Birthday Party Time

So, someone at our house had a birthday...30 days ago, and his ultra-slack momma is just now getting around to posting about it. Actually, we celebrated his birthday on January 7, so I'm only 23 days late. Lately I've been in love with a light blue and red color combination. I'm not sure why, but most of the things I've made for Tripp and Ruth Ann lately have been red and some shade of blue...I think because it's gender neutral and if I can't dress my children identically and least they can match on occasion. Because to this recent obsession, Tripp got a light blue and red birthday party...no real theme. The theme I was going for was "Low Key". Ruth Ann had a massive 1st birthday party and since her birthday is also a winter birthday no one really went outside because it was too cold. We may have made Tripp's guest list much shorter, but the day of the party ended up being one of the prettiest days we've had this month. Our weather here has been unusually warm for the month of January (60-ish) but on the day of the party it got up into the mid 70's! It was fabulous...it's probably the best weather Tripp will ever see on his January birthday and unfortunately he's too young to remember it. Anyway, I kept it very simple this year...5 families, pizza, cake and ice cream...this may have been the most successful party we've had to date because Arch and I both kept talking about how much fun we both had...and for me it's been hard to have fun and relax at my own child's party in the past.





Some of our favorite friends came over and we did a lot of playing outside before the party on the playground Santa's elves help build Ruth Ann and Tripp for Christmas...









And I love this picture of Mason...who doesn't realize just how tall he actually has become...it's funny to me because as a tall person, I often forget how tall I am too...until I look at pictures with friends and I'm towering over them. Mason comes from a long line of tall men...he may end up feeling the same one day...



I feel like we were all just at his first birthday and now he's busting out of the Little Tikes car!

And the resident drama queen of the McCarty house hold had a little bit of a melt down. Tripp's birthday was a bit hard for this big sister...thankfully both of her grandmother's were there to give her a little attention when she needed it most...here she is crying about who knows what to Arch's mom...



And you can tell by the look extreme sympathy on my mother-in-laws face she was getting the exact reaction she wanted!

But that didn't stop this birthday boy from enjoying his day...



Then it was time for pizza and cake. Tripp didn't dig into his cake and make huge mess like all mom's love to see on 1st birthdays...I blame myself. Every time his hands get too dirty while eating I'm close by wiping his hands clean...Ruth Ann also now hates getting her hands dirty so clearly the nurture of a child can cause OCD tendencies.





He had an outfit change and played a little more to work off his sugar high...





But all good parties come to an end...at least for the 1 year old birthday boy.



And he napped all afternoon...his own little birthday gift to his momma and daddy!

Getting Ready for Valentine's Day

So last week I showed you this picture of how Ruth Ann was behaving while I was trying to get a photo of her for her Valentine's Day cards...



I was able to get a really cute picture of her, despite the terrible behavior and came home to make this...(I store photos off sight with Flickr, so I used their editing software to add the text)



And then ordered 20 copies through Shutterfly, also associated with Flickr, which arrived this week and I finished assembling Ruth Ann's Valentine's Day cards for her friends at school...I usually order all my pictures from Mpix, but I couldn't figure out how to save the edit version of my picture back to my computer and it was just easier to order through Shutterfly rather than waste time figuring my computer out.  Now that I have the pictures in hand I should have not left my text so close to the edge of the photo.  Although nothing was cut off, part of the "y" in Day was nearly removed from the picture.
Here is the result...



So CUTE! And I wish I could take full credit for this idea, but my creative friend Sally who has a gift for finding even more creative ideas on the internet found this idea and forwarded to me a few weeks ago. Although it took a little prep work, like taking a good picture & then adding the text, the assembly was very quick and easy...I highly recommend it. I've had friends make home made Valentine's and they spend hours cutting, pasting, adding candy, etc...this was so easy!

And one other note, the picture I used was actually taken AFTER the meltdown pictured above...proof as to how unpredictable & fast the tides of drama can change when you have a 3 year old little girl. You never know when the drama will arrive and you can never guess how long it will last...I'm sure my husband feels the same way about the Ruth Ann's momma too!

Gap, why are you failing me??

I'm a long time shopper of The Gap. I remember when it first opened in Columbia, how I begged my mom for my first pair of over priced Gap jeans, and how I loved those jeans and wanted to wear them every day. The Gap never let me down when I needed cute new school clothes or in college if I needed a little treat for myself...but somewhere in the last 10 years The Gap has taken a turn for the worse. Because I've also enjoyed Banana Republic in the past...another store I also feel is starting to fail me...I have had a Luxe Banana Republic card for many years and with that I often get great coupons from it's sister store, The Gap. I usually use these coupons and any rewards I get back from my Luxe card on my kids pjs at Gap Kids because I can never find anything for myself that I'm even remotely interested in. Today I have a 35% off coupon and I have some reward dollars so I headed over to The Gap website to see what I could find...this is what I stumbled upon...



