... around the house.
Besides the massive remodeling project we've started in the basement, there are all sorts of other things that always need to be done.
Today, I took the kids to the Gnome Despot to pick up a 5 gallon bucket of DryLock to paint onto the cinder blocks in the basement. Apparently, a good chunk of the basement cinder blocks are already painted with DryLock, but the part of the basement that will be our living space does not. It will take 2 coats to do it right; the first coat should be painted up/down whereas the second coat should be painted left/right. Hopefully, this will be an initial moisture barrier!!
When I got home, I inspected the basement walls to see if there is any mold or mildew. I don't think there is, so I don't think I need to scrub them down with a wire brush and bleach. However, inspecting the walls made me notice that there are some holes that I should probably patch with some quick setting concrete before I start painting with the DryLock.
After lunch, I decided I had the energy to tackle a job I've been wanting to do since we moved in, but on days I had the energy, it was bad/cold weather... wash the windows! Today was the perfect day as it wasn't cold, it wasn't hot, it was sunny, and the bugs aren't out in force yet.
Now, I didn't take a shortcut and Windex the inside window only. In fact, I would have made my father proud today! I washed the inside AND outside of the windows with a Lysol solution-soaked rag, squeegeed them dry, and then washed each of the screens, the tracks, and the sills. What I found was that the windows were not only disgusting, but the number of STINKBUGS hiding in the window tracks was also disgusting!!! It turns out that these 1992 windows don't have a wide enough weather strip to keep the bugs out from between the screen and the window. UUUUGH!!! I'm wondering if Gnome Despot has weather stripping for windows like these. I'd have to custom cut one for each window, but it would be worth to keep all of these critters out!
I also have to call Andersen to see if they are still under warranty (I think I have until the end of this year, actually) because there is condensation forming in between the panes of 3 of the windows. Guessing the Argon gas has leaked, so either they need to be refilled or replaced. Either way, I have to call soon!!
As if that wasn't enough work, I also decided to tackle the Ghetto Light project. The Ghetto Light is the one light outside of our garage that lost its top during the winter of 2009. To protect the bulb, we covered the top with a piece of tin foil. Pretty ghetto..... When I looked at all of the lights that hang off the garage, 4 matched, and 4 didn't. I found the lights that look like the ones that actually match, and bought them. Today, I decided, would be installation day. Naturally, this was not as simple as it should have been as it required drilling extra holes to make the hanging screws fit. Steve helped me with the first one, and I did the second one. After throwing the breaker back on, we confirmed our lighted success! No more Ghetto Light!
Hurray for house projects!!
- Posted using BlogPress from my newest toy.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Pics of our demolished basement
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| Stairs on the right side, looking back towards the basement door. |
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| Section under the master bedroom; stairs are behind me in this picture. |
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| Basement door is in the top left (out of sight); facing the laundry room. |
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Sad news
Unfortunately, Steve and I will not have triplet nieces/nephews. Nancy found out that 2 more of the babies no longer have heartbeats. That leaves only 1 baby of the original 4.
Need lots of prayers that this remaining baby is healthy, and that (s)he goes full term.
We are very sad for Dave and Nancy. They were so excited to have multiples, and this is just heartbreaking.
:-(
Need lots of prayers that this remaining baby is healthy, and that (s)he goes full term.
We are very sad for Dave and Nancy. They were so excited to have multiples, and this is just heartbreaking.
:-(
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Pediatric ophthalmology update
Today, I took the kids to visit Dr. Collins for their progress check with their glasses. To my surprise, Dr. Collins had moved out of the GBMC Eye Clinic into her own office down the hall. It was so nice and quiet and calm as compared to the zoo of the Eye Clinic!
When we were called, Elektra put on her best charm, and happily ran to sit in the exam chair! Therefore, she had her eyes examined first. No need for big brother to show her how it's done!
Elektra did great with the depth perception test (in fact, she wanted to keep the purple glasses on... What a stylista!), the red/green test, the test where she has to track an object, and the eyes are not crossing test. She also had to name shapes (we've been practicing at home!) of different sizes to gauge her sight capabilities.
The result: Elektra is reading about 20/40 in BOTH eyes! That means the glasses are working because before she got glasses, her left eye was not seeing to the same level as her right! And, this is better than what some three year olds can see! Starting her with glasses this early is a huge win for her.
The comic relief during Elektra's exam was as not only how outrageously charming Elektra was being, but also that DJ would yell out the answer at times. Oops!
