The Minion Birthday party

 Hello, everybody! I have a husband again and I couldn't be happier! I mentioned before that he was gone for a while--he left on August 6 for a school and didn't come home until September 18. Oof, that was a rough one; really difficult on me physically, mentally and emotionally. SO glad to leave it behind. I feel 500% better in every way now that he is back again.

Porter turned 4 on September 17 and we decided to let him have a 'friend' party for the first time this year. Of course we had to to wait until Daddy came home to help us celebrate, and after throwing Maren's LEGO Friends party back in March solo (which I have just now realized that I never blogged), I was more than happy to wait for reinforcements.

I talked Porter into having a Minion party. He did insist on a Spiderman cake, and I gave in on that one because, let's be honest--the Minion thing was kind of all about me. I found some really great printable resources through Pinterest that made the party really easy to put together.

For party favors I made Minion Twinkies using this free printable, which was originally designed to go around push-up pops but happens to fit perfectly around Twinkies! I will recommend that if you make these, you buy the Sara Lee or Little Debbie versions though, because they come in clear wrappers whereas the Twinkies have Hostess printed in red all over the wrapping and that annoyed me. I used the free printable from here to make the little labels to transform tiny squirt guns into Vector's Squid Launchers. Because my guns were smaller I had to closely trim the labels and then I ran them through my Xyron sticker maker to turn them into labels. The favors also included a few Minion bandages (Wal-Mart), and some little candies and Minion tattoos from Party City. I packaged them all up in large cello bags (Dollar Tree) and tied them with yellow ribbons.

I found this fantastic printable download for Minion goggles on Etsy and it was absolutely worth the $2.99! It gives you three different sizes of goggles and mouths. For my Minion balloons I used the largest size of goggles printed onto full-sheet label paper (Wal-Mart) and cut them out and just adhered them onto the balloons.

I also used the printable goggles for our Pin the Goggles on the Minion game, though I forgot to take any photos of them. I printed those onto regular paper and just cut them out and put tape on the back--no point wasting the sticker paper for this task. For the picture I free-handed the Minion and Maren helped me color him.

And the third use for the printable goggle download was to make the faces on the bottles for our Minion bowling game! I used the smallest size goggles and I did print these on sticker paper. I used 1 liter bottles of clear flavored water, then wrapped a piece of yellow cardstock around the top and a strip of blue around the bottom. The sticker paper goggles and mouths were easy to adhere and the bottles cracked me up! We set them up and let the kids roll a basketball at them.

There is also a free printable available to make your own Minion goggles available here. I printed these out on white cardstock and then cut and assembled them. I ended up adding a piece of elastic string to the back, attached to each earpiece, because they wouldn't stay on the kids' heads with just the cardstock. I forgot to get any photos of those, darnit! Between the goggles for the kids, the ones on the balloons, bottles and for the game, I cut out SO MANY GOGGLES!

The other game we played was made also using a free printable from here. The original idea was to use a Nerf gun to shoot the aliens but don't have one of those, and instead found a 3-pack of water guns on super clearance from Target. I printed the aliens and space ships on plain printer paper and then 'laminated' them using clear packing tape on the front and back before I cut them out. I did have to tape tongue depressors to the backs to keep the aliens from flopping over. I cut slots into the top of some plastic cups and poked the tongue depressors through there so the aliens would stand up.

The plastic cup setup wasn't ideal, as our water guns were too weak to knock over the aliens but the kids didn't seem to care much and just had fun squirting water all over!

I even got to draw Minions on my cute chalkboard banner! Hooray for colored chalk. Oh, and one last thing we did was that I found Despicable Me printable coloring sheets for the kids to color as we waited for all of the guests to arrive.

The party was really very easy and fun. I made everything the morning of the party although it would have of course been a lot easier to get it ready beforehand (hello, procrastination). We had 4 little guests besides Porter, which was the perfect number. The weather was beautiful (unlike Maren's snowy party) and we were able to do all of the party games outside so I didn't have to worry about 5 excited little boys trashing my house. :)

I think Porter had a happy day! This is him exclaiming over his gift from us, a pet fish. :)

Maren and Porter update

Last Monday was Maren's first day of school--Second Grade, this time. Cannot believe it!

This year she chose a Lalaloopsy backpack and lunchbox. I loved her Mystery Machine lunchbox from last year, but this year we needed a new one. That one lasted the entire year and then on the last day of school, the darn dog got hold of it and ripped a hole in it! For crying out loud.

