Days and Years

The days are long but the years are short.

I'm sure this is a quote from someone famous and interesting, but I have no clue who they are. That's ok though.  It doesn't change the truthfulness of the statement. And it seems to apply to moms the most.

Between the late night feedings and calming of fears, the dishes, the diapers, the laundry, the toys, the snot, the skinned knees, and the life lessons our days can sometimes stretch out infinitely in front of us. We wonder if the kids will notice that bedtime was an hour early tonight, or if our husband will complain about dinner being either not ready or stone cold by the time he walks in the door at the end of the day. We wonder if we helped our daughter work through her emotional moment, when she was feeling insecure. We wonder if our son got enough attention while we were playing. And we wonder if the baby got a change of clothes today. He didn't.

We are bone weary at the end of the day.  The kitchen isn't quite clean, there are toys on the living room floor, and the kids still aren't in bed. But all we can think about is collapsing into our soft bed (that hasn't had clean sheets in almost a month) before the baby wakes for his nightime feeding.

It is a weariness that never truly goes away. The worries of the day come to us in our sleep. Our children come to us in our sleep too. We let them climb in and kiss their sticky hair as they fall asleep in our bed, that now houses four people, two dogs and a territorial cat. 

And yet we do it, day after day. Never taking a real sick day. Never having a vacation. And I have wondered to myself more than once, why?  Why did I sign up for this crazy train that is motherhood?

And sometimes I don't have an answer.  Sometimes it feels overwhelming, and too much, and dang it, I just need a nap.  Motherhood isn't for the faint of heart.

But sometimes, sometimes, I look into the face of my sleeping toddler, after he has nursed himself to sleep for the third time, and I see his peace.

I run my fingers gently through my preschooler's hair as he sits on my lap at bedtime, and I think about how blessed I am to be his safe place.

I giggle with my daughter as we play a silly game and marvel at how very much like myself she is.

These moments are fleeting. But they are so, so beautiful. They are the moments that sustain me. They are the moments that help me remember why. They remind me of who I am.

I am a mother. I can cure boo boos, and I can calm fears. I can be a helper, and I can show my children things about the world that will last them a lifetime. And their lifetimes are flying by.

My oldest is already 7 years old.  For more than 7 years I have been a mother.  And it doesn't seem that long. It seems like a month ago that she was placed in my arms for the first time. Last week she told me she loved me for the first time. Yesterday she started kindergarten.

And her brothers lives are flying by just as fast. Maybe even faster, because with them, I seem to blink and learn something new about them. New things that mean they are older and wiser than they were yesterday.

My years with them will be short. But my days will continue to be long. Because I am a mother. And that is ok with me.

Review and Project: Insect Lore Butterfly Garden

*Note: Post contains affiliate links*

For years I have been wanting to get my animal loving science geek girl a Butterfly Garden (by Insect Lore).  The opportunity presented itself to buy it for her at the local Homeschool Convention  (read more about my experiences at Homeschool Con here) this spring. She opened it on her birthday, and we ordered caterpillars that night.

Sorry, forgot to take a picture of our box.

The kit included:

The Butterfly Garden enclosure

Instructions 

A certificate for a Cup O Caterpillars

I love that the enclosure folds flat for storage. Not that Baby Girl has let it sit idle long enough to put it away.  It is also a very pretty color and would go well in our homeschool area.  The instructions were clear and helpful.  They even included a whole section of suggested activities that you could do as you study your caterpillars, which we might explore next year. Rosie, our puppy, did get a hold of the instructions, but they can be found online in PDF just in case.  Whew.   The certificate is a single use postcard marked with a special code. The ordering process was quick and easy.  You do have to pay a $5 shipping and handling charge, but the first Cup-O-Caterpillars is indeed included in the price. 

We ordered the caterpillars on a Saturday and they arrived the following Friday.  Please note that if you do this project you need to be available to get the caterpillars as soon as they get dropped off.  Unfortunately our shipping notification didn't update proper;y and our caterpillars sat in the mailbox overnight.  Thankfully it was a temperate evening and none of the caterpillars have problems, but it could easily have been one on a warmer or cooler day.

The next step was easy.  You set the cup in a quiet area and watch them grow.  When they arrive they are tiny.  And they grow so fast!  But there is no feeding, watering or other care required.  Food is included in their cup and they happily munch away.  Once they are big enough they hang from the top of the cup and turn into chrysalises. 

