Hippity Hoppity

Hippy Hoppity...Easter is on it's way.  If only the temperatures were a reflection of that.  Come on Spring!

Nothing to get us in the Easter spirit than our Annual Neighborhood Egg Hunt on this fine Palm Sunday.  What started as a totally frigid morning slowly turned into a lovely late afternoon.  Not as warm as I would hope, but manageable.  I'd say it was a score considering I didn't have to pull out the 4 plus fleeces I loaded up in the car {at the end of March mind you!}.

So here they are, Jack Maggie and Lucy, in all their egg hunting glory.

Oh, but I'd be remiss if I didn't at least give the "hair issues" their due credit.  Shall we start with Jack?  He got a haircut yesterday...clearly.  And Daddy took him.  I can assure you I vehemently requested the bangs not be touched.  We can all see how that turned out.

And the other "issue" {in the making} goes to my Maggie.  We are all about headbands here lately {and cowgirl boots...and tutus...and leotards...and skirts...and...anything that doesn't match, but is glittery}.  Needless to say, dressing debates are starting to rear their ugly heads.  Ugh!  But, back to the hair, headbands do not necessarily hold all the hair in place.  Especially when one said 5 year old likes to pull a piece out to drape across her face.  Lord help me.  This could be an interesting ride.

Happily, Lucy still wears a bow, and more importantly, a rubber band with a smile.  And she is just oodles of fun to dress and, of course, egg hunt with.

So now, with all that hair stuff addressed, off they go...

This little one stopped to tell me what color every egg was and who's favorite color that was.  I thought we might never get to 12.  And actually that would have been just fine with me.  Watching her was pure bliss.

We went from the slow pace of Lucy's under 3 age group to a mad dash at Maggie's 4-6 age group.  I was totally not expecting that.  While Maggie stopped to inspect the contents of eggs, her fellow hunters cleared the place out.

Being the easy going gal she is, it didn't bother her a bit.  Gotta love Magpie!  I'll take 3 of these please;)

Hair proof...right there.  I guarantee she pulled that strand out when I wasn't looking.

Jack was pretty much elated that he had graduated to the "up in the woods" group.  Add a group of friends from school and he was in egg hunting utopia.  Sadly, I didn't see much of him after this point.  He's growing up on me. {can I boo hoo and woo hoo at the same time?}

Post hunts, we enjoyed dinner at the club while the kiddos ran wild.  I couldn't help but gushing over these two sweet sisters playing together.  Best friends...

We've got two school Easter Egg hunts up this week and then before we know it Spring Break and Easter!  Yay!  Hippity Hoppity!

Girls

I feel mighty blessed to have not only one, but, two girls.  Especially after I assumed my entire life that I was destined to be a boy mom.  Not that that would have been so bad.  I actually think I would have rather enjoyed it.  And it's no lie, it's exactly what I had always happily envisioned.

Needless to say, when both Maggie and Lucy were born, I pointedly questioned in the delivery room, "is it really a girl?" numerous times.  And as it turns, yes, they were both REALLY girls.

So here I am two and half years later with TWO girls!  What?!?!  And let me tell you they are a load of pink-alicious fun.  And that certainly doesn't take away from all the joy that Jack brings to my life.  I adore being a boy mom too and all that it entails.

However, Jack would never go get a mani and pedi with me or even think about hitting the theater to see Cinderella.  There are some things that are just made for girls.  And I do love that I've got two of them to enjoy it all with.

This week the girls and I made a very impromptu salon stop.  So impromptu that I didn't even have my camera for Lucy's 1st manicure and pedicure.  Shame on me!  That is a milestone worth lugging the camera out for.  Thankfully {unless you have skills like mine with a camera phone} the iPhone served as my back up.

Oh, I wish you could have been there.  Lucy was lapping up the attention and oohing and ahhing over her fingers and toes.  It was pure preciousness.

She must have had me look at her pretty painted self a bazillion times.  Too much fun.  And yes, this busy two year old sat through the entire process like a perfect client.

Are these chubby toes and fingers delicious or what?  So, she chose purple for her toes.

And pink for her fingers.  Just like Maggie's first time.

