brayden

8th Birthday Battle Royale

I am catching up on posts that have been left unpublished. On October 18th our little man turned eight…yes…eight! I say it every year but time is flying by. I love how much Brayden has grown in the last year. It was fitting that we threw our game loving boy a Fortnite inspired party with all his best buddies. We rented a gaming truck, SoCal Gamez. The owner was great to work with and I highly recommend them! The week before his birthday I had surgery on my foot. I wasn’t sure I would be able to pull this party off but it all came together perfectly. All the thanks to Amazon, my Mom, husband and for pushing myself with walking when I shouldn’t have been.

I purchased the invitation through Etsy. The first seller made a mistake and never responded to me again. This is the second one I purchased. I used Punch Bowl to manage the RSVP’s.

Cake made by me.
Sprinkles were purchased off Amazon here.
Cake Topper from here.
Miniature toys from Target
Camo Background

Supply Drop Loot Boxes contained the following:
Toy Figures | Gaming Party Supplies | Balloons
Loot Boxes
Grenade Sour Candy
PickAxe Pencils
Loot Llama Piñata

I used three different colors of Jelly Beans from Party City.

NatSweets Cookies is always my go-to for decorated cookies. They taste good, they are easy to work with and they now have a store front.

Chocolatey Caramels from Party City in two colors

Small Pringles Cans, I found them at business Costco and Printables via here

Printables from Etsy
Spiky Balls from Target

In & Out was a hit. Originally I thought of just getting McDonalds but ordering from In & Out was more fun! We ordered all the burgers plain and then all the toppings came on the side. You are able to order ahead at In & Out.

Chug Jug Wrappers
Loot Llama’s from Target as centerpieces

Payton read to him at school that day as the Mystery Reader.

He started off his morning with our traditional pancake stack!

Brayden’s 8th Birthday Royale style was such a blast. I am so pleased with the way it turned out and I hope this post helps you plan your next party!

first day

After all the stress last night the kids (and I) survived the first day of the school year. The day didn’t really go as planned, our back-to-school traditions weren’t done, but I am the only one who really noticed. Payton loves her teacher and is so happy that her best friends are in the same class. Brayden loved his day, though it was too long and hot for him, he survived. This school year is going to be a good one.

the unofficial end of summer

As I lay wide awake just hours before both my babies enter elementary school, I am pondering how we got here so quickly. I know this is the most redundant question a parent asks themselves over the course of a lifetime, but seriously, why does it happen so fast? Payton is entering first grade and Brayden is beginning transitional kindergarten. Payton is over-the-moon excited that she got the teacher she wanted and the friends she cannot live without. Brayden has no idea what to expect, but has been very clear that he does not want to do homework and wants to play as much as he can. When he lined up today during a practice run of what to do when the bell rings, I found myself (yet again) looking over at my son. I was beaming with pride that 1). he did not cry 2). he handled walking in late to orientation and after I urged him to sit in back, he walked right up front and plopped himself front and center 3). he is the second tallest and though he gets scared with learning and tends to quit I know he is going to kick butt in TK.

Our Summer vacation was fast and while it seemed to me that we did nothing, we did. The first weekend of vacation we made a bucket list as a family. Most of the items seemed to be way easier but as the days moved quickly so did our work schedules. We joked that the kids would only gets baths in the pool and we would be lucky if they washed their hair. This was almost a correct assumption as the first month was swim lessons every day and then post lessons they were in our pool until the sun went down. The good thing is, we escaped without green hair and Payton didn’t end up with dreds, parenting win I tell you! Theres still time to knock a few things off our list like: baking cinnamon rolls, a Padre game (this week to be exact), Palm Springs, library visits and a backyard light show. I am sad that Summer is unofficially over with the school year beginning, but I am also excited for my kids. I love watching them become better tiny humans with larger hearts and sarcastic souls.

A big thank you to Little Blue Bow Photography for capturing our beautiful blue eyed babes!

my baby turned two.

This past Friday my baby boy turned two. It is insane that he is no longer considered a “baby”. I know in my eyes he will always be my baby but he is turning into a boy so quickly and his baby face is slowly diminishing. I love each new milestone, each new word and honestly there isn’t one thing I don’t obsess about with this boy. I could stare at him for hours watching him closely analyzing everything around him. He has the sweetest soul, is the biggest animal lover and loves sports. He wants to do everything his big sister does and honestly she is his biggest fan, too! Payton is so patient with him and helps him each day sounding out words, helping him draw, plays games and whenever they’re apart they want to be back together again. My sweet little man is already sarcastic and has the most infectious laugh there is. His ability to kick and throw a ball is amazing, I cannot wait to watch him grow as an athlete. His love for the Chargers has already set in and wherever he sees football or the Chargers logo he exclaims, “GO CHARGERS!” at the top of his lungs.

To celebrate his birthday we headed to Disneyland a few days early. He could not wait to see Goofy, Mickey, Pluto and Mater. As soon as we arrived we were greeted by Goofy and we had one ecstatic boy on our hands. The day was perfect, he is perfect and we couldn’t have asked for a better day to celebrate his birth.

I love you, Brayden James. You completed my heart the day you were born and the past two years have been magical. Thank you for choosing me.

brother & sisterly love

The love they have for one another is a magical thing. Their personalities compliment one another, they run to one another when the other one cries or is placed on a timeout. They play well together. The eldest explains when he is doing something wrong or when she is irritated it always begins with a “Budddd-yyyyy!” When she wakes in the morning it’s usually from hearing him talking and she immediately wants to run to him, usually shutting the door in my face so she gets to hear “SISSY!” first. They play in his crib, the laugh, they play peekaboo, they push each other on their cars, each teaching one another on daily basis. She is the first to exclaim, “buddy pooped…again!” She knows when to duck from his already straight shot of an arm. He watches every move she makes and wants everything she has. They both have a major sweet tooth, but love their veggies the same. I pray that their love never fades, I pray that they don’t go through the typical brother/sister feuding, I know that is wishful thinking but one can hope. These two beautiful blue-eyed children are my life. I cannot imagine a day without them and I am pretty sure they couldn’t go a day without one another either. The bond that siblings share is such a wonderful thing to witness. I am blessed that they call me mom.