Happy Super 4th Birthday Jack!

I can't believe it has already been four years since we brought this little guy home from the hospital! He has been such an incredible blessing and I am really trying to savor the time with him before he has to go to school! It seems like that time is approaching too quickly!!

We had his birthday party a couple weekends ago and we had such a fun time! It was a Super Hero party per his request! I'm a wanna-be DIY-er..so I had fun finding cute ideas (thanks pinterest!) and bringing them to life! I made the pinata, and most of the signs and decor too! My MIL sewed the capes and I made the felt initials for the capes and masks for each child! We had a "Super Hero Bootcamp" obstacle course and a little scavenger hunt for the "Caped Cupcake Crusader" who stole the birthday boy's Super Cupcakes! I also tried a couple new recipes that looked cuter than they tasted! But most importantly, Jack loved every second of it. It was so fun to celebrate him with all our friends and family! Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate 

Jack's Super 4th Birthday!!

Dessert table: Super Hero Jello squares, Super Hero lollipops, Pop Rocks, Sugar cookies, Cupcakes & More!

Super Hero Lollipops!

Piñata, cupcake toppers, Drink station with Punch and Cake batter Rice Krispie treats!

The Capes!! Love how these turned out!

The Capes and masks were a huge hit with the little Super Heros! They had so much fun doing the Super Hero bootcamp to earn their Super Capes and Masks! Even the girls loved them! 

{Clearly their pink...so whats not to love!!}

Super Hero Bootcamp! Through the tunnel, down the slide, cross the lava pit, and shoot the villains!

After the Super Hero Bootcamp they used their Super Strength to knock the candy out of the Piñata!

Then it was time for Cupcakes....only....they were gone!!!

Instead of cupcakes, they found clues..to the whereabouts of the Caped Cupcake Crusader!!

Hello little Superheroes and thanks for the treat! 

These Superhero cupcakes can’t be beat! 

Too bad for you I’m hungry as can be 

I’m the Caped Cupcake Crusader 

and you’ll never find me! 

If you can find me, I’ll lead you to them. 

Then you’ll be superheroes… let the hunt begin! 

Clue #1 

Sometimes at a park, 

always at the beach, 

this stuff gets quite messy 

and sticks to your feet! 

{next clue was in the sandbox}

Clue #2 

You may be Super 

and you may be tough 

But unless you’re a S’more- 

this place is too hot to  touch! 

{next clue was in the fire pit}

Clue #3 

Cupcakes are tasty 

but veggies are too. 

In this place you might find 

a bell pepper or two! 

{next clue was in the garden}

Clue #4 

    On this apparatus you climb up 

                                                                 and slide down 

                                                                 If you look underneath, 

                                                                  The Crusader might be found!

They all ran over to find Jack's 9 year old cousin Jonathan hiding under the slide! The kids loved it! Super Jack was very pleased with their success in finding the Caped Crusader and saving the party!!!

Finally, we sang Happy Birthday and Jack loved his blue cupcake! 

Birthday Boy opening presents!

My boy

  

Happy Birthday Super Jack !

We love you!!

Three!

Last weekend we celebrated Jack's 3rd Birthday!  It's hard to believe he is already three, and he is definitely not a baby anymore.  In the week leading up to his birthday we were talking about turing three and he said, 

"I'm going to be three, and then I'm going to be a man!"  

Even when he is a man, he'll always be my precious little boy. It never ceases to amaze me how much he knows and how much he is growing and changing every year.  He is incredibly smart and funny, so loving and sweet, and yet still all boy. He already has a heart for the Lord, and loves reading his little Bible every night. I am so blessed to be his mommy and his life has been one of the greatest gifts the Lord has ever given to me.  

We had so much fun at his Dino-mite Dinosaur party!  He was so cute- when I set up the table he said, "Mommy, it's beautiful!" He loved every minute of it, which of course, made it all worth it!

We had a couple little dinosaur activities for the kids to do. The first one was the "Dino Dig."  We filled a little kiddie pool with sand and buried dinos inside for them to dig for and sift out of the sand.  

His birthday present...the jumpy!

We also had a "Pre-historic Ice Pick" activity where we actually froze dinos in tuperware so each child had their own ice block to chip away at! It was really funny watching them hammer as hard as they could on these blocks of ice! They of course loved it, although, it did take a little longer than we anticipated and some of the mom's helped out a little :-) It was also quite a warm day, so it was fun for them to play with the ice. [Sidenote: Jack is always super hot, and his little cheeks turned so bright red, and he was all sweaty from running around and jumping in the jumpy!]

After the ice picking, we had Jack's favorite food...pizza!

Bretters & Reecey

T-Rex Pinata!

