Neighborhood Pool Party

Well, I am pooped, but wanted to load up this video and pictures of our neighborhood pool party we went to tonight.  We had such a great time, and it was nice to be at the pool we were SUPPOSED to have the superheroes birthday party at.  The DJ was AWESOME, and the boys pigged out on hotdogs, chips and chocolate chip cookies.

One of our favorite couples...  Steph and Jon Jon

These little guys will be going to daycare together soon!

Colton dancing near the DJ...    my boy has some MOVES!!

Nirit and Andrew dancing in the Mommy Dance-Off

Blake, Colton and Andrew taking a break

Off to bed... the boys fell asleep pretty much right when we got home.  We have another pool day planned tomorrow!!

One Year Appointment

This morning, my little superhero had his one-year wellness check-up.  I love seeing what growth he has made, and especially seeing his awesome doctor, Dr. Lee.

Here are pictures of my little guy getting weighed.  Now, when anyone asks, "Oh my gosh!!  How much does he weigh?"  The answer is 22 pounds 8 ounces.  And he is in the 50th-75th percentile, so my man is not overweight...  juuuuusssstttt right!

Getting ready to get his height taken

50-75%-- not too bad!

Next was onto check and make sure everything was working OK...

Waiting for Dr. Lee.  He is super-juicy!

Ears look good...  CHECK

Heart sounds good...  CHECK

Teeth look good... CHECK.  Blake has 8 teeth in as of now, and 2 bottom molars coming in.

AND THEN FOR THE SHOTS....  poor guy needed 4 today, but this will prevent LOTS of sick days.  I have to add, Blake has never been sick this whole entire year!  He has been to the gym for 2 hours a day about 5 days a week, but not full-time daycare yet which starts in a month.  So, I an anticipate some sick days soon.

Is this the saddest picture ever?  Taken after his 4 shots,  but that's it for awhile!

Tonight the fam is going to our neighborhood pool party.  I am looking forward to seeing some friends and neighbors, and letting Blake play in the water.  He deserves some good times today!

New Badge = New Experiences

Today I went to the New Employee Orientation at the Board of Ed in my county for new hires.  We just filled out endless pieces of paperwork, and went over our pay structure  (I cannot wait to be paid in the summer while returning to my temporary SAHM status!).  Since 2008, I have been a substitute teacher and intern in my county, while going to school and trying to land a full-time teaching job.

Well...  take a look.  I feel so official today!

I look so pale in this picture, but I got a job beyotches friends!!

And I am ready to put my new Brighton lanyard on it, which I bought in the gift shop of our Florida vacay!

Somedays I am a pearl girl, and others diamonds (there are some clear stones on top of the pearl, so I thought this lanyard was perfect for my everyday teacher wear.

And my old Substitute Teacher badge, hopefully never to be worn again (but I have to admit, I really had great experiences subbing, even my first job when the kids kept calling me Mrs. Taco Bell instead of Mrs. Colombel...

I am thinking of selling this on Ebay...  just kidding!

Even though I missed my Date Day (it's Tuesday guys!) with my older Superhero, they got to spend time with Mimi (who came over the watch them around 8:30) and then Blair (who came over for the second shift at 11:30).  Look at the pic Blair took of her and the boys...  I swear she looks like she could be their older sister!

Spiderman, Blair and a chunky Baltimore Raven!

It's going to be a new road for all of us...

Moi-  Middle School teacher

Blake- He is signed up at a Jewish Daycare (and make challah bread every Friday with his friend Daniel!)

Colton- He got into a gifted 4 year-old class, where he will learn to read...  can't believe it!!

Daddy- Does not have to pay for EVERYTHING anymore.  I am sure he is looking forward to having more money in his pockets for when he starts golfing again (maybe a month the doctor told him!)

Rusty (the dog)-  Will be alone during the day, but I am sure he will enjoy laying on our white sofa and not having me yell at him tell him to get off the sofa every hour!

364 more days...

