Easy/home-made B-day party

Well, another week gone by.  I have pretty much caught up around the house----as much as possible.  I should be cleaning toilets, but what's one more day?  right?  So, I am finally going to finish blogging Tyler's b-day!  I have 24 minutes til kids wake up and Tyler gets home from school!!

This was the first b-day party that we ON PURPOSE made CHEAP!  And, I am happy to report Tyler had a great time (and I think his friends did too!)  Tyler loves to play games, so I thought a game party would be fun.  

So--I made this invitation, which I thought was super cute!  I had boughten candy in the Dollar Bins at Target that were in board game boxes (so, there was Candy land candy in a Candy Land mini box, Battleship, etc.)  So, we hand delivered our invitations and taped a mini game box to the invite!  Tyler thought that was cool.

To go along with our "game" theme--we bought each friend either a Bakugan card game (Target after Christmas clearance or a Princess card game (Dollar Tree) and a activity book and a piece of gum and a few pieces of candy.  And, do you like our treat BAGS!!!   I had those in the cabinet :)  My take on treat bags---kids, or parents, throw the crap away after a week anyways.  So, I am not big on just giving junk.  Of course, my kids LOVE the little trinkets and what not.  But, I don't get into big/fancy treat bags---and especially this year.  

And, home-made cupcakes!  

I thought the "candy-land cake" that is so popular was a bit girlish, so we went super cheap (and easy I will admit) with cupcakes. 

None of the kids seem to miss a "fancy/themed" cake!!!

And, guess what.....

we didn't even have ice-cream !!!

Tyler and Hallie

Jacob, Jackson, and CJ

CJ, Hallie, and Megan

 We had 4 stations of games and the kids rotated around

1.  Tic Tac Toe/Connect 4

2.  Trouble

3.  Air Hockey Table

4.  Twister

Then, we finished up with a group game of  Zingo!

Another fun thing---we had each friend bring THEIR favorite game.

  So, the kids took turns playing a few "new" games.  

Tyler and Ethan

Tyler and Jacob

Tyler, Ethan R., and Jacob have become 3 peas in a pod!

 Tyler talks about these 2 boys non-stop!!

Tyler had LOTS of FUN with his friends at his house----just playing games. 

 Nothing fancy, just good old fashioned PLAYING!!!!!

Happy Birthday Tyler!!! 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day to ME!!!

Friday---The maid came!  And, oh I love a clean house.  She mopped the floors---which were LONG over due, she even did laundry!!  I was amazed--she cleaned the entire morning Friday (with a few short breaks to play Zingo with my kids or hold them for a minute, but MOST of the morning she cleaned).  So--I was amazed because she dusted, vacuumed, mopped, and did a few loads of laundry, but she still didn't get the bathrooms cleaned!  UGHH!!!!!  Maybe I should fire her....OH, that maid is ME!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, Happy Valentine's Day---my house is mostly clean!  (Gotta love Lysol wipes for the bathrooms!)

Saturday---basketball games at 9am and 11:45am.  Home for naps and I took a nap today (Happy Valentine's Day to ME!!).  Then, I decided to clean out the "clothes" closet.  This is where I keep tubs of clothes I have bought for upcoming seasons or clothes that are outgrown.  (Paige's outgrown clothes go in tubs for Garage Sales.  Tyler's clothes go in tubs to give to Jaden.  Jaden's clothes get bagged up and given to Mason.)

After going through the tubs with clothes ready for Jaden, we found 2 pairs of size 5 jeans---which he is ready for!!!  yeah!  I also found 4 new shirts, 4T, that I had bought and forgot about!  Ooppss!!  But, YEAH!!!  New shirts for Jaden.  And, then we found TONS of other clothes that Jaden can wear of Tyler's now and this summer.  Jaden will not be getting ANYTHING new!  Ok, he will get some, but NOT MUCH!!!  I am not exaggerating, I think he has 8 pairs of size 4 shorts and probably 12 pairs of size 5 shorts, or more!

Tyler on the other hand---has 1 pair of shorts for this summer and a handful of shirts.  I think I'd better find some sales for him SOON!!!  (It's obvious that my shopping has been diminished the past 8 months or so).

Then, we put the kids to bed and cleaned out the STORE ROOM!  We have a huge store room that we could not walk into, because it was such a cluttered mess.  This made me grumpy just THINKING about what was behind that door.  SO---Happy Valentine's Day to ME---the store room is CLEAN!!!

So---as you can see--it doesn't take much to make me happy :)

We set out the kids' Valentine's on the table and it doesn't take much to make my kids happy either, which I am thankful for.  They are each getting a Crayola art set, box of chocolates, box of conversation hearts, and a card!  They will be thrilled!!!!

Growing up---we always got a NICE Card (not the 50 cent cards that I bought my kids this year) and  a box of candy on the kitchen table in the morning.  Mom would always make us HEART-Shaped pancakes too!  I would make the heart pancakes tomorrow, but we won't have time before church??  or maybe we will!!!!

