Shark Attack! Finn is 2!

There was a SHARK ATTACK over the weekend at our house!  Finn turned 2 years old, and there was a Shark Party to mark the occasion as special!  We are so blessed to have made it this far with this little man in our lives, and we had a wonderful time celebrating this milestone with our family, friends, and our little guy! 

Of course, for me, the party planning was the best part!  Britt and I both decided on the theme, and we got on Pinterest to do some research!  Then, I made lists!  A guest list, a things to make list, a things to buy list, a food list...  WHEW!  Then, we took the red pen to it and chopped it down!  I always have BIG ambitions and BIG dreams for parties, but the realist in the house reminds me of our tiny checkbook, and we whittle it down.  I think it turned out perfectly!

I have put together some pictures and some explanations about the party set up and decorations.  I hope you enjoy it!  CLICK ON EACH PICTURE TO ENLARGE.

Invitation - DreamWeaverPrints

We used a lot of paper printables that we found on Etsy to complete our decor!  I love to support my fellow crafters!  All of the party decor items were from the Pep Custom Designs store.  I used the pennant banner, cupcake wrappers, signs, drink wrappers and 2inch party circles from THIS LISTING.  I will also be using the thank you notes this week!

Outside window decoration by Dad!

Signs on the front door

HAPPY

BIRTHDAY

FINN!  (Banner by Pep Custom Design)

Cupcake assembly! (cupcakes from the grocery store, toppers by boogaboo)

The cupcake toppers were also printables from Etsy!  I got them from the boogaboo shop.  This is the LISTING I used for them.  PROPS to my husband for a lot of the cutting - especially these fins!  They were a bit tedious - but so worth it!  Sometime you need to ask him about working on cutting things out while he was at flag football practice last week...

We printed this DreamWeaverPrints sing as a 16x20 for the party

Of course, his party would not have been complete without a Dream Weaver Prints party sign!  Again, we had so much fun working on this one!  Since I am the designer and seller of these AMAZING pieces of art, I asked Britt to be the "customer" on this one.  He emailed me with all the things he wanted included (themes, colors, sayings, etc), I worked it up, and he approved it!  We ordered a BIG one for a centerpiece at the party.  I am going to hang it in Finn's room this week.

We have FACTOID signs all over the dining room to entertain the adults!

Our Shark Attack table!  Net from Hobby Lobby

The Food!  (Click to enlarge for details!)

Sea Water and Regular water...

And, of course, the party was a blast as well!  I have to share a few pictures from the festivities of our sweet boy enjoying his party!  He loved all the candy on the table, and the "cake cup" (as he calls them) was fun, too - even if he did try to touch the candle flame!  OOPS!

Happy Birthday Finn

More Presents!

Unwrapping!

See dad's hand coming in for the save?

Yum!  Cake Cups!

He got some GREAT presents, but I think one really takes the cake!  My Dad made him this AWESOME busy board that an 2 year old boy would LOVE!  Nana the Wondersitter helped, of course, but Dad dug around in his "treasures," bought a few new things, and made the MOST FABULOUS gift for his last grandson!  I saw THIS PIN on Pinterest a while back, and sent it to my dad, so I am sure it was a great inspiration for him!  We all loved playing with it, and I am sure it is to become a family heirloom!  THANKS, GRANDPA!!!

NAILED it!

Finn LOVES Pistol Pete - and this one behind the door is perfect.

The first time he saw Pete behind the door.  PRICELESS!

LOVES IT!

We ended the party by playing outside on a GORGEOUS Oklahoma fall afternoon.  Broke out the "roller coaster" toy Finn got from us yesterday for his friends to enjoy as well.  it was a hit, just like yesterday!  Best part of this toy?  it comes apart and stores completely in it's own base.  Couldn't ask for more!

Thanks for celebrating with us!  This was a GREAT way to survive a SHARK ATTACK!

Letter to Finn at 2

Happy Birthday, Finn!

Today, you turn 2 years old.  Marks the second anniversary of the scariest night of my life.  The longest 3 months in the NICU, and the fastest 21 months since then!  WOW!  What a journey we have been on. You, and your minor medical issues, your Dad and I learning how to be parents to a micro-preemie along with 3 big kids, and our whole family as we learn to adjust to your ever changing ways!  You have made our family complete.  And completely crazy!  Wouldn't have it any other way!