Of course, I had to grab a photo of Maggie, the seasoned mani and pedi princess.  So fun that our duo can now be a trio.  Welcome to the party Lucy!

Our girly fun did not end there this week.  We topped it off with a trip to the movies to see the new Cinderella.  And let me say, it was amazing!

I cried, I smiled, and then I cried some more.  The message of kindness was absolutely endearing and the story was beautifully told.  Disney has done it again.

As soon as I told the girls where we were off to there was no stopping the Cinderella dress brigade.  I actually grabbed one for Maggie at Target this week knowing our plans.  Lucy already had hers and I knew Maggie was not going to want to miss out on a chance to dress up.

And if you've already seen the movie, I'm sure you recognize "Ella's blue dress" that my sweet Magpie is modeling.  And if not, well here it is.  A bit of a tweak on the traditional version.

Maggie did the rest of the accessorizing for the girls.  Like the flowers in the hair and the sparkly tennis shoes glass slippers.

I resorted to the iPhone once we got to the theater.  But, I couldn't help gushing over my two princesses with boxes of popcorn nearly as big as they were.

And we made sure to go the local theatre with the good seats.  So comfy.  We all snuggled in and enjoyed the sweet movie.

The girls and I had a lot of fun this week.  Adore them!  Now it's time to put on my boy mom hat and enjoy some karate, baseball, and cub scouts this weekend.  

I've got the best of both worlds.  Lucky Momma!

Lucky

My day was hardly filled with luck.  In fact it was riddled with one mishap after another.  The irony of it all is what actually got me through.

We did, however, start the day with a Top O' The Morning breakfast.  I made a conscious point not to go overboard because if you may remember last year Maggie hated {and that is not a stretch} that her breakfast didn't look the same.  Like the cantaloupe was "shaped" wrong.  And so on and so on.  Lucy just smiled through it like it was any other breakfast.  And Jack only went nuts over the Lucky Charms.

So why not take it easy this year?  Just as last year, the kids did wake up to a trail of shamrocks from their bedroom doors, down the stairs and all the way to their breakfast.

And a pom pom rainbow over the kitchen table. Which please forgive my masking tape, again, I was trying not to go overboard.  {Trust me how to construct a wired arch traveled through my brain more than once until I realized the insanity of it.}

And finally, individual cups of Lucky Charms.  {which only happens once a year}

And now, wouldn't you know that Maggie's face turned to sheer disappointment when she hit the kitchen table.  "Why didn't the leprechaun make my St Patrick's Day breakfast this year?" "and my green plate?" and "my green milk?".  "And why isn't there a rainbow tablecloth?".

My response was simple...because you didn't like green milk or a rainbow cantaloupe or your waffle shaped liked a shamrock last year.  Remember?  And isn't the rainbow above your head BEAUTIFUL?

Maggie proceeded to explain that she is older now and she actually does like all that and "how would the leprechaun know that she didn't like it anyway"?  And then she searched every kitchen cabinet for a green plate.

Can't win for losing.  So that was how our day started.  {I must note Jack and Lucy were happy...and Maggie did recover very quickly}

Jack headed off to school with a very green lunch and two lucky notes.

And I sent the girls off to school in the greenest outfits I could find {which Maggie has recently decided she no longer likes}.  But she did absolutely adore these glittery shamrocks her leprechaun left behind.

{and in Maggie's defense she is truly easy going, flexible, and primarily a happy girl...unless she doesn't like her outfit}

And dear Lucy, well, she's just a two year old hoot.

I suppose I am pretty lucky after all!

Happy St. Patrick's Day Friends!  Hope yours was LUCKY!

A Weekend With Grammy

We always love it when our favorite Grammy makes a visit to see us.  The kid's were absolutely beside themselves with excitement.  And Grammy is always happy doing whatever our regular ol' weekend might entail.

This one was filled with an ice skating lesson, a birthday party, church and Jack's second baseball game.  Even with our mundane schedule, Grammy wore a smile and, as far as I could tell, enjoyed every minute of it.  Even the over tired fussing that seemed to ensue come Sunday night.

But, before that happened, she attended Maggie's Saturday morning ice skating lesson.  Which was borderline a catastrophe when Maggie's usual coach was absent.  Luckily one of Maggie's other favorites swooped in and grabbed her to save the day.  In the end Grammy got to witness Maggie shimming across the ice in all her glory.

