Of Bird nests and kids: Life Lessons

Hello, Fashionable ones! :)

Happy New Year!  To think that I started this blog almost 7 years to the day - right before my precious second son- fondly referred to as 'Monkey boy' was born.

 How apt that this 'lesson' is brought to you courtesy of my smart, inquisitive, old soul little man.

I stumbled upon an empty, teeny tiny birds nest yesterday - it was upside down, on the lawn, in the frigid cold.  I decided to bring it in, certain Monkey Bou, my budding scientist and nature boy would be excited.  His response was a shrug, and when I asked why he wasn't more excited, he said, "I was- but the moment has passed." LOL!  I was taken aback but inspired a little. Milk the moment, for sure,  but it is also totally okay to let it go when 'the moment has passed' for you.  No need to drum up emotion for anything. He TOLD me!

Reactions from my other kids, equally as cute and totally reflective of their individual personalities:

Numero Uno son (9): "what if the mother comes back to look for the nest? I think you should have left it there.'

Principessa (4): "Aw. I feel sorry for the egg!"

Here is the nest- shot twice - once on island and the other on a white sheet of paoer for contrast.  And a third time with a filter.  Because, clearly, I have nothing better to do than take pictures of random nests.

Let it go, pp

'Le bow'

You know that cheesy thing that you bought on a whim from Target, for like $3.99, that has all of a sudden become your all consuming obsession? Yup, that one. Viola! In my case, my tacky, sequined, hot pink, hair bow.

I. Cannot. Get. Enough. I wear it with everything- whenever I can get away with it. And I have not worn hair bows since I was like, eight.

Even the Principessa is bewildered by my new fad. Everytime she sees me with the bow, she says soberly, reproachfully, "That's Principessa's." Even a two year old knows that a thirty something year old mother of three has no business rocking that monstrosity. To which I reply sweetly, " Mine, not yours. Mommy's bow."

That's right. Mine. :)

Obsessed, pp

How to throw a really good (and wild) party

I used to be a coordination fiend, a 'matchy matchy' kinda chick. You know, back when coordination and 'matchy matchiness' was still cool.
I'll give you an example- my pocket book had to match something I was wearing. I never mixed gold and silver jewelery, nor did I ever wear black and brown. Like ever.



And my kids birthday parties were all themed out. Sesame street this, that and the other. Sesame street all up in ya face, puking Elmo, total Ernie and Bert overload. The party stores and online stores these days are so good, that they just smother your creativity- all you have to do is walk into aisle 7 and viola, total Ben 10 party!  And then you have 'birthdayinabox.com'.  Guilty user here and I still love them.  Just not for EVERYTHING, EVERY year. Perfect for classroom birthday parties- just hand the box to the teacher, provide cake and pizza and dunzo. But when it's all in your hands and you don't want a cookie cutter party, here's what you do.



First, you have an adorable Principessa, who just happens to be obsessed with animals and the farm, and nature. ( Dunno where she gets that from).

  Invite family and a few of her like-minded buddies (so now you're committed, you gotta do something, right?

Locate the furthest, least convenient to you (or any of your guests for that matter), most rustic farm EVER. (Sorry guys.)

Make sure nothing matches.   Ofcourse.

Go Pumpkin picking

 

Have Pizza

Eat cake

Have a blast.

It's okay to theme out the goody bags.   Animals are adorable, no overload possible here.

Stickers, plates, lollipops, animal masks, all courtesy of oriental trading. Animal crackers from any grocery store. :)


Come home with the spoils of war - Pumpkins, corn and other vestiges of the great outdoors.  

Then on her 'real 'birthday, eat 'recycled' cake again. (Serve cupcakes at farm and bring real cake home. Works better that way.)

                                                               Dig in, Sista
Thank you friends and family. Principessa would have turned two regardless, but not like this. Not this fabulously.

                                                                          Hay ride. Best Ever.

So much fun. So much joy.

And no matchy matchy stuff either. :)

Happy birthday to my principessa, xoxo pp

Sunday was not a good day...

Why, you ask?

Church things.

Life things.

But then you have faces like these:






And this:

And sneakers like these:  'I see your chuck taylors, and I raise you a unicorn.'  Dontcha just die?? Too cute, I say!




And moments like these:


Disclaimer: Not me in the photo (since I was taking it), but that is the one and only Principessa.

Caveat: Technically, the lego tower thingy didn't happen on sunday. But it could have. :)

And you just know. It ain't all that bad.

Sunday was a good day.

Grateful, pp

Not to brag but...

... How did we get SO lucky?


Blessed, more like it. I thank God for these three every day. Nevermind the recession, or the fact that I have not slept past 6am for the last six years. Or the stretch marks. Or the crayon and pencil marks on the sofa and walls. The 2am emergency room huddles are a distant memory when I look at these three.


Ah, how do I love thee (Numero Uno, Monkey boy and La Principessa?)

Let me count the ways.

You are all so alike, yet so different. You feed off each other and make the puzzle complete and perfect. The Trifecta.



You blow my mind (and my eardrums at times). Never mind that, though - hearing is overrated.

Thank you Lord, for these ones! I cannot believe that I got to do this thrice!

loving my 3 musketeers, pp