Coloring Easter eggs.

We had fun tonight dying eggs for Easter. The kiddos (Mulu & Aaliyah at least) had a great time getting creative this year and we had a really fun time doing it together.

Sometimes I try to set up big happy memory filled family moments like this and get disappointed when they crumble into messy little heaps (which naturally happens with three passionate kids in one house) - but tonight was truly nice.

The kids were sweet, patient, funny and complimentary with each other's work. It was a nice surprise as we are coming out of 4 intense days where all three kids have been nasty sick (which is especially a bummer since this is Mulu's spring break) - so although we are still quarantined in our house - we had a night of giggles, creativeness and smiles.

Mixing the dyes - Aria climbed right up onto Aaliyah's stool to get in the action with the big kids


Mulu dipping his 1st egg



Mulu, Aaliyah and I with some of our work



the finished products . . .

(its not really as exciting as it seemed in the moment - but I still thought I would share)

Mulu's birthday party.

Mulu's birthday party turned out to be a ton of fun. 10 kiddos here at the Johnson house all geared up for our safari theme. There were kids from all parts of his world - his class at school, the neighborhood, his family, family friends and even a friend from the same care center in Ethiopia. They immediately meshed into a cohesive group, acted like they have all been "buds" for years and had a great time

decorations - helping give the Jungle safari feel (as well as Jungle sounds)





the grub for the party




the safari group



the kids played some games - a sticky tree frog toss (at our painted patio door), a snake hunt (using flashlights to find hidden snakes in the dark) and a scavenger hunt at the end

Here is Mulu and a friend hunting for snakes (it was pitch black in the room - but the flash makes it look normal)



the rest of the group waiting for their turn to hunt


sitting down for snacks, cake and ice cream


and we shipped off Aria to Nana and Papa's for the party - but she still got to have fun with the safari hats when she got home.

Mulu's birthday . . .

So, our little man is 7!!! 7!!! I know!!! Mulugeta is now 7! I am still in full fledged denial . .

Well - as predicted he has thoroughly enjoyed being star of the week and was thrilled when his birthday finally arrived. He woke up earlier than normal and asked for doughnuts (whispering to me that I could put a candle in it if I wanted). Here is Mulu contemplating his birthday breakfast.



And he got to take in cupcakes to school and asked for "Ethiopian cupcakes" - ummmmm haven't found a recipe for that yet - so I used red, yellow and green frosting and put the star that is on the Ethiopian flag - he approved!


This year, just like his last birthday, Mulu decided he wanted a friends party rather than a big family one - so his aunties, uncles and grandparents met us out for a birthday dinner and he got to pick the restaraunt - he chose Buraka - our favorite Ethiopian restaurant in town. Here is part of our table:




The restaurant has great artwork from Ethiopia and Mulu wanted a picture with him next to this one - with a sad child - who knows . . . but you can see his big smile and his new shirt he got for his birthday.



and Mulu blowing out his cupcake candles!!!

Mulu's big week

This week not only does Mulu turn 7 (oh yes - our little man will soon be 7) but he is also "Star of the Week" at school - which Mulu takes very seriously. He has been strategizing his "Star of the Week" poster for a while now - which pictures he wanted to put on it - whether he wanted it to say "Mulu" or "Mulugeta" - and what we could do that would be extra cool (and I have to admit I have been excited about this project too).

So we decided to make "multiple Mulus" to put on his poster - having him pick what would represent the different parts of him. After he picked 5 different things (he actually did pick them all - with just a little guidance from me) I used my"Cricut" (a cutting tool I got from Santa this year) to make the clothes. We had a lot of fun taking the silly pictures (there were 108 shots in the end) and finished them all today.

This is also a nice way do part of his birthday posts because it shows many parts of him right now.

Here is our end result.

Mulu has been all about Ethiopia lately - relearning words in Amharic - wearing his Ethiopian clothes to school - requesting Ethiopian food (I made a wicked pot of dorowot for dinner tonight) - and he even checked out a book on Ethiopia from the library - so I was kind of expecting (and happy) that it was his 1st request.



and baseball wasn't a surprise at all either - but to his father's chagrin - and his Uncle Dave's delight - he requested a St Louis Cardinal's uniform rather than Brewer's



and this is supposed to be a snowboarder - representing his love for sports, cold and speed. He has a basic snowboard that he uses when we go sledding and this year he got to go snowboarding at a ski hill with his Dad this year and loved it.


For a while now he has been wanting to be an astronaut when he grows up - being very curious about planets and stars and what its like in space.


and this one made me laugh out loud - twice. So at the end of our planning conversation he mentioned that along with being an astronaut he was thinking of being a weatherman too. Totally out of the blue - besides letting me know when it is going to rain and talking lots about tornadoes, we have never had a conversation about weather stuff. And then this morning I asked him what color suit he wanted to "wear" on his weather man guy - blue, black, or brown - and he said "I don't know - whatever the weather guy wears on NBC - that's where I want to work, you know" - what?!?!?! Too funny - so here is "weather man Mulu". . .




and here is the final poster - I know its hard to see - but I told him I would put it on here - he did all the coloring of the letters in his name, picked up the pictures, all the writing on the captions and placement of items. Don't mind my feet -

and while I am posting about my crazy little people - I thought I would share his birthday invitation - we are doing a Jungle Safari theme:

Just cuteness

here is a morning moment - look at all that cuteness




After Aaliyah's birthday party we took advantage of having all the cousins over and tried to set up a photo moment - from left to right - cousin Evie, Aaliyah, Aria, Mulu and cousin Charlie

Aria's 1st haircut

Yes, I am fully aware that Aria doesn't have much hair for being 17 months - but what she did have was pretty straggly and uneven - so after Aaliyah got her hair cut Cheyenne (who has been cutting Aaliyah's hair since she was a baby) gave Aria a little trim. The back is now straight and turns into a cute little bob - the bangs - well they still have a lot of growing in to do (she has a wicked receding hairline). We got a cute little award and some locks of her hair in a baggie as a keepsake.

We had already been at the salon for about 40 minutes - so I was worried she was going to be a bit squirmy - but she did great - actually holding really still - not moving her head - just her eyes and even holding her breath for parts of it. She didn't know what to make of it - but was a trooper.


Getting her bangs trimmed


Trimming the back - Cheyenne had Aria look at a book so her head was tipped down

Aaliyah's birthday part 2!

and here is Aaliyah's party. It was a nasty day outside - but the party was full of family and friends who love Aaliyah and we all had a great time

Aaliyah in her birthday dress (as well as her Cinderella gloves, crown, purse and Snow White shoes)


Aria looking all cute (I got no picts of Mulu that day - he was busy downstairs with all the kids)



Aaliyah, Aria and some of their friends checking out some of her gifts



Her cake - which was, of coarse, strawberry so that it was pink



blowing out her candles



some of the party guests after singing Happy Birthday.