A Harry Potter Birthday

M turned 7 the end of September and he had a really great birthday. He wanted a Harry Potter party, so we tried our best and he had fun making and putting together a lot of things for the party with me. On his real birthday we had cupcakes for breakfast and he opened some of his gifts. He was super excited about a typewriter from his cousins and golf clubs from DH. At school that day, E, C, and myself came and ate lunch with him at school which he loved! After school he got to go to Boondocks with E and do a lot of fun things. He chose baked potatoes for dinner, one of his favorite meals.






The next day he was out of school and his Aunt Whitney came and picked him up and took him to lunch at Red Robin and to the bookstore where he picked out a Lego Harry Potter sticker book. He had a great time with her!

We all headed down to start the "party" after lunch. We met Grammy & Pops, Grandma & Grandpa, and Aunt Whitney at Gardner Village to look at the witches and get some candy. It was a great time and the atmosphere was very "potterish."



The party was that night at the house and we were joined by Aunty Ann and Uncle Chase in addition to all those that came to see the witches. We had a Hogwarts feast and slayed a dragon cake. Unlike the real Harry, M was spoiled with lots of fun gifts. He especially liked the Harry Potter scarf and Lego sets!












Still can't believe he's 7. He's growing up to be a great kid. He is an awesome big brother and great student and such a fun kid to be around!

A fun Halloween

It was a pretty good Halloween. C was sick and didn't get quite all the attention he needed from me that day, but I had a lot of help from my mom so he wasn't neglected by any means. The day started with a field trip with the Kindergarten to a nearby farm that had a ton of fun activities for the kids. I had fun hanging out with E and 4 other kids (it was also a lot of work- I won't lie) After that we raced to get C from my mom, grab lunch, do some last-minute grocery shopping, and get back to jump into costumes while DH pulled M out of school early for his office's annual trick-or-treat party (yes, it was during school hours?!) After the party, we got dinner on and had a fun meal with my mom and brother and sister. DH went trick-or-treating for his first time with the kids and I took them out again for another street. It was a fun night.

We had 2 Harry Potters this year (couldn't convince E to be Ron)

and Charlie Brown, who else?

DH was "Roger Workman" from the TV show LOST (Benjamin Linus' dad)

I let C chew on a dum-dum sucker. He seemed to enjoy both ends equally.

One thing the kids had been dying to try was bobbing for apples. It is always talking about it in Halloween story books and they had never had a chance. So after dinner, we stripped off shirts and bobbed. They also really wanted Grandma to do it with them. She was a VERY good sport and proved to be good at getting that apple too ;)

A "boy head"

So, I kind of feel a little deja vu-ish right now because of C getting a haircut. Back in May 2007, I wrote THIS about E looking like someone else. Now I feel the same way about C. I'm sure it was the same for M, but my memory doesn't go back that far. (or at least my blog doesn't!)

So, the title, "boy head" probably needs an explanation (for some people anyway) When E got his hair cut short, M said "now he has a boy head!" This is not as opposed to a girl head, but a baby head. M was only 2 so it was pretty funny and we always call a short haircut a "boy head."

Anyway, here is the before shot. He is looking like a little stinker about to do something mischievous.

The during: (this is a friend cutting it at our house)

And some afters:

LOVE this little jacket that both M and E, and now C have all worn as little guys!

Me, only with a jetpack

Interviews with some little boys:

M: Age almost 7, September 26, 2011

Some of your favorites:

Book: Harry Potter- all 3 I’ve heard

Movie: Star Wars- the phantom menace

TV Show: Curious George

Happiest Day ever: When I lost my first tooth- last week

Best friend: Wilson

Saddest day ever: Any day I’m crabby & don’t get my way

Most exciting thing that’s happened lately: Probably planning my birthday party

What do you want to be when you grow up? A spy

Favorite part of school: Lunch

Favorite food: Baked Potatoes and Macaroni & Cheese

Favorite thing to wear: My zombie shirt

If you could be anyone for a day, who would you be? Harry Potter

What is something you want to learn to be good at? Being sneaky

If you could visit anywhere in the world where would it be and why? Egypt, because I love, love, love, love stuff that’s old.

