Maya's 4th Birthday Party

So our baby girl is still three for a few more days, but we had her party today! And I have to say-- it was a very small party, and was one of my favorite parties I have ever hosted. The size was a big factor in that. And the weather cooperated, giving us perfect weather to have the entire thing outside. It was very low-key, the kids had fun, and everything just went how it was supposed to. In other words, it was awesome!

The theme was "art." We started out by painting flower pots. Every kiddo got an apron and had a little setup with a brush, a sponge, a paper towel, and pots of paint. They were so quiet while they worked-- painting is very serious business!
Once they finished painting their pots, we whisked them away to dry. I had blank white bags for each kid with their names on them, and they got to color on them while the other kids finished painting. I was back in "teacher mode"-- it was totally a task for my early finishers, haha! After that, the kids ran around for a bit in the yard while the adults sat around and talked. It was lovely! We finally gathered them back when it was time for cake. Behold the final product-- with the sides decorated by Nikos and Maya. Those frosting markers are really difficult to work with! The cake itself was AWESOME. Seriously. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I think it was the best cake I have ever made. The pudding filling between the layers really pushed it over the edge. So. Good!!! So then the kids ran around some more, until we gathered them back together to do the pinata. Maya had chosen this unicorn pinata at the party store months ago. I was pleased to learn that it was a pull-string pinata as opposed to the whack-it-with-a-stick kind. Not because I don't enjoy the random violence (ha!), but because it inevitably leads to someone crying because they didn't get a turn or whatever. This way, everyone just grabbed a ribbon, pulled at the same time, and candy rained down. No tears! Easy!
Meanwhile... Gus had scooped some dirt into each of the flower pots, and planted a pretty yellow marigold I bought at the nursery down the street. The pots fit very nicely into the goody bags, along with the candy. I was seriously pleased with how the goody bags worked out this year. The main activity WAS the goody. And it's something people can actually use/enjoy! We also opened presents in there somewhere, which was quick because it was such a small group. Then the kids ran free for a bit! And that was it! All the mess was in the back yard, not in the house. We cleaned it all up in about 15 minutes. Both kids had a blast. Best. Party. EVER! :)

Yard Sale and Father-Daughter Dance!

Well, it was a busy day! The yard sale went alright-- I sold all my big ticket items, saved a few things for my adorable new niece, and then packed the rest up for donation. Got a couple hundred bucks-- not bad for a half day's work! The kids had fun helping, too, though we drank more water bottles than we actually sold. Oh well! It was fun! Everyone was pleasant, the weather was awesome, and some friends stopped by to visit, too. Definitely part of the small-town experience! Here's a picture of my super helper this morning (also known as the early bird of the family). He actually did a great job helping me set up, while Gus and Maya were still asleep! After lunch, we cleaned in preparation for Maya's party, and decorated her cake. We used frosting pens-- I did the top, and the kids drew on the sides. They were really tough to work with, but hey-- it's an art party! I think the finished product is fun! I will share photos of it tomorrow! :)

And then, later in the afternoon, I spent time getting my sweet girl all dolled up. We painted her nails (which she always loves), and then I did my best on her hair. I am not the best hair stylist, but that's okay. I tried! I am still learning. Then we took this picture before she and Gus left for the Daddy Daughter Dance. Have I ever mentioned what a lovebug my second child is? Well, yeah. She really is! She covers us all with hugs and kisses every single day! Finally, some pictures off of Gus' phone from the dance itself. They sat with Mike (Miranda's husband) and Natalie, who is Niko's age. Our girl was shy, but still had a BLAST. And she loved the little corsage that Gus bought for her at the door. I love her sweet face. And, on another note... how can she be almost four years old?? sigh...

Let the Craziness Begin!

I used to think that this time of year was just crazy and hectic because I was a teacher. As it turns out, I was wrong! It's just a busy time of year, as everything that follows the school-year calendar comes to a close. For example, we have Maya's dance recital coming up fairly soon, and she will have her professional portraits taken next week. Which meant that she got her recital costume this past week! They were allowed to try them on in class. And OH. MY. GOSH. I died from the cuteness!! I may be biased, but I think she is just the cutest little cow EVER! And Paige makes an adorable little duck! We've also been treated to some absolutely lovely weather this week, which makes it very hard to get chores done when we just want to be outside! We had one day this past week where we reached 70 degrees, and it was amazing how hot that felt after being so cold for so long. The forecast looks promising for this weekend, too! Anyway, we spent a lot of time outside, and I got pictures like these-- kids in t-shirts!! It's been so long! Then, last night, we went to go see Disney on Ice. I never thought I would be interested in doing that, but we got a little postcard about it in the mail some months back. Both kids were VERY interested, especially since they were both taking ice skating lessons at the time. I was able to buy them early, and got "preferred customer" discount, so they were very reasonable. I also got tickets for Caryn and Miranda and their respective families, so we pretty much took up an entire row. And the seats were fantastic! Stadium seating, not far from the ice, and we really had clear views of everything. It was very loud, which Nikos didn't like, but both kids actually had a fantastic time (one with hands over his ears). It was a late night for them, but they did great, and had lots of positive things to say about it when they woke up this morning. Such a fun experience! Now that that fun event is over with, it's on to the next thing! Seriously, we've got a busy few weeks ahead of us. I spent most of the day today getting ready for the town-wide yard sale, which is tomorrow. I'm excited to see what kind of traffic we get, since we live in a pretty prominent location! The kids are going to sell bottles of water, too, which will be adorable.

