Category Archives: Happy Birthdaze

Alright, alright, alright….

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Fine.

Yes, it is my birthday.

Yes, I purposely did not broadcast it in hopes that it would just pass on by this year. (But thanks Kim and Vic!)

I’m officially closer to 40 than I am to 30. Blech. That stinks.

Normally I would say that you are only as old as you feel…but I think I’m getting sick, and I have a raging headache from bickering girls, so right now I’m feeling a little old.

I did have a great birthday weekend, however. J. has contracted the plague that took over our house last week and still managed to hang in all weekend and we had a really good time.

Saturday night we did dinner at a mexican place near our house and I had my Cinco de Mayo margarita. And…got carded. Niiiice!

Yesterday, we tromped all around this really posh new outdoor mall that just opened really close to our house and had an amazing lunch at Porto’s Cafe & Bakery – one of my favorite places – that we don’t get to go to nearly enough.

And I got a bunch of fun presents from J. and the girls, despite the earlier ban on birthday gifts. The girls picked out a new watch for me and a very cool locket (I can’t find the locket in the store – but on this page it is the red one with the heart over on the left of the Best Sellers page. It is so cool, it folds out and is a butterfly!) AND, most importantly…we have a Roomba again. Sweet, sweet Roomba.

I’m sure you all recall my infatuation with the Roomba – and with having hardwood floors throughout the entire house – it is a serious lifesaver. The one we got last year had to be replaced due to some malfunctioning parts that were not (unfortunately!) covered under the…ahem, warranty that you get when you buy a Roomba remanufactured. (As in…there is NO warranty.) But thankfully J. was able to get it taken care of since he bought it with the good ‘ol AmEx.

So I had put off buying a new one because I was not going down the remanufactured path again…and probably would have continued to just haul out the vacuum everyday (does anyone else need to vacuum daily??) but my saving grace of a husband, who thankfully isn’t very good at listening to me when I tell him NOT to do something, got one for us. It has already cleaned the entire downstairs (it is waaaayyy better than the last one we had, quieter, faster, lasts longer.) Tomorrow I shall let it loose upstairs.

And then, (yes, there is more!) while I was getting the girls ready for bed – my sweet husband cleaned the kitchen and emptied the dishwasher.

*sigh*

My least favorite chore – and the one room I HATE to wake up to dirty, all taken care of. So the girls were in bed by 7:45pm, we had a little down time last night, everyone slept through til 8am this morning. It was heaven!

And sweet little voices singing “Happy Birthday” to me this morning. And lots of fun cards and presents in the mail, phone calls and messages, and an amazing lunch with my friend Michelle! I guess it really was a good birthday.

Maybe I should stop not telling people it is my birthday, and try to sneak in more birthdays throughout the year….

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Edited to Add:

You know that song in the Sound of Music – “I must’ve done something right”?

That had to have been written for me, because seriously, I must have been a SAINT in another life to deserve my amazing husband.

He just brought home dinner, an armload of flowers, (really – like roses, and two other mixed flower bouquets – all the rooms have fresh flowers now!) and the most amazing carrot cake I think I have ever seen or tasted. It is a little maybe 5-6″ round cake, but it must weigh 7 pounds.

Oh, and he did baths and getting the girls ready for bed tonight. (Cue the choir of angels – Hallelujah!)

Smitten doesn’t begin to describe what I feel for him. I think I might love him. A lot.

Happy Birthday To Daddy! ~ Wordless Wednesday

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Okay, I can’t really make this Wordless because it is a word-worthy event.

So, although the photo says it all, I would also just like to add that we really think J. is spectacular. He is a fantastic husband and best friend, but most of all, he really is the greatest daddy in the world. We thank God for him each and every day, and I am certain that the world is a much better place because he is in it.

(Yeah, and Uncle Jeff isn’t too bad, either!)

Happy Birthday Daddy & Unca Hef! We love you both!

I’m back, Happy Birthday and Crafty Tuesday all in one…

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I have so much to tell you! I am sitting contentedly writing on my very happy laptop with a ton to do, but I don’t care – I’m soooo happy to be back up and running.

