I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For...

DONUTS!

Yup, it was my youngest birthday this past weekend and for her birthday breakfast she wanted DONUTS...so DONUTS is what she got!

Her day continued with whatever her heart desired because it was HER day.

So we went to the park and had a picnic for the afternoon.  Then she chose HER birthday dinner.  Any guesses?

Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes and Peas/Carrots!

Who knew?  I didn't know that this has now become her favorite dinner.

And now onto her "friend" birthday party that we are having this weekend!  In light of us returning from Hawaii a couple weeks ago, she decided on a Luau themed party. 

I have a few tricks up my sleeve to pull this off.  I will share what we did hopefully next week and post some pictures too.

Happy 8th Birthday Miss Kay!

Talk soon.

Hearts & Stars

Yesterday was Hayden's 4th Birthday and mommy (that would be me) decided to make cute little finger sandwiches for our guests along with other "kid" friendly fare since it was a kids birthday.  Make sense, right?

What I didn't realize when I decided on this "grand" idea is how time consuming it was going to be.  I had to make enough sandwiches and ants on a log for 16 people. I was literally cutting and making sandwiches and putting raisins on the logs minutes before guests arrived.  Talk about cutting it close.

They however turned out so *cute* and Hayden loved them so I would do it again in a New York minute (or in this case 120 minutes). (However I hope he doesn't always expect me to cut his sandwiches up in shapes now...lol)


Here is what they looked like:

I told you they were cute!

I made two kinds Crunchy Tuna Salad (Stars)  and PB&J (Hearts) . 

It was fun watching the adults eat the PB&J sandwiches.  Kinda brings you back to when you were a child.  (Although I still eat PB&J as an adult sometimes with a nice cold glass of milk.  Yum!)

The Crunchy Tuna Salad turned out so good.  Want the recipe?

Crunchy Tuna Salad

Ingredients

(3) Cans of drained tuna
1/2 Cup (or 1/2 of the bag) shredded cabbage w/carrots (Coleslaw mix you can buy in produce section)
(2) tablespoons of plain yogurt
1/4 cup of mayonnaise (or more or less depending on how mayonnaisy you like your tuna)
Bread (how ever many slices you need based on guests and/or if you are shaping them like I did)

Directions

1. Combine all items in a bowl.
2.  Mix until tuna, coleslaw mix *smothered* with yogurt/mayonnaise
3. Using your cookie cutters cut your shapes from the bread slices.*
4.  Spread your tuna mixture on one side of the bread shape.
5. Top with the other side of shape.

*Each bread slice was able to cut two shapes.  Depending on the size of your cookie cutters will obviously determine how many shapes you get from a piece of bread.

And the ants on a log.  That is a simple one.  Celery stuffed with cream cheese or peanut butter and raisins.

These were a little messier since I was kinda in a bit of a hurry at this point.  Oh well, everyone ate them anyways.  I guess it doesn't matter what they looked like.

I also made a Fruit Salad and  Pasta & Ham Salad.  I will save the Pasta & Ham Salad recipe for a later time. 

(The addition of the feta cheese was for me.  Love the feta!)


And viola.....

Everyone had a great time and Hayden made out like a bandit!


Now onto another birthday today, my oldest is turning 19!  We are taking her out to dinner tonight with extended family.  No cooking or making food for me today. Thankfully!

Have a great Sunday!

On The Downhill

I am slowly creeping closer to 40.

My birthday is today and I am now offically closer to 40 than 30.  Do the math...

How did that happen? 

It seems like only yesterday that I was turning 21.  Ha!   I can barely remember my 21st birthday and that is not necessarily a *good* thing.  They say memory is the first thing that goes, right?  Although, I honestly think in this case it is one of those memories that you want to forget and I have worked hard to *forget*.  Young and dumb, you know how it goes. 

Anywho, leave it to my favorite magazine Real Simple to put getting older into perspective. 

I ran across an article in this months edition about the "5 Great Things About Getting Older" and it actually made me feel a *little* bit better about this aging thing. 

1.  You'll be happier. 

I am much happier, more settled over the past couple years as I have ever been.

2. Wise decisions will come more easy. 

With age, comes life experience, therefore decisions I do think are easier to make and the right decisions.  Take the road less traveled and that will make all the difference.

3. The fashion police will be off your back. 

Thank god! I am a fashion disaster most of the time (and proud of it...lol).  I tend to dance to my own music, not care much about what others think and wear black most often.  No, I am not attending funerals everyday but as you know *black* is slimming and these days I can use all the extra help I can get.

4. You'll know who you are. 

Not sure I agree with his wholeheartedly since I am still what I consider a work in progress; under construction if you will.

5. You'll have time on your hands. 

Not yet but maybe in 17 yrs!  Extra time is so overrated.


Now keep in mind this article is slanted a bit towards *senior citizen* age however it still made me feel better about getting older.  If you can't apply it today at least you have something to look forward to, right?



Happy "xx" Birthday to me.  How old am I?

Messy Pants

Little Miss K at her 1st birthday party this past weekend!  Messy Bessy!  She had her cake and ate it too!

Superstar!  How cool is she?  And let's not forget her big brother.  He had to get in on the action too!

Happy "1st" Birthday Baby Girl

Happy 1st Birthday Baby Girl! 

A year ago today at this very time we were getting prepped to have a Cesarean to deliver our precious baby girl, Kaylyn!

What an exciting year this past year has been.

You have blossomed so much!  And get even more beautiful everyday.

You are such a blessing to our family.

You just warm my heart when you give me your slobbery open mouth kisses and pat me on my back; like I have done to you time and time again when you needed consoling.

You LOVE your brothers and sister.  You just light up when you see them.  And man, can they make you giggle.  For the longest time, only they could make you giggle with their silliness.

I am sure not too much longer you and Hayden will be partners in crime.  (I have already caught you two in a few indiscretions)

You love the bath.  You get so excited when I open the shower curtain and get out one of your towels. You know exactly what is going on.  And you think it is the funniest thing to splash mommy til she is soaked when she is giving you a bathy.  And when you come out of the bath, you smell soooo good.  No more stinky pigs.

You are almost walking.  Each day you are getting more brave.  You have been walking around things for months and will stand by yourself for short periods.  Any day now.

You love to snuggle.  Nuzzling your head into the crook of my neck before you fall fast asleep.  You sleep the best when you are in my arms.

It has been nice outside off and on for the past several days.  You have loved to put your bare piggies in the grass and crawl around. 

You eat mostly what we eat these days.  No more mushed up food for you.  You have a mouth fool of teeth. 

You are the sweetest thing!

Today we celebrate you!  Happy Birthday my sweet child, Kaylyn Grace!

I can't wait for your Princess party this weekend with our friends and family.  You are our little princess.

I love you with all my heart and soul. 

Love,

Mommy

Happy Birthday, Miss K!