Elaina and Emmett's birthday party

We had Elaina and Emmett's birthday parties together again this year.  Elaina loves the idea and Emmett doesn't seem to care.  It really works out better age-wise doing theirs together even though Emmett's and Josiah birthdays are only 5 days apart.

This year I had to make 2 cakes.  Elaina wanted a shopkins cake (no big surprise there).  We looked at tons of pictures and YouTube videos of all kinds of Shopkin cakes, and she finally decided on Cheeky Chocolate.  This was one of my favorite cakes I have made for the kids, and it was so easy.  She was so excited and thought it looked just like the toy. 

Emmett came up with the idea of a bunny cake.  I have no clue where that came from but that is what he told me every time that I asked him what cake he wanted.  Well, except for the brief period where Elaina had talked him into a Shopkins cake where she could have 2 at her party.  So I made him a bunny cake and he loved it.  He was so happy and tickled that it had cheeks (that is what he called the whiskers).

I was so happy how they both turned out.  They only issues that I had was that Elaina's cake broke when I was turning it out of the pan.  I was able to fix it by putting the cake on a very sturdy base and cover up the crack with icing.  Emmett's bunny was suppose to have a bow tie, but it didn't turn out right so I just turned it into a "shirt" and was able to correct my mistake. 

We had the party the local gymnastic place.  It was a great place to have a party.  The kids all played really hard and had a great time.  There was nothing really to plan or organize; it was just let the kids go crazy and play where ever they wanted to. 

We are truly blessed to have such great friends to help us celebrate their birthdays.

1st Red Birds Game

Last night we went to watch the Memphis Redbirds play.  We had found out that it was one of the times that they did fireworks after the game so we knew Josiah would love it. 

We decided to sit in the bluff section and it was a lot steeper and more crowded than I had expected it to be.  But we had plenty of room and lots of fun. 

The kids got board by about the 4th inning so after the 5th we went walking around.  They were a little disappointed that they didn't have a playground like the Naturals had, but were glad that we ran into a friend while we were walking.  They played and talked with Charlie for a little while and then we went back to our seats.

While we were walking around we saw Rocky the Redbirds mascot.  The kids had all said they wanted to see him and get a picture.  But Josiah was the only would go get in the picture.

Elaina said that he Rocky was not as creepy as Strike, but she liked Sinker better and didn't go get a picture made.

When I asked Emmett if he wanted a picture his response was, "Ummm, Nope." So no picture of him with Rocky either. 

Of course Elaina and Emmett decided to entertain themselves by taking pictures with my phone.  There were a lot of selfies and a few other pictures. 

After the game, we lost :-( 3-0, they began setting up for the fire works.  I was a little concerned when I saw them pull out a trailer with the fireworks on it.  I thought there is no way this will be the big fireworks.  I was wrong; it was the big fireworks and a long show.  Since they were firing them out from the middle of center field they had to cover the are with tarps to protect the field.  It took them several minutes to get it all set up, but it was worth it. 

We all had a great time and Trey is excited that he can cheer for the Cardinals organization again.  Josiah wouldn't let him cheer for the Springfield Cardinals when they played the Naturals.  He said we always had to cheer for the naturals, no matter who they played.

Baby Girl is 5

Elaina at 5

• Loves to sing.  Sings along to just about every song on KLove.  Favorites are Soul on Fire by Third Day, Diamonds by Hawk Nelson, and Tell Your Heart to Beat Again by Danny Gokey.
• Obsessed with Shopkins.  Likes any of the little blind bags with small figures in them like puppy in my pocket, kitty in my pocket, my little pony, la la loopsie, and littlest pet shop.
•  Watches YouTube Kids.  Loves watching people open blind bags and play with toys.  Favorites are the Greer Girls, Cookie Swirl C, Family Fun For Everyone, and Disney Cars Toys.
• Started gymnastics and loves it.  She says Thursdays are her favorite day because of gymnastics.
• Likes to play with her toys by herself and set all the little figures up in whatever play house she has around her.  She loves to fill Josiah's Bat Cave with Shopkins.
• likes to poor her own cereal for breakfast and at times wants to make her own PB &J at lunch. 
• Eats veggie better than her brothers loves steamed broccoli, carrot sticks with ranch, baked potatoes with only butter.  Has gotten where she will only drink milk and water.  If we give her the option of Sprite, Root Beer, or some other soda at a restaurant she will say she just wants water.  
• Loves playing outside with Josiah and Emmett, but if inside wants to play by herself
• Likes riding her bike and scooter up and down the drive way and driving the Jeep around the house.  Loves to swing.  
• Loves anything and everything Star Wars.  Always asking to watch the movie or for Trey to find Star Wars songs on his phone.  Wants her hair fixed like Rey's or General Leia (but has had to settle for Princess Leia because I have no clue how to get her hair to look like General Leia's)
• Still going to speech.  She has improved a ton I can understand nearly everything that she says and other people can understand her most of the time.  Still having problems with the f sound (says it as a p) and s blends (leaves the s sound off).  Still has a little trouble with a few others but those are the big ones.
• likes to play with her friends.  Especially if they come over or we got to their house.  
• Loves going to our weekly bible study class, Sunday School & church, and AWANAs.  Gets mad if we have to miss any
• gets to play Tball this year and is excited about that.
• Favorite clothes are dresses with leggings.
• Wear mainly a size 6 in clothes and size 13 shoes
• will help with folding the towels and does a great job
• Happy and smiling most of the time but if gets mad can throw a fit.  Very dramatic if Josiah or Emmett bother her, especially if they mess up her toys.
• I have to sing Jesus Loves Me and Jesus Loves the Little Children every night and Trey has to tickle her before she will go to bed.  Still has her duck duck to sleep with.
• Very independent. Knows what she wants and doesn't sway because of what others want 

Trey's birthday

Last month we celebrated Trey's birthday.  Right in the middle of Josiah's flu.  Thankfully Josiah didn't give Trey the flu for his birthday. 

If you are anywhere close to Elaina on your birthday you HAVE to get a cake.  Usually the cake has to include a ton of sprinkles, but this time she saw the candy letters and had to have that. 

Elaina and Emmett wanted to make the cake.  One wanted a circle and the other wanted a square so we made one layer of each.  They both agreed on blue for the icing which was not a surprise at all.  Blue is not only daddy's favorite color but it is also the color of the blue devils.  So I knew that was going to be the everyones color choice.

They both did a really good job putting the icing on the cake.  Emmett got bored with it quickly and told me to finish it.  I think he only wanted to help so he could get some on his hands to lick off. 

We got a late start making the cake because I had forotten that it was Friday and that Elaina had speech.  But since we didn't have to go get Josiah from school it all worked out.  Although Trey did get off early and came home as we were decorating it.  I was able to stop him outside and send him in through the front door so he wouldn't see it. 

After we got the Happy Birthday Daddy on the cake they used the extra to decorate the rest of the cake. 

Once the cake was finished we called Trey and Josiah in and sang Happy Birthday and showed it to Trey.  We had to give him the cake immediately because Elaina wanted it to be a suprise and Emmett was determine to tell him about it.  And that would have cause a major catastrophe.

Trey had a great birthday cake and Josiah got to join the family (from his flu quarantine) , so we all had a great time celebrating Trey's birthday.