'Tis the Season

Around these parts, the end of June marks the ushering in of about a fortnight of celebrations at the Smith-Smiths'.

Today alone, we've got Juneteenth, Father's Day, and Playette's Birthday.

Which also means that I've been blogging for another full year. Wow.

We'll have a few days to enjoy our usual routine and then then comes my birthday, Independence Day, and our wedding anniversary.

I hope I'm not leaving anything out.

But, yeah, this is pretty much our holiday season.

Yesterday, we hosted a party for the Littlest at our neighborhood pool and clubhouse. She's wayyy into Dora these days so we had a luau themed pool party with a some character references sprinkled in.

Cate, you should know that one of her friends came in the suit and I gasped and clutched my non-existent pearls.

The party actually went really well, so I've been told. The kids were happy. The parents were cool. If something was awful, I missed it. Do I want to know? Eh. I think yes, but maybe I should remain blissfully ignorant and go with the whole success thing. We had help along the way, so I needn't be such a pessimist. I mean, from the decorator/photographer to the extra-juice-purchaser to the sure-I'll-wake-up-at-dawn-and-make-your-side-dishes-no-problem and more, we had a lot of great support and I really, really appreciate it.


It was short and sweet. The kids swam during the first hour and then we brought them inside for a lunch of hot dogs, chips, drinks, fruit, and salads.

On Friday night, I panicked, worried that we wouldn't have enough seats for all of the kids when it came time to eat. I pictured everything crumbing to pieces as children cried because there was no spot at a table. On Saturday morning, it came to me that we still had the rubber alphabet/number mats somewhere. Those were found and became the ultimate dining circle.


I was so impressed by our guests, let me tell you. They all were on their best behavior. Amazing, it was. I'd show you pictures of how poised they really were, but I didn't get permission to put their pics on the interweb, so you'll have to trust me on this one.


After eating, we - well - we ate again. This time it was ice cream and cake after singing to the birthday girl. She was soaking it all in and loved being the center of attention.

This is her SURPRISE! face.


I tried to skip out on opening presents, but thankfully I checked in with a friend first who informed me that kids actually enjoy that part and it's way different than the way most baby showers make my eyes go all glassy for two hours.

She was right. Of course. They were all into it, wanting their gifts to be opened next, wanting to help rip the paper off, wanting to see Playette get excited about what they had picked out for her. It was really cute.

Man. The presents. How could I have been so naive? I totally didn't expect the massive pile of presents. I mean, she has never been given so much stuff at once. We're very grateful for everyone's generosity and she's going to be trying out new things for a very long time.

So, after that, we were officially done. Tra-laaaa!

A little later than I had planned, but it seemed that just about all the kids were appropriately worn out and the parents I spoke to were happy that naps were imminent.

Those of us that remained took our time cleaning up while taking intermittent swim breaks, followed by margarita breaks, along with burger and cake and ice cream and dance breaks.

Gotta love a good after-party.

Dora's on to something with that whole "¡Lo Hicimos!" thing.

We did it, indeed.

Four years and counting...

=====

We came back to the house to find the AC had conked out on us. Thankfully, the day had cooled off some so that the indoor temp of 85 didn't feel a degree over 83.

Ah, it's the little things.

We had houseguests and I tried to assure them that this was not the norm and that sweating in your sleep is not a typical occurance when you come to visit us.

And then, of course, we woke up to everything in the freezer being melted. Ha!

When it rains, it pours.

But that was nothing that a gluttonous celebratory breakfast couldn't fix.

Hey, I felt like I earned it. Not only did I get back into Weight Watchers' good graces this week (yay for not having to pay!), but I also ran an 8K race on Saturday morning (yay for my fastest time yet!). I'm not sure that I completely leveled the scales, but it was something and this weekend is one of no-guilt-allowed. Tomorrow, I'm back on the wagon.

And both items are now fixed. Huzzah!

=====

For those that enjoy hearing more about the details, we offered sunglasses, water wings, leis, and flower hair clips as take-home items for all that were interested in such things. Finding luau items was pretty easy and I just added them up piece by piece from places like Oriental Trading and Party City. I was thrilled to find the Dora and Diego water wings at Family Dollar.



Also, anyone who was there? I probably have cute pics of your kid. Holla at me.

Restating the Obvious

I'm not Superwoman!

I am reminded of that every time our chosen way of life sends my husband away from home for extended periods of time.

I mean, it was no deployment, for sure, but two weeks away is two weeks away. And I had to manage on my own. Which I happen not to enjoy. At all.

I know, I know...I'm not the first and I won't be the last.

But I am SO HAPPY that BD is back home. The first time he took Playette up for a bath after he got back, I was just stuck. Right there, in the middle of the floor with my mouth hanging open. My buddy was home!

What I do appreciate, though, is knowing that when I have to do it, I can do it. Shoot, a trip to the beach one day and a pool the next? Total rockstar status for this mama.

