Olivia's Second Birthday!

As promised here's a recap of Olivia's Second Birthday Party!

When I informed parents to bring their kids' swimsuits for a "water fun" little did I know that we would be dealing with much more water than the slip n' slide and baby pools I had in mind. The sky opened up and it rained like a monsoon but guess what--we still had a GREAT time. We have the BEST friends who still showed up for our little girl's day--with their kids in tow. Love them.

Besides rain turned out to be the small glitch--and an empty gas tank (whoopsi) for the grill left Charm City Daddy cooking up turkey burgers and hot dogs in the kitchen instead. CCD and I agreed that of all of the parties we've had in our home it probably ranked as the second most fun of all time---with our first New Year's Eve party taking top honors. Both were simple, small and unpretentious with just the right mix of people.

Olivia is such a great little hostess too. She returned the "Happy Birthday" wishes to each and everyone that wished her a happy birthday--lol--it was everyone's birthday! At one point, during the rain storm, she invited all of the children ranging in age from 8 years to 19 months up to the third floor of our house which gets awesome acoustics for a full out screaming match and game of "tagyou'reit!" I shut that down after 5 minutes. Everyone complied but the birthday girl who was removed kicking and screaming.

It is nice to have experienced parents around as well--helping me relax about the rain issue and transition the children from activity to activity. A new friend of mine brought her 4 kids (ages 2-8) and it was awesome--like a built in party. I was so thankful and happy to see all of them--and they are such great, well-behaved--adorable kids.  At one point, her two year-old son was actually talking to Olivia's cake, "Caillou, I love you! I love you Caillou!"

I could go on forever...here's the party in pictures!

 

 

 

Miss Personality Times TWO!

Olivia is two going on twenty-two!

Whoa-nelly! I am not ready. There are a lot of emotions being expressed at this stage with semi-grown-up vocabulary and a lot of silliness---and Charm City Daddy and I find ourselves suppressing and hiding laughter ALL the time. The girl is just full of personality.

Just this morning after Olivia burst into our room and realized that although we would let her climb between us in bed at 6:30 a.m. we weren't about to wake up and start the party with TV and teeth brushing. Nope she would have to sit there quietly or fall asleep for at least 30 minutes. After about 3 minutes of silence she started swaying back and forth between us..

"What do I do? What do I do now? What do I do? What do I do now?" she said.

After suppressing another laugh I responded, "You lay your little self down and fall asleep. That's what you do!"

This parenting thing is getting harder and harder, I tell you because at times I am thoroughly entertained and it is so hard not to show how amused, impressed, surprised, scared, proud, angry I am.

Like in Olivia's less-than-redeeming moments when her excitement gets the best of her and she kicks her little brother repeatedly in the head while they lay on the bed to get lotion applied after a bath. It takes every ounce of control in my being not to snatch her up and scream at the top of my lungs, "HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND!?" and instead sternly talk to her in a disapproving voice while quickly catching her swinging feet and slightly squeezing them while widening my eyes to let her know that I. mean. business. Oooph! Parenting is tough.

She is little carbon copy of everything we do and say right now, so Charm City Daddy and I really have to be on our best behavior, speak in code, and spell lots of w-o-r-d-s to communicate.

Some of Olivia's recent favorites:

• "No I don't want to...!" fill-in: go inside, get my hair done, put my pajamas on, get in the high chair, drink milk.
•  "Mommy, I love it." or "Mommy, I happy"
•  Charm City Daddy is also known as "my daddy" as in "I love you my daddy."
• "No, that's MY lamb and my teta (paci)!" *Holding it closer to her and farther from you while and looking at you like you're crazy*
• "Mommy can you play 'I gotta feel it'?" *music request for Black-Eyed Peas' I Got a Feeling*
• "Mommy Lucas is cryin'/happy/smilin'/sleepin'.

And the list goes on and on and on.

Love her so much.

T-minus Two Weeks Til Two

My, my, my how times have changed. My only daughter and first born is turning 2 in two weeks and you haven't heard a peep from me, nor have I planned ANYTHING!

I don't know if I'm being neglectful and procrastinating, or if I was just going overboard last year for the first birthday party--but clearly there is a center--and I'm not operating in it.

We're going low-key this year. I always say that and then my husband's crazy ideas blow the budget--let's cater in some lobster mac or get a petting zoo!!  But THIS YEAR I really mean it. We're only inviting close family and friends. No petting zoo---just the usual zoo of 2 year-olds (and over/under) will be crazy enough.

With a tighter timeline, we had no choice but do e-invitations this year. BUT being the paper lover that I am, I just couldn't bring myself to use evites and went with Paperless Post. You get the look and presentation of a paper invitation without the cost, press time, and postage. Love that. Plus you get 25 free stamps and 10 points to when you sign up--making O's birthday invitation FREE to send.

Here's the simple invite.

