Pre-Party Preparations!

Wow!  Our Ashton will turn 4 years old tomorrow!  How time has flown by!!!!  He and I stopped by the grocery store after school/work today so that he could pick out cupcakes to take to share with his daycare class tomorrow.  Meanwhile, Derek and Zach secretly went to the Dollar Store to pick up 4 helium-filled balloons which we will have tied to Ash's chair as a surprise at breakfast tomorrow morning! 

Derek is feeling a bit under the weather (cold symptoms), so I went into "Domestic Goddess" mode and made dinner.  I tried out (and actively modified) a recipe that I found in my new Runner's World Magazine for Garlic Shrimp with White Beans and Tomatoes.  I mixed things up a bit by adding andouille sausage as well as some Cajun spices.  It was great -especially with a dash of hot sauce!  Even the kids ate it up with no complaints about the presence of beans!!!  I served it with rice, but I think we will have leftovers with a large batch of Grandma Dixie's cornbread! Yummmmm!!!!  While I was cooking, Zach read two chapters of his latest book to me.  He is currently reading one of The Magic Treehouse books (he loves them).  That was a treat too!  He is getting to be such a good reader. 

After cleaning up the kitchen, we got Derek settled into one of the rocking chairs to watch Transformers Dark Side of the Moon (which Derek declared as one of the worst movies ever- yet still somehow mildly entertaining).  The kids took a shower.  Then Zach helped me mix up the batter for my Mom's Coffee 'N Cake recipe for Ashton's birthday cake.  While the cake layers were in the oven, I got the kids to bed, washed up some dishes, and wrapped Ash's b-day presents.  Just as I was finishing up the presents, the cakes were done -- took them out of the oven, started a pot of Earl Grey tea for Derek, and made lunches for tomorrow.  As the cakes were cooling, I whipped up the frosting, then iced the cake, then cleaned up the kitchen.  the last time I made this cake, I put the frosting on when the cakes were still too warm and a landslide resulted.  I think I did ok this time!  Hopefully Ashton will be pleased!

 

 I did have plans to try and get a run or walk in tonight on the treadmill, but it is now after 9pm.  Oh well...  Thank goodness I have plans to meet Tracy for a run early tomorrow morning!  Course I will get a short walk around the block or so in a few minutes with Snyx :)

So, tomorrow will be a big day.  Derek had his latest oncology appointment today and they have scheduled his CT scan and bloodwork for tomorrow morning.  We expect a good report.  Then tomorrow evening will be big birthday festivities!  Yay for birthdays!!!!!