Eden's Dino-mite Birthday Party

Eden’s Dino-Mite Birthday

How cute is this shirt?  Thanks Pau-pau!

We celebrated Eden’s 2^nd birthday with a dino-mite dino dig birthday party!  The inspiration is simply that he loves dinosaurs. 

This party was… frantic for me with 2 very busy months leading up to it; it was pushed aside for the next weekend... and the next.  Plus that pesky 9-5!  (Just kidding)  With a week to go, I had only sorted the goodie bags (the important stuff) and was a bit panicked.  I spent every lunch at the local shopping centre picking up decoration and various items.  I hadn’t decided on a cake until Friday night (taking a poll from my co-workers) and still wasn’t sure if that’s the one I wanted.  I was more than relieved when our guests said it was just “amazing” as usual (whew!  I’m not slipping!)

The Invitation

e Tu Designs

The Decorations

While I usually DIY most of the decorations for the birthday party, I found the Meri Meri Roarrrrrr Dinosaur Party too cute to resist.  I purchased them from Zuilly, but it will probably be my first and last purchase due to the shipping costs!

ROARRR!  A button on the side made this dinosaur roar!

I based the colour-scheme on the Meri Meri garland and centrepiece, and kept it simple using paper lanterns and pompoms in orange, yellow, blue and green.  I also made larger paper lanterns into dinosaurs.  And of course, plastic dinosaurs anywhere there was empty space.

My dinosaur lanterns

One of my favourite features and DIY project was the dinosaur terrariums.  We had fun putting it together and I love that it will hopefully be around for a while (I don’t exactly have a green thumb).      

We made 2 terrariums!

Eden loved a set of inflatable dinosaurs from Oriental Trading Co.  He tried to take a few to bed with him!

Dino Dig!

After a very wet June (wettest in 6 years) we spent much of July hoping for sunny weather for his party.  I also made sure we had plan B just in case!  Luckily it wasn’t needed.  It was a cold but sunny day (but not as cold as they were predicting).

Our little explorers searched for pre-hidden dinosaur skeletons (Oriental Trading Co) and eggs.  I was all set to make my own hidden dinosaur eggs out of baking soda, water and black food colouring but then on a pre-party trip to Kmart, I found them in the dollar bins for $2! 

Tools of the trade: shovels, brushes, sifts

Other activities, Dino Golf, the trampoline and the best thing we ever purchased the jumping castle.

The Food

The Herbivores

The Carnivores

The Cake and Chocolate “Lava” Fountain

The Cake

The inside was chocolate cake with coloured polka dots
(not pictured)

And for our Sweetivores, dipping options included: strawberries and marshmallow skewers, The Natural Confectionary Co Dinosaur gummy skewers, cream puffs, and rice crispie treat and assorted cake “bites”.  Mr H also carved a T Rex watermelon… but it never made it out on the table.  It happens every time that we forget to put something out!  This time it was the fruit salad and cream puffs for dipping.

We’re Saur-y to See You Go!

Our guests were treated to adorable goodie bags containing a dinosaur grabber, hidden dinosaur colouring book with crayons, a dinosaur stamp, and sweet treats (Natural Confectionary Co Dinosaurs gummies and Smarties).  They also got to take their dino dig discoveries home!  

Meri Meri ROARRR goodie bags

Thank you!

A big thank you to my lovely sister-in-law’s that arrived early and pitched in to help with sandwich making, cutting of vegetables and tempering chocolate.

And of course a thank you to our lovely family and friends who spent the day with us and were so generous with their gifts.  Eden is one happy two year-old with his new toys!

"Oh wow!  Trucks!"

CRASHED!  It's hard being the birthday boy!

Additional photos can be seen at the following link:
http://s1357.photobucket.com/user/r_shamilton/library/July%20blog/Eden%20Birthday%20Party

Until January…

MissE is already planning her 5th birthday party… and inviting half her pre-school class!

