Birthday cakes

Sorry, guys, missed a week or two!  Stupid sickness.

Anyway, Dylan's bday today made me want to talk about birthday cakes.

Mom usually made them (exceptions?), and she was good at it!

Favorite flavors/combos? (I was a vanilla with buttercream gal).

Favorite decorated cake or cake disaster (were there any?)?

Here are some old ones I found of mine.

Holly Hobby from when I was... 4?  And Donald Duck when I was 2.

Cabbage Patch kids (with a pacifier!) when I was 9 or 10, and my princess cake when I was 7

 

 

 

I think the Cabbage Patch one is my all-time fave.  I was so impressed with that one!  ...So much so that I didn't bother combing my hair?

Huh.  Maybe Mom's cakes were what inspired me to always go all out for birthdays?  I have done simpler ones/cupcakes for the past few years, but I remember a pretty nice Angelina Ballerina one when Tessa turned 5, a Thomas one, and two monkey ones!

Any other Halloween stories?

Alright, what else about Halloween?  Did any of you use buckets or were we all pillowcase kids?  Did the boys really switch costumes and go back for seconds?

Any of you who don't remember trick'or'treating on Two Rock - I'm sorry, that was so fun.  There was a time limit (Hamilton too, I think?), so we were at the door ready to go when the time was right and we RAN from house to house to squeeze as many in as we could.  I don't remember sticking with you guys so much, I think we all went with friends.  One year at Hamilton Allyson and I made the decision to come back like 1/2 hour early (some of you were appalled) because Halloween fell on a Thursday and we wanted to watch the Cosby Show.  Well done, young Kirsten, well done.

My neighborhood now is pretty cool about teens trick or treating as long as they're in costume - Tessa still has plans to go this year, but some of her friends aren't allowed to go anymore - when did you stop?  I think 10th grade maybe was my last year?  I think Valerie and I borrowed angel/devil costumes and took JD and Kellie around.

How long did your candy last?  What were your favorites?  Not everyone loved coconut and mint stuff, so sometimes I lucked into trading for mounds and almond joys and junior mints.  I actually have never liked tootsie rolls.  Love M&M's, but prefer peanut.  Back in the day, I think I preferred plain...  Sorting a bag full of candy - that was fun stuff. :)

Halloween Costumes

*Just a reminder, any of you guys can post on here and start a topic!

Halloween costumes.  I got my kids' done this week, woo!

I know not everyone loves Halloween now, but we used to.  And I love that mom never said no to any of our costume ideas (not that I remember anyway). That's how I look at Halloween.  Sure, we could just dig around the costume boxes, but Halloween is such a fun time to make dreams come true for something the kids are really INTO  (perfect example:  Liam as Link, Liam as Ash, and this year...).

Anyway, fave Halloween costumes?  Or dream come true ones?  Or fastest/lamest ones?  Kris looks STOKED below to be Luke.  I remember being proud of his costume at the costume parade because there were a couple other Lukes, but they had on the plastic smock + mask thing - lame.  We NEVER had those.

Kirk, Kris, my friend Danielle (dressed as a greaser), Me dressed in mom's cut-down bridesmaid dress (awesome diy hack!), and baby Kari.
Classic Kari.

I totally remember that princess costume mom made, but have zero recollection of being a witch... I always felt sorry for the girls who were witches - couldn't they think of something cooler?  I remember talking mom into letting me help put dots on Kari's apple dumpling hat - and I loved it and did too many in one spot.

Kirk, Me, smug Kris, Kari (classic Kirsten?)

 Mom dyed a mop red for Kari's Raggedy Ann costume.  I think Kari wouldn't wear it, though?  Way to go all out, Mom!

My faves were probably... Pippi Longstocking, Carmen Miranda (my first real DIY costume - I came up with the fruit basket headdress thing and made it myself), and "Uhura" (or someone from Star Trek at least, I couldn't really pull of Uhura). Weird, those are all jr. high, high school.  I don't remember many from elementary school actually...

Valerie and Me 1993.  Couldn't figure out why she striped her face...

(Aaron just asked me for pictures of the Pippi costume - not sure we have any from that year as it was when Grandma Jackson died.  Mom was home for actual Halloween if I remember right, but I had to get everyone's costumes together for the ward party and do my crazy braids/spray them.  I remember Kari was Dorothy that year and I french braided her hair in the car on the way.)

Grand Canyon

Remember that time you all went to the Grand Canyon (without me)?  Tell me about it.  All I got was this photo.  You all look thrilled.

Schools

Once a few years ago, I was asking some sibs which schools they went to, and we ended up making a chart (which I've sinced lost) recording who went to which school for which grades.  Mom helped fill in the blanks/sibs who weren't present.

Let's do that again - I remember it being surprisingly cool.  Maybe someone (Karl?) would make it up graphically somehow.

So mine goes like this:

most of K - Salem Elementary
rest of K - half of 2nd - John F Kennedy Elem.
rest of 2 - 5th - Two Rock
half of 6th - Olive
rest of 6th - Hamilton
7 - 8th - San Jose Middle School
9 - 12th - Mcdonough

Now add yours, and we'll put them together somehow.

Paper Bag Parade

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I've been thinking about Halloween costumes for my kids, so let's talk Halloween:  For those of you who went to Two Rock (sorry, Karl), what did you make your paper bag into for the paper bag parade?  Also, did you like that idea, or not?

I always wanted to wear my regular Halloween costume, since Mom made awesome ones, but I appreciated the creativity aspect, and Mom said it was to level the playing field, with the migrant worker kids that went there, so I was cool with it.

I remember being:

A cabbage patch kid (looked like Merlina, with a pacifier and stuff)
A gypsy (won that year)
A computer... that was also a red sox fan (I finished too early, so I kept adding stuff)

Note the floppy disc drive and the disc storage thing above it!
and oh my goodness, I think I'm holding a cord!

I remember a kid in my class winning with this awesome fly costume one year, and I think that same kid was a toilet once - with a houseplant and a roll of tp and everything.  It was awesome.  One kid was always a peacock, because he could get peacock feathers at his house.

I'm betting Karl would have been something sports related... or a plain paper bag. :)

Test post and welcome.

So here was my idea.  An old idea.  I remember running it by a couple of you a year or two ago (sheesh).

Someone posts a topic (Once a week?  Sundays would be a good day.) and posts about it.  Then everyone adds their story to it in the comments.  Like... favorite birthday party, lunchboxes, bikes, stuff like that.

Kinda just fun, kinda family history.  And Jorgy Sibs only.

Let me know if you have any problems posting, or want to change things up in any way.

Okay, so remember to subscribe so you can see when it's updated, and let's go!  You in?

*edit - you can write in the comments OR make your own post - either way - posts are better if you have a picture to share anyway.