Hadley's Third Birthday - Best Laid Plans

So, I was hoping to have a rundown of the decorative plans I had in mind for the little guy's birthday, along with some pictures of the whole thing for you today. Well, I have some pictures, but they don't show much of anything.

With all three of us under the weather and unsure of whether or not we'd be super contagious, we had originally decided to cancel the whole thing. Then, after talking with my mother a bit, we decided just to have the grandparents over. There are a couple of newborns in the family that we wouldn't want to get what we've got, so we cut it back. Besides, I had already bought tons of food (which there was no way we could save another week or two for a party that we weren't even sure others could attend), so it would be great to celebrate the day in a low-key way.

That said, I still worked hard (which, as a pregnant lady means that I worked until my belly ached -- the belly knows when it's time to slow down, y'know) to bake and chop and grate and assemble. As the time drew nearer and nearer, I realized I wouldn't have the time I'd hoped to do the decorating I had planned on.

No baby blue streamers. No Peter Rabbit cake topper and wall hanging. No poufs. No Pinterestworthiness.

That's not a word, but it's definitely a thing.

But, we did have time to do a thorough cleaning job, and last night at 11pm I found myself sketching chalkboard drawings to bring a little festivity. Oh, in complete honesty, this stuff finally took the place of my spring chalkboard and *ahem* Easter baskets. Seriously. I've been slacking. ;-)

So, from the things I grabbed at the local "dollar store", I used some faux greenery on vines to give a little garden feeling. And, seriously, don't fresh fruit and veggies do a great job at hitting both a) feeding partygoers and b) adding to the 'garden' theme?

 Sorry, beverages. Party was underway and, as usual, Dave took the pics while I did last-minute stuff.

So, we served a pared-down version of the original menu: loads of fruit, veggies and homemade herb dip (Ina Garten), cold cuts with fresh rolls, chips/cheese/crackers, "munchies" (Annie's chocolate bunnies and bunny snack mix...get it? Peter Rabbit??), and our family's favorite pasta salad (Mom brought). Water, lemonade and iced tea for the hot day's beverages. Oh, and chocolate-covered strawberries (Ina, again), homemade carrot cake (good ol' Good Housekeeping - very moist, but took FOREVER to grate the carrots) with cream cheese icing, and an untouched strawberry rhubarb crisp. Admittedly, everyone was stuffed, so that'll be breakfast this week. ;-)

I know it still sounds like a lot, but considering I cut the decorating down to next to nothing and we didn't have tomato pie and sausage bread and stuff...it was far less crazy and more chill than it would've been. Oh, and for the record, it's the only cold cuts I've had (I believe?!) the entire pregnancy. I cheated, but at least I didn't have a beer...right??

Considering we only had three guests (my stepdad wasn't feeling well) plus the three of us, this kid got GIFTS. Thomas stuff, clothes galore, books, a fishing game he's loved at his cousin's, some superhero stuff, a bubble mower and A SHAAAAARK! (We also saved some stuff for tomorrow since that's his actual day, but MAN I'm thinking we should save some of it for Christmas!)

When it was time to nap and he melted down, you could hear how sick he still is. Super runny nose, incredibly raspy...not as croupy as when he sleeps, but not good, poor thing. I'm just glad that his daddy and I have gotten past that "I don't feel goooooood" whiny crappy feeling so that we could focus on how awesome our special guy is.

We felt awful that we couldn't party it up with the whole family (namely, his super fun cousins, and I always love seeing my siblings), but I know we'll see everyone throughout the summer, so we're trying not to focus on it too much. Considering he's only turning 3 and he doesn't have a huge circle of friends yet, it was still a memorable, fun day meant to make him feel remembered. I'd say, snotty noses aside, it was a success!

Now, if he could just feel better. :-(

On a positive ending, we didn't realize how much Hadley has changed in the past year until Dave started putting together his annual video. Wow. A year ago, his words existed but were guttural and communication was highly emotionally-charged. A recent BabyCenter email updated me that he's probably saying 3-word sentences now, but it's sooo far from the truth. Aside from run-ons, he's incredibly verbal, and his vocabulary surprises us with its complexity. We still have our toddler meltdowns, but he's much better able to communicate his feelings.

He helps when we give him a task. He's open and welcoming to the idea of a little sibling (he insists it's a girl and today said her name is "Flamingo"). He's sweet with a tiny mischievous side, prefers running to sitting still, and is dying for us to find him more friends. Somewhere along the way, he's started coming to us with spontaneous moments of love and brief cuddles, which he was never a fan of before. Overall...the kid rocks.

