Playhouse

There are playhouses both at Daycare and in the Nursery at Shepherd Gate, and Cassy loves playing in both of them.  She's quite the domestic one, really, making dinner for people and making sure to share her food.  As such, I jumped on craigslist and began scouring the postings for playhouses in the surrounding areas.  I found one in Leesburg for $80 (they retail for about $400).  This one is missing a tiny corner table and the sink faucet, but is otherwise in excellent shape.  So, I went and got it on Sunday (the day after Eric's party). 

I am so glad I purchased this particular house.  I bought it from a single mom and her two daughters, and what a sweet, fun family they are.  They were so easy to get along with and talk to -- and it's like, I know I'll never see these people again, but in our brief acquaintenace they just struck me as the type of family you want the best for.  I know that the $80 I gave them for this playhouse is going towards a swimming pool, which both little girls are so excited about!

Well, the playhouse was still assembled when I got there, and on purpose -- the mom wanted to show me how it looks so I didn't spend a lot of time guessing which pieces went where when I reassembled it.  So we set out to disassemble the playhouse and all was going well (save for a few bugs and spiders along the way) until the last two panels -- those suckers just would not come apart!  We were pulling and pushing, stomping and hammering for about half an hour before I realized -- that sink is connected to both walls!  So after all that, all we had to do was pop the sink off, and the two walls just came apart with ease.  And, I've never been more thankful to have a small SUV than at this time -- all the pieces just fit into the trunk.

When I got home, I powerwashed that playhouse to death.  The family's backyard had been fairly overgrown, and I just felt more comfortable knowing that I restored the playhouse to as near perfect condition as I could.  I was actually pleasantly surprised that the stickers on the stove didn't get powerwashed off.  Once that was done, Eric and I put the house up underneath our deck area, and Cassy got busy checking out her new pad:

Hey Guys!

Phone's ringing!

Watch your step . . .

Outside looking in

Eric's 30th Birthday

Happy Birthday to Eric! 

Eric turned the big 3-0 on Tuesday May 17, but we celebrated the weekend before.  For 13 hours.  That's right, I thought the best way for us to help Eric transition out of his 20s and into his 30s was to make sure the party continued, which it did, both day and night!

We began the day with Cassy giving her daddy presents -- a game called Carcassonne, and one expansion pack (The River, for all you Carcassonians).  We got up and out of bed, and headed downstairs, where I had MY gift to Eric waiting.  In his usual way, Eric 'ignored' the gift, pretending he didn't see it because he wasn't sure if he was supposed to see it or not (I have a bad habit of leaving gifts out, unwrapped, so he's gotten used to 'not noticing' things).  But I pointed it out to him, it was wrapped, and it was ready to be opened.  So while I baked some cinnamon rolls for breakfast Eric unwrapped his shiny new . . . Keurig! 

Eric and the long-awaited coffee maker.

After breakfast, I set to work putting up the rest of the decorations, and Eric and Cassidy both pitched in to help with the cleaning.

Cassy loved playing with the decorations

You'd be amazed at how many thumbs up pictures there are of Eric (or maybe you wouldn't be)

My Littlest Helper

The party itself was set for 2pm, and people showed up right on time.  We grilled out burgers and dogs, had potato salad, pasta salad, chips and dips/salsa, veggies, and a cheese/cracker/meat platter.  We rearranged our deck furniture a bit to give people more room to sit, and I made a last-minute trip to Wal-Mart to replace our canopy, which I hadn't realized we had thrown out (it had rusted due to too many days on a sandy, salt-watery beach :-) ). 

Good friends, new and old share some fun stories

The cousins play with bubbles

Sister pic!

Cassy and her Aunt

My niece and Grandpa TomTom Nusbaum

Another niece showing what to do with a bubble wand

Brother Pic!

Cassy found her belly button.  It had been missing.

Cassidy and Uncle Dylan

Swingers.

Cassy and Daddy

My niece tells my sis-in-law a fun secret :-)

I considered this cookout portion part A of the party.  Part B took us inside for some games -- Munchkin, Poker, and bowling -- Demetri Martin's Comedy, and more food!  Eric made a pulled pork BBQ for dinnertime.  Michelle brought over some deviled eggs which I'm pretty sure lasted five minutes.  More macaroni salad, more veggies, etc etc.  And of course, Eric's birthday cake, complete with 30 candles!

The saddest Munchkin cards, ever

My niece Maddy channeling her inner Hepburn

Cassy came right in and just plunked herself down among the crowd

Nice turnout for Eric's party!

You can just fit 30 candles on a Cookies 'n Cream icecream cake :-)

Poker Night!  1st:  Jim Cillian, 2nd:  Carly Nusbaum 3:  Matt Silverthorn.

Call!

Manda did well for her FIRST EVER poker night!

Beach Crew :-)

Watching Kick @$$

Some good, ol' fashioned Wii Bowling

So there you have it . . . 13 straight hours of birthday party fun! 

Oh, but the party continues . . .

