Royal Wedding: Because it's not every day that a girl becomes a princess

Isn't this commemorative painting by Cath Kidston lovely? I found Cath's new US website, and you can find the design on various items.

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This is our last day of school this year and the girls want me to wake them at 5AM to watch the wedding live. I'm putting up some decorations and thought I'd share. :^)

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The Prince of Wales' website has a downloadable official program and route map. This is really an amazing resource. It includes full file portraits of the couple and an explanation of each of their coat of arms, as well as historical information about Wesminster Abbey.

Sparklebox has pictures of the famous spots along the wedding route to download.

Take a commercial break and check out National Geographic Kids' United Kingdom page.

Activity Village has a wonderful page for kids, including Kate and William royal wedding paper dolls, royal frame handwriting pages, and coloring pages.

Instant Display also has a very nice kids page with educational resources, including bookmarks, coloring pages, vocabulary cards, and Royal Wedding newspaper templates.

The Woodland Trust's Nature Detective's site has this free Royal wedding party kit, woodland picnic style.

Favorite items? A Union Jack pinwheel ( a drawing pin is a thumbtack) and Cupcake Crowns to fit around your cupcakes

Disney's Family Fun has gotten in on the party with a "Happily Ever After" royal wedding page. Don't miss the Princess Kate paper doll with Disney princess and wedding dresses.

Bride.com's Royal Sleepover party is so cute. Don't miss the excuse note, bunting (printing as I type), cupcake toppers, and drink flags.

Isn't this HappyLand Royal Wedding Set adorable? I think if I'd have found it a little sooner I might not have been able to help myself.

Design Editor has a great set Royal Wedding party printables including a banner and cup wraps.

And Boden USA has wedding bingo and for the littles (and those of us less familiar with British celebrities, wedding spotters.

Just discovered these party supplies

Strawberry Shortcake. Fabulous!

Ethan's 10th birthday - Game party sleepover, take two

Pa and Gran made drastic improvements to a crude fort built of

found materials. Now it has a dry raised floor and is better

closed in against the weather. And Gran added her decorating

touch. She also painted his orange bedroom walls sky blue to

match his nature theme and Pa installed some new shelves for his

nature treasures.

This was one of Ethan's top birthday wishes along with a Twilight

turtle that his Gramma got him. Folkmanis makes beautiful

puppets and this Sequoia Tree Wildlife Playset is no exception.

tacos with the fixings and root beer floats


this was immediately put to use - in my downstairs room
It really is rough having a birthday in January. :^)


Art quality drawing paper - he was just running out.
This is his passion.

And owls are his favorite animal this year. This was

almost an owl pellet dissection party.

Folkmanis' Snowy Owl puppet from Mama and Dad.

Playing the borrowed Wii. A big treat.

Cherry and Coconut Key Lime pies and

lemon iced rice krispy treat cupcakes.

First Day of School

Back to school books

The Party

Jesus' Birthday Party

One of our favorite Christmas traditions is having

a birthday party for Jesus.

We'd done a pageant a few years ago, before she can remember,

but it was that Rose angel in the middle that just had to act

out this story - and she wanted to be an angel - the one

above the manger, to be exact.

The outifts are made from clearance ($2!) fleece blankets

from Walmart and since there were no white blankets -

plastic tablecloths and gold garland from the Dollar Tree.

With a few belts and scarves thrown in, of course.

Everyone agreed that the perfect Mary was dark haired and lovely.

Ethan, however, was a little less enthusiastic about being

Joseph. I think he was afraid of all the "married" jokes

that his sister might inflict upon him.

The children all insisted that Bella be the baby, even thought she's

not "quite" a newborn - and the wrong gender for the role.

She really didn't want to lie in the manger - she was much more

interested in crawling around.

I thought the cake was pretty, but I'm never sure what to

do about the candle, and I never think about

that ahead of time. It is tradition, though, for

all of the children to blow it out together.

They also enjoyed a beaded wreath craft,

watching "Small One", a hot potato-like gift passing

game with a gift that was wrapped several times and

contained party favors, and Christmas charades.

Aunt Eloise's birthday

It started with asking if Aunt Eloise was doing anything for her birthday (a few days before Christmas) and then a request to bring her over and I'd have a cake to surprise her.

But I am me, and they are my children, so it kind of morphed into a bit of a birthday tea party.

Bella thoroughly enjoyed her first tea - I think it was tangerine zinger. :^)

A Rainbow Birthday Party

Anna Kate spied a rainbow cupcake cake at Walmart

a couple of months ago, and decided that she wanted

a rainbow party.

After watching Noah's Ark the kids came up to eat cupcakes

and tie-dye ice cream

" Pin the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow"

The boys high-tailed it to Ethan's bedroom while the

girls headed to the playroom to enjoy Anna Kate's new

I Want to be a Hula Dancer and Wear a Flower Lei! DVD

Painting watercolor rainbows - they then added foam

flower and animal stickers, several painted arks as well

After opening presents, they all got a pack of glow

necklaces in rainbow colors.

Some friends slept over and the Lucky Charms and

simple version virgin Tequila Sunrise (make your own

by adding some grenadine to your glass of orange juice)
completed the rainbow theme.

Anna Kate's Birthday Pics

the make-up kit she's "always wanted"

breakfast at Dunkin' Donuts


new outfits from Gramma - she sent four,

Anna chose one to wear to the park - and so did Rose!


at the park


finally at the end of the day, the new Barbie Mariposa
movie she'd been waiting for

Anna Kate's Ballet Party

ballerina cake - a 12 Dancing Princess barbie, no less

real leather ballet shoes from Gran

doing a ballet routine on an improvised barre
with the I'm a Ballerina Now DVD

"Happy Birthday, dear Anna Kate"


Beautiful Beaded Hair Ribbon Ballerina Craft

Ballerina Says

the up and coming ballerina

More Links and Ideas for a Ballet Party:

1. Free printable ballerina party invitations
2. We started with this ballet class hidden picture activity as the guests were arriving.
3. Raspberry floats - raspberry soda with raspberry sherbet
4. Blow up a bag of pink and a bag of lavendar balloons and scatter them across the floor
5. Dollar Store princess crowns and/or tutus as favors - we also had stuffed ballerina bears and unicorns that I got 50% off after Valentine's Day (and later saw for 75% off!)
6. I meant to scatter artificial rose petals down the table too, but I forgot
7. Play "pass the slipper" (hot potato) to Nutcracker music
8. You can find Angelina Ballerina coloring pages here.
9. More great ideas here and here.