To keep Elektra occupied during DJ's exam, I pulled out the secret weapon.... The iPad. We didn't hear one peep out of her!
Meanwhile, DJ did great with the initial depth perception tests, but you could tell he was playing/not paying attention as we asked him to do more. Red/green test was no issue, but DJ asked for "no flashlight" to be shined in his eyes. Don't know why he balked that that....but bless Dr. Collins because she obliged him.
When it was time for gauge his sight capabilities, he was asked to name 4 letters on a page to test to make sure he knows his letters. I nearly died when he named 2 of the 4 letters incorrectly... I know he knows his letters, but he was making it clear he didn't want to do it!
We covered his strong eye first, and he didn't make it past 20/40....worse than in previous appointments! He was really pushing limits. I tried bribes, pleading... Nothing worked.
We switched and covered his weak eye, allowing hook to see with his strong eye. He got down to reading 20/25, I think, and he did it with fairly little fight, actually, now that I think about it.
Result: the glasses alone are not working as hoped for DJ. Therefore, 3 days in a row each week, we are going to put a drop of Atropine in DJ's strong eye to blur its vision capabilities. This will force him to use the weak eye, and hopefully bring it up to speed, as it were. There are other side effects (pupils dilate so some sun sensitivity, maybe), but I want to take no chances that the corrections we are trying to make won't work!!
He goes back to Dr. Collins in 3 months to see if that is working. the alternative is to have him wear a patch on the good eye 1-2 hours per day, but this assumes he'll a) leave the patch on b) he would wear the patch in the mornings when he is freshest and c) someone can watch him all the time to make sure he doesn't take them off or he doesn't cheat.
I've chosen the fight to put a drop in his eye every morning instead of the patching fight. Hoping this works!!
- Posted using BlogPress from my newest toy.
When we were called, Elektra put on her best charm, and happily ran to sit in the exam chair! Therefore, she had her eyes examined first. No need for big brother to show her how it's done!
Elektra did great with the depth perception test (in fact, she wanted to keep the purple glasses on... What a stylista!), the red/green test, the test where she has to track an object, and the eyes are not crossing test. She also had to name shapes (we've been practicing at home!) of different sizes to gauge her sight capabilities.
The result: Elektra is reading about 20/40 in BOTH eyes! That means the glasses are working because before she got glasses, her left eye was not seeing to the same level as her right! And, this is better than what some three year olds can see! Starting her with glasses this early is a huge win for her.
The comic relief during Elektra's exam was as not only how outrageously charming Elektra was being, but also that DJ would yell out the answer at times. Oops!
To keep Elektra occupied during DJ's exam, I pulled out the secret weapon.... The iPad. We didn't hear one peep out of her!
Meanwhile, DJ did great with the initial depth perception tests, but you could tell he was playing/not paying attention as we asked him to do more. Red/green test was no issue, but DJ asked for "no flashlight" to be shined in his eyes. Don't know why he balked that that....but bless Dr. Collins because she obliged him.
When it was time for gauge his sight capabilities, he was asked to name 4 letters on a page to test to make sure he knows his letters. I nearly died when he named 2 of the 4 letters incorrectly... I know he knows his letters, but he was making it clear he didn't want to do it!
We covered his strong eye first, and he didn't make it past 20/40....worse than in previous appointments! He was really pushing limits. I tried bribes, pleading... Nothing worked.
We switched and covered his weak eye, allowing hook to see with his strong eye. He got down to reading 20/25, I think, and he did it with fairly little fight, actually, now that I think about it.
Result: the glasses alone are not working as hoped for DJ. Therefore, 3 days in a row each week, we are going to put a drop of Atropine in DJ's strong eye to blur its vision capabilities. This will force him to use the weak eye, and hopefully bring it up to speed, as it were. There are other side effects (pupils dilate so some sun sensitivity, maybe), but I want to take no chances that the corrections we are trying to make won't work!!
He goes back to Dr. Collins in 3 months to see if that is working. the alternative is to have him wear a patch on the good eye 1-2 hours per day, but this assumes he'll a) leave the patch on b) he would wear the patch in the mornings when he is freshest and c) someone can watch him all the time to make sure he doesn't take them off or he doesn't cheat.
I've chosen the fight to put a drop in his eye every morning instead of the patching fight. Hoping this works!!
- Posted using BlogPress from my newest toy.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
It's going to be a long strange trip(lets)!
No, I'm not pregnant...!!!
But my sister-in-law, Nancy is!!! She's married to Steve's brother, Dave, and they are expecting triplets!!!! Nancy let the cat out of the bag on Facebook last night, soooooo I think I'm pretty clear to announce it on this blog, too!
Nancy is due October 27, but there is a very good chance the pregnancy won't go to term. So she is asking for lots of prayers for the babies to come out healthy and to carry them as long as possible!!
She also has a blog in case you are interested reading about her journey thus far. http://quadyssey.blogspot.com/
Steve's Facebook wall has gotten some pretty funny posts from fellow cousins, too. :-)
HUGE CONGRATS to Dave, Nancy, Axel, and Brillo!!
But my sister-in-law, Nancy is!!! She's married to Steve's brother, Dave, and they are expecting triplets!!!! Nancy let the cat out of the bag on Facebook last night, soooooo I think I'm pretty clear to announce it on this blog, too!
Nancy is due October 27, but there is a very good chance the pregnancy won't go to term. So she is asking for lots of prayers for the babies to come out healthy and to carry them as long as possible!!
She also has a blog in case you are interested reading about her journey thus far. http://quadyssey.blogspot.com/
Steve's Facebook wall has gotten some pretty funny posts from fellow cousins, too. :-)
HUGE CONGRATS to Dave, Nancy, Axel, and Brillo!!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Operation Stinkbug
When the stinkbugs came to Maryland 2 years ago, our house was assaulted. I thought that they were coming in when we'd open the back door to let the dogs in. And they were; we'd have to wipe down the door every time it opened.
Unfortunately for us, the problem isn't limited to that and to make things worse, last year, the assault intensified from the first year of stinkbugs. I heard somewhere that stinkbugs like soybeans, and that was the crop planted in the field behind us last year (planned rotation: one year corn, the next year soybeans). At one point in the fall, the weekend before Elektra's birthday party, the house siding looked like it was alive because it was crawling with so many stinkbugs. It was so gross.
To boot, we were catching at least 15-20 of those buggers a day inside the house. When we started finding them in the master bathroom, it became clear that their entry point was through the fan because when we'd turn it on, you could hear them getting rattled and crushed by the fan blades. So we left the fan on 24x7, and that seemed to slow their direct entry. My thought is... If they can get through the gauntlet, then they deserve to be flushed down the toilet!
The fan vents directly to the outside, not the attic, and the "bug guard" is NOT stinkbug proof!!! I watched them crawl in during the summer because the outbound "breeze" isn't strong enough to keep anything but gnats and flies out. Fantastic.
We also found them regularly in the kitchen. They would receive either a flushing or a garbage disposal treatment. That's when I figured they are in our attic.
We would also find them in our living room... And garage... The only place we didn't find them is in the bedrooms, thankfully. However, the window screens do not keep them from getting between the window pane and the screen!!
For once in my life, I couldn't wait for the first frost to kill them!!! The first, second and third frosts came and went, and there seemed to be no sign of the invasion slowing down. In fact if anything, it got worse because clearly they were looking for a warm place to go.
&$@(%#*{ !!!!!!!!!!!!
Then we got our fireplace fixed in January and that is when we found out how they were getting into the living room..... The stench of burning stinkbug nearly drove us out of the house for three days, and this was AFTER the fireplace tech had vacuumed it!!! Noxious.... Absolutely noxious stench!
Stinkbugs, when it gets cold, don't die. They hibernate. And they decided to hibernate in our chimney, in our attic, and in our master bathroom fan venting.
Over the last few days, I have been on the war path to find the holes and plug them to keep stinkbugs out of our living space. I can't do anything about the chimney without creating a carbon monoxide hazard, so I will always have that issue. I don't know how much I can do about the attic; I have to go up there and look at all the eves to see if the screening is sufficient.
However, I can fix the bathroom fan problem! I borrowed a tall ladder from our neighbors today, unscrewed the "bug guard", and screeched in horror as hundreds of stinkbugs fell out from around the edges and from inside the venting. It was so gross!!!!!!!!!!! What's even more disgusting is that about half of them were still alive!! Ugh!!! But it explains why we have had to keep our fan on all winter, too!
I cleaned out the bugs I could find/reach, and then added screening to the outside. I know it reduces the airflow, but it's the price we are going to have to pay!! I screwed it back in, but I am going to have to add a significant amount of caulk around the edges to make sure it is stinkbug proof for a few years. Those little suckers can get pretty flat and can wedge themselves into locations that you never dreamed!
We also opened the bay windows in the kitchen, and found at least another 20 live ones wedged in between the top of the window frame and the frame itself. I cannot, for the life of me, figure out HOW the are worming their way into the house through what looks to me to be a tight seal!!
I've also ordered a trap... Yes, a trap. I ordered it from http://www.stinkbugtrapsonline.com/. The guy is a do-it-yourself-inventor, and I figured I can put this in my attic to see if it works. At this point. I'm game to try almost anything, and this has gotten some good reviews and press. He can't build them fast enough and fully refunds money if dissatisfied. What do I have to lose?
I can't kill them at their source, but I'm not going to sit back and let them invade my home anymore!! I won't win because they will always get in, but I can at least slow the stinkbug parade down to a trickle instead of a 10-20 a day!!!
I am so done with them!!!
- Posted using BlogPress from my newest toy.
Unfortunately for us, the problem isn't limited to that and to make things worse, last year, the assault intensified from the first year of stinkbugs. I heard somewhere that stinkbugs like soybeans, and that was the crop planted in the field behind us last year (planned rotation: one year corn, the next year soybeans). At one point in the fall, the weekend before Elektra's birthday party, the house siding looked like it was alive because it was crawling with so many stinkbugs. It was so gross.
To boot, we were catching at least 15-20 of those buggers a day inside the house. When we started finding them in the master bathroom, it became clear that their entry point was through the fan because when we'd turn it on, you could hear them getting rattled and crushed by the fan blades. So we left the fan on 24x7, and that seemed to slow their direct entry. My thought is... If they can get through the gauntlet, then they deserve to be flushed down the toilet!
The fan vents directly to the outside, not the attic, and the "bug guard" is NOT stinkbug proof!!! I watched them crawl in during the summer because the outbound "breeze" isn't strong enough to keep anything but gnats and flies out. Fantastic.
We also found them regularly in the kitchen. They would receive either a flushing or a garbage disposal treatment. That's when I figured they are in our attic.
We would also find them in our living room... And garage... The only place we didn't find them is in the bedrooms, thankfully. However, the window screens do not keep them from getting between the window pane and the screen!!
For once in my life, I couldn't wait for the first frost to kill them!!! The first, second and third frosts came and went, and there seemed to be no sign of the invasion slowing down. In fact if anything, it got worse because clearly they were looking for a warm place to go.
&$@(%#*{ !!!!!!!!!!!!
Then we got our fireplace fixed in January and that is when we found out how they were getting into the living room..... The stench of burning stinkbug nearly drove us out of the house for three days, and this was AFTER the fireplace tech had vacuumed it!!! Noxious.... Absolutely noxious stench!
Stinkbugs, when it gets cold, don't die. They hibernate. And they decided to hibernate in our chimney, in our attic, and in our master bathroom fan venting.
Over the last few days, I have been on the war path to find the holes and plug them to keep stinkbugs out of our living space. I can't do anything about the chimney without creating a carbon monoxide hazard, so I will always have that issue. I don't know how much I can do about the attic; I have to go up there and look at all the eves to see if the screening is sufficient.
However, I can fix the bathroom fan problem! I borrowed a tall ladder from our neighbors today, unscrewed the "bug guard", and screeched in horror as hundreds of stinkbugs fell out from around the edges and from inside the venting. It was so gross!!!!!!!!!!! What's even more disgusting is that about half of them were still alive!! Ugh!!! But it explains why we have had to keep our fan on all winter, too!
I cleaned out the bugs I could find/reach, and then added screening to the outside. I know it reduces the airflow, but it's the price we are going to have to pay!! I screwed it back in, but I am going to have to add a significant amount of caulk around the edges to make sure it is stinkbug proof for a few years. Those little suckers can get pretty flat and can wedge themselves into locations that you never dreamed!
We also opened the bay windows in the kitchen, and found at least another 20 live ones wedged in between the top of the window frame and the frame itself. I cannot, for the life of me, figure out HOW the are worming their way into the house through what looks to me to be a tight seal!!
I've also ordered a trap... Yes, a trap. I ordered it from http://www.stinkbugtrapsonline.com/. The guy is a do-it-yourself-inventor, and I figured I can put this in my attic to see if it works. At this point. I'm game to try almost anything, and this has gotten some good reviews and press. He can't build them fast enough and fully refunds money if dissatisfied. What do I have to lose?
