Happy Birthday, Ollie! You're Five Now!

Ollie's birthday was actually last Saturday but today is the day we celebrated it! I really wanted to go big this year for our little "Olfers" since he has made some great little friends here in Washington and because I knew that a big-boy party with all his friends would make him feel super special. I decided on a Lego theme and browsed around on Pinterest for some fun Lego-inspired party ideas last week. This week, even though I caught the flu (yuck!), I was able to get all my little birthday crafts done just in time! Yay.

Merrit was my little helper; he stayed behind to help me decorate and clean the house for the party while Mike took Ollie out for lunch (by request: noodles) and a birthday trip to the Lego store.

The birthday boy is ready for lunch at Pagliacci Pizza and Pasta.

Rotini! Look how big this boy is getting!

Lunch out with Dad was a treat in and of itself. :)

Ollie has literally been looking forward to this
shopping trip for more than a month!

Assembling Lego mini figures...

Nanny and Papa pitched in for this Star Wars X-Wing Lego kit that Ollie
has been wanting.

Yeah, he's THAT excited! :)

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

I rolled up and tied with ribbon all the T-shirts that I made yesterday (freezer-
paper-stencils) for our party guests. These are going in the goodie bags. :)

Merrit and I hung the banner I made earlier this week.

Decorating with "found objects": a wooden puzzle from Ollie's great aunt
Frances and great uncle Jr. and a handwritten birthday message to
Ollie on our well-worn MagnaDoodle.

Merrit also helped set up for our party games. Here's the
"Guess How Many?" station. Answer: 73.

We also set up a "Photo Booth Fun" station.
(Is it just me or do I look SNL's Rachel Dratch?)

Merrit and I hung streamers and balloons and set up a couple other games.
Merrit blew up all the balloons himself!

Inside the gift bags: Punch balloons, T-shirts, Lego-shaped candy,
Skittles in Lego-head jars (painted babyfood jars; cute, right?), and
a Lego mini figure to build.

Our gift to Ollie. A Lego table for the playroom.

Our guests started arriving at 1:00pm and one of the first things they
did was to draw faces on these square paper plates. Just an activity to keep 'em busy!

Ollie and Mike arrived at 1:15. Ollie didn't know that he was having a
party! He was super surprised when he came in and found all his friends
waiting for him! Here, all the kids are playing a game where they have
to use a straw to move as many Legos from the table to their paper plate
as they can (using suction only...no hands) in one minute. The winner:
Brennan, with nine Legos.

The birthday boy. Oh my, he's a cute one!!

Aidan and Merrit focused on the goal.

We played two more rounds of the game. Left to right: Brennan, Gabe, Sammy.

Yesterday my friend Mindy came over and put the fondant icing (is that redundant?)
on the cake. It rocks...I couldn't wait for Ollie to see it! Thanks, Mindy!!

Our little friend Colin digs in.

Ollie and Noah eating cake. It's chocolate cake with chocolate icing. Mmm.

After cake, we played another game. We brought one of
our two cornhole boards in from the shed and threw
cornbags from a line of tape across the living room.

Mike running the games.

Ollie pitches a cornbag while guests patiently wait for their turn. They really
were good at waiting in line! Three tosses apiece...so not too much waiting!

At about 2:30, we figured it was time to open gifts since the party was
scheduled to wrap up at 3:00. All of Ollie's friends gathered around to
watch him open his presents.

Colin looks on as Ollie opens his gift from Sammy.

Merrit bought this Spider Man mask for Ollie with his
own money. Ollie is loving it!

The goodie bags were handed out and everyone got into their punch balloons.
Angie inflates one for her boy, Gabe.

Jeff blows up Bren's balloon.
So shy!

Gabe and Aidan with their punch balloons. :)

By 3:30, the house was empty and the partygoers all gone home. Thanks to a few helping hands, paper plates and cutlery, and a quick Swiffer sweep-up around the floor, everything was pretty much back to normal within a half an hour. Ollie got some really nice gifts from his friends...all sorts of little Lego kits for him to work on over the next couple of weeks.

