Smilin' and lucky

Top o' the morning to you!

I wouldn't be much of an Irish girl, if I didn't stop by today to wish you all a very green, beer-filled and potatoey day, would I? So, here I am. Tapping out a quick post while I still sit in jammies at 10:30 a.m. Maternity leave lets you do that. (And, yes, my kids are dressed. But me? I'm last on the list.)

We started our day out with green scrambled eggs and green milk with a green straw and green grapes and orange slices. (Okay, I couldn't make the oranges green. So kill me, already.) Brooke was thrilled. Avie was wary, but she ate her toast and grapes and yogurt sans question.

Been a crazy, cabin-fever past two weeks. Hubby has been out West for two weeks now (well, he was home in the wees hours of last Saturday, but flew out again on Monday) and the girls are missing their daddy and I'm missing him, too and we're all just missing getting out of the house! We've been grocery shopping twice this week just to have something to do.

I am sooooo sick of snow. It's always this way with me come March, but it is especially trying this year because I know I only have four weeks leave before I go back to work. I crave days playing on the back deck or afternoons sitting on the sunny lawn. I want to spend my days digging in the dirt or playing kickball with the girls. I want to hold Avie's little fingers as she learns to take her first steps on the green grass or to run alongside Brooke as she peddles madly on her bike on our semi-paved driveway. I want to eat cut-up watermelon slices and drink from juiceboxes on the porch. I want to blow bubbles and make rainbows with sidewalk chalk.

Now, I'm really kinda regretting not taking an extended leave so that I could have another spring and summer with my girls. I can't believe how much I will miss spending every day with them!! Reality is settling in.

Meanwhile, yesterday I received a photo from my mother of my grandmother when she was 18. Couldn't stop staring at it. My Granny is gorgeous--then at 18 and now at 80. I hope I look half as good as she does when I'm her age. She's beautiful and wonderful and I can't wait to celebrate her birthday with her--and I know both her and her sister, Auntie Alice, are so excited for the party.

Anyways, back to the photo--I'm going to scan the photo and make tiny copies, then pop them into frames as placecards for the tea party. I think everyone will love having a photo of Granny as a young lady for a little souvenir of the special day. I know I will!

By the way--gotta an awesome vintage hat from Etsy for the tea party! It's 80 years old (how fitting is that!?) and bright turquoise with bows and fragile little netting and...and...and it's gorgtastic. I can't wait for the package to arrive.

I was also busy last night making decorations for Avie's upcoming birthday. Sweet things as cute as my Aviecakes! Just love the Neopolitan ice creamyness of it all! Here's a few sneak peeks for you! Maybe I should finally send out the invites? Yikes. A month today!!!

Lastly, even though I have a million things to do before returning to work (haircut much? Need work shoes, too. And gotta finish weaning Avie off of nursing....the list goes on) and I don't really relish going back to the office, I still count my blessings for having what I can call the Luck of the Irish.

Brooke is doing wonderfully. She is getting her balance back, her hair is growing (almost long enough for barrettes!) and she is gaining back both weight and height. AND--we got fab news last week--next Thursday she will have her surgery to have her port removed!

Finally--she will be in full remission. Cancer-free status. Once that thing is outta her, this whole cancer ordeal will be done (well, as done as it can be when in remission). No more port flushes. No more blood tests. No more impending surgery. Just her regularly scheduled CTs and MRIs. We can't wait! We will definitely have to celebrate that event in style, too.

We were at the hospital one day when a fellow patient received his last chemo treatment. His mom brought in a huge sheet cake, all decorated with fondant clowns and pennants and balloons and fireworks, and then she and her son, his brother and their dad spent an hour going around the MDU, pushing the cart with the cake, handing pieces and spoons to patients and nurses alike.

Made me tear up. I accepted the cake graciously, wished them well and a gave the boy a hearty 'congratulations!' The whole family looked so happy. What an awesome way to celebrate the triumph over cancer. I told Hubby right then and there that we had to do something similar for B when her port was out. He totally agreed. Was a good cake, too.

Well, I probably have about 10 mins left before Avie wakes up, so I best get dressed. Have a Merry Leprechaun Day, folks!

Pic-sharing Thursday

Time to download some pics from my SD card. Thought I would share some recent ones of the last couple of weeks.

B's game of 'puppy tea party' yesterday. She gathered together all of her stuffed puppy dogs (Gawd! I didn't realize how many she has until she kept pulling out another one from her room or the toy bin. I think she was up to five?!) and a few bunny stragglers ('cause we can never leave a bunny behind) and set up all her teacups.

















She even included Dealer in the party. He looks thrilled to be in attendance. Can you figure out which dog is the real one?

(And, yes, if you look closely enough, you'll see little plastic 'dog bones' on each of the dog's plate!)

















Besides playing with dust motes in morning sunshine and bouncing her bum up and down whenever the Wiggles or Yo Gabba Gabba songs start, Avie has been pulling herself up a lot lately. Maybe walking by her birthday? Hmmm, not likely, but stranger things have happened. Anyways, she was super excited to be standing on her own here (well, cheating anyways--she's holding onto a rolling walker toy, but she's not holding anyone's hand--and she seemed pretty stoked about it!).
























Brooke post-school registration last week--full of face-paint and beans.
























The kids attended a little friend's second birthday party at Starr Gymnastics the other day. (This is the second time we've attended a party there and the girls just love it! Great place to hold a party if you want a no-fuss affair. The entertainers are great, the kids have a fabulous time, plus no having to clean the house beforehand or after!)

The kids all had a blast jumping and running and sliding into piles of foam blocks. Then, after an hour of working off all their energy, they rejoined in a little party room for juice, goldfish crackers and cupcakes. Yum!

Then, as we started singing 'Bonne fête' to birthday boy Olivier, Brooke burst into tears. Why? She wanted to sing 'Happy Birthday' to him, but didn't know the song in French!

I was torn between feeling bad for her and embarrassed that my kid was hijacking the limelight away from Olivier in the middle of his song! Here everyone was trying to wish him a great day and my kid was sobbing in the corner. (Sorry, again, Max!)

Anyways, my doll of a friend Maxine decided we needed to sing the song again, in English this time. Poor Olivier looked confused as to why he had to wait to blow out the candle for another song, but the drama queen was appeased. Ridiculous!



Plus, a little strange because she has heard--and participated in that song a dozen times before--since many of our friends' and family are francophone. Weird! Anyways, I chalked it up to having been a very long and very active day (swim class that morning, then the gymnastics party that afternoon) with zero nap.


Here's some photos of the kids having a wild time!