How to Have a Fabulous 40th Birthday Party

For my 40th birthday, back in 2011, I knew something was up. A bouncy house was delivered in the morning. My husband's cousin was picking me up to take me to lunch for my birthday. Hmmm. Things that didn't normally happen. 

Went to BD'S Mongolian BBQ for lunch with Tresa then she pulled out HIGH heels and a 70s outfit and wig from her trunk. I was like NO WAY. How am I supposed to wear these?

But I did ... we went back to my place after cruising around in the Mustang convertible Aron rented for my birthday weekend and BAM there was a party going on! SURPRISE!

He even had Mi Ranchito cater it, which is like MY FAVORITE MEXICAN FOOD PLACE! We had Mexican food for days after and I was in heaven.

My husband dressed the boys in 70s garb ... don't they look all smarmy and cute? I think they're saying, "Hey, there, ladies, give me a call in about 15 years!"

I don't have a pic of Aron AND the boys with Aron in his 70s stuff. He did shave his facial hair to be all 70s and smarmy and then put on one of the wigs like the boys have on. He made me wear one, too. I embraced it.

Hubs rented me a 2011 red Mustang convertible for the WEEKEND since it's my very favorite kind of car in the world and always has been. Do you like my wig? How about the 4-inch platform Barbie heels? I dig them so much. They give me attitude ... until I fall on my face. I'm here with Callie. Sam is parking the car.

A shout-out to Bethenny Frankel and Skinny Girl drinks above. Mom and I were dying to try it. Let's just say there's a reason it's called "Skinny" ... I put some Koolaid in it and it was good to go!

If you're in KC and need a DJ, these people were awesome and open to suggestions!

After the DJ left the party was pretty much over at my house ... imagine what the neighbors were saying! There was a big ole tent in the backyard and a bouncy house and lots of debauchery (not really). So I took my pals Michelle, Ellen and Eva on a spin around town. We were free of kids for about an hour, then ready to go back to our families. I love my friends!

As always, what would we do without Jordan? She got a 'fro on Sam and he rocked it.

I hope sharing my experiences might have inspired you more to plan a perfect 40th birthday party like this. Likewise, if you want to find some more awesome ways like this then you can check out this amazing article about birthday inspiration on 40th birthday party ideas.

LEGO MBA (Master Builder Academy) Kits

Like I need more LEGO stuff to spend money on! So in the recent LEGO magazine I found the coolest thing that would make a great birthday or Christmas gift for the LEGO freak in your life. I'll just type it verbatim:

The gift that keeps giving all year long!

NEW! LEGO MBA Kits 2-6 Subscription

Ages 8-12 947 pieces EXCLUSIVE

Includes 1 LEGO MBA kit delivered every 2 months (5 kits total) and the members-only website! Each kit includes an 84-page Designer Handbook teaching 2 MBA techniques, building instructions to build 3 models, one at a time, and exclusive minifigure or accessories. Subscribe beginning in July 2011!

Subscription includes:
Kit 2: Microbuild Designer

Kit 3: Robot Designer

Kit 4: Flight Designer (this is where you get the exclusive LEGO MBA minifigure)

Kit 5: Creature Designer

Kit 6: Auto Designer

4659018 LEGO MBA Kits 2-6 Subscription $69.99 plus shipping and handling fees

You can order at http://LEGOmba.com or call 1-800-453-4652

Kids at Funerals

Would you dare take 5 kids ages 10 and under to a funeral? I did just last week. My great uncle died, and he was one of 5 children himself and was one of the funniest people I had ever known. I pictured him in Heaven laughing at the antics of my kids as I chased Sam around a puddly parking lot at the funeral home.

I was holding up well until the military played "Taps" ... then I lost it and was grateful for my prescription sunglasses and the fact that the little ones had to be in the van and so I was away from the crowd as I cried. Then when the flag was folded and handed to my wonderfully ornery great aunt, I lost it again. Imagine 68 years married to someone culminating in a US flag being handed to you and 3 shots being fired.

