Messy & Yummy!!!

Over the last several weeks we have had some big hits with our F.H.E. treats.

One week Nathan requested rice krispy treats, but I realized a little too late that I did not have rice krispies on hand.  Nathan was determined to somehow eat the marshmellows so we dipped them in chocolate and put Valentine sprinkles on them.  They were really cute but extremely messy!

Bracken made his biggest food mess ever!

Finger lickin' good!

A few weeks later we pulled out our trusty ice cream maker and used it to make slushies!

We learned this trick from our good friends the Ashby's when we lived in Flagstaff.  All you do is put your favorite fruit drink in (make it a little strong for the best flavor) and in less than an hour you have a slushy.

Nathan could hardly wait!

Curtis insisted on taking a picture of  me, since I am always taking the pictures and rarely get in any shots.

We used fruit punch and it turned our tongues red.  Nathan was really impressed with that.

Goofballs

  

 Last night the boys had some time to play before bed.  I guess Nathan had a hankerin' for potato head building because he hauled out the box full of all the parts and of course the boys had to dump the whole box out on the floor before they started playing.  Bracken grabbed all of the glasses first thing, and proceeded to put all of them on himself, not his potato head. 

  

  Nathan had a blast remaking his potato head over and over trying to find the "funniest one ever!"  He loved his final masterpeice so much he insisted on sleeping with it.

Another Scooter Boy

Thursday is laundry day and the boys like to play in the garage when I am hanging out in the laundry room.  Today Bracken figured out how to ride his scooter, and he was so proud of himself!

Love Filled Day

Valentines Day is such a fun holiday.

It's all about being loved and sharing love.

Wonderful!

  

 

 Growing up, my mother always did fun little things to make holidays special. 

For Valentines she put a little gift on our plate and she always fixed an extra special breakfast.  Now that I am a mother I am continuing the tradition. 

 I finished the boy's mail pouches this year.  They were a project I started last year but never completed.

Nathan LOVES his pouch! I put some treats, valentine cards and a little gift in the pouches for each boy.  Nathan was super excited to see what surprise was waiting for him in his pouch.  During the day he would stop playing and take out all his valentines and "read" them. 

(Nathan and Bracken are both sausage monsters!)

 Mondays Curtis leaves for work before the kids wake up, so we switched around things a bit and decided to combine our valentine themed breakfast with our valentine dinner, having breakfast for dinner.  I had wanted to use my candle sticks for dinner, but when I pulled them I out I realized I was candle-less.  A few months back Bracken found them and snapped them in two.  Luckily we have a dimmer in our dining room so we were still able to add some mood lighting.

The strawberry pancakes were YUMMY!

Curtis had thirds. 

They are going on the permanent Valentine traditions list.  

Happy Valentines Day

 Love, Nathan & Bracken

 

Skate Parks Rule!

One morning Curtis forgot his lunch on the kitchen counter, so I called him and we decided to meet up at a park near the college to have a picnic lunch together.  This park has a skate park as well, and I knew the boys would love to check it out so I brought their scooters with us.  Nathan could hardly contain himself he was so excited!  He ate is sandwich in record time only to find out he had to wait for Mom and Dad to finish their lunches too.  Skate parks are a little scary for several reasons, they have dangerous drop offs and 9 foot deep holes the size of swimming pools not to mention the questionable characters that linger there at all hours of the day, so we had to be with him.  While Nathan waited for us to finish our lunch, he and Bracken kept busy on the playground.

 It did'nt take Nathan long to realize that most of the skate park was out of his league, the ramps were a bit too steep for his liking. 

 But we eventually found a spot that had ramps just to his liking, and he thought he was hot stuff going up and down and back and forth between two ramps.

 Bracken had a blast walking up and down the ramps.  Notice the chocolate on his face? 

I wiped it off after this picture.

 Bracken also liked to watch his scooter roll down the ramps.

 But he loved it when Papi pushed him around on his scooter.

 Sliding on the rail like a pro!

Curtis made Bracken do all kinds of tricks, complete with commentary and sound effects.

 Ready, Set, GO!

Thanks for the fun lunch date Papi!

Zip-a-dee-ay & Heigh-dee-ho!

 Nathan is now 4 years old!

He was super excited for his fourth birthday because that means he is one year closer to being 5, so he can go to a big boy school and play football. 

As I was getting him ready for bed the night before his birthday, he looked at me and with a dreamy look in eyes he asked "Mom?  Are all the birthday decorations going to be out when I wake up?"  I said "Yes Nathan, they will be up."  Nathan replied

"This is going to be the best birthday ever!"

Over the years I have collected some special birthday decorations and they are as sacred to Nathan as the Christmas tree.  He especially looks forward to his birthday balloons.  Ever since his first birthday we have surprised him with a mylar birthday balloon, and he loves it.

 For breakfast, Nathan wanted to eat Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes, and this year I added a new tradition using some cookie cutters to make birthday shaped pancakes.  They turned out really cute I wish I had thought to get a picture of them! Nathan's favorite shape was the party hat.

 

 Nathan's Birthday Dinner Menu:

Nachos

Banana Liquado

Berry Smoothie 

 Bracken's berry smoothie mustache.

 A few months back I made Bracken a super cape, and I found some awesome material with rocket ships for it.  Nathan loved the material and decided he needed a new super cape.  I finished it up for his birthday, and he was so excited to see it when he woke up.  He wore it all day long!

 The Birthday Cake with mini Happy Birthday Pennant!

Nathan requested cupcake bites again, but this year he wanted them to be blue.

He also picked out the twisty candles, and he wanted M&Ms on the cake as well.

He was very specific so I obliged.

 Make a WISH!

 And last but not least, the presents!

 Bracken immediately fell in love with the roller skates.

Who doesn't love shoes with wheels!

He figured out really quick that they work better on the carpet, less falling that way.

All in all, I'd say Nathan had a GREAT birthday!

We love you Nathan!