Sienna's Rainbow party (just 6 months late)

So I totally thought I blogged about Sienna's Rainbow Party (3 years old!) but was looking for it today to get the cake recipe and couldn't find it. I think I was waiting (for me!) to edit the pictures, which didn't happen since I had a newborn baby and have been a little busy. And it still hasn't happened, since I keep waiting until I learn photoshop, but I give up.  SO, here are the pics from her party, in all their unedited glory!  I thought I'd include links to a few other things used.  If you're in pinterest, I have a Rainbow Party board, where I pinned tons of cute ideas. 

We had a pool party at our clubhouse, which was so nice.  That's one fun thing about a summer bday.  I hadn't really thought about some of the things that were going to be melting in the hot sun--like the marshmallow pops.  Oh well!  The kids didn't seem to mind.  Here is a picture of the table.  Sorry it's so dark. I knew if I waited to edit all the pictures again, they'd never get posted!  The rainbow garland was a last minute idea and I just got a bunch of scraps of fabric and ribbon (and a few birthday balloons) and organized them by color. Then I tied them onto twine--voila! Super cute and super easy!

To make the rainbow slush I just opened a ton of otter pops.  I would do a layer at a time and then put it in the freezer for a little while before I'd start the next color, that way the colors wouldn't bleed into the next color.  This was definitely the hit of the party!

 

My amazing friend Melissa did the cupcakes for me. She's a cupcake queen (I almost said cupcake whore, but I thought queen would be nicer).  She knew I was stressed and offered to bake the cupcakes and ended up decorating them all for me as well. She's the best, totally saved the day! I saw the cupcakes online with the rainbow candy and fell in love, so she recreated them for me!  I found the rainbow candy in the dollar section at Target. I think they are airhead brand? I could be lying.  

 http://craftygirl.typepad.com/deuxpetiteamie/2011/02/free-cupcake-toppers.html
I lucked out and found the giant swirl suckers at the dollar store for cheap, but I know oriental trading company also sells them. 

Marshmallow pops. So easy! And kids love 'em.

  

 Rainbow cake! Sienna loved it. It's a little less intense than the 7-layers striped rainbow cake. 

 Here is the link to the instructions. http://www.omnomicon.com/rainbowcake

 

Take home gift.  Here is a link to the "Thank you for coming" rainbow tag. http://picklebums.com/2010/11/19/printable-rainbow-cupcake-toppers/ 

I just bought suckers and rainbow crayons from Oriental trading company.  The crayons looked like giant crayons in the picture and apparently I didn't read the fine print, so I ended up improvising and filled the bag with skittles to fill it up a little.

My girly girl

Sienna LOVES getting her nails painted.  We had a "girls day" the other day and she went crazy picking out the perfect polish for her toes and her fingernails. Of course she had to pull out every shade of pink and then picked between the pinks. She a little diva and just loved staring (and pulling faces) at herself in the mirror of the caboodle.  Yes, don't be jealous, that is the real thing (the caboodle, that is--Thank you, Melissa!). Oh, and Sienna is OBSESSED with braids (I think that's because of our cute nanny Ashley!). Lately, it's the only hairdo she wants--piggy tails with braids.  Pretty cute if you ask me, just not much diversity these days! 

So I was chastised tonight by my sister-in-law Debi for not updating my blog or facebook with pics of the kids. She's said she's not sure they're even alive, so here's the proof.  Here are some photos from Christmas at my parents.  Since my in-laws are on their mission, we ended up just staying at my parents for a few days.  It was nice hot running back and forth, but we missed the Jeff Hanson family and all the Dixon clan! 

 This is my little guy 99% of the time.  He's such a happy baby. I'm so lucky. I love that he gives his smiles so freely.  He smiles and makes you feel like you're the only one for him.   LOVE this kid.

 Uncle Rob & Luke just chillin'

 As you can tell, we are still trying to figure out how to get our 3-year-old sit still and actually look at the camera for just one family photo. Soooo frustrating! 

LOVE my kiddos in these cute stripey jammies.

 Sienna lost her favorite puppy Coconut .  By the way, Coconut is a dalmation puppy who she named coconut because of all the "coconuts" he had all over him.  She now gets that they are "polka dots", but the name has stuck!  Anyway, she lost him so she started asking Santa for a puppy for Christmas. I was always grateful when she would clarify that it was not a "real puppy, just a pretend one".  Well, we found Coconut, so I thought we didn't need another puppy.  A few days before Christmas, suddenly she was asking for a puppy again. I was pretty certain (100% certain) that Santa was all done with Sienna's Christmas presents and she may not get a puppy.  Fortunately for Sienna, she has an amazing Grandma who saved the day and hooked the girl up with a pretty cool puppy.  He comes in this cute purse/doctor's bag. You push his paw and he coughs and sneezes and his nose turns bright red, so you get to pull out the "telescope" (stethoscope), a tissue to wipe his nose (which makes the light/nose turn off). He also  nibbles on a bone, sucks from a bottles, gives a sigh of relief when you give him a shot, you can write prescriptions, etc... He is super soft and super cute. Can you tell Sienna is in love?  Oh, and she named him Sonny, after the dog I had growing up.  Oh wait, I've been calling it a "him". She told me she needed to name it a girl name like "Sunny".  Little does she know "Sonny" was a boy!  Oh well!

