1+4 = BUZZ!

We've discovered a new game in our house, called Buzz. I love it because it reinforces math skills, requires no set up or game pieces, and can be as long or as short as we want. My kids love it because it's fun and I'm willing to play it just about any time they ask.

I read about it in a book called Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire. I haven't read a teaching book in years and can't remember what lead me to this one, but I really enjoyed it. So much so that I plan on reading it again with a pen in my hand and a notebook by my side.
He had something interesting to say about the way math is taught in many of our schools. He said it's not uncommon for kids to be good at math when they're younger, then be surprised to find themselves struggling with it as they get older. He said the reason for that is in many schools there's too much memorization of math facts and not enough understanding of mathmatical concepts. When they get to more advanced math skills, memorization no longer helps them. Buzz is one of the games he plays in class to help kids with this.
Here's how it works.
The teacher picks the buzz number, which can be any single digit number. For this example, let's say it's going to be 3. The class is going to count to 100, with the teacher randomly pointing to students to say the next number (that way they all have to pay attention). When you get to a number with the buzz number in it, you have to say buzz.
1
2
buzz
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
buzz
14
Like that. You can make it harder by saying that you also have to say buzz if the two digits of a number added together make the buzz number, or if a number is a multiple of the buzz number.
1
2
buzz
4
5
buzz (6 is a multiple of 3)
7
8
buzz
10
11
buzz (1+2=3)
buzz
14
buzz
They'd really have to think when they get to the 30's. You can increase the difficulty indefinitely as your children grow, buzzing numbers where the digits added together equals a multiple of the buzz number. Or buzzing numbers in which the square root of the number equals the buzz number, etc.
The way the teacher plays it with his class is everyone stands, and if you get an answer wrong you sit and are out of the game. The last one standing wins. We haven't done it that way yet because there's so few of us and we're just playing to have fun. We've kept it light and fun and even when someone gets a wrong answer, we just laugh and correct it and keep going.
I don't know if this made a difference, but I didn't present this to my kids as an educational game. I just said "wanna play a new game I learned?" and went from there. Even though my kids love math, I was surprised by how much they love this game. Brian and I like it too because it's really fun to say buzz.
BUZZ!!

I Heart Mesa Blog

Click on the link above to check out a new blog all about the fun stuff you can do right here in Mesa. Sometimes I think we don't take advantage of things that are right in our own backyard the way we do when we travel. I've been wanting to be better about that.

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I think the nicest feature about this blog is the calendar section in the sidebar. I had already been thinking of taking my boys to Ballet Under the Stars. It's free, so if it ends up being too girly for them I figure I'm not out anything. Besides, I haven't been to a ballet since I saw the Nutcracker in high school. I'm due.

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But I thought the performance was only on one night, this Friday. Which also happens to be the presidential debate. No WAY am I missing that. (Yes, I realize it's also ward temple night, but I'm going to the temple tomorrow, so I don't feel too guilty.) Anyway, the calendar section of the I Heart Mesa blog lists multiple dates for the ballet, so I plan on going on Saturday. Woo hoo!

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So check out this blog and give them your support and suggestions. They're just getting started and need people to spread the word. :)

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EDIT: There may not be a debate on Friday afterall. Look at what I just got from the McCain campaign:

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John McCain's Remarks on the Economic Crisis

New York, NY

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

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America this week faces an historic crisis in our financial system. We must pass legislation to address this crisis. If we do not, credit will dry up, with devastating consequences for our economy. People will no longer be able to buy homes and their life savings will be at stake. Businesses will not have enough money to pay their employees. If we do not act, ever corner of our country will be impacted. We cannot allow this to happen.

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Last Friday, I laid out my proposal and I have since discussed my priorities and concerns with the bill the Administration has put forward. Senator Obama has expressed his priorities and concerns. This morning, I met with a group of economic advisers to talk about the proposal on the table and the steps that we should take going forward. I have also spoken with members of Congress to hear their perspective.

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It has become clear that no consensus has developed to support the Administration's proposal. I do not believe that the plan on the table will pass as it currently stands, and we are running out of time.

