Pictures from the big day

Stinky at Buckingham Fountain
Millennium Park
Millennium Park
'The Bean'
More Millennium park



I will preface this by saying I am really not a good photographer. Nor am I good at remembering to pull out my camera to commemorate important events: library card, entrance to the Taste, American Girl Place.... But I did manage to get a few snap shots.

So Grown-Up

Today was a huge day. Train ride, Taste of Chicago, American Girl Place.... Seeing Papa...but the true highlight? Library. Getting Princess her first library card.

She is official now. She is getting so grown up. How did that happen? The rules of the library are that children have to be five years old before they can get their first card.

She was thrilled. Absolutely thrilled. She carried her card with her like it was her prized possession. They also gave her a sticker to commemorate the occasion. Wow. Now to keep track of the darn thing- I give it three weeks before she loses it.

Prayers for patience

I pray. Sometimes it is concentrated time on my own devoting myself to engaging in G-d's love. Sometimes it is more or less 'please give me strength/guidance/patience. Please do not let me strangle my mother in law, children, etc'

One thing I have noticed is the more I pray for patience the more I am given opportunities that challenge the patience store that I have. Annoying right? Until it was pointed out that patience is a skill and to have it and get good at it sometimes practice is necessary. Practice, Practice, Practice right?? Maybe I should embrace the chances I get to learn and develop my patience.

then again maybe I should stop praying for patience

A very long overdue commentary.

May 30th was Princess's "Princess Party Spectacular"...yes I am sorry it is over due.

Somehow it was not shocking when Princess requested a princess themed party. It was more or less a forgone conclusion. I stressed and worried....would anyone come? Would people have fun? What if I ran out of things to do? I was running through the "Worst Case Scenario Playbook" for kids birthday parties in my head- it was not pretty.

So we trucked to the party store- ordered balloons, picked out decorations and favors and left the store about $150 lighter..who said kids parties were cheap?

Then to the craft store to pick up supplies for activities....again emerge substantially lighter.

The night before the party I got to decorate 50 yards of tulle, princess pictures, balloons, all sorts of royal regalia....the room was ready.

This time I remembered to bake the cake.

As the guests arrived I was a little concerned as to what to have them do while waiting for the other girls to arrive...me a planner? NEVER!

So I had them decorate their tiaras.... When the rest of the princesses arrived they made their ribbon wands--- As a note glue will not make ribbons stick to wood- knots work better.

Next was pizza and sparkling grape juice. They loved that. Pizza is a hit with the five year old crowd.

Then we played stick the slipper on Cinderella- either the girls were the best at this game ever or I may have had a few sneaky ones. Either way it was fun and the girls had a heck of a laugh.

Through this I tried to get a few pictures of the princesses--- but Stinky decided to don his dragon hat and chase the girls around- which was adorable.

Cake and ice cream came next and it was the setting for a truly royal meltdown. Princess became a princess but not the loving gracious kind the more entitled kind. One way or another she settled-after being threatened with exile or banishment.

It was just long enough. Any longer and I would have been totally overwhelmed.

Learned Something

Today again we spent the day outside at the splash park....again awesome fun.

I feel so guilty though....Peas got a little pink. Just a little but I feel so guilty. I do not want this to affect her....I do not want her to get skin cancer (yes I am being dramatic).

One woman I met today has such strength and grace. One of her children had PKU..something that admittedly I know very very little about. But the time and knowledge that it appears to take to manage is overwhelming to me. Weighing food, measuring- watching to make sure nothing unmeasured unapproved..anyway she handled it like it was nothing. Knowing nutritional information in different foods...managing his condition to give him the best life possible. Now I am certain that any mother would do the same but thinking about the stress of it just makes me itchy.
So hats off to you parents who manage chronic conditions- you have amazing strength

creases and tan lines

Since it has been lovely and hot we have been outside a lot...pool, splash park, sprinkler, yard you name it....

Last night I noticed that Peas has tan lines around where her little baby chub creases it is adorable- and yes I do use sunscreen on them all the time- but when you are outside for 10 hours in sunny weather- tans are somewhat inevitable.

Princess has tan lines from her bathing suits and Stinky said the funniest thing to me at the pool the other day- 'look mama my arms are all brown!' for those who have not met Stinky- he is so fair if he were any more fair he would be transparent-- his hair pretty much is transparent.

Anyway- the wonder of summer! Love it.