You then carefully move the paper from the lid to the enclosure and safety pin it to the side.  And then you wait some more.  There is a lot of waiting in this project, which is nice for a busy mom, but occasionally frustrating for kids. Thankfully Baby Girl knew that important things were happening and wasn't discouraged by the lack of visible progress.

Next thing we knew there was a butterfly in her enclosure!  Then another, and another until all 5 were fluttering around the enclosure.  We fed them (sugar water on a paper towel) and watched them for 6 days.  And then it was release day.  They were so fun to watch.  You could really see them eat, and they fluttered around the enclosure quite a bit. It was a very good experience for all of us.  Baby Girl was a little sad to see them go, but she knew they needed to be "free and in the wild" (Thank you Wild Kratts!)

Overall this was a really fun project.  We were wrapping up the school year, so we didn't do very much with it this year.  I fully intend to do a unit study next year and really get into the science behind metamorphosis.  It will definitely appeal to a wide range.  Bubba was even excited to watch them fly away, and I thought watching them was lots of fun.

I recommend you order this as a school project or just to satisfy your little scientist.  Getting to study animals up close like this can be hard to do, so this is a great way to bring nature home.

Stay messy friends!

Insect Lore Butterfly Garden

• Exciting and fun to do
• Appeals to a wide age range
• Let's your budding naturalist get up close with nature

• Very low maintenance
• No small parts
• Easy clean up

Game Review: Let's Grow - The Life Cycles Game

*Note: This post contains affiliate links*

Let’s Grow - The Life Cycles Game is a fast moving and colorful science oriented game for kids ages 5 and up.  

Baby Girl got this game for Christmas last year and it is fast becoming a family favorite.  It is quick to play, usually less than 20 minutes, and it is fun.  Sort of a cross between Trouble and Memory, your goal is to fill up your card with the corresponding life cycle pieces (example: the Butterfly player has to get an egg, a caterpillar, a chrysalis, and an adult butterfly) as you go around the board.  If you don’t pick the right piece the first time around you keep going until you get it. 

 My science oriented girl loves to be different players each time we play (Butterfly, Plant, Frog, and Chicken).  We have been playing it a lot recently due to her Butterfly Garden Project being in full swing.  Buds (4) can actually play this game, but it stretches him a little.  I know a lot of 3-4 year olds that would probably do fine with it however, so if you think your younger child can handle it I wouldn’t hesitate to get it for them.  

The only downside to this game that I can tell is that it might lose its appeal if played a ton.  It is very simple to play, and there isn’t a lot of challenge to it.  That said, we have been playing it once or twice a week for the past month and I am not bored with it yet.  The memory match aspect of it really helps with keeping everyone into the game play.  

Overall, this is a game our family has come to greatly enjoy and we recommend it!  

Let's Grow - The Life Cycles Game

• Colorful and engaging look
• Fast paced and simple to learn
• Good for a large age range

• Zero Mess
• No Extra Pieces to get lost
• Easy to set up and put away

To buy Let's Grow or the other games I mentioned click the links below!

My Date with Buds

Me and Buds

Sometimes as a Mom you find yourself bailing water furiously just to keep your head above water.

The laundry is way behind.

The dishes have piled up.

The house is destroyed - again.  (Didn't I just clean up the whole thing yesterday?  How do they dismantle all of my hard work so fast???)

Schoolwork needs to get done, the lawn needs to be mowed, grocery shopping needs to be done, and your kids actually need you in the middle of it.

And sometimes the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

My three children have three very different personalities.  Which can be challenging, but it is mostly just fun.  I get to interact with them differently, and my relationship with each of them is unique and special and precious to my heart.

Baby Girl is studious and sometimes silly.  She communicates well and often.She asks good questions and studies the world around her with great intensity.  She also lets me know what she needs.  "Mommy can we spend some time together" is a frequent request. And it is usually answered with "Absolutely!"

Bubba is my baby.  He is less than 2, and still nurses.  He needs me for lots of things.  Nourishment, comfort, a soft place to fall asleep, and reassurance that all is right in his world.  He also communicates strongly what his needs are, and I fulfill them joyfully.

Buds, well, he doesn't ask for much.  And when he does the answer is frequently no. "Can I have more cookies Mommy?"  His sister almost always gets to me first, so I tend to put him off a lot.  He is so laid back that he doesn't complain about being asked to go play while I do one more thing with Sissy, or put the baby to sleep.

