Monster Jam Live in D.C. 1/24/9009

In this video, Mikie learns that we will be going to see the Monster Truck show for his birthday:



And in this video, he finally gets excited about it:



Zachary, Tate, and Ayden had a two hour nap after the party so they were awake on the way to DC. Mikie rode with Daddy in his truck and took a much needed nap while the rest of us ate at the food court in Pentagon City Mall. At 6:00 we woke Mikie up, let him eat a cheeseburger, and then rode the metro to the Verizon Center. When we got to our seats, Amber and I both looked at each other intrepidation....we were in the second row. After the initial starting of the engines, we quickly realized that we would need to purchase earplugs. I envisioned my children throwing a fit over having to wear them and was dreading the battle of shoving them in their ears all night long, but to my amazement neither of them even fussed when I put them in and they stayed in! Mikie was so excited to see the trucks. He kept clapping and clapping and looking around to see who was coming out next. Then during the racing, he would predict who would win the race.

I think the only other person that enjoyed this experience even more than Mikie was Zachary. He sat so still in our arms, pointing and pointing and pointing at the trucks. He really was having a great time. Of course, Michael seemed to enjoy himself a lot as well.

We watched the trucks compete in 3 contests: Wheelies, Racing, and Freestyle. Even though the arena was very small, the trucks were still getting plenty of air and making us very nervous. Madusa spun so many doughnuts that I thought we would be covered in mud by the time she was finished. Thankfully that did not happen! Here's a video of them racing:

At intermission the boys each got a new hot wheels monster truck. Mikie picked Superman and Zach got Monster Mutt (or "Mon Mutt" as he calls it)

Me & My Boys (all 3 of them)

Amber, Tate & Ayden Wyman

A few hours later we were ready to ride the metro back to the cars and drive home for some much needed sleep (Remember we were up until 4:30 am decorating for the mini-golf party and then up at 7:00 putting the finishing touches on the food.)

This was one of those experiences that we were lucky to get to share with our friends and Boagie and will forever be cherished as a great memory with pictures and video to capture the awe in my boys' faces.

Mikie's 4th Birthday Par-Tee

Now that it's all over, I can honestly say that it was one of the most fun parties that I've ever planned. Mikie enjoyed every minute of his special day and I think he played about 20 rounds of our five hole course that day. He didn't even want to stop mini-golfing to open his presents!

Mikie's Invitation:

The Inside of his invite:
The Score Cards:

The Final Scores:
The Food:

Club Sandwiches

The Rough

Shells & Shrimp Pasta

Cajun Crab Dip & Seafood Spread with Crabbers (crab shaped) Crackers

Chicken Fry Golf Bags with a Cheese'ball'

Golf Ball Meatballs

Oyster Crackers

Seaweed Noodles

Octopus Hot Dogs

Snail Roll-Ups

Sand Trap Hash browns

Deviled Eggs with Sea Turtles

Mini-Bagels with Golf Ball Trix "Greens"

Tee & Tiger Woods Gatorade

As the guests arrived, they were to choose the putter from their child's golf bag. These would be the party favors to take home after the party. Each bag had the child's name on a "bag tag" that was actually a 12 month calendar with golf course pictures on it.

Little plastic clubs for the toddlers.

Cloth golf bags for the 4 year olds.

Mikie got his own special bag that I hope to actually use out on the golf course this summer. My parents bought him adjustable clubs and I found this bag at Dick's Sporting Goods for only $6.91 (on clearance...what a bargain!)

In this picture, you can see 3 of the 5 holes we set up in the community center. Yes, those are concrete rocks lining each hole. We were planning to landscape our yard anyway, so they served a dual purpose. Poor Amber didn't realize that she would be coming to this party to perform manual labor as part of our landscaping team. (We were just trying to make sure she still got some training for her triathlons in on this 'vacation') I purchased the glittery plants that coupled as seaweed at Michael's & AC Moore at after Christmas sales at up to 85% off. They really did look just like seaweed! There are also several "grow animals" that we soaked in water for 1 week and they increased over 600 times their original size looking as if they just came out of the ocean.

Each hole had it's own theme which was based on the hole number markers that I cut off of a place mat. Hole #1 was whales (also included was dolphins and sharks). The "hole" was actually a shark head candy bowl that mechanically opened and closed when your ball rolled in. It's eyes lit up and it talked to you, too.

Hole #2 was turtle themed. Several "grow animals" lined this hole along with a sand trap where baby turtles were hatching out of eggs. The "hole" was a plastic turtle with an empty shell with a ramp leading up to it.

