Happy Birthday Cassie part 3.0

Complete with a birthday title on the marquee, the red carpet and paparazzi, we arrived at the vintage Menlo Theater for Cassie’s Golden Age of Hollywood 30th bash and showing of her favorite film, the original Peter
Pan.

Clearly there is magic in zoot suits & fedoras, feathers, red lipstick & diamonds, red velvet cupcakes ablaze and birthday toasts, but after sitting enraptured through two hours of flying children, mermaids, pixie dust and hook wielding pirates, it was official, the magic was real.

And when the lights came on and I stood to applaud with my gloved and bejeweled hands…and I looked around to see myself surrounded by hat wearing men in tuxedos and veiled glamour…it was then that I realized YES...

THIS is the real me, I was meant for THIS time, for THIS feathered collar, these sequin cuffs, this slinky gown and these jewels...I don’t belong in jeans, I belong HERE. With a cupcake and a coke. HERE, robed in the glam that only Old Hollywood can offer.

About a Boy

Beaming, Boisterous, Beautiful Laura will soon be
Bravely Birthing a Boy

Come to share in the JOY
of this new baby BOY
at a shower in their honor.

So fun to host a party for such a darling, gushing mom who makes such spectacularly gorgeous babes...
Welcome baby Porter

Current Faves

and thus...regular indulgences

Love yourself popcorn
The level of self appreciation is directly proportionate to the measure of additional melted butter.

My Sequoia Hospital water thermos
It feels silly to keep this less than sexy, maroon handled 32 ouncer around when I’m a far cry from hospital fresh, but against all of my better aesthetic judgment, I absolutely adore it.

Dress ups
Because its nearly midnight, and because I feel like it, and because I had a costume trunk long before I had a little girl who needed one.

Fresh meyer lemon curd
Mmm the meyer lemon tree in the EV community garden – and after all, I do belong to this community.

Mentored spitting with my baby
Although perhaps unbecoming a women of her stature, one of Jane Esther’s favorite party tricks is the lazy lip vibrating spit with tongue protrusion. She is also hard at work mastering the pursed lips repeated B sound spit. Either way, I love to spend 20 minutes at a time staring into those gorgeous blues as she stares back – tunnel focused on my lips -and together, we practice.

Eva’s bubble baths
Something about her round face peeking through a sea of bubbles, and of course fingernails void of dirt and paint, and the smell of that curly clean hair – why not take two or three a day?

Trike rides – not to be confused, mind you, with actually riding a trike.
Eva continues to show no interest and have no use for actually learning to peddle herself around the courtyard. Why bother when willing drivers are so plentiful. She typically plants herself at the path and hails a red Radio Flyer with her charm and good looks, then hops on back, crosses her legs, and commands her desired speed and destination.

Oh yes, and Eva's irrational fears. We can now officially add swings and bounce houses to the list, right there behind the always terrifying bar of soap.

Happy Valenersary

Valentines Day was filled with hearts, slobbery kisses, family cooking and Cornish game hens. Two days after Valentines, Logan and I celebrated our 7th anniversary.

February 16, 2009, 8am.

Sharing a breakfast in bed of seven blueberry pancakes, we snuggled with the girlies and visited with Eva about what happened exactly seven years ago when Mommy and Daddy went to the temple to be married. We told Eva that when she grew up, she could go to the temple to be married too. We talked about how special it was, how marriage is a sacred promise between Mommy, Daddy, and Heavenly Father and how it happened before she was born.

She immediately perked up and said, ‘Yes, I was an angel’. Logan and I exchanged an intrigued glance and I clarified, ‘You were an angel?’ to which she replied, ‘Yes, I was an Angel with Jesus.’

Oh wow, I thought, we have a spiritual prodigy here. She is having memories of her pre-earth life. I reached out to squeeze Logan’s hand as I got those chills that so often accompany and identify a special life moment and a beautiful spirit. In a reverent voice I asked further, ‘So was Baby Jane Esther an angel too?’

And then reality returned, ‘No. She was a sheep’ Eva answered. She went on to say that she was going to go to the temple to get married and Santa Clause would come and bring candy canes and we’ll ‘yick em’ and ‘yick em’.

So yes, I realize that perhaps we need more talk of Jesus and all things spiritual that doesn’t revolve around Christmas because apparently any time we mention the Savior, Eva immediately references nativity plays (when yes, she is dressed as an angel and baby Jane Esther a sheep), Santa Clause, and ultimately candy canes. Spiritual prodigy or sugar obsessed toddler… you be the judge.

Happy Day of Hearts

The Divine Miss Ev

The selfless act of sisterhood.
I'm driving, Baby Jane is fussing...really fussing, and Eva is looking out the window. Suddenly Jane Esther is happy and all I hear are the soothing sounds of a dedicated suck. Now I know she doesn't like a pacifier, so I assume she's found her hand....what a brilliant baby - already learning to self soothe....and then I turn around to find Eva, the problem solver, has decided to comfort baby Jane with the big toe on her left foot which is fully inserted in Jane's welcoming jaw. And there they were, quite pleased with themselves, both enthralled in pride and pleasure.

A polo match with cousin Lara. Although Lara's remembrances of her days on the team, her commentary on the strategy and the gorgeous horses themselves were completely entertaining for me...Eva spent the afternoon pestering the poor poodle tied to the patio that someone had brought to the party.

A dialogue with Eva
Sua, sua – with a happy lilt (sure, sure)
Frimps (shrimps)
Feeeood (food)
Meeeeoovie (movie)
Pencels (pretzels)
I no want people food, I yike (like) poison. (after I’ve explained that we don’t eat plant food, its poison. We eat people food.)
No, now I’m going to count, one, two, fee, foah, five (after I’ve said, please come here…I’ll count to three.)Look mommy, a brown sugar house for wormies and ants (while baking cookies, after tipping the packed brown sugar out of the measuring cup to form a perfect sweet sand castle.)
This is going be weery citing (really exciting) – often while we’re getting dressed for the day, heading out the door on a walk, or mixing in the final ingredient.
I’m going to put these (two yogurts, a whisk, perhaps one of Jane Esther’s socks – its different every day) in a safe place (sometimes under a chair, but usually on the stairs, which now routinely contain small ‘stacks’ of her treasures resting in their safe place.)

A cupcake family tree

Every day Eva declares a party. A swingset party, a sandpile party, a breakfast party, a swimming suit party, a pigtail party, a ladybug party. Well today was legit, a cupcake party!

Miniature cakes done up to look like mom, dad, aunt suzie and the family dog..

And there is Miss Eva at the head of the table. Don't ask how many were consumed. I think I put my foot down when we hit the double digits.

A Day for Jane Esther

For Jane Esther on her Blessing Day

Dear Jane,

Born in July to join forever in joy,

the Janes who came before you,

The Janes who are your great-grandmothers

and your great-great grandmothers,

The Janes who are your great-aunts

and the Janes who are

great friends to your family

Born in July to join your sister,

your mother, your father,

your grandparents,

and the circle of

family and friends

that come together

to love you.

Jane Esther Deans,

you were born for such a time as this-

to bring us all joy and wonderment

in the goodness of Heaven

Love,

Grandma Susan