And it occurred to me that I have trouble connecting with him.  I know what his favorite TV shows are, what his favorite toys are, and I tuck him in every night before bed.  But my adorable son, who's love langauge is Quality Time (I think) gets very little with me.

This realization hurt.  As a mother, the thing I want most is for my children's needs to be met, on every level.  I realize that Hubs and I are partners in this (and the two of them spend LOTS of time together) but Buds should get at least part of his love tank filled with Mommy love.

So I am on a mission. This summer I am going to make a habit of spending quality one on one time with Buds.  It doesn't have to be formal, or long, but there needs to be a part of each day where I give his needs priority.  Heaven knows I do that with the other two very often.

I started last week.  Friday night we went on a date.  Just me and him.  We ran an errand and then we went to the park.  His choice.  He even chose the park.  And it was so wonderful, just spending time with my little man.  He didn't ask me to slide down the slide, or climb with him. Just me being there, watching him do "tricks" and taking pictures was enough for him.

Doing Tricks

Fun At the Park

Such a Ham

Date Continued at Home

How simple is it really, for me to say "yes" to him? 

How hard is it to give him that little bit of myself, that takes the time to really watch him?

The answer is, its not.

It is easy to give my energy and time to him.  What is hard is realizing that he needs me to.  He can't ask, he doesn't know how.  But spending that time with him meant the world to him.  So I am determined.  I will learn to recognize when I am pushing his needs aside because he isn't my squeaky wheel.  I will learn to listen for what he cannot communicate.  I will be a better mom for him.  And I will enjoy every minute of it!

Moms, I want to encourage you!  Listen not just to what your child can say, but listen with your mother's heart for what they need.  They might surprise you!  And it is easy to give that time and that love to them, sometimes you just need to take a moment to see what it is they need.  So spend some time with your kids today.  Connect with them as individuals.  And don't worry if you don't know quite what to do.  Just reading a book with them one on one will feed their souls.  You won't regret investing in them!

Toy Review: 4M Doodling Robot

*Note: Post contains affiliate links*
Baby Girl got some really cool birthday presents this year.  Her daddy got her a real stethoscope.  I bought her a piece of "real" jewelry.  She got the Insect Lore Butterfly Garden (stay tuned for that review!). She also got several other cool things.  One of my favorites was the 4M Doodling Robot. 

I love putting things together.  This kit was fun and easy.  The product is recommended for 8 and up, but my new 7 year old was able to do most of the assembly without help.  There were a few tricky screws that she needed help with, but for the most part she just needed someone to hold the pieces in place while she screwed them together.

The instructions weren't the clearest, so even a 8-10 year old might need an adult's help to clarify what the instructions are telling them to do.  Even with needing to study the instructions and taking pictures, I want to say the total time from opening the box to a working robot was less than 45 minutes. Not a super long time commitment, but a fun project to do in an afternoon.

It does work very well.  It made lots of fun different patterns when we played around with it.  The legs move in all directions so there are a bunch of configurations to make it do different things.  It does not stay on a single sheet of 8.5"x11" paper.  My suggestion would be to use a roll of butcher paper on the floor to let it really go wild. We used it on smaller pieces of paper on our table top and it just kinda went all over the place. They do provide some ticky tack so you can create a border, but the kids weren't patient enough for me to set it up.

Here is what came in the box:

And here are the pieces all laid out:

Putting it all together.

All finished.

It works!

What it made:

A fun quote from the box:

Pros:
Quick to put together
Parts fit snugly and easily together
Works as advertised
Exciting to watch

Cons:
Instructions weren't as clear as I might like
It doodles everywhere - it is not a respecter of paper

I hope you all liked this review!  If you get a chance to play with the 4M Doodling Robot I would recommend it.  Stay Messy Friends!

4M Doodling Robot

 

• Fun to put together
• Fun to play with
• Fun to watch

       

• Small Parts - Potential to get lost
• Leaves the paper easily
• Once put together is very solid

Family Pictures are Stressful - but Worth It

Family Picture from 2014

I have freaking adorable kids.  I am always snapping pictures of them as they play.  Or sleep.  Or eat.  But I, as I have mentioned before, am a terrible photographer.   

So annually I try to get pictures of my kids taken, usually around their birthdays.   This is always a little chaotic.  The baths, making sure they eat enough beforehand, choosing my favorite outfits, etc.  Then there is my kids "stranger danger" complex - which apparently makes them incapable of smiling for the photographer (at least from anywhere beyond behind me) for the first 20 minutes of the session.  And then they don't sit still.  And want to pose themselves (sometimes with good results, but usually not). 

But overall, I end up happy with the results. 

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

Exhibit C:

But then, there is the family photo session. You probably don't know this about me, but lets be real here.  I am overweight.  Kind of a lot.  And for the first several years of motherhood I made it a point to be behind the camera but never in front of it.  But I don't have very many (read exactly 2) pictures of myself and my mother and I wish I had more.  So I have convinced myself to be in pictures with my kids.  And so far, I have liked the results.  Our past two family sessions have yielded some good pictures of us as a family.

But the road to get there is long.

And the process almost makes me wish we lived in a time without photography.

So, I bought myself this dress.  It is a beautiful maxi dress that makes me feel confident and sexy and good in my own skin.  The only problem with it, is that none of the rest of the family's clothes matched it in any way shape nor manner.

This is a problem.  

Family pictures were scheduled for Thursday.

On Wednesday I decided to take the kids to Target.  For clothes.  All three of them.

And it went about as well as you might imagine.

I think we only knocked a half dozen items on the floor.  Buds only took off his shirt to try something on twice, and Baby Girl only had one meltdown about the shoes I was absolutely not buying her.  

But after almost 3 (THREE!) hours in Target we emerged with two dresses for Baby Girl (along with two pairs of shoes, a shirt, a pair of shoes, and jeans for Buds, and an outfit, two pairs of shoes, and a shirt for Bubba.  And we all coordinate.

Let me tell you, finding clothes that coordinate, but don't match is incredibly difficult to accomplish at the moment.  Girls fashion is all about neon colors right now, and boys are supposed to be in earth tones.  And my dress?  Jewel tones.  I found a shirt that worked for one kid, and it matched my dress ok, but it clashed with Baby Girl's.  And then there was one that worked with both dresses, but was exactly the same color as my husbands shirt.  And then there was one that looked great with everything as a whole, but gosh darn it if it didn't look like we made one kid wear something that didn't match for pictures of the three kids.  But we figured it out.  There were florals, geometric prints, check, and solids, but it all worked!

And then there was bath time that night.  Hubs spent a good portion of his evening scrubbing each and every one of our children within an inch of their lives.  And I did laundry, because of course the shirt I wanted him to wear was in the dirty laundry. And his jeans needed to be hemmed, because God forbid my husband be a size that they make pants for off the rack. 

And then I forgot that baths had already happened and gave Bubba Mac N' Cheese (no judging please, we have all had a moment when we just needed our kids to eat) for lunch.  And he gave himself an orange mohawk. 

But he got a bath, and the kids got dressed, and off we went, to the park.  

After it had rained for a week.

I had this brilliant idea.  Baby Girl's birthday and Bubba's 18 month pictures both needed to be taken this month.  So lets just do that AND the family photo shoot!  Then we only have to warm up to the photographer once.  Yay!

Boo!  All of that standing around doing nothing while his sibs got their pictures taken did absolutely nothing for Buds' state of being.  Uncooperative would put it kindly.  If we asked him to stand, he sat.  Ok, then sit and give mommy a hug.  No, don't put your feet on her dress.  Oh stay out of that puddle please.  Don't go off into the woods without us.  Here run THIS way.  No, no!  Not over there - that's someone's backyard.  And around we went.

Now, in a normal world, where we aren't taking pictures, that kind of behavior is met with swift and decisive discipline, complete with threats to cut our walk short if he can't shape up.  Which usually causes some version of a meltdown.  

But we are taking pictures don't you know!  All must be happy and un-tear-stained.  So we cajole, and coddle, and reason.  Which if you have ever reasoned with a 4 year old you know is like reasoning with a pint sized dictator.  And no, we don't threaten to go back to the car, because gosh darn it, Mommy wants some good family pictures.  

But finally, after almost a mile of walking, a car ride around to the other end of the park, and a promise of good things in their future, we got some good ones! 

Getting the family pictures might not have been fun, but the memories that are captured, and the moments that I will treasure are worth the muddy shoes.  Don't be afraid to go out and do the messy, sometimes hard work of getting family pictures done.  Because you will love them when your kids are older.  And your kids will love having pictures with you. 