Here are some of the answers to some questions I asked him:

Favorite Things - Age 3

Color - "Blue." (funny, it's usually orange)
Toy - "My firetruck." (really?!)
Stuffed animal - "My lamby."
Thing to take to bed - "My shark."
Fruit - "I like all of them."
Cereal - "Gorilla Munch."
Breakfast - "Gorilla Munch." (I blame the order of the questions on that answer)
Lunch - "Peanut butter and jelly." (had to answer for him; this is his fave)
Dessert - "Ice cream." (not really, he doesn't eat the stuff)
Beverage - "Grape juice!"
Dinner - "Nothing, nothing, nothing." (I think lunch and breakfast are his big meals; he'd prefer not eat dinner.)
Animal - "Uuummm...a lizard!"
Book - "Pajama Time."
Song - "1-2-3 sing with me...(continues singing own lyrics)"
Game - "Matthew and me used to play golf. And Aunt Mary and Lizzie and Uncle John were there...."
TV Show - "Cartoon Batman" (the 1970s cartoon version, although we know he loves "60s Batman", too.)
Movie - "The Muppets"
Thing to do outside - "Run around."
Best friend - "Cooper." (Actually, equal parts Cooper and Lizzie, so the answer varies.)
Job when he grows up - "Do Daddy's job...Lego Batman exercise!" (He wants to use Dave's old Lego Batman Wii game but knows he can't until he's big.)

5 Reasons I'm Okay Spending $100 on a Dinner

Depending on the time of year, we go out maybe every 1-2 months and get a pizza every, eh, 2-3 weeks. Compared to the old days when pizza was weekly and going out was, well, probably also a weekly thing (plus any fast food stops, especially back when we were first dating and acting in shows), this is pretty stellar. 

So, I thought I'd talk about briefly about why it's totally cool with me that Dave's taking me out for my birthday for what's undoubtedly going to cost probably $100...give or take. 

via Trip Advisor

Special Occasion - I don't usually give into the "it's my birthday, I deserve it" sort of thing. However, we often decide that we'd rather take advantage of a super rare date night (seriously, if we get four a year, we're doing something) than to actually buy gifts for the other person. This year, I don't find myself "in need" of anything, so an incredible meal it is. (We often do something similar for our anniversary or Valentine's Day.) Plus, any time we can eat without the little one is pretty much a special occasion. ;-) Thanks to the sitters (grandparents) of the world!!!

Insane Food - I know you probably already assume that insanity has to come into play when it comes to spending over $100 on dinner, but it's not our insanity; it's the INSANELY AWESOME thought put into the cuisine at our favorite restaurant. I've chatted about what an incredible spot The Tailor and the Cook is in the past, but yeah. I'll repeat it again, it's just. That. Good. The word "delicious" doesn't describe it well enough. Also, the fact that we eat out less than the "good ol' days" makes us really enjoy this style of food more, even if we do it only a couple of times a year. 

Locavore's Paradise - We obviously wouldn't be willing to spend the big bucks at a regular, local restaurant (or chain) that serves the usual fare. But, much of the food served here is based on the local ingredients they've sourced. The care in the menu alone shows the thought put into the season and proper preparation of the food (hello, fiddleheads and ramps!). Plus, knowing (and often seeing at our local farmers' markets) the farms and food producers displayed in a totally proud, transparent way? We have to get behind that. 

The Anticipation - Okay. I haven't had a huge appetite lately, but when I found out we'd be going to T&C, I couldn't help but check out the menu. Seriously, I can't decide what to get, but it doesn't matter! Just look at that menu! And the things that sound strange are what end up being your favorite, so I put my faith into the hands of the chef(s). 

It's an Investment - People consider all sorts of things investments. Saving for college. (Okay, we do that.) Buying cars. Collecting dolls. All sorts of things. For us, food like this is an important investment. We care about the food's treatment before it even gets to the restaurant, we care that the chef(s) give it the best possible flavor profile, and the experience of the entire evening fulfills us to no end. So, yeah. It's an investment we'll gladly make.   

