Mother's Day Gift Ideas

This post was originally published for Parent Talk.


 With Mother's Day quickly approaching, my kiddos and I have been busy coming up with gift ideas for the grandmothers in our life to let them know how much  they are loved and appreciated. What grandmother doesn't love homemade gifts that come from the heart ? We fist decided to decorate flower pots and fill them with each's favorite flowers. They will be able to think of their grandchildren as the plant blooms all season long. We started with terra cotta planters purchased at AC Moore (3 for $1). The kids then painted the pots and saucers white using acrylic paint. When the paint dried we then had some fun decorating with hand and thumb prints to capture the little hands at this particular stage. I painted my five childrens' hands with their favorite color then helped them each gently apply a hand print onto the outside of the pot. We then decorated another pot with the kids' thumbprints which we arranged in a circle to look like flower petals (just be sure to initial who's fingerprint is who's in pen under each print).

 Sticking with the floral theme, we also came up with 3 D picture arrangements, blooming on paper. I cut out photographs of the childrens' faces to be the center of each flower, then the kids cut and glued on petals, twisted green paper into stems and glued on a little paper cup, cut in half, to serve as the pot. For a finishing touch we glued a ribbon to the top of this flower pot and used a marker tip to add some polka dots. On the back of the picture the kids came up with the caption, "Nanny, thanks for helping us bloom."  My children have always enjoyed tea parties with my mom so I thought something to to show how much they treasure those special moments with her would also be welcome. The kids water colored on plain white paper and once those dried, I cut them into the shape of a tea cup and attached a favorite tea bag. On the saucer we wrote, "For a grandmother whose sweet as can be, we hope you enjoy a cup of tea." And for a final gift we thought, what girl doesn't love to receive jewelry? The grandmothers in our family are no different so we decided to make some beautiful bracelets for them.  We bought some colorful glass beads, wire, and clasps at the craft store, then the kids sorted, arranged, and thread the beads onto the wire. I attached the clasps and viola- beautiful new bracelets to rival any Pandora collection! I think the mothers in our life will be touched with our creative homemade gifts and hope you are able to try these ideas for the important moms in your life this Mother's Day!

My First Communion Decorations and Ideas

I love entertaining and the details that go into making a party truly memorable. For a First Communion, I didn't want to go over the top with decorations, just wanted a few nice touches to help this important milestone stand out.  Simple tulips and white candle crosses on the center of a small table looked classy but still understated.   

I came up with a collage of pictures of the special child, formed into the shape of a cross, showing how they've grown from the age of their baptism and it served as a nice focal point. I used masking tape to adhere the pictures to a wall and they easily peeled off after our event's conclusion. 

I made a banner out of scrap booking paper to match our napkins and color scheme, cutting out pendants and letters to spell out "Congrats Cameron."  I hung it with pretty blue ribbon and strung it above a table which held party favors.

 Another nice sentimental decorative touch was to hang pictures of parents, grandparents, and other relatives who will be in attendance, on their own First Communion day. I hung them from ribbon with clothes pins, and mounted them on an array of different scrap booking papers in varying shades and patterns of blue .

I thought it would be nice to send guests home with a token to remember the special day so I created a few favors.  I purchased simple unfinished wooden crosses at a craft store, then painted them white and using a blue Sharpie Paint Pen, inscribed Cameron's First Communion and the date.  I tied a blue and white ribbon to the top of each cross and had them set out in a metal bucket. I also purchased small Terra cotta pots and painted them white and tied a ribbon around each one. Inside I put a packet of seeds to grow their own Forget-Me-Nots.

For food I made a bunch of different quiches, some pasta salad, fruit salad served in little cups, and  green salad. For dessert I made brownies in the shape of a cross using a cookie cutter. I also made white-chocolate lollipops and stood them up in a small grass pot. For my older sons First Communion I also made a gingerbread house church, complete with a steeple and cross on top and decorated it all with simple white piping. We also served cake and cookies dedicated to our Communicant.  It was a special day whose memories we will treasure for years to come!

First Communion

Cameron made his First Holy Communion yesterday and what a beautiful day it was. He was filled with such excitement all morning long and seemed so grown up preparing for this most important milestone.  At church a calmness seemed to come over him and he sat so quietly in the pew (not an easy feat for him) intently listening to the priest and patiently waiting for his turn to walk down the aisle. The innocence in his sweet face as cupped his hands to receive the bread for the first time was so moving, and I was so proud of my little boy as he became an active participant in the church for the very first time. The day was blessed with sunshine, wonderful food, and most importantly; friends and family who came to share in the celebration with us.

I think this parental prayer is so poignant on this most precious occasion and couldn't help but shed a tear as we all recited it together, holding Cameron's hand in ours: My Dearest child, I love you very much, and that is why this day is so important to me. I have been proud of you since the first time I saw you, and I am especially proud of you today. On this your Communion day, you have met Jesus in a very special way, and from this day on, we will be able to receive Jesus together. Nothing could make me happier. Because I love you, I want this to be a special day for you. I promise to continue to be proud of you and to love you and always to share Jesus with you. I hope that you always remember that whatever I do, I do it because I love you. I know that you were ready to receive Jesus. May he bless you today and always, as only He can.

Happy Birthday Baby!