 Too bad this girl isn't spoiled. She's got three single aunt/uncles and she and Luke are the only Grandkids in Utah, so she gets spoiled rotten.  Check out all her loot! 

It's funny, for being such a non-cuddly baby, this little girl has turned into such a little cuddle bug.  She loves giving hugs and snuggling!

Oh, one more thing I don't want to forget. On Christmas Eve Sienna finally started to get really excited about Santa, so she could not go to sleep quickly enough. She typically she wants us to lay with her and bargains for just "4 more minutes" and "1 more story" or "I'm thirsty" (like all kids do, just trying to delay the inevitable).  Not this night.  Dan tucked her in and she promptly said, "Can you please get out of my room now, so Santa will come?"  Then I went to kiss her goodnight and she said the same thing to me.  This is the first year Sienna has really understood or been excited about Santa, so I had forgotten to set out cookies for Santa, etc... So when I tucked her in, I asked her if I should set out some treats for Santa. She got all excited and said yes, and that I should set out some cookies and milk for Santa. And then she followed it up with "and some ham."  Ham? I was laughing so hard and said, "Ham? We should leave Santa some ham?" And she said, "ya, in case the reindeer get hungry, too."  So, apparently, reindeer just love ham.  After all these years, how could I not have known this?

A few faves...

So I get so behind on blogging that I get discouraged posting anything at all. I don't have/make time to download my pics, to edit them, the upload them, yaddi, yaddi, yadda....but finally did. I decided to just post them without editing any of them. Get over it. 

Luke's trying to bring back the mullet. Nothin' like a little business on top and party in the back.  We think it's hilarious. 

 

Definitely cuter from the front. :)

 Here are Luke's two little bottom teeth, which broke through around 4 1/2 months!  We were definitely not expecting that!

Sienna is the queen of dress ups.  Definitely not one of her best pictures, she looks a little drunk. :)

 Luke is loving the exersaucer these days.  It totally keeps him entertained and happy.

 Sienna loves her little "Lukey, scmooky, pooky, boo boo...". She loves to hold him, snuggle with him, read to him. She's such a good big sister.  She loves him to pieces.

 This is to document Luke's eczema  There are times this kid wakes up looking like he slept in a lion's den.  No matter how often or carefully I cut his nails, he manages to find ways to scratch.  Poor little guy. It's definitely gotten lots better since we started using cortisone and aquaphor. 

 He's now almost 5 months old! We just started rice cereal. He likes sitting in the bumbo, but is not sure about the rice cereal.

 This is my happy little guy. He really is such a sweet natured baby.  Can't get enough of this boy!

Sienna had a little friend over the other night and they were in their pj's, with dress-ups over them and wearing sun glasses as they watched "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas". She is such a fun, spunky little thing, never lacking in personality!

Sienna-isms

There are so many things Sienna says that I don't want to forget. I need to be better at writing them all down.

The other night Sienna and I were telling secrets (like "I love you to the moon and back!) and she whispered in my ear "I'm so happy that we get to be together ALL the time."  Then she followed it up with "Don't tell dad!".  Since she is such a daddy's girl, it's nice to know that she actually does like me, at least some of the time! :)

She's been getting all tongue twisted when she tries to say "Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite."  Tonight she said "Sleepy night tight." 

I love that Sienna still says "Sorget," instead of Forget.

Oh, and tonight she said "Dad, Luke is a baby rock star."  Not sure where that came from.  She's always keep us laughing!

Black Bean and Pumpkin Chili

Don't be scared by the name of the recipe. I promise, it's super tasty!  You wouldn't even guess that it has pumpkin in it. It's very hearty and it's healthy!  We had it tonight with corn bread and it was perfect!

Black Bean & Pumpkin Chili

1 Medium Onion

1 Yellow Bell Pepper

3 Garlic cloves minced

3 C chicken broth

2 cans black beans - rinsed and drained

1 lb ground turkey

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes

2 tsp. parsley

2 tsp. chili powder

1 1/2 tsp. oregano 

1 1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. salt

 

Saute meat, onions, and bell pepper until cooked.  Add garlic and spices and cook. *  Add everything together and simmer for 15-20 mins. (*You can also transfer to a 5 quart slow cooker, stir in remaining ingredients, cover and cook on low for 4 hours)

 

Luke is 4 1/2 months old!