The Thankful Post

Happy Thanksgiving Eve, everybody! Things have finally died down here, with the Book Fair complete for another year and a few days off to enjoy the holiday. I get to hang out with the little guy today while Dave works one more day, then tomorrow it's time to watch the parade (one of my favorite parts of the day! Especially the Broadway performances), eat a big breakfast, then head off to eat with our families for the "big meal" and dessert.

We've talked to Monkey about what this special holiday means, and it's been a great opportunity to open his mind to the idea that we've super lucky (and some people aren't). It looked like I nearly blew his mind when I explained to him that we're so very lucky to have a house and food, and that some people, even little two-year-old boys, DON'T. *kerpow*

I thought it'd be fun to share a couple of simple, last-minute ideas for the holiday to help friends and family get hands-on sharing their thankfulness this Thanksgiving. This year, we'll just be having a family talk or two about the things that we're lucky and happy about, but I can't wait to try some of these out in the future!

Some of these are simple enough to throw together in less than fifteen minutes, and will help you and your guests remember - amid the craziness of getting a meal together and trying to pull everything together - that the day is about more than perfecting your recipes and using your best china. And feel free to use these as jumping off points; do whatchya can!

Thank You Bank

Thankful Tree

Brown Paper Thankfulness

 
Gratitude Jar (and Chains)
(With free printable! Couldn't be easier, really.)

Thankful Chalkboard Wall
(Could also be brown paper on the wall, easy peasy!
And I'd suggest using an old chalkboard if you have one, but that depends on if you're cooking a turkey and have the time to make one from scratch. ;-))

Thanksgiving Light
(You could also do this on a white paper bag half-filled with sand. Just insert a candle and light. Luminaries always make me cry, but that's another story!)



Frame of Blessings

Or, after discussing your blessings, have a "did you know" session about the history of Thanksgiving. Watch this brief video for a bit of the background. (They didn't have pumpkin pie or sweetened cranberries due to the lack of sugar in the "new land.") It's also a good reminder of the original natives who were trusting enough to help the Puritans settle and successfully plant in their new, treacherous conditions. Anyhoo, we're weird; we watch a different, lengthier documentary every year (sometimes twice) about Thanksgiving (and Halloween and Christmas, for that matter.) You could turn it into a Trivial Pursuit type game, if your guests are into it!

However you celebrate, whether you're giving thanks openly (saying "grace" always made me terribly nervous as a kid!) or just using the holiday as an excuse to enjoy a great meal with your favorite people, my family and I wish you the happiest of days!

"We Need a Little Christmas"

Everyone has their own idea of when the Christmas/holiday season starts. Some say the day after Thanksgiving. Others don't want to hear a single carol before December 1st. Still others are happy to deck the halls when the last Halloween treat is handed out. And none of these are wrong.

We all celebrate so differently, the bickering about it is unkind and rather silly. If you don't want to hear the songs already, don't listen to that radio station. If you don't want to see the decorations being sold at your favorite store, veer that cart in another direction. No harm. But, ultimately, think about what's being celebrated - good will on Earth! What's wrong with folks getting into it when they're not doing anything mean-spirited or hurtful? Nada. Do it when YOU want to and never mind the naysayers. (That said, my mood wanes depending on the year. I don't like going nuts too early because it's easy to get burnt out by it by, say, December 16th.)

So, what do you do if Thanksgiving has come and gone and you're still not ready for jingling bells and Santa hats? Try one of my low-key ways to start getting into the holiday spirit.

1. Go shopping. I don't mean for your gifts; that's oftentimes an express highway to stress. (See below for shopping ideas that don't suck.) Nope! Grab a holiday latte or some such treat and go to your favorite discount shop to stock up on your gift wrap and bags. Slowly and thoughtfully select your Christmas cards. Maybe pick a fun new decoration or two.

I find that thinking about the theme I'll be wrapping my goodies in helps, especially when there's a little holiday music playing in the background. Making it a relaxing errand helps you focus on the joy of the task rather than the million items you need to get.

2. Make your lists. This one may also sound stressful, but if you start early, this can be relaxing and even a bit fun. See, you're not under a time crunch, and lists often help us feel organized and can definitely provide a sense of calm. Keeping them on your phone or Google Docs/Drive can keep them at-hand (and keep people from accidentally "finding" them), too.

First, I made my own wishlist (I talked about how it can help reduce some stress here). Look through your closet, think about the things you truly need, and daydream about what it might be nice to get. Cozy up with some cocoa, a blankie, and your favorite website (for example, West Elm or Target for me) and jot down what you'd like. Don't worry about making it too lengthy; your gifters can pick what they want to get you and leave the rest.

