Christmas Eve Is...(2014 Edition)

Dear Em,
Christmas Eve is...

This holiday season has thrown us for a little of a loop. You started our Christmas Eve home sick with an ear infection & strep throat. Instead of going to the pet store with Daddy to pick out gifts for the cats, Daddy went to the store & face timed you while he was there so you could help him make fun choices. A second electrician came to our house to look at our power outage situation, & after two hours we were able to say that we had stumped two electricians. Having the electrician there kind of threw our whole schedule off. I asked Daddy to pick up premade cookie dough from the store, because there was no way I would have time to make our really yummy cookies in time for you to leave them for Santa. We quickly sat down to eat dinner together before...

* Face timing & Opening Gifts with Dear Friends *

* Opening One Gift & Putting our Christmas Jammies On *

* "Baking" & Leaving Cookies & Milk for Santa & Veggie Sticks (we forgot to buy carrots) for Rudolph *

* Snuggling Together & Reading Christmas Classics Before Tucking Our Little All Snug in Her Bed *

* Getting to Work as Santa's Elves *

* Hanging the Stockings With Care *

* Leaving Notes from Santa *

* Saying Goodbye to Elfie Until Next Year (he stole a few snacks for the road) *

* And Drifting to Sleep on a Silent Night *

I love you so,

Mommy

Flashback Friday: What a difference five years make

Dear Em,
I had planned on this being a Throwback Thursday post, but the days are just really getting away from me lately. Sigh. So, here we are with the blog's first Flashback Friday.

I cannot stress enough how quickly the past five years have gone by. The saying goes that time flies when you're having fun. I'm not saying every day has been sunshine & butterflies, but they've been the five best years of my life.

Five years ago, I was doing a lot of waiting. I was waiting for my family to arrive for the holidays, & I was waiting for you to be born. I could not wait to meet you, to put a face to all of my dreams. I was doing my very best to do anything that might coax you out. I tried to walk three miles each day. I ate eggplant parm. I drank smoothies of mango, kiwi, & pineapple. This was one of the first things in life that I couldn't make happen in my own time, & it drove me crazy. This was just the first of many lessons I would learn about losing control & finding beauty in things that don't go exactly as I planned.

You weren't born in time for Christmas that year, but a few days later I received the most amazing gift Daddy & I would ever receive...you. Now I have this imaginative, outspoken, bouncing, loving, bright, hilarious little almost five year old. What a difference five short years makes.

You ask me what I want for Christmas, & every year I give you the same answer. All I've ever wanted for the past five years is you. Your hugs & kisses & smiles & oohs & ahhs & snuggles & laughter bring more joy to mine & Daddy's Christmases than anything that could be wrapped & put under the tree.

I love you so,
Mommy

spectacular adventures

Dear Em,

Little girl, you even make raking the leaves a spectacular adventure.

Looking at the world through your eyes is one of my life's greatest joys.

To you, they're not just scattered leaves in a yard. They're a multicolored playground & infinite smiles. Our front yard doesn't just hold a walkway, it holds a canvas for your art. There's an afternoon of fun just waiting to be had in the ordinary of our front yard. I love that you see that. I hope you always will.

I love you so,

Mommy

Throwback Thursday: First Days of School

Dear Em,
This week you had your fourth and last first day at the school you've been going to since you were 18 months old. Next year you'll be off to kindergarten, & I think we'll all miss the sweet school where you've spent your preschool years learning & growing. I couldn't not have a Throwback Thursday highlighting all of your first days.

I think we were all incredibly nervous when we dropped you off at your first day of school in 2011 (I'm pretty sure I wanted to turn around running & beg your nannies to stay with us). It rained that morning (didn't the weather know I needed to take outdoor first day of school pictures?!), & you wore an adorable bumble bee backpack (with matching lunch box) over your raincoat that day. The "Welcome to Peanuts" sign put a big smile on all our faces & helped put us at ease during such a big time of transition.

In 2012 we weren't rookies anymore. You would be in the same classroom with the same teachers we adored. The adorable, teeny-tiny bumblebee backpack which had been too small to hold a regular sized piece of paper was replaced with a much more functional owl backpack (with matching lunchbox). You were so excited for another year at school.

In 2013 we were excited & nervous. You would be in a new classroom with new teachers. You were so proud that you were growing up into the sunshines classroom. I was a mix between wishing you could stay little forever (I mean, look at how big you look in this photo) & wishing you could take your first teachers with you to every classroom that you transitioned into for the rest of your life. At least you were able to take your old backpack & lunchbox (which has held up so well) with you into your new classroom.

This year you woke up, got yourself dressed, & told me how you wanted your hair fixed. Over top of the outfit you & Nonnie had picked out for your first day, you wore your trusty owl backpack (we'll get a new one for kindergarten). Although you would be in a new classroom & would miss your teachers from the previous year, you were super excited to see all of your friends again. You were a little nervous as we walked down the stairs to your PreK classroom, but your teachers put you right at ease. You sat down right next to one of your little friends, & there weren't even any tears as I left the classroom.

I can't believe how much our little girl has grown up! So excited for where the adventures of this year of school will take you.

