Rainbow Burst Oobleck

I mixed up a batch of oobleck for the girls today using two cups of corn starch and one cup of water.  Somewhere (probably on Pinterest), I saw the idea to add the little bath tablets you can buy to make bath water different colors, and we gave it a try.

We don't use these little bath tablets, so the girls didn't know what to expect.  We were all surprised by the bubbling and fizzing!  It was a fun addition to regular oobleck!

We started with just a few tablets, but Kate ended up dumping the whole container into the oobleck!

Look at Kate's little hands getting right in there; this still surprises me!  When I first made the oobleck, she did cover her nose because she didn't like the smell, but ultimately she could not resist playing in it.

Believe it or not, this was super easy to clean up!

A Minecraft Party

Collin's tenth birthday party had a Minecraft theme.  We had perfect weather - sunny and warm, but with just enough clouds and a slight breeze; we couldn't have asked for a nicer day in August!

The Minecraft theme was very well received by all of the kids.

I found free, printable Minecraft labels that I laminated.

I also used the grass, blue gems, and Minecraft critters for decoration.

I wasn't sure about the bouncy house this year.  I thought the kids might be too old for it, but I was wrong.  The bouncy we have been getting the past few years is not your average bouncy though; it is an obstacle course with a huge slide.  The kids like to pile up at the top of the slide and just hang out.  This means that at least a few times during the party, the bouncy gets top heavy and starts to collapse.  We had to be careful about when we sent the little kids through, and we tried to send them with two older kids (one in front and one behind) to keep them safe in there!

The hammock was a big attraction again this year.

Miranda, Reagan, Madison, Sydney, and Jillian

Emma, Kate, Isabel (in the back), Sydney, Miranda, Reagan, Madison, and Jillian

The boys in front with Collin are (left to right) Owen, Matthew, and Landon; they are Collin's neighborhood crew, and he has had a lot of fun with them this summer.  Logan and Drew are in the back, and they are also good buddies of Collin's.

There were a few arm wrestling competitions.

Emma is our future babysitter.  She was so good with Kate, taking her in the bouncy house, watching her closely while I attended to party stuff, and just being there whenever Kate needed anything.  Kate adored her!

We ordered Collin's Minecraft Creeper cake from Pattie Cake.  The kids thought it was very cool, and it was delicious too!

After cake, the kids continued to play!

How cute are Mason and Kate in that wagon?  ADORABLE!!!

When it finally got dark, everyone got ready for Tom's hugely popular, greatly anticipated fireworks display!

He had a lot of fireworks; the show went on for quite a while.  Almost all of the kids love it; I won't go into details about those that wish it would not occur.

We had glow bracelets and necklaces for all of the kids.  They were very popular!

Caroline and Sophia 

Kate with Emma again

Jack and Olivia worked hard on this huge glowing loop!

I published this post and then remembered that Julie took this picture of Kate and me at the end of the night, so I'm editing to add it in to the post!  I'm always so grateful when people take my picture with my kids. As the photographer (using that term loosely!  I should say "picture taker"), I never think to ask anyone to take the camera.  

Wow, what a party!  It was a huge success!  All of the kids (and the adults) had a lot of fun!  

One Direction

Reagan went to her first concert on August 9th.  She saw One Direction at Gillette Stadium with Debbie, Olivia, and Sophia.  Before the concert, Reagan decorated a shirt.

She was over the moon excited for the concert!

 Sophia, Reagan, and Olivia waiting for the show to start!

Debbie said Reagan and Olivia were up on their chairs dancing for most of the show.  Reagan had the best time ever!  I'm so happy she was able to go.

During the concert, Tom and Paul hung out at CBS Scene.  They were able to hear the music and see quite a bit of the show.

Reagan was so excited after the concert that when she saw Tom, she ran and jumped into his arms. I think that was one of the best moments of his life as a dad!