One More Party

So the Melberg crew likes their family kids birthday parties.

• The three "S's"
• Mikayla and Mariah
• Wilson
• Marly & Dean
• Charlie

If a cousin's kid has a birthday, we gather.  

We eat barbecues, or Papa Murphy's Pizza, or grilled burgers. The menu really isn't important. We eat salads that include whip cream, or canned fruit, or vegetables, or taco chips. It doesn't matter. The counter or center island of the kitchen may host baked beans, a pan of bars, coffee and pop or lemonade. 

The kids play in the basement in the winter, and at the lake in the summer. Honostly, I have never checked what the kids are actually up to in the basement. The adults talk and catch up. Which kid? How old? Honestly, it doesn't matter.

Sometimes various family can attend. Sometimes the time and date doesn't work. It doesn't matter.

What matters?

• Extended family gathering, with each other.
• The only mandatory piece of  the party puzzle is a photo of the cousins' kids together by the cake or opening gifts.

Wilson, Dean, Marly, Ian and Viv Lyons and me holding Charlie

This is the third family birthday party we have hosted at this house. The menu varies little from year to year - Turkey sandwich meat cooked for 12 hours in the crock pot, a veggie salad, fish eye salad (with whipped, dry pudding mix, and canned fruit cocktail), another crock pot of baked beans, fresh berries sometimes, Costco Kirkland crinkle cut potato chips, pickles and olives, whatever delicious side dish Toot's brings (even though I never ask, but always hope!), and some years a pan of Special K bars from Laura.

Chocolate cake from Jack's Bakery in Brooklyn Park.

What I love most about Marly and Dean's Birthday is the simplistic annual reason to gather some of the Melberg's and some of the Toren's. My mom's side and my Dad's side, enjoying time together.

It isn't the kid, the year, the cake, or the presents that are important. The birthday itself is nothing more than a conduit to preserve the importance of FAMILY.

Thanks to those of you who joined us year.

First Friends Party

This year, we embarked upon the kids first 'friend'  birthday party.

There was talk of Chuckie Cheese (since they see the ad on PBS before Aurthur), bowling (since Dean attended a bowling party), and Pump it Up (yup..Marly was invited here).

I wanted to find something unique, entertaining and affordable. I decided to check out the Bunker Park Stables and inquire about a sleigh ride.

I came home and attempted to convince Mark, Marly and Dean how cool a horse drawn trail ride would be. You see, I wanted to have FUN too. Two weeks later a Living Social Deal for the trail ride popped up, thus sealing the fate of the party.

  

I steered Marly & Dean away from any particular party 'theme', and encouraged 'color' choices. I purchased pennant clip art from Etsy, and the kids were happy with the simple Publisher invites I created, printed and cut.

HINT

• I included LOTS of details on the invites, including info about coffee and a place for parents to stay on site if they wanted/needed to while their kids enjoyed the party.

I picked up envelopes and Washi tape from Achievers, and the Twinners trotted to school to deliver their invitations to friends.

The big day arrived

• The RSVP's had been counted (17 kids)
•  Treat bags (with tags created to match the invites) were assembled with a rock candy sucker from Party Place. Green for boys/Pink for girls.
• The cupcakes were ordered (green frosting for Dean,/purple for Marly). I gathered little palstic dino's for Dean's toppers, and used Hello Kitty stickers to make Marly's toppers.
• On our way to the stables, we picked up a coffee 'jo to go' from Caribou for any parents who wanted to hang out in the party room.

The kids showed up at 1:30, permission slips were signed, and the kids hit the trail. Mark and Dan chaperoned the hour long ride, while Gretchen and I set up the party room.

According to Mark, the boys were rather WILD...(thus causing him to wish he had a flask along)!

 ...while the girls politely chitter-chattered and giggled.

 Once the crew returned, there was a bonfire and hot cocoa.

Then we headed inside for lunch. We served individual, pre-packaged PB&J crustless sandwiches from Costco, individual chip bags, 8 oz Izze Soda cans (no sugar added) with cute/cool straws, and the cupcakes. I added colorful plastic table clothes and gave each kid a white paper placement. Colors and markers were strewn about to help entertain the 6 year old set.

HINT

• Go simple and easy with the food.
• Go with what kids like.
• Go with individual packages, so you don't need to 'serve' & minimual clean up is required.
• Costco has great choices, which can look cute with a little creativity in display.

