Inspiration

I hate linoleum. Hate it. But nothing makes a better easel than the floor.

Picky, Picky

Paul and I have worked hard, since Harry was just starting solids, to make sure that he tried all kinds of foods. And, I think, as result, Harry has a decent palate. Or did. But then the toddler food doldrums set in - months of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (easy to pack), gallons of chocolate milk (organic, OK?) and too many pieces of cheese pizza to count.

Paul and I eat a lot of sushi, usually at home, and the kids dine on other things. But then we found ourselves out to lunch. There it was ...sushi. and I wanted it. And damn it, those kids were going to eat it too. Long shot, I know. But really, the longer we keep the kids on a steady diet of PB&J, well, I know in my bones that we're setting a bad precedent.

We sat down expecting the worst. And we got the best our kids had to offer. Charlotte happily ate miso soup, two pieces of salmon sashimi and a piece of scallop nigiri. Harry, who is harder to convince at 4, popped a piece of hamachi in his mouth. And based on his expression, he was either going to barf or chow down. Five minute later he was standing at the sushi bar, placing another order.

It may have helped that we called our meal "dragon food." Regardless, I am SO proud of them!

Brotherly-Love

I asked Harry to take a bottle of milk up to his sister, who was having trouble going down for her nap. He returned downstairs and said, 'I told Charlotte to go to sleep, and I gave her a kiss."

Am I melting, or am I melting? I love this boy!

Paba

We're sending big get-well hugs and kisses to grandpa, who hasn't been feeling very well of late. He's on the mend and needed back in Alexandria for more play. We love you Paba.

A Walk in the Park

Woody, eat your heart out.

An Epic Deep-Sea Battle....in Fondant

The Cake, the final frontier of birthday party madness. It has to be tasty, it has to be interesting and above all, it has to satisfy your kid's curiosity. Which is tough, cause in my case, Harry's desires were such, changing with the daily winds: Spiderman. Firetruck. Dinosaur. Spiderman. Firetruck. Dinosaur., etc. etc...

I got weary. So it was up to mom to come up with something crazy to offset the generic party at Chuck E. And that meant finding a baker to recreate Harry's latest obsession: the epic deep sea battle between the sperm whale and the giant squid. Really. He's been talking about it for more than a month, since we spent 45 minutes glued to the life-size display in the Natural History Museum in NYC. So I sent an email to Marisol of Marisol's Cakes and asked if she could entertain such a weird request. I guess every baker loves a challenge, because she agreed and what we got back, was, well...amazing. I know this because it took only look and Harry never ONCE mentioned Spiderman, Firetrucks or the dinosaur.

Marisol told me it would feed 40. More like 140. So we've been enjoying it... a lot.

Four!

Our wonderful, sweet, kind, always-smiling, happy boy is four! Harry's actual birthday was Monday (yesterday) but we've been celebrating since Friday when we took 26 toddler friends to the requested venue -- Chuck E. Cheese -- for two hours of unadulterated little-kid-joy.

As I've told my friends, I'm not sure that Chuck satisfies the vast depths of parental birthday party vanity, but it very much pleased Harry, who was most

specific in his desire to celebrate with the big mouse. I knew he'd like the games, I knew he'd love the cake (more on that later), but wow, was he delighted when Chuck E. planted a crown on his head and offered him a chance inside the "ticket blaster." Dutiful mother me, I gave the Cheese officials advance word that my young boy would likely be sitting out the hurricane-wind-tunnel of tickets. Harry, on the other hand, was DELIGHTED to go inside, clad in eye-protection and a huge smile. His BF Sabrina, who was glued to him throughout the party (trying very hard, I might add, to make the inflatable crown fit his enormous Barnes casaba), went in too. It was like the final scene from the movie Grease, minus the hot pants and Letterman jacket.

I constantly marvel at our super friends and their wonderful children, so many of whom wrapped their arms around Harry during his party. It was a big love-in, we are so blessed. (Many thanks to our friend Nancy whose amazing photography skills provided several of these awesome photos).

I still remember vividly when my sister-in-law called to tell me she was taking her then young son, Reid, to Chuck E for his birthday. "Your mother would be mortified,"she moaned apologetically. I too felt that same ...shame! But you know, you can't do backyard petting zoos every year, and frankly, Harry could not have been happier. So three cheers for what always matters most...birthday joy. Perhaps we'll be at Charles Cheese next year for number 5. Anyway, I'm pretty sure my mother wasn't above a little skeeball.

Harry's grandparents, Jim and Eliza, deserve much of the credit for underwriting our party, it was their gift to Harry. And a great one. Thank you so much.

To my sweetie pie, we love you SO much. You amaze and delight me everyday, even when you're spraying the garden hose in the house and demanding I haul all 39 pounds of you up the stairs. I just don't know how we got so lucky. You may get taller and heavier, but promise me you'll never change.