwise known as Dairy Keen. I have been going there since I was yea high, and it was little more than a sidewalk burger joint. But for all our love of all things "locomotive" we have never taken a ride along the heber creeper. That is the Utah equivalent of living in San Francisco and never visiting Alcatraz, or New York, and never seeing Staten Island up close.
So this week we corrected this grevious oversight. Grandma and Grandpa Spotts, Sutton, Ryder, Channing, Evie, and Ron and I boarded the Heber Creeper at 10AM sharp, bound for a round trip journey to Vivian Park. Whomever nicknamed the train the Heber Creeper did so for obvious reasons. It CREEPS! But it was a lovely morning, accompanied by birds, squirrels, a multitude of cows, and bugs in veritable locust like proportions. Halfway down the canyon it came to me. Despite summer heat, an excess of sagebrush, and sometime shortage of water, we live in a LOVELY area. Wide blue skies, green mountains, cascading waterfalls, and the slowmoving waters of the provo river accompanied our trip through Provo Canyon.
And the slow pace of a nineteenth century mode of transportation was the perfect antidote to the all encompassing, headlong pace of modern concerns. It was like a deep breath of pine scented air in a stuffy room. This is the Place!!

Stewart Falls

So this summer is officially the summer of hiking.

On monday, for FHE we hiked to stewart falls. Here is a picture of Ryder showing off his hiking boots. And then one of Sutton trying to look like his big brother.
It wasn't a hard hike, and only 4 miles, but the path was covered with rocks and tree roots.(hello, nature!) So watch where you step. This added to my already graceful nature.

Here are a few pictures of the kids in front of the falls. The smell by the waterfall was amazing. Fresh pine and rushing water. Not out of a spray can.

What is it about water that is so magnetic? If there is an ounce of water around, my kids can fall in it.(on purpose of course) So sutton hiked back soaking wet.

We were all tired when we got back, but it was a lot of fun. Next, the Y.

Rock On!

As promised, here are the pictures of my brother in laws birthday cake. A 4-stringed bass in black and white. (as opposed to a six string or eight? when it comes to guitars I am clueless!) It was a lot of fun, not only because it was a cool cake, but also because I got to spend time with my sisters.


One of my neighbors has a great relationship with her sister, and I have always been a little jealous when I would see her car there, knowing they were experiencing BONDING! And I as an oldest daughter had no one to bond with.

But finally my sisters are old enough to participate in that age old rite. Lindsay came over at 11:00 am, but through various interuptions, (kids, violin lessons, kids, the telephone, kids, fixing lunch, and did I mention kids?) We finally finished it at 4:00, and delivered it to his parents house, where they were partying.



Here is a close up of the pegs (tootsie rolls), and the black licorice strings. (not strung on the pegs for obvious reasons.)




Here is a pic of Britt applying black licorice fretwork. (all completely accurate I'm sure)


We had a blast!!