charlotte's 2nd little mermaid party

i'm pretty sure by now you know how much charlotte adores the little mermaid.

her days are filled with shouts of 'mermaid!!!' and a desire to own every mermaid-themed-object disney has every created.

i'm going to be honest. 

if i was going to pick a disney princess for my child to be obsessed with, it probably wouldn't be ariel.

i mean really... she's a spoiled girl who disobeys her father & still gets what she wants.

not exactly my favorite role model.

but what can you do?

i have no idea how it happened, but that girl loves her.

so we're going with it.

and working on making sure she doesn't act just like ariel ;)

knowing how much she loves mermaid,

i decided several months ago to throw her a mermaid-themed bash for her 2nd birthday.

i heart parties.

i love every little detail, dreaming up how to make it special & perfect for my kiddo.

i've said before that i see it as a love letter to my child.

i hope she felt loved after this ;)

we had the party on our back patio.

it was raining in the morning, so i almost had a panic attack.

but it cleared up and was a beautiful day.

we had so much fun celebrating our sweet girl!

since i didn't want people coming into the house, 

i made a sign for the fence directing them into the backyard.

our backyard has a small, fenced-in area before you enter the actual yard.

i wanted to do something fun, but nothing that kids would want to stay in since it isn't super visible.

i decided to make a table with all of charlotte's favorite things- her 'treasure trove'.

("look at this stuff, isn't it neat?  wouldn't you think my collection's complete?....")

i loved the personal element as you walked in.

i made tags for each item, many with what she called it.

(for example, ketchup is 'bip' and her backpack is her 'pack-pack')

i also had a photo timeline around the area.

i painted clothespins and attached photos from her two precious years.

here is the view walking in from the fenced-in area....

i wanted to create an 'under the sea' feeling.

we draped blue tulle to be water,

and hung lengths of green crepe paper as kelp.

and of course, bubbles filled the 'air'.

the view of the deck..

i wanted the focus to be the food table.

we hung a variety of tissue poms from the beams above.

(thank you, corrine, for making the poms for me!!!)

one of my favorite things i made

(and by far the hardest project)

was the sandcastle centerpiece.

i got this idea, along with many others, from one charming party

i love, love, love how it turned out.

i don't think pictures do it justice!

i ordered this sweet banner off etsy

 i wanted to do something fun with the cake.

i decided to top it with a mermaid off etsy, along with a fork & pipe

(shout out to the movie!)

once you cut into the cake,

beautiful colors awaited to be eaten!

i made cupcakes for the kiddos.

charlotte's was topped with the little mermaid.

for the others, i made sand dollars with a candy mold,

and added crushed-up graham crackers as sand.

a little turquoise frosting added the finishing touch!

sea animal sugar cookies

 

i tried to make all my food be ocean-themed

the fish bowls were blue jello with a swedish fish inside.

(note to self... swedish fish dissolve in jello... if i did it again, i'd make the jello cup, chill them,

 and then stick the fish inside! a little whip cream on top would cover the hole)

i had fun with the drink station.

i made labels with charlotte's name for the water bottles,

ordered polka dot straws off etsy,

and made a 'seaweed juice' punch out of grape juice & 7-up.

my mom has an awesome drink dispenser from pottery barn

 that allows you to put decorations at the bottom.... so cute!  

i filled it up with sand & shells

(bella LOVED peeling the labels off the water bottles- a great job for her :)

i love stations at a party.

it allows kids to do what they want,

and you can vary activities depending on the ages of your kiddos.

my first station was clothespin mermaids.

i pre-painted the bodies, traced the fins & then the kids added the details.

the second station was the sand search.

what ocean party is complete without sand?

and with the ocean so close... our sand is free ;)

i placed 10 little mermaid figurines in the sand, and kids got to hunt for them.

this was a big favorite with all ages!

third was paper plate jellyfish.

the kids loved making these!

i pre-cut lots of ribbon so little ones wouldn't have access to scissors ;)

fourth was the paper plate fish.

simple & fun!

every kid loves play-doh, 

so the fifth station had play-doh & various ocean-themed cookie cutters.

i always include a coloring station.

simple & a crowd pleaser!

for those that needed a little quiet time,

i had 'the little mermaid' playing on the tv in the living room.

it came in quite handy at the end when awesome parents helped us clean up!