Thanks to my sweet husband, who tirelessly worked on my laptop in between all the visits to the Apple store this weekend and last night, we figured out that it was the memory we had installed last year that made ‘ol Mac here very unhappy.

So I just installed new memory in my laptop. Me. How much of a geek-nerd do I feel like telling you all that? But, I am so very proud. Thanks to the tutorial last night from J., and the Apple store wanting to charge me $40 to take the old memory out and pop in the new, I just decided to do it. Five minutes later…all done. Whew. Now we are zipping along and just so, so happy!

Did I mention I was happy?

J. is traveling tonight and tomorrow night so I’ll have time to reset my stuff up here and catch up on all of your blogs! Plus have time to update you on all of our chaos, too.

But first, please go on over to my sweet little godson, Will and wish him a happy 1st birthday! He is one already – man, that is insane. And I haven’t been over there yet, but I’m sure Kim has some fun Tuesday craftiness, too.

Here is my one and only layout from the week. I told you it was nuts around here. But I do love this one. The pics were from one day after Em’s 2nd birthday, which would make her the age Addie is now. It is so weird it seems like yesterday, yet so long ago, too. I was only halfway through my pregnancy with Addie when I took these. (Yeah, I took all the photos, so no pregnant belly photos there – but I’m working on that stupid meme, so maybe you’ll get some.)

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Happy, Happy Tuesday!

I’m back, Happy Birthday and Crafty Tuesday all in one…

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I have so much to tell you! I am sitting contentedly writing on my very happy laptop with a ton to do, but I don’t care – I’m soooo happy to be back up and running.

Thanks to my sweet husband, who tirelessly worked on my laptop in between all the visits to the Apple store this weekend and last night, we figured out that it was the memory we had installed last year that made ‘ol Mac here very unhappy.

So I just installed new memory in my laptop. Me. How much of a geek-nerd do I feel like telling you all that? But, I am so very proud. Thanks to the tutorial last night from J., and the Apple store wanting to charge me $40 to take the old memory out and pop in the new, I just decided to do it. Five minutes later…all done. Whew. Now we are zipping along and just so, so happy!

Did I mention I was happy?

J. is traveling tonight and tomorrow night so I’ll have time to reset my stuff up here and catch up on all of your blogs! Plus have time to update you on all of our chaos, too.

But first, please go on over to my sweet little godson, Will and wish him a happy 1st birthday! He is one already – man, that is insane. And I haven’t been over there yet, but I’m sure Kim has some fun Tuesday craftiness, too.

Here is my one and only layout from the week. I told you it was nuts around here. But I do love this one. The pics were from one day after Em’s 2nd birthday, which would make her the age Addie is now. It is so weird it seems like yesterday, yet so long ago, too. I was only halfway through my pregnancy with Addie when I took these. (Yeah, I took all the photos, so no pregnant belly photos there – but I’m working on that stupid meme, so maybe you’ll get some.)

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Happy, Happy Tuesday!

Happy Birthday, Lexer Bug!

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My niece, Alexis, turns 9 today. NINE!

She was the first “baby” in the family and the start of the “granddaughter train.” I have boxes and boxes of pictures of her back before I had a digital camera. We lived in San Francisco when she was born so when I got to see her…I took lots of photos. Imagine if I had a digital back then…we’d be pushing 100,000 photos right now!

This is one of my all-time favorites of her out by the bay… (not a very good scan…but you get the idea!)

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Crazy curls, cute pigtails, cheezy grin – Addie reminds me of Lexer so much when she was young!

Hmmm…maybe it is the first names starting with A’s, or the birthdays in September?

Whatever it is, I hope that Ad follows in your footsteps in many other ways, too, Lexer. And we all hope you have a great birthday and a fantastic year!

Happy Birthday! We love you.

Party Recap

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So the party was great. I realized that birthday parties are a lot like Christmas, in that you don’t really appreciate how much work your own Mom used to put into the days to make them special, until you actually do it yourself.

