hmmf

I was trying to post about my darling boy's second birthday which happened this week but apparently I am not allowed.
My photos will not post.
I suppose I'll have to go photoless for the time being.


My darling boy turned two.
Two whole years since I birthed him.
Two whole years since I woke in the night with the wee tiny thing tucked beside me. I snuggled him to my cheek and he stretched his arms wide as they could go, just wide enough to span my face, and it hurt me, how much I loved him.
He occasionally hugs my face still, it hurts now in a more ordinary "my face is being smooshed" sort of a way.

Improve the Shining Moments

I've been storing bottled fruit under the crib in Enzo's room. Turns out, that was a mistake.
I guess the real mistake was getting a bottle out while he was watching. That happened a month or two ago and since then he'll occasionally bring me a bottle. I tell him "no," and put the bottle away and that's is for a few weeks when he brings another bottle.
From what Zizza tells me, today he got out a full dozen and stacked a few like blocks.
Want to hear the best part of this story? I got the peach mess under control and when back to the kitchen to finish cooking dinner. While I was thus occupied, Enzo pooped his pants, reached in and grabbed a handful and came down stairs to give his pop a welcome home hug.
The poo-hug was well appreciated you can be sure.
I don't think I would have survived these shining moments had my Mr. arrived home any later.

Discovery

 

I found this chocolate peanutbutter at the grocery store. It really is a dream just as the label says. Aside from being delicious, it's a real time saver. There's no need for me to pilfer chocolate chips from the baking shelf when I'm looking for a sweet fix.
Add a sliced bananna, some whole wheat Ritz and a glass of milk to the equation and you have my ideal lunch.

C'mon and wake up!

Sleeping with a smile on her face...

Disturbed by my nosy picture taking...

Didn't take her long

to warm up.

The new one is feeling much better and in a delightful stage. She spends her free time on a blanket lined floor in happy baby pose, rolling from side to side on her back like an up turned turtle and admiring her own sweet toes.
Unlike most five month-olds who prefer to sit up in your arms showing off their hard won balance and muscle control, our New One leans right in and holds tight when you pick her up. She's supporting herself, she just likes to do it close and snugly with her arms as far around your neck as she can manage.
Hugs every time you lift her? This is an incredibly rewarding child to parent.
Still hoping we get to keep doing it.

The answer

This is honestly my favorite of all films ever made.
From the opening, "I feel like I'm not out of bed yet" sung by a truly awesome bass all the way through the city, singing and dancing as she goes, and back to the dock where the same bass wraps things up with the same line. There's not a minute that drags or makes me cringe a little like occasionally happens in cheesy old films that I love anyway. (I'm looking at you Funny Face)
The music is fun and singable, the characters (aside from Ivy who's a bit of a yawn) are spunky and lovable, the dancing makes me sigh with longing. (I've always wished I could dance) and it never fails to put a smile on my face.
Tied for first place as my favorite scenes are the opening scene with the bass, which I couldn't find on you tube, and the scene below. Which, between the dancing and that incredible dress, plants in my bosom the burning desire to be Ann Miller.


Imagine my delight when while watching another favorite of mine, Ugly Betty, I witnessed this wonderful tribute to my own dear On The Town. If I hadn't been a faithful Betty lover before, this scene would have single handedly established my everlasting fanhood.


Now for business. Two people answered correctly. Boy didn't state the name of the film, but obviously knew exactly the film I meant. Cassandra knew the answer immediately as I was sure she would.
Since there are just the two of them, I think we can afford to make this a little more interesting than simply drawing a name from a hat.
Get ready readers, there's going to be a face off. My baby brother vs. my best friend.
Who will be victorious and secure the win and it's accompanying copy of "On The Town"?
Only time will tell.

Seven years ago

It's exactly what you think it is.

His big sister bit him square on the face.

Birthday cape redemption.

Zizza went through a cape phase last September/October. But here's the thing, she didn't have a cape.
To fill the void she started wearing the kerchief that came with her foam rollers tied about her shoulders. It made a very sorry looking cape.

 

See what I mean?
Since it was made to secure rollers to one's head while sleeping it is rather ill suited to use as a cape.
There are two ways to tie it on. If you use the long side of the triangle to tie 'round the neck, you get a decidedly neckercheif-like effect. Since the girl wasn't out to portray a den mother, that wasn't ideal.
If you tie it by a short side it hangs all skewampus as you see above. Skewampus? yes, but it did the job.
Well, she was having such fun with her make-shift cape, and her birthday was coming up, so you can probably guess where this is going...
Enter, the fabulous reversible birthday cape! Side one,

 

Side two!