What is your favorite scripture story? Nephi traveling to the promised land

What is something that really bugs you? Sometimes E

What food do you hate? Potato salad

What are you doing for Halloween? At school, I’ll bring a blanket & a pillow & stuffed animal and as many books as I can fit in my backpack and read all day at school

Do you like being the oldest kid in the family? Why? Yes, because I just do

What is something special about you? I’m smart, I love art, and I’ve always wanted to write a book

Is there anything else you want to add? nope

E: Age 5 ½ September 26, 2011

Some of your favorites:

Book: No David! and David Goes to School

Movie: Star Wars- the first one when Luke finds out he’s a Jedi

TV Show: Scooby Doo

Happiest Day ever: My 5^th birthday when I got to go to Boondocks

Best friend: Rave, Macie

Saddest day ever: Sunday

Most exciting thing that’s happened lately: Getting my dart gun, getting my Harry Potter costume

What do you want to be when you grow up? I just want to have a job, the one that Daddy has

Favorite part of school: Recess

Favorite food: Garage Pizza (frozen Totinos)

Favorite thing to wear: Jeans and my green and white striped shirt and my Nikes

If you could be anyone for a day, who would you be? I would still want to be myself, just with a jetpack

What is something you want to learn to be good at? Jump-roping on the trampoline and on the ground

If you could visit anywhere in the world where would it be and why? Argentina, because I just want to go there where Uncle Chase went on his mission

What is your favorite scripture story? Nephi is one of my favorites

What is something that really bugs you? M, he just annoys me

What food do you hate? pickles

What are you doing for Halloween? Dress up like Harry Potter and trick or treat, because I get candy and popcorn balls and stuff. Sometimes I get little toys I think.

Do you like being the middle kid in the family? Why? Uh huh, I just like being the middle kid.

What is something special about you? A talent you have. I’m really good at riding my bike, also climbing, but I can’t climb trees if they have no branches that I can’t reach, or even no branches at all.

Is there anything else you would like to add? Uh uh, now can I go play?

Garden Awesomeness update

I'm enjoying being outside a lot more now that we are out of the 90's and I thought I'd update on my yard and garden. Sorry this is picture-heavy, but I have fun taking pictures of plants. They HOLD STILL, if you know what I mean.

I'll start with the funny part, then if you don't care anymore you can quit reading. Okay, so maybe this is normal, but I don't know. I planted yellow squash, and the plant did, indeed, produce yellow squash (it is very good, btw) It also, however, decided to produce an acorn squash. ??!!???

Same plant here above and below.

We've had exactly 1 ripe tomato so far. Had it on tacos the other day. Hopefully more to come.


This is one of the 4 peppers I planted. They all look like this. They have grown a few more leaves since I planted them ..........?

Peanut plant. It's grown and turned sort of yellow. Much speculation (and anticipation) from the kids about what it going on under the ground with those peanuts.

Don't think we're getting any watermelon this year:

Carrots are doing just fine. (so's the kool-aid mustache)

Those darn peas just keep producin'. And I keep trying to turn the pickers into eaters, but no luck so far, the charm has worn off. (Don't you just love those little curly thingies?)

Enough veggies. On to the fruit of the matter.

But first, here's a yummy way to eat veggies: Hawiian haystacks with a pepper from our "other" garden (located at my parent's house!) Isn't it pretty? (but not too pretty to eat, I ate it.)

Nice leafy raspberries. Looking forward to next year!

And nice, sweet strawberries:

We got peaches this year! White peaches, VERY sweet and so good :)

Not all of them get eaten fresh either......

Flowers. Can't eat 'em. (and yes, I did narrow these down, there were more)

There you have it. Now get out there and weed your garden!