Thank you to all our friends and family for your gifts, cards, and birthday wishes! Ollie really felt special today and had a great fifth birthday! Love you all...

Welcome, Baby Eli!

While in NC, I also got a quick peek at Baby Eli...born just days ago...Jer and Kara's new baby boy!!!!

You know I got some snuggles in!!!

Preschool Field Trip to Remlinger Farms Pumpkin Patch

It's Friday, November 2nd. The day of the rain-or-shine preschool field trip to Remlinger Farms. And...it's raining. Drat. Double drat. 

No matter, we'll dress warmly and head out in it. As they say in England: "There is no bad weather, only inadequate clothing."

We're here! Ollie is super excited! 

Waiting to head into the farm, we take a quick spin through the country store.

Ollie, posing on a tractor with apple trees in the background.

The farm had a petting zoo and some other interesting
animals in cages. Not sure what this bird is. Anyone?

Ollie has a lifelong love of school buses. This was a photo op he was NOT going
to miss out on! :)

Ah, the petting zoo. I was a little put off by the signs that say, "May Bite."
I mean, I guess it's always a risk and maybe that's just legalese to cover their
butts, but still.... made me nervous. This little burro looks a little sketchy,
don't you think?

Ollie petting a (biter?) goat.

Ollie with the burro again. We saw chickens, sheep, turkeys, and pigs too.

Ollie climbing around on the (cold, wet) old-fashioned fire engine.

...And riding on the (cold, wet) mini steam engine.

...Look, a (cold, wet) scarecrow.

By noon, I was so ready to leave. We had ridden the school bus from the
preschool to the farm and THANKFULLY our friend Stacey, who'd driven
her van, offered to give us a ride home if we wanted to cut the (cold, wet)
preschool pumpkin patch field trip short. Yes! Yes, we do! 

But first, let's pick out a pumpkin. After all, it's why we came!

A Week's Worth of Halloween Celebrations

The week kicked off with the arrival of our kids' storm trooper Halloween costumes. If you know me well, you know that I was, inside, secretly disappointed that they didn't want homemade Halloween costumes because I truly love the creative challenge, hands-on work, and cute results of a homemade costume! But, no, this is what they had their hearts set on this year:

Our Trick or Troopers.

Friday night, the week before Halloween, the elementary
school hosted a Harvest Dance. The kids were invited to
wear their costumes. Here's Ollie with his friends, Sammy (left)
and Graham (middle).

The dance was great. I was kinda blown away. I shot a couple of videos actually and texted them to my friend Dawn. She and I went to more than a few middle school dances. And I was like, "I don't remember our dances being anywhere THIS cool." And she was like, "Nope. No way." Check it out:

Mike was in NC for the weekend, so it was just the kids and I here at the house. After the dance Friday night, we just huddled up for a cozy, rainy weekend at home. We did set about carving up some pumpkins on Sunday afternoon while a big pot of chili simmered on the stove. Happy...

Ollie pretty much scooped out his pumpkin and then
I took over for him. You know, sharp knives and all that...

Another reason I love Halloween: Carving jack-o-lanterns with my fellas.

Merrit was into it this year. He drew out his design first
and then set about carving it up. I trusted him with his
own steak knife this year. He did great!

The pumpkin Ollie and I made.

Merrit's pumpkin on the top step.
Very elaborate teeth and eyelashes!

On Tuesday, the preschoolers wore their costumes to school, had a parade
through the hallways, and ate cupcakes in class. 

Ollie with his friend and classmate Margaret.

On Wednesday, Halloween day, we were invited to Sucker Punch
to trick-or-treat through the office. In the lounge, there was a
cauldron of smoking punch, crackers and cheese, desserts,
cupcakes for the kids, and wine for the grown ups. Great party!

More sugar! Just what the kids need! :)

All the Sucker Punch kids pose in their costumes for a pic.

The boys in full attire.

Posing with ninja warrior friends, Brennan and Gabe.