New Years Day

We always celebrate new years day - irrespective of our NYE plans. Today is oppressively hot so we headed to the relief of the cinemas - Alvin and the Chipmunks 3. Did I say it was oppressively hot - that is how 2 hours in an ice cold cinema watching the third installment of the chipmunks sounds wonderful. The boys loved it which is the main thing.

Yesterday however we had a wonderful end to 2011. First I conquered the pile of ironing that was threatening to take over like Triffids. A couple of hours of repetitive task is actually quite relaxing. Then we headed over to a party.

I think the last time that we had a formal invitation to a party on NYE was back in 2000 - or maybe when I was pregnant with Alexander so we welcomed in 2004. Either way its a long time ago. This time the kids were invited and it was a friend from Xandy's school. We had a truly lovely time and there was litterally a hoard of kids but they all played wonderfully in their back yard and we relaxed on the back porch.

Sadly we didn't make it to 12 there as the biggie was falling asleep on the couch, so we came home, tucked the kids into bed and watched fireworks on TV. It was a really nice way to ring in the new year and to know now that are kids are getting big enough to do that kind of thing. Yeah!!

One rainbow...

We were very thankful to be invited to THE RAINBOW PARTY OF THE YEAR! I of course have absolutely zero photos to show you of the amazing job that Jo did setting up this party. Check them out here and here. Seriously that cake was a-mazing! (and yummy!)

I stayed in theme making this rainbow bag as wrapping for a little dress I bought (can't help myself, I love shopping in the little girls section)

One of 'rainbow's' gifts was a fantabulous bubble machine. This entertained and amused all of the kids for ages.
Jo thanks for a great day - we all really had a lovely time. ;-) and I forgot to tell you we saw a massive brilliant bright rainbow in the grey sky as we drove home.

Princes and Princesses and a ?

So my prince is ready with his adapted crown from our dress ups, new jacket (which is burda pattern 2452) I added the cape which I wanted to look like two little blue birds had draped it in a very disney manner - it was easy as it is just a square caught at the corners, but looks quite effective. The bottoms are knickerbockers in the same pattern, with long white socks and school shoes.

So I had spent a good time working on Alexander's outfit when yesterday I got a call saying that the twins were also invited! Luckily we have enough of Alexander's old costumes to do the trick. Spencer wore the same style jacket - which we made for Alexander's 4th Birthday when he was a pirate. It gets a lot more wear now it is in the dress ups. While I had clothes for Benji he is on the fussier side...

And not as much of a poser as these two..........

We all went off to the party and the birthday princess was beautiful in all of her regalia. We were overdressed as I had suspected (but it didn't matter). All the kids had fun being entertained by a Princess.

The very busy birthday girls mum not only made her beautiful princess dress (complete with gloves and diamond necklace)- with a beaded bodice. (I suspect these were beads from her wedding dress?? But, she also made the cake with a matching dress - all while nursing a very new baby boy. A good day was had by all - even Benji who was dressed as a ...

...well we called him a dragon for theme's sake!

Fairies

Today we were surrounded by three year old fairies.

I managed to get Spencer into an elf outfit (Alexander's peter pan). Benji started in overalls (a gardener) but he stripped it off to be an incredible.

Its all about the sword! (I could only find a wooden spoon but he went with it)

The cake, birthday fairy and host for a lovely fairy morning.

PJ Party

Alexander had a school friends party today and it was a really nice party. The theme was a pajama party disco. So everyone had a costume and everyone had fun. The kids didn't have to go and get special stuff, we just found a clean pair of jammies. While he wasnt initially thrilled about going out in his PJs , once he got there and saw everyone else in theirs, he was cool.
The party was at a party centre and was sooooo cute. They had a reception room and you walked through to a designated eating area and from there could either go to the disco room, complete with disco ball and lighting, or to the beauty parlour. A fabulous pink room with mirrors, lights and pink high chairs and the kids got either face paint or hair spray. It is really great for girls - makes me want one....

Birthday Party

Kira and Ava celebrated their first birthdays in style. After a big sleep the little girls enjoyed the cold and windy day inside with around 20 other children (and adults) with a wildlife show. It is rare to have wildlife at home, let alone a snake slithering along your carpet. It was great. The host had a vast knowledge but also was great with the kids. She knew everyones names and used them - and with 2 sets of idential twins this girl deserves some credit. Not only that, she kept a diverse crowd contained, quiet and entertained for over an hour and a half.

The kids got to hold a variety of animals...

and native wildlife.. and even the adults got into it!

baby shower

I was off to celebrate all things pink and baby today at a baby shower today. My girlfriends house was all decorated and we played party games such as spit the dummy and a guessing game tasting baby food. All good fun. I had never been to one before and it was quite fun - and as there were lots of preggie bellies there was more champagne for me!!

Fairy Party

Fairies on a treasure hunt in the garden
Party bags made with the birthday girl, using stencils and stick on letters.

Biscuit wands for all the fairies.

Another outing for Peter Pan - this is what a boy wears to a fairy party.

The beautiful birthday girl and her fairy toadstool house cake.

Musical toadstools - (themed musical chairs- sans chairs)

Oh, and one other thing I have to mention which I think was terrific. Pass the parcel. Even the kids are over this game these days as they all EXPECT a prize in each wrapping and once they have had a turn, they have a tendancy to wander off. What Kirty did was wrap up all the prizes in the MIDDLE, so every child got something but there is still incentive to sit to the end of the game. Hooray, I will be adopting this next time.

Ah hoy there!

Firstly, let me apologise for the quality of these photos. I was actually having too much fun to take them. We were off at a party today that was so much fun. It was a pirate theme and Nay had spent a lot of time making and hiding treasure chests filled with the costumes. Printed t-shirts and headscarfs for the pirates, and mermaid skirts and necklaces for the girls. The food for both the adults and kids was delicous as we lazed around and in the pool in the sunshine.

Party Time

Before any good party, you have to have a power nap - especially on New Years Eve. The twins went down relatively easy today, but of course it was together - and they actually slept.

Then it was party time - over at a friends house a few families gathered for a beer and barbie and it was such a good night. The kids all played really well with each other, and we were left to chat about nothings. (and whether Kellie from Hi5 was pregnant or just got fat). We didn't quite manage to see the new year in there but had a great time.

Tis the season

December is SO the silly season. Most of the kids I know (or even have) have birthdays, there is the whole Christmas thing, and the big squirrels clients all want everything finished by Christmas. So as what is becoming some what of a Christmas tradition, he was working, and we went to a birthday/christmas party at Two Little Buttons, as it was button 2's 2nd birthday. He had a lovely day, as did my boys roaming around in the backyard ( I had lectured in the car on the way there that there was to be no swimming, and thankfully it wasn't an issue). The sun was out which was a rarity this summer and we hope he had a happy birthday. Sadly, as my hands were full of children, I have no photos of the day, I do have photos of the lovely gifts she gave us. Above are great picnic placemat rolls which the boys love. My favorites are the peg reindeers which were tied onto the magic reindeer food, to scatter on the lawn on christmas eve to help santa find your house. Because she wasn't already generous or busy enough, she also made cupcakes for all the kids to take home, which were decorated like reindeers, with pretzels for antlers. I dont have any photos of these either - because the boys devoured them in the car!!