I heard you...

... you were just wondering what us Deneweth's have been up to since the great Jedi Princess Party of 3 days ago.

Well, we're a bunch of sickies over here. All of us except my Roxy, that girl has an impenetrable immune system (knock on wood). Don't worry. I've been treating my littles with lots and lots of TLC, rest and fluids. We'll be back in no time. You'll see.

(From top left)

My poor little sickie Bear, he always seems to get it the worst. That hat made him nice and comfy, though.

Our Zoie was sick and feverish, but still dancing on the table.

The Bear napped most of the day away yesterday. With his red bowl, just in case.

Roxy needed something to do. We decided to put together her Lilly Mermaid doll she got for her birthday. She came in a kit - it was a fun project. :)

The Bear watched us. This was as animated as he got yesterday.

Two point five hours later, Lilly was finished!

Zoie has lots of boogers.

But she really likes to wipe them away herself. She is such a big girl.

Chris lost his wallet this morning and left for work without it. I found it on our dresser.

Zoie occupied herself researching or whatever 1 year olds do on laptops, while I cooked us up some Jamie Oliver Mac and Cheese for dinner.

Dropping Roxy off for her school pajama party tonight. 

<3, Tabi :D

The Jedi Princess' Sixth Birthday Party

Over the weekend, we threw a bodacious birthday bash for my little Jedi Princess, Roxy.
In case you missed it, here are some highlights:

The Princess.

Obviously the theme of our party was Star Wars. If you recall, I recently threw a Star Wars birthday party for the Bear.  She kind of surprised me when she also asked for a Star Wars party. But only 'kind of', because what other kind of party would she have wanted?!? So, my mission was to throw a Star Wars party, but make it girly. AND make it different enough so that it didn't feel like the exact same party we had for the Bear 6 weeks ago.

The Venue: Tree Park

There was a pink princess castle bounce house, Princess Leia inspired cupcakes and lightsabers made with purple accents on the hilts.

Of course the bounce house was a huge success!!
Although, we did have to make use of our bounce house 'bouncer' a few times. These things happen when you throw a party at a public park.

Foam Lightsabers + Bounce House = AWESOME! 

And if you got tired of the bounce house, then there's a whole park to play in!!

Of course, Riley's 'baby' was there. Isn't he cute?
(Side Note: the Bear tucks this guy in, brings him everywhere, gives him baths... awwww!)

 

And there was cake. And presents. And juice boxes. 

I really need a new photographer (ahem, Christopher!). Not pictured: Double Edged Lightsaber Hot Dogs, Wookie Cookies, Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Lightsabers, and Chikalay Nugget Platter (yum).

Thanks to everyone who made it out to celebrate my Roxtar's big day, the party was a huge success!!

<3, Tabi :D

Party Preppin': Sneak Peek

<3, Tabi :D

Five Things That Make Me Happy Friday

Here are five things that are putting a smile on my face right now...

(1) This girl. (2) Nutella. On my pancakes. On my waffles. (3) Star Wars. Star Wars crafts, Star Wars movies, Star Wars so-cheesy-it's-cute sparkly Valentine boxes. (Nice segway to #4) (4) Valentine's Day is right around the corner. I love all things chocolate, pink, red, heart shaped... you get the idea. If I were a rich girl, I'd buy these cookies and send them to myself. :) (5) These cute rainbow cupcakes I saw on Pinterest. Not only do I love rainbows, I also LOVE cupcakes!!! 

Speaking of cupcakes - I better get off my booty and get to working on some Princess Leia cupcakes. I've got a party to prepare for.

<3, Tabi :D

Six Things You Probably Don't Know about ROXY

This girl made me a Mom. <3

1. Every night, she finishes up her bedtime routine with a series of kisses. Five different kisses: (1) Standard Smooch (2) Eskimo Kisses (3) Butterfly Kisses (4) European Kisses <one on each cheek> and (5) a Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs inspired kiss.

2. She's the worst procrastinator in the WORLD. Mostly due to the mirror in the room, it will take her 30 minutes to brush her teeth. And I thought I was bad.

3. When Riley was born, Roxy was 23 months old. She came to visit us in the hospital and meet her brother for the very first time, I put the Bear in her little lap and she told me he was HER baby and no one else was allowed to touch him. I was yelled at for trying. From that moment on, she has been the best big sister ever!

4. When Roxy grows up, she will be a designer. It's a good fit because she's creative, choosy about her clothes (she knows what she wants) and draws all the time. Look out Project Runway (in 12 or so years)!

