Finnisms

Finn: Were you preg-a-net with me a long time when I was a baby?

Me: Yep, nine months.

Finn:  A long LONG time?

Me:  Almost a year.

Finn:  Ok, and when are you going to not be preg-a-net?

Me:  July

Finn:  July Forf-th?

Me:  Yep.

Finn:  Um, ok.

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Finn: You smell like mint.  Did you eat a mint?

Me: I just put my lip stuff on.  {Burt’s Bees} 

Finn: Can you tell me the difference… is it minty fresh or just mint?

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Finn:  Mom, do you want a piece of Pez candy?  Say yes or no.

Me:  No.

Finn:  You want it?

Me:  No, I don’t. 

Finn:  Well here it is.  You can save it for the morning if you want.  I don’t like these ones.

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Finn:  It is really nice outside.  We could stay out here for a couple days.  You know, have a little guy time.

Dave: Buddy, you crack me up.

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Finn:  {Just out of the bath.}  Mom, smell my armpits.

Me:  Ooooh they smell like strawberries!

Finn:  Ok, now smell my butt.

Me:  I’m not going to smell your butt.

Finn:  Why?  It smells like strawberries too!  It smells good.

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*My mom & I may have been lost-ish in downtown Ann Arbor*

Me:  Mom, want to ask that guy {standing on the street who looked admittedly a little sketchy} directions?

Finn:  That’s a BAD man.

Me:  Finn, why would you say that?  You don’t know that!

Finn:  He writes on walls!

*My mom & I are laughing at this point, but obviously not paying enough attention to Finn so he clarified.*

Finn: He writes on CITY walls!

{BTW, I have zero clue why he thought this guy was a tagger and/or how he even knew that people do this.}

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Me:  How much was that check you wrote to John?

Dave:  Two

Finn:  Hundred Million Dollars!

Pet Peeves

I am a self professed freak about certain things.  And today I am letting my freak flag fly.

My pet peeve list runs deep.  I’d rather be known for all eternity as the freak who can’t stand close talkers than to deal with you breathing down my neck.  So back it up.  That’s right, get your stinky hot breath off of me or I will punch you in the junk.

Ask me to not wash all the underwear in the house separately, on the hottest water setting and I will flip out.  {Yeah, that one came after my friend Stace attended a conference and told us all the nasty bits from underwear that are spread throughout your clothes.  You need the hottest water possible for that not to happen.  Freaked me the hell out, so all underwear separately on hot water it is.} 

And along those same lines, don’t ever let me catch you not washing your hands after you use the bathroom.  We would probably cease being friends, being unsanitary and spreading your bodily fluids to other stuff people touch?   You, my friend, are just disgusting.

There can be a giant pile of dirty clothes on our bedroom floor, but the hangers in every closet have to be facing the same way and so do the clothes. 

Liars & hypocrites.  Oh, that is a big one!  Not only do you bug me, but I can’t trust a single thing you say. 

Don’t chew with your mouth open, smack your lips, lick your fingers {unless you’re eating hot wings} and PLEASE no disgusting table manners.  For reals, if we have eaten together and you do any of these things, there is a mental list in my head that says Will NOT Be Invited For Dinner Ever and you are on it.

Dave’s ‘thing’ is the toilet paper.  It has to be on the holder in an over position… sometimes I switch it just to screw with him. 

His shirts have to be folded only by him… in thirds, then again in thirds… that one is a holdover from his military days.  I don’t have the patience and I don’t do it right, so he happily does it himself. 

He’s also a hand washing freak much worse than I.  Just TRY to put something sticky on his hands and he’ll be at the sink scrubbing away faster than you can blink.  Did I mention we have an almost four year old boy???  Do you realize the amount of sticky shit he gets into?

So fess up, what’s your biggest pet peeve??  Pen clicking?  Improper grammar?  Someone who puts one swig of orange juice back in the fridge?  Gum chewing?  Slow drivers?  People that are constantly late?  People who talk on the phone in restaurants?  People with long pet peeve lists? 

Spill it!

