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Photo taken 1.30.09

Old Photo Friday

1980s. My Sweets + his little brother Mike sleeping over at Grandma J's house. For me, nothing beats a photo of two sleeping babies. Well, maybe two actual sleeping babies. Yes, that would be lovely.

Love Tree

The Love Tree is up, minus 3 ornaments on the way. Buby bedazzled it a few days early this year. He saw that Mark + Patti across the street had hearts all over their front door and asked me if we could do that, too. Of course. Tomorrow we'll be cutting out construction hearts and taping them up 'til his heart's content. Valentines are in progress. Buby + I had a simple, brilliant idea this year, and I can't wait to see how it turns out. Baking will begin on the 10th. And... Buby would like me to add that his Love Box is open for business. Remember the foam mailbox he decorated last year? Well, it's out and he's checking it every few hours. Breaks my heart to hear, "Oh. Still empty." Sunday I'll start the 14 love letters in 14 days. I LOVE the idea of handwriting love notes, however long or short, to my babes. Someday I hope to gift each of them a jar or pretty little box full of notes, a tangible reminder of how much My Sweets + I adored these years with them. Celebrated their unique qualities. And got to be kids all over again with them.

Wintry Mix

A bundled Bleu watches her big bro zoom down an ice-covered slide.

Cold mornings, busy days and sleepless nights around here, so I apologize for the sporadic posting. I had a migraine the first part of the week, but yesterday and today were a thousand times better. I'm just enjoying my itty bitties and looking forward to catching up with My Sweets this weekend. Bleu took a lovely lil' nap in her car seat while Buby was at preschool this morning, so I sat in a Dunkin' Donuts parking lot with an iced decaff latte in my cup holder, my '09 calendar open on my lap, and my lucky list book ready for some action. I loved the quiet. And it felt like such a luxury to sit still for a moment and think. Organize. Plan. I love writing lists. Always have. My mom is a lister, too. Looking at my calendar got me all tickled for the weeks to come.



A Chinese New Year party on Monday. Buby's first major school recital on the 6th. Friends coming up to ski on the 7th + 8th. A road trip to Family Land on the 13th. Valentine's Day on the 14th. My Sweets' birthday on the 20th. Bleu's first swim class. St. Patty's Day. Easter. Egg hunts galore. Buby's first soccer practice. Bleu's 1st birthday party on April 18. Her real birthday a week later. Family photo shoot with the incredible Wendy Whitacre of Blue Lily Photography in NYC on May 17. Our 9th wedding anniversary on the 20th. The birth of our third nephew {and 8th baby in our immediate family} in June. New England in summer. So happy to think about warmer days. Walking to the park + river with the kids again. Ahhh... Yummy.

The Bleumobile

Buby used it outside the summer after he turned 1. Bleu is just about ready for it now. So My Sweets rescued it from the garage last week, and I spent about an hour scrubbing it back to life. Washing. Disinfecting. Q-Tips in crevices. Four sparkle letters and two butterflies later, et voila. The Bleumobile.


It was made by Fisher Price and is just one in a whole fleet of similar plastic walker thingys that have taken up residence in our garage loft. Lots of people bought them for Buby when he was itty bitty, so I bet we tested every make and model out there. This is the only one I ever liked. The design is ultra basic and cheap, but it's surprisingly stable. And unlike the others, nothing for the babes to hit his/her head on if they stumble. When they stumble.


We have it in the playroom now, our only carpeted room. When she's ready... I can't wait to see her go.

Best Product On Earth

I want to hug the scientists who made this. If you suffer winter hands like mine, you will, too. Of all the lotions and creams and ointments and butters I've tried over the years, this Burt's Bees Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Creme is by far the best. It really works, and without the sting of chemicals or greasiness of balm or sliminess of lotion. I'm not into fragrances either, and the natural almond is just the right amount of subtle. I'm so happy with it I had to share.

9 Months

Dearest Bleu... I wish for you.

Sunshine. Smiles big + small. A healthy body. A happy heart. Kisses. Comforts. Butterflies. Faith. Travel. Challenges. Confidence. Knowledge. Expression. Persistence. Passion. Wisdom. Good friends. Peace. And wishes come true.

Happy birthday girl. I am so honored to be your Mama.