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Tomorrow morning, I will suspend my campaign and return to Washington after speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative. I have spoken to Senator Obama and informed him of my decision and have asked him to join me.

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I am calling on the President to convene a meeting with the leadership from both houses of Congress, including Senator Obama and myself. It is time for both parties to come together to solve this problem.

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We must meet as Americans, not as Democrats or Republicans, and we must meet until this crisis is resolved. I am directing my campaign to work with the Obama campaign and the commission on presidential debates to delay Friday night's debate until we have taken action to address this crisis.

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I am confident that before the markets open on Monday we can achieve consensus on legislation that will stabilize our financial markets, protect taxpayers and homeowners, and earn the confidence of the American people. All we must do to achieve this is temporarily set politics aside, and I am committed to doing so.

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Following September 11th, our national leaders came together at a time of crisis. We must show that kind of patriotism now. Americans across our country lament the fact that partisan divisions in Washington have prevented us from addressing our national challenges. Now is our chance to come together to prove that Washington is once again capable of leading this country.

Free Donuts!!

Krispy Kreme. The place of sweet, sweet happiness. Even better when we go to parent-teacher conferences (I can't believe we're already done with the first 6 week grading period!) and Ben's teacher tells us that for every A a student gets on his report card, they get a free glazed donut, up to six.

Oh baby.

The stars must have been in alignment, because we found this out on a Monday. John had been home sick that day, so Ben and I went to pick up our FHE treat. Hee hee.

Ben got six, and John got one, plus I bought a half-dozen chocolate glazed (cuz there MUST be chocolate). I think John felt bad in comparison, but since almost all his B's were in the 90's (at their school you have to get a 94% or higher to get an A) I think he still did great. I hope I helped him feel he did great too. I'd hate for him to feel discouraged.

Anyway, I think the grading periods at the other schools around here aren't over yet, so I thought I'd give everyone a head's up (and do a little bragging *cough*). Go cash in those A's for donuts! Yum!

Another 80's Flashback: Footloose

After watching that clip from Ferris Bueller's Day Off, I wanted to see more clips from 80's movies. Remember this dance scene from Footloose?

(Surgeon General's Warning: smoking, drinking, and high-altitude gymnastics over a concrete floor may be hazardous to your health.)

Too Bad These Kids Won't Know Who Ferris Bueller Is...

This year I'm twice as excited about Art Masterpiece because I get to do the fourth grade rotation with John's class, AND I get to do it for Christopher's young kindergarten class. How fun!

This year I have a goal for myself, but first I have to explain something. When I first started doing Art Masterpiece presentations, I was disappointed that the teachers didn't always pay attention. Then I remembered that they've been hearing about these same prints year after year, and would probably rather get caught up on their work than listen to me talk about Norman Rockwell, again.

Whenever I was doing something different and/or interesting enough to get the teacher to look up from their work, I considered it a triumph. This year, that's my goal for every print. I want to present these prints in such a way that even the teacher is riveted.

Don't ask me how. I really don't know.

But I figure I have several months to figure that out (with a little help from Google, I'm sure), and if I have any hope at all, I'd better start now.

I don't know what the prints will be for Christopher's class, but I do have a copy of the prints for fourth grade. I looked them up online the other day, and can I just say I'm SOOOO excited!! We have some fantastic art to talk about, including Seurat's A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.

If you don't recognize the title, I can almost promise you you'll recognize the print. Every time I see it, I think of Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Who remembers this scene?




Poor Cameron.

When Brian and I went to Chicago for our fourth anniversary, we spent an afternoon at The Art Institute of Chicago (see more of their collection here). As we walked through the different wings occasionally I'd say "I saw that in Ferris Bueller's Day Off!" LOL.

Makes me want to go to the museum again.


By the way, in case you didn't know September 27, 2008 is national Museum Day. You can get FREE admission to participating museums by downloading a coupon offered by the Smithsonian Institution (you don't have to be a member to get the card). For more information, go HERE.

