Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Saint Patrick's Day Pictorial
A Story told in reverse...

Earlier...while the girls were at school...

Happy John Patrick's Day!!!!

Tworiffic

So far Jack thinks two is pretty two-rrific.

When Zoe turned two she said "I two much!" and Jack, well, he hasn't said anything (he doesn't speak) but he certainly enjoyed all the fun this weekend. We didn't have a big party (Jack doesn't have any two-year-old friends) but we did celebrate at home with family, presents and cupcakes - a day much like any other day just more awesome.

Stu and Jen drove down from San Francisco on Saturday. They brought fake mustaches and their sweet puppy Loulou. We all fell instantly in love with Loulou. Jack loved her so much he decided to become a puppy and followed her around on all fours.

Loulou learned that there are some pros to having little ones around - lots of hugs, multiple doggy treats and breakfast sausages that just happen to fall to the floor.

The girls were happy to have Unca Stu, their favorite living play thing, around again. However, by the weekends end "Jenny Jen" was the preferred one (its true).

With a "mustache" Stu looks exactly like my Dad in the 70's with which is really creeping out me, Mimi and Jen.

The next morning we all got up at the crack of 9 (time change) for a birthday brunch for the little Dude. Mimi made baked eggs with fresh herbs and garlic butter (which we now call "Eggscargot") served with my homemade blueberry and yogurt muffins and mimosas and we were all quite happy. No mimosas for the minis, however.

Jenny Jen brought special hats for the occasion.

She fits in well with this family.
After brunch, the girls helped Jack open up and play with all his presents.

He said "whoa" and "oooh" and "ahh" with each new toy.

While Jack sweetly played with all his new toys

Stu went to take a nap and Jen and the girls snuck in

and painted his toenails pink.

(See how she won them over?)

Meanwhile Mimi and I were making some Martha Stewart worthy cupcake creations.

These were as delicious as they were beautiful.

After naptime, Baba arrived bearing gifts, specifically a UK basket ball game

and we enjoyed a lovely afternoon in the backyard.

Baba was even allowed a cuddle or two.

Athena really really wanted a pinata for her birthday, but the place we held her party didn't allow it. I promised her we would get one for Jack's birthday. Athena went at that thing like she has been waiting to attack it. Jack and Zoe got a few swings in as well, but unblindfolded and without having a two-swing limit, Athena demolished it with a few very satisfying whacks.

And the leftover pinata points made excellent party hats.

What will our little Dude remember from his second birthday? Absolutely nothing. I can only hope that he may have a vague sense of being around lots of people who not only love him but enjoy him and that feeling lasts throughout his childhood to feed and nurture him in his adult life - not only on this day but at all our friend and family gatherings. These kids are truly blessed to have a whole village of people who love them- thank you to everyone who helped us spoil Jack on his birthday!

Springing Forward

Last Wednesday came and went marking my sweet boy's official second birthday, but he wasn't truly two until a few members of his village could come together to celebrate and spoil him. He is leaping forward into boyhood - no longer a toddler!

Much more later as I'm still going through the hundreds of pictures taken!

Shhh don't tell...

This little guy is going to be TWO tomorrow.

After the mega-celebration weekend we just had for Athena, I'm ashamed to admit I have very little planned for my sweet Dude tomorrow. We're postponing celebrations until the weekend, when Baba and Nana and Stu and Jen will be visiting, and tomorrow will just be a typical Wednesday. He's only two, he has no clue that tomorrow is his birthday.

But I do, and on the second anniversary of the wonderful day John Patrick came into our lives, I can't help but want to wallow in the past and try to remember when he was so so new and tiny...

Oh, my heart skips a beat.

And one more celebration

Today Athena's class celebrated our birthday girl. She got a card signed by all her classmates, a present from her teacher, got to stand on a chair while holding the "Birthday Bunny" and being sung to and had the honor of bringing a homemade snack (hence my presence). I brought my big fancy camera, but the battery was totally dead from all the weekend activities, so my phone camera had to make do.

We made her favorite, chocolate covered strawberries, which she actually dipped herself the day before. All but one kid declared them "yummy!"

Here's my big girl preparing her treats the day before, doesn't she look heart-breakingly six here? So concludes our Athena birthday celebration extravaganza (until next year - seven, gasp!)

Now we are six

We woke her up this morning singing "Happy Birthday" and as I leaned in to get my first six-year-old hugs, I started to weep. "Really?" Chris said, laughing as me. Yes, really! Today marks the day my baby turns six, that's worth a tear or two.

The funny thing is, I don't feel weepy when I think of Zoe or Jack's next birthday. It's like I'm excited for them to get to that next great age. But Athena is my pioneer child, breaking the age barrier with each birthday and pushing me into the next level of parenthood. And the unstoppable pace at which she's rocketing us into future makes me long for our past.

All too soon, here we find ourselves at six. Six!

As is our family tradition, birthdays begin with a birthday breakfast. Zoe got up extra early to help me prepare the celebration.

Strawberries and cinnamon rolls were my little six year old's birthday breakfast request. Athena really wanted the PW cinnamon rolls that I made around Christmas, but I just didn't have time to do it, so Pillsbury had to do. They were not even close to the deliciousness of the homemade ones, but the little birthday girl was happy. She had a pile of presents from Mimi, Yiayia and PopPop, Baba and Nana, Mormor, Katie and all our family gifts. Thank you everyone for spoiling her!

The day before her birthday, she had 15 of her closest friends for a Princess party at Monster Golf - the black light indoor monster themed miniature golf place - think, Chuck E Cheese, but in the dark!

The girls wore white princess dresses so they glowed like little light bulbs.

We also had glow in the dark hair spray, nail color and tattoos for all our little guests to make it extra fun.

and monster masks.

The party room was decorated like the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland, complete with creepy pictures on the wall. The snacks were pizza and gummy worms. Some little culinary artistes chose to put the gummy worms on the pizza, yum!
Athena prepared place cards for all her friends and flanked herself in her two best buddies, "her" Kevin and her BFF, Amelia.

Zoe was allowed to invite one of her best buddies, Kendall, too.

And the Dude hung with his Mimi

and got a few tips on putting from his Daddy.

The "Cupcake Bouquets" that I custom ordered were a bit of a disaster. But Mimi and I paid attention to their construction and are totally going to steal this idea and recreate it - just with a higher level of taste (pun intended).

There was a personal birthday cake for the princess.

and then gobs and gobs of presents, her favorite being the Barbie "Best Friend" dolls from Amelia and the BFF necklace that each of them will wear a half of - seriously, they are BFFs and they want everyone to know that.

My favorite picture. This is how my girls play Air Hockey.

And that was Athena's Birthday Breakfast and Princess Party at Monster Golf - a totally, super fun, high energy afternoon. I think everyone loved it, especially Athena.

Now onto the Dude's 2nd birthday!!!!!!

Sound Familiar?

Mornings with the Dude

"Do you want some cheese with those cheerios?"

A couple of mornings a week, Chris takes the girls to school and the Dude and I can hang back in our jammies and linger over strawberry and banana smoothie (for him) and coffee (for me). We discuss our plans for the day ("cah" "ball" "outsiiide!!!"). All too soon the moment is gone and we must get dressed and get going ourselves, but it's a nice way to start the day.