Well, it's been 3 whole days since I have last blogged, and if you are my "friend" on Facebook, you know exactly how the boy's birthday went... and saw TONS of pictures on my page!

Our birthday pool party was quickly changed into an indoor party, due to the ongoing rain (and it was in the high 70's... BBRRRR!!!)  The day before the party, I decided to ask the girls who work at our gym if the party room was available.  We went to a party there 2 weeks ago for Blair's nephew, and had a GREAT time!  And, with no crazy  messy  kiddos in our house, meant our new white rugs had a chance to stay that way.  Well, I must have done something right this year, because by a miracle the large party area was not booked for Saturday evening (their birthday).

The party started at the same time as planned, 4:30 pm, which gives the kiddos plenty of time to nap (hopefully) and have LOTS of energy to cut loose. My parents and the girls from the gym helped us decorate and get ready at 4:00 pm.  Around 4:20 the guests starting arriving..  about 60 of the superheroes friends and family.

My stepdad (Poppy) uploaded these 70 pictures on Shutterfly... 

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=4e8f13913d987b76&sid=0AYtnDFu1btWjrg

...which I have to say are a lot better than mine (below).  Thankfully my parents are making us a birthday book to savor the memories of the superheroes special day!

At home, before the par-tay!

my sister Jennifer, Blair, my nephew Keilan, and s.i.l. Erika

Aby, Heather, and Moi

Blake, Jennifer, my mom (Mimi), niece Juliana, and Moi again

This picture was taken close to the beginning of the party when the place wasn't crazy!  The rock wall was awesome...  it was so cool to see Colton's friends climb it!

Some of the kiddos waiting for game instructions

The kids had a great time playing with the parachute!

The kid's babysitters- Monique and of course Blair holding her Blake

I made the banner by printing out the letter templates online, cutting them out and pasting them onto brown construction paper, and tying them together with ribbons.  The boy's names and the '&' were printed out on resume paper and glued onto the brown construction

How AWESOME are these desserts?!?  My sister's friend is a baker, and worked with me a few months ago designing the cookies and cakes.  She did forget the fondant cape on the back of the cake, but I was "super"- happy with it.

Here is Blake enjoying his Smash cake.  I learned a good lesson from when Colton ate his Smash cake.  Always have a new CLEAN outfit ready to change your one year-old in...  wet paper towels alone just can't do the trick ;)

If you live in the Maryland area, and want an Amazing cake, I would highly recommend you contact Irene, The Cake Lady:  http://www.dessert-first-bakery.com/

*********************************************************************************************

A few days before the party....

We decided to give Colton the gift he really wanted a few days early... a police car (it was pretty hard to hide in our garage).  We also gave him a police outfit on his birthday, so that he can patrol our streets in uniform!

                              Aunt Erika, Keilan, Tyson (in back) and Colton (before we gave him the police uniform)

                                                   Officer Colombel...  ready for business!!

Hope you enjoyed our day...  I am still pooped from last night, but am looking forward to planning another fun birthday in 364 more days!!!

More party prep

Well, just 2 more days until the superheroes' birthday party (Colton will be 4 and Blake will be 1).  Since the party will be held at one of our neighborhood pools, I have been stalking reading the weather forecast all week, and it looks like it might rain that day.  It also was supposed to rain this whole week and hardly has, so hopefully the incorrect reports continue.

For the past month, I have been obsessive about making personalized labels for the water bottles for the party.  I ordered a custom download from www.etsy.com for personalized labels, and all I had to do was print them out onto label paper.  Here is one sheet which I printed onto Avery 8165 paper.  (lots of ink was used, but well worth it!)

How cute...right?!?

Once my printer paper was delivered from www.staples.com, I got to work...

I have used this paper cutter since I was in college making my design boards!

Much concentration needed ;)

Well, here are the before pictures...

And after....

There are about 50 more, which Colton "organized" in the bin by superhero.  

