Big Girl Room

Dear Em,
I love your nursery. We painted your walls before we even knew of you, but I had dreams of a little love someday playing in your room. Your daddy & I put together your crib & furniture together. I sat with a huge belly on the floor while one of my good friends painted the mural in your nursery. When I was 6 months pregnant, I painted the stars on your ceiling (stopping every five minutes to answer the phone & have Grandma ask if I need anything & Nonnie ask if I was being careful). We've snuggled up in your nursery & read books together. We've rocked through cranky nights of teething. Your Daddy & I have watched your sweet little face as you slept.

But it's time. It's time for you to sleep in a big-girl bed. With that, I figured why not move you to a big-girl room? We have three bedrooms & an office in our house. Your nursery is right next to our room & has been the perfect size for what you've needed. As you've grown, so have the things that you own. You need a room that can fit more books & dress-up clothes & space for you to move around. So, we're going to move you into the larger guest room, which has basically become a storage space when we don't have guests using it.

That means we get to design a whole new room for you. You get more space, I get to have fun creating your space. It's a win-win.

We won't be officially working on the room until this spring when I paint the walls, but I'm already planning...& dreaming (I may have drawn a diagram or two). I'm thinking grey for the walls so we can accent with a lot of fun colors & art work. Maybe marina grey from Benjamin Moore? RIght now the heaters are painted a deep blue color (thanks so much to the previous owners of our house). Does anyone know of they best way to repaint heaters? Augh.

Once Nonnie & Papi get here this summer, I'm hoping they can help us build these beds featured on Design Mom. I haven't decided on the fabric to cover them with yet. I'm thinking maybe a green or a yellow. Daddy asked why we got a crib that converts to a bed if we weren't going to use it? Because it doesn't really fit with my vision we'll need the crib if we have another baby.

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I'm crushing on this bedding from Pottery Barn. Girly, with some pink, but it doesn't scream pink (nothing worse than a room that makes you think of pepto bismol). We can incorporate accents of so many different colors. Plus, it's been on sale.

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The white bead board bookcase we bought you from Company Kids for Christmas will be perfect in between the two beds. Yup, I said two. Not because we have plans for a little sibling just yet. I just think it would be fun for you to have an extra bed for overnight guests...and maybe someday a sibling. Anyway, the shelve will be great between them so you can always reach for your books when you're in bed (right now we have a bunch of books on your changing table & you pull them in with you at night).

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The yellow gliding rocker & the yellow curtains we already have in your nursery match the bedding perfectly & bring in a little more yellow. Yellow is one of my favorite colors. I bought your curtains from Kohls, & they were a great price.

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I love these organizing cubes from Home Decorators collection, & they're wicked affordable. I'm thinking one on each side of the window at the end of the room would be perfect with a bench in between. You'd have your very own little reading nook with warm sunlight streaming through the window (sigh, I always wanted a window seat reading nook when I was growing up).

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I'm hoping Papi can help us make the bench for your reading nook. If not, this one from company kids is super cute (& has more storage).

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I like to look to Birds of a Feather for inspiration. They put this light fixture from Lowes in an office, but I think it would also be good fit in a girl's garden themed bedroom (plus, we really need a new light fixture in that room anyway).

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You love dress-up & jewelry & mirrors. Once you're in the bigger room, you'll have the space for it. I'm loving this coat rack from Ballard Designs to hang all of your dress-up clothes/boas/hats/etc. It's kind of pricey, but it's such a great storage solution (your dress-up rack is a disaster now, with no spot to place non-hanging items). They did just send me a 10% coupon. Still, maybe I can find something similar on Craigslist?

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Ofcourse, you'll need someplace to dress. Isn't this vanity I found on Amazon great? Plus, it can double as a desk someday.

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Once you're dressed, you'll need a mirror to twirl around in. Love this one, also found on Amazon.

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And when you're done dressing yourself up, you might want to dress up some dolls. This doll house would look super cute sitting in your new room. Add that to the wish list too.

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I'm not sure about art for the walls yet. I think we're going to mix a lot of what we already have & add a few new & bright pieces. I adore this hair bow/tutu/wall art from Etsy. You have at least a hundred hair bows/clips, & it would be a cute way to organize them all.

