Her Birthday Joy

Yesterday was HER day. She say "Happy happy JULIA Birthday!" on and off all day. She had a special bath with fancy bath confetti that looked like flowers and made her feel like a princess. We did our nails together, a lovely shade of soft lavender. I let her help. This is why my nails are simultaneously terrible and awesome.

She ordered a carrot cake at the bakery, and had it decorated like with Princesses. She then decided she doesn't like fancy carrot cake with walnuts and raisins and actual carrots. She likes the crappy carrot cake from Walmart.

There were presents and hilariously despite getting things she asked for and really wanted, her favorite thing was a Doc McStuffins backpack. She wants to set it with the boys backpacks - lined up for school.

My favorite thing she got is this gem.

Scott found it at an antique market, and yes, it's a Barbie lamp. We put it in her room with a dim bulb and GUESS who slept in her own room until 6:30 am WILLINGLY? That's right. This time we were both ready. And when she came to snuggle with me, I was glad to see her.

We went to her FAVORITE place for birthdays, and she couldn't wait to see and dance with Chuckie. She literally started screaming like a Beatle had entered the room when he showed up.

Miles proved he's not too big to ride the clock face thing, and he won tons of tickets because he's insanely good at some of those games. Charlie likes to ride things best of all. He thinks that's great.

They are all still sound asleep at 9 am. I think that means it was an awesome birthday.


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Her Birthday Joy

Yesterday was HER day. She say "Happy happy JULIA Birthday!" on and off all day. She had a special bath with fancy bath confetti that looked like flowers and made her feel like a princess. We did our nails together, a lovely shade of soft lavender. I let her help. This is why my nails are simultaneously terrible and awesome.

She ordered a carrot cake at the bakery, and had it decorated like with Princesses. She then decided she doesn't like fancy carrot cake with walnuts and raisins and actual carrots. She likes the crappy carrot cake from Walmart.

There were presents and hilariously despite getting things she asked for and really wanted, her favorite thing was a Doc McStuffins backpack. She wants to set it with the boys backpacks - lined up for school.

My favorite thing she got is this gem.

Scott found it at an antique market, and yes, it's a Barbie lamp. We put it in her room with a dim bulb and GUESS who slept in her own room until 6:30 am WILLINGLY? That's right. This time we were both ready. And when she came to snuggle with me, I was glad to see her.

We went to her FAVORITE place for birthdays, and she couldn't wait to see and dance with Chuckie. She literally started screaming like a Beatle had entered the room when he showed up.

Miles proved he's not too big to ride the clock face thing, and he won tons of tickets because he's insanely good at some of those games. Charlie likes to ride things best of all. He thinks that's great.

They are all still sound asleep at 9 am. I think that means it was an awesome birthday.


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Birthdays Southern Belle Style

My own Georgia Peach turned three this past week. I took the day off of work and we did what all good southern girls like to do - we went to the Margaret Mitchell House.

Points of interest. This is just an apartment. She did live there when she wrote Gone With The Wind, but it's a wee one bedroom apartment. It was charming, and I have to admit, the entire tour was totally fascinating to me. I'm a pretty typical Gone With The Wind fan, I'm female, but learning about Margaret Mitchell the WOMAN was pretty interesting. I think my two biggest take aways were her amazing philanthropy to the black community when she started making money off GWTW (I think somehow I always painted her as racist...it's not fashionable nor feminist to love GWTW) but the other thing I was intrigued by was, she wrote the last chapter first.


Ok I admit it. This part of the day was for ME. But, I've never been and the tour was included with our membership to The Atlanta History Center.
The girl got a souvenir though.

She thinks it's a puppet. I like to hold it up and go "YOU AINT SHOWIN YOUR BOSOMS AFORE THREE O'CLOCK!" and other things. 

Hey, her birthday, that's what she wanted.

So that's obviously not a three year old birthday celebration.

So what we actually did for HER was have a cake (made by her big brother Louis and herself) and presents at the house and then jaunt off to that mecca of childhood joy for a proper little party. Where do I mean?

Why, Chuck E Cheese of course!

Interesting side note. Miles went over to the hoops game, and wanted to play. I've never once seen him show an interest in basketball.

Who drained shot after shot? Miles. I never saw him even pick up a ball before. Apparently they're doing this in school because this was amazing. The kid has Hoosier DNA after all!

It was a good day to turn three.

I'm pleased to report she has left the terrible twos behind her. And run straight into whatever the hell tantrum age is next.

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Birthdays Southern Belle Style

My own Georgia Peach turned three this past week. I took the day off of work and we did what all good southern girls like to do - we went to the Margaret Mitchell House.

Points of interest. This is just an apartment. She did live there when she wrote Gone With The Wind, but it's a wee one bedroom apartment. It was charming, and I have to admit, the entire tour was totally fascinating to me. I'm a pretty typical Gone With The Wind fan, I'm female, but learning about Margaret Mitchell the WOMAN was pretty interesting. I think my two biggest take aways were her amazing philanthropy to the black community when she started making money off GWTW (I think somehow I always painted her as racist...it's not fashionable nor feminist to love GWTW) but the other thing I was intrigued by was, she wrote the last chapter first.


Ok I admit it. This part of the day was for ME. But, I've never been and the tour was included with our membership to The Atlanta History Center.
The girl got a souvenir though.

She thinks it's a puppet. I like to hold it up and go "YOU AINT SHOWIN YOUR BOSOMS AFORE THREE O'CLOCK!" and other things. 

Hey, her birthday, that's what she wanted.

So that's obviously not a three year old birthday celebration.

So what we actually did for HER was have a cake (made by her big brother Louis and herself) and presents at the house and then jaunt off to that mecca of childhood joy for a proper little party. Where do I mean?

