Happy (early) Fathers Day P!

Look out Mt. Shasta--here comes
P and G!

Patrick is leaving tomorrow on a "man adventure" with my brother-in-law Gavin.  They will be summiting Mt. Shasta with a crew from REI over the weekend.  I helped Patrick pack up his backpack tonight and it officially weighed in at 30.4 lbs.  He will also need to carry water so he will be spending the weekend lugging almost 40 lbs around with him in what appears to be the worlds most uncomfortable hiking boots (double plastic mountaineering boots for those who were wondering).  Good luck Patrick.

Shamu doing his thing

At the viewing window for the Beluga whales

We celebrated Father's Day today as a family.  P took the day off from work and we spent a leisurely morning eating waffles, strawberries, and blueberries.  After Liam's nap we headed to Sea World.  The weather was nice and we caught the new Shamu show, One Ocean.  Laney had never seen it before and was delighted by the back-flipping whales and the fact that people were getting splashed by them.  Thankfully we were not in the Soak Zone or I don't think she would have been so delighted.  We visited the penguins, walruses, polar bears, and the beluga whales.  Laney really likes those whales and I really like that their exhibit is indoors and air conditioned.

Happy Father's Day to a truly remarkable daddy!

Later we let her run around in the kiddie play area.  She loves to climb the giant cargo nets and go down the twisty slide.  It is pretty difficult as a parent to stand down at the bottom of the cargo net and watch your 3 year old ascend.  I kept reminding myself that she would be fine if she fell and was quite capable of climbing on her own.  Still, a nervous energy thrummed through me until she made it to the top and climbed completely into the playhouse.  That right there is the difficult yet amazing part of being a parent.  Part of you is standing there cheering for your child as they accomplish something new and on their own.  The other part of you is thinking of all the horrible things that could go wrong and you can't help wondering if you should dash up the cargo net after them and lead them by the hand to the top, just to make sure that everything goes smoothly.   Instead you stand at the bottom with a huge smile plastered on your face as you see the proud look on your baby's face when they realize that they did it. You act like a fool jumping up and down, not caring what anyone else thinks, as you thrust your fists into the air and yell "hooray!"

I just now realized that today was a dry run for this weekend.  I will keep reminding myself that Patrick and Gavin will be fine and are quite capable of climbing to the top of Mt. Shasta.  I will not allow myself to think of all the horrible things that could go wrong, because they won't.  Laney will be dancing on stage in front of hundreds at her dance recital Saturday, and I will be there to reassure her that she can and will get up on stage and dance.  No matter how that dance goes, I will be waiting in the wings for my little prima ballerina with my heart on my sleeve.  I will be a cheerleader for all of them no matter what kind of energy is thrumming inside of me.  My family takes flight this weekend as they endeavor on new adventures.  I am making a promise to myself that I will not fret and I will not worry about the "what ifs" at all for the next few days.  I promise I will be the fool jumping up and down, fists in the air; not the one dashing nervously up the cargo net to hold someone's hand.

Happy birthday Doug!

Happy birthday big guy!

My friend Krista has three boys and her youngest turned one this weekend.  We went to his party and Liam made fast friends with him in the playpen.  So cute to watch them interact.  Liam's first friend :)  So glad they like each other because Krista and I have been friends for almost 16 years now and we want to keep it that way.

Pack-n-play buddies

Nail polish strips, my new obsession!

I just tried out some Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips and all I have to say is wow!

These things are amazing!  I filed my nails, pushed back my cuticles, then cleaned my nails with polish remover.  You then peel the strip of patterned polish off the plastic backing and place it on your nail bed (it is sticky on the backside).  Smooth the strip over your nail with the mini orange stick, and then run a file along the edge of your nail to cut off the excess and voila!  Instant manicure with no smudges or drying time.  Perfect for busy moms who never have time to wait for their nails to dry.

I tried out the Skinny Jeans color which looks like little denim swatches on my nails.  Supposedly these last for 10 days without chipping and come off with nail polish remover like regular polish.  We will see how they last doing dishes, making bottles, and changing diapers.

They were a tad on the expensive side, but I have short nails and was able to use some of the strips for 2 nails, which should cut the cost of my home manicure in half.  The box cost around $9 and comes in many varieties:  such as lace, butterflies, leopard spots, multi-color and (gasp!) glitter.  Too bad CVS was out of the glitter when I was there shopping.  I hope these things work.  I may never get a mani again.

What is your motto?

My personal motto?  Glitter. Is. Good.  

What makes some people "glitter people" and some people "glitter haters?"  What is it about glitter that just makes me smile?  Maybe it is the shine and maybe it is the sparkle.  Either way I just know that I am drawn to glitter like a moth to a flame.

Anyone who knows me well knows that I have a not-so-secret passion for glitter.  I truly think that glitter makes almost anything look better.  Shoes, purses, cards, makeup, lotion, barrettes, and the list goes on.  In fact, my day is not complete without interfacing with something sparkly.  My glasses have rhinestones, my makeup bag is made of copper colored glittery fabric, and I never leave the house without earrings that sparkle.  All of my eye shadow has glitter in it, and I love sparkly lip gloss too.  Even Laney has loads of sparkle shoes and loves to add bling to her own outfits.  In fact, it is hard for me to find items in and around my home that couldn't be improved with glitter, with one exception:  Liam.  He does not do glitter and neither does his stuff.  This is the only thing that I find disappointing about having a son.


I thank God often for glitter.  It adds a beauty to everything and makes me feel like I sparkle inside and out.  Glitter is an inexpensive way to make an occasion more festive and special, and this house will never run out of ways to shine.   So passionate am I about my love for the little metallic flakes that I requested that if something should happen to Patrick and I, my sister and mom make sure that Laney grows up to be a sparkle and glitter lover too.  Oh, and they should also make sure she studies and goes to a good college too.

Have you had your glitter today?  Maybe it is time to inject a little sparkle and glam into your life too.

Hunky Monkey

Today was a very fussy day for Liam.  He is getting over an ear infection and sore throat, and the screaming all day doesn't help.  His antibiotics are giving him diarrhea, so he is not a real happy camper right now. Thankfully a trip to the backyard cured his 3 o'clock blues.

It appears that he is not thrilled with Laney who was screaming "mommy" at the top of her lungs for attention.  Kinda looks like he is about to get up and smack her....lucky for Laney he can't walk yet!

Happy again after a few minutes of mutual fussing.

'Nect Dots

I switched from a Blackberry to a Droid phone this past week.  I must say that the switch has been more seamless than I thought, thanks to my prolific use of Google and all its functions!  Google and the Droid phone interface to pull all your calendar and contact info from your account so well that my most difficult decision on new phone day was what color case to buy for it.  What has really surprised me is how well Laney has taken to using my phone.  She loves playing Angry Birds (just like mommy, who is now addicted).  I also downloaded some puzzle games, memory games, painting apps, and a connect the dots game.  She begs to use the phone all day now, asking me if she can play " 'nect dots" or puzzle.  I fire up the app and away she goes.  She even knows how to reset the games when she is done and scroll the screen right or left so she can fire her angry birds across the screen.  I am in awe over how well she is able to use the phone and adapt to new technology.  Then I got to thinking about how much technology has changed since I was a child.  Laney will probably never see a cassette tape, video tape, or record player in her lifetime.  She already has her own iPod in her room (my old one) and has dedicated playlists on it.  She knows how to click the mouse at our computer to play sesamestreet.org "Silly Games" and when I tell her that we need to buy something, she asks if we should google it and order it.  Can you believe it?!  Still, I bet we will laugh about how archaic this technology is when she has her own kids.  For now, I just keep thanking the technology gods for helping this mom stay streamlined and in touch with all her besties.

Laney is 3!

Laney had her 3rd birthday on Saturday, and it was a really wonderful day.  She looked so precious in her white handkerchief hem dress, reminding me of a fairy as her blond curls bounced in the sunlight and the dress floated around her legs in the breeze.

The theme for her party was "elephant" and we decked out our home.  I made fabric elephants and hung them around the house and yard.  There were plenty of peanuts included in the floral arrangements and I even stashed several ceramic elephants about the party (garnering me strange looks from the sales clerk at Marshall's as I purchased copious amounts of elephant statues..to be returned this week!).

Laney's friends from preschool and the neighborhood were invited, and the kids had a great time.  They made elephant "handimals" (thanks to Shelley)

and decorated paper elephants (thanks to Elisabeth for manning the glue bottles).

There was an elephant piñata (thanks to Sean for running it) that was filled with mini-Tootsie Pops and Gummy Life Savers.  Laney reports that she loved her party and the piñata was her favorite part.  She liked hitting it and getting the candy from the ground.  (Thank goodness there were a few 6 year olds at the party to crack that thing open!)

Guests dined on Panera sandwiches and salad, and a white cake with strawberry filling, butter cream frosting (my fav), and a pink elephant to top it off.

The party favors were elephant shaped crayons made by yours truly.

Later we had a family bbq and enjoyed burgers and more cake!  A great time was had by all.  We finished out the night be reading her "On the Day You Were Born" by Debra Frasier and "On the Night You Were Born" by Nancy Tillman.  Both make me teary and sentimental as I think back to the day she was born and of all the milestones and memories between then and now.  I even told Patrick that I was sad that we only got to have her for another 15 years before she left for college.  He reminded me of how awful I was as a teenager and told me that I wouldn't really mind it when the time came.  Hard to imagine now, but I know that day will be here before I know it.