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Wouldn't this set of prints from Etsy be amazing for bringing in bright colors & flowers? Haley, from Life is Sweet, just did something similar in her baby's nursery. Sigh, when you look at Etsy, the possibilities are literally endless. So many beautiful things.

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There are so many adorable & fun things that we can make & purchase for a lovely girls room. I'm in room designing heaven. Can't wait for the summer (for your 2.5 birthday) when we can unveil your new room.

I love you so,

Mommy

* Readers, what do you think? What would you put in your dream girls room? *

Track 84

Dear Em,

When I was a little girl, I had my first sip of beer. My Daddy's beer sat on a side table. Before anyone knew what to do, I scooped it up like it was a sippy & had my first little taste. I'm not sure if I liked it back then, but I don't really care for beer now (& of course I didn't have my second taste of beer until I was 21...21, got it?).

I don't know when your Daddy's first sip of beer was or if he liked it. I do know that he's become quite the beer connoisseur over the years. While he mostly drank Bud Light & Honey Brown in college, he's become more interested in the finer brews these days.

We've gone on the Guinness Brewery Tour in Dublin and the  Sam Adams Brewery Tour in Boston. We've learned all about malted barley & hops. Daddy has read book & watched documentaries about brewing beer. He has his own beer brewing kit & wishes he could one day start his very own brewery.

When we travel, he loves to try the local brews. So, I got him beer of the month club last year & the year before. Every month, he read the newsletter & enjoyed trying different beer from all over the country. Excitement would flicker in his eyes when he tried one that was extra hoppy or one with hints of coffee flavor.

This year it was a no brainer to throw him a birthday party at Track 84. It's a small bar located in Warwick, right next to the railroad tracks. It's a hole in the wall kind of place with a relaxed atmosphere, music, darts, & free popcorn. Track 84 also has 20 draft beers that you wouldn't typically find in any other bars, or even liquor stores, in Rhode Island. They also had cider for me (& most of the girls we were there with). Daddy was in his element. I think he would have tried all 20 beers if he could have.

It was a great time to spend with a small group of our closest friends & celebrate the last year of your Daddy's 20s (you're probably thinking he's way old...lol). We got to catch up on everyone's wedding plans, house hunting stories, & cute stories about our kids. There was lots of conversation & a competitive game of darts.

This year Daddy's birthday party wasn't big or fancy or expensive. It honestly didn't take more than a facebook invite to plan. But it was perfect. Best part? You had a fun sleep over at Grandma & Papa's & Daddy & I got to sleep in until almost 9. Sigh, I can't even remember the last time we slept until almost 9. AMAZING.

I hope that when you're our age, you have great friends who truly know you & plan your birthdays doing things that you really love.

I love you so,

Mommy

is that a man?

Dear Em,
My mom tells me stories about how I embarrassed her when I was a child. Recently, after her stories she smiles at me & says, "just wait, you'll see." I know that children say whatever comes to mind, but still I wasn't prepared for it. And then there was the grocery store...

We were weighing our avocados & a woman was waiting behind us. You looked at her & asked me, "is that a man?" I looked back at the woman standing behind us. She was an older woman with short hair & a birthmark that covered most of the right side of her face. I felt the blood quickly traveling to my face. I'm typically pretty good at handling uncomfortable situations like this, but I just blanked. I couldn't not think of one thing to say as I gave her an uncomfortable smile.

She looked at you & said, "Nope, I'm not a man. What's your other choice?" You made a little pout as you clearly became scared that a stranger was talking to you. I stood like a mute idiot.

The woman turned to me & said, "That's OK, hunny, I've looked in the mirror." She sweetly smiled & walked away.

It wasn't until after she walked away that I began to remember things like the English language & words & how to use my mouth to make words. Why didn't I say, "Oh, it's because you have short hair?" Why couldn't I explain that Rapunzel is your idle & you associate long hair with being a girl & short hair with being a boy. Why didn't I say anything? Why didn't I apologize?

I felt like crying. I felt so sad that we had hurt the woman's feelings, a woman we had never seen before & will probably never see again. I wasn't mad or upset with you. I know you would never try to hurt anyone, but I still felt so awful. At that moment I just wanted to sink into the floor & hide.

