October Costumes, take 1

Cayden is infatuated with the Percy Jackson book series, and LOVES its author, Rick Riordan. For months and months he would randomly ask me to go on his website and find where he could meet him . . . and for months and months I didnt do it :) Welp, as my super mom powers would have it, I finally looked it up, and just 2 days earlier, his 7 day book tour (including a library in orange county) was announced. WAHOO! It took weeks before the library hosting the event announced how to get tickets. And for those weeks, to make sure we got tickets, I emailed and pestered those in charge. In the end, I was successful . . . and a proud Aliso Viejo library card holder :) Super Mom Status lasted for weeks!

The event encouraged the kids to come dressed as their favorite "demi-God." Appeasing Cayden a while back, I read the first book in the series and sort of knew the lingo. I did a little online searching and found these cool orange "Camp Half Blood" shirts (obviously from the book) Thinking it would be cool, I asked Cayden if he would want one of these shirts instead of dressing in costume . . . . " MOM (in that preteen Aubreylike voice I am all too familiar with), this is like the comic-con of books, I cant wear a tshirt! . . . Needless to say, he went in a full blown costume :)

The event was located in a beautiful park facility in Aliso Viejo and was an entire day ordeal. We woke up early, dressed the kids up (aubrey had a greek goddess costume from a school thing last year), and drove up north. To get to the parking area we had to pass the will call lines, and lines for the different viewing sessions. There were trillions of those cool orange shirts and not so many kids in full blown costume. It took some encouraging to get Aubrey to get out of the car . . . .and as all would guess, Cayden was never prouder in that lovely red beard :) (he was dressed as his favorite character,Hephaestus, the god of fire and tools)

It didnt take either of the kids long to realize they were amongst the best dressed there. They got interviewed and photographed by every magazine, newspaper, and website present. . . in the end, I think Aubrey was pretty dang glad I didnt let her take that costume off. haha

The event was perfect. The setting, decor, weather, activities, crafts. . .everything was fabulous. Rick Riordan arrived by chariot and spoke for about 30 minutes. We scored front row seats to this (at the price tag of 1.5 hours in line :) and enjoyed his humor and "fame story." When it was time for the actual book signing and greeting, there was no posed pictures allowed (which totally bummed me out) but Cayden got to meet and speak to his idol, and I guess that was the main reason we were there.

Fantabulous Friday

Some days are better than others. . . . Fridays are usually not too shabby, but today stands well above the norm :) I'm still smiling!! The day was just all around splendid. After a couple of days of rain, we woke up to the beautiful blue sunshiny day. My work day was chipper and laid back . . . could have something to do with the lack of work taking place haha, but it was good :) It was parents day at lunch with my middle schooler. A day that always helps reaffirm was an awesome little girl I have. She has chosen such good friends and has such a good attitude on life. Her school is fabulous. She has great teachers and a great principal. Always make me smile to be on campus there. The kids get slurpees on Fridays (or maybe everyday I pick them up. Shhhh, dont tell grandma) and today I got one too. Oh the joys of a sugary drink, on a nice sunny afternoon. After school pick up, I ditched going back to work and spent my afternoon with a good friend, in an amazing spa in Poway. During that treatment, I missed a call from Aubrey letting me know her passport arrived in the mail. A short 10 days after we crossed our fingers and filed that application without the approval of that lovely father of hers :) I have paperwork to shred, and my Tuesday court day to cancel. Makes me smile! (Yep, I smiled lots today). That phone call was followed by dinner at one of my favorite restaurants. Then a passport frozen yogurt celebration with my future world traveler. We went home, watched tv, vacuumed the house and am now finishing up my favorite little guys costume for our fun adventures tomorrow :) Wish I had a pict to share from the day. I'll refrain from posting our passport mug shots :) Eeek, scary! We totally look like criminals :) Happy weekend all

I LOVE angry birds and not a clue how to play :)

SO after months of debate. . . sister and I finally decided to bite the bullet and open an Etsy shop. We opened almost a month ago and at this point should have named our shop "Angry Birds Party Decor" . . . its madness! I havent got to quit my job yet, but I look at Angry Birds everynight (and they arent getting cuter haha)! We are thus far excited with the adventure and hope to expand our themes soon :) Like us on fb (our page stinks right now) or find us on Etsy, pass us on, share with friends. . . We are HAPPY to customize and create anything :) Yeah for new adventures, I think :)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/PaperOwlPartyDesigns?ref=pr_shop

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Paper-Owl-Party-Design/254735151235609

A Dirty Birthday Celebration

I ran the Survivor Mud Run in Lake Elsinore last weekend and it was seriously a grand and DIRTY adventure. A friend of mine recruited team "Happy Birthday Marcie" to join her in celebration of her birthday (yup, thats totally my kind of friend)! I was super excited to participate, signed up, and honestly never looked at the course map or obstacle shenanigans prior to the race. I wasnt a bit nervous. The course was only 4 miles and I totally felt prepared. On the drive up there, the car load began discussing strategies and problems we might encounter, blah, blah, blah and suddenly it dawned on me that I might be in over my head :) Turns out, they were all the worriers and everyone did smashing! The mud pools were awesome. . . it was like a day at the spa (without the pampering) and the giant waterslide into the lake would be reason enough to participate again. SO FUN!! Lesson learned. . . the less clothes the better . . . muddy clothes get HEAVY! Happy Birthday Marcie!

