Her Royal Highness Turns 3

I have three rules for birthday parties. 1) No parties until 4-years-old. 2) Friend parties will only happen on even number birthdays. 3) The number of guests will directly correlate with the age of the birthday child.

I broke all three rules this year on behalf of Marie. She’s been suffering from some middle child syndrome (already?!) and I thought that a play-date on the morning of her birthday would give her some much needed all-about-Marie time. 

  We filled our time with finger nail painting, a small photo shoot, dancing, games, a small snack, and opening presents. The girls were all darling and so much fun to be with. Can I just say that again? Spending the morning with these sweet little girls was so much fun! I couldn’t believe the difference between a party with 6 girls and a party with 5 boys (William’s party back in January).

At the end of the time we sent them home with their own tiaras, lip gloss, a princess wand, and lots of gratitude. Marie couldn’t have asked for a better party. Such a pretty, pretty princess!  The evening of her birthday we celebrated as a family. She opened a couple more presents from us and one more from Grandma P. I think it is safe to say that she is getting pretty good at the princess pose, wouldn’t you agree? Oh my goodness. She is a girl through and through! She is in love with all her new dress-up clothes and her Cinderella tea set.Love it!

Dear Marie,

Was this really you just one year ago? It is incredible to me how much you have grown up this year. Your baby chub is all but gone now and your tastes and preferences have become those of a little girl, not a toddler. This has been a big year for you. Potty training, becoming a big sister, and giving up your That were your most significant milestones. You have proven to be a wonderful big sister, you love to help bathe Anne and are always quick to put in her pacifier when she is fussing. I hope that you two grow to be best friends as the years go on.
Marie, you are our nurturer. You have an instinct to know when someone is sad and are always quick to offer a hug. It is precious for me to see you swaddle your baby dolls and rock them and I love it when you come out of your room and quietly announce, “Shhhh ….. my baby is sleeping.” I also love it when you sing around the house with two of your favorite songs, “I Am a Child of God” and “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.”
Our challenge with you is that you are desperate to be independent which doesn’t come without frustration from all of us. Don’t grow up too quickly, OK sweetheart? Mommy loves her little princess and adores all the hugs and love you have to offer. I love to be able to cuddle with you in my lap while I tickle your back. Your adorable smile makes my every day. Your tender voice charms me and everybody that hears it. You are my everything.
Always know that you are loved beyond comprehension. Always, always, always. Happy Birthday, Princess Marie!

Mommy

October, So Far

William’s Joy School group had a field trip to a local pumpkin patch, complete with a wagon ride to pick a pumpkin, pig races, and huge slides. It was hot and it was really at the end of September. Close enough to October, if you ask me.

My grandparent’s celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. They have been married 10 times longer than Brandon and I. I mentioned this to my grandfather. His response? “You’ll get there one day. Believe me.” In a day and age where divorces are more than normal, I appreciate his example and his confidence. I couldn’t agree more, Grandpa, I will be there one day. May I have as much to show for those 60 years as you do.

 

While my parents and sister were in town for the anniversary we had a little party for Marie. Grandma and Grandpa gave her much needed clothes and we had her open one of her presents from us, a Cinderella dress. It’s hard to say what was the bigger hit, the dress from us or the princess panties from G & G. Thanks to her recent increase of potty accidents we have managed to get through the entire pack of panties a couple of times already. When the party was over William was a bit disappointed that Marie hadn’t opened any toys. I had to break the tough news that monster trucks don’t come in pink princess. Heartbreaking, really.

Thanks to an ever generous friend, Anne has a Bumbo to enjoy. She likes it. A lot. Consequently, I like it. A lot. (Side note for clarification: Anne liking something a lot basically means that she will actually let me put her down in it every once in a while.)

On Columbus Day we went on what was supposed to be a short morning hike, with every intention of getting the kids home in time for 1:00 naps. Confusing trail only .17 miles from our destination sent us up some pretty ragged terrain and left us sore, tired, and home 2.5 hours later than planned (and we didn’t ever make it to the waterfall we were hoping to see). Different from what we planned, but still beautiful and certainly memorable. In my words as we made our way back to the car, “This is the stuff that families are made of.” Who would have any stories to tell if everything went exactly as planned?Anne’s hands-down, without a doubt, unmistakably favorite part of her entire day? Bath time. If she likes her Bumbo a lot, then she is having a full on love affair with baths. I’m still working on getting some good video and pictures of this happy time. This you have got to see …

Good Eats

I am not a dieter. I don't really fall for quick fixes or trendy diet plans. I believe very much in moderation in all things, sometimes a woman just has to have some chocolate.Plus, I believe that a healthy lifestyle needs to include good diet and exercise.  The exercise is hard to come by lately. After I had Marie I was able to go to the gym 3 times a week because she was bottle fed. A nursing mommy isn't allowed that kind of freedom. I am forced to rely more on reducing my calories than on burning calories to lose the baby weight this time around. Of course, I can't reduce my calories too much because I'm nursing, so this weight loss thing is pretty tricky.

Side Note: Anybody that says the weight "just falls off" when you are nursing. Bologna. OK, had to get that out of my system. Thanks.

So, I've been reading the book Flat Belly Diet by the editors of Prevention magazine. The title is deceiving, it sounds gimmicky. It's not at all. The general idea behind the diet is to eat 4 - 400 calorie meals a day and to include a MUFA (mono-unsaturated fatty acid) in each meal. The benefits of MUFAs are described better here than I could do. There are other tricks and tips that help to reduce bloat and aid in good digestion, which of course would allow for a flatter belly.

Let's add another bit of trickiness to this ... I refuse to cook separate dinners for myself and my family. We all eat the one meal I prepare. There are tons of healthy meals out there that I would enjoy but they are much more appealing to the adult palette. Not so much kid- friendly.

So, long story longer, I tried a few recipes from the book this week. Our favorite meal was the Zucchini Rotini. Simple and satisfying. The recipe with my changes:

Zucchini Rotini

1/2 box whole wheat rotini pasta
1 1/2 cups 1% cottage cheese
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 cup shredded zucchini
2 cans diced tomatoes
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
 black olives (MUFA)


Prepare the rotini according to package. In saute pan drizzle 1 tsp olive oil and saute garlic for about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, zucchini, cottage cheese, and Italian seasoning. Warm through (about 5 minutes). Add drained pasta and toss. Garnish with olives.

The other recipe that I fell in love with was a lunch. While I insist that we have the same meal at dinner, I very rarely eat the same lunch as my kids. This recipe is certainly a lunch recipe because I don't think my kids would touch it with a 10 foot pole. I, on the other hand, was in love with the salty and tangy combination combined with a little bit of crunch provided by a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds.

Dijon Turkey Wrap

Take one Mission multi-grain tortilla (use any tortilla you want, this is just what I had). Spread 1 Tbsp dijon mustard. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp craisins and 1-2 Tbsp pumpkin seeds (love Winco bulk foods for items like this!). Add two slices of deli turkey and a layer of sliced cucumbers. Roll tortilla and enjoy!(The pumpkin seeds are the MUFA)

This week on the menu we have turkey cranberry english muffins, zesty chicken fiesta, chicken with raspberry topping, and sweet potato casserole among other things. We'll see how it goes.

Love at First Sight

Anne meets Grandpa P.

Saying Goodbye to That

October 2007: 2 weeks

Marie gave up her pacifier in September. It took a little bit of bribery persuasion, but not nearly as much as I had anticipated. She didn't shed a single tear and slept angelically without it. I should have been ecstatic and instead I was a little sad.

April 2008: 6 months

I think I braced myself for trauma because to me Marie's That was an inseparable part of her and let's be honest, how cute was it that she called it her That?

October 2008: 12 months

From newborn to toddler, she could be found with a cute little Mam in her mouth and suddenly it was gone. Such a huge part of her first 3 years and it only took 24 hours for it to be erased.

February 2009: 16 months

The first night that she went to sleep without it I thought it was too good to be true. I was shocked to wake up in the morning and realize that she hadn't woken up once. Then came nap time. Surely she was going to put up a fight this time around. She did ask for it. I reminded her about our discussion the night before, that if she went to sleep without it for nap and bedtime the Pacifier Fairy would come take it away and giver her a surprise. She liked that idea. I closed the door and walked down the hallway nearly in tears. It was me that was having a hard time letting go.

August 2010: 2 years 10 months

That night we tucked her That under her pillow for the Pacifier Fairy. We told her that if the PF came and found it in Marie's mouth, she would leave. Before we went to bed, Brandon and I tiptoed in and there was Marie, fast asleep with her That still tucked under her pillow.

September 2010: 2 years 11 months

And just like that she's not our baby anymore .

Picture Perfect

Anne is a very particular baby. If I can tend to her needs when those needs arise, she is an angel. If those needs go ignored for any amount of time, well, let's just say she has a good set of lungs.

When her unhappiness would be less than convenient I am on edge the whole time wondering when her timer will go off. I know it's never really convenient, but much more tolerable at home versus, say, at the portrait study.

Thank goodness she was more than cooperative for her little photo shoot. My nerves needed that.