One thing is for sure. I am NOT making cupcakes again this year. I was up all night last year trying to perfect icing and baking them. NO thank you. The cake will be purchased and daddy says he has it all taken care of--uh oh.

Another lesson I learned is that I will create a theme around my shopping trip---at the Dollar Store. Can I get an Amen? It's SO hard to determine a theme and look for things ON SALE that fit your theme--although I was fortunate last year. I  mean let's face it I will have to buy most everything b/c I am last minute and there is zero time for crafts for a working mom of two.

With that out of the way, I can focus on something fun like a nice gift for O. What does your toddler love? Any good gift ideas for a 2-year-old?

Of course--I'll keep you posted on results.

The Big 3-0!

Lil' ole' me is turning the big 3-0 on Superbowl Sunday.

Not with much fanfare though, I am pregnant after all.

Yep, those hopes of whipping out those liquid leather croc-embossed leggings that I sported during my last trip to Vegas will not be part of celebration as planned. Not that the thought didn't cross my mind--hey, they ARE stretchy, but that would just be wrong.

To be honest, I've been approaching this milestone with much anxiety. I've really enjoyed being in my 20's. My older sister assures me, however, that the 30's are a great decade because you still can pass for your 20's but have the wisdom of the decade past.

That DID make me feel better.....and so did the thought of me buying myself something really grown-up to commemorate the milestone. You know, a big girl purchase... like crazy designer pumps that I will hardly wear or freak out if the soles gets scratched up or a designer purse that will give me buyer's remorse within 24 hours. 

I still can't rationalize the pumps...but the purse?? *evil laugh*

Enter... the Louis Vuitton Sofia Coppola Collection. My mouth has been watering over these for some time as Miss Sofia perfectly combined the classic barrel with the convenience of a shoulder strap. Problem is price..a minimum $2k+ investment. Ouch! But oh,  so lovely, yes?

Enter...the new Tory Burch Robinson Collection. For an easier-to-live-with $500, I get the same look, function and even a fun color like green!

And maybe--just maybe if I love, love, love it and use it constantly--I will have less remorse investing in the Sofia Coppola bag later in a more neutral color, when I've saved up a enough pennies in my guilt-free bag fund. Maybe.

It's fun to dream.

The First Birthday Party

It has actually taken me one week to fully rest and recover to even be able to do this recap. Yowzah.

Although my wonderful mama (Charm City Grandma) is a champ and started helping me get ready for the party several weeks in advance, we were both overwhelmed and exhausted the day before and the day of the party. The next thing we knew people started showing up and we hadn't set up the food, tables, and we were still in our work clothes. In about 30 minutes, with the help of a few of my good friends that arrived early (I have the BEST friends), the place set up and we did our quick changes into decent attire. Here's the main spread in the dining room...

Pictured: My homemade cupcakes, pig-in-the blankets, DIY tissue poms (leopard), and a hot dog/hamburger spread.

I was still running around most of the time making sure the essentials were out, so the pictures are lacking with hardly any close ups--sorry about that. I was the crazy first-time, first birthday mom trying to do it all and telling myself you have to put in the hard work for at least one of your kid's parties with all of the homemade mom touches. It is your rightful baptism as a mom. I told myself this, so that I won't feel guilty about taking the easy road next time.  You know like taking the kids to the zoo or Chuck E. Cheese and you let the staff do all the work---yeah---like that. But my fondest childhood birthday memories were the ones at home that my mom organized and I can't help wanting to do the same for my family.

I also found a very reasonable petting zoo for a steal! I am so proud. The animals were a hit and the operators were professional and very permissive with the children. I highly recommend if you live in the area. We had goats, sheep, chickens, ducks, and bunnies.

I am also proud of the adorable felt animal party hats my mom and I found at Michael's craft store on clearance for $2.99! The hats were appreciated by adults and kids alike.

Are you looking for what I promised to reveal that I actually sewed myself? Well, I ended up just assisting (cut, pinned and partially sewed) my mom in the construction of a table runner which cannot be seen in any photo. Except for the one close up I took of my imperfectly perfect cupcakes. Look for the green jungle looking runnner! 

Also here's another DIY tissue pom I made..zebra!

Also the tablecloths for the the outdoor tables were made by good old Charm City Grandma. We hope to use them for years to come as my mom made a a similar set of tablecloths with cloth napkins for my older sister when we were kids and they appeared at all of our birthday parties.

We sang happy birthday twice b/c daddy was lingering around the house and I realized this and had to stop everyone mid-song and wait for daddy to come into the room to witness the magic/confusion of Olivia enjoying hearing everyone in the room sing her name. 

And finally, what the first birthday is all about...eating the cake! Olivia wasted no time at all and devoured half of a giant cupcake I made before daddy confiscated it. 

So we started here...

Then daddy tried to keep it from getting too out of hand...

But it didn't take long before it got to here (complete with icing in hair).

 

Olivia actually had to take a nap that extended through the first hour of the party b/c of all of the excitement of visiting cousins and people setting up before the party.

