Happy Birthday!

It is always a super busy time around our house from December - February celebrating Christmas and about a billion birthdays.  This year I decided to make it "simple" and allow Avery and Cael to have sleepover birthday parties on the same night.  I figured I would just let the house get destroyed in one fell swoop - and it did!  They both got to invite two friends.  It was funny to watch the difference between boys and girls.  The boys were in competition mode the entire night whether it was battling beyblades or battling eachother on the Wii or having a farting contest (gross).  

The girls on the other hand played gymnastics class, watched a Barbie movie and even organized an adventure for their barbies all around the house.  The girls played so sweetly.   Gabriel pingponged between the two groups who were both very gracious in letting him join in their fun.  

I did not think I was going to be the mom that let little kids stay up all night at a sleepover, but they totally did!  It was so cute listening to the kids whisper and giggle and fart themselves to sleep.  

I know anyone who sees this picture is going to be jealous of my awesome cake decorating skills!

Opening presents 

Silly girls 

Serious Wii playing 

So I am sure you are thinking - Hey, What about Gabriel's birthday?  Well, one day while watching cartoons on PBS which is sponsored by the evil Chuck E Cheese corporation, Gabe said "Mommy, you never take me anywhere fun like Chuck E Cheese.  You have only taken Avery and Cael."  So while my decision making skills were dampened by extreme mommy guilt I talked Corbin into surprising Gabe with an outing to Chuck E Cheese for his birthday. Uncle Collin and Aunt Dawn and my parents were kind enough (and brave enough) to join us.  NEVER AGAIN!  Mark my words...I will never again take my kids there on my own accord.  We had planned to eat supper there, and quickly decided based on the dirt, grime, and sheer number of people that also had the insane idea of spending an evening at Chuck E Cheese that we would not be partaking in a meal.  We spent more money that I care to admit to let the kids play for about two hours.  After prolonged exposure to every bacteria and virus known to mankind and an hour of intense contemplation in a sea of people at the prize counter we left with one sticky frog, a pencil and a two sets of vampier teeth.  While chasing my kids through masses of people and acting as the official ticket holder I did not take a single picture of the event.  Rest assured our pain was defiantly the children's gain.  They had fun and Gabe declared it the best birthday EVER - which says a lot when you are 4 years old!