Hole #3 was Sea Horses. This fun hole even had a "waterfall" that most of the children enjoyed crawling through. The surprise at this "hole" was when the ball settled into the cup a little mechanical octopus popped up and talked to you.

Hole #4 was "Fish" and other miscellaneous sea creatures. It's hard to see, but there is a clown fish swimming in a sea anemone on the right hand side. The "sandcastle" provided a ramp as an obstacle for this hole.

Hole #5 was by far the most elaborate and most favored hole with it's Jellyfish theme. We lined the dark hallway with blacklights and glowing seaweed, fur, and hanging jellyfish. A glow in the dark net provided a neat backdrop for the end of the hole. A fan gently blew the jellyfish from side to side while you listened to ocean sounds through my sound machine. (This hole did scare many of the smaller children, but was a huge hit for the 4 year olds)

This was the easiest birthday cake I have ever made! With candy rocks lining the green, plastic sea creatures swimming in the ocean, and 4 sunken golf ball candles surrounded by graham cracker sand the cake fit the under-the-sea mini-golf theme perfectly.

The only mishap of the day was when the plastic starfish caught fire right before our rendition of Happy Birthday.

On the table: Golf ball lollipops on a tee stuck in crape paper grass, chocolate golf balls in a golf bucket, putters made with pretzel sticks and orange slices, trix golf balls, mini-golf table top games, and green golf calculators for adding up your score.

After reading Curious George Plays Mini-Golf, we played 3 games

Pin the ball (colored circle stickers) in the hole

Throw the foam golf balls into the golf basket

Velcro balls on a felt golf course: in this game we opted to throw the balls at the screen instead of chipping them with a club due to lack of space. On the spur of the moment, I turned this game into a teaching opportunity and helped the children add up their two numbers for a total score.

Crafts:

Michael drilled holes in these wooden boxes, we filled them with 12 multi-colored tees, and the children stamped them with sea creature sponges to make a Tee-Box Jumping Game.

Golf Ball Clocks: I used glow-in-the dark puffy paint to make these cardboard clocks look like golf balls. Then the children painted them and took them home.

Mikie & Tate stand in front of the ocean where the bubble blower shot out a continuous stream of bubbles making our under the sea party even more authentic.

Mikie received many thoughtful gifts for his birthday. The "big surprise" was that later that evening we were taking him to see Monster Jam Live in D.C. (look for a new post soon)

Of course, the only reason this party ran so smoothly was because of the wonderful work and dedication of my husband, my mom, and my friend Amber (who flew all the way from Washington with 2 kids by herself). A lot of work went into this party (we were up until 4:00 am the night before) and all your sacrafices are greatly appreciated! Thank you for helping make Mikie's special day a "hole in one!"

There is absolutely no way I could have posted every picture that I wanted to in this post so I hope you will all take the time to click on this link and watch the photoshow I created. Click here!
My 4 year old!
I still have a hard time realizing that my baby is really 4 years old already. He constantly amazes me with his intelligence and is starting to gain greater control of his emotions. His imagination is beginning to develop and I'm looking forward to the funny things he will do and say this year. Happy Birthday, Mikie!!! We love you so much!!!!

Zachary 18 Months

STILL OUR LITTLE PEANUT:

Zachary Frederick Jones 1 day (6 lbs 10 oz)

Zachary 18 months (18 lbs 11 oz)

On January 1st, Zachary turned 18 months old. Despite his numerous trips to the pediatrician's office, his label of failure to thrive, his allergy to milk and eggs, the multiple medicines he's been on, and the countless number of times he's been stuck with a needle to draw blood, he is still a lovable little snuggler with a big personality and a fearless sense of adventure. He is finally gaining weight and trying new foods (he likes to 'race' with Daddy). He weighs a whopping 18 lbs 11 oz! (who could have known when Amber nicknamed him lil' peanut that it would stunt his growth...JK) He loves sausage, ground turkey, pineapple, mandarin oranges, fish sticks, french fries, and tomatoes, but chicken fries from Schwans are still his absolute favorite. This was the first time he tried eating two at the same time!

