Christian turns 3 and a Half

Birthdays and Half-Birthdays are big business at our house.  This past week was Christian's 3 and a Half birthday.  On Friday - Valentine's Day to be exact.  Pretty much completely eclipsed Valentine's Day for us.  Christian was counting down the days starting two weeks prior.  He could hardly sleep the night before the big day.  It was really cute.

On the Tuesday prior he got to bring in treats to preschool in honor of his 1/2 birthday and everyone got to sing to him.  He loved that.

On Friday, his actual half birthday, he woke up to presents and more singing.  He wanted to wear his birthday crown from preschool again and was so excited.  He also got to pick the breakfast that morning and he picked cream of wheat with pink food coloring in honor of Valentine's day.

Then we went to a friend's house for a play-date/party complete with heart shaped brownies and goody bags.

Then he got to pick the lunch and he chose to go to Costco for pizza.  That kid loves spicy pepperoni.

Before we had to pick Benjamin up from school, he wanted to do a fashion show. Yes, the girl clothes fetish continues.  He handed me Captain Hook's spy glass and told me to use it as a microphone as I announce the models.  Then he and Bella strutted down the catwalk in outfit after outfit, complete with gaudy eye-shadow and lipstick. I tried to be the paparazzi, but he didn't want any flash photography for the safety of the models.  He finally agreed to one photo at the end if he could have his Hook sword in the picture and if he didn't have to look at the camera.  Spoiled Diva.

Then we picked Benjamin up and Christian requested that we go to Bounce It Up, an indoor play place with inflatables and arcades.  He loves it there.  All my kids love it there. What's not to love?  All the arcades and games are free once you've paid entrance so they just run all over the place all afternoon and leave exhausted and happy.

Then he chose Mac'n Cheese and leftover pizza for dinner.

Pretty much a 3 and a half year old's dream day.  He had a great day and so did we.  Love that adorable boy!

When Life Hands You Pancakes....

It was National Pancake Day a couple weeks ago...or so I thought.  The February issue of a local magazine published that IHOP was offering free pancakes on February 5.  We took advantage of this offer last year and had a great little afternoon as a family eating out for free, so I told the kids we'd do it again.  Got them good and excited for the indulgence and the fun afternoon. I even invited a friend of mine and her daughter to join us.  She lives farther away, though, so she wanted to confirm this offer before she made the drive out.  She couldn't find any evidence of this offer online.  That made me nervous.  I'd taken the magazine's word for it.  After all, we'd done it last year based on this same magazine's claim and it had been true.  To be sure, I called IHOP and was informed that the magazine was wrong.  They plan to have a free pancake dinner again, but not until March.  So I'd promised my kids, gotten them excited, and now it wasn't happening.  So, I did the only thing I could do, and we created IHOP at home.

I am usually such a healthly eater than plain white flour pancakes are unheard of at our house, but that's what IHOP serves, so that's what we had.  Then I went a step further and let them create faces on their pancakes, just like at IHOP.  It turned out to be a  really fun afternoon with the delicious pancakes and bananas, yougurt, applesauce, shredded coconut, grape jelly, and whipped cream decorated on top.  I think we had much more fun than if we'd gone out.  So, we managed to turn our disappointment around and have a good afternoon.  Doesn't mean we don't plan on going to IHOP on March 4th. :)  You'll still see us there.