We Aargh So Proud of You!

Last night we celebrated Isaiah's 3rd birthday with 20 family members gathering at our house.  We partied in style with a Pirates of the Caribbean theme and had a blast!  Here are some pictures of our fun guests, our little man, and the decorations.

A little bike riding before everyone arrives.

Silly Boo!

Isaiah and Grandpa diggin' in!

Miss Isabelle reaching towards a balloon...she loved them and took a few home!

Great Grandpa Knaphus (Janet's Dad)

I LOVE our dining room table.  When we put both leaves in it holds 12-14 people!  Notice Mr. Pirate at the head of the table.

One happy guy!

A proud big sister who absolutely loved helping to open presents.  All day she kept saying, "I'm so excited for Isaiah's birthday party!"

Kevin and Miss Isabelle playing with stickers.

Isaiah starting to unwrap his first gift!

More dinner photos...some people ate out on the patio too.

Isaiah and Ava opening an Imaginext Castle...this was cool!

Someone loves stickers!

The guests: Great Grandma Richardson, Grandpa Richardson, Grandma Richardson...

Great Grandpa Knaphus, Jody, Uncle Darrell, Kevin, Isabelle...

Uncle Dave, Aunt Karen, Andy, Uncle Alan...

Great Grandpa Richardson, Tim (Jody's boyfriend what an AWESOME guy...the kids love him!)

Grandpa and Grandma Van Slyke

More presents...it was endless!

Isaiah giving Great Grandpa Knaphus a hug after the nice card and money he got from him!

Uncle Dave got a hug too for the nice card and money!

Beginning to open the Jack Sparrow Pirates of the Caribbean ship

Isaiah dressing up in the pirate costume and props that came with his Disney pirate treasure chest...from Disney World...courtesy of Kevin, Julie, and Isabelle.

...a Pirate's Life for Me!

Smile b-day boy!  Happy Ava helping blow out the candles

All four of us!

I had tons of cute pictures that I thought I downloaded that showed the cute pirate decorations around the house.  I'll have to get those on later this week.

Isaiah James...

Your Mommy and Daddy love you so much!  You are the most energetic, fun loving, kind-hearted, and happiest boy we know.  Your love of cars, trucks, tractors, helping Daddy fix things, making up games to play with Ava, pirates, your bicycle, playing outside, reading stories, and being a wonderful brother to your sister makes you who you are!  We are so thankful that God allowed us to have you as our son.  I think back to that day when you were born...all 10 pounds and 6 oz of you!  You had the most beautiful face, you were calm, cozy, and so easy going...and that's still you today.  Your thoughtfulness amazes us, your love for people and animals makes us so proud, your desire to try new things, your adventurous side, your silly faces and genuine smiles...all make up you.  We love every little thing about you!  We wish you a Happy Birthday and know that no matter what...we will always love you!  Thank you for being our son!

My Three Happy's:

1) Our little man turning 3...just another sign that he's growing up too fast!

2) Lots of fun new toys to play with

3) Right now Isaiah keeps coming out of his room...he doesn't go to bed well at night if he takes naps.  It drives me crazy that he won't stay in his bed...but I'm sure I"ll look back on these days when he's older and laugh!

Yep...the Time has Come

Wow!  I am beyond exhausted!  Teaching those first few days back is very tiring.  Establishing routines, rules, and then trying to teach and keep 20 new 1st graders from falling asleep in the afternoon is challenging work.  These poor kids asked me on the first day, "Mrs. Richardson, when is it rest time?"  Unfortunately we don't have a rest time in 1st grade and their little bodies shut down around 2:00 it seems.  The year is off to a great start.  I think I have a good class so far.  Some little ones haven't quite come "out of their shell" yet, but I'm sure it will happen soon.  I have a very energetic bunch and a lot of cuties!  I'm hopeful this will be a fun year!

I'm to tired to even post the bazillion pictures I have so words will have to do for now.  Ava and Isaiah started back at daycare and LOVE it.  Ava also starts her 4 year old preschool program on Monday and can't wait.  She's been busy decorating the placemat that they will be laminating and using for snack time.  As you know I love craft projects and wanted it to be "just right," but I decided to let Ava take it over and create what she wanted.  So far she drew with lots of crayon, glued on two pictures of our family at Disney World, attached a sticky note that I wrote to her, and glued these fabric letters we had for her name.  I'm sure more will come this weekend.  Andy and I decided not to send Isaiah to the 3 year old program this year.  We figured since he'll be in the 4 year old program next year, EK (early kindergarten...because of his age), and then kindergarten...that seemed like enough!  Our little man turns 3 soon!  Can't believe it!