She also got a view of what the playroom can look like on a Saturday afternoon with three kiddos home.  She even got in a little play time of her own.

And while Grammy and I hid on the steps, we were able to catch a couple sneak peeks of Maggie's "dance party" that must occur with all the lights off, the music blaring, and NO ONE watching.

By Sunday, I was bound and determined to snap a picture of Grammy and her grandchildren sans ice skating suits and baseball uniforms.  I adore this and hope it's one they will all cherish one day.

Post mass, Grammy headed to Jack's second baseball game of the season to cheer him on.  As much as I hated missing out, it was smack dab in the middle of the girl's nap time.  Normally, I would get a sitter, but with Grammy in town I knew Jack would feel well loved and I would get the play by play.

The girls and I soaked up the Sunday sunshine for a bit before they hit the hay.  Somehow shaving cream made it into the equation. {so much fun}

Thanks Grammy for another wonderful weekend!  We are looking forward to the next.  You are truly loved around here.

Lucy's Big Girl Room

This post, and more importantly, bedroom have been two months in the making.  I physically started this project back in January and mentally sometime in the Fall.  I am so happy to finally share the {almost} final product.

So, in all honesty, a big girl room was not totally necessary for Lucy.  Unlike previous big kid room moves, I wasn't trying to clear out the nursery for a baby on the way.  But, somehow, I was confident Lucy was ready.  Both Jack and Maggie made the move at two and half years old and it just seemed natural for Lucy to do the same.  Not to mention, I had been looking at that nursery furniture for 7 years and the girl baby bedding for 5.

Thankfully Lucy was ready because I was beyond ready.

Without a doubt, Lucy was going to have a "purple" room.  It was her request from the start and is most definitely her favorite color.  Whether it be by default or not {Maggie's is pink} Lucy latched on to the idea of a purple room and was not budging.

I can't say I've ever been a purple lover, but somehow lavender has more than won me over.  I'm seriously in love with her room.  Add her nestled in this sweet retreat and I'm beside myself...pure preciousness.

So, shall we begin?

{I must preface that the day I took these pictures it was gloomy and grey outside.  I could hardly get enough light.  I'd get a peek and then it was gone again.  That being said, the walls are a nice light lavender.  Not the electric purple that some images show.}

I decided to go for a daybed in Lu's room.  With the roof lines {which I do love} and the window seat, it seemed like the best use of space.  I found this antiqued white iron frame at Pottery Barn Kids.  The quality is amazing.  It must weigh a ton.  I was more than happy with it and thrilled to have a trundle to slide underneath.

Which...might I note has already been used.  The sweet sisters had their first sleep over.  And that, my friends, is for a whole other post.  Just envision a lot of girly giggling and severe exhaustion.

I mix and matched a lot of her bedding.  After much debate I decided to go with a lavender and grey color palate.  I did consider lavender and green for a short while.  The majority of her bedding is from Pottery Barn Kids and Restoration Hardware Baby & Child. 

And I am completely aware that this is not the proper way to make a daybed.  However, with a two year old it is.  I bought two of every pillow case for when the day comes that she can actually make her bed completely solo.  At that point, we will do it right.  And I imagine it will look adorable when we do.

I fell in love with this darling little nightstand the minute I laid eyes on it.  From there I went nuts with the rest of the collection.  It was, without a doubt, what I had been dreaming of.  So instead of furniture store hopping {as I've done in the past}, I grabbed it all with one fail swoop from Restoration Hardware Baby & Child.  And again, I am beyond impressed with the quality.

The lamp and shade {which is actually a woven grey} are both from Target.

And here is Lucy's dresser.  Another piece I adore.  

The roof line slants right at the tippy top of that mirror {which is also from Restoration Hardware} so I was ecstatic when I found this shape and the perfect measurements.  It would have been impossible to fit anything else in that space.  And I really wanted Lucy to have a mirror so she can see what a beautiful girl she is every single day.

I'm still looking for something to put in these fun bird houses.  I'm thinking something floral maybe, but haven't come across anything yet.  I went ahead and grabbed them {at Michaels of all places} thinking that one day I'll figure it out.