I love you so,

Mommy

Princess Party: The Food

Dear Em,

* This the fourth post of 4 posts recapping an adorable 4.5 Princess Birthday Party. See also Princess Birthday Party: The Theme, Princess Birthday Party: The Invites, & Princess Birthday Party: The Venue. *

This is the last post detailing your 4.5 Princess Birthday Party, & I thought I'd go out with a bang by talking about the food. While we didn't need to bring any activities for your party at Kidz Adventure Cuts, we did need to bring all the food. Each time we plan one of your parties, I try to include food that you love without getting too complicated or junk-foody.

Since you love yogurt, I tried to make things simple & clean-up friendly by including yogurt tubes. We also included your favorite fruit in a fruit salad. You are currently obsessed with Cape Cod potato chips. You call them "hip hop potato chips" & go crazy at just the smell of them. I knew we had to have them for your party. One of your other snack favorites are pretzel chips, & we brought those along as well. I bought water bottles & juice boxes from Trader Joes, letting the organic packing make me feel better about the fact they are basically boxes of sugar.

You don't love pizza, but since Rhode Island bakery pizza is typically a crowd pleaser we brought that. We also got a sample platter from Pizzeria Uno with chicken fingers, shrimp skewers, chicken wings, chips, & guacamole. The kids ate the chicken, & the parents ate everything. It was easy, & it was a big hit.

Again this year, we waited too long to order an Allie's Donut Cake & they were booked solid. Instead, we ordered a cupcake cake from Stop & Shop. I took princess photos of you before we ordered it. I gave them a 4x6 photo, & they printed your picture right on the cake. You were dazzled by the very special cake made just for you.

Although nothing except for the cake really went with the princess theme (except that we included our princess's favorite foods), I found pink & purple princess plates & cups & napkins at the Dollar Store to complete the whole princess party look. Everything was a hit. It was a princess foodie paradise.

Most importantly, our little princess loved every bite of her princess party food.

It was such a yummy & fun & special party for the most amazing, little princess I'll ever know. It will be tough living up to it next year, but something tells me you'll inspire something new that's just as fun & adorable & amazing.

I love you so,

Mommy

Princess Birthday Party: The Venue

Dear Em,

* This the third post of 4 posts recapping an adorable 4.5 Princess Birthday Party. See also Princess Birthday Party: The Theme, Princess Birthday Party: The Invites, & Princess Birthday Party: the Food. *

It was on the day of your very first hair cut trim that I first learned you can have birthday parties at a hair salon. What?! I think I asked about it, because it seemed so silly. What kind of children's birthday parties happen at a hair salon? Does everyone get their hair cut, get a lolly pop, & then go home?

The woman cutting your hair that very first time smiled at me as she explained that the parties at Kidz Adventure Cuts include a fancy hair up-do, nail painting, a temporary airbrush tattoo, & glittery make-up. Then they have a separate room with black lights, a disco ball, & music where kids can eat & dance & play. This is SO up your alley. I can't think of any part of that party description that you wouldn't be absolutely giddy about.

I could think of many parts of that party description that your male cousins & friends wouldn't enjoy. While I try not to define what kids like & dislike by their gender (we have many discussions with you about how boys can like pink & play babies too), I just couldn't wrap my head around how to make this a successful party for both boys & girls. As we planned your 4.5 birthday party this year, I wondered how we could give you your dream party, but include everyone. Ultimately we decided to have a party just for the girls (after all, I had tons of girls parties when I was growing up).

The invitations asked your little girlfriends to come to your party dressed in their favorite princess attire. It was beyond cute to see the little princesses as they were arriving in Aurora, Rapunzel, Tinker Bell, & Elsa attire. You were dressed in a Sofia the First dress, ready to be made up into Princess Emma the First.

There were three hairdressers that worked with us during the party, & they started on your hair, nails, air brush tattoos, & make-up right away. It was amazing to watch how quickly the women at Kidz Adventure Cuts worked. They made glittery hair masterpieces in about the same time it takes for me to put your hair up in a pony tail, & they were so incredible with you littles. There was very little wait time for any of you princesses, & you all enjoyed the make-over fun so much.

A princess girl party seemed like the perfect place to reuse our pink & glittery photo booth that we had made for Aunt Andrea's shower. You & your little friends got a kick out of accessorizing with boas & tutus & crowns & getting your pictures taken.

Soon you were all glammed up, & you were all stunning little princesses. You ate and danced the rest of the party away- you know, like princesses do. It was too stinkin' adorable.

It's amazing to me how much joy you bring us by just being you. To watch you in all your fancy, glittery glory put a smile in my heart. I loved all the giggles & the dance moves & just watching you with your little girlfriends. Even though it was your special day, you made sure to include all the princesses & spend precious moments with each & every one of them. I loved every moment of your princess party.

As we left the party, you thanked me. You told us that THIS was the BEST PARTY EVER. Your eyes sparkled with happiness. It was as if you realized that not every girl gets to be a princess for a day, & for the first time post birthday party, you had so much gratitude in your heart. I had to agree with your assessment. It was my favorite party too. It's funny how you've made your anti-pink Mommy find the joy in fancy & pink & sparkles. But I guess just about anything that puts a smile on your face brings joy to my heart.

I love you so,
Mommy