Birthday Parties

We attended a birthday party today for our friends the Lezon triplets. It was a fun party and the girls had a blast. While we were singing happy birthday and got to the "dear ......, happy birthday to you", it got me thinking about the issues that come up with birthday parties for multiples. Even though the girls birthday is 6 months away, I have started thinking about it.

One of the first issue is sharing a party and finding a theme. For the past three, I could come up with the theme and they were fine with it. Now, they are getting their own personalities and may want different things. That means two themes in one party resulting in a mixed cake or two cakes, figuring out invitations, and decorations.

Singing "Happy Birthday" is another issue. You either sing happy birthday twice (or more depending on the number of kids) which may be awkward or singing all their names in one song. Usually it gets to "dear....." and there is a small pause while everyone tries to decide who goes first. Then the parent ends up directing people on how to sing. I usually announce ahead of time whose name is first and feel like a dork.

I know some of these issues aren't limited to multiples. My sister's and my birthday are six days apart so we shared many parties together. My mom was very creative and planned games that would fit for both our age groups.

Right now, we may be having a Hello Kitty/Strawberry Shortcake Birthday, but we still have a few months for them to change their minds.....

New Year's

For my entire life, my dad and his siblings have gotten together the weekend after Christmas and meet up at a hotel. My dad has 3 brothers and 2 sisters (only one sister still living) so its always a lot of people and kids and their kid's kids. My grandparents Cox have been gone for over 30 years and the kids still get together. It is always a blast.

Anyway, this year did not disappoint. We had a ton of fun and so did the girls. The girls played with their second cousins while the adults talked. The kids even fit some swimming. After dinner, the kids opened presents and then we did our annual gift exchange. The rule always is you remain a "kid" until you graduate college. They you graduate to being an adult and being in the exchange.

Moma forgot "swimming shoes". So the little Texans wore their boots

Swimming with the kids

Mom, Dad, and Uncle Tony (the girls suspect he may be Santa even though we tell them his isn't)

Grandma and her babies after swimming

Yay! Someone took a family picture for us!

My aunt Betty. The girls love her!

Some of the "kids". Big kid Amber was really sweet with all the kids.

Kassidy mixed in. She was being silly

Cousins!

Sydney and Sam were so great with the girls while we were visiting. They took such good care of the girls and played so well with them. They would even take them to the bathroom and help them wash their hands. It is so fun to watch them interact.

Sam with the girls

Big kid Sydney with her new Ipod

Sydney and the girls

Wes teaching Sam about video games. I fear he may become addicted.

Ipod and Iphone games for everyone!

Sydney, Sam, Lizzie and Gracie

Love these sweet kids! They are getting so grown up!

Let's Start with Christmas Eve

We spent Christmas in Oklahoma with my family. We had a really great time and the girls loved everything about Christmas, or as Gracie calls it "Christmas time". Wes took time off and we had a great vacation.

We started out on Christmas Eve having my cousins over for lunch. After lunch, we opened presents. The kids could not contain themselves! Nana came to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day! It was really nice that the girls got to have both grandparents together.

Christmas day we woke up and opened presents. While we were eating breakfast, my uncle dropped my Grandma off. She was suppose to go spend the day with his family, but his family has been passing a bug around and it got my aunt. So, to keep her healthy her brought her here. We loved having her. My sister came over with her family and then we opened our presents to each other.

Grace posing by the tree

The girls loved Grandma and Papa's Tree

Looking at Grandma's snow globe

The kids waiting to open presents

Nana helping Lizzie with her presents

Nap time. All the kids were tired so they piled into bed

Grandma reading Christmas stories

Christmas morning!

Hello Kitty shoes!

More presents please!

Lizzie and her Rapunzel

Gracie and "Big Barbie"

Great-Grandma Susie got to spend Christmas day

Nana and Lizzie

Laura, my sister, Aunt Betty, Angie, Me

Great-Grandma Susie with her babies

Sweetie and Momma

The girls have started playing a new game, one of the girls is momma and the other is sweetie. The first day I heard them playing, Gracie was momma and Lizzie was sweetie. I overheard, "Sweetie, you in time out", "that not nice", "you sit here" and Lizzie dutifully did what momma said. When I try to call them by their names, they say "no, I'm momma" or "no, I'm sweetie". One day they told me I was the pretend momma. They really like this game and it's so fun to watch. Their imaginations are just getting bigger and better!
 

Santa Claus 2011

Tonight, we took the girls to see Santa. The girls are still not so sure about Santa. Lizzie likes him from a distance and Gracie is still shy around him. Anyway, these were the best pictures we could get.

Lizzie had to hold my hand

This was as close as Gracie would get

She finally looked at him.

Talking a bit with him

Random Cuteness

Here are some pictures of the girls being cute!

Gracie napping in a tent at Bass Pro

Minnie Mouse and Snow White on stage "performing"

Watching "music lights". A Christmas display set to music

The girls and I

This was Lizzie napping one day. She has a laundry hamper on her.