(and bella made a super-cute garland to put across the tv :)

finally, i had a place for little ones to go.

some soft toys & a book with ocean magnets was a great place to sit.

 

i think the little details really make things fun.

so i put mermaid duckies in the fountain.

i didn't know that would become an activity too!

the live fish on the tables were a big hit!

the only problem... i now have pet fish in my house.

the kids were showing off their best fish faces :)

i wanted to have a few games for all the kids to do together.

i tried to do things that a variety of ages would be interested in.

we started with pass the mermaid.

like hot potato, but if you had the mermaid when the music stopped,

you got a starfish hand-stamp!

(and of course, they passed it to 'part of your world'!)

next up...

limbo!

these kiddos didn't quite get the concept, 

but they loved walking under the limbo stick

while dancing to 'under the sea'

after games, it was cake time!

our sweet girl was overjoyed to blow out her candles

and dig into her cupcake.

i went simple with favors...

just little bubble bottles & a note attached with rope

our little family

(the ocean backdrop was a leftover from the church dance the night before.  score!)

we all had a blast celebrating charlotte!

 just had to share her adorable little shoes...

 we finally had a chance to open gifts this afternoon...

i had to laugh at the abundance of mermaid gear she got.

(and this doesn't include some cute jammies she already opened!)

she was in mermaid euphoria & wanted everything opened immediately!

i had so much fun planning & putting this party together.

it is such a privilege to have friends & family come together to celebrate your children.

we are beyond blessed by all the amazing people in our lives.

and charlotte LOVED her party.

she had a blast & is still saying 'i mermaid party!'

we love you precious girl.

happy 2nd birthday, my little mermaid.

see charlotte's 1st birthday party here

happy birthday tyler

today is a special day.

it is tyler rumley's 3rd birthday.

for tyler & his family,

this birthday is a little different.

rather than blowing out the candles on his cake today,

he is celebrating in heaven.

on june 24th, 2009,

jesus took tyler to live with him in heaven.

at just 4 1/2 months old,

the loss of this sweet, young life was devastating and tragic.

(you can read the story of precious tyler's life here on his mommy's beautiful blog)

tyler was such a gift to his family

and everyone who met this adorable baby.

with his mommy's eyes and a giggle that melted your heart-

he was love.

so today is different.

today is hard.

in stark contrast to celebrating charlotte yesterday,

i mourn for my friends as today they grieve what was and is not.

last night as charlotte blew out the candles on her ice cream,

my mind was full of how much she'd grown this year, all joy she brings,

and wonder at what the coming year would have for her.

i cannot imagine losing a child.

celebrating his birthday,

wondering what kind of 3 year old he would have been.

i know that is a loss you never get over.

my heart aches as i think of what today must feel like for tyler's mommy & daddy.

what i do know is that tyler was a gift from the lord.

his life, though so much shorter than we would have wished,

has touched so many people.

brought them to a saving knowledge of christ.

deepened the faith of many, myself included.

watching my best friends walk through tragedy, 

yet never taking their eyes of christ 

has taught me so much about true faith regardless of circumstance.

last saturday,

the rumleys welcomed their 4th little boy into the family.

beckham ryan came a few weeks early,

surprising everyone.

he is absolutely beautiful.

i think he has his mommy's eyes.

tyler's eyes.

i always marvel at god's timing.

i am grateful that today,

as my friends grieve the loss of tyler,

they also get to hold tiny beckham in their arms.

a reminder of god's faithfulness.

beckham doesn't lessen tyler's loss,

but my prayer is that he helps them find joy in the midst of their sorrow.

sweet little beckham.  see more of this little guy's hospital pics here

happy birthday, sweet tyler james rumley.

we miss you every single day

and can't wait to celebrate with you someday in heaven.

our little mermaid

 2.

two.

t w o !

today my baby is two.

in many ways it feels like i was just pregnant with her.

just holding her all curled up and new for the first time.

but oh, how sweet these past two years have been.

every day with this little girl is joy.

i remember when we had two kids.

a boy and a girl.

everyone said, "you're done, right?"

but we just didn't feel complete.