On Eric's actual birthday, that Tuesday, I took him to dinner at Wildfire in Tyson's Galleria.  Our good friend Michelle (Auntie 'Chelle) watched Cassy for us, to give us a date night :-)  I felt bad that Eric hadn't seen his little girl at all on his birthday (since she sleeps until 8:30 and he leaves for work at 8a, and we'd be getting home after she went to sleep), so I took a picture for him to see just how cute she looked that day:

On Eric's Birthday

PLUS, Cassidy designed a very special birthday card for her daddy:

The Kissing Hand is a special book about a little Raccoon

We went to dinner, and dined on spinach and artichoke dip, crab chowder and french onion soup, au graten potatos, and bone-in aged filet.  For dessert, the waiter brought Eric a complimentary to-die-for warm chocolate brownie cake and ice cream, with hot fudge, with a candle for his birthday!

At Wildfire

Make a Wish!

After dinner, we headed home and Eric had more suprises waiting for him -- a donkey birthday card which was so obnoxious it was funny, and one last birthday gift:

This card laughs at you by hee-hawing.  Cassy totally cracked up.

Sport-Brella!

Michelle stayed over a bit longer to learn how to play Carcassonne.  We ended up playing two games -- I think she won both of them.  Beginners luck?  Maybe.  Lots of fun?  Totally!

Happy Birthday Eric!!

Easter 2011

This post is slightly out of order, since I was waiting for pictures to upload.  But here it is regardless . . .

EASTER 2011!!

Easter was a hit this year, as our little girl is getting old enough to enjoy holidays and special events :-)  I think I started getting items for her easter basket like, the day after Easter last year, and just kept collecting the year round.  So, Cassy ended up with a fairly large basket this year, but that's ok.  I'd like to think I've gotten the 'easter bunny bug' out of my system (we'll find out for sure next year).

The Easter Week started with egg dyeing at my mom's house, in preparation for the 'big day':

Just like old times, only different :-)

Nana shows Cassy the ropes

Getting the hang of it . . .

Manda and Maddy make works of art!

Cassy shows off one of her eggs

Maddy got into color mixing for some really cool eggs!

Once the weekend hit, we began Easter Sunday with a beautiful Sunrise Service at Stonewall Memorial Gardens, just as we try to do every year the weather permits.  This year Easter was simply gorgeous.  It was very much like God was just sending smiles down on us in the form of sunshine and warm weather. 

Can you ask for a more beautiful Sunrise?

BonBon and TomTom praising our Lord!

Our family, enjoying the Sunrise Service

After the Sunrise Service, we headed back to Bonnie and Tom's for Easter breakfast.  Eric's brother and his family joined us, as well as one of Tom's old coworkers and his wife.  We had bacon, eggs, bagels, fruit, and just an all around good time!

My bunny little niece with Grandma Nusbaum

The cousins, hanging out

Our Easter banquet table

My Sis in Law makes quite a sassy little Easter Bunny!

We always take Easter Family Portraits out in the back yard.  This started a few years ago, and it has been fun to see how our families have grown!

The E. Nusbaum Family, Easter 2011

The J. Nusbaum Family, Easter 2011


Of course, Easter Sunday is always a great time to just hang out with family.  The cousins all certainly enjoyed themselves!

I get to be part of the 'cool crowd' for once! :-)

 The cousins, doing some more hanging out

My Sis in Law, Me, and our Kiddos

After Easter breakfast, we all went our separate ways -- which for my family meant heading back to our house for a bit of a nap, egg hunt, and Easter baskets!!

Cassidy seriously caught on to the whole egg hunt thing quickly.  In fact, we still have egg hunts from time to time, despite it being a month since Easter.  She loves finding the eggs and sticking them in her basket:

Cassidy hunting for those eggs

Ah!  Found one!

 This was Cassy's second Easter egg hunt.  The first was with our neighborhood, the weekend before.  Also an excellent day, weather-wise, for an outdoor egg hunt -- where over 300 eggs were hidden!

Where is that egg?!

Hunting for more eggs!

Having a grand old time :-)

Leader of the pack?

Seriously, there were SO MANY EGGS!

The neighborhood kids getting ready for the hunt!



After her egg hunt at the house, we let Cassy have at her basket.  It was so much fun this year, because she actually went through her basket on her own! 

Checking out Dad's dancing robot

Making friends with a chick

Look at all the goodies!

We ended Easter Sunday by having yet ANOTHER egg hunt (what can I say?  We know how to party!)  at my parent's house, opening baskets there, and having dinner.  My dad hid about 40 or so eggs around the perimeter of the back yard, and Maddy and Cassy set off to find them:

Are there any in the grass?

Maddy lifts her skirt, just like a princess!

Got one!

Let's get one thing straight -- there is nothing 'lady like' about hunting for easter eggs!

The weather was just beautiful, so we hung out outside the rest of the evening.  Cassy had a photo shoot with her aunts, played with Uncle Todd and cousin Maddy, and relaxed with me: 

Cheeeeeese!

Playing with Uncle Todd and Cousin Maddy

Lounging with Mom

By the end of the day, we had a very tuckered out little girl on our hands!

Daddy's shoulder is the best place to sleep!

Happy Easter everyone!