let's have a ball

One of Lawrence's top loves in life are balls.  So we decided to have a ball themed party for him in the park.  One of the most important makings of a good party is good cake.  I made his basketball cake and personally I thought it was delish.  The recipe came from a friend who got it from rosebakes.com (the wedding cake recipe).  Seriously, the cake has a cup of sour cream in it.  There is nothing else that needs to be said.

I also thought it would be fun to have cake balls decorated as..... balls!  I read some different blogs on how to make these little balls of fun.  Here are my best tips after one time at bat.

Cake Balls 101:

- I used a red velvet cake mix.  Bake, cool, crumble in a bowl.  Then add a container of vanilla frosting (I used about 3/4+ of the container b/c I wanted them to be cakish; you can add the whole thing if you want them gooey).   

- I also made some oreo flavored balls (1 package of oreos, 1 pkg cream cheese). 

- I used a cookie drop to make the balls and then put them in the FREEZER.  Very important step in order to keep little crumbles out of your dips.

- The footballs I dipped in melted semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Ghiradilli brand).  These were over the top sweet in my opinion.  But hey, they looked cute, and sometimes that's all that matters.

- I used vanilla almond bark for the baseball/soccer balls.  I honestly haven't spent much time perfecting my skills with almond bark.  In the past I just glopped it on and it tasted good and looked just ok.  I spent a little more time on it this time.  I found that melting it in the microwave (not the stove or double boiler) worked best.  I did 1/2 the package at a time and melted it for 1 minute, stirred, 10 seconds, and it was about right.  I used a plastic fork and broke out the middle spokes so I had a little tool for my ball to sit on.  The technique that worked best for me was to spoon the bark over the ball then dip the bottom in the bowl and scoop it back up with my fork.  This helped the bark stay smooth and clean. 

- I used red decorating gel for the baseballs.  It worked alright and was cute.  It stayed goopy so it was a little messy.  But messy is ok at a party.

- I didn't trust myself to use black gel to make hexagons, so I found little candy toppers that were soccer balls (Wilton brand in the cake decorating aisle).

- The cake and oreo balls with almond bark were fabulous and I would totally make them again!

The rest of our goodies -- all round like balls!



Here is Lawrence camped out by the cheese balls  :)  He hadn't ever had one (for good reason) before this moment.  He made his way up the table and Grandpa served him up a few.  The kid would not touch anything else.  Not even kidding.  He wouldn't even try one bite of the cake that I made for him!!!  There's something addicting in those little balls of nothingness.

What else shows up to a party in the park?  The WIND!!!  So I made table weights because I knew that there was a 99.9999% chance it would be windy in Kansas.



I used Easter egg balls from Dollar General.  Then tied a safety pin to one end of a ribbon and a washer to the other end.  Filled the balls with washers and nuts and rocks, and pinned them to the tablecloths!  Next time I would probably super glue them shut b/c the kids opened them.  It had crossed my mind but I wanted the option to reuse my supplies.

More table weights.  I also used the ball eggs as party favors and put stickers inside.

Games are always fun for a party.  The ball pit was a hit.  At one point there were probably 5 kids in the pool at once!

I got the ball pit balls at Target and the inflatable balls from Oriental Trading.  After I used the inflatable balls in the pit, I gave them as party favors as well.



We also had a tunnel.  And a basketball goal.  And a football toss through a hula hoop.

Little Man is still rather meticulous.  Every little shred of paper had to go to the trash can.  One bitty piece at a time.  Love his little personality!

He had to blow out his candles several times.  It's your day -- live it up on cheese balls and candles!

I love our little family!



birthday blessings

Our little man celebrated a big birthday this week.  And that makes me the mother of a TWO year old!  I can't even believe that that is possible.  Let the fun begin!

Here are some thoughts that are memorable to Corey and I.  Hopefully one day he will enjoy reading it.  Who am I kidding -- maybe his wife will appreciate it someday!!!