He is finally starting to talk more and can probably say about 50 words. Zachary also loves to sing! In the past few weeks, he has started singing to the songs on some of the kids' CDs and will sing the alphabet with me (getting a few letters correct). He adores his big brother and will follow him where ever he goes. Whenever you hear Zachary saying "ready, set, go" which sounds more like "eh, eh, doe" you can bet that he and his big brother are racing from room to room with their blankies in their hands or mouths. Zachary has named his blankie "Be-Be". He loves to bite it and have us bite the other end and then sneeze and let it fall. Zachary's love for balls, trains, and animals continues, but he has also become obsessed with Monster Trucks. He is always racing them around the house, including up and down the stairs. In the video below, you'll notice how much alike my two boys really are:


Remind you of anyone parking their trains?
At least he doesn't just leave them "parked". He does play with them!


On his 1 1/2 b-day we took him to Cartoon Cuts to get his hair cut for the second time (first time by Boagie see past post). I had read about how neat this place was with Tv's for the kids to watch and a cool elephant hose to wash their hair. I was expecting the stylist to be friendly and was greatly disappointed when neither of the boys had a great experience (the haircuts were good). Mikie, of course, wouldn't wear the cape and they didn't have a vacuum attached to their clippers so hair was everywhere making him itchy. Then he fussed because he couldn't see the TV while she was cutting his bangs. I thought he'd love the elephant hose since it's his favorite animal, but he didn't even want to try it. Zachary screamed most of the time and didn't want to hold still despite our greatest attempts at distracting him. The stylist didn't offer to give me any of his hair or the certificate I had read about so we left and will never go back. We're sticking with our barber on route 17!

Zachary is excelling in the mini-tot gymnastic class we attend on Mondays. He is able to do a forward roll on his own and recognizes the routine of saying "TaDa" when he steps on a star. In the video below he shows off his new talent:

I've saved the best for last: HIS LAUGH! He is such a goofey little guy and gets tickled at the silliest things. In this last video, I was trying to capture him saying his numbers with the Discovery Toys count down race car but of course as soon as I turned on the camera he stopped counting. However, I did capture some of his silliness and that great laugh! We love you Zachary!!!

99 things

Thanks to my friend, Meri for posting this on her blog. Thought this would be a good post for the new year. I've checked off 47 (almost 1/2)

The things I have done are bold
The things I want to do are in italics
The things I don't really care about doing are left plain

01. Started your own blog-- You are reading it
02. Slept under the stars
03. Played in a band
04. Visited Hawaii -lived there for 2 years (that was long enough, but would like to visit again)
05. Watched a meteor shower - on the beach in Pensacola in 2000
06. Given more than you can afford to charity
07. Been to Disneyland/world - both several times before have kids
08. Climbed a mountain in HI and WA
09. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightening storm at sea - watched one over the sea (inter coastal waterway) from our balcony in FL
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16.Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty - the day we were going to was overcast so we didn't
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train - my boys would love this...we must do it!
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked--no way. I have seen too many scary movies (diddo Meri!)
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort--I grew up in the midwest. Of course I did!
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon - NEVER EVER EVER even want to think about it
28. Ridden a gondola in Venice with Michael in 2002
29. Seen a total eclipse of the sun & moon
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset SO many times here are my favs: rise in Key West on my bday & sets in Hawaii (also one of the prettiest PINK sunsets on my parents farm the day of my Grandmother's funeral) And now that I'm a mom I'm up before the sun frequently and get to watch it rise while holding my baby.
31. Hit a home run didn't actually HIT one, in middle school they kept over throwing the ball and I just kept running around the bases until I slid into home.
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community in IA & PA
36. Taught yourself a new language
37.Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David in person
41. Sung Karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight - got engaged on the Perdido Key Beach in FL (although there was technically no moonlight because a storm had just rolled through)
46. Been transported in an ambulance In HI 12/2002 but I don't remember it...suffered from temporary amnesia after fainting and cracking open my chin
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing in FL & HI
49. Seen the Sistine chapel in person
50.Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling Both- scuba diving freaked me out. I much prefer snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud it was so much fun as a kid. I'm sure I'll do it again with 2 boys
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies
62. Gone whale watching saw humpbacks in HI and orcas in WA
63. Gotten flowers for no reason used to get them at least once a month when we were dating
64. Donated blood
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter in HI on the island of Kauai
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy my parents' basement is full of them
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial--several times
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London while studying at Edge Hill College in Ormskirk, England spring '97
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House--I have been to the WH, but only the outside. I would love to visit the inside
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating Fish (but never actually cleaned the whole thing myself) Then I helped clean/prepare deer that my father shot and a pig that he butchered
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby 2 bouncing baby boys
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swum in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee