Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Happy #4, Notorious MRA

Happy Birthday to my Notorious MRA,

Oh yes, MRA, you made four years old (which means your Daddy and I also have survived four  years of parenthood. (Don't think we didn't crack open a bottle of champagne over that little feat!)

You are definitely our child as you wanted to CELEBRATE! Probably for different reasons, though. In any event, celebrate we did - with a super-fun pirate themed birthday party.

 

 

 

The setting was perfect under the trees and on the beach. The weather was amazing! We did have to chase off a pack (seriously, a pack, like five or seven) of raccoons that were eyeing down our set up. But those raccoons were no match for our pirate crew.

 

 

It took some doing, but we got the place set up, and you were a perfect swashbuckelin' pirate - Captain Mad Dog MRA, they called you. Chubalicious, aka Rum Runner ASA, was a great sidekick... if not always the most attentive.



There was food and there was cake - you and your gangly crew couldn't keep your raggedy paws out of the cake (you get that from your father.)

 

 

You and your motley band of pirates were rather fearsome. I dare say that any ship full of popinjays sailing by our party who caught sight of you and your crew (or heard the screeching and wailing coming from shore) would nary a stepped foot on our little key.

 

 

 

Of course it helped to have some real pirates there to entertain you and your gang. They painted your faces, twisted balloons, provided magic and candy and treasure. You were so unbelievably happy.

 

 

 

And seeing you so happy made your Daddy and I unbelievably happy. Of course we were exceptionally happy when you and your brother went to bed at a reasonable hour that night, as well.

 

 

 

 

It was a very merry and happy day had by all. However, as fun as the pirates were, I would like you to consider perhaps taking five friends to a movie next year for your 5th birthday? Mama and Daddy will still have champagne! Yay or nay?

 



Wordless Wednesday

Happy Birthday to the Notorious MRA

MRA turned three recently. It seems like just yesterday we were waiting for him to decide to join us on this side of the womb world. And now, he is three!!!!!

He is slightly obsessed with Micky Mouse and Donald Duck and the rest of the gang. The other day he asked about a bow tie. He wanted one. Mickey wears one, I noticed. I quickly ran upstairs to get the clip on bow tie from last year's easter outfit.

MRA loved it. He wanted me to clip it into his hair. It seems that is where Minnie and Daisy wear their bowties.

So with this fascination in mind and inlieu of a birthday party, we asked that God have mercy on our souls (and feet)  and went to Disney.

Pictures coming soon.

Somebody's Watching Me

MRA is about to turn three. We went away for the weekend, came home, and he seemed to mature over night. He is like me little BIG boy now.

Since his birthday is the day after Halloween, we decided to have celebrate it on Sunday when both sets of grandparents could be there. He was so excited. And the gifts were spot on this year. Mickey Mouse, a pile of books, a saxophone, a fireman's hose, pajamas, and matchbox cars! There was also the little singing owl.The kiddo is heaven.

The next morning he tried his best to carry it all to school with him.

And he just loves his little sax. I gotta get this child into some music lessons.



Wordless Wednesday

We Had A BALL!

Chubalicious celebrated his 1st birthday recently. Because he loves the ball so much, we went with the theme. I had these great invites made by Paper and Cake. They did a great job and also made thank you notes and food labels that matched.

It turned out to be one of the easiest parties I have ever put together. Sticking with the ball theme, we had lollicakes (from the Lollicake Queen), and sugar cookies with bouncing balls from Sugar Me Dessererie. They did a great job of matching the invitations!

Of course there were fruit balls and meatballs and shrimp boulettes. We also had a caprese ball salad and a cheese ball. For drinks, we had a Midori melon ball punch and Eight Ball beer as well as sodas and water.

 

The decorations were super easy - balls everywhere. And maybe a few paper lanterns and streamers.

I think that you can't have a great party without great friends. I have made some of the best Mama friends. They made the party so special and we had a great time. It meant so much to us to celebrate with them - all the children who came and us Mamas have known each other since these babies were just a few weeks old. Now look at them all.

