Birthday - Part 2

Dear Conor,

We made it!!  It's party time!!  The date of your birthday party officially arrived!!  I was so excited - your Daddy was so excited - your grandparents were so excited.....everyone couldn't wait to celebrate the last amazing year we have all had with you!

Your party was Whale Themed (It's been a Whaley Great Year) and so I bought some basic blue hats and with my cricut I cut out whales and some number "1s" and added them to the hats.  They didn't look quite finished so I added little white pom-poms to the top.  Your hat also got a ring of pom-poms at the bottom!

Hats and Noise makers!

Entry Table - signing mat, hats, noise makers

 To the side of the entry table was the food table.  It had so many yummy things on it.  Amanda and Goddad Chris brought a lasagna, tuna fish sandwiches, there were cookies from Sue, a fresh fruit salad, chips from the Smith Family, salsa, goldfish, and cupcakes.  The food was a huge hit and there was barely anything left over!

On the opposite side of the room was the "Guess how Old I am Game"  It took up both bulletin boards and Grandma Mary decorated them so nicely! 

On the shelf above the food table was your cake.  I worked really hard to make it just right for you.  I made several whales and this was the best one.  It was very very very hard to make a whale from fondant and while it wasn't perfect it was the best Mommy could do!

We also set up a gift table and put one of the whale pinatas on the table to decorate it.  This one was full of tasty treats for you and your friends to open later during your party.  We also put your little favors for your friends on this table so they were part decoration that were actually your "take-aways"

Gift Table

 Between the two bulletin boards was your high chair which was set up for taking your smash pictures.  I couldn't believe how nicely the paper matched your chair - that was not planed!.

There were tables set up for people to sit at and tissue paper pom-poms hanging from the ceiling lights to decorate the room and make it feel a bit like you were "under the water".  I also brought some of your toys down for everyone to play with.  I brought your ball pit, your bead maze, walking toys, and some other small things.  You did a great job sharing your toys with your friends and your ball pit was a huge source of fun for everyone!

The first guests to arrive were your BFF Gordon and your cousin Nolan.  Gordon and you enjoyed spending time alone in your pit and you were having so much fun that cousin Nolan just had to join in on the fun!

Because he is still little his Mom and Daddy helped him stick his little feet in it.  Nolan wasn't too sure about being 100% in the ball pit but he did like holding them so we gave him on to play with outside of the pit!

Slowly your friends all started arriving and you were so happy to see them all!

Playing with Auntie Cathline

Carter, Neve, Sophie & Ryan

Neve

Charlie

Sophie

Sharing whales with Neve

Lots of Friends!

 After everyone played and had a chance to eat it was time to smash the cake!  Oh Conor - you were so funny!  Your fingers touched the frosting and you immediately started crying.  You did not like how sticky it was and you did NOT like it on your hands!  You kept trying to push the cake off your high chair tray.

Waiting for your cake

Happy Birthday Conor

Taking off the whale.

After the whale came off the cake and some of the frosting got on your hands and arms you started melting down, begging to be removed from the chair.  Miss Sharon was taking pictures for Mommy and she (thankfully) didn't take those pictures - it certainly isn't how we want everyone to remember your day.

After everyone left your party we tried to offer you the cake again to see if there was just too much going on for you the first time.  This time it was just Mommy and Daddy (with Auntie taking pictures).  Here's how that attempt turned out:

Still not sure about this cake thing!

Nope - not in love with it

Get me outta here!

Priceless.....

It's okay that you didn't like your cake Conor (even though Mommy worked really hard on it) because it isn't about the cake but about the special day that we got to spend with you.  Maybe next year you will want to try a bit of cake:)

We also opened your gifts at your party.  Mommy had a great idea to take pictures of the gift giver, you and the gift so that it would be easy to remember for thank-you cards.  You are very fortunate to have so many generous friends and family who not only came out to your party a week before Christmas but also brought you a gift to commemorate your first year.  Here are a few of Mommy's favorite photos:

Auntie Cathlin got you Instruments!

Loving the Tissue Paper from Neve's present

Braden got you fun books!

GodDad Chris wants you to love the Bruins like he does!

It was an amazing party little man but there was still one more activity to do before all your friends left - break the pinata open!  Since you guys are little we got a pinata that you pull ribbons to open it up rather than hit it with a stick.  It was very hard because the ribbons didn't open it up very easily but with a little help from Mommy and Daddy it opened and all the yummy treats came out (Annie's goldfish in green bags).

That's it Conor - that's your birthday in a nutshell!  Of course there were many pictures taken that didn't so stay tuned for a Grandparent's post!

xoxo
Mommy



Playdate with Gordon

Dear Conor,

On 11.17.12 little Gordon and his Mommy came to visit.  The two of you had so much fun playing together - it was as though you played together on a regular basis when the truth is you see each other about once a month, sometimes only once every other month.

