"I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good"

Brevin turned ten this past July, and I could sum up the past year of his life in two words--Harry Potter.  It was in that time he read all the books, watched all the movies multiple times, and spent a rather large amount of time role playing as a wizard and spell battling with friends and brothers.  He hand carved a wand, built a pinewood derby Hogwarts Express train, and colored his hair and donned his black robes on more than one occasion.  It's been a bit of an obsession, and I'm totally okay with that.  In fact, I am pleased as punch.  I've loved sharing his interest in all things Harry Potter and watching his excitement as he has explored this new and magical world of which I had become so familiar with some years ago.

Of course, Brevin has many other interests like sports, scouts, and video games (yes, he has Harry Potter video games, too), and this has also been a year of impressive social and emotional growth and maturing.  He has developed into quite the responsible person, and I rely on him heavily to help take care of his younger siblings and set a good example for them.  He has definitely been up to the task, and for that I am grateful.  That being said, I still think this will be the year we look back on with fondness as the year he lived life through the eyes of "the boy who lived."

Brevin's Birthday Breakfast

German pancakes and buttermilk syrup seem to be a popular breakfast of choice at our home.  Brevin did consider blueberry pancakes in the shape of a number 10, but then he concluded that he really wanted to have what Spencer had.  I threw in a breakfast fruit smoothie to sweeten the deal.

Post Delivered by Owl



Brevin's birthday fell to a Thursday this year, and he did not want to wait until his party on Sunday to receive gifts from mom and dad, so parcels were delivered by owl on the day of his birthday. (I got the clever idea from HERE.) 

Brevin's Birthday Dinner

Since he requested the same breakfast as Spencer, why not choose the same location Spencer chose for dinner?  After all, how can you beat all-you-can-eat pizza?

A Magical Birthday Celebration

We do not have a friend birthday party every year, and this happened to be the "off" year for Brevin.  Still, we always have a get together with extended family who live close so we can eat cake and ice cream and watch a year-in-review video. Brevin requested a Harry Potter themed party (surprise, surprise) and I went to work on creating what might have been my favorite party to plan yet.  It was such a blast to implement all of the brilliant ideas available through an internet search of Harry Potter party ideas.

The Invitations:

Thanks to an online tutorial HERE, the invitations turned out looking great.  I cut brown packing paper from a roll to fit through my printer for the envelopes and then sealed them with sealing wax supplies that I purchased from a craft store.  The Hogwarts acceptance letter wording came directly out of the book and I created an insert with the specific party details. Both were printed on news print paper that I bought from a paper supply company. 

The Party Table:

My inspiration for the table decor came from HERE.  While I did not even come close to duplicating what had been done, I was pleased, nonetheless, with how Brevin's table looked.  I had so much fun at a local thrift store buying mismatched jars and bottles and the curtain drape that became the table covering.  The sterling silver candelabras I already owned, though, and they just so happened to hold ten candles.  Perfect! 

The Drinks:

I loved the free printable labels for The Three Broomsticks Butter Beer that I found HERE.  I printed them on sheets of sticker paper, cut them out, and slapped them on some IBC cream sodas.  It could not have been any easier to create this element of the party, and it added an authentic detail to the table that Harry Potter lovers would truly appreciate.

For those not interested in Butter Beer, I had my huge dispenser of water. Paired with jars filled with random things such as laundry soap, syrup, and fertilizer, we had the perfect makings for a potions display (especially when THESE LABELS were added to the jars).

The Cake:

And then there was the cake.  I am pretty proud of this one.  When Brevin requested a cake that looked like Hedwig the owl, I thought it would be easy to find pictures on the internet of such a concoction.  As it turned out, there was not much to inspire, so I studied actual photos of Hedwig from the film instead.  I used my Wilton stand-up bear cake pan and added another six-inch round to give a bit of height to the cake.  I created each feather individually, painted black food coloring on the tip, then secured it to a wing or tail piece, all of which was made from marshmallow fondant.  The eyes, beak and feet were also made of fondant, as were the decorative elements of the wand and scarf.  Because I wanted the the cake to be edible, the remainder was covered with a buttercream frosting and I used a leaf frosting tip to create the smaller fluffy feathers.  When it was time to cut the cake, we removed all the fondant so we could get to the good stuff. 

