Although this is old news, I'd still like to post something on the boys' birthdays. For those of you who didn't know, we now have 3 birthdays in August and one birthday in September.
Since their party dates are rarely ever their actual birthday dates, I always bake a simple cake just for us on their actual birthdays. This year the each got 2 "home" cakes--a bundt cake and a small square or round cake--because my cake pans are still at the church LOL. I just can't remember to get them! I have made very cute party cakes for them in the past, but not this year. I did last year and Spencer's cake was just hilarious. I did the Autobot and Decepticon symbols and did 2 cakes. Well, the food coloring never allowed me to get the vanilla icing "red enough." So one of them looked fuschia. The other one was purply gray. So you can imagine how Spencer felt about one pink and one purple cake last year. But he's so sweet. He still told me I did a really good job. But this year, when discussing cakes, he initially wanted the same cakes as last year, and to do Transformers all over again...but added, "But could you make the cake a little more red this time? I mean, you did a really good job, though." hahaha :) Then one year Spencer wanted "The Thing" from Fantastc Four. Well, there was no attainable flesh tone. Pink that year, too.
So anyway, let me write about how picking out this year's birthday stuff went. It's lengthy, but I want to have it in our book later (the chaos makes me laugh when it's all over), so.... The 3 boys and I were at Wal-Mart one day in June. I decided to stroll down the party aisle to let them look at invitations. It was still early and there was plenty of time, so I thought we would just get some ideas to think over. Spencer went ahead end picked Transformers, and Riley refused to leave until he had some invites in his hand as well. Finally he decided on some cute little "ticket" invitations that say "Admit One" on them, saying he wanted a baseball party. Invitations done!
A couple of weeks later we go to Party City to get all the plates and cups and stuff to go with the themes they chose. Yep, me (big and pregnant) and the wild 3. I am a glutton for punishment. They were beside themselves. Riley was trying on hat after hat, begging for one, saying he "never ever gets to get a hat." There was just no way I was spending $12.99 on a fuzzy baseball hat. Plus, then they would all want to pick something out. But there was no stopping Riley's fit. Riley ended up in time out. On the ground in Party City. Talan of course wanted out of the buggy the whole time, especially since the others were getting to "touch" stuff, so to pacify him I had to keep wheeling him over to the stuff he wanted to touch. And then I would have to try to figure out what he wanted when he couldn't reach it from the buggy. "That. No Mom, not that. That! No that!" And then Spencer kept trying to walk off and look at his own things. I'm pretty sure my 9 year old may have ended up in time out too. Not positive, but pretty sure. Well, anyway, after what seemed like an eternity, I finally got them focused long enough to put actual items that we came for into the cart. They both decided to do sort of an "All Sports" party, with football, baseball, and basketball themed stuff. So this meant Riley's invations were okay, but Spencer's Transformers ones needed to be returned. He chose some new baseball ones. But, mission accomplished. Except for getting party favors to go in the treat bags. I could come back for that.
A few weeks later, we all go to order the cakes at Krogers. I tell them we need to get a "sport cake" to go with the theme, and turn the tab of the binder to "Sports." Well, don't you know it...racing is a sport. Not one of the sports that goes with our party, but it's a sport. So Spencer asks to have a Dale Jr. cake. I explained how that wouldn't really fit all the stuff I already bought for this party. Being the good sport that he is, he agrees to pick out another cake and says he understands. But looks disappointed. So I think, "Oh, who cares! Let him have the cake he wants. They're only little once--and they don't care about matching." So he picks out his Dale Jr. cake. They don't have the Dale Jr. stuff to go on it. So then he picks out a Jeff Gordon cake. (Obviously not that devoted a fan. Kevin acts like he's dying, though.) No Jeff Gordon cake toppers left. "OK, Tony Stewart." Ha! They have that one. So we order that one. Since we're already messing up the theme, I ask Riley if he wants a Tennessee cake. "Oh yeah!!" Riley says :) Riley is a HUGE Tennessee fan. If it's Vol orange, it's a hit! Before leaving, we decide we'll find Spencer a Dale Jr. car on our own to sit on the cake, and have Krogers make a cake without the topper stuff. So, in the end, not only is there not one single baseball, football, or basketball on either of the cakes, but also the color scheme went from red, blue, & orange party plates, cups, and napkins to adding Mtn. Dew green, yellow, and Volunteer orange to the mix. But really, who cares, right? They were thrilled and that was all that matters. But now Kevin and I had to hunt down a Dale Jr. car and something UT that could fit nicely on a cake. We eventually did, so in the end it was all good.
I am going to spare the details (and drama) of shopping for birthday presents while [sometimes] with the boys. It's hard for me to shop because I can't commit. I change my mind unless I really do think it's just perfect. This means multiple trips to ToysRUs. Trip 1:look forever, get ideas. Trip 2: buy. Trip 3:return, buy something else. I get on my own nerves when looking for presents!
We decided to have Spencer's and Riley's party together this year--to save money and effort as Ansley's birth was just around the corner. We had it at the Kingston pool rather than my mom's house so that there would be plenty of room and less stress. Well, there wasn't "less stress," but the kids had a lot of fun nonetheless. They really enjoyed the slide and diving board, and Riley got to show off how he no longer needed a vest! The lifeguards kept a good watch over everyone, and that was nice as well. The 2 hour time constraint, however, was painful. They had to swim, eat, do cake and ice cream, and open gifts all in that time! One more hour would have been perfect. But still, it was fun! And it was done! All in 2 hours! Since I had already started back at work and we did it on a weeknight, it worked out fine. They each invited a few friends and had cousins and family come as well. School hadn't started yet for the boys, so we didn't have a way to give out invitations to all their friends this year...and I wasn't willing to wait until school started, since we never knew when Ansley might decide to arrive :)
Talan's birthday is September 18th, so it's already time to start planning for that one! We've already got his present, so at least that's one thing out of the way. Here are some pics from the party and actual birthday pics...
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