Happy 3rd Birthday Amelia

This morning Charlotte and I headed out to Chapin Station Park in Winter Garden for Miss Amelia’s 3^rd Birthday Party.  Amelia and her Mommy are friends from Mommy & Me.    

We arrived a TAD late because Charlotte was giving me a heck of a lesson on two year old negotiations.  She has started insisting on bringing an entourage of baby dolls and stuffed animals with her for every car ride/event/outing.   PLUS they must ALL be dressed appropriately …usually in Charlotte’s clothing… and yes, this includes underwear/diapers and a sweater if the weather is cool.  UGH!  Like any parents, we try to happily indulge her – to a POINT – while simultaneously encouraging Charlotte to HURRY IT UP.  Because, Charlotte NEVER decides that she needs SIX attendants until we are rushing out the door TEN minutes late!!!!!  The worst part???  Once properly clothed and toted to the car the “guests” are forgotten and usually can be found at the foot well only to be further humiliated by being smashed under her feet! 

I digress – we were LATE, as usual - and arrived just in time for the big Happy Birthday moment, which was adorable.  Amelia promptly chomped on her cupcake and was wearing very pink icing all over her face within seconds!  Adorable!

Charlotte did manage to have an amazing time with her friends playing on all of the playground equipment and tromping through a butterfly garden.  I am so impressed with how fearless and determined she can be when it comes to heights or difficult climbing.  She went down one VERY HIGH slide many times and I am not embarrassed to admit that I pulled the “Mommies can’t ride on those slides because they are only for kids” because it was too scary-high for me!  :)   

At one point – and I point out I was thrilled she even remembered to “bring” it with her – she insisted on taking her stuffed (and fashionably dressed) koala (thanks Uncle Tyler) up a spider web climbing –thingy…one handed no less!

 

 

We both had a great morning visiting with friends, playing in the playground and celebrating Miss Amelia’s big day!  Happy Birthday Amelia and thanks for having us!  

Happy 3rd Birthday Cristiana!

This morning Charlotte and I were able to help her friend, Cristiana, celebrate her third birthday!  Cristiana is one of Charlotte’s friends from Mommy & Me, so the girls (and families) have known each other for basically their entire lives. :)

Cristiana had a jungle themed party and it was so adorable thanks to her creative mama, Maite.  CHECK OUT THIS CAKE – yep, Maite MADE this work of art!

The kids played all over their hugely kid friendly backyard, decorated their own binoculars and made bracelets with animal shaped beads.   

Charlotte brought her blue stuffed dog (thanks Uncle Tyler) as her "date" today and even made sure he was given a bite of Cristiana’s birthday cake, a seat next to her during craft time and a ride in the baby swing!!!!  She is very generous like that!

Charlotte has played at Cristiana’s quite a bit but today she especially LOVED jumping on their huge trampoline.  It’s great because the kids just go crazy while each parent mans one “edge” of the trampoline.  Parents even manage to “visit” with each other at the same time!   {Now we just need side tables to hold our wine, oh and we need wine too…I’ll add that to my list for our next visit!}

Happy, Happy Birthday Cristiana!  Thanks for including us in your big day, we had so much fun! 

Charlotte’s 3rd Birthday Party Prep, Part I

So, it’s begun….preparation for Charlotte’s 3^rd Birthday party.  

Ok, let me be honest – I’ve been working on it for over a month already…what can I say I love to throw a party!  Anyway, this year we decided to do things a little differently, aka NOT a park {over the top, invite EVERYONE we love} party.  It means something new and fun for Charlotte but does not allow us to include all of her friends, which is disappointing.  Hopefully her friends will understand and Charlotte can go back to having a big bash for her next birthday!  Anyway, I have been slowly organizing the big picture for the party and have some fun projects in the works – you know any opportunity for me to get crafty and I am on it!  Plus, for me the time and thought that go into it are, I think an expression of how special Charlotte is to us and how much I love my little girl!  Besides, I don’t think Wayne would appreciate sewn and ruffled streamers for his next bash!  {Which… I really need to work on…the countdown begins…}   

Since there is no pressure to out- do her last party (1^st birthday, published in a local magazine, ahhhhhh) I have been taking it easy.  Is anyone out there buying that?  RIGHT, I didn’t think so!  So, Charlotte’s party is going to be small but with big details!  I’m going for a vintage meets modern yellows and pinks candy extravaganza.  Stay tuned to see if I can pull it off…

Last night I worked on faux candy for her birthday banner.  Gather together a few dollar store supplies and you’re off…

Today I am working on the ruffled streamers – vintage meets modern, right?  Again the dollar store comes thru with CHEAP supplies that I hope are made a little more special with some of my attention.    

