Izzy's 12th Birthday Party

Though the pandemic is improving with the addition of vaccinations, we still kept this in mind with planning for a birthday celebration for Izzy with her friends.  She requested a cupcake wars birthday party which could be done outside.  Rain was forecasted but held off making the day lovely.

Izzy's idea was to have each guest assigned a holiday in which they decorated their cupcakes in that theme.  Provided were many choices of sprinkles, colored frosting, and fondant.  We thought choices of cupcakes would also make this celebration more special.  And so a few hours later, we made 48 chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet cupcakes.  By the end of Izzy's party, we only had 4 cupcakes not decorated.  All the rest were decorated or ate by the guests and my munchkins.

A three legged race allowed for the winners to have first dibs on choosing which holiday they wanted.  The rest of the guests had to decide which holiday went to who amongst themselves.

My two little helpers.  This whole party could not have been pulled off without their help.

Izzy's holiday - Thanksgiving

Charlotte's holiday - Halloween

Shiri's holiday - 4th of July

Zoe's holiday - Easter

Daphne's holiday - Christmas

Michael's holiday - New Year's Eve

Char's holiday - Valentine's Day

Micah, Victoria, and I were the judge's for this cupcake war's challenge.  We kept to a mathematical formula to determine winners.

Best Use of Frosting - Izzy (Thanksgiving)

1st Place - Zoe (Easter)

Best Holiday Spirit - Charlotte (Halloween)

Best Use of Color - Shiri (4th of July)

The week of Izzy's birthday was the week the FDA approved the Covid vaccination for children 12 years and older.  This was by far the most important birthday present I could have given Izzy.

 

Izzy's 12th Birthday

My gift this year for Izzy's birthday was a 5 minute shopping spree at Target.  Rules included that she must carry everything she wanted and that only she could grab the items.  By keeping to 5 minutes, this also prevented her from choosing objects that were locked (and more expensive).  

I don't know if she enjoyed her gift more or me watching her.  She could not make her mind up which aisle to run to or what item to grab.  She would second guess herself and not grab an item only to return and pick it up.

At nearly every turn Micah and Victoria were present to help Izzy out on the decision making.  I'm sure if they were allowed to carry Izzy's items, they would have been stacked to the max.

And.... 5 minutes are up!  During her shopping spree, Izzy found a bit of time to grab something for Micah and Victoria.  That sweet, caring spot in her heart is still present and one of her best assets.

That day my little helper (aka Victoria) helped me create Izzy's requested birthday cake - chocolate and peanut butter.  Though Izzy had a request, she had no further input for what she wanted her cake to be.  With those two flavors, Victoria and I decided to incorporate crunchy candies.  Her idea was to add chocolate chips between each layer which, I admit, was a wonderful touch.

Our final chocolate & peanut butter cake masterpiece!

After cake, we finished the night by opening presents from family.  She enjoyed all her gifts as they fit her personality and age very well.

 

Happy Mother's Day

During February school vacation we discovered a few fun places we put on our to-do list.  Having tea at Alice in the Village.  The theme was intriguing enough and so we made a plan to come her for Mother's Day.  Reservations were necessary but they were not opened for several weeks which lead to checking every few days.  When they finally opened, all sots for Mother's Day were taken.  So we settled for the Saturday prior which turned out to be lovely as it left our Sunday less hectic.

So many teas to choose from!

Guess which one was Victoria's favorite?... unicorns!

These drinks were the most surprising aspect of our day.  They were novel versions of the Cheshire Cat complete with color changing.  While the flavor's name (Cotton Candy Tea) might not stimulate you, the actual flavor was quite delicious.

Micah was not into drinking any more tea for the day.  The girls however were leading to the three of use ordering different flavors.  Izzy choose the Mother's Day tea which was just the right blend of floral and sweet.  Victoria choose the Raspberry tea which was light and airy.  I choose a Peach tea which was fruity.  The best was the Mother's Day tea.  I would definitely drink that again if an option.

The main event was the tower of sweet and savory treats.  Our taste buds were delighted by common flavors (PB&J, egg salad, and pasta) as well as novel treats.  Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs as we were unable to consume everything.

A fun surprise was to paint the Queen's white roses red.

On Mother's Day itself, the kids allowed me to pick the restaurant for lunch after church.  We found a fun hole in the wall that served Tex Mex; Lone Star Taco Bar.  Though Victoria is not a fan of Mexican, she sure cleaned her plate.