I hugged my dad with extra fierceness and hugged all my uncles and my grandpa as well. I think I hugged everyone and held them tight.

There was a lunch after the funeral at the church my family attends. This is a church where I grew up and went with my grandparents when I would stay with them on weekends. My parents were married there in 1970. It was where I decided I'm not a fan of church nurseries because I remember being scared out of my mind to go stay with kids and adults I did not know a few Sundays a year.

Please take a moment and consider helping out somewhere. I never thought about how wonderful food tastes after sorrow, and certainly never considered that there was a team of wonderful women cooking it all and serving it to mourners. I'm pretty sure someday I will be a woman cooking food for post-funeral luncheons because it's something I've appreciated several times.

Melburn, you will be missed.

Homeschool Burnout

Recently on a Facebook homeschool group a mom was talking about getting discouraged and wondered what the rest of us do on days like this. I told her how I live right across the street from a fabulous public school and sometimes joke with my kids that they are driving me so crazy that I'm going to walk over and enroll them in school. Then I told her on extra hard days I remember that I'm not necessarily homeschooling because of my faith, but because of the freedom it affords.

I love that if one of my kids is sick I don't have to throw them all in the van to take x number of kids to school in the morning, pick up a kindergartner at noon, then pick up more at 3:15. I love sitting around nursing while reading to the kids, being able to watch educational shows that I pick out versus some stranger teacher or administrator picking them out. If we stay up late doing something fun as a family, we get to sleep in a little.

Field trips consist of all kinds of fun things and can happen anytime: the zoo, the farm, the circus, a kid art exhibit, a children's museum, to Phoenix where their dad is working, to Colorado for a vacation in September when there are no lines on rides. My husband comes home on his lunch break. My house is filled with happy sounds (and yes, sometimes the sounds of kids fighting and I yell KNOCK IT OFF !@#@#$). Oh, and how nice it is that if my kids aren't "getting" something in their learning, we skip it for a few weeks and come back to it and keep doing that until it clicks.

Also, we get to hang out with extended family as much as we can. And my hope is that my kids might be great friends when they are older because they are together a lot doing fun things.

My kids are only young RIGHT NOW. I want to enjoy it RIGHT NOW. I'm not saying that people with kids in school are not enjoying their kids. Most of my best friends do not homeschool, and we are not at odds in any way. I support them, they support me. But when pressed to come up with reasons why I homeschool and how I make it through every day, the above is what I come up with. I will never say that everyone should homeschool. But I also don't believe it takes a "special" or extra-patient person to do it.

You can do it. If you don't want to do it, don't. But please don't step on my choices. Let me take things further than I should, as I am prone to do. Feminists: you are pro-choice, right? So support my choice to homeschool and have a ton o babies!!!!

Blacklisted from the PTA

I have to admit that I am only in the middle of reading my advance copy of Blacklisted From the PTA, but I am totally in love. I have loaded it onto my sweet new sixth child, my Toshiba Laptop McLoughlin (yes, she has a middle name now, ElfMom!) and read it every chance I get. I love the irreverent humor, and you will, too! She says things we all think, like how we all need to date our hubby more, and she gives us tips, like to make sure you shave before you go out and don't tell him to order the diet plate. She also shares her brief foray into the world of cloth diapering (brief, as in hours!). I love Lela Davidson and can't wait to read more of her essays. She is going to be a popular writer, so watch out for her! If you want to know more, check out the links below to get her book in paperback, on Kindle, to follow her on FB or Twitter. I guarantee she'll have you laughing!

P.S. You gotta love the red pumps on the cover!

Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1936214431/?tag=hubp045c-20

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0054M8O8E/?tag=hubp045c-20

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BlacklistedFromThePTA)

Twitter @leladavidson, #BlacklistedFromThePTA, #PTAoutcast