Then, I used the same relaxed method to start brainstorming for my friends and family. Whether I could think of something to give or not, I wrote their names down to avoid forgetting them. Some folks sat there for a week with nothing popping up -- others, I came up with five things for! I won't be buying all that stuff, but I wrote them down just in case I need a birthday or Mothers' Day idea later on.

Oh, and for a couple of people I was absolutely stumped on, I sent out a quick email. I'd much rather give them something they'd like (that's not the biggest surprise) rather than a bad gift.

3. Listen to your favorite Christmas song. Everyone - EVERYONE - has a favorite Christmas song. Heck, I've got a handful. But, it's not the holiday season for me until I hear "Sleigh Ride" (Boston Pops version, please). See? Everyone has their trigger song. I can't help but bounce in the seat like a 5-year-old when I hear it, especially at the jazzy section.

I don't mean "turn on the radio and deal with the crappy songs you hate" (I'm talking to you, Mannheim Steamroller), but just listen to that one awesome song you already know you love, then stop there. I often find myself getting totally sick of the constant rotation of songs early, so I have to take it in small doses. In the meantime, my favorite tune brightens my heart and gets me excited about the whole thing. Every. Single. Time.

4. Watch a low-fat version of a Christmas movie. Some holiday movies hit you over the head with the meaning of the season or take place totally around Christmas. Others, however, can be deemed Christmas movies only because one scene takes place on the special day. Watching one of these "Christmas Lite" movies can be just enough to pick up your Christmas spirit.

This time of year, I often gravitate to "Holiday Inn" (it's about most of the holidays, not just Christmas), "Little Women" (definitely not a holiday movie, but a couple important scenes occur on Christmas), "Home Alone," "It's a Wonderful Life," and a handful of other classic flicks that just have one or two Christmas scenes. Make sure you pick one that you know you'll enjoy.

Oh, and if you're up for it, watch a "full-fat" Christmas movie to REALLY get your spirit going. For me, "Elf" and "The Polar Express" make me super jolly.

5. Bake cookies. Again, don't go overboard. Pick one of your favorite recipes -- one that's come down from your beloved grandmother or that you look forward to tasting every year -- and make a batch. If you make a super huge batch, freeze them. Boom. One less you'll have to make when you get invited to a cookie exchange. But, be sure to treat yourself to one (or, ahem, five); that's the point of the thing.

If you're in the mood, get a couple of types done before the hectic holiday schedule hits. Taking them from the freezer next month is way less stressful than baking all of them at once!

6. Put out some neutral decorations. Sprinkle a bit of decor around that can double for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I find that deer, branches, pine cones, white candles, apples and oranges, and grapevine wreaths can help make the area feel super festive.

Then, as you get more excited, you can add some more greenery, lights, and ornaments (I even use some warm weather knit clothes like vintage mittens or scarves), do your tree, and it's done. Simple! 

7. Follow your nose. Try filling the house with the smells of the season and see if your heart follows. For me, scent is the biggest mood enhancer, so it only makes sense to try this one out!

You can light a festive candle (we're currently using a pumpkin one I received as a gift, so it's not too Christmasy) or make your own homemade concoction to fill your house with the warm, cozy smell of the season. Try boiling some cinnamon sticks and clove (even include some apple and orange peels) in some water, then simmer on low. Grab a cup of cocoa and a book, and you'll be in the Christmas mood in no time. 

8. Shop locally. Ease into your shopping responsibilities by starting at a local place, well before Black Friday. The crowds will be far thinner, the traffic will be a tad less dangerous (you know what I mean!), and you'll breathe a deep sigh of relief at least checking one present off your list.

But, why do I suggest the local edge? It's more emotional, in a good way. As you probably know, we're not huge Wal-mart (or huge corporation) fans, so I do enjoy hitting up, say, our local toy shoppe before trying Toys 'R Us. Plus, knowing that I'm supporting a local company definitely makes me feel much better about the money I'm spending. 

9. Shop online. Wait, didn't I just say to shop locally? Why, yes. Yes, I did. But, if you're still not ready to venture out into the crowds, this is the next best thing. And, guess what! I've already started this way.

PJs. A cozy blanket. Hot tea or cocoa. A favorite show or movie in the background. And getting some stuff crossed off your list? Perfect combination. Low-stress shopping, and you can get a head-start. I always open the package to check for damage (and to know what came), then put the whole thing directly in my closet until I have energy for wrapping.

