Saturday, November 24th and Sunday November 25th

So on Saturday I made my nephew's birthday cake. I baked, my Pop iced it later, and I decorated it. My Pop ices a cake like it's a piece of artwork, he would seriously shame Martha Stewart. I don't have the patience, so it worked out well. Luckily my nephew requested a chocolate cake with chocolate icing...a boy after my own heart! Little Man saw his cousin's cake and wanted to know where his birthday cake was...I told him if he was nice maybe his cousin would share with him! My Mom got up all energized and she and I went to Jo-Ann Fabrics. Oh how I miss Jo-Ann! Well, I've been looking for pirate fabric for Little Man's room for months, and I could never find something little kid appropriate in enough yardage. Until Saturday!

Earlier in the week one of my folks' neighbor gave me 5 baby blankets from her job (they were discards headed for the trash). They are super soft, and when I saw them I immediately had thoughts for sewing on trim and appliques. (The wheels never stop turning in this craft chick's head)

Here is the pirate fabric I found. It has le tresor and le bateau pirate (I love the French!) I want to update Little Man's nautical room from Rainbow Fish to cute pirate, and I'm going to use this fabric for a valance, flat sheet, and possibly a comforter. I plan to keep using his solid blue toddler bed sheets for now. I hope he'll stay in the toddler bed with the things I plan to make for another year, and then when we move to a twin we'll think about a bought set. I found the fabric and got it for 50% off so I spent less than $15, I was sooo happy with it.

Later, after my Mom and I stopped by K-Mart, we headed home to finish prep for Ethan's birthday celebration, and then we went and picked him up from his babysitter's house. He and Little Man are just balls of energy so they played and played until pizza time. Then we waited for my brother to get off work before we opened presents and ate cake.

As the child of a big comic book fan, my nephew loves Batman, Spider-Man and Superman. This year he is really liking Batman.

Like I said with the photos from Little Man's birthday, it is tradition in my family to set the bow on your head for a photo.

Spider-Man pajamas from Grandma

A Ben watch (like one used in a television series my nephew watches)

The big present from the night, his new Optimus Prime Transformer helmet with voice changer (it was so cool, even I played with it!) His Daddy did good!

Opening the Batman-Inspired Sweater and Buddy Bag I made him

Playing with the finger puppet from the buddy bag

Playing with the Transformers helmet

We had a great time. My brother and I had a good laugh after we fixed our cake with vanilla ice cream and both took a bite at the same time, made a funny face at each other and said, "Does this ice cream taste like banana to you?" My Pop had mixed up some special ice cream...but put it in the vanilla ice cream container. Man, did we laugh!

And meanwhile, my Mom's tub ran and ran after the hot water knob broke after I took a shower earlier in the morning. And the boys kept asking what's that noise (the running water). The Roto-Rooter man eventually got there after my brother and nephew headed home loaded down with gifts, and couldn't fix it so he turned off the water.

On Sunday My Mom and Pop got up at 5:30 Am to wait for the plumber who was supposed to show at 6 AM. He didn't show, we called and he had rescheduled for somebody else to come after he got stuck late at another job. They didn't show up until after we left to head home (around 10 AM). It's still not entirely fixed, and they've had to return again already, but hopefully my parents won't be without water again. And that was basically our week visiting with my folks!