Monday, May 31, 2010

Gracie is Pink-a-rific!

Gracie came for a birthday week celebration and boy did we do it UP as you can see from the last couple posts. Well, she left yesterday and we are sad but Finley assures me while patting my arm "you'll see her again, Mama." Her big birthday gift to Finley was her first show. Pinkalicious is one of her favorites books at the moment for obvious reasons. It's about a girl who eats so many pink cupcakes that she turns pink. It is also an off-broadway show down on bleecker street. Gracie also gave her an amazing pink cupcake fairy costume - she almost out-pinked the star of the show. The show was SO good. Finley's jaw was dropped the entire time. I am always awed and humbled by broadway shows. I am hoping to go back soon - maybe Bebe wants to go? hmmmm?




Gracie doing her pretty princess pose. We love and miss you G - come back any time!!


We also hit Coney Island (a couple days before the new Luna Park).

Yes, we are on The Wonder Wheel in a swinging car at Coney Island!! She wanted to go, I swear! She was singing "...I ride the biggest rides! Bravery, I'm brimming with bravery..."

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Lordy, I'm Forty!

The best birthday I EVER had. I can't imagine beating this one. (well, actually the BEST one was the birthday when we brought our two day old baby girl home:) The day started out with Craig and I leaving at 6am to drive to Connecticut to work - you KNOW you are grown up when that sounds great (Girosa Post forth coming - Promise!!) the crew had birthday cake for me and let us go early. Craig gave me the most gorgeous stained glass of the Tree of Life since the one we painted on the wall upstate had to stay with the house:( The action portion of my birthday happened Friday with a two hour class on the flying trapeze! Craig, Gracie, Pops and Lisa were there to witness while Sandy and I both flew. We learned to put legs over the bar and swinging upside down, a backflip and finally - a catch! Let me tell you, for this chicken - flying is the way to go!! Though I am sore as hell and have some strange bruises, I know I will be going back someday. Then it was a stroll across town to the Spring Street Natural restaurant which was the perfect choice because they had something for everyone - delicious veggie fare and meat for those who partake of the carcass (it's my birthday post, I can say what I want!) but especially lots of space and windows and plants with a groovy eclectic flair. One my very favorite parts was watching Finley's face sing me happy birthday for the first time very sincerely. She even sang "... to Cami..." SO sweet. After dinner Gracie, Craig, Finley and I - we took an even longer stroll across the Brooklyn Bridge which I haven't done in years. For me, the perfect celebration. Not to mention all the great gifts (c'mon - that cookbook??) and wishes and songs from far and wide. I feel extremely blessed and loved - strong and ready to face the next forty! In honor of this marked day, I am also going to increase the size of this text on this blog just an itty bit:)











A Contented Woman, Forty Years Old

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Craig has a Mac Attack!

She is 12. She is fabulous in and out - beautiful through and through. Here Mac is on her way to a dance.



I found her Uncle Craig staring at the computer like this...



Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Princess or Bust!!!!!












A truly magical birthday! Breakfast at Sweet Melissa's in the garden with just the girls and some makeup presents. Then Papa came and took her with him for a while we set up the apartment for the Princess Present Bonanza. Then up to the park for picnic and cake and a bunch of frolicking by her "three tree" (seriously a tree shaped like holding up three fingers). By the end she begged to sleep in her stroller before we even left the park and then slept all the way home, through being carried up the stairs and pajamas being put on and on through the night- 14 hours total! A special Thank You! to Silas and his preschool for the extra special birthday song phone calls. "When we go to San Diego you can take me there and go."

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Finley's Birthday Video!!!! blog by Papa D.

Finley is THREE! Weeeeeeeee!

It's birthday week! Sunday we opened The Box from the West Coast Dreyers which had the most amazing pink mexican princess dress inside along with one of the best presents I have ever personally ever received. A homemade gift of love and food a beautiful family cookbook chock full of loving goodness. My vegetarian interest is newly piqued! It is so beautiful I kind of want to sleep with it. Remember when you had to sleep with all your favorite new toys? In a separate package was a pink (you know it!) bento box and a kids cookbook to go along - can't want to fix some of these things though Finley has found the page that has a little egg with jelly beans and wants to fill the whole thing with those. Thank you West Coast - we love you, our tummies love you!

Gracie rolled into town on Sunday. We made pink cupcakes (pink icing pink cake sprinkles on top!) to take to school on Monday. While Craig and I were working (more on that later...;}) Gracie took care of Finley all day and was impressed with her wiley ways "no - I want YOU to pick up my toys" We came home and did a big sucker hunt to put under her pillow for the sucker fairy. She left us two suckers for our trip to Florida next week AND she left Finley her first (pink!) gum. The only downer thus far - turns out I am NOT such a great Blue Kitty Kat Cake maker. Now it's off to the Diner and birthday pancakes and some presents! Later Granpops and Bebe come for a "pic-mic' in the park and more More MORE birthday fun!

To Be Continued!

It's good to be three because you get GUM!!































Wednesday, May 19, 2010

First Ever School Picture & More!


We love this so so SO much - but could they have not smoothed her hair a BIT? Rough and tumble - that's our kid!










Saturday, May 08, 2010

Happy Mamas!

We were strolling home from the subway after a long and often dramatic day together (think me, apologizing a lot!) I was thinking out loud about the people that don't have Mama's to love up on Mother's day, feeling a bit sad for them when Finley tells me "when I grow up I'm not going to need a Mama anymore." Gut. Puncher! I will stop to preface this next bit and say that often our toughest time of the day is coming and going from our 4th floor walk up. I try to prepare myself but somehow one or both of us ends up frustrated and/or in tears. So a few minutes after the "I'm not going to need you someday" comment we are walking up the first flight and I ask her what her favorite part about our day together was and she say's "being here, right now with you, Mama!"

They giveth and they taketh and on and on and on.... and I love it all!

Here she is this morning being a sweet little Mama to her baby July.

Happy Mother's Day to mine and you and yours and a special wish for you that will be!

Monday, May 03, 2010

Documentary Heaven!

I must have cried fourteen times. And laughed out loud at least as many. The Real Dirt on Farmer John. Netflix it y'all!

Sunday, May 02, 2010

The Days of Silas and Fee!

As promised, here are a TON of She and He...
















Screen door with clothespin bad guys