What You See

What you don't see: Buby hopping around bare nakie. Screaming in post-swim excitement. Me balancing Bleu between my legs for a sec so I can help him into the sweats, socks, and coat tucked under my arm. Bleu weaving in and out of the dressing room. Oh no! Buby giggling so loud he couldn't hear my pleas to focus. Me swooping up Bleu while calming Buby. All heading next door to wash. Good thing it's just us on Tuesdays.

Bookworm

This week's new thing is pulling every book off the shelf and dropping it onto the floor. Once she has 15 or 20 titles, she'll sit in the heap and flip pages for a while. I have a feeling next week's new thing will be the "Clean Up" song.

Creature of Habit

Buby finds comfort + amusement in the simplest parts of our day. For instance, every night when he brushes his teeth I stand behind him holding a squirmy Bleu. She leans in and grabs a chunk of his pretty hair. Yikes! I intervene. Buby laughs hysterically, even though we both know it hurt. I scoot back a little. Then I notice he does, too. Secretly, he loves when his sister pulls his hair, ridicules his dancing, crawls on his puzzle, takes his trains. Oh wait. Not the train part. He doesn't like that.



I throw him hugs every night on my way out of his room. All kinds of hugs, but the same hugs every night. He sits up in bed and catches them. There's the rocket ship hug, spin-around hug, the under leg dribble hug, the jump shot hug, and the big achuuuu hug. I always end with that one. It's like my grand finale. He throws back a single hug and tells me to make sure I share it with his sister.

Side By Side

Yesterday we made a rare stop at Sam's Club to grab some garbage bags, AA batteries, and blueberries. I can't stand buying bulk. It never works for us, so we only go about twice a year on a whim. There's no space to store a 12-pack of Bounty, and I just can't commit to using the same body shampoo for 6 months. I reserve the right to switch things up weekly. That said, Sam's has the BEST fresh blueberries from Chili. We can't get enough of them. I had 3 bowls earlier today, plus some on my sundae tonight.








Oh right. My point. We entered the store with Buby holding my hand and Bleu in her Daddy's arms. Skipping right along. I didn't expect either kid to sit in the big cart. I left Bleu's cart cover in the car even. Well, I ran to the ladies room and returned to both babes in and buckled and giggling shoulder to shoulder. It was adorable to see. Suddenly Buby seemed a little younger and Bleu a little older. It occurred in that moment that we no longer have one big kid and one baby. We have 2 KIDS now. Strange revelation at Sam's Club.

There were tender moments of Bleu leaning in for Buby snuggles or grabbing his left arm just so. I couldn't resist. For the first time I pictured the two of them going to school together, hanging out, having their own good time. Glad my camera was in my bag.

He Said

Last night as My Sweets was walking out of Buby's room.



Buby: Daddy?

My Sweets: Yeah?

Buby: What are you going to dream about tonight?

My Sweets: Fishing with you.

Buby: Okay.

Unbelievable

I told you she was a determined young lady. She'll stop at nothing to get what she wants. I just wish I could dress her head to toe in bubble wrap until she's a stable walker.

I Heart

We noticed heart shapes on several of the finished cookies. Happy accident.

The other night Buby asked if we could bake cookies together. I said, "Sure, tomorrow we'll see what we have." The next morning Buby ran to the kitchen and pulled out his copy of Yummy Cookies: Baking with Kids. No reminders needed. He said, "I'll show you what I want to make. Okay?" flipping right to Gooey Thumbprints on page 16. Then he skipped over to the pantry asking, "Can you check Mom? Check if you have all the ingredients." Before I could he was in the fridge looking for apricot jam.



This recipe is so easy + delicious. It turned out even better than I remembered. My favorite part was sharing that first bite with my lil' baker. He's always surprised at how wonderful things taste and always appreciative that you let him help. We taste-tested the cookies fresh out of the oven. I chose apricot. He picked raspberry. We shared a bite of each. Buby went to bed grinning ear to ear, and I snuck back downstairs for 4 more cookies. My Sweets later said they were the best cookies he's ever tasted. Here's what you do:




Easy All-Purpose Cookie Dough

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup of your favorite jam

1. Beat the butter, powdered sugar, brown sugar, and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
2. Add the egg; beat until well blended.
3. Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Shape the dough into a disc; wrap tightly in plastic.
5. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour or until firm.
6. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
7. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls.
8. Place the balls 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
9. Gently press the center of each ball with your thumb.
10. Fill the depression with a heaping 1/4 teaspoon jam. Note: We used All Fruit Apricot and Red Raspberry jam, which is sweetened only with real fruit, no extra sugar.
11. Bake for 25 to 27 minutes or until the tops of the cookies are light golden brown. Cool the cookies on the cookie sheets for 1 minutes.
12. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen. Note: We use organic whenever possible.