I can't kill them at their source, but I'm not going to sit back and let them invade my home anymore!! I won't win because they will always get in, but I can at least slow the stinkbug parade down to a trickle instead of a 10-20 a day!!!
I am so done with them!!!
- Posted using BlogPress from my newest toy.
DJ's 4 year checkup
On April 1, DJ went to the pediatrician for his 4 year checkup.
This year, not only did DJ stand on the big boy scale and against the the big boy height ruler, but he also had his blood pressure taken for the first time! DJ must have been nervous because his blood pressure was high. The nurse said we'd take it again in a few minutes.
DJ weighed in at 40 3/4 pounds and is 41 1/2 inches tall. This puts him in the 75th percentile in height and the 85-90th percentile in weight. A year ago, DJ was in the 65th percentile all around, so someone has grown despite his being a picky eater!
During the actual visit with the doctor, DJ did a great job letting the doctor look for monkeys in his ears, eyes and throat. He also let the doctor check his chest, spleen, and other body parts without a fuss. In fact, DJ did great.
I asked about his headaches, and the doctor said it isn't sinuses because he doesn't have sinuses yet! It's very likely to be a tension headache, if anything.
I also asked his recommendation about putting DJ in a booster, and he said that the recommendation these days is becoming more conservative. So we'll leave DJ in the 5 point harness seat until he doesn't fit in it. Next winter, he won't fit in his car seat while wearing his winter coat, so I suspect we'll have to change him to a booster then.
Meanwhile, the nurse came back in to take DJ's blood pressure, and everything was normal!
Unfortunately, our 2 year streak of no shots came to a roaring end. DJ received 5 boosters. The nurse came back, and administered them in less than 30 seconds (she was super fast!!), but DJ was pretty traumatized, understandably.
I got DJ back to Eleanor and Sonny's house, and went to work. DJ took a long nap and when he woke up, said his legs hurt and that he didn't want to walk! He sat on the couch the rest of the afternoon, asked me to carry him from Eleanor's to the car, and then from the car into the house. We administered some tylenol for the pain and about an hour later, he was feeling better.
On Saturday, DJ took a 3.5 hour nap!! Talk about fighting off the shots!! But he was back to normal by bedtime, and he's been doing great since!
This year, not only did DJ stand on the big boy scale and against the the big boy height ruler, but he also had his blood pressure taken for the first time! DJ must have been nervous because his blood pressure was high. The nurse said we'd take it again in a few minutes.
DJ weighed in at 40 3/4 pounds and is 41 1/2 inches tall. This puts him in the 75th percentile in height and the 85-90th percentile in weight. A year ago, DJ was in the 65th percentile all around, so someone has grown despite his being a picky eater!
During the actual visit with the doctor, DJ did a great job letting the doctor look for monkeys in his ears, eyes and throat. He also let the doctor check his chest, spleen, and other body parts without a fuss. In fact, DJ did great.
I asked about his headaches, and the doctor said it isn't sinuses because he doesn't have sinuses yet! It's very likely to be a tension headache, if anything.
I also asked his recommendation about putting DJ in a booster, and he said that the recommendation these days is becoming more conservative. So we'll leave DJ in the 5 point harness seat until he doesn't fit in it. Next winter, he won't fit in his car seat while wearing his winter coat, so I suspect we'll have to change him to a booster then.
Meanwhile, the nurse came back in to take DJ's blood pressure, and everything was normal!
Unfortunately, our 2 year streak of no shots came to a roaring end. DJ received 5 boosters. The nurse came back, and administered them in less than 30 seconds (she was super fast!!), but DJ was pretty traumatized, understandably.
I got DJ back to Eleanor and Sonny's house, and went to work. DJ took a long nap and when he woke up, said his legs hurt and that he didn't want to walk! He sat on the couch the rest of the afternoon, asked me to carry him from Eleanor's to the car, and then from the car into the house. We administered some tylenol for the pain and about an hour later, he was feeling better.
On Saturday, DJ took a 3.5 hour nap!! Talk about fighting off the shots!! But he was back to normal by bedtime, and he's been doing great since!
Saturday, April 09, 2011
DEMOLITION!!
Because we couldn't be any busier, we decided to add a major home improvement project to our list of things to do.