Facebook Party Cake :)

I am the official office birthday baker . . . and after 13 years with this lovely task, I have run out of ideas and dread the thought of another office birthday (sorry guys). Sheesh, one can only make cupcakes so many dang times. I know, I know, there are a trillion ways to make cupcakes but the birthday workers have gotten pickier and more comfortable over the years. Making me more conscious of what I make compared with what I made the year before. Bigger and better is always the underlying motto of life. So this week we had a birthday to celebrate. With limited time to think of my next creation, and absolutely no time to actually complete this masterpiece, I broke down and bought one of my favorite cakes. The night before (when I should have been baking at 10pm) I was feeling a little guilty and came up with this grand idea to spruce up the store bought cake (didnt want any hurt feeling that I wasnt baking with love lol) . . . four hours later (yep, I ended up staying up way too late, which was what I was trying to avoid to begin with) . . . I had my fun party cake :) The cake was widely accepted and was renamed the cool "facebook cake" (my awesome picture source)! As an added bonus, they all totally thought the cake was homemade . . . next time I will run with that :) It was fun . . . you should all try it!!
I never actually took my own picture :( This was from a phone. Guess I will have to "bake" another cake soon.

Back to School Blues

Besides back to school falling on Cayden's 9th birthday, the kids were basically ready to return. YEAH! So, hello new school year! This year I have a 7th grader and a 4th grader . . . and feeling older by the moment.

Cayden has managed to keep himself out of school trouble for quite some time . . . could have something to do with the fact he has been on Summer break for 2 months, but we will ignore that :) As many might know, he has a little history with detentions and minor principal office visits (nothing big deal, just the basic too-much-energy-for-school-boy-stuff) Dropping him off the first day I dangle a little bribe. 100 bucks if you dont get detention ALL year. I'm smarter than I sound, and know the feat is impossible! I knew I would keep my 100 bucks in June, but was hoping it buys me a month or 2 of good school reports.

Yeah, keep hoping mom! . . .

So I pick him up (day#5 back) and we always go through the same daily check in routine . . . have a good day? Yep. Learn anything new? Nope. Among those questions falls. . . . Detention today? "ummm, let me think, let me think . . . . NOPE!" (although i see his mind still thinking) . . . Oh yeah! I did, BUT . . . (there is always a BUT with Cayden when discussing the trouble he gets in) . . . he proceeds to tell me the incident. Something about a fire drill (It wasnt even a real fire mom!) and playing catch with a ding dong with a friend in a different class, while they were in their uniformed quite emergency lines. "The fire drill was SO boring!!" So he gets done telling his totally unfair detention story and kind of hangs his head in shame and says. . . " I was trying so hard to not get detention (and in his best auction-announcing voice, repeats his teachers words "Congratualtions Cayden, you got the first detention of the year!"

There must be some reward for that right?? It was hot, he was sad . . . the kid got a slurpee :)

Amazing, I know . . .

Yeah, yeah, I have been gone for a long time. I have been wanting to "return" for a while, but was worried my sweet sister, Shawna would want me to take over the vacation blog recap . . . she finally finished (and did a fantabulous job, I might add), so I felt it safe to return to the blogging world :)
Pictured below incase you missed her blog (our quest to find bigfoot lol) . . .

hmmm, yeah good luck with viewing those :)

So Much has passed in the 9 months of absence (fortunately that 9 months did not include a baby)

My kids are getting old! Cayden just celebrated his 9th Birthday and a few months back my Aubrey turned TWELVE! Yikes!!
Birthday celebrating and planning is such an exciting part of my life (hopefully making it more a part of life planning parties for others next year), I couldnt skip sharing our celebrations . . . .

For Aubrey's Birthday she had a mall scavenger party . . . what could be more fitting for a group of middle school girls. Money & Shopping, it was the BEST:)




Cayden's 9th Birthday was on the 1st day of school this year. He was THRILLED lol . . . we teased him and told him they start the school year on the birthday of the kid who got into the most trouble the previous year. He totally bought it . . . he is such a smart kid and sometimes, not so much :) We celebrated his birthday with a mad science party the weekend before school started. It was a hit and he had a blast.