Buby poured all of the ingredients into the mixing bowl, rolled the dough into 1-inch balls, made thumbprints, and then filled the holes with jam. He wore his apron and washed his hands before, during, and after baking. I was impressed. He really is growing up too fast.

Shhh, We're Hiding

Whisper or she'll hear us. SHHH! She's turning around. Wait. Wait. She's looking right at us. Oh no! Here she comes! Take cover. Go! Go! Go! Buby gives us away with his giggle. Bleu busts in. I'm pushed out. He returns to his puzzle with her as his new sidekick, and they suffer static cling the rest of the day. Grandma + Grandpa M. gave us this cool pop-up Thomas tent for Christmas. We spend way too many hours in it.

Happy Weekend

Bleu with her two favorite things {the guitar and the wooden monkey}

Promise to catch you up on kid stuff over the weekend. Bleu will wake from her nap shortly, so here's an Old Photo Friday. Or two. To hold you over.

Old Photo Friday

January 1997. My Sweets. Final semester of undergrad. Political Science major. Visiting brand new fiancee in Washington, D.C. Eve of President Clinton's swearing in.

Old Photo Friday

January 2000. Trying on my wedding dress. As with My Sweets, it was giddiness at first sight. I would not try on another dress. Size 2, off the rack, perfect fit. My mom ~ all swept up in the emotion of seeing her only daughter in satin + lace ~ offered to get it. I'm sure she didn't plan on buying a dress that day or spending that much. So... thanks Mom. I heart you extra for that. The outdoor ceremony left it mud covered in May, so my mo-in-law had it cleaned + boxed nice for me after. We always planned on exchanging our vows again in the Catholic church {perhaps for our 10th next May}. Teeny ceremony. I may pull it back out for that, just for fun. Otherwise it's here for Bleu girl, should she ever desire to take the whole or just a piece of it for her day.

Sweet Dreams

Double Team

I'm so outnumbered. They team up now to tackle me to the ground and smother me in tickles and giggles, kisses and belly bubbles. I say... if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Buby says "Good job, sis." Mission accomplished.

Inauguration Day

We hurried back from swim class so that we wouldn't miss the 44th taking his oath of office. Buby + I listened to radio coverage of the ceremonies as we drove. We made it home at exactly 12pm and raced inside as the speech was starting. The moment felt BIG and historical. As it should.


Once upon a time I was a reporter at a D.C. paper, so I had the honor of being right up front for Clinton's second inaugural. Freezing my toes off. The process always amazes me. The tradition. The transition. There's nothing like it. I'm proud to be an American.

Photo Gallery: Snow Country

We spent Sunday in the mountains visiting friends. It was cold and snowy and slippery and a really awesome time. The drive was magnificent. It felt like the trees got all gussied up in winter white just for us. Mother Nature sure does know how to take the breath away.


After breakfast for 8 at a teeny diner in town {where I devoured a stack of chocolate chip pancakes and a can of whipped cream}, we proceeded to a very cool Brazillian java shop across the street for a decaf mocha cappuccino and chocolate chip cookies to go. Among other things. I've been before, and it's one of those places you do not pass without stopping. After, we continued on to our friends' new house. Buby + Bleu hadn't seen bffs Gilly + Nat in over a month, so it was heartwarming to sit back and watch them all reacquaint. And to catch up with our own friends, of course. There was no talking Buby down from Cloud 9. {Note: After our last trip up was rescheduled due to bad weather, Buby sat at the top of our stairs crying, "But I missed my Gillian."}












The house was gorgeous. Full of warmth and light and airiness and good ideas. And closets! After a tour and some floor time with the wee ones we headed out back with sleds.

Would you be shocked if I told you we warmed up with some of Alana's yummy homemade hot cocoa after? Indeed, a happy chocolate day for moi.

Both babes fell asleep 2 minutes into our journey home. It was nice. Thank you to our friends for having us. We'll see them again at Grace's Chinese New Year shindig next week.