Book Blurb: Book of a Thousand Days

Book of a Thousand Days, by Shannon Hale, was sweet, original, and satisfying. Another one I'll have to go out and buy. (I've had good luck with books lately!) Here's the blurb for it:

"When Dashti, a maid, and Lady Saren, her mistress, are shut in a tower for seven years because of Saren’s refusal to marry a man she despises, the two prepare for a very long and dark imprisonment. As food runs low and the days go from broiling hot to freezing cold, it is all Dashti can do to keep them fed and comfortable. With the arrival outside the tower of Saren’s two suitors—one welcome, the other decidedly less so—the girls are confronted with both hope and great danger, and Dashti must make the desperate choices of a girl whose life is worth more than she knows. With Shannon Hale’s lyrical language, this little-known classic fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm is reimagined and reset in a land inspired by the Asian steppes; it is a completely unique retelling filled with adventure and romance, drama and disguise." (From the official website.)

Boy Did THIS Bring Back Memories...

The other day, Chris walks into the office with a pair of scissors in his hand and, proud as punch, announces that he cut his hair.

Oh joy.

At least it can be somewhat covered up:

I did not scold or overreact, I'm proud to say. But he now understands that he is NOT to cut his own hair. Does he look sufficiently contrite?

Checking to make sure I'm not too mad:

Little stinker. Hee hee.

Oh yeah, this is why it brings back memories:

Don't my bangs look fabulous? But when I did it, I got into huge trouble. I couldn't use scissors (one of my favorite things to do) for a whole week! My mom was so unfair! LOL.

Awards for John

We had a pack meeting last night, and it was so great. Unfortunately, almost all the pictures turned out blurry (what's the deal with that???). But I'm posting this one anyway:

This shows the frame Brother Wood made to show where the boys are in their advancements. Along the top are wood cutouts with the symbols of the ranks, from Bobcat all the way to Arrow of Light. He made a little plaque with each of their names on it, and they got to hang their names under their current rank. As they advance (and some boys did later in the evening) they get to move their name over. Very cool.

You can also see I'm wearing a pin Sister Wood made for all the mothers. Whenever a boy advances, he gets a patch for his uniform and the mom gets a pin. My pins have been sitting in my jewelry box all this time. I've been thinking I needed to come up with some way to display them. This pin solves the problem:

The ribbons on the left are blue and yellow, the cub scout colors. The ribbons on the left are in boy scout colors. So this should last me all the way through John earning his Eagle. (Yes, I'm assuming he'll do that.)
I wish I had a good picture of John getting his awards this time. Since this was the first time they'd had an "awards pack meeting" all summer, all the boys had lots of awards to get from the last several months. Like most the boys, John earned several belt loops, pins and arrow points, but what I really wanted to make a record of was him earning two awards that are pretty special to him.
The first one is the Wildlife Conservation Award or, as John calls it, "the panda badge."


When John and I went through his book when he first started cub scouts, he saw this award highlighted in the back of his book as an optional award that can be earned. He decided right then that he wanted it and never forgot that was a goal. We've been doing various things to work on it for the past year, so he was very excited to have earned it at last. (To see what John had to do to earn this, click here.)
Most awards boys earn in cub scouts are belt loops and pins, with only the rank advancements and arrow points being honored with an actual patch for the uniform. The panda badge is a patch and John cannot wait to see it on his uniform. (Now where did I put that broken needle? Ahem.)

The other special award he earned was the Religious Square Knot patch, one of only two patches that can be moved to his boy scout uniform when he advances to boy scouts at age eleven.

The requirements for this one vary depending on what church you belong to. There were several things John had to do which encourages an appreciation for God, for His creations, for others, and for service to the church.
I'm proud of every award he earns, but I have to say I'm most proud of that panda badge for one simple reason. John didn't have to earn that award, he wanted to. It was a goal he set for himself and he worked toward it. I hope that feeling of satisfaction will linger with him, and help him as he grows, because the goals and challenges will grow right along with him.

Foot Hall of Fame

After all this political talk, we need a nice, short post to lighten things up. Here's an awesome foot picture posted on Anna's blog recently. You may think she took it because it's artistic and fabulous, but I'm pretty sure she just wanted her feet to be on my blog. ;)








(In case you think she was being artistic and not trying to get into the Foot Hall of Fame, you'll probably enjoy more artistic shots of hers in these posts here and here.)