And then it was time to open gifts. Chaos ensued.

HINT

• Have a helper mom/dad for the party.
• Dan acted as Mark's Wing Man.
• Gretchen was my helper extraordinaire doing ALL things necessary to keep a party of 17 six year olds on track. Meanwhile, I could be a fun, smiling, good, pleasant hostess to the kids and mom's and dad's alike.

Everyone had a great time.

We wrapped up with Marly and Dean standing on the table and politely thanked all their guests. At this point, all planned activities were complete, and then I realized it was 3:10 pm.

YIKES -  I had been monitoring the time carefully (or so I thought).

There was still 20 minutes before parent pick up was scheduled. We were saved by a day of BEAUTIFUL mild, sunny Minnesota weather. The kids headed back outside and played on the snow mounds. It might have been a favorite part of the day.

Parent's arrived, were greeted, thank you's expressed, treats distributed. Meanwhile, Dan and Gretchen cleaned up the party room and loaded our car...

...and
...then
...it
...was
...OVER!

(and Mark and I wished for a nap, or a drink... or both).

:  )

6 years old

On Wednesday 2-27-2013 the Twinners turned 6.

The day started with breakfast donuts with candles, and pictures.

Then is was off to the bus stop like usual.

• At 6 the Twinners' sleep in the upstairs guest bedroom in a queen bed together, because they prefer it over their seperate rooms downstairs.
• At 6 Marly still has her yellow and green crocheted blankets from Toots.
• The blankets are not fairing well.
• At 6 Dean still loves Oscar.
• There are TWO Oscars now. Fat Oscar and Flat Oscar (the original Oscar lost, then found in the woods at the H-- House!)
• At 6, mom or dad drop you off and pick you up from the bus stop each day.
• At 6, Dean takes karate in Champlin and Marly takes dance in Fridley.
• At 6, you play very well together, and often do your own thing when at home together.
• At 6, Marly sometimes likes to play alone in her bedroom, coloring or etc. with the door closed.
• At 6, Dean's pirate ships seem to be his most played with toys.
• At 6, Marly's favorite doll is Emma.

• At 6, they go to Kindergarten all day, every day with Mrs. Loveridge.
• At 6, Marly gets a little extra help with reading.
• At 6, Dean whines a bit more then Marly.
• At 6, the other mothers who volunteer tell me Marly and Dean are very good kids.
• At 6, Marly is particular about her closes. She prefers to "blend in". She doesn't like anything that will set her apart in a crowd, is too bright, too dark, too ruffley, or too sparkly.
• At 6, Marly RARELY lets me put pony tails or braids in her hair,  but I do curl it each morning.
• At 6, Dean needs his hair cut regularly to stay styl'n! (most often at a Great Clips these days.
• At 6, Marly keeps her hair LONG, because she thinks no one will recognize her if it is cut.

• At 6, Marly is more shy then Dean.
• At 6, Dean generally dislikes Sunday school.
• At 6, they both like your usual kid foods, like mac' n cheese and McDonald's Happy Meals.
• At 6, Dean  likes blue and green, dinosaurs and Angry Birds on the Ipad.
• At 6, Marly likes pink and purple and LOVES Hello Kitty.

• At 6, Marly already requests flowers for her Birthday.
• At 6, Dean is VERY competitive, and loves to play board games.
• At 6, Dean may throw a tantrum if he loses. Marly couldn't care less.

InstaGram

After School, we joined up with the Thompson Family for dinner at Bonfire's in Blaine. Dean ordered the chicken kids meal and Marly ordered the cheese burger meal. Marly ALWAYS orders the cheeseburger. The kids had chocolate milk. They always have chocolate milk at restuarants.


InstaGram

Here you are the day AFTER your birthday for your 6 year well child visit with Dr. Whitehill. Yes, Dean is still at LEAST two inches taller then Ms. Marly. Marly had a wart froze off her foot during the visit. Dean REFUSED to have his wart frozen, became very upset, and cried a lot. Marly tried to console her brother, who was MOST upset after the Dr. left and he realized he didnot do something Marly did. Marly had issues with her hearing, but most likely this is only because she was at the clinic for an ear infection on Monday. The Twinners are generally healthy kids.