10. Start giving early. This is something we should actually do year-round, but the holidays are a particularly difficult time for folks, families and even animals who find themselves in need. And, honestly, what warms your heart more than knowing you're making a difference?

While you're out grocery shopping, pick up some inexpensive (but healthy ;-)) canned goods to donate to a local shelter. Check the ads and grab some dog and/or cat food and cleaning supplies (I "follow" our local humane society to see what their immediate needs are -- they almost always include bleach). Grab one or two of the latest toys so that you're ready to "Stuff the Bus" when the time comes. Part prep, part goodwill, all fun.   

11. Last but not least, celebrate the "now." If you're still not ready to get into the Christmas spirit, don't push it. It's not a big deal. Some years go by and I find myself not feeling the magic at all. Not. One. Bit. It happens. Then, other years, I'm ready and raring to go.

But, I do suggest that you take time to celebrate SOMETHING. If it's not the joy of Christmas, maybe it's taking the time to give thanks - truly - for things both big and small. Maybe make a list of all you're grateful for. Other times, just a reread (or rewatch) of A Christmas Story is enough to get us out of a Scroogy funk.

Our Lil' Pumpkins

I wanted to fit this post in before Halloween, but because I've got tons of posts piled up, it gets its own day! Hurrah!

Pumpkin time! Dave's gonna get into the pumpkin carving and everything, so I figured I'd just share a few pictures and chat more about the painting. Yep, we did one large "family" pumpkin to carve (we asked Hadley what kind of jack-o'-lantern he wanted {a HAPPY one!} and what shapes he wanted for the eyes and nose, and whether he wanted it to have teeth, etc) AND took three mini "pie" pumpkins to the next level with some paint.

Just 'cause. Plus, he's never painted, so I figured it was time. (I know, I'm hanging my mommy blogger head right now. He had never touched paint!)

So, here are a few action shots of the pumpkin carving planning, reaction and the spooky fun effect...

Awesome, right? He picked the shapes (hence the animated picture of him with "round eyes, Mama!"). After staring at it for a few minutes, it starts to look like a Sesame Street Muppet. Totally appropriate.

Anyhoo, on to the messy stuff!!!

 
So, adorned in Daddy's old t-shirt, we plopped him into his "high chair" (the SpaceSaver kind), handed him a pumpkin and a brush and he went to town. Pretty much. I mean, I asked him what colors he'd like (purple and red for one, blue and green for another, and he was mute about the last choice, so we rounded it out with orange and yellow), loaded up the brush for him, and he much more enjoyed painting his hands than the pumpkin. But, then he'd massage the heck out of the pumpkin, so they each ended up with some amount of color.

I also gave him a piece of paper at the end to continue practicing his new-found artistic skills.

One of my favorite things about the painted pumpkins is that they add a nifty bit of color to the stoop -- AND they totally go with our new welcome mat. Hooray for happy accidents! I even got a teal pumpkin out of the deal! Plus, they make me grin when I see them. So cheery. So Hadley.

I ended up spraying them with several coats of a satin sealer since this type of paint tends to come off in the rain.  Oh, and you know I totally whisked him away to the bathtub immediately (Dave had it ready to go for us). It was hardly a mess at all, which makes me think we can do something like this more often. Probably for the next big holiday. TURKEYS!!!

To Pinterest I go...

Anyhoo, here's the final cheery product...

In the interest of full disclosure, our carved pumpkin bit the big one within a day of this picture. I think the humidity (and the fact that the pumpkin was a couple weeks old) meant its days were numbered. Oh, well. We had the fun experience and at least Daddy got a great picture for the ol' memory file. Now I'm REALLY glad we painted a few little ones!

Hadley 2.0

Hadman is officially a two-year-old, y'all. It happened. And I was, once again, a kinda crappy blogger. After putting a crapload of time into putting the party together (not a complaint; I enjoy doing stuff like that), I failed to take any Pinterest-worthy pictures. Okay, I failed to take many even halfway decent pictures.

See why I don't own a DSLR camera? I don't deserve one. *hangs head*

But, guess what I do have, folks. *points to head* The memory and the words, so it's time to put pen to paper fingers to keyboard and spill the deets. After all, we all know... I. Rite. Good. Goodly. ;-)

The realization that the day might not go as planned came Saturday -- the night before the big event. See, there's a huge local 15k/5k/wheelchair run that gets mad exposure (and brings mad tourist dollars) to the area. Out of all the run's 30+ years, it never had to cancel, but the impending weather for it (which happened to be Hadman's birthday) was seriously threatening it.