My baby girl turned two today. Addison, my sweet little princess, so affectionate and loving. You give the absolute best hugs, such a strong squeeze for such a little thing, and your cheeks are just so kissable. I will close my eyes and remember the feeling of that hug around my back; your arms to short to clasp your hands. And I will melt when I think of those chubby little arms hugging your brothers or you planting a wet kiss on one of your sisters. Addison, my silly little girl, so humorous and fun. You keep us laughing with your never ending antics. You repeat everything you hear in that husky little voice of yours. We love the way you wiggle your head back and forth and shrug your shoulders and wrinkle up your nose. Your happy dance makes everyone around you happy too. Addison, my mischief maker, so independent and headstrong. Your curiosity constantly leads you to find new ways to stay entertained and keep me on my toes. Your climbing and physical abilities surpass your age and you manage to keep up with your older sisters pretty well for being a full year and a half younger than them. You are so fast and run everywhere, I think you could finish the marathon without getting out of breath. You know what you want and you let everyone else know what you want too. You can throw a tantrum like nobodies business but you are starting to recognize that your actions have consequences and when you know you have done something wrong you immediately flash that sweet smile in my direction, cock your head and say "Hi Mumma, hi Mumma," in your highest pitch voice. Addison, my precious little baby, the littlest in so many ways but growing up too fast. You are independent and have your own little mind. You want to do everything yourself. Hop in the stroller. No I walk. Hold hands with Mommy. No walk all self. Time to get dressed. I do myself! Time for diaper change. I do myself! Want a drink? I do it myself! And today that stubborn independence was so poignantly evidenced as I carried your special breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes with fruit and whip cream topped with a colorful windmill, over to you in your highchair. I began singing my own personal rendition of "Happy Birthday to You", you immediately shushed me before the end of the first verse, saying "I sing it myself." Nothing shows that headstrong independence like you, singing "Happy Birthday" to yourself on your second birthday. You may be a big independent two year old, but I hope you know you'll always be my sweet little baby girl and tonight when you are fast asleep I will tip-toe into your room and then ever so quietly sing a full verse of "Happy Birthday to You."

Status Updates...

Recent Status Updates....

1. Avery just got her second haircut in a week. The first done by a professional at the salon, the second "touch-up" job done by her twin and a pair of fingernail scissors...
2. 8:15am and twins are already in for a nap which they requested. No idea what time they woke up, all I know is when I heard them at 5am much damage involving an entire can of shaving cream, Easter chocolate, and an overflowing sink had already been done. Back to cribs we go...
3. Taking full advantage of having Jameson on school vacation, first we went to Starbcks (he ran in and got my coffee while I waited with girls in the car), then we went to the pharmacy (he ran in and grabbed a few items on my list while I waited in the car), then we went for lunch (he ran in and grabbed my order while I waited in the car). Finally starting to earn his keep around here...
4. Addison just drank all of Cameron's sea monkeys...prehistoric sushi?
5. April Fools Day might just be Cameron's favorite holiday. So far I've fallen for the trip line across the doorway, the hot sauce in my eggs, the booby-trapped faucet, and the prank call he placed telling me his baseball practice was cancelled. The girls were not so amused at him tying the feet of their tights together when they weren't paying attention. I must stay on guard the remainder of the day...
6. If you happen to see a bright pink sneaker, toddler size 7, on Rt. 9 Eastbound, you'll know it was Addie's (made a brief debut this morning as part of a new spring wardrobe, before retiring early). A small casualty of having the car windows down on this gorgeous day...
7. Wow, second girls weekend in a row- only this time instead of relaxing with a fruity cocktail on the beach, I'm sitting beside a dirty sandbox trying to keep my drink out of reach!
8. How can two little girls with the exact same DNA be so different?
9. How can two boys with the same parents be so different? Both got new sneakers yesterday. One left his new sneakers out in the rain over night, the other came in to change out of his new shoes when it started to rain but not before spending ten minutes washing them clean with a damp cloth...

Easter Lily's

We had a wonderful Easter here at the Lilypad. The girls made the rounds at several Egg hunts and we hosted our own complete with an appearance from the Easter bunny himself! All three girls were fully traumatized but it was nothing a few jelly beans and some chocolate eggs couldn't relieve. The kids all decorated sand pails with stickers and decorative tape to hold their loot and I had set up a craft with poster board and pink felt ears I cut out for the kids to make their own bunny ears. We hid golden eggs with silver dollars and even some large eggs filled with scratch tickets for the grown ups. The neighbors were kind enough to let us use their yard so the hunt involved much of the street. After, everyone came inside to enjoy tasty drinks and yummy treats.

Aunt Tammy stayed over Saturday night so we had a nice breakfast with her before we all went to church together on Easter morn. We then headed down to Nanny and Ampa's for Easter dinner and another egg hunt at their house. It was a great weekend and after finding their baskets the girls were able to admit that while big and scary, the Easter bunny was actually pretty nice.

Getting Ready for Easter

We have been busy getting ready for the big Bunny's arrival at the Lily Pad. Cameron and I created our very own lollipop egg tree yesterday . We have made lollipop trees in the past but an egg shaped tree for the holiday was our latest and greatest idea. We started with a Styrofoam egg shape purchased at AC Moore then stuck in lollipops until the surface was entirely covered. Cameron settled on a nice color pattern, carefully aligning three rows of each flavor. We left the base empty to allow us room to insert a stick he found in the yard for the trunk of the tree. We then placed the stick into more Styrofoam stuck in a pot until it stood up straight. We will wait to pick the "fruit" from our tree until our Easter Egg hunt this weekend.