Maren is a child who LOVES school! There has never once been a day since she started Preschool at age 3 1/2 that she didn't want to go to school.

She's a bright girl and she loves to learn and make friends. I have no doubt she has a wonderful school year ahead of her!

When we dropped off Maren in her classroom that first day, Porter asked where she was. When I told him that she was staying in school, his little eyes welled up and he said, "I miss my Maren" in the saddest, most pitiful little voice and has repeated that sentiment all week long. That little boy adores his big sister!

Right now Porter LIVES and BREATHES fire trucks, police cars, ambulances and helicopters. This past week I had a mad dash through town to find the last remaining bits of a recent fire truck line of clothing at Gymboree that will comprise the bulk of his fall wardrobe. Porter loves to play with his little rescue vehicles and I find fleets of them lined up neatly like this all over the house. It's a sweet little quirk of his that I adore.

Happy Weekend!

And this is why I can never get anything done around here...

Alternate post title: Why has nobody invented boarding schools for 2-year-olds?

This is what happened in my bathroom this morning, in the time it took me to scrub half the baseboards in the stairs and run to the basement to switch the laundry.

He works fast, I'll give him that.

I read other blogs and always wonder how the authors manage to get so many projects done and cute crafts made.

They must not have two-year-olds in their houses.

Or maybe they have one of those mythical creatures of whom I've only heard about and dreamed of: a non-destructive, well-behaved toddler.

We don't have one of those in our house. He starts first grade when?

Stitches for Porter

Maren's not the only one who's had excitement lately. On Friday night, Porter had to get stitches for the first time.

Apologies for rotten photo quality. These were taken at about 10:30 pm when we got home from the Urgent Care and I was EXHAUSTED.

I say for the first time, because I'm fairly certain this will not be a one-time occurrence. In fact, I wish I could say that I was shocked that he has to have stitches at such a young age (he'll be two in September), but I'm not!

And anyone who knows him? They're not shocked either. Child is part monkey, I'm sure of it.

As to how the injury occurred, I'm not entirely certain because I was standing with my back to him at the time. I do know that it involved a riding toy, a high rate of speed, and the bottom-most stair. He put his sharp little teeth into the inside of upper lip and made a nice deep gash that required three sutures. He took it like a champ--he did have to be held down by me and a burly male nurse, and giving him the anesthetic shot was not pretty but he held fairly still when the doc put in the sutures. In fact, they said they'd had a teenage boy in the night before that needed stitches who acted like a bigger baby than my two-year-old. What can I say--I've got tough little kiddos! They got that from their dad.

His lip swelled up mightily the next morning and he looked like Larry the Duck for about 48 hours, but it looks much better now. The stitches will dissolve and thankfully won't leave a visible scar. We probably won't be so lucky next time. Because there will be a next time.

I wondered how Porter would adjust with his beloved big Sissie in school all day long. Monday went just fine, but it all hit the fan yesterday morning when I tried to take him to the nursery at the rec center so I could exercise. I managed to make it 18 minutes through a 20-minute elliptical hill climb program when they called me over the loudspeaker to come get him, as he hadn't stopped screaming since I dropped him off. Usually Maren is there with him and although they didn't necessarily play together, having her there must have been a huge comfort to him. I hope he gets over this soon, because I need to get back on the exercise wagon after ice cream two-a-days and taking the whole summer off. Fall and its accompanying skinny jeans are on their way!

Like deja vu all over again

Last Thursday morning, I found myself feeling a bit of deja vu.

I dressed Porter and myself, then sent him downstairs to play with Maren while I took five minutes to put on my makeup. I didn't even get to the eyeshadow before Maren yelled up the stairs something about "Porter" and "food coloring".

And that is how I found my almost-two-year-old son following in his sister's footsteps, literally--he was sitting in the same exact spot on the kitchen counter as she was when I discovered her 'finger-painting'. (And I'd like to encourage you to click on the link and watch the short but heart-stopping video of almost-three-year-old Maren. I almost cried watching her and remembering how cute and little she was then. She just lost her first two teeth this weekend and is now officially growing up WAY too fast.)

Judging by the amount of blue food coloring on Porter's toes, I think he attempted to give himself a pedicure.

How on earth did he know where I kept the food coloring? It was on the top shelf of the cabinet (same place as when Maren discovered it) so he had to do some serious climbing. After the incident with Maren, the food coloring boxes lived on top of the refrigerator for about the next two years. Only in the last year did I move them back into the cabinet because honestly, the top of the refrigerator is pretty crowded with all of the other things we're trying to keep out of Porter's destructive (albeit sweet) little hands. But back atop the fridge they go!

The good news is that the blue came out of his cute little outfit and out of the pants I was wearing that day--a miracle, as far as I'm concerned! The bad news is that the next day while Porter was still blue from the food coloring incident, he managed to slather himself with about half a tube of A+D ointment and require another emergency bath, this time involving grease-cutting dish soap. Sometimes I think he's trying to kill me. Maybe I need to watch that video of Maren again and remember that in about four years, I'll be getting all misty-eyed thinking about his almost-two-year-old little self. Even if that little boy is covered in blue food coloring.

Porter at 1 year

Somebaby has a birthday today!

My gosh, a year has gone quickly for this little boy. His hair certainly has improved with time, hasn't it?

I guess you don't seem like a baby for long when you learn to crawl at 6 months...

And walk at 9 months...

It's funny now that people used to remark on how mellow Porter seemed. He sat happily in his little bouncy seat, quiet and watchful.

Now we realize he was merely biding his time and plotting, because "mellow" and "quiet" are pretty much the last adjectives you might use to describe him. He is still happy, however.

He's also determined and persistent, a good problem solver, and strong-willed. Any thoughts I entertained of him being my "quiet" baby; the one I earned after dealing with Maren's toddler years? Gone, baby, gone. He's a lot more like this:

Short, speaks in a series of grunts and gurgles and leaves a trail of destruction in his wake.

 Not a fan of chocolate cake, it appears

Maren was...shall we say...challenging as a toddler. We adored her, but there was a real reason that we waited four years to have another baby. Porter is on track to outpace her in the "challenging toddler" department. Pray for me.

 All those people who told me when I was pregnant that boys are just SO different from girls? I scoffed at them. Now, I believe them! But those brown curls, kissy lips and pretty eyes have this mama smitten, even if I do have to follow him with a broom & dustpan. I look forward to getting to know Porter more as he grows and shows us more of his personality.

Happy Happy Birthday, Baby!

Porter at 9 months

Porter is 9 months old today...where has the time gone? Here are some things about Porter at 9 months:

*Porter still loves bath time. He loves taking a bath with Maren or sitting in the bottom of the tub when we shower. Last Monday was his first trip to the swimming pool. He liked it! Not a huge fan of being confined to the floatie, but when I held him in the water by himself he kicked his legs happily. He also tried to crawl in the baby pool and ended up with a face full of water. Here's how he ended his swimming day:

*A new favorite activity of his is standing on the couch and pulling on the blinds that cover the window behind the couch. He likes to pull the string and put it in his mouth as well.

*Porter puts everything in his mouth. Everything. I try hard to keep the floor clear of small stuff and Maren gets lectured a hundred times a day on not leaving My Little Pony shoes and tiny Japanese erasers on the floor, but Porter still finds things to eat. The other day I dug out of his mouth: bits of a Styrofoam packing peanut, a rubber cap thing from my paper cutter (which was locked, so you don't think I'm letting him play with blades) and a whole bunch of sand and dirt (we were out in the backyard).

*Porter loves a little game I like to call Doll Stroller Kamikaze. Maren puts him into her doll stroller, then proceeds to run like a maniac throughout the house pushing Porter at top speed. Porter LOVES it. As Porter's Auntie Melonie noted, this may be the beginning of a childhood's worth of Maren getting Porter to try dangerous things. "Hey Porter, try this....!"

*Kid still loves his chow and can pack it away. This night was spaghetti. Who can resist a cute messy spaghetti face? (and yes the color is off, we did not feed him Day-Glo spaghetti sauce)

*Porter is {this close} to sleeping through the night. Lately, I've been ignoring him when he cries at 4:00 am. I did get up with him last night, because he was screaming and crying and it scared me to death (he was fine).  I know he needs to learn to put himself back to sleep. He's almost got it, thank goodness! He has been sleeping later in the mornings since I tacked a piece of black fleece to his window (still looking for a window shade that's the correct size).

*Porter is still very physical. He's so strong! I think it won't be too long before he's standing by himself, and then walking soon after. He crawls all over everything and already has an impressive set of arm muscles. :)

*Porter is such a handsome little boy! I love his happy smiles and his two little Chiclet teeth. It's fun to see his personality come out more and more as he gets older.