For me it was a power-packed three hours. One thing I've learned about myself as a hostess, I'm terrible at delegating tasks b/c I want to retain all control until the last-minute when I give up caring or finally realize there are many things that others can and want to help with. I never get to socialize as much as I would like when I host parties and I am going to make a better effort to do less during my parties so I can enjoy myself more. Charm City Daddy always enjoys himself. Other than that--I wouldn't change a thing. Yay! So glad we survived! Happy Birthday Olivia!

Happy Birthday to Zooooo!

In Celebration of O's big UNO...

...we went to The Maryland Zoo today. One day she'll catch on that the zoo is less than 5 minutes from home and we always pass it on the way to church---and I'm sure I will dread that day.
But today--everything was new and "Oh wow, baybeeee" and F-U-N.

From her stroller she seem uninterested and unimpressed at first, but when we pulled her out and let her walk about,  the whole zoo came alive to and suddenly she got it.  She started to do the motions she learned from one of her favorite bedtime books associated with the various animals.
Olivia enjoyed some ice cream, and had an all around good time with Cousin T and Charm City Grandma, Daddy, Mama, and the nanny too!

We didn't leave without a family picture. I can't explain why I am smiling so hard other than I may be subconsciously trying to overcompensate in order to make Olivia smile too?! I'm pretty sure I was yelling "cheeeeeese!"

Oh, well. Other than me--I love this picture. And I just realized that we're all wearing navy.

First Birthday Planning...

is coming along nicely.

My plan to keep it low key, and low budget is still on course as Charm City Daddy is not involved in the planning. When I asked CCD what we should do to make the party special he suggested...petting zoo!  Then I looked up the cost of a petting zoo and realized it costs what I wanted to pay for the entire party. Cha-Ching! I don't think Olivia needs 2 ponies at her first birthday party--we need something to strive for later. Plus, she'd be happy just to see a dog (*tear, *tear). If I can barter the animal people down to small bunnies, chicks, ducks, guinea pics and baby animals only--I think I can get the price down. We'll see. Stay tuned.

Thanks to some very talented Etsy artists,  to date I've spent hardly anything on decor, custom invites, custom bag tags, custom and assorted cupcake toppers, cupcake wrappers, paper goods, and props like a cupcake stand I can reuse. Here's some of what we've got so far...

1. Tissue for Pom Poms
2. Animal Garland (2)
3. Animal Napkins
4. Animal Toppers (will be used for hors d'oeuvres)
5. Cupcake Stand
6. Cupcake Wrappers
(not pictured but purchased: custom invites, custom bag tags, and custom cupcake toppers).

Now that I see everything together, I'm thinking it needs some girlie touches.  I have to work on that with fresh flowers, and using ribbons to hang the pom poms or something.

Still to do: 

• Brainstorm kids' games/entertainment: One down (ball pit!), many more to go.
• Determine gift bag/favors
• Cupcakes- make 'em? or order 'em? 
• Determine a kid and adult-friendly menu
• Make a photo DVD of CCB's first year to play on repeat in the living room.
• Figure out outdoor seating situation

We are exactly 30 days away today! Ahhhh!

SnOMG 2010 & Happy Birthday To Me!

Sooooooo here's why  my lifelong dream to have a pool party on my birthday will NEVER happen (unless we move)...

 

my parents' backyard in SnOMG 2010

We're snowed in at my parents' house again! The Baltimore/Washington area got record breaking snowfall for our region. Something like 27-30 inches. It's stupid.

This time we decided to head south of Bmore to my parents' place BEFORE the storm hit, so we arrived Friday afternoon.  It snowed and snowed and then this morning at 7:30 a.m. the power went out and stayed out for 9 long hours.

There were only three things that worked: Charm City Daddy's laptop--on which we watched comedy shows (thanks to iTunes). My dad's Bose iPod speaker--which provided great dance music for me, mom and Olivia. The gas cooktop--on which we made breakfast and dinner--chili!

   

my lil' bro roasting toast

By 12 noon, there was a noticeable nip in the air, and we had to dance to keep warm. We LOVE dancin'!!

 

Their fireplace has an electronic lighter, so all we could do is watch the temperature drop on the remote and suffer.

I documented some of the boredom  suffering. 

Dad (aka "the FEMA director" today)

 

Mom (and Merlot)

 

 

       Charm City Daddy (look who's gotten hip to the odds of appearing on this blog)

 

 

my birthday drink of choice- Vodka sour!

 

modeling my snow shoveling fashion - a hat my little bro sewed in middle school.

 

 

The lights (and heat) came on just in time for dessert...birthday ice cream cake from CCD--which was sooo good. No dry cake-all ice cream and the crust was cookie. Thanks Babe.

I was supposed to be at the spa today getting the royal treatment (and CCD spilled that he had made dinner reservations), but I definitely had more fun laughing and spending time with the family.  I couldn't have planned a better birthday. Oh, and I'm 29!!