::breathing sigh of relief::

Every year I forget the "January Craziness."  

I always think that once I get through Christmas then I'll have a little time to relax and snuggle in for the winter.  I'm an idiot.

How do I always forget that I birthed three babies in January?  

But now, on this, the First day of February, I am actually seeing that relaxation and said snuggling in my future.  But it takes on the form of cleaning out and organizing closets, cupboards and doing some redecorating.  Still, relaxing takes on many forms.

But let's get to it.... we had some birthdays this month.

January 13th

::said in quiet, golf commentator voice::  I've chosen a black & white depiction to represent the moodiness/teenageris of the gifts JBird asked for and received for his 11th birthday.

::normal voice now::  He got a guitar and lessons with a cute kid in our ward (SolidGold's son, remember her? Oh, and former ward  ::humph::) and a phone as his main gifts.  Now if only some of his friends would get phones so he would have someone to text besides us.

January 25th

TBone asked for every form of Plants vs. Zombies he could think of.  I was able to find him a PC version and a DS version.  It has kept him busy.  He also got some Heelies but took a bad spill and has sworn them off forever.  ("I broke my back!  I broke my back!" he was screaming as he walked over to us.  Traumatic.  But no broken back, obviously).

And here he is sharing his day with his little sister.  Something I always feel bad about although I know I had zero control over it.

At least they each get their own cakes.

So this year we did a combined birthday party.  And when I say combined, I mean COMBINED.  With TBone...JBird.... and Standsmom's boys, Link & George.  All born within days of each other.  It was brilliant, if I do say so myself.  We could invite 25 kids for the set price.  What kid, may I ask, has 25 friends?  I can see if maybe you had a ton of cousins around or something, but we don't.  So each kid invited 6 friends and it worked out perfectly. 

Not so perfect, however, was the lighting since it was a "glow party."  So I got some pictures that are, um, artistic.

This brings us to this last Saturday when we had Beebs' party here at the house.

It was the first party Miss B has ever had.  And, combining that fact with my current obsession with craft blogs, you get a veritable pink explosion.

Here is my party committee.  Syd, Stands, and Taybay.  The girls helped with setting up, the party activities and clean up.  And Stands did the mini-cake and cupakes. Eeeeek!  <---I made that exact noise when she walked in with them.  And of course you remember me discussing these adorable cake plates {here}. 

Tutorial on these napkin flowers {here}.  These really were fun & easy to make.

For that cute circle garland I just punched out adorable paper with my 3" paper punch, put the circles back to back (so it wouldn't matter if the circles flipped over) and sewed them together. See? I knew buying my sewing machine wasn't a total waste of money. 

Tutorial for these crepe paper rosettes {here.}  This.  Took.  FOR.  EVER.   And I made the bunting with paper, letter stickers and bias tape.  More sewing, you gize! 

We made bracelets.  We decorated cookies.  We painted nails. We girlied it up.

Beebs got the diva treatment....Tay doing her toes while Syd does her fingers.  Girl heaven.  

(I just like Tay being creepy in the background here.  And Sarah looks cute too, of course)

January was fun.  But I'm glad we are done now.  I have 11 months to recoop.