Movie Under The Stars: Take Two!

And just like that our summer is over. I can't even begin to tell you how fast it went by for me (having a child the week before summer will do that to you.) But since we like to end things with a bang we capped it off with another awesome outdoor movie party. We started this tradition last summer when all our children's friends and their families gathered for an outdoor movie lawn party. And it was so much fun that we decided to do it again this summer.

There was an excitement in our home all week long leading up to the party. From movie choice to banners, the girls were front and center with preparations and decision making. After all, this is their party and I adore that they take ownership.

Her comma cracks me up!

This year we got a little fancy and added a concession stand stocked with hot dogs, pizza, nachos and candy--ya know, cinema essentials.

We decided on showing the movie Up and based our decision on three factors: an extremely high Rotten Tomato score, a best picture nomination, and it's all-around kid friendliness. It also lead to some pretty badass theme decorations. As guests arrived they were greeted by balloons floating 50 feet overhead.

Like our 40 foot Charlie Brown Christmas tree? hahaha




Watching my kids excitement as they reunited with their friends solidified to me why having this party is so important--it brings us all closer together. Months of summer separation vanished and a hint of school spirit was in the air. Even I couldn't help but have fun!

The wine was chilled, the popcorn was popped and within a matter of minutes there were blankets, families and children everywhere.

While there are several themes in the movie Up, one that we focused on was adventure. As a pre-movie activity we asked each child what adventure they'd like to do this coming year and wrote their answer on each balloon....and I'm telling you it was precious.

I could take a lesson from these kids. Alaska, South Africa, space exploration and unicorn rides are just a few of the awesome adventures these kids want to take!

And on the count of three, each child grasping a balloon string excitedly let go and watched as the  balloons soared high into the sky. Don't worry, the environmentalist in me had it tethered to the coffee table, but to a 4 foot child, it certainly felt like they were releasing it!

Once the sun went down we pressed play and snuggled with our families, clinging on to the last of our summer memories.

The night couldn't have been any more perfect.

And we'll do it again next year.

Here's to another great year.

And here's a little movie about our movie!

Chance's Vroom! Vroom! 3rd Birthday!

Holy crap, Chance is 3! SERIOUSLY, WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN? One minute he's a hard-core morning snuggler next minute he's peeing standing up. He has grown SO much since Indy's birth, which is such a blessing because I was afraid he was going to regress. Nope, not a bit. In fact, his birthday marked his official day of going BOTH #1 AND #2 on the potty, which was so awesome since he's really only been doing #1.

Jeez, I've talked about urination twice already and it's just the introduction. No more urination stories, I swear. On to the party....

For his birthday this year, Chance wanted a Lightning McQueen party.

 Thomas the Train was SO last year, sniff sniff, man I really loved his locomotive phase. Little man has moved up the licensed character ladder and his grubby hands are firmly planted on anything and everything Cars. 

He woke up to find the dining room decked out Nascar style--which he absolutely LOVED.  After breakfast we headed up to our local fun park for some surprise go kart racing where every family member got a "Pit Pass" and took turns driving on the tracks, even my mom! Spoiler alert: white haired people are slow drivers even in go karts. 

He was thrilled! 

 Look at the little stud! 

After we all raced twice, we presented him with the "The Piston Cup" gold medal and you would have thought he won the Olympics.                                                                           

We spent an hour at the fun park (which was a perfect amount of time actually) and headed back to the house for lunch. The entire week before his birthday Eugene and I would give Chance options for the lunch menu and he wasn't liking ANYTHING that we suggested. So, in what could only be described as total desperation, I suggested "crunchy chicken" and he started jumping up and down! Now I don't know about you, but I haven't had fried chicken for like a year.  It's one of those meals that I feel terribly guilty eating and avoid as much as possible. But now that it's the main course to my son's birthday lunch---I just have to eat it. Well holy shit, this mama licked her fingers clean! There's a reason I only eat fried chicken once a year and that's because IT'S SO DAMN GOOD! 

To make things a tad bit intresting we had a "Fried Chicken Off" between Kentucky Fried Chicken and Popeyes and Popeyes won by a land slide!

        

It was a PERFECT day for Chance.                                     

Which is exactly how a birthday should be, right?

Happy Birthday to the sweetest, kindest and cutest 3 year old I know. We love you Chancey. 

Here's his birthday video of our awesome day!

Sleigh Ride

On my mother's bucket list, right next to having a perfect daughter (sorry 'bout that) was go on a real sleigh ride. 

Which she happened to mention in passing as we sat around the Thanksgiving table making our Christmas plans. I smelled a challenge. And sure enough, after a little bit of research I found a farm 15 minutes away from us that offers real sleigh rides and camp fires.

On December 23rd, her 66th birthday, we surprised her with what would have been a real sleigh ride if there had been any freakin' SNOW! But since it's the end of DECEMBER and we haven't had any snow that lasts more than an hour, they hitch on some wheels instead and pretend it's a real sleigh.

Which, we totally did.

Bundled in several layers, 15 of us climbed aboard a winter carriage for a 35 minute ride through the forest. We huddled close, shared some blankets and sang along to the Johnny Mathis playlist we had blaring from a speaker. We sure know how to commit, man!

Just hear those sleigh bells jingle-ing, ring-ting-tingling too

C'mon its lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you

Outside the snow isn't falling and friends are calling "Yoo-Hoo"

C'mon it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you

Giddy-up giddy-up, giddy-up let's go, let's look at some deer

We're riding in a wonderland of fear

Giddy-up, giddy-up, giddy-up its cold, for this Cal-i-fornian

We're gliding along with the song of a wintry fairy land.

Our cheeks are nice and rosy 

And comfy cozy are we

We're snuggled up together like two birds of a feather would be.

Let's take the road before us and sing a chorus or two

C'mon its lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you.

There's a birthday party after we go-on-the-sleigh.

It'll be the perfect ending of a perfect day

We'll be singing the songs we love to sing without a single stop

At the fireplace where we watch the chestnuts pop!

Pop! 

Pop!

Pop!

There's a happy feeling nothing in the world can buy

As we pass around hot chocolate and some yummy S'mores

It'll nearly be like a picture print by Eugene Nar-ci-so

These wonderful things are the things we remember all through our lives....

THESE WONDERFUL THINGS ARE THE THINGS WE 

REMEMBER ALL THROUGH OUR LIVES!!

Happy Birthday Mom!