5. Although she wants to be a designer when she grows up, she secretly wishes more than anything to be a mermaid. One like the girls on this show, where she's a human on land, but turns into a mermaid when she touches water.

6. I never intended Roxy to be a 'princess' little girl. But I soon learned that, as parents, we have no say in what our children like or who they turn out to be - we only play a supporting role.
She is the ultimate princess. Complete with dress up dresses, shoes, crowns, necklaces and all the coordinating accessories you can think of.
Saying this, she is completely obsessed with Star Wars, but in a totally girly way. She loves all things Leia, Amidala and the Clone Wars' Jedi Ahsoka.
(I am so happy she is. Star Wars girls are ladies, but not helpless damsels in distress. I love the role models they are for my girls.)

<3 Happy Birthday little Jedi Princess Roxy! <3

<3, Tabi :D

Funny Things

1. I picked Roxy up from school today and asked what she did. She told me they played tennis.

Me: (surprised) Really?!? So tell me how you played tennis.
Roxy: Well, we used those balls that doggies play with.  

(You know the ones... tennis balls...)

2. Every time I point a camera at this girl, this is the face I get.

3. Speaking of Roxy and puppies. Roxy got her face painted the other day at the Y.

That night, I put the kids in the bath:

Me: Oh no. The puppy is going to go away.
Roxy: It's not a sad day. I was just transforming into my ultimate form.

4. I tried out Body Pump yesterday. And today, I need crutches.

5. Remember my new goal? To quit yelling? Every now and then, Riley will look at me, so seriously and very mature-like and say, "Mommy. This is your warning. Next time you yell, it's a time out."

I love how that kid keeps me in check. :)

...

That is all. Tomorrow is my big girl's birthday!!!!

<3, Tabi :D

Goal for the Week: Quit Yelling!!!

I've been a Mom for almost 6 years now. I've been a StepMom for over 9 years. But I've been a SAHM Mom for only 16 and a half months. Sometimes I feel like I'm playing catch up in the whole Mom training.

I've pretty much got the whole laundry, cooking, bathing, cleaning thing under control. What I need to work on - my focus starting right now is to QUIT YELLING!!!

I hate that I'm a yeller. When it comes to discipline, I've never been a spanker. We do time outs. But I do lose it and yell. In my book, this is almost as bad as spanking. Starting right now, no more yelling.

I read a few articles on this. Here are a couple of good ones:

• How to Stop Yelling at Your Kids This is a good one because it reminds me why yelling is bad. Bad for me (the parent) and bad for the children. My biggest thing about yelling is that it always makes me feel so horrible because they really don't deserve it.
  
  
•  10 Ways to Stop Yelling I like this one because it offers specific tips on how to stop.

If I can quit this super bad habit, I know my house will be a happier place. I will be a happier Mom, and kids will hopefully learn to not yell back and not grow up to yell at their kids.

I am Tabi and this is my goal. Anyone reading this have any tips/suggestions for me?

<3, Tabi :D

Parent Tip #101

Make your punishments creative!

Time-outs get way old and definitely don't work for every little thing. I've noticed some snarkiness lately in the children. It seems to start at the top of the totem pole (*) and works it's snarky little way down. This new snarkiness is showing it's face in the form of a "Whatever!"... usually accompanied by an eye roll. 

Warnings and time outs could be used here, but sheesh it gets old, and we as parents really do need to switch it up now and then. For effectiveness.

In this case, I decided to instate a Whatever Jar. Whenever a 'Whatever' is muttered - a quarter (I know it looks like a penny in there... in my house, any coin is called a quarter) gets placed in the Whatever Jar.

After announcing the jar and the rules and why it's bad to be snarky to Mom (my reason? Because Mommy doesn't want you to turn out to be bratty kids), the jar worked pretty well. There are only 3 coins in the Whatever Jar tonight.

Remember that purple * up there? It turns out 1 of those coins is from me. I got caught saying 'Whatever'! I guess it really does start at the tippy top of the totem pole. :-/

<3, Tabi :D

Five Things That Make Me Happy Friday

(Maybe my title needs a little work?)

I am trying out this new 'feature post' because being happy has A LOT to do with positive thinking. And if I can post 5 things every Friday that make me happy at the moment and they make you happy, too - then I am making the world a slightly happier place. For the moment.