 All that remained was to sing Happy Birthday and let Brevin attempt to blow out the candles.

He looked like he might force himself to pass out:

It was the blowing of the candles from this new angle that sent a smattering of rust colored wax across my kitchen wall:

Wow!  That was a lot of work blowing out those candles.  You better enjoy a Butter Beer...or two!

"Mischief Managed!"

This post authored by Amber

All Aboard! (Pinewood Derby 2012)

As soon as the last cars crossed the finish line at the 2011 Cub Scout Pinewood Derby, Brevin was already excited to make plans for his next year's car.  The Wii remote was quite a hit, and we knew it would be a hard act to follow.  Brevin was determined that night, though, that his next car would be of the sleek, aerodynamic variety.  He was set on building a fast car that would win.  I figured he'd have a full year to change his mind.  And he did.

When we began discussing design plans, Jason and I encouraged Brevin to go for creative aesthetics over speed.  It's easier to control the variables of the outcome.  Plus I figured the reigning champ, Carson, and his dad would likely produce another winner.  (I heard his father elaborate on all the techniques he applied to his winning car.  It was a very methodical approach, and he had it down to a science.)  They would be hard to beat.

Brevin seemed to agree and began to give suggestions that related to his current obsession, Harry Potter.  He imagined his car as a broomstick or lightening bolt.  I threw out the idea of the Hogwarts Express, and it was the idea that stuck.  At first, Jason was skeptical about the idea.  He thought it would be too difficult.  Once I showed him a picture of the Lego version of the train, he realized that it was actually a very simple train design and quite doable.

After a trip to Hobby Lobby for detail pieces, it was time to begin construction on the train.  The garage was converted into a wood shop where cutting, sanding, drilling, and painting took place.  As it turned out, the the most difficult task was getting the train to make weight.  The cylinder of the engine and back compartment had to be completely hollowed out with the drill. It was a little tricky, but it worked. 

The entire family worked on the project over the course of a month, and by the end, Brevin had a derby car worthy of display...but could it race?  Well, we would see.

 

On the night of the Pinewood Derby, Brevin was really excited to show off his creation.  He had also been adequately prepared beforehand to be a gracious loser.  Jason and I made him aware that his was not built for speed.  It was built for looks.  It looked pretty slick.  We just hoped that it would make it across the finish line and not derail.

His car actually did better than expected.  It placed second in one heat and third in most others.  That was a pleasant surprise.  Another surprise was when Karson's car just barely edged out Carson's car for the overall win. 

Grandpa Park used to work on repairing railroad trains.  We're relieved

he didn't have to "come out of retirement" to fix Brevin's tonight.

It turned out to be a wonerfully fun family evening.  On the way home, Brevin and Spencer both talked about how they wanted their next year's car to be be of the sleek, aerodynamic variety. They are both set on building a fast car that will win. I guess they have a full year to change their mind.

This post authored by Amber




A Costume Assortment

Halloween was simplified this year as everyone went their separate ways with costume design concepts.  There was no elaborate group theme, and this new approach allowed artistic liberty for all, including myself.

Ella got to be CinderELLA,

Garrett got to be Indiana Jones (a "recycled" costume--bonus!),

Spencer got to be a mummy,

Brevin got to be Harry Potter (he's a bit obsessed right now),

Jason got to be a Utah Ute fan ('cause who doesn't fantasize about being that! Sorry.  No individual photo. I know you are all disappointed that you don't get a glimpse of the mullet wig in a larger view.),

and I got to be Elphaba from the musical Wicked  (I'm a bit obsessed right now.  Did I mention I have tickets for SLC in 2012 already?)

Brevin and Spencer were excited to wear their costumes to school.  Meanwhile, Garrett, Ella, and I went into Jason's work to trick-or-treat.  There were still NuSkin distributors from all over the world touring the building in conjunction with the convention that was held the week before.  Apparently, Asians are obsessed with large-eyed, beautiful babies and middle-aged German men are obsessed with Elphaba, as they all wanted to pose for pictures with us.  It was pretty funny.

Do you know what else is funny?  Imagining doors being opened to hand out candy to this group:

This post authored by Amber