There are always home improvement projects to be done, but hanging new lights pales in comparison to the ones we're tackling this year. We've actually already completed one: we added recessed lighting and a ceiling fan to the living room (eliminating floor lamps... yay!). we also had our thermostat moved from out of the kitchen corner closest to the fireplace to the hallway by the bedrooms. I think we get more even temps in the house now... shocker!! We commissioned a contractor to do the job, and it was done in a day and a half. It's fabulous, and I'm thrilled we did it.
However, last weekend, we decided to tackle a major project - we are remodeling the basement. We spent last weekend and evenings this whole last week packing all of our stuff in the basement. And boy, there's just a lot of stuff down there!!
Yesterday, the dumpster was delivered to our driveway.
Today was DEMOLITION! And of course, I forgot to take a "before" picture. Ugh. Oh well.
Thankfully, a few people came over to help us:
- Eric, our neighbor from when we lived in the townhouse
- Andy, my friend since 1st grade
- Jill, a close friend of ours
- Don, Steve's dad
Without them, it never would have gotten done as fast as it did. The guys moved a few things to other locales first thing this morning, and then the noise began!! Crowbars, big feet and big hammers were tools of the trade and ceiling tiles, wood wall paneling, and wall/ceiling framing came down crashing. Between everyone, the vast majority the noise to be made was completed before lunch was delivered!!
I put the kids down for naps at 2, and then we started hauling the junk out to the dumpster. Then it was time to pick up the rug. We thought it might be glued to the concrete, but it wasn't! It wasn't glued to anything! That makes for easy disposal!
Except that there is linolium flooring under it. Can't have a major project without a surprise!! So we started asking questions like... Is it glued down? Is it tarred? Is it absbestos? We have no idea. Steve plans to rip it all out to lay down the Dricore easier and have it be effective.
So what did the demolition show us today?
- We suspected our master bathroom has a leak. Now we know for a fact.
- We have had water intrusion relatively recently. There was mold on the baseboards on one side of the room. We could smell how dank the rug was as we were pulling it, too.
- We really need to change out the metal water mains for PVC to create less locales in which stuff could leak.
- There was zero insulation in the basement. The frame for the walls were 1x's.
- Having open space gave us a 3-D canvas of what our space really looks like. Now we can really plan for what we want!
We have a loooooooooooong road ahead of us, but we have a deadline of Elektra's birthday to get it reasonably completed. Wish us luck!!
DJ's 4th Birthday
Clearly, I'm late in blogging about DJ's 4th Birthday. ::sigh::
On the day of DJ's actual birthday, Sonny and Eleanor threw a little party for DJ with all of his daycare friends.
As if that wasn't awesome enough, DJ's Nouno, Nouna, Nouna Alexandra, and Cousin Eleni from Minneapolis could be in town to help us celebrate it, too!!
We had dinner with the Minneapple crew the night before we were going to have DJ's birthday party at our house. While we were eating, both Alexandra and Eleni said that they wanted to come over and help us make DJ's birthday cake - the family favorite: Marshmallow Cake. This was a no brainer...! We got a chance to spend time with the girls, they were helping me cook, and they wanted to help with making their favorite cake! Awesome!! So the girls came home with Steve and me after dinner. While they made Marshmallow Cake, I trimmed the beef, marinated the pork loin, and made a spanakopita. Alexandra chopped the onions (remember, Alexandra - rinse the onion to reduce crying!) for the spanakopita for me, too! If it wasn't for the girls, I would have been up most of the night cooking, so I am very thankful they came to help!
The girls also learned a few new tricks while making the cake:
The next day was party day! We had nearly 30 people at the house for what turned out to be a gorgeous day! My parents brought steamed shrimp to have with the spanakopita and hummus I'd made, and there were just about no leftovers! Then we served lunch (beef and pork tenderloin - grilled to perfection by Steve), macaroni and cheese, and salad that my sister brought that had feta and dried cherries... yummy!! We had ZERO leftovers!!
Then it was CAKE TIME! Oh DJ was so excited he didn't know what to do with himself. Plus, DJ *loves loves loves* cake. He will wait soooooooooooooooo patiently for cake it's unbelievable a 4 year old can sit still that long. Really.
After we sang Happy Birthday to DJ, DJ blew out all of his candles in the first breath!! That was awesome!