Note:  When I get pictures back I will post one here, so keep an eye out!

How Homeschoolers Socialize or Is This Social Enough For You?

Homeschool families tend to get a lot of questions about the why's and how's of the homeschool way.
Why did you choose to homeschool?
How do you know your kids are learning?
Do your kids really go to school in their pajamas?  (For the record, not usually.)
How does homeschooling actually work?

And the big one: How are your kids getting "socialized"?  

I hate this question. I really do. I tend to roll my eyes when people ask. 

There was once a time when homeschooled children lived in sod houses in the middle of nowhere. And the only socialization they did was with their families. This is not that time.  It is 2015.

We live in an urban environment. Our kids go with us to church, to the store, to the hair salon, to the bookstore, and every other place that my husband and I go. In every single one of those situations, they are being "socialized". Just like every single other child in our country.  My husband is a tech guru, and my children know exactly what Facebook is.

Our family is part of a co-op as well. One hour on every Monday our kids and I go to the co-op for an enrichment class. This semester Baby Girl is taking a science class, and Buds is taking an art class. Bubba is in nursery, which he doesn't HAVE to go to, but I volunteer every other week and it just makes things simple. So my kids get to spend an hour per week with an adult (not Me!), and a classroom full of other kids with shared interests.

And lastly, there is the All American Play Date. It doesn't happen as often as I might like, but when it does, it is gloriously chaotic and messy. But it is so much fun for our kids and for us moms! 

A few weeks ago there were a total of 18 children at my house.  The youngest was 4 months, the oldest was 6.  All of the kids played both inside and outside, with only a few minor disagreements. There aren't very many toys upstairs at the moment, and no one asked for any. Play mates and some basic babies and sand toys were all that were required for a fun time. 

Buds is in the bike helmet (his favorite accessory at the moment) and then four friends are with him.

Baby Girl (R) and one of her friends playing in her room.

Two of our friends playing with our somewhat over stimulated puppy, Rosie

All of those kids. You can't tell me that isn't social. 

Interesting side note: Every single mom that was here, including myself was homeschooled as a child. Most of us were not friends as children, we just happened upon each other as adults.  I would say that we are all pretty social. 

My point is this: Socialization doesn't only happen in a static social setting like a classroom. Socialization actually happens more in the real world. The children that invaded came to my house  were learning how to be social. They solved their own problems, created their own games, and made their own fun. Together. They had to work with the limitations of the smallest kiddos, but still had to appeal to the oldest. And they had to ask adults (some of whom they had never met before) to meet their needs or help solve problems. This is how the world works. And this is how homeschoolers socialize their kids. 

Please know that homeschoolers DO care about the socialization of their children. But please don't be offended when we roll our eyes when you ask. Because, we are probably a lot more social than you think.

Book Review: Vachtor Finds a Home

*Note:  This post contains affiliate links*


Vachtor Finds a Home is the debut work of new author SC Hallen.  It is illustrated by talented artist Sharron Henderson.  Vachtor is a German Short-haired Pointer puppy with great personality and some big problems.  This story chronicles his journey from scared abandoned puppy, to beloved pet, and Guardian of the Heart.

The story is fun and engaging, told from the point of view of an energetic and loveable puppy.  He is silly and sweet, and has big ideas for the little dog that he is.  I don't want to spoil the ending for you, so you will just have to get it for yourself (and your little ones of course!). I promise the ending is a happy one!

Now the illustrations are works of art.  Sharron Henderson is truly talented at her craft and did a wonderful job capturing Vachtor and his friends.  The bright colors and fun characters are brought to life on the pages.

The fun and poignant story and beautiful illustrations are reason enough to get this book.  But what if I told you I happen to know the author?  And I know that there is a whole series of these books in the works?  SC Hallen is a great friend of mine.  And I know her adorable Vachtor personally.  So this book?  Yeah, its based on a real dog. You can even look on her bio and find pictures of the real Vachtor! Check out her website here.  Even better there is a whole series of books coming soon!  I will link to those later on as they become available.

My favorite part of the series (and yes, I have read several of them) is that they deal with issues today's kids will deal with in their lives. These books will help them validate their emotions through the loveable characters.  There are precious few of these types of books available, so a whole series dealing with real life issues, like going to the doctor, is a great way to help children deal with new situations and emotions.  So pick up your copy today!

