Sometimes your mom is right.

I wanted an Easy Bake Oven.  Desperately.  The commercials played during my favorite cartoons growing up and watching those girls bake their own treats was the most exciting thing to my kindergarten self. 

When I asked, okay, begged for the Easy Bake Oven my mom told me that anytime I wanted to bake something to just let her know.  Since I wasn't a child to let things go, I pushed.  It was then my bubble was burst - the Easy Bake Oven bakes with a light bulb.  And it takes forever.  And the cakes are the size of a silver dollar.

I gasped and could not believe these horrible words.  Unfortunately for me, none of my friends ever had an Easy Bake Oven either so I was clueless to whether or not this was all true.

Fast forward 25 years and Ellie was the one begging for the Easy Bake Oven.  I was just as excited as she was when she sat on Santa's lap and asked for it.  It was under our tree Christmas morning and as soon as we returned home from our visit with Ryan's family, we broke that baby out of its box and were going to make ourselves a cake!

Until we broke that baby out of its box and I realized that one of us would get to eat cake and I was pretty sure it wasn't going to be me.

That's our cake before baking.  And yes, the entire cake pan fits in the palm of my hand.  Ellie thought I was lying.  She kept telling me she wanted to make a cake, not a cookie.  I assured her that we were in fact making a cake and, after preheating for 15 minutes, we put the tiniest cake ever mixed into our oven and watched that 100 watt light bulb work its magic.

After the cake came out and I repeated that yes this is a cake not a cookie, we iced it and Ellie went to do her taste test.

And it was a hit! 

Tomorrow Ellie and Nonna are baking cookies.  Maybe they'll be the size of a quarter?

3 reasons gifts should be given at a kid's birthday party

"You just need three things to have a successful birthday party - kids, cake and presents."
-Nonna

So, it seems all around us the above 'formula' is getting messed with.  Parents are requesting no gifts, requesting cash instead of gifts, asking you to donate to charity or requiring you buy a gift off their registry. 

Not okay, friends.

Here are the 3 reasons why the Birthday Party Formula should be left alone:

1)  A child gets one day a year for it to be all about them.  1 out of the 365 days in a year, that child is special and singled out and the world revolves around them.  Let them have their day.  Let them eat cake, play with their friends and open up some gifts.

2)  I like taking my child to pick out a gift for another child.  It teaches them that the world does not revolve around them the other 364 days.  It teaches them to be generous, to give from their heart and consider someone else.

3) If you, as a parent, want to make a donation to charity, make a donation to charity. Or donate the gift that my child spent her time selecting (and she does take her time making a choice!), but don't ask a parent to make a donation.  Being socially responsible is each person's individual choice and one should not be forced into it.

Also, it is not my responsibility to fund your child's college education.  It is tacky to ask for cash, it just is.  Don't do it.  Of course we don't need one more piece of plastic that lights up and plays music. Or another Polly Pocket, Barbie or random big girl toy that could cause a choking death to Madeline. But we do not get to choose the gifts given to us or our children, that is the choice of the gift giver (or whether to give a gift at all for that matter!).  Whatever you receive, be gracious and move on.

So there you have it.  The above reasons do not apply if you are asked for a list or ideas/suggestions.

What do you think?  Should gifts be given at birthday parties?  Have you received a "no gifts" invitation lately?  Does it make you feel guilty for not putting "no gifts" on your invitation?

Slinky

Madeline Claire,

After your bath the other day, which you always take with your sister, washing each other's backs is your thing and you love to giggle together in the tub, getting scrappy over who can put the most squirty toys in the random Boo Bucket that has hung around since Halloween, it appeared.

Your very first slinky curl.*

Tucked behind your adorable little ear, was one spiral curl going around and around and around.  The perfect curl.  Your slinky curl. 

Tomorrow you will be sixteen months old.  We look forward to discovering more about you everyday.  Finding that one little twist of hair is just the tiniest tip of Madeline Clarie iceberg.

We love everything about you, Mads.  From the top of your head to the tip of your toes.

*The term Slinky Curl came to be after Poppa brought Ellie a Slinky Junior.  Ellie pulled out one of her many curls and dubbed it a Slinky Curl.  And there you have it.