Pirates, mermaids, a Barbie and cake.

With all the pictures accumulating here faster than I can think I decided to break the last month down in no particular order.

Up first. Birthdays.

Ahhhhh.......they are finally over!

Not only did we celebrate Kaitlyn and Ethan and Dave's birthdays there were also celebrations for other family and friends. It got to the point that it felt like we were getting together with people every other day and singing a lot of "Happy Birthday..."

So here are the highlights of the kids days.

Kaitlyn's actual birthday.

The night before I broke out the icing a Barbie and the cake I had baked earlier in the day.

And the quickest and easiest cake ever was done!

All I did was carve and stack the cake to resemble a dress shape. Oh and it was angel food so it had a hollow centre.

(I totally recommend this if you are tired, it is midnight and you have a little girls birthday the next day.)

Then I slathered on some white icing. Fondant would have been nice but would have been way to heavy for this light cake.

Then some squiggles, a few bows and flower dabs and ta-da, done!

I hid it away in the cupboard and went to bed.

The next morning we had a very excited little girl.

"Mom, I'm not little anymore, I'm a bid (big) dirl (girl) now, I'm 4!"

4 and growing right out of her pants.

We ate breakfast, her choice. Pancakes with peanut butter and jam and sliced bananas.

Then we gave her her gifts.

A new shirt from Dave, and a black leotard with a pretty flower stitched on last minute and pale pink tutu from me.

From the boys Polly pockets. I now have a love hate relationship with those little things. Can their clothes not be any more difficult for me to get on?!

After a little play time I brought out her cake.

She was so quiet.

And so happy and confused and excited, it was hilarious!

Back in the cupboard it wend until family came.

After dinner she blew out the candles.

I look like I am attacking her with the cake but really she was leaning back like that all along.

And we dug in.

Kinda creepy once the Barbie was pulled out. But it was good.

That sums up birthday #1.

Next up was the party day. This was the day that both Kaitlyn and Ethan shared for the party. It happened to fall on our wedding anniversary so we invited the parents to stay.

Well, they were invited anyway since the party was out at the cottage but it makes it sound good and we really did want them there!

This was the themed party. We invited guests to come dressed up and planned to do so ourselves. Of course in my rush out to the lake earlier in the week I forgot our bandanas, ripped up clothes and eye patches.

Oh, didn't I mention it was an 'Under the sea pirates and mermaid adventure party.'

Then to top it off I forgot to paint the kids faces and decorate ourselves with stitches and seaweed. I even had the body paint, sponge and brush there!

I totally need an assistant with an organized brain!

Anyway, the party went on.

The pinata was hung. (a story in itself)

The kids and I started to make our own with a few balloons, newsprint and flour paste like how we made the pig last year.

Halfway through the pasting part the balloon popped and drooped goop everywhere. Since we were out at the lake and I did not want a candy filled store bought one I just kicked the idea.

Until midnight the night before the party when I decided it would just be too fun to have one!

So I found an empty diaper box, tissue paper from old gifts last year (I save everything. Comes in handy but is rather cluttery and drive my husband up the wall) and recycled some old craft paper into the fins and eyes.

Inside I stashed all the goody bags.

The house was then decorated.

And the cake decorated.

Snacks laid out and we were ready to party!

Then half an hour before the party we decided to tackle a craft. What?

Don't you do this? Nothing like a little last minute stress!

Confetti cannon poppers were thrown together and hung. One for each guest. (once again thanks to SAJ for the idea)

As the guests arrived I ran out and hid the scrolls for the treasure hunt. Each one was rolled and tied with a red string then hidden in places around the yard. (click image above to see the sequence of hiding spots.)

Once the kids were assembled off they went chasing down clues.

Then as the boys looked on and were completely enamored with the dirt and shovels the girls dug up the buried treasure.

Out with the bounty and they got busy.

Inside the treasure box was a roll of hemp and a box full of beads to make their own jewelry.

Treasures were created.

Then in they went for cake. This was the cake for Ethan. On his actual birthday he had cupcakes and I forgot to upload his pictures.

Candles were blown out and cake devoured.

Then the cannon confetti poppers were popped and there was confetti everywhere! Everywhere!

(Thank you Charity for vacuuming!)

On to the pinata!

Round one.

Round two.

And then a few million whacks and 11 kids later it was finally broken open and the pirate and mermaid loot bags distributed.

The day was winding down, festivities over and there was time to sit!

Thank you everyone for coming and making our day so fun! We were so glad to share it with you!

The next day Kaitlyn went around as a pirate. Go figure. Then I remembered the face paints.

Yup, I ALWAYS forget something!

So we dug it out had had a little post face painting party.