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Oh man, it has been a non-stop past 10 days…Last weekend we headed down south to Edwardsville, IL for a family wedding.  Huge congrats to Simon’s cousin Robbie and his beautiful bride, Stephanie! On Friday night we embarked on a family road trip. We thought it would be a great idea if we went through the usual dinner/bath routine then start our drive right around the time the girls would normally go to bed.   And it would have been a good idea, I suppose, if Hazel had actually fallen asleep in the car.  But she did not…well, not really. Long night story short - the ride was rough and my little family did not get to sleep until well after 3 am. And lest you say I only share rainbow stories here on le blog, let me just tell you that a surefire recipe for Toddler disaster is as follows:3 hours of sleep in a strange bed at the Comfort Inn + 2 meals from McDonalds (so terrible) + 1 nasty tumble off the church pew while waiting for the post-ceremony extended family portrait It was not a great weekend for my oldest daughter.  One of the hardest we’ve ever had with her, actually.  (And I know, it was totally our fault.  Sabotaging her schedule is the quickest train to crabbytown.) Thankfully the weekend did improve. (We had nowhere to go but up!) A beautiful wedding and two very attentive grandparents to help keep the kids quiet during the service.A playdate for the girls with cousins Gus & Cece (thank you Beth for watching my kiddos!)A reception where we got to spend adult time catching up with extended family members.And the highlight of the weekend might have been our breakfast with Great Grandma S. We don’t get down south as often as we would like….but when we do, I cherish the time with the extended H side of the family. Weekend trips with two little nuggets take an incredible amount of effort, but if you can ride out a meltdown or two - they are worth it.

Oh man, it has been a non-stop past 10 days…
Last weekend we headed down south to Edwardsville, IL for a family wedding.  Huge congrats to Simon’s cousin Robbie and his beautiful bride, Stephanie!

On Friday night we embarked on a family road trip.

We thought it would be a great idea if we went through the usual dinner/bath routine then start our drive right around the time the girls would normally go to bed.   And it would have been a good idea, I suppose, if Hazel had actually fallen asleep in the car.  But she did not…well, not really.

Long night story short - the ride was rough and my little family did not get to sleep until well after 3 am.

And lest you say I only share rainbow stories here on le blog, let me just tell you that a surefire recipe for Toddler disaster is as follows:
3 hours of sleep in a strange bed at the Comfort Inn + 2 meals from McDonalds (so terrible) + 1 nasty tumble off the church pew while waiting for the post-ceremony extended family portrait

It was not a great weekend for my oldest daughter. 
One of the hardest we’ve ever had with her, actually. 
(And I know, it was totally our fault.  Sabotaging her schedule is the quickest train to crabbytown.)

Thankfully the weekend did improve. (We had nowhere to go but up!)

A beautiful wedding and two very attentive grandparents to help keep the kids quiet during the service.
A playdate for the girls with cousins Gus & Cece (thank you Beth for watching my kiddos!)
A reception where we got to spend adult time catching up with extended family members.
And the highlight of the weekend might have been our breakfast with Great Grandma S.

We don’t get down south as often as we would like….but when we do, I cherish the time with the extended H side of the family.

Weekend trips with two little nuggets take an incredible amount of effort, but if you can ride out a meltdown or two - they are worth it.

We are in South Beach for a long weekend celebrating my mama & papa. Today is my mama’s birthday.  Sunday is my dad’s. These two spend every single day making so many people feel loved and cared for…and I always look forward to their birthdays because it is a perfect opportunity to put them at the center of things.  An excuse to treat them like the queen and king (of our world) that they are. My parents are my favorite. Their energy is unmatched.  Their  spirits are kind. And they radiate a light and warmth that makes you want to be near them.  Always. Happy Birthday Mom & Dad.  I love you.  We all do.So very much.

We are in South Beach for a long weekend celebrating my mama & papa.

Today is my mama’s birthday.  Sunday is my dad’s.

These two spend every single day making so many people feel loved and cared for…and I always look forward to their birthdays because it is a perfect opportunity to put them at the center of things.  An excuse to treat them like the queen and king (of our world) that they are.

My parents are my favorite.

Their energy is unmatched.  Their  spirits are kind.

And they radiate a light and warmth that makes you want to be near them.  Always.

Happy Birthday Mom & Dad.  I love you.  We all do.
So very much.

The Meaning of the Boston Marathon | The New Yorker»

thebluehour:

“There’s something particularly devastating about an attack on a marathon. It’s an epic event in which men and women appear almost superhuman. The winning men run for hours at a pace even normal fit people can only hold in a sprint. But it’s also so ordinary. It’s not held in a stadium or on a track. It’s held in the same streets everyone drives on and walks down. An attack on a marathon is, in some ways, more devastating than an attack on a stadium; you’re hitting something special but also something very quotidian.”

eminnyc:

I’m certain my teary eyes are exaggerated by the emotions that are running rampant due to current events…but Dove knocked it out of the park…again.

We are so so so critical of ourselves…and we truly are more beautiful than we think…

Hazel has been really into Madeline lately.   For the last week or so, it has been one of her top three picks for her bedtime storytime. A few nights ago I figured it might be worthwhile to actually explain the plot. I connected the dots between the crying child, rushing ambulance and all that talk of Madeline’s appendix.  She totally got it. And then, while hanging with my p’s - Madeline came up in the course of conversation.  And in true Papa Boom fashion - he had just the thing to BLOW HAZEL’s MIND.  My dad lifted up his shirt to show Hazel his Appendectomy scar! Papa had his appendix removed…..JUST.  LIKE.  MADELINE. When we came across this page (see above) as I read her the book last night - Hazel lit up and launched into a full conversation about Papa’s scar.  She lifted her own shirt to see if she had one.  Then lifted mine to check for the same.  Funny enough, she seemed disappointed not to find a squiggly line on either of our tummies. I love those moments when stories from books intersect with stories from life. Madeline | Ludwig Bemelmans #storiesireadtomydaughters

Hazel has been really into Madeline lately.  

