Six+ Weeks Before the party:
Me: Mara, what kind of birthday party do you want to have?
Mara: Hello Kitty

Me: Great. Where do you want to have the party? Gymnastics?
Mara: No! Bouncy party!

Me: Are you sure, you loved Thane’s gymnastics party.
Mara: No, Bounce Bounce Bounce

….

Jay and I scout out places and try to pick the least evil bouncy party. A tough task. Have I mentioned how much I do not like bouncy parties?

Place booked. Reserved. Small snag with booking it same day as a friend’s daughter’s Sweet 16 (more to come) but all in all no snags with date. Got one RSVP no.

Nouna works on invitations and creates an awesome Hello Kitty invite. I buy favors and plan her outfit: the Hello Kitty dress from H&M I got in Sweden.

Invitations Sent. Cake Pops ordered (Yes, Cake Pops, not cake. Easiest thing ever)
….

Two Weeks Before Party:
Thane: Mara are you excited about your party?
Mara: Yay, Bouncy Hello Kitty Party!!!
Thane: Don’t you want to have a Toy Story party and be Jesse???
Mara: Yay, Toy Story Party! Woody!
Me: Umm…but you love hello kitty. [Looking at Jay for help.]
Jay: [Shrugs shoulders] She does love Woody.
Mara: Hello Kitty AND Toy Story
Me: [Leaves Room]

Later…
Mara: Hello Kitty, Hello Kitty, Hello Kitty
Me: Oh Thank God.

…
Day of the Party

It’s my party and I will cry if I want to gives new meaning to a 3 year old who did not nap enough. She falls asleep in the car and we get set up while she naps with Jay. Waking her up is no small task. But she does, and warms up after seeing “Bouncies!!!”

The rest can best be shared with pictures! It was a fabulous party in no small thanks to everyone that was there. So much fun and only a few tears. We had a fantastic turnout and the kids were exhausted by the end. Thanks so much everyone! Happy 3rd Birthday, Koukla!

There is no snow on the ground. It is 56 degrees outside. We have Christmas Carols playing on the radio telling us how cold it is outside (or should be).

Now this is how to celebrate Christmas.

Santa had some elves helping him wrap the mountain of Christmas presents last night way past midnight. Luckily, the children fell asleep around 9. The visiting Elves, Thanos and Madeleine went back to the North Pole last night when Santa arrived. Jay and I watched A Christmas Story and wondered how early the kids, who could barely contain there excitement to fall asleep, would wake up to see what Santa brought.

7:50 am arrived when I finally looked at the clock and the two kids still sound asleep next to me.

A few minutes later (after Pappou was woken up by an excited Thane and Mara) we were all awake though and checking how good Santa thought we had been this year.

Apparently, we had been very good.

Special thanks to Pappou, Nouna Nina, Uncle Jim & Aunt Diane, Uncle Terry & Aunt Joann, Aunt Sue, and Miss Tiffany for being part of our morning…even from afar.

Before I start, excuse the picture quality. It was my phone this morning in the dark or nothing.

We decorated outside for Halloween this year and it was awesome. Spiders and spider webs, pumpkins and scarecrows. The kids loved it. We loved it. The house was so much fun to come home to at night.

Halloween came and went and there was no mistaking it. Our decorations were not fall or Thanksgiving, they were 100% Halloween. We live in a Nazi patrolled HOA, so we knew there was an expiration date on those decorations, and now, well into November, they were starting to smell sour.

Looking longingly at our front doorstep, I realize that I have shortchanged this beautiful home so many times, calling it small, apologizing for it even. We did a great job with Halloween and I was so sad to see it taken away and replaced with nothing. It gave me a whole new appreciation for our home.

This weekend was quieter for us, if you can call 2 birthday parties and 1 hockey practice quieter, so I decided it was time to take down the Halloween decorations and…decorate for Christmas! We had to go up in the attic anyway for the winter clothes. Might as well do both!

So up in the attic I went and down came everything. It looked like Hurricane Fani hit the house.

Two days later we had (most) of the clothes put away and all of the not fragile Christmas decorations up. To fully take advantage of the huge ceiling we have, we got a new prelit tree. It was so much easier to put up. Well, for Jay anyway. I exerted about the same amount of energy watching him.

Our New 9 Foot Pre-Lit Tree

And a new 9 foot tree needs new decorations. Our trees are always rather barren anyway. Working on it. Thane and Mara had fun putting on the Star Wars and Toy Story decorations that they picked out this year.

All the wreaths are on each window outside, 4 total.

Last night, after everything was up, the elves, Thanos and Madeleine, made a return visit.

Mommy: ~Slamming a box down on the ground, not heard by anyone in the living room.~
Mommy: ~Rushes into the living room~ “What was that noise?!?!?”
Thane: “I don’t know.” ~Seeing my big grin~ “Let’s look!”
~Several minutes of looking ensue while I direct them to the dining room
~And then the dining room table
~Kids, will you just look up?? I cannot stand the suspense!
Mommy: “I think it came from above the table!”
Thane: ~Finally looking at the light~ “Thanos and Madeleine found us! They’re back!”
Mara: “And they brought spiders!”
Mommy: ~Maybe I should have picked a cobweb-free zone for their first arrival spot~

On a very positive note, I had two angels for children last night. Thanos and Madeleine’s arrival (with a new skirt for Madeleine) prompted very good behavior. Thane was especially excited to see them and brought Star Wars gear (decoration, shoes, etc) down for them to see and then told them about his hockey bed. He was very happy they came back to visit.