Bye bye baby, hello big girl

Last night another big leap from babyhood into big kid world was taken. Megan finally got her "big girl bed."  It wasn't even a year ago when we converted the crib into a "toddler" bed.  But we decided to get her a bed she can grow into for many years to come.  With Ian, it wasn't even a question of waiting, we needed the crib for Megan and we just happened to have Paul's old bed, and that was that.
For a while now, we have been discussing "big girl" beds with Megan, she would see them and wanted one so desperately, and she wanted a princess one, of course!  By luck this summer, while we were in Ohio, I found a princess bed spread on sale for $20, so I just hid it away and I'm sure she all but forgot about it.
A few weeks ago, we made our mind of what bed to get, I ordered it, and this Monday it came.  Megan was excited at that point, she would visit the garage to make sure the boxes were still there.  I told her that we had to wait until the weekend so daddy could buy the mattress and assemble it.
Well, daddy, in all daddy style, came home with a surprise, he went to Costco and bought his little girl a mattress.  I had no clue, he just came home and asked Megan if she wanted to help put her bed together. Well YEAH!!!!!  And so that began the next chapter of our lives....bye bye baby, hello big girl.

Her crib, one last time...I did get weepy as I helped to un-assemble the crib

Totally excited, (excuse the outfit, she decided she needed a tutu on)

Ian and daddy hard at work

getting closer and closer to having a bed

Megan helping daddy carry parts into the room (again, excuse the lack of a tutu now)

Almost done (still need to assemble the headboard)

the princess bedspread schlepped all the way from Ohio

Ziggy had to be the first one to try out the bed

YAY a big girl bed!!!!

i love my bed.

Megan slept all night without waking up in the middle of the night and crawling into our bed. I'm still a little sad of how big she is getting, and that the crib is no longer needed. It lasted us over 6 yrs, 3 moves and 2 kiddos, but it is time to close that chapter of our lives.

Home-made Tron party

Before December even rolled around I was already planning on giving Ian a Lego party. To include a cake that looked like a giant Lego brick.  I even got some good advice from a friend who makes cakes for a living.  But that all changed when Ian in the middle of December announced he wanted a Tron birthday party.  Whoa, stop the press, hold everything. TRON?!?  Yep, his exact words were, "I want everything Tron, I love Tron"  Umm, sure, okay.  Panic, regroup and hit the internet.  Do you know there isn't a whole lot of Tron things out there, despite the mega huge movie that came out.  Well, thankfully, there were a few cool things and ideas on the net from the Disney Family Fun website, like invitations.  And, there were some small toys available at Target, so that would do for cake toppers and a neat toy after wards.
So the idea was to keep it simple and not go all out, I didn't have enough energy nor resources for a huge party.  We invited our neighbor's kids, our close friends who just moved to Colorado and Ian's best buddy from church.  That was enough for me.  I got some goodie bags, made the cake (a simple yellow cake with butter cream frosting colored dark and blue glitter gel for the "grid") ice cream and a few snackie foods. 
We had made these cool "light discs" for the toss the ring kind of game, and I had printed off birthday bingo. But as it turned out...that all went to pot, when the boys decided to play Wii and the girls were happy as larks playing in the basement with the play kitchen.  It wasn't very structured as I was planning, but I think there was fun to be had. 

home made Tron cake

Not the best job, but I have to admit, I hate frosting cakes

just a tad embarrassed by everyone singing to him

Didn't quite get all the kiddos in the shot

the problem with eating darkly dyed frosting, purple lips

Ian opening his gifts

Ian with his buddy Teddy

Those two kiddos are two peas in the pod

One of his favorite gifts was from his pal Teddy, 2 new nerf guns...in no time my living room was turned into a war zone, with tiny orange bullets flying all around.