Spoiler alert: The weather turned out fine. Not rain-free, mind you, but not tornadic like earlier in the week. (Not kidding.) Whew.

But, because we knew there was a chance of rain/high winds/severe weather, I decided to nix a vast majority of the decorations. *frowny face* I tossed up a chalkboard banner I had filled in to say "Happy Birthday Hadley" (with ducks and stars cutey-ing it up) and a cool little plaque that I can't wait to reuse every year, as well as a Duck from "Click, Clack, Moo" that I quickly sketched. Add some chevron fabric for the food table, a few party hats, and a smattering of neat duck facts (I'm nothing if not a fact finder), and I called it a day.

 

I kept reminding myself that it wasn't about the fancy. It wasn't about the Pinterestworthy pictures (which I probably would've tried to get if I hadn't been distracted by the weather). It wasn't even about the food, necessarily. It was about Hadley's day, and if he and everyone who came had fun, that was the damn point. It helped me chill out a bit. A bit.

The food wasn't too crazy, but it kills me that I didn't grab a picture of my fruit skewers. Kills. Me. :-P Just picture: skewers with blueberries and strawberries in one mason jar, another with pineapples/cantaloup/watermelon on another set of skewers in a mason jar. *sigh* I tossed the rest of the loose fruit in a bowl near some honey yogurt dip (I wasn't a fan, but I don't like honey; next time just vanilla) as well as some watermelon ducks (watermelon + duck cookie cutter) in a bowl surrounded by blueberries.

Can't you just envision it? Thanks. Thanks for helping out. I appreciate that.

We also had popcorn on tables, some pretzels and chips on the food table, some tomato pie that my in-laws were awesome enough to bring, and a veggie platter with super yummy dip. Thanks, Ina! And I brought out a lemon cake with lemony cream cheese (sorry, Dan!) frosting, plus some classic vanilla ice cream on the side. Hoping to post the recipe soon, since I took two and combined 'em.

At this age, with pretty much just Hadley and his shy-of-3 cousin (and a couple of awesome teen cousins), there's no need to plan much for a party. No need for pinatas or games or anything; not yet. Between providing a less stressful planning experience for Mom and Dad, it's nice to see what unfolds.

And that was, by far, the best part of the day.

Have you noticed how we don't get many rainy summer days the way we did when we were little? (By this I'm talking as a kid of the '80s, but it could apply back to the 1840's; if that's you, God bless ya!) Well, we had one of THOSE rainy days. Awesome!

Hadley fed birds with Grandpa ("Papa"), picked cherry tomatoes with Grandma, rode in his new wagon with his BFF cousin and, best of all, ran around and splashed in the puddles with everyone else.

You know it's a good party when someone needs to be thrown in a bathtub before heading home. That can be applied to adult parties, too, by the way. ;-)

So, even though Hadman had a meltdown thanks to completely missing a nap and it rained lots, it was an insanely awesome party! Thanks for vicariously attending with us!

Best Birthday Gift Ever

Today I've got a different type of recipe for you -- and there are several variations you can try, so feel free to mix it up all you like. Oh, and one warning: the ingredients take FOREVER to find (ahem, make), but they're worth the effort. Seriously.

Want a cheese sandwich? Start with some bread...cheese, of course...a piece of lettuce...maybe two...a tomato (if you're into that sort of thing)...then top it off with another fluffy slice....

Just serve with a carrot or two and you've got an awesome lunch. Yum!

Or you could just pull a Dorky Daddy and have a salad for lunch. (He'd have two salads for dinner...then more salad for dessert. Seriously.) Personally, I'd switch out the tomato for strawberries.

Speaking of strawberries...grab a few for a snack! (Pardon the water spots.)

Oh, you're in the mood for breakfast? We've got that covered, too. Eggs and toast, perhaps?