Dear Lawrence,


You have lit up our life over the last two years!  Your father and I are so proud of the sweet little gentleman you are becoming.  Whenever I meet someone new, you are right beside me holding out your hand to offer them a shake.  And if it's not a handshake then it is a hug.  You are willing to give hugs to anyone who lets you get close enough!  You love being around people and you are still a proficient observer; usually one of the quieter ones of the bunch until you get warm, but not missing a single detail.  Yet quick to interact with any adult who offers some attention.  And you are oh so independent!  I remind myself everyday that this will be a strong quality for you to have...someday.


You are a very verbal child and usually more cautious in the physical realm.  It is common for you to sit at the top of a slide multiple times without ever going down.  I recently made a list of all of the words that you use regularly and I lost track around 115.  You say 'mommy' almost constantly while we are in the car or shopping and follow it up with whatever you recognize.  You have to make sure that I also see everything that your little eyes see!  You amaze me!  Another popular phrase that I hear a lot is 'thank  you'.  I hand you anything and you always say 'thank you'.  And you continue to say it repeatedly until I recognize your kind words.  I also tried to teach you to say 'no, thank you' as opposed to a whine and a scrunched up nose.  You quickly turned this into a very assertive nod of the head while verbally saying 'thank you'.  Even during your fits and cries when you don't like what I have to say, you respond with a 'no, thank you'.  Being the verbal AND independent little man that you are, another popular word is 'mine'.  And oh how it makes my spine crawl.  Your translation of the word mine is:  I can do it all by myself, this is my ____, you gave this to me, I always sit here, I don't need any help, I want that.....  Not your sweetest term, but part of being two I suppose.  I prefer when I tell you 'I love you' and you respond with 'bunches bunches bunches bunches!'  I guess you have heard me say that a time or two!  



Although you say 'mommy' continually, you are still very much a daddy's boy!  Daddy is the first thing you ask for when I get you up in the mornings.  And when I tell you that daddy is at work, you show me how he drives to work.  You love to "drive" with daddy in his tractor or truck.  Anything that dad is working on, you are right beside him being a big helper.  Your other favorite activities as a new two year old are playing on your rock pile, driving and loading your blue truck, chasing bubbles, playing with any ball you can find, or just being outside.


The Lord has big plans for you, Lawrence!  You make mommy's heart happy and full. We love you, son!


Love,


Mom and Dad

a mother

"As a mother comforts her child,

so will I comfort you"

Isaiah 66:13

I had a wonderful Mother's Day.  Corey has been traveling a lot for work lately, so having all 3 of us together on Sunday with no "have to" plans was such a treat.  After church we picked up lunch from Bella Luna (Meditterainian) and took it to a nice park.  The weather was perfect, the hummus was delish, and the meal was quiet and relaxing. 

After lunch and a quick play, we went home for nap time.  On Sunday, Little Man wasn't the only one who got a nap  :)  Another nice treat!  And after nap time, we went and picked out flowers to plant in my hanging pots.  It was a special day!

It's a little tricky to get a picture of the three of us without extra help!  

this and that

I am finding it hard to admit it is May.  My mind feels like it should still be March.  So either I'm losing my mind, or time just isn't slowing down like I keep telling it to.

We have been up to a little of this and a little of that.  Staying busy (how can I not be busy with an almost 2 year old?) and enjoying the beautiful Spring that we have been given.  Here are a few of my favorites!

Easter morning - our Easter this year was rather relaxing.  Here is Little Man in his Easter tie.  He loved wearing it because his daddy also wore a tie.  I didn't even get a pic of the 3 of us.  Bummer.

I love this time of year and I think that Easter is becoming my favorite holiday.  I love the NEWNESS of it!

He got a little Easter bucket from us with a few goodies - sunglasses, books, bugs, and a plastic basketball egg filled with fruit loops.

"I can do it ALL. BY. MYSELF.  Why would you offer help with my sunglasses?  They are exactly the way I put them on my face ALL. BY. MYSELF."

This is a daily battle, I mean conversation, we have about pretty much everything!  The kid wants to be SO independent and he tries SO hard to be.  But for the meantime he still needs his mama's help.  Although he tries to tell me otherwise.  And I'm okay with that.