Make Your Own Pizza

Finn is weird about pizza lately.  I’m not sure when it happened, but he’s all about cheesy bread which he proceeds to dip in marinara… WHAT is the difference between that and pizza?  Apparently to a three year old, there is a huge difference that Mama just doesn’t understand.  To appease his delicate palate we decided to do make your own pizzas for dinner, he does much better when he helps prep meals.  Even better when “Spiderman” preps dinner.  It takes a little time if you have a ton of toppings, but it’s pretty simple to throw together, even last minute… it’s even easier if you purchase everything ready to go.

We bought personal pizza size ready to go dough, pizza sauce, pepperoni, and pizza cheese.  I also sautéed some Italian sausage for Dave, cut up fresh pineapple & mushrooms, and let everyone start assembling.  We popped them in the oven at 375 for 15-20 minutes.  EASY and everyone was happy. 

 

Best Gifts for New Moms

 

1. An Hour.

   New moms generally are operating on zero sleep.  This is especially true for new moms with older children because your attention isn’t just on the new baby.  The sweetest thing my mom did for us as soon as we came home from the hospital with Finn was to come over so that Dave and I could lay down in our bed together {after 5 days of uncomfortable sleeping apart at the hospital} and take a very much needed nap.  I’m hoping she volunteers for this again when baby girl arrives!  Maybe your new mom needs an hour to just get out of the house.  Maybe she needs an hour to take a really long hot shower and blow dry her hair.  Maybe she needs an hour to go out to dinner with her husband.  Whatever she might need that hour for, offer it.

2. Boppy.

   This was by far my favorite baby product, it is at the top of my list.  Finn is soon to be four and he has used it every single day of his life.  It’s great for moms that have had a c-section because it doesn’t squeeze and it offers support while holding the baby.  It’s great for nursing.  It’s great for holding the baby if you bottle feed.  It’s also great for balancing during that wobbly learning to sit up unassisted phase.  Finn still uses it every night as his pillow and loves how it curls around him.  He’s so attached I bought a new one for baby girl.  I’ve used it for naps and it’s surprisingly comfortable. 

3. Food.

   I have written before about how I love taking dinners to new moms.  If you can cook there are endless ideas, shoot the new parents an email a few weeks before their due date and give them a list of choices to be sure they will love the meal.  If you’re going up to the hospital, the new parents might love a sandwich from their favorite deli just to avoid hospital food.  If you’re not a great cook or you’re unsure about what your new mom likes to eat, why not put together a breakfast basket?  Include items like English Muffins or Bagels, coffee, tea, jam, fresh fruits, Nutella, pancake mix, syrup, bottled juices, and other great items for a quick breakfast.  Or a how about a snack basket with nuts, crackers, fruit, and other easy snacks?  How about a gift card to their favorite pizza place, favorite takeaway place, or even to a market like Trader Joes or Fresh Market that has yummy ready-to-go items? 

4. Photos.

   I will preface this with, I am not even close to being a photographer, but one of my favorite things to do for new moms is to get some great shots of the new baby to give to the new parents.  As a new mom, I was always forgetting to get photos of Finn and they change so much those first couple months.  I especially treasure the ones of all three of us together as a new family that different people captured in those first few weeks.  You could always get them a session with a local photographer who specializes in child photography too.

5. House Cleaning.

   Either do this yourself if you’re close to the new parents or hire a service for a month or two of house cleaning.  When I was sick in November, Dave’s grandma did this for us and it was SO appreciated.  Come over and throw a load of laundry in.  Clean out the fridge.  Vacuum.  Change the sheets on the bed.  Clean the bathroom.  Take the garbage out.

6. Don’t be a pest.

   It should go without saying that {even if you are a new grandparent or other close relative} just stopping by without calling first is incredibly rude in those first few weeks.  New parents are often inundated with visitors and are sleep deprived, you don’t know if you’re interrupting precious sleep time.  Sometimes the biggest gift you can give to them is not being a pest.

7. Entertain the Siblings.

   This one is a biggie.  New moms are often trying to establish a routine with the new baby and still devote enough time to the siblings.  They often feel overlooked with the new baby around.   Why not pick them up for an afternoon at the park, a walk around the neighborhood, a trip to the zoo, a movie matinee, or another fun activity?  It gives the new mom a few hours alone with the baby and it makes the sibling feel special.

What are your favorite new mom gifts?  What did you most appreciate in those days and weeks after having your own baby?

