Wednesday, May 29, 2013

FORGIVENESS

LOVE THIS!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Tyson's 8th Birthday Party Invitation

This year, Tyson is having a very simple party.  We decided that since he is "older" now and he's had 7 years of elaborate parties, that we would still allow him to celebrate his special day with friends, but that we would keep it simpler unless it was a milestone birthday.  It's been really tough on me doing things this way because I just don't know how.  I thought waiting until the last minute to do the planning would help eliminate over doing things, but the reality is, I am a planner, and I don't work well under stress, so waiting until the last minute to do things has really sent me into over drive.  LOL!  I am not sure  how "simple" this party will appear, but I am trying my best to stick with the decision.  

The invitations didn't even go out until Sunday (5 days before his party).  Have you ever seen the show "Minute To Win It!" on NBC??  I believe the show is currently off the air, but it was a show that really kept our family on the tip of our toes.  It's intense and exciting to watch contestants compete in challenges, for money, in which they must complete in 60 seconds 1 minute.   

The invitation read...
You've been selected to be a contestant for Tyson's 
"Minute To Win It" Birthday Party!
Here's Your Level 8 Blueprint...
In this challenge, party goers will go to
Tyson's house on Friday, May 31st @4:00 pm.
Once there, party guests will have to complete various challenges
That will test their skill and speed
While also enjoying a movie, dinner and birthday cake!
In order to attend, party goers must please arrive with
Their bathing suit, swim towel, pillow, sleeping bag,
Pajamas, toothbrush, and "game face".
Failure to complete this task, may result in elimination!!!!
Are YOU in it, to WIN it?
Enclosed with the invite, was a "Minute To Win It" candy obstacle.  Each child had to complete the following in 1 MINUTE
1. Open the hershey kiss with ONE hand. Place trash into the "trash" circle, place hershey  kiss into the "open" circle.  
2. Pour the pixie stick sugar into the heart titled "love".
3. Bite the ends of the licorice, making a mock straw.
4. Blow out the pixie stick sugar, out of the heart, with the "straw" licorice.
5. Line the M&Ms in NO particular order.
6. Write out the quantity of each colored M&Ms into the colored slots.

Do this ALL in ONE minute.
Each party guest also received a zip block bag of the candy needed to complete this challenge.  I gave each house hold a minimum of two bags of candy so siblings could join in on the fun.
Ty's party is this FRIDAY.  We have a ton of special things planned to entertain them.  We are taking them to see the movie Epic, then home for pizza, and a dessert bar. After the movie and food, the guests will be competing in 8 "Minute To Win It" challenges, testing their speed and skills.  I have a feeling Guy Fieri, the talk show host, will be making a guest appearance at this party too!!!!  We are planning to attempt the pool or our outdoor water slide inflatable.  I have to find ways to tire these (6) 8 year olds out because they are sleeping over OUR home when it's ALL over with.

Be on the lookout for the video footage soon.  Yesterday, we decided to give the candy obstacle a try.
Gram and Tyson set up their candy obstacle in preparation to compete against each other.
The first video is of Tyson and Gram competing in the candy obstacle challenge.  I am the talk show host.  Do you like my english accent?  LOL! 

The second video is of Tyson and I competing against each other.  My mother attempted being the talk show host.  She literally has me peeing in my pants every time I watch this.  The video should be called, "She's blowing it!  She's blowing it! She's blowing it!"  I'm laughing as I type this.  She's a nut.

If you haven't seen the actual show, I suggest viewing a few of the episodes on YOUTUBE.  It's HIGHLY addictive.  I have attached ONE "Minute To Win It" episode for your convenience.  

Monday, May 27, 2013

O.M.G. aka OM-GOSH!!!!!!!!!!!

On Friday, Tyson is having (6) 8 year old boys spending the night.  This is Tyson's belated 8th birthday party!!!  I should be fully out of commission come Saturday. Haha. We have lots of fun things planned though.  Be on the look out for his party "theme" and invite soon!

A Unexpected Visit...

My mom has been without a vehicle, due to a car accident, for over 2 months now. Darren and I decided to bless her with his car to help her avoid being sold a "lemon". She took a ONE way plane ride from Orlando, on Sunday, and will be driving back in her new, trusty Nissan Maxima.  Darren and I detailed it for her and filled it up with gas. It doesn't seem like she's in a rush to get home.  LOL!  But, when she does drive back, the car will be ready for her to kick it into high gear.  We don't know what Darren will be getting in place of his Maxima.  We are looking at 4-Runners, Pathfinders, and/or possibly a truck (yucko).  I'm pretty sure he has eliminated the truck as an option.  
My BFF allowed our boys to spend the night, on Saturday, so picking up my mom from the airport, at 8:45 am, would not be such a challenge.  Thanks Ashely!
Gram always arrives with special gifts in hand!  
We allowed Lilah to go to the airport in her pjs.  