We finally made it to the brand new Cabella's that opened in Wichita.  It is a nice store and will be a fun rainy day place.  My excitement over the new store was rather subdued.  Mostly because it is within  5 minutes of Corey's office and perfect for lunch hour shopping sprees.  So far so good though!

Lawrence would touch the deer's nose and it must have felt funny because he would pull his hand away and give a shrill giggle every time.  Love him!

  

We got to spend a day in Kansas City with a good friend while Corey was doing some work up there.  We went to a neat place called Deanna Rose Farmstead.  Little Man loved it.  I think he has a little crush on Abby (center) but I'm cool with it - she's so darn cute and sweet.  And I know her folks.

He got to feed the baby goats and loved it.  They were easy to please though - his bottle was empty most of the time and they desperately sucked away.  

We got our garden planted!!!  So excited for our second harvest.  We planted yellow squash, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, jalapenos, green beans, watermelon, and pumpkins.  The cilantro from last year came up and I already harvested it and have it in my freezer!  I am trying out "companion gardening" - the concept that certain plants thrive when grown near certain other plants.  For example, tomatoes like parsley, so they are supposed to grow better when planted near it.  The parsley is the only thing that hasn't come up yet, so not sure what that means for their "companionship". 

Another trick with companion gardening that I am learning about is how to use natural things (plants, spices, flowers) to repel insects.  For example, if you have cutworms on your tomatoes you can sprinkle cayenne pepper on the leaves/stems and for some reason they won't like that.  At the end of last year as I was pulling  out the old squash/cucumber plants I discovered "cucumber beetles" that were COVERING the ground.  They didn't hurt the veggies but it grossed me out.  So I read that a remedy for that is to plant radishes in your mounds to keep them away.  But use of a radish that I can think of!

I want to learn more about the timing of when to plant certain things.  And what things to start inside early.  We wanted to plant onions and lettuce also, but we were too late in the season.  So we will include those in our fall garden with the broccoli and cauliflower.

Little Man helping me plant watermelon seeds.  I like the addition of some fruit!  How do you grow blueberries?  I also want to add strawberries and asparagus but we will first have to add a bed so they can come back every year.  Heck, you can call us Dillons!

The final garden spot.  My aunt told me an "old" story last summer ----  When you go to Kansas in the summer, be sure to lock your doors.  Or you might end up with a carload of squash.

SO WATCH OOOOUUUUUTTTTT.

Little Man loves to "drive".  Seriously.  It is the first thing he talks about in the morning, when we are outside, and when dad gets home.  I am rather concerned considering Corey drove for the first time at age 7.  Granted he was on a farm road - but he was alone in the car, no passengers, and this was with permission.  Eeeeeeek.

We have had a lot of tractors around our house lately (which does not help the driving obsession).  Our yard project is underway.  And we are surrounded with dirt, or mud.  So fun with an almost 2 year old.  It will be nice to have grass in the future though. 

We also had a special visit from my sister and niece.  We got to take the kids to Tanganyika one day to see and interact with the animals.  Little Man enjoyed hopping thru the kangaroo pen.  And niece enjoyed the Gibbons (sorta like monkeys) that were playing around.  The Lemurs have had babies and they are like 6 inches tall.  And the first mama kangaroo was carrying her baby in her pouch (last year there were probably 6 babies at once).  If you haven't been there then you should check it out.  And I don't even get kickbacks.  

They also played outside a ton and climbed all over the mounds of rock and dirt.

Seriously, it doesn't get any cooler than going to Auntie Abby's house and playing on piles.

We have had a fabulous Spring!  I can't wait to see what the Summer brings  :)

anxious

I have committed this verse to memory so I can repeat it throughout my days.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, WITH THANKSGIVING, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6

my best advice

Everyone is full of advice. I love asking other mom's for advice on stages that we are working through. I love talking to other mom's about how we worked through different stages. Once you have been there it is as if you have CONQUERED something grand.





