March 25: "Three on March 25th"

"Three on March 25th" is the age that Henry has claimed to be for the past two months.  I found it quite amusing when he spouted this off at the park a few weeks ago to a little girl who was asking for his stats (name, age, favorite color, favorite Yo Gabba Gabba character...you know the drill).  He proudly stated "I am Henry and I am three in March!"  She said "Oh, so you're two now?"  (note: she was a five year old...a playground sophisticate)  He looked confused, and said, again "I'm THREEEE in MARCH", as if she was hard of hearing.  Well, on this day, he can proudly say "Three", period, end of sentence.

Of course, on a day like this, I'm excited, nostalgic, a little sad realizing how quickly three years has gone by.  I won't even attempt to write about it...way too daunting a task.  I'll just include a few photos from the collection, to celebrate our little firefighter/construction worker/big brother/little bug, Henry.

March 25, 2008

March 25, 2009

March 25, 2010

March 25, 2011

Happy Birthday Henry William!!  You are the best son and brother anyone could ever want.  We love you more than Bob the Builder loves Wendy...and from our observation, that's a whole lot! 

-Daddy, Mama & Alice

March 24: Order in Chaos

Our lives are hectic.  With two kids, two dogs, two jobs, Mike in grad school, me in volunteer organizations I think it probably goes without saying that we are never not busy.  The calendar is especially full this month with our commitments to family, work, school etc.  As I've suggested before, we are not the world's most organized people, and so we try our best to put systems in place that will make our days and nights a bit less ridiculous.  The menu board in the kitchen is a great example:

The only problem?  This is the menu from 3/13-3/21 (created the weekend before I started back to work...which now feels like it was ages ago)  Eh, oh well.  Maybe we'll get things together this week...or maybe we'll just have PB&J every night?  Sounds good to Henry!

March 23: She's so-o Vain...

 ...she probably thinks this post about her! :)

Little kitten loves looking at herself in the mirror.  She'll be laying there, idly, and then all of a sudden we'll introduce a mirror (full length, turned on its side on the ground) and she will literally perk right now.  She stretches that neck of hers--possibly the only time that we'd ever even get a glimpse of her neck--and coos at her reflection (sidenote: you have no idea how stinky that neck crevice gets...yucksies).  Last night, as the night before, Alice didn't go to sleep until waaay past bed time (10pm she was finally out) which means that she sleeps in until about 1 minute before we have to leave for daycare.  Result: I don't get any morning time with my baby, and it just kills me.  I'm making the most of our nights together now before I eventually try to work her back to her regular schedule.  It's tiring (early morning with Henry, later nights with Alice) but it's totally worth it.

March 22: Carlebrities?

Carlebrity: One who has achieved celebrity status in the Carlisle community.  Carlebrities are "chosen" (identified) by Molly McDougall Boegel and Sarah Taby, the two women that founded the term and, after a few glasses of wine, deemed themselves the very first (and possibly only) "Carlebrities".

 

As I mentioned in a previous post, Alice made her runway debut on Sunday.  That would have been occasion enough to deem her a "Carlebrity".  Instead, she goes and gets us in today's Sentinel.  Isn't she a sassy lassie.   

I had to post the above "collage" created for me by one of my second moms (Cathy).  She spotted that photo in the paper, and in true Cathy fashion, immediately put it next to one of our favorite "me" moments...the day of the "birthday favor sunglasses".  I guess the story goes as follows: Little (3-year-old) me attends a birthday party.  Birthday party features these kick-A shades as a party favor (Seriously, are these not rad?)  I am so taken with these shades that I put them on and REFUSE to take them off for the rest of the day.  Absolutely refused.  If I'm not mistaken, there is even a group photo of this party in which I am easy to spot, as the only kid wearing sunglasses.  Cathy aptly captioned this--"From cupcakes to martinis".

On that note, I'd like to add that the martini in the Sentinel photo is fake!  An olive in an empty glass...I swear!

March 21: This Ain't Yo Tiger's Mama

 

This is a fairly accurate account of the faces that I keep making as I read "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother", preparing for the next meeting of CARDS (Carlisle Area Reading & Drinking Society).  With two mothers, a mental health counselor and a school psychologist in the group I can only imagine where the conversation will go with this one!  Looking forward to Saturday with my drinking, er...reading ladies.

March 20: Fashion Icon

(the "King Midas" of my shoe collection--broke them in on the "runway")

Being a mom offers you a front row seat to the many "firsts" in your child's life.  First smile, first bite of solid food, first steps, first words, first temper tantrum...and, in this home, first fashion show.  Little Kitty Baby made her big debut this weekend with mom (reprising my role as the very sassy "Moxie Kitten" for the wonderful Miss Ruth's Time Bomb) and I'm pretty sure she loved it.   The crowd (all women, attending "Ladies Night" at Rillo's) just adored her, and how could they not?  She was beyond perfect in her pink gingham dress, being carried into a sea of "oohs" and "aahs"  what I will, from this point forward, refer to as "kitty calling". 

I've got to snag some good photos of the night from a friend, then I'll post again, hopefully with one of the two of us in our stylish pink and white ensembles.  I can almost guarantee that this is the last time she'll be ok with dressing matchy-match with mama.  Luckily she didn't fight me for my shoes, although I wouldn't blame her if she did, I am in awe of these new gold glittery beauties.  I have no doubt that I'll find MANY occasions on which to wear these heels.  I need next to no reason to dress up.  Grocery shopping in stilettos?  Don't mind if I do...

March 19: Bitey McBiterson

The weekend was absolutely perfect.  Relaxing, sunny, warmish and full of family/friend fun.  Saturday we headed down to Chambersburg to visit Aunt Meggie and cousin Liam while Mike and Uncle J braved the great outdoors...on the golf course.  They chuckled that we "should do this every week"...we'll be happy to oblige, provided that next time Meg and I are the ones with grown-up time.

Liam and Alice had a great time together and big brother Hen was sweet and generally well-behaved. Playtime could not have been more hilarious...babies rolling all over the place, Liam getting audibly jealous over Alice taking his favorite toy, baby hand-holding, followed by baby arm-chewing (below)

Have said it before and I'll say it again.  I am so lucky to have had a baby within two months of my sister.  They'll be friends forever...as long as Liam loses this little habit of his.  Bitey Boy Doty.