Porter at 8 months

(No, this post hasn't been stuck in Sideways world on LOST..I'm backdating this post a bit because I didn't get around to posting it on the actual day)

Today, Porter is 8 months old.

First time in a swing at the park (loved it!) 5/14

Here are some things about Porter at 8 months:

*Porter LOVES to eat. He can feed himself Cheerios, cheesy poofs, scrambled eggs, and pancakes. He loves to eat and in one sitting can easily put away two large containers of baby food (mixed with baby cereal) and a small container of yogurt. BEEFCAKE!

*Porter is super-mobile. He can easily and quickly climb all 14 of our stairs and sits at the top, grinning and looking proud of himself. He likes to go hang out in Maren's room and eat all of the tiny Pony accouterments that are usually lying on the floor in there. He crawls fast, pulls himself up on everything and is just generally very physical.

This was taken 4/19 when he could go up to the second stair. He went up all of the stairs on 4/30. Quick learner!

*Porter is strong. Trying to hold him when he clearly doesn't want to be contained (approximately 95% of the time) is hard. And exhausting. It's going to be 10 long months until he can go into the nursery at our church.

*Porter still adores Maren. He loves to when she plays with him and watches her with a big smile on his face! He thinks she is awesome.

Nice big goose egg on his forehead from falling into a closed door

*Porter has developed a bit of a temper! I never knew a baby this young could do that but if we do something that he doesn't like (take a toy away, not feed him fast enough, hold him down so we can change a diaper, etc) he growls and screeches and lets you know unmistakably that he is MAD. If he's like this already, I fear for the Terrible Twos.

*Porter loves to take baths and showers. He learned how to climb into the bathtub so we have to either lock him out of the room or just take him into the shower with us. When he hears the bathtub faucet turn on, he stops what he's doing and immediately goes in there like Pavlov's dog. One day I knew he had gone upstairs and I could hear him yelling--I went upstairs and found him inside my (dry) bathtub, behind the curtain. He'd gotten himself in but didn't realize he could get out the same way, and was yelling because he was stuck!

*Porter likes to play in the dog's water dish and the toilets, so both have to be kept out of reach/closed. Yuck.

*Porter's hair is curly when he gets out of the bath. I put gel into it to keep the curls, but they're usually gone after he naps and rubs his head around on the mattress.

*Porter learned to stand up in his crib on 4/19 so we had to lower it all the way because with the way he climbs into the bathtub, I'm afraid he'll fall out!

Porter seems much older than just 8 months old, because he's so mobile and so aggressive. I forget that he's still such a little baby, because his behaviors seem more like those of a young toddler. We love him and love to watch him explore the world! I can't wait for our pool to open because I think he's going to LOVE it, based on how much he seems to enjoy playing in water.

Porter at 7 months

Today Porter is 7 months old! Here are some things about Porter at 7 months:

• This kid is MOBILE. He has been crawling for a month now and he is FAST. As in, turn your back and he sneaks up on you like a ninja kind of fast.

• In addition to the crawling, he's climbing. He can easily climb atop Maren's trampoline (a small exercise version), where he likes to bounce on his hands and knees. He can get down by himself, but it's more of a tumble than a controlled dismount.
• He can also pull up on the stairs. Just last night, The Mister found Porter completely atop the first stair, wailing because he was stuck. It will be only a matter of time before he attempts the stairs again in earnest.

• Porter has started eating baby foods. He's getting better at actually keeping the food in his mouth instead of pushing it out with his tongue. Mommy & Daddy are happy because now it won't take 30 minutes to feed him 1/3 cup of food.
• Porter is in the 45th percentile for his weight and the 75th percentile for his height. We grow 'em tall and skinny around here! He is very strong, though.

•  Porter still wakes up once at night to eat, somewhere between 4:00 and 5:00 am, which makes it really tough for Mommy to get up in the mornings after she goes back to sleep. The doctor said that Porter is big enough that we can try to break him of this habit but I'm not looking forward to letting him cry it out at 4:35 in the morning. Ugh.

• The majority of the time he wants to be down on the floor, exploring and crawling around. He's not a fan of being held or contained, unless he's tired or hungry.

•  Porter is still a happy, pleasant little boy. He smiles and laughs readily and is a joy!