Robot Birthday Party

I've posted before with various snippets of info regarding the now infamous bRobot birthday party... and here is my final installment (I probably could do more since I haven't even touched on the invites we made, but I think this should wrap things up nicely).

1. We started the party off with a Robot Dance contest.  I am thankful for all the kid-friendly robot songs on YouTube (no time to download and create my own playlist). 
2. We re-booted with robot fuel (bottled water with mailing labels stuck on over the store label), then munched on Computer Chips (dried apple chips) and Nuts & Bolts (snack mix).  I filled two old coffee cans with the munchies to give them a more "robot" look.
3. Next we all got to assemble our own robots.  I cut robot layers using my Cricut cartridge in a variety of colors.  The mini-bots chose their color, glued the pieces, attached the googly eyes, and then drew in other details.  These robots were attached to the outside of the brown paper bags we used for goodies.
4. Lastly, each friend was given a robot sugar cookie to eat while the birthday boy opened presents.  I opted for cookies since they do not need to be sliced and do not require plates or forks to eat them (and the crumbs vacuum up better than mushy cake crumbs).

The party was a big hit! and I was exhausted...

My Little Pumpkins

Here is another wonderful activity that I did (instead of blogging):  the pumpkin patch fieldtrip with my two youngest.  We had a great time choosing our pumpkins right off the vine!  It was a little muddy, and I forgot the rain boots, but it was a gorgeous day to wander through the gords.

Next year, I promised to take my oldest along... he misses picking out his own pumpkin every October.

Halloween Mystery

Where have I been lately?

I have been struggling to get into the new school year rhythm!  But now that birthdays are Halloween are over, I can finally breathe.  And maybe even blog a little too...

Here are a couple snapshots of the costumes I made my little guys for Halloween.  We were going for a Ben 10 theme (check out Cartoon Network for a variety of the Ben 10 incarnations).

Kevin 11

Four Arms (one of the original 10 aliens)

And Ben Tennison, himself

Don't they make a good looking bunch of aliens?

Birthday Bot Cake

Here is another sneak peak into the big BroBot Birthday party planning!

The boys and I recently had a big discussion as to what their birthday cake should look like for their Robot Party.  Here is what my oldest thought it should be:

I, of course, had other ideas.  Notice the feet, the present eyes, and the candles on his shoulders? I especially like the extra long arms.  Although the creativity is off the charts, the cake couldn't practically be made this way and expected to stay upright.  Not to mention, it looked a tiny bit scary in my opinion.  So we did a little debating and ended up compromising on this:

You'll have to check back at the end of September to see what it actually ends up looking like!

Summer Reading

Did you know I have a small obession with books? And did you know that it is a trait I have passed onto my children?

That is one of the main reasons I started selling Usborne Books... my boys (all three) are in love with the books!  It is amazing how much they read now that they have found books that spark interest inside of them. 

Go ahead and check out all the fantastic books on my Usborne Books & More website - there is even a pdf version of the newest catalog!

Are you interested in what I do at Usborne Books & More ...or just curious and want to be nosy? Listen to this 30 minute recorded call that explains it all - NO ONE (not even I) will ever know you listened, so go ahead and be nosy :)

Call: 712-432-6190
Access Code: 66317#
Recording Number: 77#

Flag Waiving

I finally uploaded pictures from my phone of my "first official act" as a resident of Findlay, Ohio.  Findlay celebrated its Bicentennial early in June.  There was a parade with floats and marching bands.  And there were flags waiving all over the place.  Did you know that Findlay, Ohio is Flag City USA?

Here is the digital scrapbook layout I created from my phone pics - my son even took the one with me in it!

I used Sketch 301 from Scrapbook Challenges as a starting point - those ladies are full of fantastic ideas.  With all the holiday activities going on in the States this week, I'm sure you all have your own red-white-and-blue photos to comemorate.  I'd love for you to post a link to your creations!

Birthday Postcard

I have been slacking in the blog department.  I actually have been slacking in the entire crafting world.  I guess that is what the stress of selling and buying houses can do to a person.  But I did manage to do a little something today.

My mother-in-law's birthday is next week and we are seeing her this weekend, so I asked the boys what they would like to give her.  My seven year old replied that he thought a bottle of wine would be nice - I didn't think that was such a good idea.  So they came up with the idea to give her a coupon to redeem - something that they could all enjoy doing together.  And this is what I created:

I cannot take credit for doing anything but putting the pieces together.  I found the word art on Pinterest (but the link to the original site was not working, so I cannot give proper credit).  And the ribbons and background paper are freebies from Amy Teets.

I printed it on cardstock and gave it to the boys to personalize on the back.  Hopefully she likes what they came up with!

I am so proud

I think most boys go through a comic book phase.  I think this has been happening for many years, and that it will continue for generations.  My oldest is currently embracing this phase of his life. 

Now, don't be confused by the title of my post today.  Coveting comics is not something that would make a momma proud.  But I am completely in awe of my child's devotion to comics as an art form.  He loves the character development, he loves the relationships, he loves the action, he loves the art work, he loves the witty banter between characters, and he loves that absolutely anything is possible in the realm of comic books.  He asked for (and received) a comic book kit based on one of his favorite animated characters.  But in just one afternoon he realized that this kit was holding him back.  I saw the creative wheels spinning in his little head.  He needed more that what was being given to him.  So he sat down with a blank piece of paper and a black pen and started to create. 

Now this is his work in progress.  I am not privy to any dialogue or additional illustrations.  He has informed me that he will suprise me when he is done.
I can't wait to see what he comes up with!

SLACKER!!!!

There is a voice inside my head that has been shouting at me the past three days.
"Why haven't you blogged?" 
"Put down that glue stick and post some pictures!"
"You don't need to sleep; social media is much better than sleep."
Now this voice can be very persuasive, but my pillow is very loud too...

Anyway, the past five days have been mostly consumed by the Science Expo project my seven year old worked on.  He did a ton of work, but he doesn't work alone.  Electricity and circuits are not an easy subject for a first grader to research or create by himself.  And so I have been the best cheerleader/coach that I could be.  I was also very careful to not jump in and "just do it for him" as I really, really wanted to at times.  All I can say is thank goodness for my Cricut machine - the display took a while to put together, but I can't imagine how long it would have taken if we were using stencils to do all the lettering.  Oh, and I have a ton of love for my Xyron sticker makers too!  Here is a pic of his display (but his scientific journal is really the impressive part):

Well the Expo is tonight so I can get back to my neglected blog.  I've got a big surprise for you all tomorrow!!!

Angry Mom

I guess we all need to take a step back and view ourselves through the eyes of a child every once in a while.  I had a wake-up call today.  It came in the form of a drawing created by a 4 year old.  I realize that I have become the general of the family; barking orders at my little soldiers in order to get everyone every where they each need to be in the most efficient way possible.  This is great for the army, but not so good for little boys who just want to play with their mommy. 

"Angry Mom"

So we ate chocolate covered pretzels, played tag, watched Wipe-out, and stayed up way to late tickling each other.  No toys were picked up, no homework was done, and no yelling was heard all night long.

"Mom When She Plays With Me"

Maybe they'll let me sleep in tomorrow for being so good tonight...