(from top left)

1. I've been going to the gym and working out 3 times a week. This is so good for my psyche. Also, I keep this up and I will look like this chick by pool time this year! Maybe not exactly like this chick, I have 3 pregnancies worth of stretch marks. But I can come pretty close. IF I keep it up. (I yoinked this photo from here. It's a cute bikini, too!)
2. ZoieBoie likes to cuddle on my face. In all honesty, at the time it doesn't make me so happy. But in retrospect, thinking about her face cuddles makes me giggle. I imagine it's a little like having a cat. Except she doesn't make me sneeze.
3. Roxy's pet hedgehog: Rosee. Roxy made her and her awesomely cute little shanty town house in school. I don't know what makes me happier - how cute this little hedgehog is, or how proud she is of it.
4. Christopher Blair. He is my rock. I love him always. I think I'm ovulating, though and I always seem to love him just a teeny bit more this time of month. <wink> Even though he is snoring on the couch next to me. (This photo yoinked from Lori Colber's Facebook page.)
5. My newly cleaned IKEA couch. I love this couch. I love it's wrap aroundness. I love the color. I love that I can take the covers off the cushions and wash them. A little secret: the tag says 'Dry Clean Only', but I just washed them in my machine and air dried them. They came out perfect and clean and like new!!

Bonus Happy Thing: I am loving Pugly Pixel and all the goodies over there. That blog is rekindling my love for graphic design. :)

 

<3, Tabi :D

Trying Something New

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Anyone else on this site? I'm checking it out. ;)

<3, Tabi :D

Short Term Goal of the Week: Party Planning

I have always been a last minute* party planner. And the parties usually come out well enough.

But I know I can do better. Roxy's 6th birthday is coming up fast, and this time I'm forcing myself to plan a little better and to start a bit earlier.

*By 'last minute', I mean like 3 days before the party I start thinking about it.

I know that to a sane bunch of people, starting party planning 10 days before the party is last minute. But to me? I'm a week ahead!! Go me!!

The Party: Roxy's 6th Birthday Party

The Theme: Star Wars/Princess Leia

Now, If you recall, I just threw a Star Wars bash back in December for the Bear. So, not only do I have the added difficulty of making a Star Wars party girlie (because my Roxtar is the ultimate girly-girl), but I also have to make it a totally different party than the Bear's was.

Here's what we've got planned so far:
 

 

Plans set in motion. 10 days to execute. Go! 

<3, Tabi :D

Snapshots from our Week

Glimpses from our past week.

(1) Fishtail braid - my first try! (2) Roxy and her artwork at the PTA art show. (3) My goofy Roxtar. (4) Celebratory Menchies. (5) Love note from Roxy to the family. (6-7) New ink! Riley: left arm, Zoie: right arm (8) After flu shot lollipop. (9) Duck Lips. (10) My view of my Riley/Bear tattoo. It's an ambigram. :) (11) The dress Roxy designed for me. She said when she is grown up and a designer, if I'm still alive I can wear it. (12-15) Mommy and Zoie sickies in bed cuddle session. (16) Riley's penguin art he made at Y's kids.

<3, Tabi :D

Sickie Sunday

We seem to have caught a case of the sniffles.  I'm using this little downtime to try out a few new things I downloaded over at Pugly Pixel. I'm excited to be playing around in Photoshop again. It's been way too long. (I've missed you Photoshop.)

Also, not sure if you've noticed, but I'm trying to beautify my bloggy blog. I'd love feedback. Please feel free to leave me some constructive criticisms and/or words of encouragement in my comments below.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful MLK weekend. I better get back to tending to my sickies.

<3, Tabi :D

5 Reasons to Fall Head-Over-Heels for ZoieBoie

Let me preface this by saying that generally, I try to spotlight my kids equally unless it's a special occasion, like a birthday or major milestone, etc.

But this girl is too cute lately. :)

This list really could go on and on and on and on (you get the point), but today, here are my top 5 reasons you should fall head over heels for my little ZoBo:

1. Those angelic, almost afro-puff blonde curls of hers. I almost want to keep her hair this length for ever and ever so that those curls remain atop her baby head always. (See figure 1 below for a good example of those cotton candy curls of hers.)

2. She loves LOVES loves her babies. She has 3 or 4 (depending on if Roxy lets her borrow one of her dollies) that she will push around in her purple shopping cart all day long. One of her dollies was sick today, but Zoie was there to check her out and made her feel all better.

 

(Please note the genuine look of concern on her face in the picture on the left)

Giving her baby her meds to make her all better. :)

3. She is generous and will share her snacks. 

See? Of course I want to share your pretzel with you.

4. She comes in for the cuddles. Her cuddles are the best! Little arms wrapped around the neck/or tucked in for added warmth, head laying on shoulder pure sugar sweetness.

5. She can hold her own in a light saber fight. She even makes the sound effects.

To quote my husband,
"With the baby, the force is strong. Protect her from the dark side we must."

Are you sold?