Moments later another woman with a tight bun walked by & you said, "there's another man." I started to quickly push our cart down the isle. I don't think I've ever grocery shopped so quickly. As we were walking out to the car, a man with long hair & a ponytail walked past us. "Look, Mommy, a girl," you exclaimed. I know that you are just curious & trying to learn by observing, but seriously?! It was as if the universe was conspiring against me. How many people could we possibly offend in one shopping trip?

During the drive home we had a long talk about women sometimes having short hair & men sometimes having long hair. Also, I asked if we could stop playing the girl or boy game at the supermarket.

I love you so,
Mommy

love letters

Dear Em,
Sometimes life seems hard. Sometimes I have days that are just not good days. There are some days I feel like nothing is going to go quite right & maybe I shouldn't have gotten out of bed. 


Then there are things that bring me back to reality. There is inspiration that helps me see how small my problems are in the grand scheme of things. I think about how beautiful our life is as a family of three. I think of the love & support that surrounds us. Maybe even the bad days are good days after all.


These words by Brother David Steindl-Rast really put things into perspective for me. It reminds me how beautiful life is, the gift of life.

"You think this is just another day in your life. It's not just another day; it's the one day that is given to you today. It's given to you. It's a gift. It's the only gift that you have right now, and the only appropriate response is gratefulness. If you do nothing else but to cultivate that response to the great gift that this unique day is, if you learn to respond as if it were the first day of your life, and the very last day, then you will have spent this day very well.

Begin by opening your eyes and be surprised that you have eyes you can open, that incredible array of colors that is constantly offered to us for pure enjoyment. Look at the sky. We so rarely look at the sky. We so rarely note how different it is from moment to moment with clouds coming and going. We just think of the weather, and even of the weather we don't think of all the many nuances of weather. We just think of good weather and bad weather. This day right now has unique weather, maybe a kind that will never exactly in that form come again. The formation of clouds in the sky will never be the same that it is right now. Open your eyes. Look at that.

Look at the faces of people that you meet. Each one has an incredible story behind their face, a story that you could never fully fathom, not only their own story, but the story of their ancestors. We all go back so far. And in this present moment on this day all the people you meet, all that life from generations and from so many places all over the world, flows together and meets you here like a life-giving water, if you only open your heart and drink.

Open your heart to the incredible gifts that civilization gives to us. You flip a switch and there is electric light. You turn a faucet and there is warm water and cold water -- and drinkable water. It's a gift that millions and millions in the world will never experience.

So these are just a few of an enormous number of gifts to which you can open your heart. And so I wish for you that you would open your heart to all these blessings and let them flow through you, that everyone whom you will meet on this day will be blessed by you; just by your eyes, by your smile, by your touch -- just by your presence. Let the gratefulness overflow into blessing all around you, and then it will really be a good day."    

"A Good Day" by Brother David Steindl-Rast

I hope you see & believe in the "Good Days" all around us.

I love you so,

Mommy

art work & wrapping paper

Dear Em,
For your birthday this year we got you an easel. There's a spot to for paints & markers & chalk. You love it, & it's so fun to watch you play & make art.

There's just one problem. Where do I put all of your art? I saved the very first easel piece your created (along with many others from school & home), but I can't save/display them all. I thought about using some of your pieces & framing them as a kind of abstract art work to decorate your room. But still, even after sending artwork to family in the mail, we just can't keep them all.

Then I had a great idea for your art. We can reuse it as fun & personalized wrapping paper.

Daddy's very last birthday week present, the sunglasses he was really hoping for, had a little extra pizazz- your art work. It was actually perfect because you & Daddy worked on this piece of art together. In the future, I'm thinking we can even add ribbon & stickers. 

It's a fun way for you to be involved in the gift giving process. Plus, it works for any occasion. And who wouldn't want a gift tenderly wrapped in your creations?

I love you so,

Mommy

Potty Parties

Dear Em,
Are these the types of parties that we will be throwing now? Potty parties? Up until a couple weeks ago, I had never heard of a potty party. I've heard different methods of potty training, but I had no idea there was a themed party to go with it. I was curious, so I googled "potty party" to see what it was all about.

