I need a weekend to recuperate from my weekend

Nothing like the combination of holidays and a birthday to make a weekend a little crazy! We started the weekend on Friday afternoon by cutting down a Christmas tree in the biting wind. The begging began...

Saturday was swimming lessons (I swim laps during his lesson) followed by library (right across from the "Y") and then off to a bowling birthday party while I stayed home, and with Beth's help, made this.



He's going to eat you up! Here he is in full glory.



It's a 24 caker.

That Christmas tree was still beckoning. I tried to convince Sam to wait for Ben to be home from duck hunting but he told me "He never helps decorate the tree!" which is true although I didn't think he'd noticed that. I put the lights on so when Sam was back from the party, we decorated. Our technique for the top of the tree was fairly simple though backbreaking.


The lower stuff was easier. And I lost only one nice hand painted ornament this year....so far.

The final product!




Then we were off to the Polar Express, a birthday gift from Susan to Sam. We've done this in the past but this year was the best yet. Do you think Sam was tired from his day?

The train was nicely decorated, the babes were plentiful, the conductors sang.

We got off the train to elves and lights! Lots of both.

Sam got his first gift of Christmas, a bell from Santa. No, he's not at all tired.

Home for Chinese food and bed....although he was so excited about his party today that he didn't get to sleep until some time after 11 pm!

I got up early to finish preparation for Sam's backwards themed birthday party. The invitations went out backwards -- the kids needed a mirror to read them. We greeted the kids "Goodbye! I hope you had a nice time." Each kid had to find their backward name tag. The kids played "seek and hide" where one kid hides, the rest seek, while the guests arrived. It was a zoo! Then we started with cake and ice cream -- eaten under the table -- followed by pizza. Well, in theory followed by pizza but really, no one wanted it much as I'd expected. What was next? Pin the donkey on the tail of course.

Then all hell broke loose and I didn't take any more pictures. We made paper airplanes and whenever the kids missed the target they got a penny. There was a backwards egg race -- eggs on spoons, kids walking backwards. The eggs, of course, were boiled. That was a good thing because after that we did an egg toss which turned into boiled egg bits all over the floor. Oh how I envy people whose kids have summer birthdays!

We finished with a treasure hunt for the kiddie take home present -- the clues lead to the oven where gift wrapped flashlights awaited the kids.

Whew! I thought the party went well although Sam later complained that he wanted me to paint and hide blue rocks for the treasure hunt portion of the party...I didn't take that whine very well.

But wait! That's not all! After the party Sam and I headed out to the fish store so he could pick out things for his new community tank that he'd requested for his birthday and when we got back I spent a couple of hours getting the whole thing set up to his specification. The masterpiece:



Gram and Grandpa? See that thing with the bridge in the middle of the tank? That's what you got for him...but wait, there's more! It opens up so you also got an air pump and some line and some live plants. I'm sure this is very different than what you may have expected he'd want.

Some of his friends had been prewarned about the tank so you can see their birthday party offerings: The clam shell (also opens with help of the pump), some plants, a net, the skull, and the sunken ship. He was in kid heaven!

The tank needs to stabilize for a week or so before we can add any fish. Patience is difficult when you're a day shy of 6.

But now, I'm off to frost another batch of cupcakes for Sam to bring to school!