Mini Chefs

We had a DIY Pizza night for the kids to get a little taste of independence! We chose pizza because it's everyone's favorite and easy to break down into steps for the kids. We had the pre-made dough and then let them add the sauce...Shelley showed how to scoop and spread...

They did a good job not getting messy (notice Maddie wore WHITE) and keeping the sauce confined to the pizza dough. They only tried to eat the sauce a few times.

Next up was the cheese which was even harder to keep them from trying to eat. But this was much easier to sprinkle around everywhere and definitely still no mess!

We kept the toppings simple and kid friendly - simply pepperoni! I couldn't keep Katie from taste testing these so I gave in and let her have a few.

We laid the pepperonis all over our pizzas for the finishing touch!

The kids all stood back at a safe distance while the pizzas were put in the oven.

We turned on the oven light so they could watch the crust rise and the cheese melt.

Now it was time to taste the fruits of their labor! Took a few bites to know how they felt...

Caleb's delight is written all over his face!

Katie enjoyed it too! She even asked for a second piece which is the ultimate accomplishment in my book!

Our little chefs had fun making their own pizza with their friends and mommies! And the mommies offered to clean the dishes which just so happened to be throw away paper plates!

Spidey!

Katie has had a slight obsession with Spiderman since a little before her 3rd birthday. I still can't figure out where she was introduced to him, but she tells me some kids at school and church have Spiderman backpacks. These must be really impressive. Anyway, we got her a few Spiderman things for her birthday - a cup and some stickers. At Christmas, she was still asking for Spiderman stuff. My dad found her a little action figure Spiderman and Doug found her a Spiderman Pillow Pal. It's about 2 feet tall and is a new favorite around the house. But before I go getting bent out of shape about my little GIRL playing with BOY toys, let's take a look at the things Spiderman has been subjected to since being gifted to Katie.

Ample rounds of Ring Around the Rosie

Simple frolicking in the sun

Some good ol' Rock a Bye Baby

Imaginary trips to Target

Photoshoots

Which is why I think he's trying to make a break for it! Good thing we caught him before he lept over the fence or Katie would've been devastated. Next stop for Spiderman, my make up drawer so she can "makes his eyes sparkle."

2011 Sendoff

We have celebrated New Year's Eve with the Boozers and the Clarks since the end of 2007. It's crazy to think how the celebrations have morphed since having kids but it's still always a fun time. Here is our attempt at getting 5 kids to pose for one picture. There must be 50 shots within 2 minutes of this group and not ONE has all of them looking at the camera. But it's funny watching the progression of each child through the pictures. Caleb moves farther and farther away. Maddie gets up one or two times. Katie gets exasperated quite a few times. And Peyton and Allie were the best we had!

After our photo shoot, we headed outside to do some fireworks and sparklers. The kids were all a little hesitant to do the sparklers, but each of them got a little help from their parents. Katie wanted Doug to hold it until it lit up, she was mostly afraid of the lighting process.

They all eventually got a little less cautious and seemed to have a good time trying to write their names in the air or just do some twirling. Surprisingly, no one tried to light anyone else on fire.

Then it was time for the real fireworks. The Boozers live in a culdesac and we had it pretty much to ourselves. The dads took turns lighting the bottle rockets, etc while the kids watched from the safety of the back of my car.

Now for the real treat of the evening...We had our first NON FAMILY babysitter. Shelley's sister drove up from Charleston to watch the kids for the rest of the evening and then put them to bed so we could go over to some other friend's house for some adult interaction. We stayed up late enough to watch the ball drop and had a great time ringing in the new year with so many friends!