Rylee's 3rd birthday party!

Lots and lots of pictures from Rylee's cherry blossom themed birthday party!

The favors:

I decided to do a crayon favor months ago when I happened upon an etsy member that made little tins of crayons with each child's name spelled out inside. I was able to find the tins on clearance at Target, so I only needed to order the letters for each child's name.



I also ordered a sticker with each child's name on it to place on top of their individual tin and a sticker to be placed on the bottom that said, "Love Rylee." (after I received the stickers, I went out and purchased my own laminator/sticker/button maker)





After I had these in place, I spent hours and hours searching for the perfect favor boxes. I went through 50 websites and close to 300 pages of etsy. FINALLY, I found what I was looking for.

Shelley, who runs Bug and Boo designs ( http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5099181 ) was awesome at helping me get together exactly what I wanted in a favor box. She even shipped my order the next day and featured my boxes in her shop!







These were perfect! The tins fit inside along with a little thing of play-doh and I could not have been happier! I'll definitely be back to order more from Shelley, she was great to work with.

You probably noticed the name tags on each box - those also came from Etsy. (I'm like a walking advertisement for this website, they should pay me!).

Rosie, who runs Tokens of Love (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6345555) was also a pleasure to work with! These favor tags were exactly what I was looking for. I didn't want a paper tag, I wanted something that the kids could take and use somewhere else.( I heard a few moms saying they would put their tags on their backpacks, which is a great idea) I love the way these turned out and tied the whole box together, I'm thinking about ordering a bunch for Christmas!

The cookies:

I make cookie favors each year to give out to the kids and adults as well. This year we did a cherry blossom and a silhouette cookie. (Rodney made the silhouette cutter)

Unwrapped:





Wrapped/tagged:







(I didn't think about this but some people had a hard time eating the silhouette. They felt like they were eating Rylee's head --- and they were!)

Decor:

I tried to do a little bit of decorating in the house to tie the theme together. I waited until Target put their outdoor stuff on sale at the end of the summer and bought a set of the cherry blossom lanterns to hang. I also bought the Martha Stewart pom kit to hang in the living room as well. (I bought it from Wal-Mart, $10 cheaper there than Michael's)

My friend April, who is an awesome florist, let me borrow her huge cherry blossom arrangement that she has displayed in her shop for the party (so have to return it this week!) and that really pulled it all together.





Activities:

I decided that since Rylee is turning 3 this year, we needed to do a little more with the party than we normally do. We needed things to keep the kids occupied and happy. I came up with a few different things for them to do.

The first table I had set up was a "popcorn bar." I had paper bags out with markers, glue and crayons for them to decorate and put their names on. I had 5 different flavors of popcorn for them to fill their decorated bag with.

White cheddar
kettle corn
carmel pirate's booty
carmel corn
white chocolate

The second table I had set up was for making your own stick/foam puppets. I found the kits at Michael's for $1/each and thought it would be a really good way thing for each kid to be able to do while they were there.

I also had cupcake decorating. In the weeks before the party, I made each child an apron and painted their names and cherry blossom branches on them. ( I failed to take a picture of the aprons, who knows why) We waited until after the cake had already been served before we let them do the cupcake decorating because I wanted them to be able to take them home.





(we didn't get that many photos of each table, probably because we were running around like crazy)

We also had the bounce house set up and the playset - so there was lots to do!

The food:

I always cook a big meal for Rylee's party. I have no idea why I enjoy doing this but I really do.

This year we did spaghetti again (also did spaghetti the year before last). I had spaghetti with marinara or alfredo, italian sausage, grilled chicken, sautted mushrooms, salad, spinach dip and chips and salsa. I also made cheesecake cups, chocolate-peanut butter cookies and my mom brought pecan sandies. (thanks mom!)

Of course there was cake too!





The bottom tier on this cake was vanilla with whipped lemon curd buttercream. The top tier was vanilla with whipped strawberry buttercream. (the entire cake was covered in vanilla buttercream). I had a lot of fun with this cake and I'm really happy with the way it turned out, especially in regards to the colors. Rylee seemed to really love it too!

So that was what we did with Rylee's 3rd birthday party this year! It was lots and lots of hard work but it was totally worth it. Thanks to every single person that helped (especially Rodney) and attended!

Here are a few random pictures from that day!

In between jobs

Rylee's birthday party is this weekend and I'm frantically getting things together. Frantically baking and baking and baking, trying to clean in between all of the baking, running to the store two to three times a day and trying to get my little birthday girl well again. She has a sinus/ear infection. Her fever got close to 103 at times and she's just been feeling yucky all together. She saw the doctor and is on antibiotics, so I'm sure she'll be fine by Saturday.

In the midst of all of this craziness that is my life, something really wonderful happened to this country.

I'm in between cakes right now, so I thought I'd jot down my thoughts.

I watched election coverage from the moment I got home from MDO on Tuesday (we had to leave early because Rylee had a fever) and could not keep my eyes off of the tv.

In between soothing and holding Rylee, baking 10 cakes and close to 100 cookies, I watched and waited.