I wish I felt comfortable sharing my thoughts and emotions while BD is actually, you know, gone, but I can't. I created that boundary long ago on this here blog and so, lucky you, you just get to wonder a lot and then read these boring blah-blah-blahs once the time is up.

I'm so sure that my in-the-midst-of-it-all whining would be much more entertaining.

*blank stare*

=====

We've been keeping busy this week. Today alone, we all woke up in a hospital (cheap family vacay FTW!), BD and I went to another one across town, and then spent an hour in a pharmacy, all before noon.

It's an exciting life we live.

I'll share some more about what we were doing tomorrow.

=====

Oh. And I'm party planning.

She who hates kids' parties is now knee-deep in frivolous details.

So, uh, if you know where I can get a Dora shirt with a Hawaiian theme, please let me know. Birthday reference would be a bonus.

Because if she doesn't have this exact item, the party will be ruined!

Do you feel guilty yet?

Don't worry. I've already ruined the party once.

Now, it's all about how many times it will happen - not if - so, no pressure.

=====

At some point today, I will get around to completing Week 4 - Day 3 of Insanity.

For the record, I do not look like the lady in this random Walgreen's Gatorade display ad that I took a picture of and am using for motivation.


I mean, yet.

I don't look like her yet.

Obviously...my hair is too short.

And, uh, she probably doesn't consider Cupcakes to be a major food group.

Like some people I know.

This may end up taking a leeettle bit longer than 60 days.

Encore!

We continue to stay busy over here, taking full advantage of the ushering in of summertime activities.

First, there was our first beach day yesterday.


It was a great time, thanks in part due to our meeting of another mom out there with her twin boys who happened to be very close in age to Playette. The kids really enjoyed one another and the other mom was of the more-awesome-than-I-am variety because she had an abundance of snacks. Playette even ate a half-sandwich she was offered. Which is amazing. She doesn't even eat sandwiches! At least not my sandwiches. Hmph.

Turns out that not only did one of the boys have Ds, but he also goes to Playette's school. He's in the morning class and she's in the afternoon. (well, sort of, but it's a holiday, so I refuse to think about the school sitch right now)

Anyway, FUN.

And since then, Miss Playette Keys has been entertaining me with her musical abilities. I figured I'd share a couple of her recent concerts with you.





My girl loves to sing. She's always singing something, whether it's a song on the radio or one of her own composition. Usual lyrics include: Mama, Lea, Daddy, night night, wash hands, let's go, etc.

Many, many thanks for Cate for her wonderful suggestion of the M&D Birthday Cake set. Cate always has the best toy ideas. Like the Alphabet Bus, also a huge hit in this house.

Today, I'm thinking that we may head to the neighborhood pool for a bit. I mean, if I have to wash this child's sandy head and deal with the dramatic hot mess that comes with that action, I need to make it really worth my time and get some chlorine all up in there, too.

=============

To all of the men and women who serve, including my very own BD, I'm proud of you today and every day.

Birthday! Birthday! Birthday!

My kid is obsessed with birthdays.

For the first couple of years of her life, it was easy to convince myself that my philosophy of no shindigs wasn't bothering her one bit. She had no idea what she was missing.

But now? Ugh. She totally knows.

She loved her party last year and, personally, I think that should count for at least two celebrations, if not more.

Kid parties are just. not. my. thing.

Starting a couple of weeks ago though...the onslaught began.

First, there was a party at her school.

Then, she wore a birthday hat around the house for several days.


Next, we turned the TV on and they were celebrating a birthday on Yo Gabba Gabba. It just wouldn't stop!

She's forever saying/signing "happy birthday" and "presents" and "candle" and "party" and "cake" and "dance" and singing the song that goes along with it all.

Then, we went to a party on Saturday. She was so excited and enjoyed herself immensely.



And now I feel like I'm starting to cave.

We've got just under a month until my baby girl turns four.

[insert every baby-to-kid cliché here]

Crap. I think I'm gonna have to come up with something.

Something small. Something small. Something small.

It better be something small.

A Little Celebratory Therapy

On Thursday, I brought cupcakes to daycare for Playette's class.

No, wait.

Actually, what I brought was a box of cake mix and some frosting from the pantry.

Well, no, not quite.

I put that stuff on the counter and BD took it in when he dropped Playette off that morning.

Yay, me!

So as not to ruin my bid for Mother of the Year, we're not allowed to take in homemade items. We can only bring in pre-packaged things and then everything gets made at the daycare. Something about protection from allergies. Which is totally ok with me because they use that as an opportunity to have the kids participate. And it's So Stinkin' Cute. Check out how awesome they make cupcake making sound.


You totally want to make that an IEP goal now, don't you?

I went up to the daycare at snack time and got to see it all unfold. When I left, the teacher handed me this poster. Much appreciated.