How To Make Butter

Delicious delicious butter.  A month or so ago friends of ours made butter.  The old fashioned way, they put it in a jar and took turns shaking the sucker until their arms were going to fall off.  Which is fun if there are two or three adults participating or several children that don’t want to quit after 5 minutes of shaking.

Finn & I decided that between the two of us, we are decidedly in the latter group.

So we made it the ‘easy’ way.  In a stand mixer the way nature intended.  It still took us close to 45 minutes, but we made quite a bit of butter.  You can certainly do this in whatever increments you’d like.

First, outfit your Kitchen Aid with the whisk attachment.  Next, pour in your heavy cream.  {Incidentally, if you have a Costco membership and are going to be using quite a bit of heavy cream, it is the deal of the century to buy cartons of Horizon Organic there.}  We used just shy of three cups.  You will want to use the splash guard if you have one.  Trust me.

  

Whisk on medium {I think we had it set on 6-8 most of the time.}  It will start looking like whipped cream first.

Then, if you are three, you wait patiently-ish as it keeps churning and churning and churning some more and ask 500 times if it’s done yet.

Then it will start looking like yellowed, curdly nasty whipped cream.  You’re still on the right track!

And then you will suddenly see the NEED for the splash guard as the butter starts to separate from the buttermilk.  If you didn’t heed my warning, you’re likely swearing right now.

When you start to see a bit of buttermilk in the bottom, you’re going to want to stop the machine and pour it off.

We saved the buttermilk in a jar so I can con Dave into sweetly ask Dave if he’ll make pancakes this weekend.  Then, pop the butter back into the Kitchen Aid and continue to whip for just a bit longer… you’ll see more buttermilk escaping and the butter will come together.

  

Next comes the rinsing.  With water so cold you feel like your hands are frostbitten, soak the butter for a minute and squish it around.  The water will look terrible.  Drain it off and repeat until the water stays mostly clear.  Then drain the butter completely and pick a good salt to add.  Sprinkle the salt over the top of the butter and mix in using a wooden spoon until incorporated.  You can skip the salting if you want or you can also add other herbs and whatnot if you’re feeling like it.

  

Enjoy.

Finn thought it was really cool to watch.  He told me it was “like GOOD butter.”  You know, that kid just might be a food critic one of these days.  Make some with your kiddos soon!

The Hunger Games

{image via babble.com}

It seems like everyone is talking about these books.  Suzanne Collins wrote a young adult, dystopian {if Utopia is the ultimate in good, dystopian is the ultimate worst possible scenario… I’m telling you this because I have a huge vocabulary and I had never heard this word before, I am not sure how that is possible, but it’s true} trilogy about North America in the future.  The continent is divided into a ruling city called The Capitol and twelve ‘districts’ labeled 1-12.  The first book in the series is The Hunger Games.  It’s a story about a 16 year old girl named Katniss who takes her sister’s place in the annual Hunger Games, a televised set of games where two children from each district, one boy and one girl age 12 – 18 fight to the death.

What did you just say?

Yes, 24 children fight to the death in an outdoor arena until only ONE remains and the entire continent is required by law to watch.  It’s just another way The Capitol keeps control over the twelve districts, you know aside from basically starving them, making them live in abject poverty, and under soul crushing conditions.

When I read the synopsis in Target, I *almost* put the book back on the shelf.  I felt completely disturbed and sick to my stomach at the thought.  I couldn’t believe anyone would recommend something so totally heinous.  Why are all these people talking about this?  Why would anyone read something like this?  I decided to purchase it, read it with the full intention of hating the book, and figure out what the big deal was. 

This is not my kind of book.  At all. 

But I didn’t hate it.  I liked it, though I am still a bit horrified to admit that. 

I am not sure how Suzanne Collins did it, but somehow, someway you look beyond the sickening, awful Games.  You become invested in this girl.  Her story, her courage, and the supporting characters suck you into that world without dwelling on the stomach churning concept of what is actually happening.  It isn’t like you are numb either, you care about these characters.  The plot moves quickly from the lottery how the ‘tributes’ are chosen, to the training, to the actual games which comprise most of the story, to the aftermath of the Games.  There is just something that makes you think every step of the way.

I’m starting the second book, Catching Fire, today.

Have you read The Hunger Games?  Are you going to read it?