Next, I relit the candles so that Elektra could have an opportunity to blow out the candles, too. This is a Hargest Family tradition (Steve's Mom's side of the family) because there is photographic evidence of Dave trying to blow out Steve's candles on Steve's 6th birthday. Because of that incident, the birthday child gets to blow out the candles first. Then the candles are relit and all children in attendance get to blow out the candles, too!
DJ devoured his entire piece of Marshmallow Cake. And as it turns out, the entire cake vanished, too!! Clearly, Alexandra and Eleni did an excellent job! Thanks again, girls! My sister also brought mini cream puffs and berries. All 110 cream puffs were gone, and only a little fruit was left. Wow!
After that, the cyclone that is a 4 year old ripping open presents as fast as he could happened. DJ received some awesome gifts... space ships, a Leap Frog tag reader, books, clothes, games, and a car carrier! We actually moved all of his toys out into the garage, and he's really only been playing with his new toys (and his duplos).
DJ had a great time at his party, and he loves his gifts. Thanks, everyone!
On the day of DJ's actual birthday, Sonny and Eleanor threw a little party for DJ with all of his daycare friends.
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| So excited!!!!! |
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| Cameron (way back) Front row: DJ, Grace, Sam 2nd row: Claire, Elektra, Evan |
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| Fish face (!) with Grace |
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| Elektra and Evan still in their party hats |
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| Grace and DJ (eating ice cream) |
As if that wasn't awesome enough, DJ's Nouno, Nouna, Nouna Alexandra, and Cousin Eleni from Minneapolis could be in town to help us celebrate it, too!!
We had dinner with the Minneapple crew the night before we were going to have DJ's birthday party at our house. While we were eating, both Alexandra and Eleni said that they wanted to come over and help us make DJ's birthday cake - the family favorite: Marshmallow Cake. This was a no brainer...! We got a chance to spend time with the girls, they were helping me cook, and they wanted to help with making their favorite cake! Awesome!! So the girls came home with Steve and me after dinner. While they made Marshmallow Cake, I trimmed the beef, marinated the pork loin, and made a spanakopita. Alexandra chopped the onions (remember, Alexandra - rinse the onion to reduce crying!) for the spanakopita for me, too! If it wasn't for the girls, I would have been up most of the night cooking, so I am very thankful they came to help!
The girls also learned a few new tricks while making the cake:
- Pam for Baking (Pam with flour)
- Magic Strips (strips soaked in ice water and then wrapped around the outside edges of a cake pan to make the cake top flat
- How to get cake layers onto a serving plate/stand.
- How to ice the cake!
- Another method for separating egg whites from yolks.
The next day was party day! We had nearly 30 people at the house for what turned out to be a gorgeous day! My parents brought steamed shrimp to have with the spanakopita and hummus I'd made, and there were just about no leftovers! Then we served lunch (beef and pork tenderloin - grilled to perfection by Steve), macaroni and cheese, and salad that my sister brought that had feta and dried cherries... yummy!! We had ZERO leftovers!!
Then it was CAKE TIME! Oh DJ was so excited he didn't know what to do with himself. Plus, DJ *loves loves loves* cake. He will wait soooooooooooooooo patiently for cake it's unbelievable a 4 year old can sit still that long. Really.
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| Listening to us all sing Happy Birthday to him |
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| oh boy... CAKE!!!! |
After we sang Happy Birthday to DJ, DJ blew out all of his candles in the first breath!! That was awesome!
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| DJ blowing out his candles |
Next, I relit the candles so that Elektra could have an opportunity to blow out the candles, too. This is a Hargest Family tradition (Steve's Mom's side of the family) because there is photographic evidence of Dave trying to blow out Steve's candles on Steve's 6th birthday. Because of that incident, the birthday child gets to blow out the candles first. Then the candles are relit and all children in attendance get to blow out the candles, too!
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| Elektra's turn to blow out the candles! |
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| OH BOY!!! CAKE!! |
DJ devoured his entire piece of Marshmallow Cake. And as it turns out, the entire cake vanished, too!! Clearly, Alexandra and Eleni did an excellent job! Thanks again, girls! My sister also brought mini cream puffs and berries. All 110 cream puffs were gone, and only a little fruit was left. Wow!
After that, the cyclone that is a 4 year old ripping open presents as fast as he could happened. DJ received some awesome gifts... space ships, a Leap Frog tag reader, books, clothes, games, and a car carrier! We actually moved all of his toys out into the garage, and he's really only been playing with his new toys (and his duplos).
DJ had a great time at his party, and he loves his gifts. Thanks, everyone!
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