Saturday, May 25, 2013

End Of The Year Preschool Performance!


Darren put this sweet video together after capturing it on camera.  I was really proud of Lilah and Jax.  They participated to their fullest potential!!  They have made great strides since the first year's preschool performance.  I don't think you will be surprised to notice the comedy in this video through Darren's sense of humor.

Lilah and Jax's Last Day of Preschool

Friday, May 24th, was Lilah & Jaxon's LAST day of preschool.  
I'm not sure if you recall these preschool signs, but if you peak at the link, you will see how much they've grown since the beginning of the school year.  I just marked through the word "first" and put "last".  
These two are always so willing to dress up and smile.
 It's nothing a little bribe doesn't solve :)
Look at that face on Jax.
 It was so cold outside.  
They were trying hard to HIDE the fact that they were freezing.
It's hard to believe that next year will be the twins' LAST year of preschool and then off to kindergarten they will go.  They will get great practice on learning responsibility and reality by getting up and going to school every day next year at Bethel Baptist Preschool.

BUT for now... let the summer begin...
I'm planning on keeping us very busy active!!!!

Jax goes "TWO-wheeling"

One evening after dinner, our family took a bike ride around the "hood".  On the way home, Darren and Ty chose to take the challenging path back to our home.  Jax was unable to accompany them and cried, feeling left out.  We talked about something he and daddy could do, alone, once we met them back at the house. First, Jax considered my suggestion, to sit on daddy's lap and drive daddy's car around the neighborhood, but that wasn't enticing enough for him.  Then we both thought about possibly removing Jax's training wheels.  Jax was super excited to give this a shot as we had been talking about doing it anyway... SOON!
Daddy is always so obliging to "adhere" to our requests.
Darren did, indeed, take the training wheels off.
Jax's face was fake, but silly.  Trying to exclaim, "YIKES! What am I in for?"
May 23rd and @ age 4 Jax rides without training wheels.

Lilah was going to attempt trying out Jax's bike on two wheels, but being a girl she chickened out when she got to the top of the hill.  THEN, she was going to try her bike, WITH training wheels, down the hill, but her bike got away from her.  

After the fun was over, my hero carries both bikes up the hill, to put them away.

A Truce "Letter"?

Jax's best buddy Cohen sent him a "letter" in the mail the other day! So sweet. Only next time.... Ashely, make Caleb send one for Lilah just for fun :)  With twins, it's always a saga if ONE child is left out.   
PS.  LOVE ASHELY's handwriting.

Tooth #4

As we prepare for Tyson's oral surgery on June 5th (please pray for this to be smooth sailing), Ty continues to make the surgery bill a tad cheaper as he looses teeth.  He is loosing his teeth slightly slower than most.  Could it be because he has an abnormal situation?  Ty has 3 front baby teeth and 3 front permanent teeth.

Tooth #4 came out at school last week.  Tyson was so excited.  He came running off the bus with a smile from ear to ear.
Just so you know, if your child is loosing teeth, and their adult teeth appear yellow, the dentist assured me that permanent teeth are much more discolored than baby teeth.  I never knew that.  Seems to flow with the gist of life.  LOL!  As you get older, your body appears older, wrinkled, or discolored too.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Lilah and Jaxon's PARTY PEEPS!

WE saved the best part of the party for last.... Lilah and Jax are so blessed to have so many special friends and family members who love them and desire to celebrate a new year with them!!!

Enjoy the party pictures of their guests.

Monday, May 20, 2013

THING 1 & THING 2 FUN!

The Cat in the Hat party is long gone and I still have a TON OF THINGS/PHOTOS to share with everyone.  It will take me another 3 months to post it all. I had to take a small break from posting about this party because I was getting reallllllllly sick of Dr. Seuss.  BUT, I'm ready to revisit it again.

I've saved the BEST FOR LAST.... the party guests.  After all, their PRESENCE was our PRESENTS!!!!! 

Enjoy this sweet post of silly faces acting as Thing 1 and Thing 2.
 For some reason, every time I see this photo, I almost pee myself.