Happy Summer

Woohoo!  Summer has unofficially begun and we couldn't be more thrilled.  We have grand plans which include finishing up the first year of school for Ellie this week, a big dance recital, lots of beach time, a couple of trips, a night away with a few of my favorite mamas, Jimmy Buffett, my first blog conference {eek!} and much more.

After this holiday weekend we have a new definition of love.  Love is giving a four year old a piggy back ride from the tip of the water all the way up the big hill to the driveway where her sandy feet get rinsed with the hose. 

If there is not a new post daily, forgive me. We waited a long time around here for warm weather and the sunshine is calling my name.

Happy summer.

I was a #SeniorHottie.

You bet.  I was so hot, I didn't even need a prom date.  High school boys just slow you down.  No, we were in it for the dancing and the fun and the plan was just to dance with everyone else's dates.

By the third song every female upperclassman had come up to us and said they wished they would have let their dates at home, too.

Our night was awesome.  We danced, we sweat, we won hula hoop competitions and gambled with Monopoly money until the wee hours of the morning.  There was no pressure, just a bunch of besties from high school having a blast.

When the night was over, we had our last sleepover of high school and then planned on the annual day after prom tradition of hitting up Six Flags.  But somehow we ended up at the outlet malls instead.

I am {at least Facebook} friends with everyone in this photo but could not get permission to put their faces in while I'm writing this at 10 pm. 

As a little side note, the above pictures have all been put on Facebook by other people.  Who needs a high school reunion?  While I was planning on putting 'official' senior pics up, laziness got the best of me.

Were you a #SeniorHottie?  Head over to a Belle, a Bean & a Chicago Dog and link up!

That time when my parents wanted to kill me.

Remember high school?  Remember curfews and calling your parents when you 'get there'?  Remember when we had car phones instead of cell phones?  Remember taking your first road trip to visit friends in college?

Okay, that's where we are.  It's February and my friend, Beth, and I are desperate to figure out a way to be roommates in college.  After a whole lotta convincing, our parents finally agree to let us make a 1.5 hour drive to check out one of our front runners. 

We make all of the usual promises - we will drive carefully, we will act responsibly and we will call when we get there.

I still remember the drive down in my parents' red two-door Pontiac Grand Am.  The sky was a vibrant blue and we just felt freedom.  A flip cell phone that was the size of my entire purse was plugged into the cigarette lighter in case of an emergency, but we were focused on finding a decent radio station in the middle of nowhere and if we would actually get into a fraternity party in a few hours.

My friend and her roommate greeted us at their dorm, we hopped in her car and headed out to dinner and to do a little shopping at the mall.  Several hours later we went back my car, grabbed our bags and went up to the dorm room.  Someone brought up calling our parents so I pulled out a calling card and dialed home.

I've blocked out most of the actual conversation that took place during that phone call but the highlights are that we were several hours late calling, highway patrol had been searching for our car and now that I was confirmed alive, my parents wanted to kill me.

There was begging and pleading - please, please, please don't make us go home! {and miss our first fraternity party!}  Finally they agreed, but I think the real reason we were allowed to stay is because they didn't want us driving all the home in the dark.

Beth and I tore up the dance floor at that Fraternity party although we were a tad underwhelmed to just be dancing in the basement of some old house.  The next morning we had breakfast and then headed home.  Our overnight college adventure was exactly what we needed to get ourselves even more pumped for graduation and going off on our own in the Fall.

To this day, I call my parents every time as soon as we 'get there.'


Were you ever in big trouble?  Spill it!

Pinterest & a peek into Madeline's 2nd Birthday Party Planning

Pinterest is my new online obsession.  Seriously, OBSESSION. 

A virtual pinboard, you just install the link to your toolbar and then anytime you find something you love, you pin it.  You can create a different board for every topic and Pinterest keeps it organized.  So easy and practical! 

We are in the early planning stages of Madeline's 2nd birthday party {how did THAT happen?!} and it has been so helpful.  Want a preview of the theme and a few ideas?  Clicky.  What do you think?