Some places & play groups are now hosting parties to help teach kids & get them excited about using the potty. In fact, you can buy potty party kits online or find a store or facility that hosts them. Some of the parties were big with lots of kids. One blogger talked about only inviting her child's imaginary friends to the party (stuffed animals). There was an Elmo themed party with books & party hats & stuffed Elmos all partying in the bathroom (the pictures looked really cute, but I couldn't help but think "a party in the bathroom, ewww").

The content of the parties seem to differ depending on the party planner. At one place, the kids watched a DVD about going potty, colored a pair of training underwear, sang songs & were given parting gifts (a potty checklist, stickers, & a blow-up guitar). Other parties looked very similar to birthday parties with a cake & candles to celebrate the first day of wearing underwear.

So, these are the types of parties we will be throwing now? There are a number of things I wish I knew before I had kids, & now we can add potty parties to that list. I don't mean to sound negative about it. I think it's a fun idea to help kids in their transition to that next step. It's just, when I think of the one place in my house I'd rather not throw a party, it's in my bathroom (ok, also in the part of the basement where we keep the littler boxes). Seriously, ew. I kind of vomit in my mouth a little when I think about it.

We're not quite ready yet, anyway. We're going to wait until after you've had tubes put in your ears. The frequent antibiotic treatments you've been on for your recurring ear infections do a number on your system & give you diarrhea. We didn't think it was fair to start potty training until after your tubes, which would eliminate the need for oral antibiotics. Did I mention you are getting tubes put in your ears? I don't really like to think about it. Sigh, another post for another time.

Last week, you threw your very own potty party. Daddy & I were getting ready for work when you announced that Rachel, your baby doll, needed to go potty. You ran upstairs. A few minutes later Daddy & I found you in the bathroom upstairs. Your baby doll was undressed & sitting in your little red potty (which is still super clean since you don't go potty in it). You were sitting next to her, "reading" to her about princesses. It was so precious & sweet. You always seem to be in your element when you're bossing teaching someone else how to do things.

I'm not sure if potty parties will be part of our game plan, but I will leave you with this sweet video of the potty party you threw for Rachel.

I love you so,

Mommy

* Parents, have you hosted/attended a potty party? What are your thoughts? *

coming out from under a rock

Dear Em,
I feel like I've been living underneath a rock. There is technology swirling all around me, but somehow I missed something I feel like everyone else already knows about. Seriously, how did I not know about Restaurant.com?

Well, I knew of it. At least I had heard of it, but I thought it was just a site where you could look up restaurant reviews. Since most of the reviews we care about are word of mouth, we never thought much about checking out a restaurant review site. Then a friend told me the other day that Restaurant.com is a place where you can buy $25 gift certificates for as little as $2. How did I not know about this?!

We've been limiting how often we go out to save money. Paying a mortgage & paying for your school doesn't leave a lot of extra cash lying around. You know what it means if we can get $25 gift certificates for $2? Daddy & I can go out for date nights again (I think there are additional stipulations, but it's still a good deal)! It'll also be a nice fallback for those nights when we can't even begin to think about cooking a meal at the end of a long day.

I looked at the selection of restaurants in Rhode Island & was surprised to see how many there were to choose from. Many restaurants we love, some restaurants I have never heard of, & one restaurant we already have plans to go to with friends. I'm excited about trying out some new places for a good deal.

I just had to share incase there are other people out there who were sitting under a rock right a long with me.

I love you so,
Mommy

our laundry game

Dear Em,
There were days when I only got things done when you were sound asleep. I planned each & every second of your sleeping hours way in advance. As you slept I did laundry, dusted, cleaned bathrooms, vacuumed, did the dishes...I used every second as best I could. After a little while I began to realize I was leaving no time for myself.

Don't get me wrong, I actually loved every moment of it. You were the miracle I had been dreaming of for as long as I can remember. I loved caring for you & our home, but at some point I started to feel like I was losing pieces of me.

This year I've been working on making more time for me. I'm enjoying reading again, blogging, exercising, enjoying time with friends, & connecting one-on-one with your Daddy. As is life, when you make time for some things, it eliminates time for others. Between work & home & you, it probably doesn't come as a surprise that I struggle to get it all done. As much as I would love love love if we had someone to tidy up our home, that's not going to happen (unless we win he lottery).  So, I have to multitask.

