Friday, September 30, 2011

Toddlers and Tiaras

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Twice in 7 days, Addie has been to a birthday party that involved getting all dolled up like a princess. It's rather freaky in a JonBenet sort of way, but, no surprise, she loved it. Both times she was dressed as Princess Aurora.

Here she is at Disneyland's Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
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And at a neighborhood party place that was decorated with your Aunt Mimsy's doilies, dolls and other creepy crocheted relics. In addition to the silk roses glued to the ceiling, there was a talking, taxidermied deer head called Princess Deeriana and a bust of King Elvis. Again, she loved it.

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Princess Deeriana. Creepy.

Monday, September 26, 2011

2 Months

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XQP is 2 months today!

As you can see, he has started smiling which makes him just that much more cute! He continues to be a sweet baby and is much adored by his older sisters. Eliza calls him Baby A-vier and insists on holding him first thing in the morning. Addie fawns over him, whispering to him how beautiful he is. She said she loves him so much that she cries sometimes. I overheard her explaining to him that one day he would be old but not to worry because he would be young for a long, long time.

Happy 2 month birthday Xavier!

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Saturday, September 24, 2011

Our Kindergartener

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Addie has been settling into kindergarten quite well. There were no tears - from her or me - on the first day although right as Cap and I left her classroom, I knew she had on her bravest face. After our goodbyes, I couldn't get out of that classroom fast enough. In a stampede for the door, I was pushing and shoving through the other parents with their kids in iron-armed hugs. Move it lady or my daughter is going to start crying! With the exception of one boy from her Montessori school, it is all new faces. We love her teacher Mrs. Carman and Addie was their first Happy Helper in the classroom. She got to sit in the teacher's chair and everyone in the class drew a picture of her and gave it to her in a booklet at the end of the day. I'd like to think she was selected because of her maturity and leadership skills but it could just be Adelaide is the first in her class alphabetically.

We took these photos before we left for school and Addie wouldn't let anyone, even Nana and Pop-Pop watch. It was a private photo shoot. I volunteered to take headshots of her classmates later that afternoon which gave me the opportunity to stop by their classroom again before the end of school. I took pictures of the girls and another mom was in charge of the boys. I can tell who is the chatterbox and who is, what Addie has since identified, the bad kid. I've got my eye on him.

I'm excited to get involved in her school. Beyond being a co-class photographer, I've volunteered to be a Room Parent and am on the Thanksgiving Food Drive organizing committee. I've offered to help prep classwork and signed up to read a book to her class in a few weeks - a luxury I wouldn't be able to do if I wasn't on maternity leave and had Papa Mit available to watch Xavier. Assuming we stay in this school district (a big assumption), I could have a kid in this elementary school for 11 years. I'm ready to take on the school system! (spoken like a true delusional, naive parent of a kindergartener who will have to return to a full time job soon)


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Monday, September 12, 2011

Happy Birthday Eliza!

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Happy Birthday Eliza Wren!

Today we welcome Eliza to the twos, terrible and not. Saturday we celebrated with a birthday party in our backyard with family and 4 of her pals from Montessori school. It's amazing that with only 4 kids on the invite list, we had a total of 21 people when you include siblings and parents. It definitely felt like a party. With Eliza being the bouncy little gal that she is, we had a bounce house, bubble machine, punch balloons and balls of all sizes to play with in the yard as well as a polka dot ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins (thanks Nana and Pop Pop!). Eliza was in heaven.

This morning we presented her with a balance bike which is a tiny bit too big but she had me zooming down the hallway with her on it anyway. Tonight, Addie and I are going to make cupcakes and sing Happy Birthday on last time.

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You can see more pictures from her bouncy bash here.

Thursday, September 08, 2011

First Haircut

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Bangs and a bob.

Addie's first haircut was around her second birthday and we thought it was about time to do the same for Miss Eliza. She was not happy about getting her hair trimmed but after crying for a bit eventually resigned herself to the scissors. I think she looks rather cute - too bad she also wasn't in the mood for getting her photo taken either.


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This expression is so Eliza. It's her mad face when she doesn't like something. When I showed her this picture, she made the same face.

Tuesday, September 06, 2011

First Bath

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Five weeks old and we finally give the dirty little dude a bath. The girls both oversaw the cleaning of their brother which lasted long enough to rapidly shampoo and rinse his head as the water drained out of the sink. We need to find a secondary drain stop.
Eliza also had her first hair cut and Addie starts her first day of Kindergarten tomorrow. A week of firsts!
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