Available on Amazon in eBook and print forms here.
Available on Barnes and Noble on Nook here.
Available on Kobo here.

Happy reading everyone!

*Update: Book 2 of the Vachtor Series is up in the Kindle Store!  Check it out below.*

Happy Birthday Baby Girl! And How To Throw a Goldfish Birthday Party

*Note:  This post contains affiliate links*

Baby Girl turned 7 this week. For 7 years I have loved her, cherished her, nurtured her, and laughed with her. It doesn't seem like it has been that long, but here she is.

And birthdays mean birthday parties.

I love planning birthday parties. 

Every birthday I let my kids pick a theme for their birthday. Baby Girl has had:

Rubber Ducks

Farm

Butterflies

Tea Party

Cupcake

Nature Walk

This is a pretty great list. This year she picked well once again: Goldfish. 

We settled on an Orange and Teal color scheme, with all of the plates and cup and whatnot in those colors. 

And then there are favors. Now, I know "favors" are one of those hotly contested parenting issues, but let me put it to you this way: Thank You notes from the birthday girl are just not going to happen. I'm sorry. I wish I could do that, but it never makes it high enough on my priority list to make it happen. 

That said: I promise to thank your child for coming, and for any gifts brought by sending them home with a favor. But not a "bag of dollar store junk and mini candy bars" favor. I hate those kind of favors.

I try to get favors that will actually get used and enjoyed.

The obvious choice for this particular theme was real honest to goodness carnival style goldfish. But I have ethical reasons for never gifting live animals, no matter how small. And foisting a live animal on unsuspecting parents isn't friendly. So, I had a friend make me these:

These adorable soaps can be found at The Virtuous Wife

Little bitty goldfish in a bag SOAPS! Super cute, and non offensive. The kids can splish and splash in the bath with their new friend, and I am not on anyone's naughty list. Win-win. 

Now for decor. I had so much fun with these. There are a ton of ideas on Pinterest, but I settled on these two pins: here and here. 

This first one is super simple.  I think I whipped up a dozen of them in less than 30 minutes.  You just cut a wedge shhaped piece out of a paper plate and glue it to the opposite side.  Add an eye and you are done. Of course you can add googly eyes (didn't have any) or draw on fins etc if you want.  But I am all about minimum effort for maximum impact.  And I think in the chaos of the party the "little details" tend to go unappreciated. 

The next project is significantly more involved.  These adorable fishy lanterns are still on the easy end of the spectrum, but a lot more steps.  So here we go.

Step one:  Purchase Orange Lanterns, Orange Construction Paper, and a Big Fat Black Sharpie.  I also used an orange magic marker.

Step two: Assemble Lanterns thusly.

 

Step three: Draw fin and tail shapes in orange marker on the orange paper.  Do leave a flat section that you can fold over to attach to the lantern.   Cut Out.

 

Step four: Draw a mouth and eyes on white paper.  I just colored it in with the sharpie rather than dealing with yet another color of paper.  Cut these out as well.  You should then have something that looks like this:

Step Five:  Assembly.  Now, I just didn't have enough hands to take pictures while I did this.  But, the tail goes in the back, fins on the sides, and then make a cute smiley face on the front. Do make sure that you have the lantern right side up when you put the pieces on.  You don't want your fish to go "belly up" when you hang it!

Step six:  Hang them up!  I used some blue yarn that I had hanging around, but you could use fishing line or whatever you happen to have.  These aren't super heavy, so it doesn't need more than a staple or two to keep in in the ceiling. 

Now the rest of Baby Girl's Decorations were crepe paper streamers and her birthday banner (each of my kids has a birthday banner that gets put up every year).   Our house looked like a fun fishy paradise! I set the table with a blue table cloth and orange and blue plates, cups and utensils.  I set out the bowl of soaps and a bowl of goldfish crackers.

 

And then, I made this rather awesome cake.   This was actually pretty easy.  I just layered and frosted a regular two layer cake.  I stacked Kit Kats around the outside and then tied a ribbon around so that they would stay put.  Then I filled in the top of the "barrel" with more frosting (I wish it would have been more blue, but we have artificial dye allergies, and the natural dyes just aren't as vibrant) and textured it with my spatula.  Then I stuck goldfish crackers in the top.  Viola!  Fish in a Barrel Cake.  Baby Girl loved it.  The party was a great success!

 

Fishy Lantern Party Decoration: