Sunny Days...

I love birthday weeks for so many reasons, but I think especially because I pay attention more.  Every tiny detail about your child becomes important simply because it reminds you of the day they arrived in this world and changed yours forever.  I read an extra book before bed, I play a little longer, I kiss those cheeks a little more, and I allow a piece of birthday cake for dinner simply because it just feels right to do this week.  

This past weekend, we braved the cold and celebrated Cruz's 2nd birthday with the most fitting theme possible --- Sesame Street.  Cruz identified a love for all things Sesame about nine months ago, and I've been dreaming up plans to bring this show to life in our own backyard ever since.  And while it's true my boy loves a lot of things --- school buses and trucks and apples and musical instruments, Elmo, Abby, and the gang on Sesame Street have a way of lighting up his very world and leaving him utterly enamored on a level all on its own.  I wondered if it would be a phase, but almost a year later, the furry friends on Sesame Street have continued to have a very special place in my sweet boy's heart (especially Elmo and Abby).

In another life, I would love to plan parties for a living.  Not big, overwhelming functions, but small, simple, and special get-togethers complemented with sweet details and unique trademarks that make each party stand out in its own, memorable way.  I'm a sucker for the small details, which if done right, always seem to outshine the bigger things in the end. 

My party planning process starts with a seed, usually planted early in the beginning of my summer vacation.  Then, like most early seeds planted in the ground, they need to time to develop underground, unseen to others, making sure they have the right conditions needed to sprout and grow and flourish.  And then, just like that, the seed sprouts and all hell breaks loose.  The small seed begins to blossom and flourish, and grow in ways that surprise even the planter.  And while many of its blossoms are healthy, beautiful, and important to the seed, other blossoms grow unnecessary weeds, and need to be trimmed, or scaled back (usually with a shears or a budget or husband).

My goal for this party was to create a sweet, simple, and vintage version of Sesame Street.  While it was important that Cruz recognize his favorite show in the party details, I didn't want the cheesy, bold, and oftentimes gaudy renditions of Elmo and Big Bird plastered everywhere in the house.  I wanted bright colors, I wanted a vintage flair, and I wanted clever connections to the show through my food, games, and decorations.  So, I watched Sesame Street with greater focus, looked for the themes, symbols, and trademarks that best described the show, and got to work throwing a 2nd birthday bash together that seemed to be quite the hit with even my youngest viewership...

So without further adieu, Cruz's 2nd Birthday Party, brought to you today by the letter 'C' and the number '2'...
 

My decorations for this party were big on color and simple on design.  I went with bold reds and yellows, bright blues and greens, and tried to incorporate lots of 'Cs' and '2s' to go along with Sesame's letter and number of the day theme.  My diy balloon wreath made a bold statement in the center of the dessert table, and the 'C2' in the middle are wooden letters from Hobby Lobby that I spray painted and hot-glued directly to the wreath.
  

I did a lot with mason jars filled with simple vintage toys I had around the house: wooden blocks, crayons (Elmo's favorite, of course), gumballs, and peanut M and Ms.  I had lots of fun picking out colorful scrapbook paper, and made yards upon yards of old fashioned paper chain links and circle-shaped table confetti I punched with my 2" circle punch.  The white tablecloths were a nice balance with the rest of the color, and I found colorful plates, napkins, and utensils at Target.
 

My favorite decorations ended up being the chalkboard backdrop, these gumball machine centerpieces from Kara's Party Ideas blog, and ribbon streamers.  I'll save the diy deets for another post, but in the meantime, don't throw away your terra cotta pots :)

I actually added the chalkboard to the table when I discovered the sun was getting in the way of my pictures!  The black board and messy fonts played nicely against the white tablecloths, and was a fun conversation piece for guests.  I have plans to do one every year with all of Cruz's favorite things... 

 

Sesame Street Inspired Door Sign courtesy of 11cupcakes 

Twine, tiny clothespins from Hobby Lobby, and a year's worth of Mom's favorite images created the perfect backdrop to the present-opening stage.   

