Hot Diggity Dog

Z turned 3!

The only thing Z repeatedly requested for her birthday was a dinosaur. So we got her a blow up dinosaur the size of her and this awesome dinosaur costume that she put on the morning of her birthday and refused to take off until her party started that afternoon. She also received a rock collection set because she has become quite the rock collector these days.

When starting to plan her birthday a month ago, Z requested a Mickey Mouse Party. I tried to go with the old-school Mickey Mouse because one of her favorite things to watch on YouTube is the old-school Mickey Mouse cartoons that came out even before my time. 

My first time making cupcakes and frosting from scratch. I had several people ask me where I bought them from so I guess they came out pretty good. I also made Z's miniature birthday cake which she requested to be strawberry, instead of chocolate like the cupcakes.

Z had such a great time at her party playing with all her friends. I love the little friendships that she is starting to develop. 

Time for her to blow out her candles. The little faces she was making and holding her hands together while everybody was singing to her was hilarious.

She blew out 2 candles then 1 without any help this year. I was very impressed.

Then she enjoyed the cookies on top of her cake. I don't think she actually ever tasted the cake part.

Overall it was a great party with our friends celebrating Z's birthday. She is such a peculiar, marches to the beat of her drum, lovable, crazy at times, hilarious, fearless and energetic little girl that James and I couldn't love more. She is such a character that cracks us up all the time. As she grows older, I hope she continues to keep each and every one of these unique personality traits. Let's just hope she loses the crying tantrums ;)

Easter Weekend

I know I am several weeks late but I am finally getting around to posting the rest of the pictures from Easter weekend. It all started Friday afternoon with Z and I dying Easter eggs.

Me trying to be the Seattle mom that I am not used all natural dye and the eggs kind of turned out a little funky. Also the fact that I only had brown eggs to dye didn't really help the situation. But Z didn't know any different. She just really enjoyed dropping the eggs in the dye and making a little splash.

On Saturday afternoon we had a little Easter egg hunt in the backyard for the girls. Z and her obsession with plastic eggs over the past year, really enjoyed this and has asked several times since if it could be Easter again so she could find eggs with stuff inside.

Eliza has to do everything her big sister does so there were some healthy snacks in several of the eggs for her. Of course Z didn't mind giving those to Eliza.

On Saturday night the Easter bunny came to visit and the girls woke up to their baskets full on Sunday morning.

James, Toby and Matilda also got a visit from the Easter bunny.

Z was excited for Matilda to get her treats from the Easter bunny.

On Sunday afternoon we had friends and family over for a huge feast. These are the best pictures I could get of the girls in their Easter dresses.

Hoppy Easter

So this went really well ...

Yes, we are those parents that torture our kids for these amazing pictures because of course this type of picture is by far better than the kids sitting there smiling happily.

Great memories!

Happy Easter to all!

More to come on our fun fulled Easter weekend.

We Have A Walker

Right after Eliza turned 13 months, she started taking a couple steps here and there. Going from chair to chair or coffee table to chair. I had guesstimated that she would start walking full force when she was 14 months but she obviously wanted to prove me wrong.

February 21st, not even 13 1/2 months old she decided to get up and walk across the room. The second time she walked a long distance, I caught it on video.

In the video Eliza was walking towards Z and I. The cutest part that wasn't caught on video, because Z decided to stop it, was Eliza lunging into Z to give her a big hug. It was so sweet!

Since this video, Eliza continues to practice her walking across the room every day but crawling is still her main form of transportation.

Happy Valentine's Day

Rise and Shine It's Donut Time

We celebrated Eliza's first birthday, a week after she turned one, with a donut brunch. It was a good thing we did, considering she spent her actual birthday at the doctor's office. Just a cold, that I feel like she has had 20 times this winter. But enough about the boring stuff. Let's talk about this fabulous party she had.

 

In this first picture, Z is giving Eliza a little pep talk about all the attention she is about to get. Really Z is trying to butter her up so she can open all Eliza's presents for her. Which Z successfully did.

 

 

 

This sweet little girl was so happy, just waking up from her morning nap just in time for the party.

 

 

 

Check out these adorable donut leggings Eliza wore.

 

 

 

Decorations done by yours truly. I'm only tooting my own horn because I got no sleep the night before getting ready for this first birthday party that Eliza won't even remember ; )

 

 

Dessert table with miniature donut birthday cake. Cookies made by me, from scratch. I think that's why people were hesitant to eat them.

 

More decorations...





 

included a sprinkled E, confetti balloons

 

 

and a banner with a donut for the O. All these things made by me. If you couldn't tell already, this was very much a DIY party or some may call it a Pinterest party.

 

 

Goody bags for the kids filled with fake plush donuts, a miniature donut truck that rolls and donut suckers.

 

There was also a coloring table for kids with, of course, donut coloring sheets.

 

 

Here is a close up of a banner I did with Eliza's one month to twelve month pictures.

 

 

Then it was time (meaning half time of the football game) to sing Happy Birthday and let Eliza enjoy her first donut ever. Boy, did she enjoy it.

 

 

 

A little ATTEMPT at a family photo, minus Z. I wasn't even trying to get Z in the picture after she had, at this point, helped herself to 3 donuts (just the top part - the frosting).

 

 

Eliza showing her Daddy some love with some slobbery, sugary kisses.

 

 

There we go! We finally got a good picture.

 

 

Z was suppose to be helping clean up but somebody must of had too much fun at the party or it was probably just a sugar crash.

 

 

And that's the end of Eliza's first birthday festivities.

We will end on a cute note with a picture of the birthday girl.