I am still slightly completely exhausted. But it was so worth it. Check out the look on her face while everyone is singing Happy Birthday to her! (Yeah, in retrospect, should have practiced blowing a candle out before the actual big moment…but she was so excited that her Daddy finally blew it out for her!)

The cake actually went together really easily and quickly on Friday night. I guess I have Addie to thank for picking an easy cake. I think I frosted the cake and all of the cupcakes in under an hour.

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J. grilled hot dogs, we had fruits, veggies, and chips for lunch…and Puppy Chow! (Thanks for the recipe, Kimmer – it was a definite hit!) The girls and I had also made bone-shaped sugar cookies for the doggy bags.

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All of the kids dressed-up as kitties and puppies when they got to the party and the “hot” game was Pin-the-Bone-In-The-Puppies-Mouth. I think everyone (Daddys, Wendy, and Uncle Jeff included!) took a few turns on that game. I guess the old standbys are always winners.

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So you won’t have to read anymore about “kippy.” It was successful, but it is done and we’re packing it in. If you need more pictures, check out flickr, I just uploaded a whole bunch.

Today, Ad’s actual birthday, has been seriously low-key. J. had to work, so the girls and I went and spent a few hours at the park. Took naps. And now we are heading down to have some dinner with Daddy. We will probably be in recovery mode for the next few days.

Thanks to everyone who came to the party and sent wishes and gifts to Addie. Our recovery will surely include some sort of “thank you” notes, but it may take us awhile since Em starts school this week, too!

Happy Birthday, My Big 2-year old!

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Dear Addikins -

As I was putting you to bed last night, I just couldn’t leave your room. You were nearly asleep, exhausted from your party, when I laid you down and covered you up. It was a rare moment, you letting me just stand there, stroking your hair and gazing at your sweet face as you drifted off to sleep.

It was a sweet pause before a pivotal moment in your life. It feels like you have been straddling the line between baby, toddler, and just plain “little girl” for so many months now.

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You will tell me, “I’m not baby, I a big girl!” or “No, I do it!” And then in the next breath you ask me “Hold my hand, Mama.” Although you will always be my baby, and you’ll never be a “just plain” girl, I think you have definitely jumped across that line. You are all little girl. And I couldn’t help but think back to what I was doing 2 years ago at that same moment, when you became my “baby.”

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I knew after I had my doctor’s appointment on the 8th of September and she “moved things along” a bit, that I was going to go into labor. I just had a feeling as we went out for dinner and I told your Daddy that we had better make sure the neighbors would be able to come over that night. I was so certain you were on your way.

I have to admit I was anxious, far more anxious than when we were waiting for Em to be born. I was unsure of how smoothly the transition from one baby to two was going to be. I was actually very scared, and worried that I just wouldn’t be able to be a mommy to two little girls as well as I could be to just one. And we had our comfortable routine already. Our family of three.

But the minute they put you in my arms, all of my fears, worries and anxieties disappeared. I knew that you were going to fit into our family perfectly. And you have given so much to our family in your two short years.

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Since the day you were born, you and your sister have been fast friends. You have given Emma an opportunity to be a (great!) big sister. She has become a caring girl and is very aware of her job as a role model to her adoring “little sister.” You have taught her the importance of sharing and putting others first. The two of you make the most amazing, beautiful pair of girls and I know that no matter where your paths lead you, you will always have a best friend to rely on. That makes me and Daddy so proud.

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And you have the most incredible sense of humor. Your faces and antics always have Daddy and I cracking up. You have just started to understand how funny you are, and you know how to use it to make us laugh. Just like a beam of sunshine, you shine laughter and happiness into a room just by being there.

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Most importantly, you have made me a much better Mommy. With your curiosity and need to “check everything out, ” you have taught me to be more patient. I know this one still could use a little work…but I am much more patient than I used to be. When I look into those big eyes of yours, I have to catch my breath. I just want to make the world stop and soak in every sweet minute I have with you.