 

And last but not least, even Beau got in on the party planning action.  Wandering through the aisles of Lowes one day, Beau put together the pieces of a pretty convincing Sesame Street street sign.  This statement piece, paired with some mystery guests' footprints, welcomed our guests to the party and spread the word to the neighbors that there was indeed a party going on right here.  

 

For food, I wanted easy treats and Cruz's favorites.  Last year, we grilled burgers and hot dogs, and I spent hours in the kitchen making salads and baking pans of Cruz's favorite mac 'n cheese.  This year, however, we went easy on food, ordered Cruz and Elmo's favorite, pizza, and had fun pairing lots of sweets with their television-inspired character...

 

We had Oscar's 'Trash' Mix (Grandma Mary's amazing chex mix), Big Bird's Birdseed (candy-coated sunflower seeds), Elmo's Goldfish Crackers, Fruit on a Stick, Cupcake Cones, pizza, a plate of cookies for Cookie Monster, and my favorite, Slimy's Dirt Cups (chocolate pudding, Oreo crumbles, and a single gummy worm, displayed in clear push pop containers).  We had juice boxes for the littles, Jones' soda for the bigs, and last but not least, an amazing double layer birthday cake created by Delicious Design Cakes here in Waterloo. 

This year, I wanted to play some games with the kids, and thought Cruz would have so much fun getting to experiment with fun little obstacles and activities inspired by his favorite characters.  The games ended up being a huge hit, and Mr. Hooper's Store was the grand finale.  

First, they hunted for loose change in Big Bird's Birdseed Hunt...
 

Then, they helped clean up Oscar's mess by seeing how many paper wads they could sink in the trash can...
 

Next, it was a blind-folded duck hunt in Ernie's Rubber Ducky pond.
 

After they found their duck, they took a break at Elmo's Coloring Station and colored a picture for Cruz in honor of his birthday...

And last but not least, they drank some milk and decorated their very own cookie at Cookie Monster's 'C is for Cookie' station.
 

  

After playing some games and collecting their 'Cruz Bucks,' the kiddos got to spend their hard earned cash at Mr. Hooper's Store.  They shopped til' they dropped and went home with everything from chocolate dipped Oreos, to play-doh, to 'C2' crayon molds I made from old crayon pieces.
   

 

 

This party was a blast to put together, and like always, I'm sad it's come and gone.  We've celebrated big, and now, I'm looking forward to a special birthday and quiet celebration with Mom, Dad, and the birthday boy later this week.  There so much more to say, and so much more to celebrate!
  

Twenty for TWO

I'm not sure if it's because we are less than a week away from our little boy's birthday bash, or if I'm just feeling sentimental thinking back to the days leading up to Cruz's actual birth-day, but it seems that lately, our Cruz Man is growing from baby to little boy before our very eyes.  We were sitting at the dinner table the other night, and Beau and I both agreed that in a matter of a week, Cruz had changed and 'grown up.'  And while a part of him will always be my baby, it's exciting to see him discover new things and grow more and more independent and capable all the time. 

Highlights to remember @ 'almost' two...
  

1. Cruz LOVES to read.  It's by far his favorite activity at home.  His consistent favorites continue to be his books about trucks, but we are also enjoying his many fall classics, especially Duck and Goose Find a Pumpkin.

2.  He continues to amaze us with the small things he seems to pick up on and remember.  Just this afternoon, Cruz and I were crossing the street to get the mail when our neighbor, Jim, pulled into his driveway.  As he climbed out of the car, Cruz waved and greeted him with a very clear and friendly, 'Hi Jim!'  Both Jim and I were completely surprised, as we don't even see Jim all that often, but I'm pretty sure he was glowing all the way to his doorstep!

3.  In addition to Jim, Cruz is also a big fan of Mike, the maintenance man at daycare.  Every day when we walk into daycare, Cruz says 'Hi Mike,' and he was in complete awe the other day when we walked in to find Mike fixing the drinking fountain.  Cruz was mesmerized, and repeated 'Mike fix broken,' all the way down the hall.