And the final piece in the furniture collection is the book case.  I was elated to see this piece offered.    I love the idea of some sort of shelving in my kids rooms.  For now it's filled with books {of course} and one basket of "odds and ends" toys.

And as you can see I cut it super close with that marvelous roof line I mentioned previously.  I have a love hate relationship with that thing.  I must of let out the most ginormous exhale of my life the day that delivery arrived.  Measuring is not my strong suit.  That order was made on a wing and a prayer.

I filled that perfectly fitting book case with these fun lavender tie baskets.  I'm all about having a basket for everything.  I despise clutter.

Because of that lovely roof line, Lucy gets this adorable window seat nook.  The shade is from Pottery Barn Kids.  Normally I have window treatments custom made, but can I just tell you how hard it is to find any decent fabric in lavender.  Near impossible!  There were a lot of grey options, but I really didn't want to go that route.  This was my first go with PBK window treatments.  Again, I was very happy with the quality.  And they are black out! {which is one of the primary reasons I go custom}.

In her nook, hangs the sweetest Sugarboo Frame, custom made for her.  I've had one of these made for each of my kids.  And now it was Lucy's turn.  As I read through the quotes I knew immediately this one was for her.  My eyes welled up with tears {always a sure sign} because, yes, Lu will always be my baby.

Here is Lucy's other window and a peek at the rug {which I love}.  Again, terrible lighting.  Trust me, it really is lavender {both the wall and the curtain}.

Her rug has the same vine details as her sheets.  Pure sweetness when he covers are turned down for bed time.

But above all the sweet details, this is my favorite one. Here is the one and only Lucy in her {per request} "Big Girl Purple Room".  Which, mind you, she has told everyone about.

And although Lucy is the best accessory, I'm still in search of two pieces of art work to go on the ledge on either side of her curtain.  And I'm waiting on a precious shabby chic fabric magnet board that I'm having made from Etsy to hang to the right of her closet.

The way I look at it, it's taken me nearly three months to get this far so no sense in rushing the final details.

But, most importantly, after a short adjustment period, Lucy is doing great in her big girl room and LOVING every bit of it!

Lavender Lucy it's just so fitting.

Dr Seuss Week

As promised, here are a few pictures from Jack's Dr. Seuss week at school.  Most were taken before the sun came up, in our mudroom, as we scrambled out the door for the bus.  So please excuse the less than desirable back drop.

Monday was PJ day.  Which I found no need to take a picture of.

Tuesday was Crazy Hat day.  Naturally, we went with the Cat In The Hat hat.

Wednesday was Wacky Wednesday.  We nearly missed the bus with this one.  Although, Jack had everything laid out the night before, the construction of the outfit was an immense time consumer.  And if you are wondering about the cup on the belt {because I certainly was}, that was all him.  Can't really explain that one.

The fact that he is totally overdue for a haircut made the wacky hair all that much easier.  His little sisters got the biggest kick out of it.

Wednesday was also the day I had the privilege of reading to his class.  Try reading to a classroom full of kids who look like this.  Quite an audience.

But, my whole 20 minutes were pure bliss and...the marshmallows were a hit.  As you can clearly see in Jack's mouth.

The most fun was Thursday.  This was Favorite Dr Seuss Character day.  Wouldn't you know Jack just had to choose The Lorax.  I was trying to figure out how to do this without going overboard.  I really didn't see the need to solicit Grandma's sewing skills for this event.

So I threw some mustache & eyebrow sunglasses together {because it is quite impossible to find facial hair ready made in yellow} and he wore an orange tee and fleece.  I will say, I searched high and low to no avail for an orange hoodie.  In the end, I think it all worked out.

Friday was Green Eggs & Ham day.  The kids only had to wear green...I was thankful for the break.  I would have to imagine the teachers were too.

It was a great week filled with Seusstastic fun.  Jack was wiped out by Thursday.  We decided to forgo any extra curricular activities and get him to bed early.  He was nearly begging for it.

I'm really hoping for a normal week coming up.  Between the "snow" days the week before and Dr. Seuss this week, I am really ready to return to our normal crazy around here.