Brian's Pig

Years and years and years ago, back when Brian was finishing up culinary school, he was given the opportunity to restart a restaurant inside the Lexington hotel in downtown Phoenix. The old restaurant had been closed down and was being refurbished by the owners. Brian was hired as Executive Chef and got to plan everything for the new restaurant, from establishing the menu to selecting the salt shakers (we bought an extra set for ourselves and still use them).

As I was going through old pictures, looking in vain for the soon-to-be-described pig, I found a bunch of pictures he took of their menu items. Honey, I'm hungry. Consider my order placed for the following items:




Thank you.

Anyway, one day Brian was taking a walk through the old restaurant while it was still being stripped down and refurbished. They were tossing a lot of junk, including one huge ceramic pig wearing a chef's outfit. Imagine those plain ceramic figurines you can buy at craft stores to paint, but a couple of feet tall. It was dirty, unpainted, and, well, a pig. Brian instantly fell in love with this pig - don't ask me why - and brought it home with him - don't ask me why.

Despite my dismay at our new "decoration," he made it clear that he loved the pig and intended to keep it. I made it clear it was never going to occupy any area of our home where people might actually see it. It lived on our back porch for many years. Periodically I'd point out the new dirt it had been collecting and suggest we pitch it, but he was adament. The pig stayed.

Can I just interrupt my narrative long enough to say that Brian is so rarely "adament" about anything. He's one of the most easy-going guys I know. What, I ask you, was the deal with this pig???

Anyway, about two years ago, he talked to my mom about having her paint it. They discussed what he wanted done and off she went with the pig. He was nervous. I was relieved. (Afterall, the blasted pig was gone, even if only temporarily.)

Brian waited. And waited. And waited. Every few months he would remind my mom about the pig, and they would talk again about what he wanted. They seemed to be discussing the same things each time, which always made him nervous about whether or not she'd remember exactly how he wanted it.

At last, at long last, just when he was ready to take the pig back unpainted and say "nevermind," she shows up one day and it's done!

Behold the glorious pig:

Check out that tail, hee hee.

If you can't tell, Brian really likes it. Me too. That's something I could actually live with in my kitchen. If only we could figure out where to put it.

Well, maybe in two more years...

I just wanted to share the comment I received on my Bear Hugs for Phoenix Children's Hospital post:

Michelle Thompson said:

That's awesome! I think that's a great way for your kids to get involved with the community. PCH is a great organization, I have several friends who do fund raiser events for them. Have you seen the documentary videos they created for fund raising? They are incredibly touching and show the kind of great work the hospital is doing.
If you want to see the videos she's talking about, go to the PCH Handprints website. I've only had a chance to watch a few, including the one about Sean, a little boy who literally spent the first 13 months of his life in the hospital. (He's a cute little bugger too.) It makes me think about what the Zapatas are going through, and I can't imagine going through that when the patient is just a child. The specific video Michelle linked in her comment is below:




PCH really is an amazing hospital, where real children and their families are cared for every, single day. Thanks for sharing Michelle.

Blog Posts Not to Miss

I've added a section in my sidebar called "Sticky Posts." These are posts that, for one reason or another, I've been sad to see get buried in the neverending onslaught of more current posts.

This got me thinking about the blogs I visit and the occasional post which I've also been sad to see slip into obscurity. So, here are posts from my fellow bloggers I think you should check out, even if you don't know who these bloggers are. Some are serious, some are funny. I'd love to hear what you think. :)

Roccy's fantastic series on the value of boredom. In order, the Argument for Boredom, the Art of Boredom, and the Cure for Boredom.

Roccy's daughter Carena meeting the infamous Ruby Bridges. Wow.

I think Julie should sticky post and make handy her very organized food storage system.

Kimmy's Christmas in May video. I'd forgotten about these guys till I started going through everyone's archives.

Now, there's no question that what I love best about Blake and Leeanne's blog is seeing pics of them and their sweet Jenna. In fact, as I was scrolling through their archives, I had so much fun watching old videos of her (like her first hiccups - too cute!). But I also love hearing about the Japanese culture and experiencing it vicariously through their travels. Here is a great post, that I think anyone would enjoy, about their Tokashiku trip. It has lots of interesting tidbits about Japanese culture. This tag-on post gives an insight to Japanese accomodations. Not to miss is this rather, er, interesting Japanese toilet. The Monks Temple in Thailand, and the King's Palace. (Except for the first post, all the others are very short, so don't worry about it taking too long to click through them.)

