Birthdays (but not really)

With Caroline's December birthday in danger of getting lost in the holiday shuffle we decided to celebrate her birthday on her 1/2 birthday for the years to come.  Of course, her 1/2 birthday this year was during a CRAZY summer so it got lost in the shuffle of selling and moving and mom being exhausted, and we never celebrated!  When my parents came into town for Thanksgiving weekend we decided to open presents then - it's not her 1/2 birthday, but it's before the holiday rush, and it was nice to have family.  Still committed to my laziness, though, we wrapped all her gifts in one giant gift bag. 

She got a few small goodies picked out by dad (headbands, a brush, and barrettes),

 

a stroller from dad & mom,

 

and a vaccum from Gma and Gpa Gustavson. A mini-Dyson Ball, just like moms!  Same color, even, and of course it turns on and whirls around some confetti in the canister.  It's a HUGE hit and frequently gets fought over. 

 

The stroller, too.  For such girly gifts I'm surprised at how much the boys whine to play with them! (NOTE: I'm not sexist, I don't think girls need to do all the housework, but the boys are both big enough to push the REAL vaccum and Caroline whines like crazy since she's left out.  And when we are out as a family, Joe pushes the stroller).   

 

Luckily for the boys, a package got lost in the mail. Gma and Gpa Jacobs sent Eli a trapeze-thingy which never came, so after getting things straightened out it got re-shipped and finally arrived 2 days ago!  Joe put it up yesterday, in the outrageously gorgeous weather, and now the boys have something new to play with (and, of course, fight over)

 Since he's a bit taller and more agile on it, I'd say Patrick plays on it more so far.

 

But since it's actually Eli's he certainly won't let that fly all the time :)  Also, Joe re-hung our swing, which was sitting a bit low for the kids and WAY too low for fun-loving adults (me) and now it's way more fun to swing on.  So with beautiful weather and TWO tree swings I think we're in business!  THANK YOU Jacobs grandparents!

Then when I started decorating for Christmas I finally opened some Christmas packages those Jacobs grandparents had sent home with us after visiting them in Denver pre-Thanksgiving, and I found two MORE birthday presents for Caroline! Dang, should have been on the spot and opened those when we got home so we could have opened everything together. We'll just wait 'til her official birthday to open them and the kids will have opened presents practically every weekend this fall.  I think this will set some high expectations for the kids that'll get dashed after Christmas is over - oh well! fun while it lasts.