Pinterest makes it easy to share ideas by 'repinning.'  You can also follow and be followed. 

Want in?  Leave me a comment with your email and I'll shoot you an invite.  Happy pinning!

My Top Ten Must Read Blogs {top ten tuesday}

These are some {but not all!} of my most favorite blogs.  Some are big and some are small but they all suck me right in.  Grab a cup of coffee or glass of wine - depending on time of day of course - and check them out!


1.  Kelle Hampton - The gold standard of all blogs, Kelle lets you into her life which includes two adorable girls and an eclectic style with a beautiful Florida back drop. 

2.  Cool Kids - The best kids' fashion blog around packed with tons of fun giveaways.

3.  Stellbelle & Rubylou - An Etsy obsessed mama of two adorable girls with a super fun blog.

4.  A Belle, A Bean and A Chicago Dog - Liz blogs about life in general and is absolutely hysterical.  Thanks to me her kids were on America's Funniest Home Videos and keep your eyes out for some #SeniorHotties coming later this week.

5.  Modern Parents Messy Kids - Love, love, love.  Great projects, design, just beautiful.

6.  Confessions of a Dr. Mom - Down to earth medical advice from a Dr. Mom who shares her successes and struggles. 

7.  BabyDealsDujour - The best way to keep track of all of the daily baby deals.  And you can find me there sometimes, too.  ;)

8.  BonBon Rose Girls - These girls have style - for home and self. 

9.  Mama's Losin' It - The world famous writer's workshop began here.  Mama Kat is the funniest around.

10.  The SITS Girls - Gurus of all things bloggy and social media. 

What blogs are on your must read list?

And the world didn't end...

Saturday was not only supposed to be the day of the Rapture, but it was also the first time Ryan took the girls to a birthday party all on his own.

I left for the day at 6:45 am, {fairly} certain that my house and family would still be standing when I returned around 7:00 pm.  Before leaving, outfits were set out because Ryan's idea of matching might be a little different than my own.  Just because a top and a bottom are both pink, well you get the idea.

Ryan and I had completely opposite yet equally fantastic days.  I spent my time giving tours of historical homes and Ryan took the girls to the park, Mc Donald's for lunch and then to a birthday party for one of Ellie's preschool friends.  The three had such a great day that when I walked through the door and expected four little feet running towards me with a huge hug, all I got were two "Hi, Mama,"s from their personalized Anywhere Chairs while finishing their episode of Sesame Street. 

Sure Ellie had a teal felt flower hair bow and Mads had an ivory tulle puff with their pink and lime outfits, their new "jellies" gave them blisters and Ellie didn't get a turn at the pinata because the third string let down all of the candy but it was a super fun daddy-daughter day and everyone survived.  And the world didn't end! 

My Favorite Things About One of My Favorite People

I have lots of favorite people.  Lots.  But I didn't have to think long about who this list should be about.  Poppa {my dad} is retiring this year and the big party is tomorrow.  So in honor of his retirement, here are my favorite things about my dad.

*  The summer before I went away to college we went on a family vacation.  To change things up a bit, my dad shaved his mustache.  My sister and I cried.  Isn't that so dramatic?  Our entire lives he had his mustache and when he shaved it he looked like a different person.

He let it grow back right away and will not let anyone talk him into shaving it again.  If you were to suggest it he would inform you that it made his daughters upset and he will not do it again.

*  He is smart.  I always knew my dad was smart but I didn't know he was REALLY smart until I peaked over his shoulder in the study while he was working on his dissertation for his PhD.  After working on my senior paper and feeling pretty good about myself, I asked him to read me what he was writing.  It blew my mind. 

*  My dad is calm in times of crisis.  Stressed out in college?  No problem.  You can call him anytime and get the greatest pep talk.  He can calmly explain how you could improve during a volleyball game, keep you from totally freaking out when your dangling roller coaster stalls out over a forest {seriously!} and will bring a cashier's check when the wire transfer doesn't go quite right when you are closing on your house. 