3 just sounded like the right number to us.

(some days, 3 feels like pure craziness.  but worth it :)

her first year of life, she was just a happy little baby.

this year she discovered her will.

and her voice.

she decided early on she could do anything her big brother and sister were doing.

she is not afraid to let you know what she wants.

but mostly... she is just sweetness.

and she is hilarious.

this kid has us laughing all the time.

silly faces, crazy little sayings...

she has her daddy's comedic timing.

she loves to give big hugs.

out of the blue, she will run up and just give you a bear hug.

melts my heart every.single.time.

she love, love, LOVES the little mermaid.

i have no idea how it started, but she wakes up thinking of mermaid,

and goes to bed singing about her.

any glimpse of the red-haired princess has her shouting

"MERMAID!"

she wants mermaid dolls, mermaid shoes, mermaid jammies.

if one-year-olds could be obsessive...

she just might qualify.

(stay tuned for her mermaid party coming this weekend!)

if anyone else is talking about mermaid, she'll quickly shout

"no, i mermaid!"

she's rather possessive of her :)

she loves to dance and 'shake her biscuits'.

she adores ketchup.  shoes.  her binky ('deet deet!'). coloring. dora. fruit. her baba. my phone. necklaces. snuggling. stickers. twirling.  skirts.  disneyland. animals ('tee tat & goggy'). her 'kitty' blankie.  pillows. jumping in her crib.  doing it herself.  pulling cheese out of anything.  being naked.  water (and drinking it out of a big cup!). picking flowers.  anything her siblings love.  getting dirty.  baths.  bandaids. chewing on batteries.  cheesy 'mater' smiles.  her backpack. brushing her teeth. pictures of people she knows.  being a big girl.

she is not a fan of sitting in a stroller.  getting dressed.  vegetables.  meat. having her picture taken.  doing what she's told ;)

with charlotte, our family feels complete.  

sometimes it feels bonkers, but this is us.

the bachman five.

i love this girl.

i love how she wants to hold my hand when she goes down stairs.

i love her skinny little legs when she wears dresses and boots.

i love how her hair curls just at the bottom.

i love the sound of her voice and how she has a new word everyday.

i love to watch her play when she thinks no one is watching.

i love how she tries to sing along to songs.

i love how passionately she feels about things.

i love those crazy little teeth.

i love that i am her favorite person in the world.

(although daddy is right up there next to me :)

charlotte monroe, i pray you never lose your passion for life,

your easy laughter, and your gentle spirit.

i pray you will always know how perfectly you have been created,

and how very loved you are,

by both your family and jesus.

you are a precious gift to us, and we love you more than words can express.

i am grieving the loss of having a 'baby' in the house.

two means officially being a little person.  a toddler.

definitely not a baby.

at least not to the rest of the world.

but while i am sad to lose my baby, i adore the little girl she is turning into,

and all the joy she brings.

i'm excited for the year ahead as she talks even more,

is potty-trained (fingers crossed!), and becomes even more of the person god created her to be.

happy 2nd birthday, 

my baby girl.

because no matter how old you get,

you will always be my baby.

charlotte's 1st birthday post

idaho

january 26-30th, 

the girls & i had the opportunity to fly to idaho 

to visit my dad, my stepmom, and my nana.

with charlotte's 2nd birthday just weeks away,

it made sense to take her on one last free flight.

the girls were SO excited to fly on an airplane.

i was excited for the trip, but less excited about flying with 2 kids.

