Kids in My Kitchen

This past weekend as my 2 teenage daughters were knee deep in Show Choir Competition, my youngest was invited to a birthday party. Now, this is pretty normal stuff for me...having to go in a bunch of different directions at the same time. The Head of the Household was a big help this weekend and even stood out in the cold helping to park cars until 11:00 p.m. Saturday night!!! (It was at least 30 degrees and windy!!!). What a Daddy!!!!

After working Friday afternoon and evening, arriving home around 11:30 p.m., I started my Saturday morning work shift for Show Choir competition at 6:45. Ed arrived at 10:30 a.m. and took my place so I could take the youngest to her party. The youngest and I drove 25 miles to a neighboring large town. After stopping by Wal-Mart to pick up a last minute gift bag, we arrived at the party at 11:32...we would have only been 2 minutes late if the party had started at 11:30 like I thought...but it started at 11:00!!!! Such is my life.

My youngest already has some of the perfectionist tendencies I see in my firstborn and can really lose it over the smallest things...you should see the drama when she can't get her letters on the lined paper like she thinks her teacher wants it :( She asks me each morning on the way to school if she is going to be late and had already asked me the same question several times on the way to the party.

I really thought I had it all together Saturday!!! That's what I get for thinking!!


I will forever be grateful to the the most gracious hostess mom who immediately scooped my youngest up with kind and comforting words for both of us before my youngest could realize her mommy had not gotten the time right. The party mommy helped my youngest get right to work :):)
It takes a Mommy village sometimes :)

My youngest donned an apron with the logo of the party destination monogrammed on the front. "Kids in My Kitchen" in Hattiesburg, MS is a local and family owned business run by downhome Christian folks who love children! The children had already made the pizza dough by the time we arrived and were just beginning the rolling and patting process. The owner and her two helpers put dough in my youngest's hands and gave her gentle and encouraging individualized instruction before I could get in the door good...I can't say enough about how nice these folks are.

The other children had on chef's hats but my youngest decided that was a little much for her :)

(Notice my youngest's pointer finger on her right hand. While Christmas shopping, she closed the door of my SUV on her finger just right obviously. We are anxiously awaiting the day the fingernail finally falls off)

This is the birthday girl...is she not the cutest little redhead you've ever seen!!!! She and my youngest attended preschool together and are now in the same kindergarten class. Both also have big sisters who play on the same high school soccer team! You gotta love small towns!


The birthday girl is finishing up the process of putting homemade tomato sauce on her rolled and patted pizza dough.

What a cutie!!

Here's another cutie! My youngest, putting her sauce on her pizza dough :)

The birthday girl really appreciated the cheese part! She even ate most of it right out of her little serving cup :)

So did my youngest...notice how serious she is...it needs to be right...

LOVE these mini sized baking pans! Each kid had her own.

While the individual pizzas, on their individual baking pans, some cut into shapes and some cut into letters, were baking in the oven, it was time for PRESENTS!

EVERYBODY loves that part!!

This present must have been a good one...look at my youngest...she's beside herself with joy! And, it's not even her birthday!!

Yay!! Fun Times!!

Instead of a cake, the kids also get to make and decorate homemade chocolate cupcakes. To my knowledge my youngest had never had a "homemade" cupcake until this past Saturday. The kids also decorated the cupcakes with homemade icing (WHAT?? I didn't know it even existed!!) and sprinkles (the only thing that wasn't homemade).

The birthday girl just decided to eat her cupcake without frosting and sprinkles :) It's her party and she can do what she wants to!!

The kid chowing down on the cupcake is the birthday girl's middle sister (not the one who plays soccer)...she was allowed to invite a couple of her friends to the party as well.

The birthday girl again...please, please notice the little red eyelashes!!!

We had such a great time at Kids in My Kitchen in Hattiesburg, MS that my youngest wants to have her birthday party (March) there as well! Stay tuned for more!!