What diapers do I buy? Am I the only one that feels as if my body is no longer my own? How do you give a baby non-pureed food without killing him? Your kiddo eats cauliflower, how did you do that? Will it work on my husband? Can you teach a crawler 'no'? Your baby sleeps, I want that?! How the heck do I expect a 1 year old to sit in time out when he basically doesn't sit down all day? And on and on and on.





What I didn't account for was the fact that I needed a psychology degree in order to raise a toddler. Hopefully my business degrees and some creative thinking from Corey and I will do.





In my 21 months of mothering, I am by no means an expert. I have done things that I wouldn't do next time. I have done things that worked, but probably won't work next time. I will gladly talk with you about introducing food (most of my ideas I stole from my friend Angela), breast feeding, sign language, diapers, sippy cups, sleeping, saving money on baby gear, or just about anything else. But keep in mind that God has this thing called a sense of humor. There are no easy steps to conquer a stage every time. And there is an above average chance that what worked for me, won't work for you. Gotta love that!





So here is the real advice:





Think Positive - Find something positive to appreciate about every stage. The truth is that that stage will pass, and no matter how icky it is, it is nice to have something to cling to that will make you smile. I remember we had some REALLY rough months in the beginning with Lawrence and a friend gave me this advice. Some sleepless nights the only thing I could cling to was that I got to cuddle with my baby and there would be a day that that wouldn't happen.





Parenting Personality - You and your spouse will find that you have a "parenting personality". What do you both need in order to have a fun, peaceful, and healthy home? There are things that are important to us and that work for our home because of our personalities, and guess what, they are going to be different than others. For example, we like to keep things fairly structured and routine. I am happiest this way and (in my opinion) Lawrence is most predictable in this environment. Of course things are adjusted here and there because that's life. But there are other people that this type of order would make them crazy. And their type of chaos would make me crazy! My advice is to find one or two other couples that have a similar "parenting personality" and focus your questions to those couples. There is a greater chance that their ideas will work in your home. And not that the others are wrong or bad, it's just not gonna fly for you! P.S. Embrace your parenting style and love it - don't feel bad or feel like you should be different because others are.





Insanity - There have been times (especially in the beginning when we were sleep deprived) that things obviously weren't working, we were struggling, we kept trying... And then I reminded myself that the definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome. We were literally going insaine. It is so much harder to stop and rethink what you are doing and try new tactics when you aren't happy with the results you are getting. It usually took Corey throwing out ideas. It is hard to change things up, but if it isn't working anyway then what is there to lose?





Breastfeeding - Ugh. There is nothing natural about this "all natural" way to feed baby. I by no means nailed it. But I worked really hard and was successful. My advice - set (shorter) goals along the way and when you reach them, reevaluate. Find an expert to talk to and don't be afraid to ask dumb questions. And if you have low milk supply - I'm your girl to talk to (it doesn't mean you can't BF).





Shower - Find a time during your daily routine to take a shower. Easier said than done in the beginning! I have done different things at different ages - bouncer in the bathroom, pack and play in the bedroom, naptime, and early morning.





Be Still - As I write I am reminded of a blog post that I wrote while Lawrence was an infant - http://abbybev.blogspot.com/2010/06/lessons-from-seven-pounder.html





I don't know if I should cry or laugh after re-reading that! Yes, it is okay to be still. For one day it won't be an option :)








Today - Thank God for challenging you; whether as a mother or elsewhere.

Happy Hearts Day!

Today will be a simple and special day of love. We will grill steaks tonight. I will make a special cake. Little man humored me by wearing the t-shirt that I made for him. Tell me that he is not a ladies man...

In fact, he got asked out on his first date the other day in Sam's. And it was even by an older lady. He was very polite as he declined.

We even made a special card for dad. Totally "inspired" by Pinterest - meaning I stole the idea, changed it a bit, and made it in my own home so it is legal.

Corey and I also got a babysitter for Thursday night and are going out to dinner. I'm pretty excited for a big kid meal. We are going to Chester's. Ooooooooo. Since we have a gift card. We haven't been there since we were dating. I remember flying in from Denver and we went straight to Chester's from the airport, still in our work clothes. It is quite the treat!

Show someone you love how important they are to you. Life is short.