Happy Birthday, Layla!

A three year birthday party on a Thursday night,  followed by a Big Brother episode and an early morning at work makes for one tired momma.  I cannot wait for this day to be over so I can climb into bed!

The party was fantastic,  however. Layla is obsessed with Care Bears so of course that was the them.  From Care Bear symbols face painting to musical Bears to rainbow cupcakes, the party was a hit all around.

Layla is definitely my most sassy child.  She's spoiled rotten because she has three older siblings who think she hung the stars.  Sometimes she lets that attention go to her head.  Usually,  though,  she's an incredibly sweet, smart and hilarious little girl. 

Happy Birthday,  Layla Bug!  Love you!

That's My Kind of Night

Mother's day has come and gone.  In fact,  it was over a month ago.  The kids didn't get me anything for mother's day this year.  Not even a hand made card.  It was okay though.  I didn't expect anything.  It's hard for four kids that cannot drive or be employed to buy a gift.  Last year,  they worked with my mom to get me a beautiful pair of pearl earrings.  They pooled their money and with some discounts and Kohls cash,  they really surprised me.

Regardless of the lack of presents,  I had a lovely mother's day.  We went to Church, had dinner with my mom and sisters and then the kids and I  climbed into my king sized water bed and watched a movie. We all fell asleep before it was even over.  There was something so comforting about snuggling through the night with my babies.

A few days ago,  Grace let me know that my mother's day present was almost here.  I was a little concerned because again Mother's day was a month ago. However,  one of her friends posted something on Facebook and she decided that it would be the perfect mother-oldest daughter present.  In fact,  all I had to do was make arrangements for the other kids and fork over $120. After some deliberation and encouragement from my friends, I said yes.

And she was right!

Luke Bryan was worth every penny!

Batter Up!

I took the kids to the baseball game last night.  It had been three years since they have gone to a game and Layla's first time altogether.  Through a Cardinals promotion I was able to score tickets for $4 each. Sure we were in the nosebleed section, looking directly into the sun, surrounded by Kansas City Royals' fans, but we had a fantastic time anyway.

I saw maybe 30 seconds of the whole game.  Which I guess was enough since the Cardinals lost 0 to 6. Layla had to go to the bathroom 4 times in the first 5 innings.

Since we really couldn't see until the sun went down behind the stadium,  the kids and I walked around Busch Stadium and checked out the new Ball Park Village.  Along the way we ran into Fredbird and took
our photo op.

Grace brought a friend and they stayed in the seats during this little tour.  That was probably for the best since she is terrified of mascots.

In an effort to save money,  we packed hot dogs, chips and soda for a pre game tailgate.  The kids actually did all the prep work on this.  They cooked the hot dogs and had the picnic basket and cooler ready when I got home.  They were dressed in their Cardinal gear and ready to walk out the door when I got there.  Honestly,  we would have never made it on time if it wasn't for their help. 

During the last inning,  we moved down to the outfield bleachers where my sister and brother and their significant others were sitting.  Of course by then,  they were gone.  We watched the last out of the game and got a family photo by the field.

It was really an awesome time.  I wasn't stressed one bit and the kids were so well behaved, helpful and kind.  What a great way to kick off the summer!  As soon as we got home,  Eva put the first check on our summer bucket list!

Summer Bucket List 2014