Guess who rolled over today?  Yep. Luke is 4 1/2 month old now. Time flies, huh? He is such a mellow, happy baby. Well, most of the time. He definitely has his moments where he tests out his lungs to make sure they work well.  Generally speaking, he is a very happy, easy going baby. He sleeps through the night and most mornings I find him laying in his crib, cooing and smiling up at me. 

He does have some eczema, which is no fun. He is usually covered with scratch marks, since his skin is so itchy. We've started covering him head-to-toe with aquaphor and then covering his red spots/the areas that itch with some mild cortisone cream, which has done a world of good for him.  I just can't seem to keep his finger nails short enough!  He still manages to find some little corner that he can gouge his face with.  Poor little guy.

As you can see, he has turned into quite the little thumb sucker. We have tried to turn him onto the binkie, but he's just not nearly as much of a fan as he is with his thumb. I have to admit, it's super cute and super convenient. I just know I won't feel the same when he's 5 years old (which was me!).  He loves this play mat. Seriously it's like Disneyland for the kid.  He gets all tuckered out from playing so hard. 

Sienna is three years old and the best sister in the world. She couldn't love this kid more. Anytime he is around she's climbing all around him, loving, hugging, holding, practically suffocating the poor little guy. She's hilarious. We need to get more of it on video. She'll get right in his face, so intensely, and say "Hi, little guy.  Hi there, little Lukey, mookey, pookey....my little boo, boo, my goo, goo."  So, now she calls him her "Goo Goo" and says to him, "You're so cutie." 

I find it so interesting that Sienna did great for the first 2 months, but then the last couple of months she has really struggled. Anytime I'm feeding Luke she wants to sit on my lap, or wants me to hold her. She will stand in the doorway of her room, completely melting down, saying that her legs don't work.  I try to be patient and show her lots of love, since I know her world has gotten completely rocked, but, man, it's tough. She really tries my patience these days.  She adores Dan.  She can't get enough of him, totally prefers him to me.  I'll be honest, there are times when it's super convenient, but most of the time it's just annoying.  You just can't take it personally, but sometimes it's just frustrating when you think of the fact that you were the one who suffered through the pregnancy, gave birth to them, watch them all day, every day and care for all their needs, and then you're really just chopped liver.  But then there are moments where she is the sweetest thing ever, and turn to me and say, "Mom, I just love you so much." or "Mom, you're so pretty." 

She says the funniest things.  She knows I hate Max and Ruby, so she'll always ask me, "Mom, do you like Max and Ruby?" and I'll say no. The other day she asked me and then said, "Well, dad does. A little bit."  Then she's laying on the couch and says, "Mom, Ruby has lots of great ideas."  I don't know what she's talking about, since I think it's the least creative, most boring cartoon out there.

The other day Dan was shaving and asked her if she liked his goatie and she said, "Nope. It has too much texture."  What 3 year old says something like that? The girl cracks us up!"

"Mom, see? That is what my tummy likes...when I eat french fries, it makes me healthy and strong." Hm...not sure where she heard that french fries makes you healthy...

For over a month we've had this Sleeping Beauty princess dress and shoes picked out for Sienna's halloween costume, then a few days before Halloween she told me she wanted to be a superhero princess. Sweet.  And I could be a rainbow and Luke could be a little cloud.  Oh, and Dan could be a superhero like her and grandma could be a butterfly.  You gotta give it to her for creativity!  Luckily my neighbor saved the day and let us borrow her Supergirl costume, which was super cute. And, no, I was not a rainbow.

She is still quite the little hoarder and carries around bags, purses and buckets filled with anything and everything she can pack into them.  She also loves her stuffed animals. Dan's parents gaver her one of their stuffed animals to look after while they are on their mission. She loves her black doggie "Cola". 

We started a joy school with a few friends in the neighborhood and she loves going to "school" and thinks she is such a big girl. She loves, loves, loves books and really likes to learn. I hope she always has a love for learning.

Pumpkin Curry Soup

This is a yummy soup, so I thought I'd pass it along! It sounds a little weird, but the flavors are sooo good. Trust me.  Enjoy! :)

Pumpkin Curry Soup

2 c. canned pumpkin
4 Tablespoons butter
1/2 c. onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
4 cups of water (you can also add 1-2 extra cups of water, which is what I did and I liked the consistency/flavor)
6 small chicken bouillon cubes (or 3 large cubes)
2 cups half and half
2-3 chicken breasts, seasoned, baked and cubed
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp curry
1 pinch nutmeg
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 to 3 cups cooked rice

In large saucepan, melt butter. Saute onion and garlic until tender.  Add everything else except the half and half and the rice.  Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Add rice and half-and-half at the end and heat through.  Add any additional seasonings (Salt, pepper, curry, etc...). It is very filling and serves about 6. Makes make great leftovers!