SO---we'll see what takes place tomorrow----on Valentine's Day!

K-State vs. Texas

January 17 Tyler turned 7!

January 18 the K-state/Texas b-ball game! 

 And, we were there!  FUN DAY!!!

Steve has always been obsessed with K-State.  However, this basketball season, I have become a bit obsessed as well and now the boys are obsessed as well. 

 We ALL LOVE to watch the K-State games together.

Jaden will ask... "Who is K-State versing."  Versing...isn't that funny!!

And, now they (especially Jaden) want to know what # the other team is (what their rank is).

  Jaden could probably fill out a good March Madness bracket!  

So---we were off to Manhattan for the day.

Paige went to Gma and Gpa Balzer's for the day...we weren't sure she would enjoy the game.  

First we went shopping and got everyone new K-State shirts.  Of course, the boys put theirs on right away!

Then, we went to see Emily's "new house" AKA. dorm room :)

We went to dinner with Emily and Gpa and Gma Roth (yes, they went to the game too, but our tickets were not together.)

It was FEAR THE BEARD night!  So, we bought a $5 beard for Tyler.  Jaden didn't want one (imagine that) but, he ended up getting one for free from the camera man.

YES---this camera man gave Jaden a beard and told him to put it on and then filmed my precious cute boys!!  

This was an ESPN camera man!

I was SO EXCITED!!!

I texted my dad and Amanda to tell them!

BUT.... my precious kids were never shown on TV.  Seriously?! 

What or who could have been cuter then them?

In the car, on the way to Manhattan, Jaden was talking about meeting Willie and giving him "high-5's". 

 Well, you guessed it....the sight of Willie did not excite Jaden.

Tyler saw him so we took of RUNNING after Willie, before he went to the other side of the court again.

We caught him!

But, Jaden did not want in the picture!!

What are we going to do with you Jaden???

Boo Texas!

The game was at 8pm!  Yeah, almost bed-time.

So--the last half, I spent most of the game HOLDING him.  

I could pawn him off of Steve for moments of time, but ultimately, he would come back to me!  

But, he's so cute and funny....

So, I'll hold him!!!  Even though he did get heavy!

And, this is how the game ended!

WE WON!!!

We beat the #1 team and it was a BLAST!  It was SO LOUD!   It was a great night!  

We will be going to more K-State b-ball games!

Tyler's Birthday party

A Bakugan Birthday!!

The cake--I tried making cakes for everyone last year---it was fine, not going to be a tradition at our house!  

I might do it again, but I will not stress about making sure I make it each year!

This year--- we couldn't find a Bakugan cake.  So--I bought a cake at Dillon's (on clearance, 1/2 price).  I had them write on it and add extra confetti.  (The confetti on the clearance cake was pastel colors.  That wouldn't work for Tyler.  SO, I asked them to add primary color confetti--YES, no extra charge!!)  So, I think our cake was $8 this year.  Then, we added Tyler's own Bakugan's to the cake!!

TA DA!!!!  Cheap, but PERFECT!!

And--Tyler got to "decorate" the cake by adding the Bakugans so he thought that was awesome!

Presents:  A few Bakugan things (Tyler liked Bakugans before Christmas, but by the time his b-day rolled around, he wasn't too interested, my opinion at least!)  I asked him several times if he still wanted a Bakugan party and he kept saying YES!  So, we did it.

Notice---new CROCS in the picture!

I am more excited about those Crocs than Tyler-- he has wore them EVERY DAY since his b-day (except 1 SNOWY day).  So--no more complaints about shoes!! (He still complains about socks, but not shoes!)

Thanks Gpa and Gma Roth

New clothes!!  This is probably his favorite new shirt!

The coolest gift-- A framed picture of Tyler making a shot at his b-ball game!

Uncle Jim is notorious for taking pictures of EVERYTHING and lots of them. (Even more than I take!)

He just happened to get a shot of Tyler and in the picture you see the b-ball IN the net!

So cool!

an 8x10 of Tyler's own shot going in!!

Thanks Aunt Barb and Uncle Jim

MONEY! and GIFT CARDS!!

With Tyler's b-day on Jan 17---he often gets lots of money and gift cards for his b-day.  Which is GREAT, because then in a few months he can get new toys!  This year he made it out BIG TIME!  

He collected $130 in cash and gift cards.  

Part of that money was from Gma and Gpa Balzer to buy a K-State jersey.  And, Tyler was NOT wanting to get rid of his money!  But, he finally did and got a cool jersey with ROTH on the back!!

I was SO PROUD of Tyler.  He read each of his b-day cards all by himself.  

In First Grade!  I am so proud!!!!

Cousins ready for CAKE!!!

Side note--- Taylor often has cute piggy tails ("2 pony tails" as Paige calls them). 

 As soon as Paige saw Taylor she wanted "2 pony tails"--so hence the crazy hair!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TYLER!!!

You are LOVED by MANY!!!