Happy 3rd Birthday Maya

This morning Wayne, Charlotte and I headed over to My Gym in Lake Mary to celebrate Miss Maya’s 3^rd Birthday.  Maya and her Mommy are friends from Mommy & Me and the girls have been taking ballet together recently.

What a SUPER FUN party!  The kids had free reign of the gym…were bouncing off the walls with excitement and the result was a feeling of being trapped inside a monkey cage!  :)  They hopped on trampolines, played with (under and over) a hot air balloon silk, flung themselves into the ball pit, swung on a rope swing, walked the balance beam, dangled on uneven bars… and on and on.   

The party was a BLAST for the kids AND for the parents to watch.  

 

Charlotte really got into the spirit of the party and was laughing so much and, well really squealing with exhilaration.  She surprised me by literally jumping at the chance to ride the rope swing.  It runs the length of the gym and goes pretty fast.  I was sure Charlotte would just want to sit and watch but Wayne says she jumped up and was so excited to ride.  Even with it going really fast she had a smile and held on (T-I-G-H-T) all by herself.  We are so proud of her!!!

Miss Maya was so adorable and like all the kids was just having a BLAST.  She always has a sweet little smile and today was no exception!   

Happy Birthday Maya, thanks for having us! 

Just Call Her…Mama

This afternoon Charlotte and I spent some time in her room.  She was “baking’ and I was pulling out the 2T size clothing  out of her dresser drawers.  (WAY too small now and I might need to pull out 3T soon too!)  The entire time she kept me laughing because Charlotte sounded like such an adult puttering around looking for things and mumbling to herself.  I kept up a running dialogue with her about what she was doing.  “Charlotte, don’t forget to use a potholder”, “Maybe that could use some salt”, “Wow - that sounds yummy”, etc.  As my sorting came to a close she pounced on me…

“Mama, I’m gonna make you some gingerbread cookies cuz’ you didn’t eat your lunch!”  She pulls out her baking sheet – good so far – and adds two bowls with things like a potato, hunk of cheese, loaf of bread!  For posterity I should mention that I HAD eaten my lunch…SHE had tried to eat it too!  :)      

“You sit right there, here’s your fork, do you want me to cut it for you…I’ll cut it for you!”  I tell her that I am a big girl and can {pretend to} cut it myself – SHE LITERALLY DOES A SLOW TURN from the kitchen sink and says “You are not as big as me!”  I SWARE I have NEVER said that to her before…where does she get this stuff!

“Mommy, SIT DOWN – you have to sit down at breakfast”

“I’m gonna make your lunch for … school.  See, here is your cow milk.  You can have one jelly sandwich – NO COOKIES.”  I swear she YELLED at me about a cookie I didn’t even ask for….sigh!

“Mama, Mama, MAMA…um, Mama…he, he… I forgot!?! 

Good girl, Mama”

“Close up your lunchbox, it’s goin’ in the fridge right this minute!”  Proceeds to put it in her oven, then catches herself with a laugh and puts it in her fridge… “Oh, you gonna need a drink!”  Then she got me some water from her faucet and puts it in the fridge too.  (presumably for lunch tomorrow)

“You need to do what I say, Mama! Ok, ok … TIME OUT!”  “Do you know what (you did wrong), two minutes (in time out)!”  I mean, really…I was just eating my hunk of cheese with a spoon….. what did I do?

Obviously it was a fun afternoon and I am just including the wacky things she said to me but man, it’s like she is already a teenager!  Her adorable outfit for the afternoon included a red beaded necklace she was wearing under her dress and another pair of legwarmers (besides what are on her arms) under her green pants.  All the clothes were stolen with glee from the work I was doing to clean up her dresser!  Okay, I admit I thought it was cute and helped with the zipper and bow!

Let me just take a minute here to note that I am fascinated by the fact that Charlotte calls me so many variations of mommy.  I guess if we have taught her to call me anything it would be Mommy but somewhere along the line she started in with Mom – which freaked me out because my two year old is instantly transformed into a 15 year old.  Then, in the last 3 months or so (insert that she has TRIED to call Wayne and I BOTH by our first names…not gonna work, we refuse to acknowledge her!)  she calls me mostly Mama.  Not sure where it’s coming from: what friend, book or TV show but it’s really cute!  It is so cheesy to relate it this way but frankly, I am just glad she calls for me at all especially since she has really shown a preference for Wayne for the last year or so.  I think the tide (that I have not so patiently been waiting out) is finally turning in my direction al little bit!  I’m thrilled!