Few new layouts for the Family Portrait album

I got to work on this album a little today. I don't know why I don't work on it more often. I love it. It is one of my favorite projects. You can see it isn't done much since these are of H at ages 8 months, 12 months and 12 1/2 months. 

I think this one is my favorite. I just love how it came out. And now I am thinking I should buy H and myself some more matching clothes. Bwahahahahahaha! She'd just die of humiliation. 

Crazy Hair Day

This morning H tells me "Mom, it's Crazy Hair Day." I just love when she springs things on me the morning of a special event. Here's what we came up with on short notice. I had to get ready for work too.

N...with his faux-hawk:

Then for H -- she wanted her growing out bangs to be in a pony tail. Problem was she did a face-plant yesterday on the playground and had big scrapes so she needed Neosporin on them to keep them moist. Didn't want the hair sticking to them. So...we braided it and put it in a loop. Did the same thing with the hair in back. 

You can see her scrapes here. Last night she looked in the mirror and said sadly, "This is the ugliest I have ever looked in my entire life." Diva. 

Oh Donald...

N...oh my boy...he just commented on the photos of H. He said, "H is a quail!!!" I actually had to snort. I couldn't stop it. He's right. She looks like a quail. :)

My daughter...the Oompa Loompa

Oompa Loompa doompadee doo 

I’ve got another puzzle for you 

Oompa Loompa doompadah dee 

If you are wise you’ll listen to me

Hmmm...I fail to see the resemblence but...

Yesterday H tried out for Willy Wonka Jr. for a summer play. Rehearsals will start in June and the play will be in August for two full weekends. She was hoping for Violet or Veruca Salt. I was proud of her audition. She went on stage quite confidently and sang a song even though we didn't know she had to. She used arm movements and dance and moved around the stage which most kids did not do. She read her lines (the few they gave her...I think they kinda sorted her into the "chorus" group) like a champ...a quiet champ...but a champ nonetheless. And she learned the dance with the other kids. Tripped over her other left foot a few times but for the most part showed that the dance classes have been paying off. Woo hoo! 

So, for a first audition with a community theater group..not bad. An oompa loompa. 

Here comes Peter Cottontail...

We saw Peter at the mall after taking H out for her birthday dinner. Cute picture. The pose H has I am going to chalk up to her trying to get comfy on the bunny's lap.

Checking out the loot on Easter morning...

"HOLY COW!!! Hannah!!!!" I plan to take H to see Hannah's new movie later this week with one of her pals.

Better than gold...a Power Miners Lego set that he didn't have yet. Way to go Easter Bunny!

After all the Easter morning festivities, I went in and made Matzah Brei for Passover. Don was oh so happy. H thought it was french toast so we let her believe that. After gobbling it up, we told her what it was. Last year she had yucked all over the place when we told her what it was before she ate it. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss. 

Later that afternoon, (after finally persuading Don to clean up the dog poop), we had our egg hunt. Don hid the eggs and the kids went off in search. Their favorite activity. Lily got in on the fun this year too...didn't steal any eggs this time but she enjoyed running with the kids as they searched for eggs. 

The slumber party

I gotta say that I was really dreading having a slumber party in my house. I thought it was going to be awful. I was imagining the noise level and girls giggling non-stop and never going to sleep. It was actually probably one of the easiest parties I've ever thrown for the kids. 

The girls started arriving at 5 for dinner. I made some pizzas. I planned to have them do it but they were all about running around outside so I went ahead and got dinner cooking. 

After dinner the girls decided to put on a fashion show. I don't know what it is about my house. Every time there is a party people are taking their clothes off. I'd be worried to have an adult party with our track record. So, the girls are changing into costumes and putting on a fashion show for me. I was the photographer. They strutted out and posed and posed and posed for me. Here are some of the best shots I got (there were probably about a hundred of them...this game went on for quite some time):

(yes...H has a dinosaur tail on here...)

After they tired of several rounds of fashion show with crazy costumes, we moved on to beading. I bought a kit at Michael's and let them go crazy making necklaces, ankle bracelets and bracelets.

Our final guest arrived and we rushed in to do caked (had two girls who were not staying overnight so I was trying to make everything work out with timing things just right). The cake was a hit. H took forever to blow out those candles though...lots of smoke...*cough cough*. 

After cake, the girls got into their jammies and agreed on a movie to watch. Bedtime Stories was the winning movie. It finished sometime after 10:30. The girlies did not go to sleep until somewhere between midnight and 1am. 

H was up bright and early the next morning, of course, at 6:30. "Good morning mommy." My reply was, "Not yet." She left and came back with her posse around 7:15. Time to get up I guess. I made pancakes for everyone. After breakfast, they all got dressed and packed up their stuff. They managed to squeeze in one more fashion show that wrapped up as the moms were coming to pick them up. Phew! Full night/morning but it was good. 

H looked at me later as she inspected her goodie bag (she insists that she must get one too) and told me it was the best party ever. Gosh...can't wait to see what she cooks up for next year. 

Prepare!!! They come soon!

H's sleepover birthday party begins in about an hour. It's our first sleepover party. There will be 6 girls here but only 4 will sleepover. Wish me luck.

Here's the cake that I finished last night. Got the idea from Betty Crocker's website -- "Groovy Girl pants".

Happy birthday to my Baby Girl

I can hardly believe that my beautiful little girl turned 9 today. I forbid her from doing it yesterday. She went ahead and did it anyway. Sigh. Double digits is just around the corner. I can't take it. This is hard on me. 

Here she is at about 6 weeks old.

Here at 24 weeks (6 months). Look at those cheeks. 

And then today. Don took cupcakes to her class so she could celebrate with her pals and classmates. First, of course, she got down to business with her chocolate. 

Then she led Don around to get some photos with some of her pals.  I think she's a beauty. I'm biased though. 

Happy birthday to my girl. I am so proud of who you have grown to be. You are smart. You are funny. You are kind and care about other people. You are creative. You have a good heart. What more can a mommy ask for? I love you, chica. Besitos.