Bedroom Ideas

Can I tell you how much you guys rock?  Thanks to the lovely Cape on the Corner I have just spent the better part of a day looking through Houzz.  If you love house related eye candy, go there and check it out, just be prepared to spend ALL day gasping at the loveliness.

 

Here are the bedrooms that I love.  None are really similar.  I love them all for different reasons.  And now it’s my job to figure out how this is supposed to translate into our new bedroom.  I’ve decided that my main goal for the room is to design a space that makes us want to dive into bed each night and make us want to snuggle up in the mornings.  The picture is starting to become a little clearer though.

 

eclectic bedroom design

eclectic bedroom design by other metros media and blogs Tamar Schechner

 

eclectic bedroom design by los angeles interior designer Elizabeth Gordon

 

eclectic bedroom design by philadelphia showroom usona

 

eclectic bedroom design

 

eclectic bedroom design by dallas interior designer Abbe Fenimore Studio Ten 25

 

eclectic bedroom design by media and blogs A Few Things From My Life

 

eclectic bedroom design by toronto interior designer Lucid Interior Design Inc.

eclectic bedroom design

eclectic bedroom design

Coffee.

Finn could care less when I make coffee, but when Daddy is making it he runs at full speed from wherever he is in the house to help.  He gets really upset when Dave just makes a single cup in the Senseo… it’s not nearly as fun as the coffee maker.  Daddy lets him carefully measure out each spoonful of beans and doesn’t lose his patience {too much} when he’s groggy {has bed head} and wants that first cup… you see, Finn takes several tries just to get the perfect scoop each time.  His favorite part though is grinding the beans.  Grinding the beans is serious business.

It is one of my favorite things to watch.

 

 

Um. Help?

The current state of our bedroom is, in a word… tragic.  Wait, It’s better if I just rip off the band aid and show you.

Here is your tour guide Dave…

 

Yep.

There you have it.  Water damage.  We thought best safe than sorry and Dave started ripping out the drywall after he pulled up the carpet.

And now I have to have a plan {and quickly!} for putting it all back together.  The room AND the closet.  The roofers will be done by the end of the week, the drywall will be up, and we’ll be ready to paint likely by early next week.  The carpet will go in as soon as the paint is finished. 

I have exactly ZERO ideas because well, I was planning on redecorating the living room before even thinking about doing anything to our bedroom.  I don’t even have any inspiration photos saved.  I only did the bedroom about 3 years ago, also a crazy ass project while Dave was on a business trip.  I was in love with it for about a year, but to tell you the truth, I’d love something a bit different. 

The furniture will stay, it’s black.  Other than keeping the furniture, I’m open to anything except taupe on the walls.     

Which is where you come in.  I need a plan.  I need some inspiration.  Lots and lots of inspiration.  I need a paint color.  I need carpet ideas.

I need help.  Pretty pretty please?  Send me ideas of places to look.  I’ve already looked at Elle Décor and Apartment Therapy… Domino I miss you sorely right now.  Send me inspiration photos of your dream room.  I’ll take anything you’ve got.  

Oh, one more thing.  Let me show you our cozy new sleeping arrangements while I’m at it… you know, to get the full effect on just why it’s important for me to have a plan as soon as humanly possible for getting our room back together.  Finn wants his room back just as much as I want ours back.  I don’t know how people co-sleep past the infant stage.  Finn has decided since we’re right there, he might as well start talking to us in the middle of the night or at 6 am, waking us both up and then falling blissfully back asleep.  It has been SO MUCH FUN camping out in there.

I clearly need sleep.

Indecent Proposal

I have a group of online friends, well they are real life friends too, but we chat online a lot.  We talk about day to day stuff, our husbands, our kids, our jobs, and life in general.  We also ask each other totally random weird shit, everything from what color to paint the living room to what you would do if you won the lotto tomorrow or how much life insurance we should have. 

Mara took it upon herself to post an over the top, hilarious poll to entertain us.  Which brings me to the question that she proposed to us that I thought was totally interesting and wanted to share with all of you...

If some (not ugly or icky (ok well the proposal in the first place is icky, but you know what I mean)) guy offered you 1 million dollars to sleep with him, would you do it? Would your husband or significant other encourage it or divorce you? 

and then the spin off…

If a (pretty hot) woman offered the same thing to your spouse, would he do it?  How would you feel about it?