I hope it is extra hot Saturday, so our guests can cool down with some refreshing superhero aqua

"If You Knew Me" by Colton Colombel

I have recently read other bloggers write posts titled "If You Knew Me".  I decided to turn this around a bit, and interview my soon-to-be 4 year-old (4 more days!!) and ask him the following questions in case my readers wanted to learn his answers to "If you knew me"...  some answers I am sure will not surprise you!

Mommy:  "Colton, Who is your favorite superhero?"
Colton:     "Batman"

What he is wearing during this interview

Mommy:  "What is your favorite tv show?"
Colton:   "Old School Batman."  (he really likes Adam West!)


Mommy:  "What is your favorite song?"
Colton:  (sings)  "Dadadadadadadada...Batman!"


Monmy:  "What is your favorite color?"
Colton:  (looks at his costume outfit)  "Blue, grey and yellow like Batman."
(Do you see a theme yet?!)


Mommy:  "What is your favorite number?"
Colton:  "Nothing.  Well number 2 because Robin is with old school Batman and there are 2 of them."

Mommy:  "What is your favorite food?"
Colton:   "Chicken b/c Batman eats it"   Uhhhh....  ok

Colton:  "Are we done yet Mommy?"   Ignore


Mommy:  "Who is your favorite brother?"   (our dog counts!)
Colton:  "Blake b/c he is silly!"


Mommy:  "What is your favorite thing to do outside?"
Colton:  "Catch lightening bugs and put them in my bug catcher and watch them light up."

Colton:  "I want to be done.  Are we done?" Ignore again  (I know...  mean Mommy, but I need memories... right?!)


Mommy:  "Where is your favorite place to go on an airplane?"
Colton:  "The Florida hotel to see the fireworks with Ainsely and Isabelle."  (our last trip... and I agree!)


Last torturous question:

Mommy:  "What is your favorite sports team?"
Colton: "Orioles baseball b/c I like Adam Jones and saw him with Mimi and Poppy."

Happy B-day times 4

Tonight, the fam and I went over my parent's house to celebrate FOUR birthdays...  my stepdad (aka- Poppy), my sis-in-law Leeann (who is also due with her second boy on Oct 5!), and the 2 superheroes.

After dinner, we lit the candles and sang Happy B-day...

Blake, Juliana, Mimi, Aunt Jennifer, Leeann, Cameron and Colton

And Blake getting ready to make a mess eat his cake...

The superheroes got some AMAZING gifts... mostly superhero themed, such as 5 costumes...

Here is my nephew Cameron (3), Juliana and Colton.  Blake was too gooey to put his costume on.

and posing with Uncle George before Juliana told Colton to get the "bad guys"

Well, it's off to bed.  I am so excited for their birthday party, and to see some great friends.  Six mo' days!

An AWESOME Nightcap!

The superheroes and I had a really fun day today.  We met my sister and her 5 year-old daughter, Juliana, at a farm near our home.  There were many cool structures to play on, animals to feed, and they each rode a horse and went for a ride in a "cow" train.  At 11:45, there was even story time in a shaded barn (it was pretty warm out today!), and the kids made a pig puppet out of a paper bag while eating a picnic lunch.

Here is the link to the farm we went to.  So much fun!!

http://www.clarklandfarm.com/

After nap time, we met Blair and her nephew, Carson, at a neighborhood pool near our home.  Colton and Carson are the same age, and hit is off at his birthday party last Sunday (they bonded over his new Batman Cave toy!)

 Carson (left) and Colton

Well, to top off my day, one of my close designer friends, Stacie, just delivered her first child, a girl, whom she name Isla Harper (First and middle name).  I can't even tell you how excited I am...  I don't even remember the last time one of my friends had their FIRST child.  I am planning to visit little Isla on the 24th, when Blair is here to watch the boys.  I feel like it's been forever since I've been around a baby girl!  And...  I will have a working camera then, so there will be many pictures on my blog that night!

Below is a picture of some of us girls who worked together designer model homes (with Stacie) at her baby shower.  CONGRATS MY DEAR FRIEND!!!!

Kelly, Me, Lindsey, Stacie (can you tell?!), Mel, Angela, Janelle, & Jocelyn