Football Celebration

In honor of football season

we are going back a few years to my son's

1st Birthday.

1st Birthdays are always fun for me.

Let's face it, the baby doesn't know what is

going on. I definitely think you should 

throw a party to celebrate your

child's 1st year of life 

 but I suggest 

keeping it simple and 

think about your guests. 

We actually planned Roman's party for the morning

 of the Iron Bowl since most family 

would already be in town for the game.

We had it at my home church

Northport Baptist so all the cousins

had plenty of room to run and play. 

We only invited family & close friends.

(we have enough cousins to make

up a whole party) 

Food

I absolutley LOVE this cake! 

It came from It Takes the Cake.

The girls wanted cupcakes 

so we had a cheerleader cupcake pyramid!

Cupcakes came from Publix.

We also had It Takes the Cake 

make these delicious Bama sugar cookies!

(they are my personal favorite)

The rest of the food was yummy tailgate food

like chips and salsa, sausage

 dip, football doughnuts from Krispey Creme, etc. 

Decor

I didn't go overboard with the decor.

I used scrapbook paper for place mats and

got pom-poms and megaphones from the

Dollar Store for centerpieces. 

I laugh at his birthday highchair. 

Since then I have learned to find 

a cute wooden highchair for 

1st birthdays! 

It's worth the hassle for cute pictures!

Roman's invitation was adorable. 

I ordered it off of Etsy. 

It's been a couple of years so

 I do not remember from who?

(sorry!) 

I decorated the favor table with a framed 

invitation and a signed National Championship

football from the year he was born.

His grandmother made him

this adorable birthday hat with

a matching bib. 

I made all the guests party hats 

out of houndstooth scrapbook paper and ribbon. 

This is a very simple way to customize any party!

Favors

My party favors were a hit! 

I made a set of white pom-poms

for each girl out of trash bags and duck-tape.

They were super easy to make and

were great quality. We actually still

have two pair after almost 3 years.

 Directions on how to make 

them are at the end of this post! 

I also gave each child a football

bag with a coach's whistle and the

boys received footballs. 

Activities & Games

For activities we had a coloring

station. The kids colored megaphones,

cheerleaders, and football players. 

We played

"Pin the Football in the Field Goal".

We had a football toss!

We taught the kids cheers!

And the kids just 

free played in the gym!

No party is complete 

without a pinata 

(at least that is what my children think) 

I wanted a football but I found this

megaphone on super clearance.

If you have toddlers

I highly recommend the pinatas

with strings vs. the ones you hit!

Don't forget a smash 

cake for 1st birthdays!

Sisters couldn't let brother eat all the cake!

So if your yelling "ROLL TIDE"

on Saturday or not I hope you got a 

few cute simple ideas for a

small football themed party! 

Happy Friday & Roll Tide! 

Directions for making Pom-Poms

Step 1

Purchase plastic trash bags in desired color. I opted for white and used red duct tape.  You will need about ten bags to complete each pom-pom. I suggest going to the Dollar Tree. 

Step 2

Lay about 10 of bags flat on a hard surface, making sure that all corners are lined up. Fold the bags in half. Make sure they are lined up as close as possible.

Step 3

Begin cutting strips in the trash bags. Cut the bags on the

 open side (not folded side) of the bags, trying to make the

 strips as even as possible. Thin strips will make 

a full pom-pom, while thicker strips will result in a thinner look.

Step 4

Fold the pom-pom lengthwise, so the folded corners are

 together and the cut strips are still loose. Roll the top folded 

part of the pom-pom into a cylinder, making sure it is as

 tight as possible. Wrap this part of the pom-pom securely 

with duct tape making the pom-pom handle.

Step 5

Fluff the pom-pom by taking a few of the cut strips and 

rubbing them together between your hands. This creates friction in the 

pom-pom and helps to make it even fuller. 

Today's Blessing- A Dead Cell Phone

Mondays are a rush day for us. The girls get out of school at 3 and then Isla has ballet in Dallas at 3:45. It's a 33 minute drive giving us 12 minutes to pray traffic cooperates, I don't get lost (which happens ALOT) and to get Isla properly dressed. (there is a strict dress code)

By the time I packed kids in the car Monday to go sit in the school pickup line I realized my cell phone was about to die. I knew the kids would be in the car for awhile so I turned on "My Little Pony" which meant no radio for me. (I thank God for built-in DVD players in Dallas)

So there I was sitting in line for at least 30 minutes, with an hour roundtrip plus another hour sitting in the car during ballet class while the babies napped. 2 1/2 hours of no radio, no Facebook, no Twitter, no Instagram, no Pinterest!!! I thought to myself , "This is going to be miserable! What am I going to do?"

I then looked over and what did I see? My bible. I just started laughing. You see just that morning as I was running errands I was thinking about how I didn't get up early as I had planned to spend time in the Word. I thought about how in college I would go to my quiet spot (and no, it wasn't a locked bathroom) and I somedays would spend two hours studying God's Word. I had time to use fancy things like the Strong's concordance and such! :)  I quickly thought about life's different seasons and how they are continually changing. I have read enough mommy books and blogs to know not to beat myself up over a skipped quiet time.  I assured myself I would one day return to  having plenty of "me" time and I will dust off our library in the garage and become the bible scholar I have always dreamt to be.   

But as I sat there looking at my bible I realized God had set this moment up. My phone was almost dead and He put me in the car for 2 1/2 hours with sleeping babies and the older ones in a "My Little Pony" trance. I spent the next 30 minutes reading. Once I started driving I thought it would be best not to try to read (My driving is bad enough without extra distractions) so I started praying. Not just rattling off my prayer list but I spent time with my Lord. It was a sweet couple of hours. 