Son, you have met so many challenged head on!  And tackled them with the tenacity you have been known for since day one.  Walking was slow to come this year, but at 18 months, you got it, and never looked back!  You are still my finicky Finn, and refuse basically any kind of fruit or vegetable (which the WIC lady lectured me about), but when you do find something you like to eat, you gobble it up!  And, I think you set some kind of record this morning for guzzling down your Pedia-Sure in under 2 minutes!  WOW!  You've got "HANGRY" (angry hungry) down! 

I can count about 30-40 words you use consistently.  That's HUGE - and has all come in the last 6 weeks.  Before that, all you said was UP.  Up meant the opposite of whatever was happening at the moment.  If you were down and wanted up, you said UP.  If you were up and wanted down, you said UP.  Hungry? UP Sleepy? UP Shoes on? UP!  Up Up Up! LOL!  We are so glad you have a bigger vocabulary now, and we are enjoying hearing you talk.

You are right in the middle of the typical twos.  You are great at throwing a fit when you get frustrated.  I have been bitten a few times, as has Nana the Wonder Sitter.  And we cringe every time you bang your head against our hard floors.  We have a hard time figuring out what you want, be we always try!  It's no fun to see you so frustrated!  And, you still pull your hair - sometimes to sooth yourself, and again hen you are mad!  Silly boy!

You can point out and say by name: Pistol Pete, Eskimo Joe and Buffy, Mickey Mouse and Elmo.  You love to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in the mornings as everyone gets ready!  And your favorite activity at the FUMC Early Childhood Center you go to 2 days a week is water play! 

You are so fun to be around and to watch grow.  You are a miracle.  And a blessing.  And you are ours.  We all love you so very much.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Dream Weaver Prints (click for larger)

October! You're here!

It's my favorite month!  My birthday, autumn colors, pumpkin flavored everything, Jack-o-lanterns, HALLOWEEN!  And, this weekend, miracle baby FINN WILL BE TWO YEARS OLD!  How in the world did that 2 years go by so very quickly?  Seems like yesterday we brought him home from the NICU!  And now he's a healthy, happy, walking, talking, CRAZY toddler!  We couldn't be more blessed!

The end of September here in Oklahoma was a HOT one, but the cool down has started and should stay it sounds like.  We took time this past weekend to thoroughly clean out both boys' closets.  Made them try on every pair of pants we owned!  Did this about 2 months ago, in preparation for the Fall Adorable Affordables consignment sale, but they have both grown since then!  It was time to do it again!  Needless to say, I have a GREAT start on next year's fall sale!  We also took out all the summer stuff that was too stained to keep, or too small to wear.  So, the Spring sale has a good starting point as well. 

We are also gearing up for my cousin's wedding in just a few weeks!  We are all looking through our closets trying to find wedding clothes to wear!  Emma and Lara have it easy - they are candle lighters in the ceremony, so they have dresses all set to go.  (Although, come to think of it, Emma's is still at the alterations shop...  I need to check on that!).  Finn's birthday is this weekend; I'm hoping he gets something suitable to wear as a gift.  Jake got a nice dress shirt at the consignment sale, and we bought him slacks this weekend.  He wants to wear a tie.  A neck tie.  A "REAL" one!  Gotta do some searching for that.  And I have a black dress.  That should work.  Britt has a few shirts to pick from - we will look FABULOUS! LOL!

Someone in my office today asked how the Weaver's were doing it up big for Halloween this year.  Sadly, I don't think we are.  The girls are past dressing up, and Jake doesn't want to "play my game" and dress in a theme with his baby brother, so I think we'll just wing it.  I don't want to spend a lot of money on it, either.  October is an expensive month around here!  In my dreams, I had Jake dressed as Sully and Finn as Mike from Monsters U.  Then, Emma and Lara were going to dress up as some of the sorority monsters from the movie as well.  Again, no one wants to play along. *sad face*

But, we can still have some Halloween fun!  Dream Weaver Prints is getting in on the deal, too!  Have you ever Boo'd someone?  Ever been boo'd?  Well, here's your chance!

 

Over in the Dream Weaver Prints ETSY shop, there is a new item!  All the information and templates you need to start a "Boo-ing" craze in your neighborhood!  Or, in your place of work!  Check it out. and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!