For the last week or so, it has been one of her top three picks for her bedtime storytime.

A few nights ago I figured it might be worthwhile to actually explain the plot. I connected the dots between the crying child, rushing ambulance and all that talk of Madeline’s appendix.  She totally got it.

And then, while hanging with my p’s - Madeline came up in the course of conversation.  And in true Papa Boom fashion - he had just the thing to BLOW HAZEL’s MIND.  My dad lifted up his shirt to show Hazel his Appendectomy scar!

Papa had his appendix removed…..JUST.  LIKE.  MADELINE.

When we came across this page (see above) as I read her the book last night - Hazel lit up and launched into a full conversation about Papa’s scar.  She lifted her own shirt to see if she had one.  Then lifted mine to check for the same.  Funny enough, she seemed disappointed not to find a squiggly line on either of our tummies.

I love those moments when stories from books intersect with stories from life.

Madeline | Ludwig Bemelmans

#storiesireadtomydaughters

Hazel is sort of into dinosaurs right now*….so I picked up these t-rex candle holders from CB2 (cute, right?).  I figured she would get a kick out of seeing them sitting on our kitchen window.  Turns out, those little carnivores keep making me smile. Perhaps I need more decorative dinos in my life. Dino Chic via brit (*And by “into dinos,” I mean Haze keeps asking to watch the Jurassic Park attack scenes I may or may not have shown her on YouTube last week.)

Hazel is sort of into dinosaurs right now*….so I picked up these t-rex candle holders from CB2 (cute, right?).  I figured she would get a kick out of seeing them sitting on our kitchen window.  Turns out, those little carnivores keep making me smile.

Perhaps I need more decorative dinos in my life.

Dino Chic via brit

(*And by “into dinos,” I mean Haze keeps asking to watch the Jurassic Park attack scenes I may or may not have shown her on YouTube last week.)

…and for your viewing pleasure on this rainy Tuesday morning:

Bob Marley Tribute [Grammy Awards 2013] | Bruno Mars. Sting. Rihanna. Ziggy Marley. Damian Marley

I have a new-found thing for Bruno Mars.  And by thing, I mean crush.(Should I be embarassed by this?) Up until a few days ago, my only exposure to this pocket-sized dreamboat was his Sesame Street cameo (oooh, oooh…don’t give up) But then through a series of really fortunate events (which unfortunately, I can’t actually talk about…you are just going to have to take my word for it that it is a fairly funny back story) my bro-in-law & I won a contest and found ourselves walking through the stage door then sitting in the FRONT ROW of his show last week. Homeboy played a bunch of covers and totally endearing mash-ups of much-loved songs (think White Stripes + Michael Jackson), but most notably he played songs that made me dance like a college freshman! I left the concert slightly sweaty (from jamming) and hoarse (from repeatedly screaming: I love you Bruno Mars!). Upon arriving home, I promptly created a Bruno Mars pandora station…and legally downloaded some of his tunes, which I suppose, is the most ringing endorsement you can give to an artist.

I have a new-found thing for Bruno Mars.  And by thing, I mean crush.
(Should I be embarassed by this?)

Up until a few days ago, my only exposure to this pocket-sized dreamboat was his Sesame Street cameo (oooh, oooh…don’t give up)

But then through a series of really fortunate events 
(which unfortunately, I can’t actually talk about…you are just going to have to take my word for it that it is a fairly funny back story) 
my bro-in-law & I won a contest and found ourselves walking through the stage door then sitting in the FRONT ROW of his show last week.

Homeboy played a bunch of covers and totally endearing mash-ups of much-loved songs (think White Stripes + Michael Jackson), but most notably he played songs that made me dance like a college freshman!

I left the concert slightly sweaty (from jamming) and hoarse (from repeatedly screaming: I love you Bruno Mars!).

Upon arriving home, I promptly created a Bruno Mars pandora station…and legally downloaded some of his tunes, which I suppose, is the most ringing endorsement you can give to an artist.

Not our finest parenting hour…

Every night, Hazel checks her closet for bears.  She seems convinced (and hopeful) that one of these days she will find one hiding in there and get her chance to bop him on the nose.

Let’s just say that this evening, Simon & I were in the mood to grant some wishes.

We thought it would be pretty awesome if Simon hid under the bed and  popped out during her routine inspection.  I mean, we really thought she would love it.  (Can you guess where this is going?)

I set it up perfectly.  I called to her as she toweled off after her bath -   Hazel, come quick! I think I hear a bear in your room!
She came bounding in with her bare belly and seemingly limitless bravado.

And that was Simon’s cue to start growling.

While squished underneath her twin bed, he let out a low, rumbling guttural growwwwwwwl
And she let out a hysterical scream as her legs visibly trembled.  She fell to the floor in tears while wailing no no no.

(Oh crap!  Too far.  Too far. We took it too far!)

I scooped her right up and comforted my traumatized two year old with the Joy song.  And although it took Simon a hot second to unwedge himself from the hiding spot - he was right there, wrapping her up in his arms. (A bear hug?)

Needless to say, we felt terrible.  But also, it was a little bit funny that we could have possible thought that was even remotely a good idea.  I mean, essentially - WE just made our daughter afraid of monsters under the bed.