Tonight was the Fall Sports Kickoff at Ballard.  Andy's football team scrimmaged while they introduced all the other athletes from the other fall sports.  Ava and Isaiah were so excited to go...although they were a bit disappointed that there were no cheerleaders cheering and no marching band.  That will come next week with the opening game against Dallas Center Grimes...my sister's town.  Tonight we bought a few glow in the dark Ballard necklaces, new T-shirts, and two windbreaker coats for the kids.  I got myself a new sweatshirt...you can't get enough Ballard gear!

Yeah for the weekend and back at it Monday for a full week of school!  Wish us luck...and I'll post more soon!

My Three Happy's:
1) Friday night football...LOVE IT!
2) Tomorrow is Saturday...pajamas can stay on as long as we'd like them to!
3) This weekend, I'm going to take Mr. Isaiah to the store to pick out the pirate cake he wants for his b-day party next Sunday...hopefully we'll find something really unique!

Books, Bugs, and Baking

Can you believe I posted yesterday and today...maybe that means that I'm starting to transition from "panic mode" to "relaxed and prepared mode."  After countless hours in my room, cutting out lamination page after lamination page, and looking through new ideas for this year...I feel that I'm officially ready to start!  My house on the other hand...still a disaster!  Oh, well!

Ava and Isaiah both attended our local library's summer reading program "One World, Many Stories."  Each child received a reading log and were to read a minimum of 500 minutes over summer break.  Apparently we read TONS because Ava won the prize for "most minutes read" for the preschool age group and Isaiah read the most for the toddler age group.  They were so excited to pick up their buckets filled with water toys, treats, books, a library T-shirt, and toys.  These buckets have been on display since the beginning of the program and they've both had their eye on them ever since.  They LOVE stories!

Locust or Cicada?  I am terrible with things.  You know the bug that leaves those brown shells on the tree????  Anyway, I've always heard the buzzing sound, found tons of shells growing up as a kid...but have never seen this insect turn from it's pupa to it's adult stage.  Pretty cool!  We were out playing and discovered two of these cool insects on our tree.  I thought I'd take a few pictures since I've NEVER seen this before.

This was so cool to see...and what a good mini science lesson about how insects change and why they have to hang upside down when they emerge from their pupa stage.  Who knows how much the kids picked up from my little lesson...it was just one of those "teachable moments."

The kids found lots of those cicada/locust shells and wanted to draw houses for them to live in...kinda like a little bug neighborhood!

This one lived here...

...and this one was going for a walk on the sidewalk.

Now time for some rides...Isaiah thought it was funny to put a shell on his motorcycle and watch it drive away.  The kids got a kick out of it!

Look at him go!

We recently found this book Hedgehog Bakes a Cake in our shelf...you know how that is when you a trillion books and forget what you even have!  There was a recipe for the cake he made in the story on the back page and the kids wanted to try it.  So away we went!

We also made homemade frosting...we had just ran out of milk from dinner and needed 2T...so I improvised and used our French vanilla coffee creamer instead.  It turned out to be really tasty!

Two proud bakers!

In the story they put one little strawberry on it for decoration...Isaiah reminded me that we needed to do that.

Ava holding up her story...it's very cute!

Isaiah trying a piece...let's just say this isn't a cake recipe we'll try again...did I mention that I added too much butter?  But it was still fun to make and something neat that connected to the book we have been reading (teacher talk again).

One last thing...the Smores recipe I talked about yesterday...you'll have to check out this blog (Pearls, Handcuffs, and Happy Hour...a pinch of June Cleaver, a dash of Martha Stewart, and a whole lotta Mommy).

1 stick butter (room temperature)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cups flour
1 sleeve graham crackers (crushed)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 Hershey bars (King Size)
1 jar marshmallow puff (7 oz)

1) With mixer combine butter, brown sugar, and white sugar.  Add egg and vanilla
2) In a separate bowl combine graham crackers, flour, baking power, and salt
3) Use mixer and combine everything together
4) Layer 1/2 the mixture in an 8x8 pan and press down, next layer Hershey bars (you may need to break a few to get them to fit), spread the whole 7 oz jar of marshmallow cream, and then press the rest of the graham cracker mixture on top.
5) Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, cool, and then slice to serve...YUMMY and super easy!