I kept my laptop close to me as the night went on, specifically so I could chat about the happenings with Jess (and Amber too).

Right around 10pm, 10 minutes after my very, very hot child fell asleep on me and I carried her into her bed...I came back into the kitchen to pop some popcorn. I heard Rylee start to cry, "mommy." I turned to look at the tv to see what was happening with the local election coverage when I saw a picture of Barack Obama pop up on the screen. To the right of his picture read, "Barack Obama elected 44th President of the United States." I looked at Rodney and gasped. I pointed and rubbed my eyes a little bit. We smiled and hugged one another and then both started jumping up and down in disbelief. Rylee was still crying. The screen changed to a shot of the crowd at Grant Park in Chicago, tears started rolling down my face. I couldn't stop the tears, they continued as I sat on the couch. Rodney went to check on Rylee and came back in.

We were both very quiet until my husband who is usually funny and sarcastic in these moments, said two things that stuck with me.

"You'll never forget where you were at this moment. This is like our moon landing. You will always remember that you were at home when the first black president was elected in the United States. Both Mommy and Rylee were crying."

he also said this:

"You know what's really great about this? We have never known a black president. This is historic for us and radically different from anything we have grown up with or known in our lifetimes. Rylee will grow up thinking this is normal. This will not be weird for her, it will be normal."

I cannot stress enough how proud I am at this moment to live in this country. It's been a long time since I have felt like there were people fighting for me, the middle class. It's been a long time since I have had faith in this country. It's been a long, long time.

This election gives me hope. It gives me hope that we can come together and overcome the peril we have been facing.

I don't see color when I see our new President, I see hope. I see someone who is eloquent, hard working, family oriented, who fights for people who don't get fought for. I see someone who believes that all men and women are created equally. I see someone who is determined to make a difference.

I've been pretty quiet around people who make assumptions and believe that I feel exactly as they do - but you know what? It's time to come together. It's time for us all to stop the name calling, the finger pointing, the accusing, it's time to cross party lines and get behind our new leader. The leader that was overwhelmingly elected in this country by it's people.

You may not have voted for him but it's time to support him. We live in America for a reason. Our country was founded on the basis of freedom of choice and the choice has been made. It's time to look forward, it's time to move forward.

Be proud to live in this country, be proud of the history that was just made here. Know that this is a huge step forward for our country. Know that this is what happens when you live in a democratic nation, be accepting. Be supportive.

I prayed and my prayers were answered.

Thanks, America

Thank you.

Would you like fries with that?

Costumes

Mr. & Mrs. Kennedy



Captured in black and white

So Come on

As much as I hate to admit it, I really love the newly acquired apple product here at the DeMeglio household.

A few months ago Rodney was pretty persistent about getting a mac mini to hook up to the tv. He said it would be great because we could use our iPhones to control iTunes from anywhere in the house and we could also use our iPhones to control movies on the hard drive. His main argument was that it would be super easy for me to just turn a movie on for Rylee from anywhere I happened to be in the house.

I was skeptical. Do we really need this? We already have so many little gadgets around here, was this one really necessary? We both have laptops, iPhones, we have a desktop computer in the office, several iPods, playstation this and nintendo that's...why on earth did we need this?

Anyway, I caved and we the new little computer is sitting nicely underneath the tv.

I kind-of love it.

As I sit here watching every single cake I've ever made pop up on the screen, listening to The Shins, I admit to myself that I love it. I use it frequently. It's especially nice when I am working in the kitchen, on a day like today.

Shh, don't tell Rodney.

Oh, lately he's campaigning for a wireless keyboard/mouse.

Boys.


*I promise more of an updated post later. We went to the fair, dressed Rylee up like a Geisha and took 3 year old pictures this week!

The post

Alright, it's time for me to use this blog for what's intended to be.

I've been hesitant to voice my opinion on political matters in this forum and in social forums lately because I've been nervous about the response I would get. Even though it all still bothers me a bit, it's time for me to suck it up and hope that the people who disagree with me know that it is only my opinion - it doesn't change who I am as a person.

That being said, there are a couple of points I would like to make...

I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of election day. It's time for change in this country, time for real change. I'm hoping that with this election, people will wisen up.

1)

I don't think religion and politics go together. I am a young, Christian woman but I base my political decisions on who I align with more on the issues. The best example I can give to support this is in the issue of abortion. Do I agree with abortion? Not necessarily. Do I feel like it should be up to me to decide what is best for someone else? No, not at all. Do I feel like abortion is the main issue in this country that we need to resolve? Absolutely not. I don't think how I feel religiously should affect how I see a person who is running for office. I look at the person, what they want to do if elected, how it will effect me and my family. Religion is not a factor in balancing budgets, taxes, housing crisis', health care...

2)

For me, healthcare is up there on the list of important issues. I want someone who at the very least, will attempt to change the dismal face of what is going on here. So many of us can't afford gas or even food right now, what makes you think we can afford healthcare? Not even good healthcare either. Overpriced and unfair healthcare.