*  I'm his favorite.  Let me rephrase - I'm his favorite oldest daughter.  My sister is his favorite youngest daughter.  He plays favorites with the grandkids, too.  You know, Ellie is his favorite oldest granddaughter and Mads is his favorite youngest.  If there are more at some point we might get into trouble.

*  He {and my mom!} worked hard their entire lives so they could build their dream vacation house and we are lucky enough to have our own room there.

My list could go on and on but those are my favorite favorite things about one of my favorite people.

Happy retirement Dad!  We love you!

Opposite Day {wordless wednesday}

And this preschooler couldn't be more thrilled.  In fact she picked out all of the opposites by herself. 

The hair do was my personal fave.

Top Ten Most Loved Children's Books

As selected by Elizabeth and Madeline based on how much of the book we {the parents} have memorized and how much tape is holding it together.

10.  first 100 Words














9.  Good Night Moon















8.  Counting Kisses















7.  Llama Llama Red Pajama















6.  That's Not My Puppy















5.  Binky















4.  Cats















3.  Pajama Time



2.  The Very Hungry Caterpillar















1.  Urban Babies Wear Black

What's on your list?

Potty Training 201

Potty training.  Been there, done that. 

About to do it again.

But with a different kid, we are going to need different strategies.  The second one?  She is asking to sit on the potty.

Sure, nothing happens while she sits on the pot reading her Potty books.  But she's asking.

Can you believe how expressive her little feet are?

And she is super cute with her bed head and old man style pajama top.

What are your potty training strategies for an eager learner?

Late afternoon update:  WE HAVE POOP IN THE POTTY!

The News

There is a Jack Johnson song called The News. It is on the Brushfire Fairytales album that came out right around the time I was graduating from college.



The News (click to listen)
A billion people died on the news tonight
But not so many cried at the terrible sight
Well mama said
It’s just make believe
You can’t believe everything you see
So baby close your eyes to the lullabies
On the news tonight
Who’s the one to decide that it would be alright
To put the music behind the news tonight
Well mama said
You can’t believe everything you hear
The diagetic world is so unclear
So baby close your ears
On the news tonight
On the news tonight
The unobtrusive tones on the news tonight


And mama said
Mmm
Why don’t the newscasters cry when they read about people who die
At least they could be decent enough to put just a tear in their eyes
Mama said
It’s just make believe
You cant believe everything you see
So baby close your eyes to the lullabies
On the news tonight


The song resonated with me at 20 because I could remember watching the local news and trying to reconcile all of the daily tragedies as a pre-teen/teen. Being conscious of this, we have always been accutely aware of what is on the tv, radio or discussed when our children are around.

Ellie crawls in bed with me every morning and we snuggle up together and talk to Ryan while he is getting ready for work. The remote flips us between Disney Junior and the local news for traffic and weather reports.
A few days ago helicopter coverage of a car fire made it on to the traffic report and just like that Ellie has had a horrible time trying to fall asleep at night. She asks a million and one questions about "what happens if..." and has woken up with nightmares of a fire in our house.

We have explained to her how smoke detectors work, that we have a security alarm that will contact the fire department. We have gone over escape routes, stop/drop/and roll and nothing seems to calm her nerves.

Have you had a situation like this with your preschooler? How did you overcome the fears?

A portrait of a mommy. {wordless wednesday}

By Ellie, age 4

 Don't you just love my long lashes?  And here's a little about me via Ellie.  I was coming off of a nasty cold when she completed the mommy questionaire. 

Having a kid in school makes all of the Mother's Day stuff so much more real. 

PS  My favorite movie is so NOT Barbie Fashion Fairytale.

Top Ten Things to do this Spring

Spring has finally sprung!  It's going to be in the 80's today and on the 7 day forecast it doesn't look like we'll dip below 68.  Yippee!  Now that the weather is {finally!} warm, here are my Top Ten Things to do this Spring.