 

Hurrah! three cheers for the new cape! It hangs straight down the back, it has polka dots and gingham, it fastens with velcro so there's no need to run to the mama for help getting it on, also, it won't strangle you because velcro comes unfastened easy as pie! This is the best cape ever! Right?...Right?
I was so excited to give it to her, I had to restrain myself all day. Present time finally came, she opened it, and that was it.
She tried it on once for my sake, but then it stayed crumpled in the bottom corner of her dress-up box. At least she didn't wear the other "cape" either. That might have been too much to bear. I was just too late, her cape phase was over.
Until last week. She put it on while I was scrubbing floors.
"We're super heroes momma! What's your super hero name?"
I told her I was "super cleaner-upper" and my power was cleaning floors. She declared herself "super little girl cleaner upper" and zoomed up and down the stairs shouting about her cleaning powers.
How my heart did swell.
The next day she took the cape to a new level of coolness by including it in this ensemble.

Nice huh?

 

In case you couldn't tell from the photos she is wearing two, yes two, fluffy slips, a flower petal tutu, a jingle bell tutu, a tinkerbelle skirt, a pink feather boa, purple fairy wings, a pointy princess hat with a scarf, and both capes. Also, she is waving a lace fan.
She wore it for hours. Only changed at dinner time when we made her.
And that, friends, is how the fabulous reversible birthday cape was redeemed.
Now, just for fun here are close ups of the awesome applique job. It's my best applique work to date so I've got to show it off a bit.
Excuse the wrinkles will you? Remember the cape has been at the bottom of the dress-ups for the past three months.

 

 

Cookie contest take 2

Remember last year's contest? I decided to give it another go. This time the cookie inscriptions came from my all time favorite movie. Guess the movie correctly, and you are in the running!
I decided cookies as a prize is a bad idea. I decided this after remembering that I have yet to send Barefoot any cookies for her triumphant win last February. (Sorry)
This year the winner will receive a copy of the movie in question. (and a great film it is, I watched it yesterday while I cut out cookies and I wouldn't mind watching it again right now.)
So get guessing friends! Deciphering my frosting-manship, or frostmanship, or whatever you care to call it, is part of the fun.
The contest will end at the stroke of midnight on Valentines day.

The Deceptive Baby

Does this baby look to you like she has Bronchialitis (which may or may not be RSV)and a matched pair of ear infections?
No?
Well, that's probably because she was perfectly healthy when this photo was taken two months ago, but if you imagine her hair a little longer and her cheeks a little rounder, you will have an accurate image of what she looks like now.
She started coughing on Sunday. Wednesday she sounded better, coughing less, her sweet little coos had the sound of a returning voice. Wednesday night was rough, and I decided a Dr visit was in order.
Thursday morning I followed through with my decision and made her an appointment. She coughed maybe once between the time when I made the phone call and her in. I was expecting the "It's just a virus, go on home" speech.
Instead I got a nebulizer and antibiotics for those infected little ears of hers.
Lets review.
Baby looks like this;

She's coughing some, but she's happy, smiling, pleasant to be around, doesn't even have a runny nose.
Diagnosis?
Chock full of mucus, can only just breathe, and probably can't hear a word you say through all the infected goo in her ears.
How on earth are you supposed to know shes sick if she never gets grumpy?
Happy cooing babies are not supposed to require thrice daily breathing treatments and antibiotics!
I'm really not complaining. It's wonderful having a baby with such a gentle disposition, but if she would have at least cried a little, I might have realized she needed to go to the Dr. sooner in the week, she wouldn't have gotten so bad, and she could already be feeling much better.

It turns out

Going to the dentist is not nearly as much fun when you have braces.
Thanks to all the darned hardware on my teeth I had more build up than ever I've had before. The hygienist chiseled away at it and I sat in the chair trying to maintain a relaxed attitude by channeling all of my tension into my hands which were tightly clamped together and resting on my stomach.
I'm pretty much done with this whole "braces thing". I'm tired of not being able to really enjoy chips with my guac, or apples, or carrots, or anything crunchy. I'm tired of it taking a full 15 minutes to floss, tired of waking up to this every night because that awful crossbite just will not submit.
Not even the lime green rubber bands I picked at my last adjustment brightened my braceward attitude.
If all goes well, I endure the torturous elastics for a sufficient amount of time each night, and my teeth move the last little bit needed to achieve perfect alignment, the braces will come off in two months.
My fingers are crossed.

please advise

I have one of these beds. I really like it a lot. We bought it for Zizza when she graduated the crib.
But here's the problem. We moved her into the guest room where she now sleeps in what was the guest bed. It's time for Enzo to move it on up from the crib but the minnen bed is just so darned girly!
When we bought the bed we thought it would stay with Zizza, so we didn't consider it's girlyness a negative. Things didn't pan out that way though, so a negative it has become.
Help me folks, what can I do to boy this thing up? I thought of completely slip-covering it but honestly, that's plain too much work.
Will putting boy bedding on it work or will it just look like boy bedding on a girl bed?