Seriously??!! If you're reading this and thinking "Gosh, I've been searching for a denim one piece jumpsuit for ages!"...then I'm sorry, you and I just can't be friends. I don't know what is going on at The Gap...I'm not sure how I would react if I saw someone wearing this is real life or if I ever showed up wearing this to work...I think they might send me home for a "mental health day" because clearly I would be out of my mind to be wearing this! I miss The Gap from 15 years ago...does that make me old?

A few of my little boy favorites

When I was pregnant with Ruth Ann and found out she was a little girl my mind began to race with thoughts of smocked dresses, monograms and all things pink. When I found out Tripp was a baby boy initially I didn't have the same experience...but as time went by there were a few boy things I started looking forward to...



Red Keds...LOVE them!! Tripp may be wearing these until I can no longer find his size or he starts buying shoes for himself...which ever comes first!



Smocked Jon-Jon's or Long Alls...I'm also a big fan of one piece bubble and that was basically what Tripp was in last summer if he wasn't in a onsie, but this summer will be the summer of the Jon-Jon. Love them, can't get enough of them and I don't care if other people think they're for babies because this little boy is MY little baby and I'll dress him like this until he asks me to stop...or I go blind from smocking & sewing them, again, which ever come first!



I found this pattern when I first start picture smocking before Ruth Ann was born. I had always wanted to buy it and when I found out Tripp was on his way it was one of the first boy patterns I bought. I think he'll have a pair of Long Alls every year with this pattern.

Although I may not have had the same long list of tangible things to look forward to, I had something much more special to look forward to experiencing.  Once I started telling others I was having a boy I started hearing from other mothers of baby boys (who also had a daughter) what a different kind of love I could look forward to feeling for my baby boy. Although Ruth Ann and I will always share a special and unique bond as mother and daughter, I was told what I would feel for Tripp would be a whole different kind of love...not stronger, just different.  When they handed me that sweet boy I knew in that second everyone had been right. This week another blogger wrote about her feelings after having her baby boy recently and she describes it perfectly...visit The Storywood.

I just ask that when you see Tripp when he is 10 years old that you not laugh at my sweet boy wearing his red keds and smocked jon-jon...know that it's all his momma's fault!

ARGHHHH

Sorry, I couldn't think of a better way to title this post because today both of my sweet precious children who I love dearly are driving me out of my mind...does anyone else have those days??  I know my mom did because I vividly remember threats to be sent to the Gypsies if I didn't straighten up...leaving me with a life time fear of traveling Gypsies and the movie "Babes in Toy Land" starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello scared the bejesus out of me.  However, had a band of Gypsies knock on my door today they may have had 2 new recruits...or maybe I would have just left with them myself!

Anyway, my friend Sally sent me a really cute idea for Valentine cards for Ruth Ann's classmates and I needed to get started. They will require a picture of Ruth Ann, sounds easy enough right...wrong...here's how Ruth Ann and I both felt about each other this morning as I was trying to take this picture...



Of course only the 3 year old can respond like this...



It's considered socially unacceptable for a 33 year old to behave this way...but I was real close to doing the exact same thing!

We've got a climber on our hands...

For Tripp's 1st birthday we got him a toy table that will eventually live in his bed room. I had planned on getting the tracks & roads that go on top too...but that ended up exceeding the budget so that will be a gift for another day. Anyway, right now Tripp's room doesn't have enough room in it for the table since my gigantic rocker/recliner...which every nursery needs...is still in there. I had thought about getting rid of it but last night Tripp let me rock him...which is very rare...so it's staying for as long as that sweet boy will snuggle with me! So for now, the table is in the corner of our living room. Ruth Ann has been using it as a puzzle table and last night Tripp used her chair as a means to do a little climbing...Arch and I had our backs to him...all of a sudden Arch turned around and this is what he found...



And now guess who can't stay off the top of table?? We had to tell Ruth Ann she can't leave her chairs near the table...as this was how he was getting up on the table...wonder how long Ruth Ann will follow those directions...don't give her too much credit...I fully expect to find my baby boy on top of this table on a regular basis. Maybe it's easy to play with your cars on trucks when you're on top rather than standing next to the table...Tripp seems to think so...



It's also really cute to watch him try to throw his little short leg up on the table when he doesn't have the chair assisting him. I'm told by my mom that I was climber before I was a walker and Arch has the scars to prove he was the same way...we were bound to have a climber at some point!

Oldies

Sometimes when I'm looking back through my saved pictures on Flickr I almost want to burst into tears...time is going too quickly and looking back at Ruth Ann and one of our sweet friends, Betsy, it makes that fact much more obvious...

Here is a stroll down Ruth Ann and Betsy Lane...































Oh these girls are about as sweet...and sassy...as they come!

Same smile

Tripp now has 4 little teeth...my babies are both slow to get their teeth...and they both have a very similiar smile...





Hello gappy baby smile...this is one momma that has missed seeing you!