InstaGram

Happy Birthday Marly and Dean!

A 60th Surprise

For more than a few months, someone MIGHT have been planting the seed she would enjoy a SURPRISE 60th birthday, so about two months back, the planning began for the SURPRISE that occured at least two weeks back.

A wee bit late, but here is a pictorial review of the BIG EVENT!

 Rachel researched venues and secured the Bayview Events Center on Lake Minnetonka.

Tiny Print invites were ordered and mailed, e mails were sent, calls were made.

Guests were alerted.

...and the Guest of Honor was none the wiser.

Custom decor was ordered and printed from Etsy.

Flowers were arranged.

...and the Guest of Honor was none the wiser.

A menu was created.

Buttercream cake was choosen.

...and the Guest of Honor was none the wiser.

A fake ploy to lure Chris to the party was created.

...and the Guest of Honor was none the wiser.

The guests arrived.

They waited in anticipation.

...and the Guest of Honor was none the wiser.

 SURPRISE!!!!!!

Naturally, this was a CHAMPAGNE BRUNCH.

....because the Guest of Honor is WISE and she loves Champagne.

....because the party planners (Rachel and Me on behalf of my Dad) are NOT as WISE as the Guest of Honor, but the party planners were smart enough to know this was a Surprise Birthday MUST!

 There was an omelet station, a brunch buffet, mimosas, and bloody mary's.

 There were toasts and words of love, gratitude and affection for the Guest of Honor.

 There was the Guest of Honor's only brother Bob, from Chicago.

  There was the  Guest of Honor's sons - Kevin and Eric.

 There was emotion.

There were candles to blow out.

 There were so many special people.

There were grand little people and a pregnant Rachel.

 HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY NANA CHRIS!

 We love you and hope you had a wonderful SURPRISE Birthday!

Where is Andrea

I feel little bit like "Where's Waldo" these days.
I should do myself in InstaGram (since I am a little obsessed with it).
Anyway, imagine red headed me in those books, and I will write a mental picture to go along with my image.
Three weeks ago, I helped host a 30th Birthday Party for Kelly.
Two weeks ago, I helped host a Surprise 60th Birthday Party for Chris.
This past Wednesday we went to dinner for M&D's Birthday with Mark's Family.
This past Thursday I hosted book club.
Saturday we hosted M&D's first 'friends' b-day party at Bunker Park Stables.
Yesterday, we hosted family for another B-day celebration.

Where's Andrea??

-Online at Etsy purchasing custom printable pennant banners for Chris & Rachel.
-E mailng Pat and Kelly's mother-in-law about party details.
-Booking Marly & Dean's party at Bunker Park Stables.
-Calling Pauline to assist in the cake order.
-Shopping at Michael's for decor supplies for Kelly.
-Heading to the Galeria to Tiffany's for a special gift for Kelly.
-At my printer, printing multiple copies of b-day banners.
-Making MANY tissue paper pom poms.
-Cutting and stringing banners.
-Raiding my cupboards and closets for serving pieces, decor items in fuchsia and red, candles, linens, wine, beer, and more.
-Shopping at Costco.
-Packing the car with party supplies (including a small table for the cake).
-Decorating with Mark, Marly, Dean and Pat for Kelly's party and setting up all the food and drink.
-Serving at the party.
-Shopping on Etsy for clip art for Marly & Dean's invites, decor, etc.
-Creating invitations for M&D's friend b-day party.
-Facebooking and e mailing family about M&D's family b-day party.
-Printing invites for the kids party, buying envelopes for friends, stuffing, and adding washi tape to everything.
-Calling and E mailing with the Bayview Events Center for Chris's suprise.
-Ordering cake and flowers for delivery for Chris's surprise.
-Ordering a custom sign in large size for Chris's suprise.
-Sending sign to Office Max for print, then core mounting at home.
-Printing/cutting and stringing more b-day banners for Chris.
-Shopping at Michael's for centerpiece decor needs.
-Pilfering (borrowing) vases from work for centerpieces.
-Buying flowers at Costco for centerpieces.
-Pretty-ing vases for centerpieces and more, then loading car with all the decor.
-Calling various parties and guests to fine tune details of the surprise.
-Setting up the event center decor.
-Assisting with the actual party. (drink plenty of Mimosa's)
-Packing up the supplies, etc.
-Shopping at Micheal's for decor needs for M&D's friend party.
-Shopping at Party Place for supply needs for family and friend parties.
-Putting together treat bags for M& D's friends and printing/cutting labels for everything.
-Ordering cupcakes of Saturday and a cake for Sunday.
-Shopping at Costco so that I could host book club on Thursday and shopping for our food needs for 2 parties.
-Book reservations for M&D birthday supper.
-Quick buying/wrapping small gifts for their birthday.
-Serving donuts with candles for their B-day breakfast
-Eat out with the Thompson's at Bonfire's in Blaine (have a beer or two...)
-Cleaning up the house.
-Host book club (drink lots of wine).
-E mailing and calling parents about any questions or concerns about 'friends' b-day party.
-Making Hello Kitty cupcake toppers.
-Round up plastic dino's for Dean's toppers.
-Loading car with Saturday party supplies and foods, decor, and serving pieces.
-Picking up cupcakes and cake and ice.
-Picking up a 'Jo to Go' for Caribou for any parents who stay on site at the kids party.
-Setting up food and decor for the kids party with Gretchen.
-Hosting actual party.
-I did NOT pack up ANYTHING from the kids party (Gretchen and Dan did that!!!! Isn't my bestie the bestie!!!!)
-Unloading gifts, etc. at home.
-Picking through the last three party supplies to set up for the Sunday family celebration.
-Prep food for Sunday. Go to grocery store AGAIN. (turkey, salads, etc, etc)
-Clean up and set up and do some minimal decorating for Sunday.
-Go to the store again after early church (by myself) on Sunday morning to whip up some baked beans too.
-Host party on Sunday.
-LAST NIGHT - Load the dish washer, do some clean up, eat junk food for supper, leave a mess, go to BED a little early.