Once the yard sale is over with and the leftovers are packed away, then it's on to the Daddy-Daughter Dance (town-sponsored event). And, while Gus and Maya are at that, I will be scrubbing the house top to bottom and preparing for a certain little girl's birthday party on Sunday! ACK! I've already been working on her cake. It's not perfect, but she is VERY excited. It's an art-themed party! Here's a little sneak peek of what I've done so far. It's a homemade vanilla cake, filled with vanilla pudding, covered with vanilla buttercream and a very thin layer of marshmallow fondant. Tomorrow, the real decorating begins. Fun!! Anyway... it's just a busy time of year. Next weekend will be even crazier! It's all fun, though. And I should have lots to blog about... let's hope I actually find the time to do it! :)

Introducing Riley!!

So, I haven't really posted about it, mostly because my brother and Melissa didn't say too much about it, but Melissa found out she was pregnant last summer when they were all visiting us here in Massachusetts! Yes, that's right... I went to the store with her to buy a pregnancy test. And then to another store, the next day, to make Grant buy a digital one. haha!! Anyway... that little bean turned out to be our new NIECE, Riley Pilar! She was born yesterday, right in the middle of t-ball practice for us (so sometime around 3:30pm in California-- I don't know the exact time). She weighed in at 8 pounds, 8 ounces, and is completely adorable! Everyone is doing well, and Colton got to go meet his little sister at the hospital last night.

Anyway, here are a few pictures that my dad sent last night (sorry they are small-- I stole them from his Shutterfly album!)... I need to figure out when I can fly back and meet this little lady! And, just for fun, here's the link back to when Colton was born in 2010. I think they look alike in some ways, and different in others... but only time will truly tell!

Art Analysis

I just love looking at the kids' artwork. It really reveals so much about their personalities! Both kids love to draw, and will often grab paper out of the printer tray and set up camp at the kitchen island, coloring to their hearts' content. I actually had to pull some of the paper out of the printer so that they wouldn't use it all up-- I do, occasionally, have to PRINT things, haha! Anyway, they did these drawings this morning before I even got up. I love that they are capable of entertaining themselves now when they get up at the crack of dawn!

These first two pictures are by Niko (obviously). His favorite color is brown, so it gets a LOT of use. Side note: We were at Target a few weeks ago, when a very dark-skinned African American man walked by us. Niko VERY LOUDLY proclaimed, "Mommy, I just LOVE that man's brown skin!!!!!" Yup. The man thought it was funny, and Niko really does love the color brown, but we had to have the conversation (yet again) about not commenting on what other people look like. Oy! Anyway... Niko generally draws stick figures, and he draws them quickly. But I love that both of these pictures are of him and Maya: first on a seesaw (which is funny, since we don't have one... but Maya is actually getting a cool one for the yard for her birthday, and he doesn't know it!), then on the swings. The blue thing is the ladder, and the red thing is the slide. Clearly, we've been playing outside a lot more lately, enjoying the almost-spring-like weather! And then there is Maya's artwork. She spends a VERY long time on it, putting lots of thought and attention into every little detail. Most of her pictures start out like this (which was left unfinished so she could eat breakfast): And end up like this one... layers and layers of various things that make the entire picture unrecognizable. To US, at least! But she can tell you what everything in this picture is. Of course! And then, the back. I love how her name takes up the whole page. She's getting better at writing, though, and can spell/sound out a ton of words! My BABY! I can't believe my kids are this big already! And now, time to clean the house and run some errands. We have a very busy two weeks ahead of us, with all sorts of fun activities! It's that time of year where things get a little hectic, but it will be exciting!

Visit withYiayia and Papou

So, we've had a fun week, despite all the awful/scary stuff happening just over an hour away in Boston (which I won't go into, except to say I am very glad it all appears to be over). On Monday, Nikos had his first t-ball practice of the year. He has the same coach as last year, who he LOVES, and there are a few of the same kids. He's on the red team this year, and they have chosen to be called "The Fireballs." I love it! And he loves his uniform!
The next morning, both kids got quite a surprise after breakfast when Gus' parents arrived from California! They love it when family visits! We went out to lunch that day, and mostly stayed at the house. We had two very tired travelers on our hands, so things were slow-going!