That's how our laundry game started. We put on some music, I pile all the laundry in the middle of my bed, & you sit down next to it. In between rolling around in it & throwing it in the air, you pick the items of laundry out of the pile & pass them to me. As I fold, you giggle & talk to me about what I'm folding, what color it is, what shapes are on it, & whose it is. Then you pass me the next item.

You fling the socks in a separate pile. Your favorite part is matching socks. I ask you for two pink socks. Your face is deep with concentration as you pick through each sock & find the first & then the second. You love to match the colors & the shapes all by yourself. A proud look spreads across your face as you match each pair, & you exclaim, "yay" each time.

When it comes time to put everything away, You plop down on the floor & read books by my feet. Is it weird that I almost look forward to laundry now? It's a fun & special time we share together. I know our fun game probably won't stay fun forever. For now, it's a way that we can have talk & learn & giggle & dance all while we get things done.

I love you so,
Mommy

love letters

Dear Em,

Today is a special day, Daddy's birthday. I can't tell you how blessed we are to have this man in our lives. He keeps me grounded, he keeps me laughing. He's my partner in all the beauty & all the craziness that is life.

For as long as I can remember, this has been his favorite song...

"See you and me

Have a better time than most can dream

Have it better than the best

So we can pull on through

Whatever tears at us

Whatever holds us down

And if nothing can be done

We'll make the best of what's around

Turns out not where but who you're with

That really matters..."

"Best of What's Around" by Dave Matthews Band

It's so true. This is the tenth birthday I've celebrated with your Daddy. When I think about it, it totally blows my mind how much has happened in ten years. We've really grown up together. I can't say that everyday has been sunshine & rainbows, but even the most awful days have been a blessing because I've had your Daddy to share them with. He's kind & tender. He's so fun & so funny. He's hardworking but adventurous. He's the sweetest & most amazing Daddy I know. I can't imagine us going through life with anyone else.

Today not only marks Daddy's birthday but another milestone, the first time you were able to sing "Happy Birthday" to one of us. This morning Daddy & I woke up, talking & giggling. I went & got you out of your crib & brought you into bed with us. You sang the sweetest rendition of "Happy Birthday" & then said "yay" when you were finished. Then you tackled Daddy with hugs & kisses. I can't imagine a better birthday present.

Tonight we're going to have a quiet but fun celebration with movies & hide-&-seek & baking (Daddy's birthday party is tomorrow), & I can't wait. I really do "have a better time than most can dream", as long as I have you & Daddy to celebrate life with.

I love you so,

Mommy

paper bags & bubble wrap

Dear Em,
There's a whole lot that can be spent on children's toys & videos, but this Saturday we spent a blissful hour playing with bubble wrap & two paper bags. It was amazing & fun & precious. We don't need real toys.

The bubble wrap came in a delivered package. After lunch you & I had a blast dancing & jumping to pop every last bubble. You were so excited as each bubble burst with a fun sound. After a little while, I noticed our cat Charlie. He was watching nearby, ready to pounce & join in the fun.

You've wanted to play with our cats in the worst way. The problem is you get so excited. They easily scare & run away. Charlie stuck around for the bubble popping, & you were so happy to play with him. When there were no more pops left to pop, I pulled out his favorite toy, a paper bag. I showed you how to gently rustle the bag, & we watched Charlie jump into the bag & tear it up as he wrestled around. You wanted to get into a bag too.

Once Charlie had ripped his bag to shreds, you swung your bag around trying to get him to swat at it.

He played for a little while. Inevitably, you were a little too excited with your bag swinging & he ran away. You walked over to Daddy & I with a sad little look on your face, holding your bag. "He doesn't want to play Bag anymore," you told us. It sounds mean, but Daddy & I couldn't help but giggle. It was just so darn cute. Your fun had a name, & it was called "playing bag." 

Thank goodness I caught the last few precious moments on video.

I love that through your eyes paper bags became a new, special game. Who needs fancy toys & TV when we've got each other, some bubble wrap, & a couple paper bags?

I love you so,

Mommy