Birthdays and Love Days

We've spent a lot of time in the past couple of weeks celebrating. With 3 birthdays in a week, Chinese New Year, and Valentine's Day, what else could we do? I even had the courage to let Camden have a friend over. I just to realize that the house will never be "clean" and if we wait for that day before having friends over - my kids won't have any friends! They had a blast, especially with dress up. You never know what creations are going to come out of the boxes under the bed! As I said, 3 birthdays in a week. Mine first, then Brynn's, then Grandpa's. Since Brynn is in preschool, she got to bring a treat. She chose white cupcakes with blue frosting. She also wanted chocolate because that's the kind her teacher likes. Here she is with her cupcake and her birthday outfit.

Right after her preschool "party", we were off to Camden's school to celebrate Chinese New Year. We had to wait a little for the dragon parade. I just thought Brynn looked cute in this one.

This is Camden's dragon for the parade. Pink, of course!

This is how Dacey has spent many of our events. Here she slept through our family birthday dinner at Carrabba's, but she had the same pose for Chinese New Year and Brynn's birthday party.

How Brynn's Cake Came To Be:

Mom: What kind of cake do you want?

Brynn: A Castle

Mom: (a few months later) What kind of cake do you want?

Brynn: A fire truck

(Mom comes up with a great plan to get fire hats and go to the fire station because that would go with her cake.)

Mom: What kind of cake do you want?

Brynn: A castle.

Mom: You ruined all my plans! We were going to go to the fire station since you wanted a fire truck.

Brynn: The fire truck was for Dad. I wanted a castle. Mom, you know we can still go to the fire station even if I have a castle cake.

(But I had already come up with cake and everything so now I had to work it all together.)

Mom: What if your castle cake was on fire, then you could have a fire truck come save it.

Brynn: Castles don't catch on fire.

Mom: Yes they do, they have kitchens, fireplaces, etc. What if a fire-breathing dragon comes and attacks the castle?

Brynn: The prince would save it.

Mom: What if there was more than one dragon? The prince couldn't get them all.

Brynn: The guards would help him.

There was no convincing her that the castle could indeed be on fire so that there could be a fire truck. Finally, I just told her that her cake would be a surprise! She was fine with that.

Poor Dacey was not feeling good. She probably didn't even enjoy the Doritos that she managed to find and snack on while I was busy creating a cake!

See, I told you that a castle could catch on fire! And the firemen have back up - on horse back.

She was pretty happy with the cake when all was said and done.

This was a great party! We met at the fire station. They let the kids climb all over and through the truck for as long as they wanted. Then they took them on a tour through the station, gave them brief fire safety talk, let them play again, sounded the siren and we were done. Didn't cost us a thing and I don't think we could've topped it. Then back to our house for cake and ice cream. Had the cake not been so unstable, we would've just gone to the nearby park, but . . .

A cute sister-to-sister moment.

Dacey finally has enough hair to put into a small ponytail.

My valentine from the girls - completely done on their own. (Well I had cut the heart for other purposes). Aren't they sweet? They gave me candy and flowers.

We "heart-attacked" Daddy and our neighbor across the street.

They just like to be goofy!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! We Love You!

On an ending note- the idea of actually wearing Tinkerbell panties seems to be the ticket. Ashlen has decided that being potty-trained will work for her. It only took a few days and a few accidents. Yay! Ashlen! Now if e could just figure out what the mysterious knee pain is that has her crying in the middle of the night - EVERY night! :(