The next day, though, we headed out onto the rail trail for a picnic lunch. And saw two snakes along the way (bringing the total number I have ever seen in MA to 4, haha! All the same kind). We had some sandwiches, played catch, and walked for a little bit on the trail. It was a really nice day!
And now my brain is failing me. I'm not sure what happened on what days! But we stopped by the farm stand and said hi to the chickens and goats... And we made s'mores around the fire pit. Nikos has been begging to get the fire pit out for weeks, and we finally had an evening where it was warm enough. You know, 60 degrees. haha! And then, this morning, we had Niko's first t-ball game of the season! He did great (of course)! And tonight, everyone played the Disney version of Hedbanz, which is downright hilarious to watch. :) And, last but not least, how about some videos? The first one is Maya being Maya... the kid loves to dance. And then Niko's first at-bat of the season. Love these babies!

Forgot to share this video...

I took it a week or so ago. And it's funny, because this is 100% the Maya we know and love. She has the more adorable personality! But she is SO reserved around people outside of our family... even friends we see on a regular basis. She will talk more around them, but even they were surprised to see this video, because they don't ever get to see this kid! Which is really too bad, because she is hilarious!

Catching Up

BOY, am I behind! Oops!! I got really busy with photography, but then I just didn't feel like blogging... despite having lots and lots to blog about. So I think that this post is mostly going to be a story in photos, because there is just too much to cover. Ack!

As of my last posting, the snow in our yard was finally starting to melt away, and we were able to play outside without snow boots! Woohoo! The timing was perfect, because it meant that we were able to actually *hide* the Easter eggs on Easter, as opposed to just scattering them on the snow. The kids had a great time, looking all over our yard for them. With nearly an acre to explore, the hunt lasted quite a while!

Backing up, though... The day before Easter, we took the kids to yet another egg hunt, this time at a local nursery! The eggs were hidden in and around all the plants, so it was a bit of a challenge, too. And it was SUPER crowded! The kids had fun, though, and enjoyed getting to pet the soft bunny inside the greenhouse.

In the afternoon that day, it was SO nice and warm... I noticed that there was just a tiny bit of snow left on my planter box, and I decided to go out there and make it disappear. Within minutes, I had two little helpers who were VERY eager to help till the soil! So we did that, and added some more, and just got everything ready for planting. I still can't plant most of my stuff, since we are still anticipating some nights with below-freezing temperatures. But I am ready to go!! A few more weeks! The day after Easter was April 1st... Also known as my birthday! It was somewhat unfortunate that it was on a Monday, but I had a pretty good day nonetheless. I dragged the kids shopping with me, and then out to lunch. It was another semi-warm day, at least in the morning, and I was able to roll down the window and enjoy the sunshine. Later on, the sky clouded over and the wind picked up... so it was the perfect chance for the kids to try out the new kites they got in their Easter baskets! We ate leftover Easter ham for dinner (yum!), and then followed it down with this amazing chocolate chip cookie dough cake made by my buddy, Miranda (the professional baker). It was SINFULLY good. Oh my gosh. I loved my cake! Not a bad way to begin my first day in a new age demographic! On Tuesday and Wednesday, the temperatures dropped back down again... We even had flurries of snow! It was so depressing, after getting a tiny (and very belated) taste of spring. It was so unfair! We were stuck back indoors. I did get a cute picture of me and my sweet girl, though! Later in the week, the temperatures starting climbing back up into the mid-40s again-- even into the low 50s on Friday! We got back outside and took advantage of it, at every possible opportunity!

Then, this past weekend, our busiest day was on Sunday. Nikos had his last day of ice skating lessons. He is now a graduate of both Pre-Tot and Tot 1 levels! He definitely wants to continue so that he can become a hockey player, but we've got t-ball starting up any day now... so he will be taking a break for a while. But really, he has gotten SO good. He's really confident on the ice, and can get around pretty easily. I'm so proud of our little skater!
Maya, on the other hand, was a little bored watching his class. haha!

Directly after the class ended, we headed over to my friend Caryn's house, to attend her daughter's birthday party. We had a great time, as always-- maybe even more so now that we really know a lot of their family and friends. Nikos was hilarious, driving their Big Wheels Gator around the yard (look at that face!). And I'm adding a picture of me, with Caryn and Miranda (the cake baker). These are probably my best friends in MA! Three Musketeers!
And that brings us to this week! We're only two days in, but they have been the BEST days of the year so far-- by FAR! We hit nearly 70 degrees for two days in a row, and I have been in heaven! I get as much done as possible in the morning, so that we can spend all afternoon outside. And that is where I do a lot of this, while the kids play on the swings, or use toys to chip away at the last remnants of snow and ice in the shadow of our house. Heaven!!!! My bones finally feel warm again. I had all the windows open! We haven't had to heat the house in over 24 hours. HALLELUJAH!!!

My little seedlings are also bursting at the seams. Spring is here! I just need them to hang tight for another two weeks or so, and then they will find their new home in the garden. This may not look like much, but these plants are going to fill up my little planter completely in just a few months. I can't wait!!!!!

--------------------- P.S. How could I forget??? There was a cardinal checking out the grass under our bird feeder this weekend! I took this series of pics from all the way across the yard, since he flew away when I got closer. But still! My best cardinal picture yet! They DO exist! :)