baby boy turns 6

How did I blink and 6 years went by???  Well, without my consent, Ian turned 6 on the 3rd of January.  I honestly feel for the kiddo, having a birthday so close to Christmas and New Years, it either gets over shadowed by the previous holidays  or just plain forgotten.  This year, it landed on a Monday and it just so happened it was the first day back to school after Christmas break.  Not being able to get my act together, all I was able to do was pre-packaged rice crispy treats.  I would have enjoyed making cupcakes, but his school has a serious, crazy policy on treats being store bought, because of the food allergies.
They did sing "Happy Birthday" to him and the entire class made a "Birthday Wish" book for him. It was a great(sneaky) way to get the children to work on their writing.  It will make a great keepsake for him.  He also got a card with candy from his teacher. 
His daddy took off a couple hours early from work to surprise him with his birthday gift. A new bike!!!  It was actually really brilliant, he had the bike in the car and had me keep the kids away from the garage (normally they hear it pop open and they run to see daddy) well, he came in, and started to get after Ian for leaving his (old) bike in the middle of the garage and he needed to move it ASAP so he could park his car.  Poor kid, was shocked that 1, he was being yelled at on his birthday and 2 he wasn't even on his bike.  He hesitated, but I played along and said, "you better go check".  He reluctantly opened the door, and SURPRISE!!!  His new bike.  Ian actually was stunned for a good minute, before he yelled "A NEW BIKE"
After all that, we treated him to going to CiCi's for pizza, that was great since kids eat for 99cents on Mondays, and I had a coupon for buy one get one free adult buffet. (love a great bargain). After dinner, we were too stuffed to eat a cake (which i'll get to later) so we had him open his presents and sang happy birthday to some vanilla pudding.

obligatory birthday picture

His new bike

It wouldn't be a birthday if there wasn't a gift for everyone from Grammy and Pop

first present-from Ziggy

present from Nana-a razor scooter

A new lego set from Grammy and Pop

Happy birthday to you...

Make and wish and blow out the candles

The only complaint Ian had was that there were too many "soft presents" aka clothes, but as I told him, when you get older, you need more and more clothes.

A binky, a bell and a baby

Sometime in the beginning of December, during our bathtub talks, Megan decided she was ready to give up her binky.  I sort of planted the seed into her head, that perhaps, we could give her binky to Santa, and Santa would give her binky to a baby who needed it.(mind you this seed was planted weeks prior to her deciding she was ready).  I know what you all are thinking...WHAT SHE STILL HAD HER BINKY!!!  Well she only had it during naps and bed time, and most of the time if fell out and she actually didn't need it to keep her asleep (that is a whole different problem on a different post). 
I had once before tried to wean her off of it, but was met with much resistance, and needing much sleep myself, i backed off, but i vowed NOT to let her have it as long as Ian had his. 
So when Megan came to me, I jumped at it, she was doing it on her terms, which is so much better. No cutesy  book about binky fairies or tossing the passy in the trashy was going to help. It was Santa and the idea of helping a baby.  And for the kicker, my Megan decided that baby was going to be baby Jesus. (i know, how sweet can you get???)
She only had one moment of doubt, that lasted for 5 seconds.  She was by far much easier than her brother to get rid of the binky. 

Her special binky...given to Santa for Baby Jesus (but for now it is in Mommy's drawer with the rest of the binkies our babies have used)

An idea from Grammy, that Santa should give Megan a special gift...a bell like the one from Polar Express, which was something she had wanted especially after watching the movie

Our big binky-free girl...but you'll always be my baby

Christmas 2010 part 3

Wow, time sure flies, especially when you have blogs in mind and want to get to it, before you forget.  Well I'll just let the pictures tell the story of Christmas eve and Christmas day.  Enjoy!!!

Christmas eve, all dressed up for church, she had been yearning to wear this dress since I bought it

someone didn't want to smile, nor have his picture taken, someone else just wanted to be cute and adorable

Family tradition, being allowed to open just one gift on Christmas eve...new jammies!!

someone a little happier, sporting his new Lego jammies

Christmas eve...cookies left for Santa, all ready for the kiddos to attack the gifts

Santa came through and bough a Jesse doll.

totally in LOVE with Jesse

and a Pillow pet

and a Yoda (or Yo-ya, as Megan calls him)

Hmm, what could the VERY last gift be?????

ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? a AT-AT!!!!!!!