Training Wheels, Chores and Flapjacks

Emberly took her new bike out for it's first trip around the block.
Bauer "helped" me vacuum.
We had brunch of ridiculous proportions with friends.
The end.

Bauer and the bacon waffle.

Emberly and the blueberry flapjack.

Starr and the mango coconut flapjack tractor driver combo.

My brown sugar banana flapjack.

Holy shiny forehead, Batman!  Should've powdered up pre-photo-op!

My Girl

On her actual birthday, Emberly went crazy at Adventuredome with her dad.  She insisted on going in a photobooth by herself LOL

And then, without any coaching from me, she chose Mexican food for her birthday dinner.  That's my girl.

Shirt: Gift
Skirt: Consignment
Sandal: Target

Flower: H&M
Earrings: gift
Dress and Belt: F21
Pants and Wedge: Target

5 Years Old

Yep.  Five years ago my precious baby made me a mama.
She wanted a party that her cousins could come to.  At the beach.  How could we not oblige?
Sprinkles cupcakes, Costco sheet cake, shutter shades, bubbles, frisbees, buckets, sand molds and a lei for the birthday girl makes a party.

{Obama's Special to fuel last minute errands}

{it got more difficult to be photographer as more guests arrived :(}

Sorry for

Party Rockin'
Seriously, though, too tired from traveling and partying to blog.

{don't worry, we were parked}

Brownies Bad

Check out the belly.

Okay, so that belly is largely tucked in sweater, but there I am sporting a too-many-brownies-and-chips-and-salsa pooch and thunder thighs {they kept me warm all winter ;)}.  Insert panic here, as we're already in the 90s and swimsuits are taunting me.  Oh, well.

Top: NY&Co

Sweater: F21

Skirt: H&M

So Grown

Bauer wants to do everything himself.  As in, he does not need help from Sister, Daddy or Mommy.  They were blowing bubbles in the "backyard" (it is neither behind our home nor much of a yard LOL) and at first I was holding the solution for him.  I did not try to control the wand or his bubble blowing, but it was not good enough.  He wanted to also hold his own bubble solution.  So I let him.  It lasted about 30 seconds before he spilled it all and bubble time was over.  And wanted me to comfort him about it.  Geez louise, kid.  Sometimes we have to learn from our own mistakes.

Infallible

I told Emberly she could shimmy the pole on her own.  I had to spot her a couple times, but she did it!

I told her that playing in the grass was going to make her itchy.  She proceeded to roll down the huge hill at the park anyway.  And she ran down the hill and bit it face first too.

Then minutes later she was complaining of itching.  Then came hives.  Then came inconsolable crying about how bad it itched.  She shivered (I don't know if this was "involuntary" as in part of the reaction or as in part of having a high-strung nearly-5-year-old) while hysterically crying the whole way home where she showered and took some antihistamine.  I also added a little hydro-cortisone cream to her lotion for good measure.  She persisted in being dramatic about it until the hives faded away.  Then everything was fine.  And maybe she learned that mommy's always right.  But probably not.

She's Cheeky

My almost 5yo that is.  I wanted to get a picture of her for her birthday invitations so we played around together outside.

Top: crewcuts
Belt and Bracelet: H&M
Short and Sandal: Target

Dress: F21
Necklace: heirloom
Bracelet: NY&Co
Scarf (belt): H&M
Sandals: Dolce Vita

DNA

I saw this carpet cleaning van on the way home the other day and was tickled.
"Had some unfortunate deposits of forensic evidence?  Call us!"

Creeped Out

Emberly often impresses me with her drawing.  One of us is always asking, "Did you help her draw that?"
But many of her drawings have such a creepy quality to them.  I don't tell her that though LOL

Hoppy Weekend

We had great weather that made for a lovely outdoor Easter weekend.  Hope everyone's was just as nice :D

Tangerine Tango

Don't ask me what I'm looking at, or why I'm hugging a beam. I don't know.

Top and Belt: F21
Vest: NY&Co
Pant and Shoe: Target

Young Fanatic

Bauer LOVES Conan.  He'll shove the remote at me while chanting "Conan" until I comply (it's on the DVR).  He really only wants to hear the theme song and watch Conan dance about while the audience settles down.  But he's a serious fanatic for those few minutes.

Uncooperative

We brought the kids to a basketball game.  I didn't realize until right beforehand that Damon would actually be playing and I almost decided right then and there not to go.  But I fought my party-poop reflexes and went.
Well, the kids did not want to watch a game.  They wanted to run out on the court and join Daddy.  Emberly whining about it I can handle.  Bauer screaming and trying to jump from the bleachers and then flailing about when I put him in my lap... not so much.  There's no way I could talk to anyone let alone watch.  So we went outside to the park.  Emberly played but Bauer was mostly just a pain in my behind.  I don't know what his deal was.
And I almost didn't get any pictures either, because of some suspicious persons lurking about the picnic area on this unfamiliar side of town.  I felt like I needed to keep an eye on them and not flash my valuables.  But they left (not without fighting though, and of course Bauer wanted to see what the yelling was about :|), so I did get a few:

{you don't let me do anything I wanna do!}

{my attempt to get photographic evidence of Bauer's strength without risking him plunging to extreme injury LOL)