T-Rex was actually a tough cookie to crack! It took a little assistance from Papa :-) Then it was cupcake time! 

He was a happy boy with his cute little chocolate covered face! 

Such a fun day, and such sweet memories!

I love this little boy...so much!

Happy 3rd Birthday Jack Hartley Bradford!

Tubby little Cubby

All stuffed with fluff

He's Winnie the Pooh

Winnie the Pooh

Willy Nilly Silly Old Bear.

I took Jack on a little date (Daddy was in L.A. for work) to dinner and his first movie in the theater! On our way to dinner he exclaimed, "I'm your little date!" to which I replied, "Your my favorite little date!" We had such a fun time! We went to our favorite little Italian restaurant, Arrivederci, where we met up with some of the fam for some gnocchi (mmmm) before the movie!

An outing with this little boy is never complete without some seriously funny moments! He is super regular....yes...in that way.  And hardly a dinner passes that he doesn't leave the table for a little while to go potty. So, like clockwork, he needed to go while we were at the restaurant.  I took him to the bathroom, and when we came out, everyone else was already on their way (walking) over to the theater. So I grabbed my things and we left too.  I was walking along, talking and talking, apparently too caught up in the conversation to realize that Jack was saying, "My pants, my pants, my pants..."  It finally registered in my brain what he was saying and I looking down to see his pants....around his ankles!  He was waddling along saying, "My pants, my pants" as they slipped down to his feet!! It may have been the funniest thing ever. I laughed so hard as I pulled up his pants and we continued on our way to the movie :-)

With Junior Mints in hand (and mouth), the previews started and Jack couldn't believe how big the screen was! His eyes were as big as saucers! He looked a little startled at how loud it was too! [He has always been a little sensitive to noise]. For most of the movie he sat on my lap and Bella sat on her mommy's lap next to us, but towards the very end, they both decided they wanted to sit back in their own seats.  Then I looked over, and this is what I saw!

They cuddled up together and Jack had his arm around her!  They are such sweet little friends. They could not be any cuter! I died, and had to take a couple pics [sorry-other people in theater]. 

Winnie the Pooh was adorable, but time with my boy...

that is priceless!

Trendy lil Toddler (& Baby): Star Spangled Edition part 1

Claire: Ciao Bella by Gymboree (top and bloomers)

 Headband by Blossom&Vine 

Jack: Fore!! Axel&Hudson (again) shirt and shorts 

[I can't help it]

:-)

Claire Marie: 3 months old!

My little Claire Bear is already 3 months old!! She turned over yesterday from her tummy to her back for the first time! yay! I love the little milestones! I took her to the Dr. for a check up a couple weeks ago and she was 12 lbs and 24 inches long! She is long and thin! She is also already teething.  Her two little bottom teeth are about to break through. Poor baby. But she still smiles and laughs all the time and she already adores her brother! He LOVES her too.  Always wants to kiss her and talk to her and hold her! They are the most precious treasures in the world.

{sidenote: here is where my indecision rears its ugly head. so many pics to choose from...I had a hard time here people! So instead of being decisive...Im just going to post a million pics. 

You don't mind right? }

Oh this little girl and her laugh! I. Love. It. She giggles and smiles and sticks out that little tongue! So much cuteness in one little person!

I totally realize this last frame is very brady-bunch-esque, but like I said, I take a million pictures and then have a *really* hard time editing down to a few favorites.  We all have our weaknesses I guess.  

Speaking of weaknesses, lets talk parenting for a quick second.  I have a weakness when it comes to my 2 year old wanting to come into our bed in the middle of the night.  It has only just started happening lately, and I think it is because he is having dreams that wake him up.  The other day after his nap he was convinced that his friend Reesey had fallen down the crack of his big boy bed. He made me come look for her. I of course was reassuring him that it was just a dream.  Another time he literally came *running* out of his room because the lions were in his room and were going to get him.  Isn't that sad? So now in the middle of the night he *yells* for Daddy and he cries if we don't go in right away.  He was never in the habit of sleeping with us, so for the first few days he would ask us to sleep in there with him, but when we would leave, he would wake up a little bit later and we'd start the little cycle over again. 

So out of our own need to sleep, we just brought him into our bed.

  Neither of us mind it [too much] and actually we have both commented that we actually love having him close to us, but we don't want him just waking up out of habit now expecting to come sleep with us. I would never tell him he is not allowed to come into our bed because that seems horrible- especially if he was scared or sick.  I wouldn't want him laying there being scared and feel like he couldn't call out to us.  I know this is somewhat of a hot topic, with people on both extremes of co-sleeping/family bed status and  those who never co-sleep.  We are just not either of those.  How do you help a 2 year old know they can come if they need to, but not if there is no reason? hmm. 

linking up for virtual coffee here