My father in-law recently had to make a trip to the ER for a heart attack. He was admitted into the CCU for 4 days. They had to take a scope into his heart and look at the damage and unclog some arteries. He had to stay in recovery for a few days afterward. The insurance company has denied his claim stating that his trip to the ER for a HEART ATTACK (in which the doctors told him if had waited much longer, he wouldn't have made it) was not necessary and not pre-approved. You tell me how you are supposed to get a heart attack pre-approved.

When I quit my job to stay home with Rylee, we lost my awesome insurance that I had through the CU. We went to self-pay. Rylee had tubes put in her ears just before I quit at 7 months old. We did this because we knew that no other insurance would cover that expense. When we went to self pay we were told that there would be a FIVE year waiver put on her for any type of respiratory problem. That means for the next 5 years of her young life she would not be covered for colds, ear infections, sinus infections, sore throats, allergies, strep throat, tonsillitis, upper respiratory infections or the flu. So yeah, pretty much anything that every kids gets from year to year during those first few years, she would not be covered for. Coming off of the a first 6 months of constant illness, this scared me to death. She had 6 double ear infections in 3 months. She had her first ear infection at THREE WEEKS OLD. She had been diagnosed with severe allergies when she was 5 weeks old. At that same time she also had to be taken to the hospital for a fever of 104 - where she had two catheters, chest x-rays, blood drawn, an IV, and a spinal tap. She started using a nebulizer at 3 months.

Imagine how I felt finding out that the company we were switching to, the company that we would be paying $130/month for Rylee ALONE after going from 2 incomes to 1 ... was not going to cover any major childhood illnesses.

For the first few months, I held my breath every time she had a sniffle or a runny nose. The tubes definitely helped and we were extremely grateful for that. After one week of having the tubes and me being at home with her, she no longer needed breathing treatments. By the time she was 1, we were able to stop the allergy medication (I had ordered months worth when I still had my insurance through the CU before I quit). Then in April of 2007, 8 months after I quit my job, it happened. She got sick. Very, very sick. She had an extremely high fever and we had no option. We had to take her to the doctor. It was Monday. They did a throat culture and said she didn't have strep or an ear infection. We were given a prescription for Omnicef and sent on our way. By Wednesday there was no change in her fever and she was just as lethargic and sick as before, if not more. I took her back into the office. They did another throat culture and discovered that she did have strep - and a double ear infection to boot. They resolved to give her two rounds (shots) of rocephin. They wanted me to come back in Thursday for two more and once again Friday for two more.

A few weeks later we received our bill for those 4 visits to the doctors office. It was well over $2000. Our doctor was gracious enough to discount as many things as she could, bringing the bill to $1200.

We had to pay $1200 for two ear infections and a case of strep throat.

This is not the worst thing you've heard when it comes to problems with health care but for us, it was pretty bad. We were beginning the house buying process and did not need anymore added expenses.

We live in fear of having to go to the ER. I'm pretty sure Rylee and I both have a $5000 deductible.

Healthcare is the most important issue to me (though the economy is probably tying it right about now) and I don't know why it isn't more important to other people. There are people who need medicine and can't afford it, people whose kids are not properly immunized or well checked. There are people stressing out because they can't afford antibiotics, can't have life-saving surgeries. This is not how we should be living. People shouldn't be turned away from hospitals due to the type of insurance they have or for not having insurance.

I don't know what the best way to fix the healthcare crisis is.

But here's what I do know. Giving a $5000 tax credit is not it.

3)

Sarah Palin.


Of course, I want to address this. Of course I have to say something regarding this issue.

I want more than anything for a woman to take a high ranking political position. I think it would be such a progression and step away from the past. It would be wonderful to have a woman as VP.

But not this woman.

This is not the woman we want to be second in command of the free world.

But you know, I think what bothers me most is the fact that there are people out there who actually think they are being forward-thinking, liberal, and partly feminist by endorsing her.

This woman is a political pawn. We all know that she was not John McCain's first choice, does anyone really believe that she was? Choosing her was a strategic move to gain votes from Hilary's supporters.

This woman has no clue how to run this country and it's evident every time she opens her mouth. I don't know if I've even heard a straight answer come out of her mouth. It's all talking around the subject, off the subject but never actually about the subject. She even stated that she wouldn't be answering all of the questions the moderator gave her last night. HELLO?!?!?!?!?!

Her foreign policy experience comes from the fact that Russia is near Alaska. I know we all had to see that interview and if that didn't slap you in the face, please, allow me.

I could probably go on and on about this subject matter for days on end. I'm praying for change. I'm praying that Americans will wake up and realize that we have been going in the wrong direction for the last 8 years and it's time turn and go the other way. We definitely don't need to continue down the same path that we have been heading. And if anyone really, truly believes that the last 8 years have not been some of the most shameful and awful years in this country's history...

Look around. We're in crisis mode. Financial crisis, healthcare crisis, work force crisis, gas crisis ... and I for one, cannot take it any longer.

I don't expect people to agree with me. I don't expect people to think anything except what they already do. I hope that the people out there who don't agree with me understand that these are only my opinions. Just as I understand that their opinions are that as well.

Tomato, Tomahto.