Kaya's First Birthday Cake

To keep with my Alice in Wonderland theme, I decided to do a down-the-rabbit-hole smash cake and coordinating fondant cupcakes.  I found this website, and followed her tutorial for the smash cake, then tried my best to copy the cupcakes: 

http://www.notquitenigella.com/2010/05/05/alice-in-wonderland-cupcakes-10-tips-for-cupcake-decorating-from-planet-cake/

My fondant lego cake was a disaster, so I was braced for another fondant failure. But guess what? I rocked these puppies. They took approximately six hours, but it was (mostly) fun.  

I used the prepared icing you buy at the grocery store instead of buttercream, and I don't think it affected the final product all that much. Of course I used the crappy Wilton fondant from Michael's that doesn't taste that good, because it was the cheapest stuff and I was pretty sure it wouldn't look nice anyways. The inside was Ducan Hines Pink Velvet cake mix.  Yeah, not kidding you. It was amazing. 

I had to insert toothpicks inside Alice's fondant legs, but otherwise just scaled up the cupcake topper version in the tutorial for the cake. 

I loved this theme, and plan on repeating it for a sixth or 7th birthday.  

Realizations

Tom and I are officially too old for a mid-week concert.  We hauled our sorry butts 1 1/2 hours to see my first Buffett concert (and Tom's bazillionth) last night. Boy, am I dragging today. It was fun though, and glad I can cross that one off my list finally.

Camp Is Here!

I am not sure who is more excited about a week of dinosaur camp- the boys, or me.  It runs for three hours, and Tommy and Patrick are in adjoining classrooms, so I have only one drop-off and pick-up. It is my only week this summer where I can run errands with just one kiddo in tow, and it comes the week before Kaya's first birthday. Although we aren't having anything more than a small family party, I still wanted to decorate, so we have been picking supplies here and there. Here is a sneak peak at the theme I picked:

I am having so much fun with my first girly party. More pictures to come, of course.

Back to camp-

We kicked off the week by taking the boys to the Natural history museum on Saturday so they could really grasp the size of the dinosaurs.  This was our first time there since we moved back in 2009.

There was a special dig site for the kids that had real tools that they used to chip away at the faux rock that surrounded replica fossils.  The rock came off painstakingly slow, but the boys were happy to be wearing goggles and using any sort of tool.

Kaya was bored and angry because she couldn't have snacks in her stroller, Tommy tried to touch everything that said "please do not touch", and Patrick seemed to be interested in everything. 

Tommy did great at camp. It helps that this was his brother's school, and now his for this fall. He already feels at home. Still not a single accident over the past two weeks, so I would say we are officially fully potty trained. He sleeps in undies, and his swim diapers have been tucked away for Kaya. Way to go, Tommy!

Rain, Rain, Go Away

It didn't just rain today, it poured. It did let up just after dinner, and I took the boys out for some old fashioned puddle splashing.

Erie 2014

After a month and a half of yard projects, we decided we deserved a little R & R.  Tom booked us a two night stay at the Homewood Suites in Erie, about a ten minute drive from Presque Isle State Park and the beaches.  I know it sounds a bit hokey, but can I tell what an awesome vacation it was?  A two hour drive, a hotel suite with two separate bedrooms for the kids, and perfect weather made for amazing beach time. With only the smallest of waves and no worries of sharks, jellyfish, or lurking sea creatures, the kids actually got in the water this trip.

Having dinner at Rum Runners with Uncle Pat, who turned 92 that month!

Could her vintage-look swimsuit be any more fitting for this small lake town?

That's us, with the blue sun shelter.  This was a Thursday late-morning, and the beach was pretty deserted when we arrived.

 Part of our trip was an afternoon at Waldameer, Erie's Idlewild equivalent.  The boys loved every minute.

 The only melt-down was when we discovered that Tommy was an inch and a half too short to ride the small kids coaster with Tom and Patrick.  He through an epic tantrum that lasted the duration of the ride.  I can't even believe Patrick wanted to ride it, but he put on a brave face.  Afterwards, he told Tom he had fun, "but let's not do that again".  Kaya refused to nap at the beach or the amusement park, but in true Kaya fashion, wasn't crabby in the least despite her lack of sleep.

This was Saturday late morning, and our last day at the beach.  Even for a weekend with perfect temps, the beach wasn't very crowded.