Horse Races and Easter Fun

Easter weekend has long passed, but I kind of want to document it because the kids loved it (and so did I). The evening before, we joined Dianna’s family at the Sam Houston Race Track for $1 Night. Admittance was $1, hot dogs were $1, sodas were $1, and the little petting zoo was free!

I picked a horse with a name I liked, placed a $2 bet, and won so my night was basically free. I did the same thing the only other time I ever went to the Race Track and won then, too. My tip of picking the horse with the best name is a gold mine.

 For Easter, I took extra care in dressing the kids, but failed to take pics of anyone except Ellie. Oh wait; I did snap a pic when I was sitting out with Sam on the couch because he has become unmanageable during church.

After church, some good friends of ours invited us out to their golf course for dinner and an Easter egg hunt. I filled over 100 eggs and dropped them off the night before so they could hide them all over their course.

The kids loved it, but I am pretty sure they had even more fun hunting for golf balls at a penny a ball (Ellie gathered 193 golf balls). All-in-all, it was a dang fun weekend.

Rollerskating and Partying Potter-style.

I am way behind in blogging because I am still recuperating from the three birthday parties I hosted just over a week ago.  Everything turned out great, but I don't think I will do that again!  It all started with Ellie asking for a friend party this year.  The problem with living so close to family and having so many cousins, is that by the time I invite all the relatives, there is no room or money for friends!  So, I let Ellie invite 15 friends (4 of those friends being cousins close to her age) to a party at the rollerskating rink.  That was the easiest party.  The rink provided the food, drinks, ice cream, and skates.  All I had to brink were some glow-in-the dark accessories for the kids and a cookie cake.

It was fun and low-key, which was a good thing considering I was throwing a Harry Potter party for the family that evening!  My family does a monthly dinner where we rotate houses.  We also try to celebrate any birthdays that month at the dinner.  Ellie really wanted a Harry Potter birthday party and it was my turn to host the dinner, so I decided to combine the two. 

We started off the evening with a game of Quidditch.  Fortunately for me, my good friend was the sponsor of my school's now-defunct Quidditch club and she had all the materials and the rule book.  My family loved this game more than I expected and didn't want to stop playing!  They are even begging to play it again.  After the game, we had Potter Pizza, Slytherin Salad, Ravenclaw Raspberries, Gryffindor Grapes, Olivander's Edible Wands, Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans (Jelly Bellies), and cupcakes with Harry Potter rings on top. Oh yeah, and Butter Beer (root beer floats) and The Elixir of Life (water) Then the kids made their own Hedwings by drawing on white helium balloons. 

I would say it was a success.  So successful, in fact, that I recreated it the following day for Tom's side of the family (minus the Quiddich since they are not fans of games or Harry Potter)!

All three parties went smoothly, but considering it was packed in a weekend between two very busy work weeks, it was crazy exhausting.  Next year I need to find a better way to consolidate friends and family into one massive party!

Dear Ellie

Dear Ellie,

You have been 8 for over a week now, but, in my defense, I already wrote your birthday letter in our Mama & Me journal on your actual birthday.  I love the journal that we pass back and forth between us because it is something special that just the two of us share.  As the oldest, you are sometimes overshadowed by the demands of your younger brothers, but the journal keeps us connected.

This past year I have watched you become a confident, independent young lady. You make your own breakfast in the mornings (usually oatmeal or toaster pancakes) and often make breakfast for Jack, too.  In the afternoons, you do your own homework with no help from me.  In fact, you often do it at school so it doesn't cut into your play time. You have your own sense of style and insist on wearing what you want, when you want, without caring if I say it doesn't look good.  You value your own opinion above anyone other opinion. As frustrating as it can be, I kind of love that about you.

You are excelling at school. This is the first year you get actual grades on your report card and so far you have made straight As.  Even better, you have not had a single mark on your weekly conduct card.  You enjoy all your subjects, but Reading and Science are your favorites.  You cannot go to sleep at night without reading and when I come wake you in the mornings, I always find you surrounded by several books.  You finished reading the Harry Potter series this past year and it is by far your favorite.  You wish with all your heart that Hogwarts was a real school and that you could go there.

You love animals and you have mentioned to me several times that you feel you are more animal than human.  You have always preferred soft, plush animals to dolls and that is still the case.  When we organized your room, your stuffed animals were the only thing you absolutely wouldn't part with.

You also love to swim, ride your bike, jump on the trampoline, and play soccer.  You love soccer and swim team more for the social aspect rather than the actual sport, and you don't have much of a competitive spirit.  You have a kind heart and you often surprise me with your insights into others' feelings and actions.

Ellie, I have relied on you so much this past year, and you have really stepped up to the plate.  I often call you Mom Two because of how well you take care of your younger brothers.  I don't know what I would do without you, my Ellie-Belly.  Happy birthday, sweet girl.

Love,
Mama

Dear Sam

Dear Sam,

Exactly one year ago today, you were placed in my arms, and I fell madly in love. You were my unplanned baby, the one I never knew I was missing.  That day, everything fell into place and I realized that, finally, our family was complete.

This past year you have brought so much joy to our home.  Your brother and sister adore you and you them.  You get frustrated when they climb the barrier to the stairs and leave you behind, or run outside to play leaving you to watch sadly through the window.  Luckily for you, they usually like to play with you and humor you when you interfere with their games.  Except for when they are building block towers...then they create an elaborate barricade to keep you from crawling over to knock it down.

This morning your sister told me that you got your sense of humor because you were born on April Fool's Day.  I chose to have you on that day as a nod to you being our little surprise, but she is right in that you are one funny dude.  You have a great sense of humor. You like to laugh and tease and imitate much to the amusement of those around you.

You are most definitely a mama's boy and will not go to anyone else if I am in eyesight.  I am one of the few people you will cuddle with because you prefer to be facing out, watching the world around you.  I have never seen anyone so focused and observant as you.

I don't have your measurements yet, but I am pretty sure you are 100+ percentile! You still refuse to hold your own bottle, but you can feed yourself solids with ease.  You got to have your first cupcake on Saturday and there was no hesitation...you just devoured the thing.  You were so delighted by the taste that you kept stopping to clap and wave your arms wildly in the air.  That's pretty much how I feel when I have a cupcake, too.

Happy birthday, Sam the Man!  I love you forever.

Mama