Wordless Wednesday: Disney on Ice

Disney on Ice: Princesses and Heroes

Eden is TWO!

What a year it’s been… and so quickly it’s gone.  I feel like we only just celebrated his 1^st birthday and was embarking on his first overseas adventure to meet Gung-gung but 365 days have passed.

The meaning of Eden is "pleasure, delightful, delightful paradise".  – Our Baby Namer

Eden continues to live up to his name, he’s a delight.  He is always smiling and so playful.  He is also very cheeky.  He is loving and caring.  He loves nothing more than sitting on the lounge, accepting cuddles!

This year he started walking shortly after his 1^st birthday (while in the US!), started day care which he loves (they call him “boss”), rode a horse and most recently experienced snow for the first time.  He is a chatterbox and is now speaking in short sentences.  He’s our little dare-devil and always willing to try any new experience… and jump off any piece of furniture.

Here’s one of my favourite traditions, a slideshow looking back on the year.

A Year in the Life of Eden

Song: Just The Way You Are {Bruno Mars cover} – Maddi Jane 

Snow Time!

Snow Time! at the Hunter Valley Gardens

Some background: Eloise has been asking to go ice skating for about a year now, since she saw Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck ice skating in a Christmas movie and is also a big fan of Disney on Ice on YouTube. (Shh!  She doesn’t know she gets to go next week!)

Slight issue: Mr H and I don’t like cold.  Pre- monkeys, we went to Thredbo with Mr & Mrs Barry for a weekend.  While the company was wonderful, we didn’t have a great time on the snow.  First all, I couldn’t find the snow.  I grew in Northern California and the only snow I know is Lake Tahoe (and I just assume all ski areas are like that. Nope).  And second, during our snowboard refresher lesson, it was raining… and we were wet and miserable.  On the last day I simply refused to kit up and opted for a lazy breakfast in Thredbo Village while everyone else headed for the slopes.  We did not want to trek there (it’s a good 5 hour drive) and the E’s decide they didn’t like it, so I found a better solution for all of us.  Snow Time! at the Hunter Valley Gardens 

• 1.5 hour drive to Hunter Valley
• Snow play
•  Ice skating
• Chocolate Festival running concurrently
•   Wine

BOOM!

We made our way on Saturday, mid-morning.  In no rush to arrive in the Hunter Valley, we opted for the tourist route through Wollombi, stopping for lunch at the Wollombi Tavern.

Now THAT'S a burger (minus the beet root)

What a great spot!  A co-worker recommended stopping there and we were glad we did.  The food was fast, portions were big and it was yummy!  We sat outside, watching the motorbikes.

The bar is a bit of fun.  They are most famous for their Jungle Juice.  Legend has it that Mel Jurd, in his efforts to keep costs down and revenues up would save all the leftovers from the night before and pour them into a single container. Port, brandy, wine, you name it,  Mel saved them all and experimented with various brewing techniques. Dr. Jurd's Jungle Juice was created. But, you could only obtain this special drop at Mel Jurd's Wollombi Wine Bar.  The product has remained the trademark for the establishment ever since.  I tried it and it wasn’t bad so I bought a little bottle.

We’re here!

Once in the Hunter Valley, we were a bit shocked by the number of cars for Snow Time and the Chocolate Festival!  There were cars parked all over the main road… and quite far from the Gardens.  Luckily it was not as bad on Sunday.  We checked-in at the Mercure Hunter Valley Gardens.  Unfortunately the room was pretty average (Mr H and I are hard to please when it comes to accommodation) but the bed was comfortable, it was convenient and had a discount on the Hunter Valley Garden entrance tickets.  It was really nice being able to walk to the Hunter Valley Garden Village and to the Gardens rather than fight the parking lot. 

Our first stop was a walk to the HV Garden Village.  We had a coffee and cookie at Hunter Valley Cookies (yum) then a play at the playground (burn that energy!).

