Not So Easy-Bake Oven

So I got volunteered to do a cake for my friend's baby shower this weekend. Well my first and most natural instinct was to go to the store and order one. But then I started playing with the idea of trying to do one myself. My MIL "helped" me do a cake for another baby shower last month (yeah it's babies, babies everywhere right now!). Anyway, she actual did most of the doing and I did a lot of watching.
So anyway, I thought I'd give it a try and do one solo this time with the back up plan of ordering something if it didn't work out. Then I completely lost my mind and decided I wanted to try a fondant cake. I've never even touched fondant before, let alone work with it, so I must have totally lost my mind. But I went with the insanity and found a picture of something I thought I could handle and went to work.
I have to say it turned out a whole lot better than I thought it would. In fact those were my husband's exact words when he saw what I had done. It did have one tiny crack in it but I was able to cover it up pretty well and I was totally stressed that any minute it would just crumble before my eyes. But I got it to the shower just fine and everyone said nice things about it. Maybe I am not completely talentless after all. Now that I have some idea of what to expect I might try something a little more complicated and see where that goes.
I was also able to make my friend a cute little gift basket (kind of my signature shower gift) with jungle animals painted on it and the baby's name and stuff, but I didn't get a picture of it. These are the cake pictures I got. I know the picture quality is bad but my good camera's batteries were dead. Anyway, what do you think? I remember in YW many years ago I was the unspoken noncrafty girl, but maybe an old dog can learn something after all.

(FYI: The letters on the side spell out JULIAN, the baby's name)

Six Months Stats--Well Six and a half now!

Our handsome little guy turned six months old on the 13th of May. I can't believe it's already been that long!! Well his doctor's visit was fine. He is 17lbs 14 ozs and 26 1/2 inches tall. He has one little tooth and loves testing it out. Everything he finds goes straight into his mouth. He sits like a pro and is trying to pull up on everything. I think he wants to walk instead of learning to crawl. Who knows. He chatters constantly, just like his big brother, and he is quite the charmer. He still has his little bear growl that he came with and it's still as cute as ever.
Max is still his favorite person in the world, but Mommy is a close second. He's starting to really like his Daddy too! I love watching this little guy grow and learn and discover. I can't wait for what the future holds but I'm enjoying these moments while I have them. They just don't stay little for very long.

Max Fed Zach Playdough

Can you guess what color it was?

Vacation--Six weeks later

We went to Louisiana for a few weeks back in April and I'm finally getting the chance to blog about it! Yay!! Anyway, we had a great time hanging out with friends and family. Jeff was even able to spend part of the time with us. We did lots of stuff including the Bluebonnet Swamp, the zoo, barbecuing, Easter, my mom's b-day, picnics, Jeff's b-day, sidetrip to the beach, a bridal shower, 4 wheeling, and a bunch of other stuff too. We also did a lot of eating. I probably gained 10lbs while I was there, dining on poboys, etouffe, and pie!
Well here are a few pictures. Hopefully I'll get the chance to post more but I'm actually suppose to be fixing dinner right now, so we'll see!
I think Grandma Mouse and Paw Paw enjoyed having the boys around for a little while. I'm glad they let Jeff and I come along too!

Zach was quite the charmer and made lots of friends. He such a fun little guy.

Jeff had plenty of help blowing out his candles and opening his presents. Happy Birthday Baby!

Max had a great time running through the Baton Rouge Zoo with his cool cousin Emie!!

Easter morning was a big hit when someone found Wow Wow Wubbzy in his basket!

Much fun was had by all. Can't wait till we are closer and can visit more often! Stay tuned for more pictures including Pensacola, the swamp, and 4 wheeling in Prarieville (if someone will send me those pictures--hint, hint).

PGA Here We Come

Max won a gift certificate for mini golf from a coloring contest at the news station. (I'm telling you all, you should enter your kids in stuff cause winning is cool!) Anyway, we took him golfing and it was a huge hit. He's actually pretty good at it too! Now he's so into golf that he will sit and watch it on TV. He gets excited and everything. Maybe we have the next Tiger on our hands. Who Knows!!

Path of Destruction

When I married Jeff, I was warned to watch out because he liked to experiment, build, explore, deconstruct, and create all sorts of stuff. After nearly six years of marriage I have gotten pretty use to the ongoing projects and unfinished hobbies all over the place. What I haven't gotten use to is the fact he has passed these traits on to my boys. Max has definately entered the discovery part of his life and my house is paying for it. Nothing is safe anymore! In the past two weeks he has...
1. Ripped a giant hole in my couch in the attempt to "fix" a tiny hole.
2. Discovered matches but can't quite figure out how to "make the fire come out."
3. Took apart our best flashlight (and I mean completely apart--into about 30 pieces).
4. Dismantled Zach's baby monitor to "see where the noise keeps coming from."
5. Planted Easter eggs in our garden so that we could grow some jellybeans ( I thought that one was cute).
6. Pulled up and replanted our flowers because he ran out of other stuff to plant.
7. Discovered that things on the stove really are hot like Mommy has always told him.
8. And thanks to Sid the Science Kid, tied Zach up in a jump rope so he could "pulley" him up the "inclined plane" (the backyard slide). Don't worry I didn't let that completely happen the way he had planned.

So this is what it's like to have Orwin boys. I only have three so far (Jeff included) and the little one can't do much. I don't know how my MIL did it with 6 of them and kept her house from falling down!