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We still call you “tiny” although you and your personality are anything but that, now. It seems like quite a lot for such a “tiny” girl to have accomplished in two short years, but you have changed our family so that I cannot even begin to remember what it was like to be a family of three. You truly completed our family.

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Happy Birthday, “Tiny.” May this next year be a constant source of wonder, happiness and love. And thank you for bringing all of these to our family, too.

Love,
Mama

The Successful Happy Kippy Party

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We are all “pooped” out. Dog-tired. Ready for a catnap.

Oh, wait. The “kippy” party is over. We can now resume normal operations, and stop with all this puppy/kitty stuff.

It was a hugely successful party. Everyone had lots of fun. Ad held out until 7:30pm, with no nap and then she finally had to give in.

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I need to do the same. I am on “solo Mommy duty” tomorrow so I will post pics, details, and the cutest video of my 2-year old as we sang Happy Birthday to her. It made me cry as I was watching it a bit ago. She really is 2.

Tomorrow, my friends.

Welcome to the food network. Where all we think about is food. All the time.

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The chowdah (gotta say it like you are from Boston) and cookies were highly successful yesterday, thanks for the inquiries.

I am actually away from the house (Gasp…What? I Know!) at the moment, so I’ll post the recipes later on tonight.

But, yes, it was nice to have some good homemade nutrition for dinner. I think J. enjoyed his soup, it has jalapenos in it (totally optional), which he loves, but come to find out, it is not so nice to kiss someone who has indulged in them. So remember that. Be nice to your significant other if you make this chowder and/or if you would like any cuddling later on in the evening.

And the cookies! Let’s just say I’ve “tested” the cookies several times since last evening and they keep getting better with each taste test. So we may have a winning recipe. Finally. Now I need to slowly (s-l-o-w-l-y) wean myself off of them. Will you all just send me some random emails? Just title them “Carrie – Step away from the cookies. Now.”

Must. Stop. Eating. Cookies.

Because soon, our house will be flooded with cakes, cupcakes, puppy bone cookies, puppy chow and hot dogs.

We are on T-2 days and counting til A.’s birthday party. That is our menu for the event, so far. It has been really kind of fun prepping for it. I haven’t figured out, or bought, any of the food yet, but the girls and I have been putting together all of the “crafty” stuff for it.  J. and I cut 12 pairs of puppy and kitty ears out of felt the other night. (This is what constitutes a “hot night” at our house, aren’t you so jealous?) And then Em helped me glue them all together yesterday. And I made some little cards that have puppies on them and say “Doggy Bag” for the kids to take their goodies home in.  Em was so excited to glue them onto the little bags, so I expect that is what she and Denise are doing right now.

The hard thing is that I have to remember that A. is only 2, (although sometimes she acts like she is 4, like Em) and yet a lot of the kids that are coming are 4, 5 or older. You invite one child, and have to invite the other sibling sort of thing. Then it all snowballs. Anyways, I’m trying to do fun things for Addie that the big kids will still get “into” as well.

I’m also trying to decide whether to have a “pin the collar on the kitty” or a “pin the bone in the puppy’s mouth” game. I have some craft paper and I’m just going to draw it out, but I don’t know what would be cuter.

I was leaning towards doing more of the “puppy” side, I found this really cool doghouse cake that I thought she would flip over. So we are in the craft store and they actually had the pan, even though it is sold-out all over the internet. I showed it to A. and she said, “OH!  Puppy. Puppy in a house. Cute puppy.”

“Sweet,” I thought. And then A. squeeeeaaals, “Mama! A Smokey! A Smokey, Mama!” (All cats are “Smokey” right now.)

Sure enough, she found the only cake pan in the mountain of pans that can be made into a kitty. And as she pulled it out to carry it around, I realized the doghouse was so not going to happen.

So we are making a “Smokey” cake. Em thinks we should make it gray, black and white like our Smokey. Which I think is a fine idea, because black frosting is so much fun to work with and clean up.

Sigh.

I know. I know! It will be gray, black and white. Don’t worry.