Eloise enjoying the cookie of the day "Death by Chocolate"

For dinner we drove back into Cessnock to try sSs BBQ.  Eden enjoyed their free peanuts and Cajun popcorn as his dinner.

2 spoons are more productive

Snow Time!

Snack pack cereal and banana bread = make-shift hotel breakfast
(Or the 'Stingy Breakfast')

After a make-shift hotel breakfast (love that it worked really well!)  we bundled up and walked over to the Gardens.  First stop was ice skating tickets, then our first play in the snow!

Snow Time!

Eloise jumped right in.  She was shocked by how cold it was but she went straight to work on a snowman.  Eden wasn’t too sure.  I had to put him in the snow pit before he would explore.  He said “cold”, “wet” and then searched for shovels to build his own snowman.  Soon, he was desperate to get into the snowball fight pits… umm, no.  I saw a teenager nearly lose an eye in there!

Our first snowman

Ice Skating

You never forget, right?  I didn’t!  Especially how uncomfortable ice skates are.  Ouch!  That  first step onto the ice is always a bit confronting.  Ha, ha!  I am just thinking of a few of the dad’s ahead of us that went for it then promptly fell on their bums!  Eloise was very nervous but she did very well.  We scooted along the wall for the first round.  I just kept reminding her to go slowly and to slide her feet like she is in socks.  She didn’t chop at the ice at all and only fell over once.  By the 3 and 4^th time around the rink, she was able to hold onto to the wall with one hand and mine with the other.  A few of the corners, she was also willing to let go of the wall and just let me help her.  I was in a full sweat by the end of the 20 minutes though!  I was very proud she kept trying and didn’t give up.

Skates on!  Ready to go!

Pure concentration

Starting to get the hang of it...

After a walk through the Storybook Gardens (my favourite), a play on the jumping castle, and the Husky Racing and Ice Sculpting by Kenji Ogawa demonstrations we decided to leave the Gardens for lunch (good idea since the lines were crazy!). 

Jack fell down and broke his crown...
Eloise and Jill came tumbling down after!

Wake up Wee Willy Winkee!

Mad Hatters Tea Party

Husky Racing Demonstration

Ice sculpting by Kenji  Ogawa

Then we piled into the car for nap time.  Eden was asleep before we even pulled out of the hotel driveway and Eloise within 5 minutes. Mr H and I then hit up our favourite wineries, tag-teaming the cellar doors (one in, one stays in the car).  By the time we go to Tempus Two and the Hunter Valley Smelly Cheese Shop, it had been over an hour and they were waking just in time for gelato!

Keith Tulloch (one of our favourites!)

Back inside the Hunter Valley Gardens, we checked out the Chocolate Festival and were thrilled to find Adriano Zumbo just standing around.  For those who don’t know, he’s a chef-librity thanks to the Masterchef juggernaut.  His patisserie in Balmain has long queues for his macaroons, or Zumbarons.

With Adriano Zumbo

The Classics 

After our brush with fame, we headed back to Snow Time for more snow play and tobogganing!  Mr E loved it so much, we went 4 times! 

Snow ball expert

On the toboggan... WEEEEE!

Poor Eden was so exhausted after tobogganing we walked back to the hotel and he just lay on the bed, not moving and watched TV.  He perked up when daddy returned with dinner (pizza) but shortly after, handed me his pyjamas because he wanted to go to bed.

Monday morning, after a slight sleep in and another make-shift breakfast, we headed back to Sydney.  Brr, was it cold!  -1.9c during the night and only 4c at 8:30am.  Eloise and Eden were happy to tell their teachers about their weekend while we started our work week.

All in all, we had a wonderful weekend.  Eden really liked the snow and couldn’t get enough of building snowmen, then hitting them over the head with a shovel.  It was a great introduction to the snow for the next time we actually get to spend a Christmas in California!  (It crossed both our minds for Christmas this year… maybe)