If you're wondering how blogs get started in the first place, Deb found the answer for you. She also knows fascinating facts about POW camps (hee hee).

A couple of my favorite posts showcasing Jodi's great sense of humor. Her thoughts on the Goff Gene, and what I've come to think of as an Ode to Her Hair.

There's lots more, but frankly I'm out of time. :) I hope somebody finds something new!

What Does It Mean To Us Now?

Today is the 7-year anniversary of September 11, 2001. Hard to believe. It's even more difficult for me to believe that when I look at pictures I've seen a hundred times now, it doesn't affect me the way it used to. It still makes me sad, don't get me wrong, but time has erased some of the sharpness. I don't know if that's good or bad. Either way, I wanted to find an image that I would feel. I felt the impact of this one in my chest:

As we gear up for the divisiveness a presidential election always seems to bring, I remember September 11 and realize that what I most long for is an America united. Ours is a great country, and it would be lovely to talk about our political differences with intelligence and respect. But that's a topic for another post. Today, I just want to memorialize a day that changed our country forever.

For Christmas that year, Brian gave me a book about September 11, with tons of photographs and a little bit of commentary too.

It has all the pictures you'd expect of the burning towers, streets covered with ash, and overwhelmed but determined rescue workers. But it also has pictures like the one of Americans holding hands across the aisle while singing the national anthem at a baseball game. America has it's issues, but we know how to band together in a crisis. I'm proud of that.

When I first read through that book back in December 2001, I'd occasionally write my feelings and memories about September 11 on the pages. I decided to share one of those entries here:

"The President declared the Friday after the attack a national day of Prayer and Remembrance. He asked everyone to go to a church that day. I saw the National Prayer Service on TV and then later on went to church for the satelite broadcast with the Prophet. I'm glad I participated in those things. It's interesting though, because I saw some people in tears, but it wasn't those kinds of events that would affect me. It was seeing our Congress spontaneously sing 'God Bless America.' It was hearing a woman call in to the radio and request a dedication to the passengers on the Pennsylvania flight that was taken down in an act of heroism. The song she requested was by Whitney Houston - 'One Moment in Time.' I was in tears, driving down the street, singing the words to this song: 'give me one moment in time, when I'm more than I thought I could be. When all of my dreams are a heartbeat away... when I'm racing with destiny... that one moment in time, I will feel eternity... you're a winner for a lifetime if you seize that one moment in time.' Those are the kinds of things that would make me cry."

September 11, 2001 is a day worth remembering, for so many reasons.

Recipe: Wild Rice and Turkey Casserole

Thanks to Kathy for this delicious recipe!

2 cups cut up turkey or chicken
1 package seasoned long grain wild rice
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups boiling water

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients in a 2 qt casserole (or 9x13 pan). Cover tightly and bake for 50 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes longer. Yummy!

Ain't It Grand?

Grand Spiral Galaxy NGC 1232

I love this stuff.

Must... beat... Roccy...

88 words

Speed test

(This post has been hanging around as a draft for weeks. Since I'm supposed to be working on other things and not wasting time on my blog, I'll just post it and get it over with.)

Over the past few months everyone's been posting their speed test results on all their blogs, and I've been trying really, really, really hard not to let my competitive nature get the best of me. I really have. I swear I have. But Roccy's post put me over the edge. Actually, it wasn't Roccy's post, it was Julie's comment. She said something about Roccy being the fastest in the ward. It's terrible, and I'm embarassed to admit it, but after reading that I HAD to beat Roccy's score. Obviously way too much of my identity is wrapped up in being a writer (especially since I've yet to find an agent) because I thought, "I'm the writer, I should be fastest."


I hang my head in shame. I confess that I had to take this test multiple times to get this score, and I was shooting for the 90's lest someone else (or Roccy's healthy fingers) should come along and unseat me.


