Away

(Yes, I did change the blog background. You're not going crazy!)

Oh faithful readers, I will be away for a little while. I am going to be leaving my hubby, my kids, my doggies, and my country for a visit with the frogs.

I am going to be visiting my mom in the South of France. I know, I know, poor me. I am having some nervous feelings (Rhett Butler, where is my fainting couch and smelling salts?!?) about leaving. I have not flown by myself since Claudia was born. Now, I will be jumping across the pond, as they say!

The kids will be in good hands while I am away. Our 15-year-old babysitter will be taking care of the kids while Scott is at work. I have a real fear that Wilson and Claudia are going to prefer her to me when I get home. I think that I will need to self-medicate while I am away. Perhaps with some french wine, bread and chocolate. (Yes, definitely chocolate.)

On the serious side, if you think about it on the 28th and again on the 6th, could you please send good thoughts for a safe journey for my sister and me?

Au revoir!

A Lot Can Happen...

in the time it takes for me to take a shower. Oh, let's just take yesterday for instance. While I was very quickly taking my shower, Claudia decided that Wilson was going to be a "big boy" who wears underpants. Not just any underpants, mind you, but pink "Hello Kitty" underpants.

I got out of the shower and Claudia burst into my room and said, "Mom, Wilson is a big boy and he is going to wear underwear now. He has them on right now!" Of course I assumed that he had only the underwear on, but Claudia surprised me. She put them on over his diaper and then put his shorts on top of them.

I didn't feel like fighting that fight, so off we went to return some things at the mall. Really, no incidents there. That happened later.

After Wilson's nap, he saw the underwear and insisted on wearing them. This time he needed to put them on OVER his shorts. While this was happening, Claudia and Scott decided they would take a walk to the neighborhood park. Of course Wilson was going to accompany them.

Good ol' Daddy didn't think it was worth the fight either and off they went to the park where they saw some neighborhood kids and a dad. I guess the conversation between the dads went like this:

Scott: "Pay no mind to Wilson's pink underpants."

Other Dad: "I wasn't even going to ask."

That just struck me as too, too funny when Scott told me about it last night! (Just picture the scene.)

Oh, Wilson these last two posts are for sure going to cost us some money in therapy bills one day.

Girls have all the fun?

Wilson may just think so. Claudia received some really fun "girly" things for her birthday--bracelets, headbands, make-up (really it's chap stick), etc. Why wouldn't Wilson want to use them for some entertainment?

I am sure that he will want to burn these pictures when he is 14. I think that it may be good to have a few "blackmail photographs" in my back pocket to be used strategically.

Really, the final blow to a 14-year-old boy would be a photo of him getting make-up on by his sister. I think that I would only pull this out in the most dire circumstances.

Birthday Bonanza

What a birthday party! The Friday before Claudia's birthday we had a party with some her friends. What a great time! It was so wonderful to have the room to host a party. (Our old house never really accommodated more than 5 people very well.) The "older" girls found Claudia's dress up clothes right away and stayed in them through the whole party. (So much for the new birthday dress that I bought for Claudie.)

Here are some photos from the day:

Coco all dressed up

Lilly as Snow White (it was great--I didn't have to pay for a Disney character to appear at the party!)

Seriously, I had a great dress for Claudia and she ends up wearing this sad dress!

Elliot and little sis Stella

You can count on Lucy to "clean up" after everyone with the vacuum

Sweet Alison cheering on her friend Claudie!

Claudia is one lucky little girl to have such great friends. I am doubly lucky that Claudie's friends have such fantastic moms!