New Thing #19: HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!

And another week begins...how was your weekend? Things were as busy as ever here at Chaos Central. But a happy kind of busy, if that makes any sense. The LP had a sleepover at Grandad and Nan's house on Saturday. I know they had a wonderful time because they are still talking about it...well, LP1 is, anyway. I love how two year olds have no defined sense of time, so when they tell you something, it may have happened five minutes ago or last month. I'll be preparing her lunch and she'll just bust out with "I look at binoculars with Grandad and Nan." Yes. Yes, you did. When? Hard to say. But I bet at some point in your life you have looked through binoculars with your grandparents. In true grandparent fashion, Nan and Grandad thoroughly spoiled the LP. They had also purchased a kiddie pool and apparently both kids were thrilled to play in it - LP1 stayed in for nearly two hours! By all (highly biased) accounts, the LP behaved themselves and were very much enjoyed by Grandad and Nan. Daddy and I missed our LP but were also happy to have some time together. We did very romantic things, like grocery shop at a leisurely pace while holding a complete conversation, rather than each taking half the store and meeting in the middle, hoping we remembered everything.

On Sunday we headed over to Grammy & Grandpa's for a birthday dinner in honour of Auntie K and Daddy (their birthdays are one day apart). Everyone went for a pre-dinner swim and we couldn't stop saying that we couldn't remember the last time we were all in the pool together. We ate until we burst as we celebrated Daddy and Auntie K. The LP were so tired after two very busy days that both of them actually slept through the night.

Who knew an afternoon of swimming would thoroughly tire out the LP? Must do this more often!

Today is Daddy's birthday! Even though I know he won't be reading this today, a very happy birthday to the best husband, father and friend out there. He really does make the world a much better place and he makes the LP and I very, very happy.

For today's New Thing I decided we would make Daddy a special birthday gift. Uncle V and Auntie A had given LP1 a special kit to make a hand or footprint for her first birthday. I thought it was such a great idea and was saving it for just the perfect occasion. The problem is...I would remember it after the occasion had passed. D'OH! Yesterday I was putting something in LP1's closet when the kit literally hit me over the head. I figured this was a sign we should crack it out soon...and what better time than Daddy's birthday?

This is the kit. Whoever invented this is probably counting their money on an island somewhere tropical.

The idea behind the kit is that you use an inkpad on your child's foot or hand and then make an impression on a piece of tile. The reality is that you first must sand the tile, wipe it with vinegar, let it dry, get the perfect foot/hand print, cover it in something known as "magic powder" and then cook it in the oven until it sets. You slap a sticker on the back detailing the child's age and presto-changeo, you are done.

The reality goes kind of like this...I let LP1 decide what they were going to do. She picked footprint. I have always tried to tackle the most difficult job first in whatever I do, and I figured LP2 would be harder to print, so after I sanded and vinegared and did all the prep, I inked up his foot while he was sitting in his highchair. Four attempts later, I got a usable print (it is REALLY hard to get a squirmy baby to give a decent footprint. You come over and try. But bring your own kit). Next up was LP1. Despite instructions to NOT MOVE she decided to scamper across the kitchen floor. After I cleaned up black ink footprints, I re-inked her foot and two attempts later, had a usable print. As I was dumping the magic powder over the prints, I smudged LP2's. Sigh. I re-inked his foot and got kicked in the face because I guess it is very ticklish. Two more attempts and I had a usuable print. Then I got the bright idea to write their names and dates on each tile. Apparently you can just use a pencil eraser dipper in ink. Yeah, apparently my...foot. Forty seven attempts later, I gave up and decided that what I had was fine. You can read their names and the date. Good enough. Into the oven it went.  And then I realized I forgot to dump magic powder on the names/dates. I pulled out the tiles, dumped magic powder on them and prayed the oven wouldn't burst into flames or, if it did, that I would suddenly find myself in Diagon Alley with Harry Potter et al. The magic powder burnt on one part of each tile. I told myself it was fine and once the tiles had cooled, we wrapped them up for Daddy. I am slowly giving up my idea that I am Martha Stewart. All my crafting attempts have some kind of flaw to them. I tell myself it gives them character.

By this time LP2 was ready for a nap. All that foot-stomping is exhausting. While he was sleeping, LP1 and I baked Daddy's birthday cake together. Later on in the day when I was icing it, I had to go do something. When I came back, there was nobody in the kitchen but a big chunk of icing was missing. Must have been random elves that came in, ate some icing and left. I think they were in my parents' kitchen when I was growing up, too.

When Daddy came home from work LP1 was especially excited about the cake and to give him his gift. He was very happy with it and is in search of a place to put the tiles. I know that many years from now, Daddy and I will look at them and marvel that our children were ever that small. As the song says, these are the days to remember.

Pre-oven tiles. LP1 is on the left and has the magic powder already on heres. LP2 is on the right and awaiting the magic powder.