Pssst . . . stop by TechyDad’s Dinosaur Train Giveaway to enter for a chance to win some Dinosaur Poop and Hatchers.
This weekend was JSL’s 4th birthday. As I have mentioned before, he is a BIG fan of Jake and the Neverland Pirates. Since he wanted that theme for his birthday, we had to improvise a bit. I bought the supplies and pretty much knew what I wanted to do with them.
Saturday afternoon, I baked the cupcakes in the Wilton pirate wrappers. They were nothing special to look at now, but soon they would change.
When I was preparing everything for the party Sunday morning, the first thing I wanted to get finished were the pirate cupcakes. I had my Wilton Dessert Decorator Plus, frosting, gold sugar crystal sprinkles, and pirate flags. Before I knew it, they were looking like this:
Yes, my little pirate was quite excited to see that his pirate cupcakes were finished.
After lunch, it was time to switch the table over to a Neverland Pirate Party theme. I had to take these items and make them look pretty on the table.
While I worked on this, the kids did some pirate arts and crafts. As you can see, we found some great items that worked well for several ages.
It did not take too long to get the table ready. The cupcake display with the doubloons around it was first. Then, it was time to put the Peter Pan Pirates in the front along with JSL’s cupcake and 4 candle. To tie in, we also had some cute pirate napkins to add a splash of color.
Yes, the props certainly helped to make it more of a Neverland Pirate Party feel.
After opening presents, JSL went over to have everyone sing his birthday song.
Yes, we pulled off a Neverland Pirate Party and the birthday boy seemed to have a wonderful time. More to come soon, but I wanted to share some yummy and crafty details now.
When JSL woke up, the first thing he did was run out of bed to see his big brother. After that, he came into our room to announce that NHL was the first one to wish him a happy birthday. After this, we opened up his new VTech Kidizoom Plus camera and put the batteries in. Then, NHL gave him his present.
We got dressed and went to Nana and Papa’s house. Uncle I, Aunt M, and Cousins GG and BA were at their house. JSL was too excited to eat since he was running around the house taking photos of everything.
The kids played with the new pirate toys and watching some Jake and the Neverland Pirates. I have a feeling that JSL’s camera is likely filled with photos similar to this one:
While the kids played, I was busy in the kitchen making pirate cupcakes today. They will be decorated for the party early Sunday morning.
When we asked JSL where he wanted to have his birthday lunch, his answer did not shock me. He wanted to go to Cici’s for Mac and Cheese pizza. He was a very happy birthday boy.
Next, we went to Scoops for some ice cream. JSL had a blast taking photos of their cows and running around with Cousin SG. Of course, NHL was proud when he yelled that baby BA was trying to sneak into the cow area.
We tried to play at the park. A little running by the pond got in before the rain came to stop the fun. To try to stop JSL from being upset we got him to sing the pirate song. When we got back to Nana and Papa’s house he belted out a bunch of the only verse he really knows.
Then, Aunt M and I went to get some items for the party tomorrow. We happened to find a cake that was perfect to have on JSL’s actual birthday. We sang him his song and then it was time to blow out the candle.
Aunt M, Uncle I, and the kids wanted to give the birthday boy something on his birthday so he could use it at the Pirate Party. Here is JSL right about when he figured out what was inside.
Now check out why he has such a HUGE smile on his face:
Yes, Pirate JSL was quite thrilled with his new costume by Melissa & Doug. Eventually, we were able to get him to take it off so we could head home. I have a feeling we will be seeing a pirate show at his party at one point or another.
Lots to report from the party and more soon.
Yes, it is true. This mommy took herself, and a friend on a field trip the day before Mother’s Day. Some may call it selfish; others call it a must needed adventure. I call it being a GEM and knowing that I need ME time. Thanks to Rene Syler, I have realized that it is fine for me to need time away from my family. I love the boys, but this mama likes time with friends and having some additional estrogen in her life.
The reality is that a lot has changed since we got back from Disney Social Media Moms Celebration. At the time, I knew there were big changes coming, but never could have imagined the way it would play out. We started to look at different schooling options for our son. After a major bullying incident, we had to look into this faster than we had intended. I am no longer associated with the local magazine for a variety of reasons. What I realized during all of this chaos is that I love my family/friends and their place in my life. I also saw how people stepped up, helped me with things, and allowed me to laugh during a highly stressful time. Most important of all, I saw the power of women coming together. Reinventing myself is happening with each breath that I take.
Since we got back from Disney, I have been communicating with Rene Syler. Rene has been awesome cheering me on in the background as I embrace my inner GEM (Good Enough Mother). Her energy is contagious. At one point, Rene and I realized that we do not live too that far from one another. The Head GEM suggested that we meet for lunch one day. Before I knew it, Rene and I set a date for a Mommy Field Trip for the two of us and Christina from Cutest Kid Ever.
This past Saturday, yes the day before Mother’s Day, we met at a restaurant. After lots of hugs, we sat down, ordered some drinks/food, and talked up a storm. We had a lot to chat about. Business, families, education, social media, fun, Disney, and pretty much anything else you can think of was on our agenda. Being bloggers, we all took turns taking photos of our food and other items:
Of course, being the social media groupies that we are, we also sent out some Tweets from the Mommy Field Trip. Here is the TwitPic that I captured of the beautiful Rene:
Before we finished our meal, we asked someone in the restaurant to take a photo of us. We hoped to get one outside along the Hudson River, but needed one from inside. Here is a view from our Mommy Field Trip:
Before we knew it, the time had come to head out to our cars. Lots of hugs, some photos by the river, and promises to do this again. It was an amazing first ever Mommy Field Trip for me thanks to the women I was with. Thank you Rene for being an inspiration. I know that Christina and I will use your words of wisdom in the not too distant future. Thanks to you, I move forward one step at a time toward my GEM reinvention. Thank you for supporting me and my new projects that are yet to be seen.
Have you been on a Mommy Field Trip recently? If not, what are you waiting for?!