So, this was my "big present" for the monkey's birthday. It doesn't look like much, but I've worked on them every night for a month or two...so...yeah. Just the hours alone make them pretty valuable. And the fact that he and his cousin started playing with them immediately (and that they're, apparently, a cat toy, as well), which makes all the time worth it. Big time. :-)

I'm hoping to make a pizza or more breakfast items for Christmas. They're not hard to make, just time intensive. Whip stitch...whip stitch...whip stitch.... Yep, there's your tutorial. That's all you need. Cut out the shapes (I free-handed) from felt, whip stitch the edges until you die, then stuff with filling...or fill with stuffing, whatevs. Rinse and repeat. The cheese was just a cut-out of orangey-yellow felt; that one was super easy and made up for how time-intensive the rest were. ;-)

Depending on where we live at that point, we'll also try to work on a kitchen area for Hadman to house all of his spoons, spatulas, and pots the utensils and pots he's stolen from me and for further pretend play. He's in love with them, so I'm super happy that these turned out so well and were well-received. (By the way, he's mixed them with the food toys he already owns -- the ones with the smiley faces -- below...and a stuffed turkey. Which makes sense. Maybe.)

Oh, and for anyone wondering, I'm working on a quick birthday rundown post for this week, too. We hope you had as awesome a weekend as we did!

Currently - July 10th

This week is all about Hadley. He's turning 2 years old this Sunday, so we're doing plenty of reminiscing, planning, prepping, and just generally getting getting our heads in order. God. Two years. He's practically in college. *sigh* Gotta say, the ladies who put "Currently" together selected the PERFECT themes for our week! ;-)

We'll be celebrating with our close family members this year. Last year, we invited a ton of people -- all whom we care about deeply -- but this year, we decided to cut it back to just family. (What my mom calls "a normal birthday party." Thanks, Mom.) Just kidding, I'm actually super lucky that my mother agreed to hold the party in her backyard since they've got way more space than we do (and we could all fit under their carport easily if it rains). I can't wait to have a larger space for times like this...and for an excuse to clean. Obviously.   

There are times that I can't seriously believe how much Hadman's growing into a little boy, but at other times I'm like, "Yup. That happened. I remember it. It's gonna get worse." and I can rationalize the crap out of it. Parenthood! I'm just lucky that, when I ask him, he still identifies as both a "big boy" and "mama's baby." Oh, Lord, I'm going to go cry now!!

Monkey's (in case you don't notice, he's got a million nicknames) been playing pretend progressively better lately. Oh, and so am I. There was a time when I was about 9 that I remember telling Mom that I was officially a grown-up because I had lost my ability to pretend. She laughed...a lot...and I think I know why. Only a kid with an active imagination could come up with crap like that.

But, seriously, there are a handful of great reasons that parents need to take time out of their day to play, on the floor, no devices in hand, no pictures being taken, no distractions. There are positive psychological and developmental repercussions for the child, but I've noticed that it can be a mood enhancer for Mom, as well as providing my brain with some great exercise... not to mention fun memories.

For setting up the shindig, I'm hoping to put up a couple of handmade posters (with none other than ducks from his favorite books, of course), a row of streamers behind the food table, and a mix of the old poufs and a few new ones that go with the yellow-and-blue duck theme. I found some fun cloth to use as a tablecloth for the food table to reuse elsewhere (can you say "chevron"?!), but the rest of the tables will just get a wipe-down. My sister's also going to bring a kiddie pool to set up, and my stepdad found the old school sprinkler (which kids may or may not run through, we'll see; Had's still at the "trip over his own feet" stage) for some fun. Only having two little ones to run around at a party like this makes the "entertainment" part of it kind of simple.

Even a small birthday party like ours isn't THAT small. I only sent out 5 homemade invitations (they're awesome), but that ultimately invited 16-17 people. See why we couldn't have it at our small house? Plus, I come from Blogland, which is just a town over from Pinterestonia. I've got to at least put some effort into the aesthetics of the thing. Although, no matter how adorable the paper straws are, NO ONE uses them. NO ONE. Unless, of course, you serve root beer floats.

Oh, the feelings. The feelings. I'm calmly excited (vs. last year's inevitable stress-out), a tad nervous about making a lemon cake that'll be fluffy (I'd like to never use a boxed cake mix ever again...even if they are delish), but ultimately all the emotions revolve around Hadley's growth. Tomorrow, I'll be sharing some of the stuff he's saying now, which, when compared to one year ago...well, it's a completely different kid. Totally.


So, that's what my week's currently about. After his birthday, I'll be turning my attention to some puttering around the house and other laid-back funness. :-) With my guys in tow, it's hard not to enjoy life.

Thanks for hosting, Ot & Et and Harvesting Kale! You ladies rock.