Valentine's Day

Troy and I went out on a date the weekend before Valentine's Day to avoid the crowds on the actual holiday. It's getting harder and harder to squeeze in those dates amidst the boys' activities.

Nash was the only one that was assigned to decorate a Valentine's bag for his cards at home. And no project would be complete without LEGO bricks.

We started homemaking the boys' Valentine's cards years ago and even though it would be easier to pick up premade cards from Target, the tradition has stuck. We kept it simple this year and modified an idea we saw from my design company. The boys assembled 75 cards to pass out to their classmates.

Crew helped me make our traditional Valentine's Day monster cookies.

He had his own preschool party at the park while the older boys partied at school. The host had games planned but aside from eating donuts and decorating mailboxes, all the boys wanted to do was play on the playground.

We picked up some last minute balloons and items for our red and white dinner on the way home. I gathered some things from around the house in attempt to make the table a little festive before the older boys got home from school.

It didn't take long once Blake and Nash were home for their loot to cover every inch of the family room.

After running the boys to swim and baseball practices, we stayed in for our traditional candlelight red and white dinner. Pasta with red sauce, breadsticks, pink lemonade and chocolate covered strawberries. Troy didn't eat any of it of course because he's been such a stickler about tracking all of his food. We don't usually give each other gifts for Valentine's Day but I couldn't let the day pass without letting him know how great he is. I listed some things I love about him on our bathroom mirror.

I'm a lucky girl because I get to spend each Valentine's Day with not one, but five Valentines.

Ballin'

The last few posts have been a bit Nash heavy but I have one last February spotlight on Nash.

He came home from school towards the beginning of first grade begging to play on a basketball team. He had been playing with friends at recess and assured us he wouldn't complain about going to practices if we let him sign up. We researched different leagues and sat on the idea for awhile until we found out one of his friend's dads was going to coach. We decided to go for it. It helped that three of his school buddies also committed to the team, which meant that feasible carpool options came into play.

Nash tends to get his non-aggressive athletic ability from me. He didn't handle the ball much during the season, but that's not why I let my boys participate in sports. In my book, any commitment to a hard-working organization is beneficial, regardless of the talent or outcome. The exercise benefits are just the icing on the cake. 

Nash's team won all but one of their games which meant they advanced to the tournament. Sadly, they lost their first game in the tournament and just like that the season was over. We weren't too sad about it because baseball practices started to overlap just as basketball was ending. 

I'm not sure if Nash will play on an organized basketball team again but he learned a lot during his stint. He always lucks out with the best coaches who are so patient with him and celebrate improvement.

The coach highlighted the strengths of each player after the final game and handed out sunglasses from the league.

I think the boys would have preferred trophies over sunglasses but they were good sports about it.

We never regret the skills and lessons that are learned from being on a team and sticking it out. 

Nash's Seventh Birthday Party

I have to admit that I'm kind of partied-out, especially when two of our boys' birthdays fall within a month of Christmas. So Troy and I were thrilled when we found out The LEGO Batman Movie was set to be released a week after Nash's birthday. We ran the idea by Nash of having a movie theater party instead of a traditional party and he was beyond thrilled.

We picked up five of his friends and braced ourselves for an afternoon at the movies. They were easy to please with endless popcorn refills and an entertaining movie.

We headed out to the terrace afterwards for cupcakes and presents. It was too windy for Nash's candle to stay lit so Troy improvised with a paper plate to block the breeze.

Sweet Blake put together a present with items from home for the occasion. Without me knowing, he wrapped up a Batman cape, mask and gloves for Nash.

I wouldn't have even thought to adorn the birthday boy in Batman attire for the occasion. Nash wore those items with pride.

We let the boys run around the fountain and burn off some energy before delivering them back to their homes.

We retrieved the presents from the car before calling it a day.

Nash made sure to give each of his guests a hug after opening their gifts. 

I can't think of a better way to celebrate our seven year old LEGO lover.

Disney Lunar New Year

While Nash and I were at Disneyland celebrating his birthday, we took advantage of the limited Lunar New Year celebration.

It was the highlight of our day to watch the Chinese acrobats perform at Paradise Pier.

Their act kept getting bigger and more challenging. It was unreal to watch.

I was also fascinated by the Lucky Wishing Wall, where guests could add their own wishes for a wonderful future. 

The recent transfer of presidential power seemed to be a common theme.

Nash eventually dragged me away to go on more rides, but I could have stood and read those wishes all night. I was so intrigued by the things people wished most for, especially since the wishes represented people from countries around the world.