4.  Cruz LOVES babies, and turns into a little sap if he has the opportunity to be near one.  He could be throwing a complete fit one moment, and turn into the sweetest angel within a second if there's a baby in the picture.

5.  Cruz is a toughie, something we owe to his daddy for teaching him to 'brush it off' whenever he falls down.  From the time he was six months old, he falls and immediately stands up, brushes his hands together (and sometimes on the grass if he's dirty), and goes on with his play.  Lately, however, I've been playing this little game with him, making a fuss over the slightest 'owie.'  We kiss it, we rush to get the boo-boo bunny from the freezer, and we fake cry a little, comforting each other with big hugs and lots of 'all betters.'  I know it makes Beau cringe, but it's turned into this fun little game we play and I swear Cruz understands the sarcastic undertones hidden in my response.

6.  Cruz is a big fan of Papa Curt.  I think it has something to do with my dad's 'big kid' appeal.

7.  Cruz has lately found a liking to his puzzles, and has independently mastered the only three we have.

8.  Everything is 'my.'  "My dog," "My i-Pad," "My juice," "My Elmo," "My book."  I've decided I should start instructing Cruz on proper use of articles in the future.

9.  Cruz talks, a lot.  He's just recently been incorporating lots of small phrases, and continues to surprise me with what he knows.  

10.  Abby from Sesame Street is officially giving Elmo a run for his money.  

11.  Cruz thinks everything is a hat.  From a leaf outside, to his sippy cup at dinnertime, to his potty chair before bath time, Cruz will try anything on and exclaim, "Haaat?" in a high-pitched question form.  The worst part is that his potty chair has an uncanny resemblance to a cowboy hat, and Cruz is fully aware that when we scold him and say 'yucky,' we are holding back tears of laughter.

12.  Cruz has quite possibly the best animal sounds I've ever heard.  His newest sound is the owl, and it's about as good as his chicken.  

13.  Cruz does this thing that I like to call the 'grandma gail.'  A little hard of hearing, Grandma often responds to a question with a high-pitched, puzzled 'huhhhh???' Cruz does this too, and the only thing that would make this better would be a pair of dark rimmed spectacles sitting on the tip of his nose.

14.  I made the mistake of putting a box of scratch cupcakes in the back seat of my car on the way home from work the other day (you know, the brown cardboard with hot pink oval sticker adhered to the front).  Cruz whined and impatiently requested 'puffcake' the entire way home.  Can you say, photographic memory?

15.  Favorite song: The ABC Song or anything with drums or guitar.

16.  Favorite food: hot dogs, apples, yogurt, pizza, and berries (to which Cruz calls 'babies.'  

17.  Cruz will eat an apple (skin and all) down to the very core if I'd let him.  It's the only food he'll actually take his time to eat.  Beau always laughs and says he eats as if he has ten older siblings!

18.  My favorite word Cruz says?  Bus.  I have to get this on tape, as it makes me smile every time he spots one and gets so excited.

19.  Cruz loves to pretend.  His recent favorite is playing store, where we order some kind of food, Cruz takes our money, prepares our plate, and brings us the imaginary dish.  He'll make just about anything, and everything is conveniently priced at 'eight.'  

20.  He's a pistol, and likes to push our buttons and completely defy our requests sometimes (you know the just-keep-walking-and-they'll-follow-for-fear-we're-leaving trick?  Yeah, doesn't work for this one), he can turn on the charm in an instant, and is usually happy, content, and sweet.  I think he got the best of us all --- easy-going and lighthearted like his daddy, creative and independent like his mom, playful like his Papa Curt, and sweet and kind-hearted like his Grandma Kelly.  He likes his routine like his Grandpa Ray, lights up a room of full of people like his Grandma Mary.  We're so proud of the little person he's becoming, and he lights up our world and gives us so many reasons to smile.

It's hard to imagine our family without this little sprite.