It has been a wild and fun whirlwind February.

I am a smiling and  HAPPY Waldo.
I think all 4 party guests of honor/birthday boys and girls/sister/nana's ENJOYED their spotlight!

Happy Valentines Day!

A play by play of my Valentine Birthday from the lens of my IPhone via Intagram!

Valentine treats for the kids, at the breakfast table when they got up.

NOT PICTURED - The pretty Bachman's box also at the table, with a glass bird globe inside from Mark and the kids, and the fun cards for ME!

 Breakfast for the Twinners included red raspberries, red cranberry juice with red maraschino cherries and strawberry pop-tarts with fake red filling. The pop-tarts a special one-time-only treat.

My little cutie pie.

My other little cutie pie.

NOT PICTURED - My cutie pie husband Marky-Mark!

Twinner cutie-pies posing together before school.

Me in my Valentine find - The PERFECT blouse for the occasion purchased off of ModClothe.

STILL NOT PICTURED - My cutie pie husband who took the photo for me!

My drive to work through the picturesque, snow covered trees along Riverview Lane.

Valentine cheer for my co-workers, including BOGO fru fru coffee drinks for Kenna and I from the 'Bou and flowers for Barb and Kathy purchased from the Mercy Hospital Auxilary fundraiser after the regular Thrusday Leadership Meeting.

My shoes! Not practical for a snowy MN day, but too perfect to pass up for a Valentine. The shoes are courtesy of Dee Schendzielous, who bought them at a garage sale, gave them to Gretchen, who gave them to me, because they were more than a size too small.

NOT PICTURED - volunteering at the kids Valentine Party at school.

Back at home - The grow garden Mark and the Twinners gave me to kick off my birthmonth, with Valentine and Birthday cards in the background.

 At 4:30 pm I called Maverick's to see if they had room that evening to eat.

At 5:30 pm we were seated at a reserved booth at our favorite local watering hole, in the lounge, for dinner.

At 6:30 pm I had a chocolate Valentine matinee for dessert.

See??? Mark was a part of my very special day. That is his hand and arm behind the nearly empty matinee glass.

Me and the Twinners .

I make them take a picture with me EVERY Valentine's day.

And finally - Here she is. My new BABY! I love her. This beautiful tangerine purse is my birthday gift from Chris (and my Dad). We picked her out shopping a few Saturday's back after lunch and mani/pedis. She looks so charming and chic hanging from my elbow!

(Yes I am spoiled. I will own it! Thank you Chris (and Dad)! I get sooo many compliments about her!)