A penny for your thoughts

As I mentioned in the last blog I was on my way to Dallas to celebrate my grandson's second birthday.


I had hoped to inspire you all by picturing all the fun creative ways I came up with to wrap Alex's presents but I got caught up in all the fun and totally blanked on the whole picture taking of his every move including his opening all his gifts.
Luckily for you, my professional photographer daughter
Rachel

surprised me by showing up and took care of that part (hopefully).
Not only did she fly in from Colorado Springs
but she talked her brother
Nick,


into flying in from Chicago so Alex could have a professional musician sing him happy birthday at his party as well!

Throw in the fact that my daughter
Sarah

has a degree in marketing and a Masters in Interior Design and you get one heck of an impressive party.
Can't forget to mention my hunky husband Tracy, who makes all this possible and keeps secrets from his wife.
But wait! There's MORE!!
My son -in -law's entire clan came all the way from Eldorado Arkansas, including but not limited to the Mamaws (great grandmas in Northern speak) yes, both of them, Alex's grands and Auntie Leah, Uncle Chris and baby 2B!!!

As if this wasn't enough add Alex's Sunday School class and Preschool class, work buddies and random passers by that wanted to snag a cookie and join in the fun!




Now this party to end all parties held out in the park on a beautiful 100 degree Dallas day was great fun but WAIT! There's EVEN MORE!
As children and parents got their fill of cake and great treats and either melted into puddles or burst into flames the party came to an end just about nap time!
After hauling A's lute back to the house and unpacking 46 truck loads of gifts and goodies we were partied out so we took a quick siesta and planned round two of the gift giving marathon!!!
Alex was teased and taunted by the stacks of gifts by his mother who had to have him wait until every one was there. TSK! It was worth the wait!!!
Everyone crowded in the living room and anxiously awaited Alex's every gasp and giggle as he opened gift after gift.

Go to babyevansblog.blogspot.com for details and pics that I know you are just dying to see!
Here is just a sneak preview-
I really want Alex to enjoy the arts so every opportunity I get I buy him something fun and wonderful from our local artists. The problem is- those gifts usually don't come in boxes and are rarely easy to wrap!
(Yeah- I'm talking to you Chuck Flagg who made a wonderful little penny piggy bank that I bought at the Junction City Art Show last month!)
So, I had this ugly used box....now....how to make it less embarrassing....fun...but cheap to do....something I have on hand cause I'm out of time....maybe something he can use again or play with...OH! I've got it!

You tape pennies and nickles all over it in a fun pretty pattern. Just so you know, it took a lot, I said A LOT longer, to do this than I had anticipated so start early! I put sticky side out so he could pull off the change a little at a time when he is bored (God forbid!) and feed his piggy. Unfortunately instead of just cutting through the top they actually peeled all the tape off and now he will have hours and hours of fun picky pennies from a huge wad of tape ball.

Hopefully you will find pictures of the giant book box I painted for A on his blog site soon since I was a dope and didn't take pictures of that or the Caution Men at Work box I wrapped. Can you guess what I wrapped up for him in those?

The best present there was having all my family together


and it wasn't even my birthday!
Well, not this weekend anyway. My birthday was just a couple of weeks ago and my family got me fun great gifts-but that will have to wait for another blog!

I have the best family ever!