Let's play Gordon!

Yeah Gordon - that's how it works!

Now let's try this one

You guys played in the living room for quite a while.....even Daddy got in on the action and made you both bucket heads!

 

After a little buckethead fun it was time for lunch.  First we had you boys eat and then it was time for the 'grown-ups' to eat.  While we were eating you and L.G. made your move.  I had put Hunter's pen across the dinning room entry so you couldn't escape but by working together the two of you managed to push it out of the way and gain access to the kitchen.....

L.G. escaping!

Before we knew it the time had come for our friends to leave.  Before they left we posed for pictures....you were exhausted by this time and not interested in saying "Cheese" but I think we got a few cute ones.

I love you Ana!

You did not want your Ana to leave but she promised to come back and play another day!  We are so thankful to our friends for coming to play!

Love
Mommy

First Grade & A First Birthday

Dear Conor,

On October 6, 2012 we were two busy road trippers!  We got up early to prepare for our busy day.  We hit the road at about 9am so that we would get to spend a little bit of fun together in the truck before you took your morning nap.  My hope is that you would sleep for the majority of the ride.

We were making amazing timing - no traffic at all so I called your Auntie Cathlin to see what she was up to and if she was in town - and she WAS!  Not only was she in town but she was at her school which was just 15 minutes or so from our final destination.  She asked if we wanted to stop by (and of course we did) so a quick detour and we found ourselves at her Elementary School (which we will not name).

Welcome to First Grade Conor!

The rug rules said that you must sit "criss cross applesauce" and you did!  What a good student

Reading with Auntie Teacher

A need idea: a book about teacher for students to read (thanks Pinterest she says!)

 

After practicing your reading and learning about teacher it was time for some directed learning.  On today's lesson plan was shapes and so out came the wooden blocks for you to touch, smell, taste, and see.  It was a lesson you were truly able to sink your teeth into (hee hee).

Next we toured the classroom library where there was not one but TWO copies of your favorite book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom!!!!



Sitting on the bench Grandma Mary made in the classroom library reading your favorite book!

After spending a bit of time in the classroom it was time to take a tour of the school.  We loved the porthole openings on some of the doors and the fact that the kindergarten classrooms were themed with Chicka Chicka!  We saw Auntie's old classroom and right next door was the office of a certain person who we love - Ms. Whitt!

We couldn't pass up sneaking in and helping her with her work since she will be going on maternity leave shortly and we don't want her stressing out!

Checking Ms. Whitt's messages

Making sure she had enough writing utensils

hmmmm.......what to leave in my note

I love you Ms. Whitt - hope to see you soon!

After making sure we left Ms. Whitt's office as we found it (minus some fingerprints on the frame) we went to the library.  Auntie's school has a beautiful library just right for younger readers.  Mommy was in love and was sad to learn that if the new school is built this library will be no more.  In the library was a little amphitheater and you had a great time climbing the stairs and crawling along the rows before we had to return to the classroom.

Beautiful Library

Climbing

After our tour of the school we played for a few more minutes and then it was time to leave because we had a party to get to.  Thank you so much Auntie for letting us visit first grade - we had a wonderful time!

We packed up our things and then it was off to the Berridge home to celebrate Little G's FIRST Birthday!!!  His birthday was Sesame Street themed and his cake had Elmo in a boat on it.  Auntie Ana did a great job decorating and she had a ton of food available for everyone to munch on!  Everyone played for a little while and then it was time for cake!

Auntie Ana and Little G waiting for the singing to start

Blow out the candle little G

Little G loved his frosting

and loved it

and wanted to share it with me

 After everyone got cleaned up from cake eating it was time to open presents.  Auntie Ana helped Little G.  There was one gift that both you and Little G wanted to play with at that very moment and there was nothing that was going to stop you - not even Auntie's leg!

oohhh......a bubble octopus

Let's get it!

While Little G continued to open presents you played with Meghan.  She worked hard to teach you how to play with the musical toy and not put the stick in your mouth.

Little G soon got tired of gifts and so he and you played with his toys while his Mommy finished opening for him.

You guys played so long and so hard with the toys that you were both filthy from head to toe!

dirty dirty Conor

There was no way I could put you in the car all dirty so you had to have a bath at Auntie's house.  Miss Meghan was a great helper so the bath went extra quick!  We left Auntie's house around 4:30pm which was just the right time for both traffic and for you to get a good nap in.  You slept the entire ride home in your cozy penguin jammies.

When we got home I knew that you were not going to sleep right away so we played and sang songs or an hour or two until you were tired enough for me to tuck into bed.  Daddy was out with Mike for a wrestling event so we sent him this picture for you to say Goodnight to him!

Thank you for a wonderful day little man!  It was a long day and you were not only a GREAT traveler but it was fun to spend the entire day with you!

xoxo
Mommy