Of course MRA was in on the action, too.

The smashing thing took a little bit of time to figure it out. I am sure he was confused by this thing set in front of him, however, when he decided to go for it, he went full on.

My only regret... not having a better picture of these cuties!

The party was a few days prior to Chubalicious' actual birthday. This meant we got to celebrate it again - this time at Steak and Shake for a first milkshake!

Happy birthday my dear, sweet Chubalicious. You make the world go round and we love you way, way more than you know! XOXO

Put that in your pan and bake it!

Hahaha! My dear friend Kim has passed along this article. Its actually less of an article and more a call for information to become an article later BUT it is geared at us who don't like cake.

For years I have withstood the ridicule because I do not like cake. I have never really liked the cake. And, although my closest friends have accepted this (thank you all - there are reasons why I call you my closest friends). There are many who continue to try to get me to eat cake year in and year out, there are those who continue to buy me cakes for celebratory events, there are thpose who feign that they have forgotten this fact when I "surprise" them by declining a piece for dessert. This is not new information in  my world.

And, I suspect, there are others out there who don't care for cake as well. Finally there is some recognition. Cakecentral.com is asking all those non-cake-eaters to speak out, reveal themselves, and offer what they like to eat instead. My awesome and always supportive friend Kim sent me the link and although it is too late to add my comments (it would have been oh-I-dunno-breadpudding-or-darkchocolate-or-krispykremedonughts-maybe), I am looking forward to seeing the responses come in.

So, to all my cake-eating critics, put that in your pan and bake it!

I Rock

MRA turned two years old on Tuesday. Its amazing how fast those years have gone. Its also amazing how much a child changes in such a short time.

Its easy to forget this but having ASA in the house provides for a constant reminder.

Anyway, Nana and Babba A. gave MRA a rocking horse for his birthday. Apparently, this is a hot item as it took me more than a month to track down a white one (I still didn't get the one with the white mane!).

The gift came a day late, which was actually more fun as it was a bigger surprise for him.

We assembled the horse (with a freaking allen wrench - why, oh why, can't these manufacturers just use a regular screw) and snuck it into MRA's room while he was sleeping.

This morning, as soon as he saw it, he was excited. We made coffee this morning so we were with it enough to take a little video.



After the initial ride, he figured out how to rock without touching the rails. We had a hard time getting him off it to do things like, ooooh, uh, get dressed. Seriously, the kiddo would have stayed in a wet diaper all day to ride the horse.

And, being the sweet little guy that he is, he kissed it and petted it and said hi to it every time he walked back in the room.

Wordless Wednesday

Memorial Day Eh PANE ride

Tomorrow we are going on an eh PANE. UP UP UP. And as you can guess we are taking the Notorious MRA with us. We are headed back to Virginia for the long weekend and to celebrate my Dad's 70th birthday.

It also happens to be Jonathan's birthday - so we are hoping to utilize the availability of family babysitters to go out for dinner, but I digress.

Traveling solo and as a couple, we have down pat. Traveling with a toddler... not so much. There is a lot more of the packing and a lot more things to forget and a lot less time to get it done. There are also SERIOUS consequences to forgetting something.

You, without kids, may be doubters. you may think I am making a bigger deal of this than necessary but let me assure you, you do not want to be in any row near us on the plane, when MRA's ears start popping and we don't have Poopy Puppy or juice, or the right blanket or whatever else he might need to soothe him.

Trust me when I say you will be thinking, "What the hell? Can't you get the kid some damn juice. Please for the love of God give him something because I cannot take the screaming for 2 hours." (I know because I have been the one thinking this before.)

And trust me, when I tell you we we will be thinking the same thing on this flight.

To complicate things a bit, I tend to get motion sick on flights when I am pregnant so I won't be able to help quite as much as normal. I will be concentrating on not vomiting.

Too bad boats with building blocks are too cumbersome to bring on a plane. We could learn all about some transportation and which kinds Mamma doesn't need a sick bag on.

Wish us luck!