The funniest part, well aside from being tagged by one of the teachers as being a kid stalker and being chased down by the director before she realized it was me because I was walking around the courtyard in my work clothes with a camera around my neck while waiting for the cupcakes to be ready, was seeing how they plated the treats for the kids. Everyone got a cupcake...aaaaand a spoonful of icing.


Awesome. They are totally on to something with that.

(Un)fortunately, I had to head back to work and Playette stayed behind a little while longer. Fourteen 2-3 year-olds on spoonfuls of frosting?


Bless them.

And ha!

Our Big Girl is Three!

Hawaii: Days One and Two

If you're sick of hearing about our travels, you may want to take a break from reading for a while. I'll be sharing a few of the 406 pictures we took last week.

We scored first class seats (I guess being nice still works) on the way there and Playette got her wings. BD and I got lots of comped food and drinks. Woot!

Playette loved riding in her carseat with the Travelmate attachment. I highly recommend these for air travel.

Our room was great. It was nice and big (which came in handy with Little Miss Busy) and the bed was comfortable. We got a crib for the Littlest, but most nights we were so exhausted we tended to all crash together.

Sitting area. You may be able to tell from this picture the kind of view we had. It was great to be able to wake up in the morning and see the ocean from the bed.

Looking out from the balcony

Looking down from the balcony

It was about 7 pm (3 hours behind what we're used to) by the time we got settled in the room. We met some friends at a restaurant nearby and had a nice time chatting, snacking, and sipping on fruity libations.

The next morning we got up super early, even though it felt like sleeping in, and headed over to hike to the top of Diamond Head. Talk about tough! Mannnn, that thing was no joke! They say it's only 1.5 miles round trip, but when you're climbing about 600 feet at the same time and it's blazing hot? Shoot, I was straight proud that I finished it.

Not quite proud enough to purchase a t-shirt on the way down (t-shirt dude deserves credit for hiking his stand up there though), but still.

That light line in the above photo is the "trail." Apparently this hike is considered "moderate." Ha!

I must mention this: There was a robot woman who was on her third trip up in the time it took us to finish. I have no idea how long was there before or after us. She was no joke. Not only was she fast, but she was serious. She had her iPod blasting, while balancing a Powerade bottle on her head, carrying what appeared to be weighted balls in each hand.

I so want to be that lady when I grow up.

Shoot, I almost didn't keep going when I saw this:


And this:

And this:


BD even had to crawl through a tiny space, with Playette on his back, to get to the tippy top.


But this made it all worth it:







I actually ended up liking the hike after it was all said and done. I thought maybe we should do it every morning during our trip.

That. did. not. happen.

After the success of the hike nevermind when I fell right at the very end and put on a tumbling show for all the other tourists, we deserved a treat.


Mmmmmalasadas!


And since it was lunchtime by then, we, well, had lunch. So what that we still had sugar crumbs on our mouths from "breakfast." It was time.

We ate at a local hangout that served traditional Hawaiian food. Playette loved the kalua pig and laulau. I didn't take the camera because I was working hard at trying to blend in places that didn't have an access fee.

By the time we got back to the hotel, we were whooped. Whooped, I tell ya.

We finally dragged ourselves down to the beach for a while. BD played with Playette in the lagoon and I played with her in the ocean.

That night, we met our friends for dinner and tried FAILED to get Playette in a festive mood for her birthday. She was simply not having it, much to my disappointment.


But wait, there's more...

As promised...

We picked up Playette's 1st birthday photos before heading out of town. Enjoy!

Who you really came to see...

Check out the greeting I got this morning from Playette and BD.





And yes, this is really the card that Playette gave me.



It reads like a Dr. Seuss book and she laughed all the way through me reading it out loud.

That's my girl!

1,000 Words

Happy 1st Birthday, Unkin!

It happened. Time passed, as it does best, and my baby turned a year old today. I'm not one for parties and such, but I still think we did her just fine. Her paternal grandparents flew in for the occasion and we took her to get some photos taken at a portrait studio. Once we got home, I rested some before we had a modest gathering of five where we sang an unfamiliar song to the Littlest One and tried to force her to eat the kind of food that many of us wish we had the power to avoid. She wasn't all that interested, but it was just fine.

After that, I sat with her for a while...looking at my little girl and marveling at how much she's changed in the last year. I told her that she's learned a lot and that we've learned a lot from her as well. As she gummed a piece of my pizza crust, she looked so sweet and serene and pure and happy and just, beautiful.

I thought I'd take a moment to explain the title of this blog. As you may have been able to tell from the initial post, this first year of motherhood has, at times, been overwhelming. Well, now that I've gotten my feet wet in the circumstances of it all, I'm ready to move on with the knowledge gained and make the best possible choices for Malea's future. So, that first year? It's ok that it didn't all get written down for the whole world to see. The Somewhere we're starting is at More Than One. And the One More? Well, that's a shout-out the designer genes my baby's rockin'.