A Fiesta for Family and Friends

I have been blogging very little while I enjoy my babymoon with sweet Lydia, who is now six weeks old. Yet somewhere between nursing, changing diapers, and completing chores with one hand (the other hand holding baby, of course), I managed to plan a little party for my dear husband's birthday. Don thought we were going to my mom's house for his birthday dinner, but instead, he came home from work to find my parents, his family, and a few friends waiting in our living room. Surprise!

For any readers who may be planning a similar social gathering, I would like to offer a few helpful hints. First, if your husband and all of his relatives love tacos, a taco buffet with salsa music in the background will make for a great party. A piñata is an excellent complement to the Mexican theme, but be sure that the bat you use to break it is sturdy, rather than something like, say, a piece of plastic tubing that is likely to shatter when smashed into a solid object. And if you have the space and the boldness to hang your piñata indoors, be sure to leave plenty of open space around it, especially if the Daddies will be given a turn to smash the overstuffed item open. You may wish to stuff your piñata with Tootsie Rolls and caramels, but unless you enjoy finding crumb-size candy under your table, couch, and toes, avoid tiny packages of Nerds, Sweet Tarts, and other small treats that may burst out of the packages. If you fail to follow these hints, you may end up with quite a mess, not unlike the one I had the joy of cleaning after the festivities were ended.

Besides the yummy food (the make-your-own strawberry shortcake buffet was also a success!) and the excitement of the piñata smashing, we enjoyed the time visiting with family and friends. Remember the picture of my two pregnant friends and me at our Superbowl party? Almost six months later, we took the "after" picture with our three baby girls! Here is Lydia (6 weeks) with her friends Claire (4 months) and Riley (5 1/2 months):



It was a fun evening, and I was thankful to have many helping hands to chop vegetables, cook tortillas, blow up balloons, arrange chairs, and hold my sweet Lydia. She is a happy baby if (and only if) she is held and snuggled, so it is always a little easier to get things done if one of her many admirers is available to hold her. I may not be able to post much right now, but I trust that you know what is keeping my hands occupied. If you start to wonder how I am spending these summer days, just check the picture above...and imagine me doing something similar while making dinner, reading to toddlers, and sweeping candy out from under the couch.