Happy Birthday Annabelle!

This is really two posts in one because it's a few pics from Annabelle's b-day and a lot of pics from the Luau party we has for both kids. We had such fun playing Limbo, a fishing game, treasure hunt and of course the smoothies, fruit kabobs, hot dogs, and cupcakes were a big hit!

You will see the cupcakes in a pic- beach scenes with two teddy grahams on each one (one in a bikini, one in board shorts of course). This was the first year the kids really had a ball at their own party! So to all you mommies out their who feel like parties are in vein... keep up the hard work and it will pay off someday! Happy Birthdays sweet babies!

All the March birthdays

Annabelle opening her Princess helmet from mommy and daddy

This is the only pic of Annabelle and her scooter (oh you can't see the scooter), she got all ready, took one "scoot" and said , "gosh, my scooter needs a rest"

AND THE PARTY BEGINS.....

Bethany enjoying her cupcake... This pic is mostly up because it's BJ (Olivia's daddy cleaning up)- what great friends we have!!

Now the cute pic of B!

Andrew (nice Hawaiian shirt huh?), Logan, Trevor and Bethany

Andrew and Logan

Our new friend from school- Alaina- who stopped by with her parents on the way to Sea World!

Annabelle opening presents

Andrew- "um, that's blue, it's probably mine, excuse me, um, just a bit further..."

YES-WALL-E UNDERWEAR!! How sweet they still get excited about that!!

Liv helping Annabelle open presents

What's a luau without LIMBO??!!

Logan says- this is EASY!

Carter and Winston's daddy showin the kids how it done!

Annabelle says, um this looks fun, but get that pole out of the way, my hair may get caught!

Cupcakes made by mommy! Yes, the teddy grahams are lying on the beach wearing bathing suits!

The Hill family. My college friend Emily and her sweet husband Ryan and their 2 boys Carter and Winston. Baby Truman made his appearance a week later. Em has been pregnant at 2 of the kids 4 birthdays!

Fishing Game

Happy Birthday Sweet Baby Girl! We are so proud to be your parents! You have learned so much this year and we are starting to see more and more of your sassy spirit! We love the way you have "negotiated" your bedtime routine and how your eyes sparkle when you smile. You are really learning how to be helpful. We are so excited to see what God has in store for you in the next year!

Air Show

Bill took the kids to an air show at Falcon Field today. They saw planes (obviously), and helicopters (Bill was the most impressed with these) and a huge display of tiny model railroads. The railroads were Annabelle's favorite because, "they are just so tiny and cute". When I asked Andrew how his day was he said, "Momma, I had a great day with my daddy". AAAWWW!!! I would post pics except I dont have any because Daddy forgot to take any!!! I guess he did something right, since he was the "best thing" at the air show.

Oh what a difference an hour makes!

I left work at 3:05 today- it was AIMS testing this week and I am spent!!! But glad it's over to say the least. I wanted to pick the kids up early but was warned by Annabelle to "never pick them up before recess-hello". Yeah I know-precious! So I left the kids at school and went straight home and cleaned the whole house in about an hour! Seriously the place was a total dump!!! I cannot believe how much I can get done in just one hour of solitude. I HIGHLY RECCOMMEND IT!!! I then picked up the kids made dinner and all that other stuff. So now it is 8:30 and I have my aching feet up after a long week instead of busting my bootie to get the house clean before I pass out! AWESOME!!! Every mommy needs this every once and a while. Seriously-make a pact with your friends or neighbor- spend an hour by your self each week and see how you feel!!!

National Sons Week

I got a message about this from a friend who has two little boys! I had no idea and if anyone knows when National Daughters Week is, please let me know... You know how I need to make everything even!! This is great timing because I was just discussing this with a friend of mine. She is expecting her frist baby in a month and a half. She has sisters and this little guy will be the first "man-child" in her family. When I asked if she was excited about having a baby boy, she was a little unenthusiastic. She is excited to be a mommy at all, boy or girl and a healthy baby and pregnancy so far has been has to her, been a huge blessing. She has no idea what is about to happen to her. Now, I have been given both sides of the spectrum (stay tuned for Daughters Week). So I know from which I speak (and so do those of you who have at least one of each). As boys and girls are different, so are thier relationships with their mommies (and daddies for that matter). I cannot put into words the way my sweet baby boy melts my heart. His big brown eyes and those long eyelashes-forget about it. When he snuggles with me on the couch, I always close my eyes and squeeze a little tighter. The way he is so adventurous (see the post about climbing on the top of the car), and careful at the same time. He loves to be dirty like nobody's business, and loves bathtime even more. The way he says "Yay!" when he finds out he is home with me the next day instead of going to school. At night, when I say prayers with and for him, he always says amen and "Mommy, scratch my back please mommy"-yes 2 mommies! Whenever I tell him I love him he says "I love you to so much mommy". When I pick him up from day care he always tells me he has missed me. He takes care of Annabelle, he loves to rub my feet- with lotion!!! Well that kind of turns into a mess but boy are my feet soft! He likes to help me cook, he wears a bbq apron. Okay, this post could be ridiculous at some point, so ends the list of why Andrew is the best son. I thought the reason I love him like I do was because when we met him in Ethiopia, the nanny handed him to me first. His sweet wide eyes took my breath away. I thought it was because I was finally holding a baby, or because we had waited so long to bring them home, or the sheer excitement of it all... But now I know I was so emotionally overwhelmed and "bawling my eyes out happy'' because he was my son.

Family Recipies

I love to cook- my mom is a great cook, and so was my dad and they say they got it from thier parents. Lately I have been thinking a lot about family legacy... I know kind of deep-well it doesnt have to be. I think about it a lot because I want my kids to be tied to their heritage as Sanborns (and Cates) not just as Ethiopians. Now that Andrew and Annabelle love to help me cook, I wanted to find some family recipies. Tonight seemed like a great chance as I had 3 generations of women at my disposal at dinner. I would get the famous recipie for Aunt Heddy's jam. She makes all kinds, but most famously, stawberry and jalepeno. I was so excited to get these coveted recipies and low and behold- they are on the box of pectin... So much for legacy!

Wordless Wednesday on Tuesday

So another thing I learned from a fellow blogger ("Mother of the Year Monday" being one as well) is "Wordless Wednesday"- usually just a picture, um that's probably pretty obvious... But I am choosing to do it today because I have a migraine and took Excederin PM before I remembered I had to post... I hope I don't fall asleep before I publish this post!

Mother of the Year Monday...

Well folks, it's time again for me to showcase why I will not be getting the "Mother of the Year" award. I hope to make this a weekly section of this blog, as there are no shortage of these "moments" at our house. As in many neighborhoods, we have the the ice cream truck on our street. Although this is actually the Kona Ice guy with his tricked out truck playing Reggae music with a disco ball seeming to lure children in at the dinner time hour. This is one argument I don't want to have with my kids. They are not getting a snow cone every night at 5:30! I would like to say it's on the principal that it's not great for them, but it's really because I never have any cash. So my kids hear the truck coming from 3 blocks away and they say... "Mommy- listen, it's the music truck!"

How long before they figure out the guy actually sells ice cream out of his "music truck"?