Obviously, there are no right or wrong answers and it is purely hypothetical.

Dave and I had completely different reactions and answers to these, but we did laugh our asses off about it.

So, tell me, what would you do?

Lucky.

For each petal on the shamrock
This brings a wish your way -
Good health, good luck, and happiness
For today and every day.

I went to an Irish Catholic school growing up.  St Patrick’s Day was a big deal.  There was mass in the morning.  But the afternoon was the real treat, no uniforms and a sea of green.  If you were in Seton Hall you spent the afternoon watching a movie in the cafeteria, usually something involving Herbie the Love Bug.  But if you were in Newman Hall, 5 – 8 grade, you were practically an adult!  You got to go to Ohio Skate and listen to Everybody Walk the Dinosaur and Supersonic and other 80s hits.  No inline skates for us, it was old school four wheels all the way.  The lights would dim, the disco ball would start spinning, and you waited anxiously for a boy to ask you to couple skate. 

In college, we celebrated with Kegs N’ Eggs.  I remember one St Patty’s Day that my mom picked me up and we were at the bar, calling my sister by 9 am.  The entire day we spent adding an O’ to everything we said and cracking ourselves up laughing.  Another year, we flew down to Atlanta went to the parade and partied until much too late.  There were many green shamrock beads and an incident with my mom cracking her head open.  Ahhh another day for that tale.

This year, I’m celebrating with Finnegan.  His very favorite teacher told them this week about receiving a pinch if you don’t wear green on St. Patty’s, so he has been planning what to wear and asking me each day if today was THE day.  We’re going to eat green grapes and rainbow m&m cookies.  We’re going to take a walk around the neighborhood and enjoy the 68 degree weather and pick out all the first GREEN signs of spring.  We’ll go to the grocery and get Dave a Guiness to enjoy & probably pick up a Jiggs dinner.  I can’t think of a better way to celebrate.

 

If you’re looking for a sweet treat today, make these yummy mini Guiness chocolate cupcakes!

The Last Two Days.

We have a weird bump out on the back of our house, it almost doubled the size of our bedroom and added a closet.  Our house is almost 100 years old, so the bedrooms were tiny.  I’m guessing the addition was done some time in the 50s or 60s.  Apparently they didn’t measure correctly or perhaps it was done by design, but the ceiling is about 2 feet shorter in this spot than it is in the rest of the room.  Dave is pretty sure that a bunch of idiots were responsible for its construction.  I am slightly inclined at this point to agree.

Long story short, the roof on that little bump out is failing.   

And that resulted in water in our bedroom.  It means calling a contractor friend who in turn referred us to a roofing guy.  It means new carpet & poor Dave having to rip up the existing carpet which may or may not have mold from the water damage.  If there is mold, we’ll be calling in the professionals.  It may also mean tearing a wall open, but we won’t know that until the roofing guy can tell us what he thinks.  Oh, and it also means that we’re camping out with Finnegan in his room until all of the above is determined and settled.  Dude.  This could mean a week or two depending on how quickly we can get everything moving. 

Did I mention the logistics of putting a queen sized bed into his tiny room?  Needless to say we can’t do much walking or much of anything else.  Just how we’re supposed to have adult time is beyond me… this pregnancy belly isn’t exactly conducive to fun and/or contortionist acts of the good old days.  Ahem.  Cut me a break.  It’s the second trimester, the only part of pregnancy that you actually want adult time.

You are totally jealous of my life, aren’t you?

Aside from the bed, the rest of our bedroom is now in the dining room including 75% of the clothes in our closet.   I feel like my arms might fall off, my back might give out, and I could quite possibly sleep for the next year and a half.  To make matters even worse?  When things are screwed up, I feel the need to do something, anything to bring some order.  Oh yes, I am one of those people.  All those nagging little projects needle me until they are done.  In the last two days we have:

• done 5 6 7 loads of laundry, folded and put them away {both of us}
• matched & folded 46 pairs of socks {me}
• taken down & cleaned the vent fan in the bathroom {dave}
• met with a contractor {dave}
• washed the kitchen floor, the pet dishes, the walls, & pretty much everything else in the kitchen that could be washed {me}
• taped off & re-painted a wall in the kitchen {me}
• went to the grocery store {dave}
• did 2 loads of dishes {me}
• moved the stove, witnessed the horrors beneath it & SCRUBBED the floor {dave}
• had a doctor appointment & managed somehow to contract bronchitis {me}
• re-installed a light switch cover that Dave has been procrastinating on for oh 6 months a year or so {dave}
• took Finn to his music & reading class {me}
• paid all the bills for the month {me}
• had dinner with Dave’s grandma {all three of us}

Oh, in addition, Dave has been working full time.  Today, he is home and we’re on a mission to get the rest of the list accomplished and hopefully meet with the roofing guy.

