Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Gabe & Ari’s Camping 6 Year Birthday Party

The Taylor Twins turned six, so this called for a double celebration.  I figured that I needed to plan a party that would accommodate a seriously huge number of kids, because that’s what we were working with.  I love big parties; watching my kids laugh and play with their friends, having an excuse to have one giant play date, the cooking and prepping… all of it.  This year, we threw a Camp Out party.  We had an impressive turn-out, and I think everyone had a great time. 

Here’s how it’s done:

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The Campsite: We had three tents set up.  Many kids brought their sleeping bags just for fun (and extra seating).

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The Birthday Boy & Birthday Girl:  Gabe & Ari.  My whole family wore tie dye, because that’s all I can remember wanting to wear to camp when I was a kid.

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On the menu:  Mud Sliders, Roasted Weenies in Blankets, Ants on a Log, Acorn cookies, Bowl of Dirt (with critters), S’mores Pops, Trail Mix, Creature Candy (gummy/chocolate worms, frogs, rocks, & toasted marshmallow jelly beans), and our Camp cake with Bug Juice to wash it all down.

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Activities included Tug of War, a Nature Scavenger Hunt, Roasting Marshmallows & playing in the tents.  I put name tags on each kid to go along with the theme, but also to help me out with remembering names.  I would definitely do this again!

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Every camper got an LED Flashlight as a party favor and for use in their scavenger hunt (just in case it got dark out).

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I broke the group up into four teams for the scavenger hunt to keep the number of kids on each team manageable.  They each decided on a team name and a cheer. I wish I could remember what they were now, because they were all so funny and creative.

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Scavenged treasures from The Trails Park:

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The wind made keeping the fires lit a little tricky, but the marshmallow roast was still a success!

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They played and socialized with their friends.

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Camp Cake was a hit.

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My poor baby Liam was not feeling well the whole day… or for two weeks after that.  He’s finally better now.

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Happy trails! 

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Sunday, March 3, 2013

Gabe & Ari’s Birthday Questionnaire

Gabe and Ari are six (as of a couple weeks ago).  I usually get all nostalgic around their birthday, but this year I didn’t do that.  It feels like six years, and it feels good.  It’s been six whole years since one of the most difficult and most wonderful times in my life.  I love them even more than I did when they were five, and I didn’t think that was possible. 

Gabe is smart, sensitive, imaginative, considerate, respectful (most of the time), loving, inquisitive, a little suspicious, cautious, and very social.  In his free time, he enjoys reading about religious stories and battles, practicing basketball in the neighbor’s driveway, riding his bike and his razor scooter, playing with his Mobigo hand-held game, and playing with Legos. 

Ari is sweet, thoughtful, flirty, occasionally bashful, hopelessly happy, funny, extremely social, loving, patient, daring, strong-willed, and charming.  In her free time, she enjoys going to the park, driving her power wheelchair, chatting on the phone with family members, physical play and rough housing, making music and listening/dancing to music, and playing her iPad, Mobigo & Tag Reader.

These are their Birthday Questionnaires for YEAR 6.  Gabe’s survey is all direct quotes except what’s in parenthesis.  Ari’s survey is based off my knowledge of her, which I have to say, is pretty accurate indeed.

GABRIEL PIERCE

Nicknames: Gabe, Gabey, Gabey Baby, Caramel Pudding

Animal:  coyote

Color:  blue

Book:  Charlie and The Chocolate Factory

TV Show:  Phineas and Ferb

Movie:  Star Wars

Sport:  basketball

Song:  “Choose the Right”

Food:  barbecue

Drink:  Jamba Juice

Breakfast:  regular Cheerios

Snack:  Z Bars

Outfit:  tie dye shirt

Game:  Skylanders

Toy:  my toy weapons

Best Friend:  I have all different kinds of friends, and I don’t know my first [best] friend.  (Miles is who he usually names)

Thing To Do:  play basketball in the game

Thing To Do Outside:  shoot hoops

Holiday:  my birthday

What You Like to Take to Bed w/You at Night:  my Biggidey Bear (and all his other lovies)

Place to Go:  Disneyland

Restaurant:  IHOP

Where You Want to Go on Vacation:  Legoland

What You Want to Be When You Grow Up:  President

ARIANA ELISE

Nicknames:  Ari, Ariana Banana, Ariana Piranha, Princess, Chocolate Pudding

Animal:  dog

Color:  pink (she says it all the time on her talker)

Book:  all of her Tag Reader books, especially the princess ones

TV Show:  Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

Movie:  Winnie the Pooh 2, Ice Age (she thinks these are both hilarious!)

Sport:  swimming, horseback riding

Song:  all Top 40 Hits on the radio, especially the ones with a faster beat

Food:  barbecue, salad

Drink:  Capri Sun juice boxes (downs them in less than a minute)

Breakfast:  Raisin Nut Bran cereal

Snack:  Pirate’s Booty

Outfit:  dresses

Game:  iPad apps:  Toca Boca Hair Salon 2, Letter School

Toy:  Tag Reader, Mobigo

Best Friend:  Ari has tons of friends.  I have been repeatedly told that Ari is “the most popular kindergartener in the whole school”.  I’d have to say her best friends are Caden L. and Tylie.

Thing to Do:  Play iPad

Thing to Do Outside:  swim, horseback ride, drive her power wheelchair, swing

Holiday:  Christmas and her birthday

What You Like To Take To Bed With You:  her sister, Isabella

Place to Go:  Disneyland

Restaurant:  not sure on this one, but probably McDonalds for the play place

Park Date

My kids like to take their sweet time getting ready for school in the mornings.  They huddle by the heater or bury their heads in their covers like teenagers (it’s really not even cold in the house), and avoid getting going at all costs.  I’ve had to offer a little incentive or else we would have tardy passes in hand every day.  Lately, we have been having “competitions” for who can get ready the fastest.  Gabe has the advantage, because we don’t need to fuss with his hair (and he has two hands), but the others still give him a run for his money.  The prize can be anything ranging from just choosing the breakfast to going on a big surprise date, depending on by how much of a landslide the prize is won.  On this particular day, Bella won a trip to Freestone Park to ride the train and the rides they have.  The rides weren’t open, but she never missed them.  We had a super time having a picnic, feeding the ducks, and running around in the gorgeous weather.  It’s days like this one that make me miss having my older two at home during the day.  I love my Taylor babies.

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