Whew...4 Parties DONE!

Here are a few pictures from the party...I really have a hard time "running the party" and being sure to get pictures too!

Happy Birthday James

My sweet baby boy James. I cannot believe you are 7! The day you were born was, in many ways, the best day of my life. I never knew the hearts capacity to love until you came into the world, and from the moment I held you I knew that being a mom is something I was always meant to do. You have always been calm and happy to observe. I remember asking over and over if you were OK right after you were born because you didn't make a sound, but had your eyes wide open and taking in all that there was to see.

When you were 2 you would sit on the floor for hours and put together puzzles because seeing how things worked was fascinating for you. You loved gears and Lego's and adored to be read to. When we brought Jack home from the hospital, the first thing you wanted was to hold him and kiss him and you were forever wanting to help change and feed him.

Right now, you are our computer whiz. Watch out if you are not allowed to play Webkinz or Club Penguin! Your brother pesters you constantly to play because he can't stand not having his best friend around, but you want to figure out how everything computer related works. You charm Joey into fits of giggles with your funny faces and voices and are there in a second to help him if he needs it.

You have grown into a beautiful, kind, loving little man and I could not be any more proud of you. Our lives are unimaginable without my James, and I thank God every day that I was chosen to be your mom. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY!

2 Days and Counting

So we have a gigantic party coming up. Primarily to celebrate James' 7th birthday (which includes invitations to 36, yes 36, kids) but also to commemorate several HUGE birthdays for the Linge family. Among others (some of which I can't reveal here because said birthday attendees read this blog and then would know it was a surprise party for them too) we will be celebrating Daryl turning 40 this year. So, needless to say, it is a flurry of frantic activity around here.

My three sons have become entangled in all the commotion...they are under strict orders and with threats of toy banishment, to keep their rooms clean as I have cleaned them countless times in the last week. Unfortunately this just fuels their need to destroy every last neatly organized drawer, bookshelf and bed.

One of my *favorite* games to play with them is "Who Can Be Quiet The Longest". They sit on the couch and say nothing for as long as they can. Obviously, this game isn't played very often, or for very long, but it certainly has been a favorite over the last week.

Castle Cake

I love cake. I love kids' parties. It's a good thing I have 3 kids to make cakes for! I made this for my good friend Holly. Her niece was in town to visit and they celebrated her 3rd birthday with a bounce house - hence the castle theme. The best part? Everything was edible. Everything!

Jack's First Day

First Grade!

YYYYAAAAAAAA! First grade is here! And as you can tell by the pictures, James is very exited - Jack, not so much. He did not think he could go on without his summer playmate and co-conspirator, and let the entire neighborhood in on how he felt about it.

Birthday Kisses

So for Daryl's 40th birthday, we couldn't afford to do what *I* felt was big enough to commemorate such a milestone birthday. So we improvised. Instead of a trip to Vegas or somewhere warm, we gave him 40 birthday gifts. While a few of the gifts were costly, it was the free ones that Daddy liked best. Forty kisses from each of his kids (immediately after eating caramel apples!) took a while, but being so old, sitting down was good exercise for him....GRIN!

Beach Day July 2008

It's Tough Being a Kid

After a long day of chasing grasshoppers and playing hide and seek, my 2 sons collapsed on the couch and promptly fell asleep. Much to my and Daryl's delight, this happened an hour before normal bedtime! Daryl picked each of them up and carried them to their beds....and we wandered around the house wondering what to do now....

I'm Baaaaack!

Good golly is it tough having three kids at home for the whole summer!! My poor, neglected blog....Now that James is in school again, and Jack is starting in a week, I hope to continue with my beloved blog writing. So, in interest of time, I am just going to post a ton of pictures from the summer...and hopefully never fall this far behind again!