(excuse the numerous iphone pics throughout.. sometimes you gotta use what you already have in your hand!)

overall, the girls did so good on the plane.

thank goodness for iPads & v-readers!

the layovers were a bit trickier as i tried to keep two girls busy

while lugging around 2 carry-on suitcases, 2 backpacks, a diaper bag, and a stroller

(you can see my super-mommy solution in the photo on the top right- bella in the stroller, 2 suitcases attached to the handles with backpacks on top of them, and charlotte riding the suitcases!)

there were definitely some crazy moments, but we made it safe and sound.

the girls got to see their grandparents (my dad & his wife, patty)

last summer.

but it has been awhile since they saw my nana.

charlotte & i flew out to see her in september of 2010 when she was 6 months old.

bella's last trip to idaho was in july of 2009- she was just 19 months old!

(and i had just found out i was pregnant with charlotte ;)

they had both changed quite a bit since nana last saw them.

it was definitely time for them to see grandma, grandad, and nana 'idaho' :)

the girls were SO excited to find out that both my dad & patty, 

and my nana have little dogs at their house!

those little dachshunds got a LOT of love.  and plenty of exercise.

bella would have played with them all day long.

the girls loved playing fetch with the dogs & giving them treats.

charlotte would say 'drop it!' and be so proud of herself.

we stayed at my nana's house.

she had made a special little table for the girls to eat at.

i love this picture of my nana.

it is the picture i have of her in my head- drinking her coffee & doing her puzzles 

with maggie on her lap (buried by the newspaper).

i miss her so much- only seeing her every few years breaks my heart.

she has always been so special to me.

i was so very grateful to be with her.

my grandad passed away almost nine years ago.

how i wish he was still here to meet & love my children.

i know they would have loved him. and he would have been delighted by them.

i miss him so much.

as far back as i can remember,

my nana has drank her coffee out of the same cup.

i love these mustard coffee mugs and the hands that hold them.

walking around my nana's house is a step back to my childhood.

my nana is a collector, and there are so many memories of growing up in every nook of her home.

these teacups were one of my favorite things to play with when i was a little girl.

it was always such a special treat to drink out of them.

i look forward to the day when my girls are old enough to do the same.

idaho is cold.

especially for these orange county wimps.

the day we flew out it was 75 degrees in irvine.

we arrived to 30 degree weather.

it was too chilly to spend much time outside,

so we found this awesome indoor playground for kids.

we ended up spending two afternoons there.

the photo on the top right shows the entrance- it was 3 layers high,

full of tunnels, bridges, slides, and crazy fun.

there was even a giant ball pit!

the girls were in heaven.

we also just had fun hanging out as a family.

grandad & charlotte.

heart.

this little lady got to show off some of her spicy side.

she is full of ideas & opinions, and starts most phrases with 'i!'

(i do it!  i phone! i eat!)

patty has a fun kitchen full of different chickens.

there is a large rooster next to the fridge that charlotte was determined to ride.

"i chicken!  i ride!"

we finally convinced her to just share her binky with the rooster instead.

bella & patty spent some time putting together a special princess puzzle.

so sweet.

(the only bummer was it was one of those puzzles that change depending on how you look at it.

so confusing for bella...no more lenticular puzzles!)

 

my dad is a big hunter/fisher/atv-er/outdoorsman.

his favorite store is called cabella's.

it is pretty fun- there is a giant fish tank

and the center of the store has a huge display of all different animals

(kinda creepy since you know they were once alive)

from chipmunks to a moose to a polar bear.

the girls were fascinated.

before we knew it, 

our time in idaho was over.

we had so much fun reconnecting with family that we miss so much.

good food, lots of laughs, and doggy kisses galore.

it was sad to say goodbye, not knowing when we'll get to see them again.

 but we are so grateful for the time we had in idaho.

we love you dad, patty & nana.

hope to see you soon!

xoxo