I am pretty sure that when I wrote this on my Facebook wall on Monday morning, the universe decided to make things right with a little smack of reality.  Isn’t it funny how that happens?

And on a good note, all of the spring cleaning is almost done, the antibiotics should clear up the bronchitis,  Finn is excited about ‘camping out’ in his room, Dave is giving me his blessing to do some minor bedroom redecorating {I’ll take suggestions!!} since everything is out of our room anyway, & I found my favorite bra that has been missing for six months.   Woo hoo!

I know in the grand scheme of things, this is nothing compared to what is going on in Japan and that little fact has brought more than a little perspective to our minor bullshit.

So tell me how your week has been?

Loving Another.

Finn is my dude.  He is the coolest kid ever mixed with a healthy dose of old soul.  My favorite time of day is just after he wakes up from his nap, he shares his half awake silly thoughts with me, things that make him laugh, things that make me think I’m doing a pretty good job. 

For almost four years he has been mine.  I know everything there is to know about him and yet, he surprises and challenges me daily.  I have comforted scraped knees, I hear his secret fear and watch him conquer new obstacles, I know the curve of his belly, the smell of his hair… much more a boy now than a baby.  I laugh at the funny things he says.  I love that he is his own person.  He wants to do things on his own and so I let him even though a part of me aches for him to remain my little dude that needs his Mama. 

Everything, everything about him is perfection to me, even days when I want to scream.  Watching him become a little person has been one of the most amazing things I have ever witnessed.

I have a secret nagging worry though. 

I don’t know how I will ever love another as much as I love him.  It doesn’t seem possible.

Is that awful to say out loud? 

Up until the morning we met each other, I wasn’t sure how I would love him either, or what kind of mother I’d be.  I loved that pregnancy, but you know, pregnancy isn’t motherhood.  Motherhood is a whole different animal.  I was worried I wouldn’t know what to do with a boy.  What will we have in common?  I wondered what if we just didn’t like each other.  It was painful that he missed his due date and would be a Taurus.  Boy clothes aren’t as cute as all.  the.  OMG.  CUTE.  stuff.  for.  girls.  And other stupid shit like that. 

I loved feeling his little baby movements, I talked to him daily, I was excited, but I didn’t feel connected to him as a little person like I thought I should. 

And then he arrived, at forty-one weeks via c-section, all ten pounds and twelve ounces, and I heard his little cry.   I was laying there and still hadn’t seen his face but, my heart expanded to the size of the universe and it was all, every little bit of it, filled with love for him.  It’s all very cliché, but I fell in love instantaneously.  The tears started flowing and I knew he was mine forever.  The connection I had been hoping for… it was made before I even had a glimpse of his little face.  When I did see his face, Dave brought him over to me and I couldn’t believe we had created something so beautiful.

So amazingly beautiful.

I’m hoping it is the same with his sister because I am feeling those baby movements, I am talking to her everyday, and I am excited to meet her.  I want to know there is enough love in my heart for two.  I want to know that we’ll get along.  I want to know that we will like each other.  I want to know that my heart is going to explode again and feel bigger than I every thought possible.  I want to stare into her little face and see that Dave and I make beautiful sweet girls as well.

For moms of more than one, tell me what your experience has been with the arrival of baby number two.

Toy Story 3 on Ice

Disney.  Madness.  Saturday we drove up to Detroit to see Toy Story 3 on Ice at the Palace.  It was a surprise for Myles and Finn.  They watched Toy Story 3 on the way up there, just to get in the mood for what was to come.

The boys each chose to get Lenny Binoculars as their special toy.  I was steering them both toward the light up Buzz Lightyear that spins around and looks insane, but they were having none of that… so two Lennys came home with us.  Along with two Buzz Lightyear steins full of lemonade and $7 worth of Disney popcorn which is just like regular popcorn only Disney flavored with magic.