Why, Chuck E Cheese of course!

Interesting side note. Miles went over to the hoops game, and wanted to play. I've never once seen him show an interest in basketball.

Who drained shot after shot? Miles. I never saw him even pick up a ball before. Apparently they're doing this in school because this was amazing. The kid has Hoosier DNA after all!

It was a good day to turn three.

I'm pleased to report she has left the terrible twos behind her. And run straight into whatever the hell tantrum age is next.

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Why Valentine's Day Isn't Just For Lovers

I always get kind of miffed at Valentine's Day because of the detractors, the #FOREVERALONE people who can't seem to see that love isn't just romantic. Love is familial, and platonic and everything in degrees from that gentle feeling of caring for someone to full blown love romance. Valentine's Day can be what you make it.

Why would you ever choose to MAKE a day something negative?

At our house, it's a day to remember to celebrate how much we love each other. We give candy and small snuggly gifts (and sometimes Mommy gets a pretty piece of jewelry but sometimes not) and we take a day just to say, we are a family and we love each other.

It's a reminder to celebrate the fact that you do in fact have people in your life that you love.

After we open our presents, and maybe have a piece of chocolate or two or four or six, we always like to head out for a dinner to celebrate who we are as a family. There's really only ever one place that will do.

Where else can we play skeeball and eat pizza and shoot zombies and dance with Chucki E ? Really, this is the spot.

So next year, when it's Valentine's day, if you're lamenting that you don't have that perfect romantic evening, remember this. Love is what you make it. It might be an evening of video games at Chuck E Cheese. Or a night out with your other single friends. Or bowling. Or trying a new tapas restaurant. Valentine's Day can be anything you want it to be.

I wouldn't have mine any other way. Because, in the end...love the you take is equal to the love you make.

John and Paul were always right about that you know.
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Why Valentine's Day Isn't Just For Lovers

I always get kind of miffed at Valentine's Day because of the detractors, the #FOREVERALONE people who can't seem to see that love isn't just romantic. Love is familial, and platonic and everything in degrees from that gentle feeling of caring for someone to full blown love romance. Valentine's Day can be what you make it.

Why would you ever choose to MAKE a day something negative?

At our house, it's a day to remember to celebrate how much we love each other. We give candy and small snuggly gifts (and sometimes Mommy gets a pretty piece of jewelry but sometimes not) and we take a day just to say, we are a family and we love each other.

It's a reminder to celebrate the fact that you do in fact have people in your life that you love.

After we open our presents, and maybe have a piece of chocolate or two or four or six, we always like to head out for a dinner to celebrate who we are as a family. There's really only ever one place that will do.

Where else can we play skeeball and eat pizza and shoot zombies and dance with Chucki E ? Really, this is the spot.

So next year, when it's Valentine's day, if you're lamenting that you don't have that perfect romantic evening, remember this. Love is what you make it. It might be an evening of video games at Chuck E Cheese. Or a night out with your other single friends. Or bowling. Or trying a new tapas restaurant. Valentine's Day can be anything you want it to be.

I wouldn't have mine any other way. Because, in the end...love the you take is equal to the love you make.

John and Paul were always right about that you know.
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And There Were Birthdays

It's not the best sort of planning, having your children a few days apart - despite the separation of years, birthdays occurring ten days apart are a financial and logistical clusterfuck.
The twins turned 8, and the girl turned 2 in April. I kid you not, it was like ten days of birthday whirl.

We had parties at home for both birthdays, just us because it is in fact just us, no family or anything nearby but both days were special and fun.
This is where I will admit something kind of weird.
I am sort of used to it JUST being us, after all these years.

I am now a little bit selfish about my family time. Don't get me wrong, I always wish my family and his family were nearby so we could do the family things together. But as far as big random parties full of kids there just to eat my cake and take home my crappy party favors from Oriental Traders? Meh. I dunno. I am sure we'll get back to that some day but there is something so nice and intimate about it just being us. Just us six having the best time celebrating.

For the twins we ended up going to the Children's Museum downtown Atlanta and playing for the day which is always one of our favorites. We hadn't been in almost three years - maybe four. I had forgotten how cute it is.

And yeah Charlie is standing on a step he isn't that tall.
For the girl we went to Chuck E Cheese because TV commercials have given her a new found love for CHUCKEEEEEE as she shouted once we arrived there.

It was a busy ten days. The countdown begins till next April when we'll do it all again.

It's a pain in the ass. But, I wouldn't have it any other way.
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And There Were Birthdays

It's not the best sort of planning, having your children a few days apart - despite the separation of years, birthdays occurring ten days apart are a financial and logistical clusterfuck.
The twins turned 8, and the girl turned 2 in April. I kid you not, it was like ten days of birthday whirl.

We had parties at home for both birthdays, just us because it is in fact just us, no family or anything nearby but both days were special and fun.
This is where I will admit something kind of weird.
I am sort of used to it JUST being us, after all these years.

I am now a little bit selfish about my family time. Don't get me wrong, I always wish my family and his family were nearby so we could do the family things together. But as far as big random parties full of kids there just to eat my cake and take home my crappy party favors from Oriental Traders? Meh. I dunno. I am sure we'll get back to that some day but there is something so nice and intimate about it just being us. Just us six having the best time celebrating.

For the twins we ended up going to the Children's Museum downtown Atlanta and playing for the day which is always one of our favorites. We hadn't been in almost three years - maybe four. I had forgotten how cute it is.

And yeah Charlie is standing on a step he isn't that tall.
For the girl we went to Chuck E Cheese because TV commercials have given her a new found love for CHUCKEEEEEE as she shouted once we arrived there.

It was a busy ten days. The countdown begins till next April when we'll do it all again.

It's a pain in the ass. But, I wouldn't have it any other way.
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