On the drive home I talked to God about all of this.  I realize my life looks different than it did in my early 20's.  I have children, a husband, a house, laundry, etc. etc. It's okay that I don't have hours on end to read my bible and pray. Well, is it? Have I been using God's gracious blessings of children, a husband, and a home as an excuse not to spend quality time with Him in Word and prayer? That's scary.  I agree with the need to give ourselves grace and understanding as moms with young children. But most importly we need to give ourselves to the Lord each and everyday. Not so we can check it off and add stars by our name. But so we can be fed with God's Word and give Him our praises, thanksgiving, and supplications everyday. 

Now, I almost daily read my Jesus Calling or Morning & Evening devotionals. (Don't judge me! I run at the mention of a Beth Moore study, knowing it will take such time and discipline. Please Note -I LOVE Beth Moore) I pray everday for my family and urgent needs.  But today I am talking about truly studying God's Word and spending time in prayer and meditation. I know for me this means turning off my TV and phone before midnight so I am not too exhausted to get up in the morning. For you it might mean something else. It's true that life has many seasons. But no matter the season our need is always the same, an intimate relationship with our Lord that only comes from studying His word and prayer.  

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.   2 Timothy 3:16-17

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 
Psalm 119:105

But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Mathew 4:4

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Joshua 1:8

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 

Romans 15:4

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.    Hebrews 4:12

With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119:10-11

  

Blessing of Routine!

Although I have been homeschooling now for a while, I am still always trying to figure out the best way to do it.  This year, I have 3 kids in school and so it is a greater challenge.  (K, 1st, and 4th grades)  Somewhere along this journey, I read that one of the best things to do in homeschooling was to teach your kids to be self-starters.  The person (whom I can't remember) said something to the effect that you should never have kids wait on you to start a subject.  After 2 years of having one of my children constantly needing me for every little assignment, I decided this year to try a new approach.  Today I am going to share one of the tools I am using.  It is a "Morning Notebook".

Each morning, my kids meet me at the kitchen table (Ok actually they drag me out of bed first!)  and we have Bible time with breakfast.  Then, they grab their morning notebooks and get started. No more waiting on mom to start school!  I love it! This allows me a little time to get other things going around the house.  While their morning notebooks vary each day and each week and from child to child, I can show you a little bit of what goes into them.  Below is the calendar portion that they work on about 3-4 days a week.  I also insert math drill sheets and other fun worksheets that they can do on their own.  (I know some HS families HATE worksheets but my kids don't mind them especially in a sheet protector.  There is something about writing with a marker that makes everything fun.)  
 

Cover – I made the cover plain so that the kids could decorate it any way they saw fit.

My Name As We Go – On the first day of each month, they write their name.  This is really for my younger kids.  It will be fun to watch them get better and better.

 

My Name Is – Each day, they will practice writing their name.  For my youngest, she is learning to spell her name.  My older two are learning to write in cursive.

 

100 Days of School -  Why not have a count down and a celebration when we hit it?  Each day they fill in a square. 

 

Tally Up the Days – Each day, they make a tally mark. At the end of the month, they count the days up.  My kids love this one!

 

Calendar -  I use a blank one for my older kids and one with the numbers to be traced for my younger girls.  Each day, they write in the number for the day.

 

I Can Write the Date – Each day, they practice writing the date two ways.  My younger ones simply copy it.

Weather – Each day, the kids record the weather. 

 

Where I live? – On the ones I made for my kids, I put our phone numbers and address so that they are copying them once each day. In a few weeks, I’ll switch to this blank one and see if they can write it from memory.  Then, I will just use it here and there to review.

My Daily Calendar – While I wonder if the kids might get tired of this one, for now, they will complete this one every day.  My youngest usually looks over her big brothers shoulder for help.  I put this one in a sheet protector.  

 See file below

Days in School – My two oldest will complete this one.  They will look back to their days in school tally sheet to help if need be.

Write Your Numbers – In CC, we have been learning our skip counting songs for 2 years.  I have the kids practice skip counting with this sheet based on whatever # we are learning at CC. I also have one to trace for my youngest because she still gets her numbers flipped most of the time.

 

Days of the Week – This one is for my younger kids to help learn the days of the week and abbreviations. Every once in awhile, I’ll have my oldest fill one in to work on spelling.

 

I Know my Colors – This is another for my younger kids.  They can color it and practice writing the names of the colors.

 

I Can Draw It – Each day, they make a daily drawing.  Of course, it is a favorite. I like to look back and see how much they improve.

My Idea/My Questions – Once a day or once a week, the kids can jot down an idea or question they want to explore.  They have fun with this one!

  See file below

My Goals – This one can be done daily or weekly.  The idea was to have them make a goal and celebrate when they complete it.

  See file below

 On the first few days, I had to help them to understand each page.

 Johnna Katherine's cover

 Julianna Marie working on her calendar.

 She can spell it even though it takes up 2 lines!

" I love this!"

 "Oh wait, I changed my mind!" LOL

 The weather page was a hit until they realized we live in Texas and it will always be HOT AND SUNNY!

 

And that's it!  I add to, take things out, put some pages in sheet protectors, etc...  Please comment below if you have any ideas to help make it better!  The kids love it and it is been a blessing to me!  

To download the whole file, go to the link below.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8Y6_N0OuGteblB0RkIwcHdLOUU/edit?usp=sharing

Weekly Bible Verse- 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

Download a printable version and print as 4x6