But even though beating Roccy's score was HARD, even though I'm airing my pathetic competitive nature for everyone to see and tsk tsk at, I can't help myself. The little devil inside of me is satisfied.


Now, quick, someone post a better score before my head gets too big.

Close Enough

When John first started scouts, the thing I most did not want to do (besides spend $30 on a little boy's shirt) was sew on the patches. The guy at the scout shop showed me this patch adhesive you can use instead. Oh glory be. I snatched that stuff up in a hurry, I can tell you.

Well, it works, but only kinda. After awhile, the edges of the patches start to come off.

After looking at these curling patches for months, and unsuccessfully trying to fix the edges with yet more adhesive, I finally decided it was time to actually SEW these babies on. I don't have a machine, but I do have needle and thread. Given how hard it was to get the needle to go through the very edge of the patch, I was grateful to also have a thimble.

After about three stitches, this happened:

Yep, my needle broke. And not just in half. No, it broke into three different pieces. I looked at the broken pieces in my hand, then I looked at the shirt with the curling patches and thought...

"Good enough."

Gee, that sewing project didn't take as long as I'd feared. Sheesh.

Birthday Party Olympic Style

Last Saturday we had the "big party" for John and Ben's birthdays. I haven't done a true theme party in quite awhile, so I had a lot of fun putting this one together.

On the invitations, I had the kids RSVP with a country they'd like to represent (a good way to get people to actually RSVP). I made them each little flags and we did a Parade of Nations...

...followed by the lighting of the Olympic Torch:

Then we divided them into two teams, Red and Blue, and had a battle for the gold!

Here's the "discus throw."

Check out Christopher's look of determination! He's done his level best to keep up with his big brothers from day one, I'm tellin' ya.

The Basketball Toss:

(That's Chris, if you can't tell.)

Their oldest cousin is finally getting too old for this kind of stuff, and decided to join the adults as a spectator (I can't imagine why):

Next was the relay race. They had to use a spoon to get water from the bucket:

Race to the other side without spilling the water:

Deposit the water in their team's cup and race back to pass it off:

At the end of the race, the team whose glass has the most water (no matter how it got there - ahem) is the winner! (This was my favorite event; the kids expressions were too cute.)

At first Christopher's spoon was bone dry by the time he got to his glass:

But after a few times, he finally started slowing down and got a drop or two in. Hooray!

The Soccer cone race:

Brady looks like a pro here! :)

Brian was in charge of all the picture taking, and got in some cool shots of the torch:

The Water Balloon Toss:

And that was that! We awarded gold medals to the Red Team for the events they won:

And gold medals to the Blue Team for the events they won. (There were some rumors about one of the officials "fixing" a challenge on behalf of the Blue team, but don't ask me about it - ask BRIAN!)

This little kiddie pool (look familiar Rachel?) had been the target for the discus competition. As soon as the games were over, this is where several of the athletes headed to cool off. This picture looks so nice and refreshing, what with the pool and the big shade tree, but believe me, it was hot!




The adults opted for a more grown-up reprieve from the heat:

The grandmas:

I love this pic of my nephews, Ryan and Trevor:




Instead of a regular cake, I made cupcakes and put them in the shape of the Olympic rings. This was nice because we didn't have to cut cake for a bunch of people, and the "decorating" was easy (the candles spell out "Happy Birthday"). But unfortunately, the blue frosting wasn't very dark and the red turned out more pink than red. Oh well. That's something good about boys: there's no pressure about those kinds of details because they simply don't care.

After cake and ice cream, I gave them each a goodie bag filled with a few little things, like Americana-themed pencils, mini-kaleidoscopes, bouncy balls, etc...

...but there was plenty of room left in the bags for candy from the pinata!

(This was a "paper bag" pinata I made in lieu of a paper mache one. Much easier!)

And that was it! The kids had so much fun, and I did too. Even though it might seem like a lot of work, this party was really pretty simple to put together. Most the games required little to no prep work and we kept the decorations simple too. I'll have to remember next time not to schedule it over Labor Day weekend - so many of their friends were out of town - but they had fun anyway. Maybe we'll do an Olympic party again... in four more years. ;)