My Three Happy's:
1) Going to Remain Gardens for the giant bug exhibit with my Mom, sister, Isabelle, and the kids.  More info on that and pictures soon!  :-)
2) The weather has been amazing...I mean really...waking up to temperatures in the upper 50's and 60's and the highs for the day in the 70's and low 80's...just perfect!
3) Sorting the loads upon loads of clean laundry that I dumped onto our bedroom floor.  I can't belive it, but Ava and Isaiah helped me sort the entire thing...one basket for Ava, one basket for Isaiah, Mommy and Daddy's clothes went on the bed, and one basket for socks.  What helpers...I guess kids will do anything if you can think of how to put it into a game-like form! 

Who Doesn't Love Sweet Corn?

August...it means school, the end of summer, the beginning of a new football season, and the harvesting of sweet corn.  Some of the pictures below have absolutely nothing to do with corn...they're just random ones I thought were fun to post. 

The other day we were at Walmart and they had TONS of toys on sale.  Andy found this neat sand activity where the kids dump sand into various piles or designs in water and when they scoop it back out...it never gets wet...it comes out dry.  Who knows how it works, but the kids thought it was fun!

Ava experimenting with her yellow sand...note to self...make this an outdoors project...it's MESSY!

Science can work in such mysterious ways! 

Now onto corn...we haven't done this in a few years...the crop wasn't good last year.  In August, Alan, Andy's Mom's brother, farms and always plants a section of sweet corn for us to pick.  Since Janet has been a little girl, they have always picked tons of corn, cooked it, cut it off the cob, and then freeze it.  That way you can keep it in your freezer and enjoy the taste of fresh corn all year long!  This year we did over 60 zip lock bags...in the past it's been over 150 bags...just depends on the year!

Out on the farm, Isaiah discovered a little fuzzy friend!

A snapshot of Jody and Andy out in the field

Janet and little Ava...she's right behind her...the corn's just too tall.

Grandma and Ava...Ava insisted that she wear mismatched pajamas to pick corn...who knows why?

After picking corn we headed over to Andy's parents to freeze the corn.  Great Grandpa and Grandma Richardson came too.  Once we were done the kids played and played and played.  This picture is Ava flying a kite...you can kind of see the kite tail.

Running as fast as she can to get that kite in the air

Ava loved this!  The other day she went to a park in town and flew the kite with Andy again.

Isaiah is ALL BOY!  Andy's Dad was helping us fix our headlight.  Once Isaiah saw him working on the car, he was so excited to help.  Gotta love the backwards hat!

Hard at work

Showing Daddy what's going on

What a cutie!

Ava eating one of Grandma's almond bars!  They are to die for!  I think I had at least 4 the other day...they're very addictive!

Miss Harley...the kids love her!

Dan and the kids were racing Hot Wheels down a ramp downstairs.  Dan had it all set up before they got there.

Andy reliving his high school band days with his old trombone.

Ava wanted to try and was even able to make some sound

Isaiah wanted to try blowing in the other end...silly guy!

Taking guitar lessons from Daddy

Isaiah playing with a tool bench set that Andy's parents have at their house.

Grandma, Isaiah, and Grandpa

Ava showing off her jumping skills...she looks so tall in this picture

My Bootles doing coloring, stickers, you name it!  As always, crafts are right up her alley!

Playing catch with Grandma

Isaiah joining in the fun!

I've become a bit obsessed with following teacher blogs this summer.  My favorite blogger, Cara, Carroll, from "First Grade Parade," has a home blog where she posts recipes.  She had this amazing recipe for a Smores bar.  It was so yummy!  I'll have to look up the recipe again and post it next time.  Easy, fast, and delish (as Rachel Ray would say).

My Three Happy's:

1) Were the kids really both asleep at 8:30?  AMAZING!  I forgot what it was like when they actually go to bed on time...trying to establish that bedtime routine for next week.

2) My room is officially ready for school...well, appearance wise...now I just need to "officially plan" the lessons.

3) Getting my hair cut and highlighted...I only do this once a year!  It takes a little over 2 hours...but it's a relaxing "back to school" event for me!