10.  Get a pedicure.  It's been too long since these piggies have seen the light of day.

9.  Go to the park.  Daily.

8.  Go out for drinks with friends and sit outside under an umbrella.  Bonus points if it is in the Big City limits.

7.  Go to the zoo.

6.  Go to a concert in the park.

5.  Reunite the weekly playgroup gang the second school is finished.  Only a few weeks left!

4.  Grow our own veggies and let the girls plant a garden.

3. Fly a kite.

2.  Help Ellie learn to ride her bike and get bikes for the grown ups.  Mads will have to hitch a ride this year.

1.  Take the girls to a baseball game - Madeline's first ever, Ellie's first since she was a newborn.

What's on your list this Spring?

A Happy Mother's Day

Twenty-five days ago I entered a competition to win a dream job.  I put together a little video to demonstrate how being a stay-at-home-mom made me perfect candidate to be an editor at a relaunched company.



With more than 200 applicants for this dream job, my odds weren't great and I was beyond thrilled to be chosen as one of the 20 finalists.

Round 2 proved to be more of a challenge for me.  Everything I recorded with our Flip Cam was scrambled and my voice sounded like a robot.  Sweet.

After an anxiety attack, I put together a new plan and submitted my video.  The winners of the contest were to be announced on Mother's Day. 

And....I was not a winner.  In that competition.  But as cliche as it sounds, I knew when I woke up this morning to a Happy Mother's Day song, card and Ellie repeating my Starbucks order to make sure she had it right for the upcoming run, it was going to be a great Mother's Day whether I was a 'winner' or not.

Ellie & Me at the Mother's Day Celebration at Preschool.  She gave me a makeover.  ;)

Our day was spent with family, bounce houses, Barbie cars, chilled white wine and a scrumptious dinner.  My best Mother's Day yet!

50 & 20

Happy Mother's Day weekend!

This week we hit an interesting milestone.  Ellie is 50 months old and Madeline is 20 months old.

We are well beyond counting Ellie in terms of months but all of the discussion that Madeline was moving up to 20 got Ellie wondering what month she is in.  Turns out it's a big one! 

In her 50th month, Ellie's comedic skills are improving.  She is constantly creating jokes.  Her latest was to pull a cheese grater out of our kitchen drawer and proclaim, "What's so great about a grater anyway?!  Get it?  Great - grater!  That's a good one isn't it?"

Ellie loves us as big as the Milky Way, likes to have 'conversations' and is dying to have a sleepover with friends.

At 20 months old Madeline will tell you her favorite color, blue, and say basic sentences such as "I'm going poop" and "I eat cake."  You know, the essentials.  Her blankets, lovies and covers, are called May-mees and every girl smaller than Ellie but bigger than Madeline is named Abby in honor of her cousin.

Madeline has a mind of her own.  She will look you straight in the eyes and say "No!" or "Uh-uh."  If she is asked a question and is not sure about the answer she says, "Ummmm..."

Mads is determined to keep up with the big kids.  Dance routines, playgrounds, you name it and she can master it.

Happy 50 & 20 to our girls!  We can't wait to see what 80 & 50 bring!

"Well, she's walking REALLY fast..."

Said the physical therapist at the last monthly (yes, we are down to once a month!) appointment. 

Mads is climbing furniture, kicking balls, walking up and down stairs holding hands and unstoppable at the park.  To say we have made progress over the last 7 months would be the understatement of the year.  I'm not sure if it was going with our gut and getting her into physical therapy as soon as possible or if it's something that would have just come in time but either way, we are thrilled.

And despite her gross motor skill delay, her fine motor skills are amazing.  She can twist the cap off of anything - which is super dangerous if you aren't watching her like a hawk - toothpaste, water bottles, you name it she can open it.  Mads is also excellent at stacking blocks, coloring, drinking out of a cup without a lid, doing puzzles and taking off her diaper.  Notice the trend towards mischief?

In three days she'll be 20 months old.  20 months!  That's almost a big girl.  Potty training is coming soon and then her big girl status will be completely official.  I'm not sure if I will cheer or cry after the last diaper change.  Maybe both!

5 Spring Must Haves for Mommy

Hey everyone! I'm hanging out with the Cool Kids today and sharing my 5 Spring Must Haves for Mommy. Come over and say hi!