The Lightening McQueen cake

The request Nicholas had for his birthday party was a Lightening McQueen cake. I desperately tried to get him to go with cupcake, but no way. I took him to Michaels, intending to show him that there was Lightening McQueen cupcake toppers to use instead. But on the very bottom row, in a picture that was maybe 2 inches by 2 inches (and he was in the top of the cart, moving when he saw this) - he saw a Lightening McQueen cake pan. That was that.

I got everything the instructions said to get. I was sure I was going to be able to do it. I took some great advice and baked the cake early on Friday afternoon. It was a homemade chocolate cake. Nicholas, as the birthday boy, got to eat the batter off the mixer things. He look so sad about that.

But that morning I had been reading the directions and thought that maybe, just maybe, I was a little ambitious. I mean, who knows how to make stars all over? And why should there have to be blue in the windows instead of white? Why can't I just paint color all in? What is a crumb coat? Why do the stars in one spot have to be bigger than the others? Needless to say, my frosting experience is with cupcakes - not cakes.

So Hannah - bless her soul - volunteered to come over that night. She was awesome. She made the red (which I could not get going) and took over so I wasn't a complete head case. Shee how gorgeous it is?

I take full credit for the messy white frosting (home-made buttercream), the stars and sprinkles. Those were all me. And I did some of the other stuff too (like the black outlining in some places).

Nicholas was seriously excited when he saw it all done and was happy to blow out his candles. He had a great time eating Lightening McQueen.

He even asked for another Lightening McQueen cake. Not in this lifetime.

The birthday trip

Nicholas' 3rd birthday was March 12, 2011. Our birthday tradition is to take him someplace and have fun for the day. We don't get him presents, except a souvenir from the place we went. This year's destination: SF Zoo. We left Abby with my mom for an Abby and Grandma day, then we went off.

I remember this place being bigger than it is. First off, he was disappointed there were no elephants. But they have this African savanna area where the giraffes and deer and things get pretty close to you. He thought that was cool. The gorillas were awesome too. They were playing. And the biggest, oldest gorilla was sitting on a rock, staring at the visitors.

The lions and tigers were all asleep. Asleep in the sun. Nicholas called them "lazy cats." I wouldn't have really called them that, but they were sleeping.

The zoo got a new hippo in January, and this thing loved to show off. He would swim from one end of the pool to the other, bring his face out of the water - all the way out - and open his mouth nice and wide so you could see everything in it. Needless to say, there was a photographer there who got some great pictures. That person was not me.

We saw the grizzly bears being fed. They released live fish into the pond and the bears were released 10 minutes later. Then the bears ran through their enclosure to the pond and started hunting for the fish. It was pretty cool.

We ate lunch there. And got cotton candy. Then we hit the playground and kid's zoo.
Jon also played on the playground. This was Nicholas' second day of potty training. He reached the top of this structure and yelled, "I have to go potty." So Jon then climbed up to get him.

We fed the goats at the zoo. They also had brushes you could use to brush the animals (which we did), and rakes and buckets the kids could use to clean up the farm (which we did not do). Then it was time to go to the store and pick his presents. He got a penguin that is almost as big as him - which he named penguin - and a little elephant that makes noise when you press it. Why, oh why, do I get him toys that make noise? That elephant sound is so obnoxious.

We finished the day going to grandma's for a small family party. He got this cupcake that he loved. There was also a gazillion balloon - which we took home with us and are still serving as fun - and a HUGE Lightening McQueen balloon that is still inflated and huge. It sleeps with him every night.

So it was a good birthday. We had fun, and so did he.

Potty trained!

Friday was a big day for us. We went to Target to get Abby some new pants (someone needed 12 month clothes and she's only 4 months old). Nicholas saw Lightening McQueen underwear in the place where they keep all the baby clothes and toddler underwear. He went nuts and asked for it. I agreed, but said he had to use the potty if he wanted the underwear. He agreed.

We got the underwear, and he made me put it on him in the Target bathroom. We promptly went out on the rest of our errands, and I was cringing. But there were no accidents on Friday. He told me when he had to use the potty, and we went.

Saturday was hazardous, but we were at the SF Zoo, so that was understandable. But there have been no accidents since.

No accidents! I promised him a toy if there were no accidents Sunday through today, so now we get to go and get a new toy.

Everyone said that when he was ready he would do it, and that it could be done in a weekend. I didn't believe "everybody" but I should have. Nicholas did it in a weekend. We only had 3 accidents on Saturday, and we are done. He is even dry throughout the night.

So, now he's potty trained. He told me he would when he was three, and since that was Saturday, I guess he just decided. If I had known Lightening McQueen underwear would make the difference, I would have gotten it for him long before then.

Coming later today - Nicholas' birthday pictures!

My addiction to iPod apps

I have to confess - I am addicted to iPod apps.

When I first got my iPod, it was just the free apps I was addicted to, but now I have found some paid apps I really love.

I use Boggle to keep myself occupied when I am rocking Abby to sleep. I sing to her, but then she needs quiet, so I play Boggle.

I use the LDS Scripture apps to read during church and follow along with lessons.

I use the Elmo, Toy Story, and various other apps to keep Nicholas occupied. He currently is in love with the Dr. Seuss books you can get at the app store.

I like just looking at the apps. If you search LDS in the apps, you get so many options. There are things for ward leaders, kids, primary kids, musicians and everything.

If you search the books, you get tons of options too.

Apps are just really cool. I have the news apps (Fox, Drudge, and assorted news programs), The Economist (since I subscribe, the app is free). I have gmail and facebook. I have a calendar that syncs to my phone. I have the Nook app - so in case I don't have my Nook with me I can read on the go.

I just love apps. My bank account doesn't love apps. But I do.

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Does anyone have favorite apps? I think Nicholas' would be the Elmo monster maker app. Mine is Settlers of Catan and Boggle. I just love apps.

Our developing garden

One of the things about buying a home in a development is that they all look related. In some cases, exactly the same. There is a home 2 streets over that is exactly the same as ours. Luckily there are no homes on the same street that are exactly the same. There are some that are the same color, and some that are the same look, but none that are the same color.

So I have started to personalize our home. As you can see, I added a little log trim to the front to separate the grass and planting. We added lights and star lights (the stars were picked out by Nicholas). The star lights charge during the day and change colors at night. They are his favorite thing to look at during nighttime. He calls them his "everyday Christmas lights." There's also a flag with a ladybug. I wanted one of the big flags, but I couldn't see myself changing it every season. So we have a little flag instead that says "Welcome."

You cannot see them yet, but the picture below is of my hydrangea bushes. I planted them towards the back (since they are full shade bulbs). They are in between the regulation green bushes.

Hopefully they will grow. It will lessen the look of the whole development at our house. If they grow I am going to have some gorgeous blue flowers behind green bushes against a brown half-wall. I thought it might look nice.

I also had Jon pull out some of the dead plants and we replaced them.

Slowly, but surely, our front garden is developing into something that doesn't look like everyone else's. It is getting a personality all its own.

Now if only the backyard's personality said something other than "messy area where toddlers play."