MAGIC, I say!

Dave and Lenny the Binoculars.

Myles and Lenny.

Finn did not move a single muscle and I am pretty sure he didn’t blink the entire first act.

Buzz Lightyear’s bad ass entrance.  He flew in from the ceiling with fireworks shooting out of his feet.  Every child in the place was in awe, as were some of the adults.

  

Dave’s favorite.  Fifteen dancing, life-sized Barbie dolls in 1980s spandex aerobics Barbie outfits.  Hawt.

Booo Hiss.  Lots O Huggin’ Bear along with Buzz, Barbie & Ken.

What I didn’t get a photo of?  Lots of other Disney madness OR the lady next to me who was in her mid forties and who SANG along to almost every song.  She also squealed like a child every time Mickey Mouse made an appearance and screamed, “We LOVE Disney!!!!” and then quietly said right after, “Well, I do.”

The boys absolutely positively loved it.  Dave and I were even amused with the show.  And you know the lady next to me enjoyed it.   

A very special thank you to our friends Lisa & Arik for the tickets.  Your proper thank you is forthcoming.

How was your weekend?  Filled with magic Disney popcorn?

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.

Just try not to dance while playing this video.  Do it. 

I can not tell you the sheer number of times that Lyndsey and I have danced to this song over the years, we owned the RECORD.  My mom probably still has it tucked away somewhere.

What is your favorite eighties feel good song?

Books.

Dave reads to Finnegan every night before bed.  He has been doing this since Finn was born, take a look back at little munchkin Finn when I first started blogging.  They curl up on the couch or in our bed and read story after story.  Oh sure, we read during the day, but it’s not the same as his special reading time at night with Daddy.  

I think it’s the most endearing, mushy, lovey thing ever.   

Link Love Because My Head Just May Explode

I am the lucky recipient of another head cold.  I mean, it has been a whole three weeks since the last one left so I was due for one, no?  I’d like to give a shout out to whichever disease vector that decided to pass their germs along to me.  There should be laws against giving pregnant women your germs.  And yes, I’ve already started with the nasal irrigation and have spectacularly not drown myself yet.

So without further ado, allow me to send you to some infinitely more fun places this morning.  Be spectacular guests and tell them all hello.

My friend Bunny has come up with the COOLEST 1st Birthday Invitations for her daughter.  You will love these, it isn’t very often that I am jealous, but color me green.  They are so clever.

I love the idea of a mini leprechaun breakfast from One Charming Party.

Adorable cardboard guitars from Make It & Love It.

Feel free to share more cool links in the comments!  I have nothing better to do today than to sit on the couch, sipping on gin & juice, and visit your favorites.  Finn is ecstatic at the thought of getting to watch ‘kid shows’ it’s not very often that we have the tv on during the day.

Cheesecake Filled Strawberries

Ok, this tutorial is going to be super long and involved.  I mean, it’s a matter of utmost importance that you are super handy in the kitchen to accomplish this difficult task.  You may need to take a course at Le Cordon Bleu to be able to serve these.

Or not. 

It’s easier than the Sea Salt Chocolate Dipped Oreos, but only because you don’t have to microwave anything.

They took all of five minutes to make, most of that was washing the berries.

1. Wash the strawberries.  It’s best to pick fairly big berries for this task.
2. Dry the berries.
3. Core the berries with a paring knife.  That just means taking the stem and some of the center out.  It’s best to cut a little more out of the middle so it has more room for filling.
4. Open a tub of pre-made cheesecake filling because you’re super lazy.
5. Put cheesecake filling into a piping bag.  {I dyed mine green to look like the berry top, but you can just put it in plain.}  If you don’t have piping bags, by all means, use a baggie with the end snipped off.
6. Pipe cheesecake into berries and try not to consume every single one as you’re done.  As you can see from the last pic, that is a pretty impossible task.

  

I got the idea from Baker’s Royale, where she is decidedly not lazy AND more fancy because she actually made the cheesecake and then she dips them in chocolate. 

I posted it to the So Wonderful, So Marvelous Facebook Page back in January… see!??  If we’re not Facebook friends already we need to be!  You could have been eating these suckers for 6 weeks.  Get over there and play with us.   Do it.  Do it now.