celebrating stella's fourth

birthday's are funny business, let me just start by saying that.  like shaking a jar of river water, they tend to stir up so much sediment in my mama heart, eventually settling into a place that is very much bittersweet.  thoughts of both the past and future flooded my memory bank on birthday morning...like the first time we saw her, touched her, her first time using a spoon, when she used to do that little dance where she shook her booty, when she learned to climb out of her crib, when she started ballet.  and oh, how the years have danced on into the present and our stella bear is one year older.  a bright spot in our days, she is, and with each passing one i find myself echoing the dear grandmas we bump into at the market from time to time in that mmm yes, it goes so fast. 

for stella's fourth birthday celebration we decided to keep it pretty low key, inviting only close family to gather and sing and do birthday things at our home.  i remember back to my birthdays as a little girl when all of my grandparents would be there in the room conversing about, uncles and aunts rushing past, cousins playing outside, their only thought about present opening and what sweet treat would be served alongside ice cream.  for me it was always a "worlds colliding" moment, and a very special one at that.  it is not very often that everyone on both sides of the family is able to sit shoulder to should in our living room.  i think that togetherness is what makes a celebration truly memorable.  as we start our family's birthday traditions, it's important to us that we cultivate a sense of connectedness and joy for our kids as we have here those near and dear to our hearts, to not only shower them with love but to also eat really good cake (of course).  speaking of cake, this french chocolate silk was nothing short of magic.  and to prove that, i have been the leftovers for breakfast every day since.

the day we celebrated stella was relaxing and this kansas city weather couldn't have been more pleasant.  bbq filled our bellies and stell got some pretty neat gifts.  this year, a critter tree house with new mice and squirrel toys, many new books, tickets to frozen on ice, and a bike!  that evening after the party guest made their way home, i waddled behind andrew and stella as they went on their first ride in the neighborhood.  stell worked hard to petal and not get caught up on playing with the ever-exciting bell and streamers, with her daddy following closely behind.  i watched as he patiently coached her, giving little nudges here and there to get her moving up the slanted sidewalk and around fallen branches.  it felt like a movie reel was unfolding before my eyes, for this was a moment we had talked about since dating in high school.  a dream of ours, to grow a little family and give them a memorable childhood.  much like seeing our baby take her first step, or when she called us name, seeing stella on a bike with every intention of doing it herself was so special.  this evening ride capped off the day so beautifully, and with a lump in my throat, i could not help but look up to the flowering, emerald leaves making a bridge over my head and breathe out, "thank you, god."

a first birthday party for theodore louie!

we had a sweet little party for theodore louie this weekend.  the warm sun warranted bare feet and shoulders and urged everyone to see things through squinted eyes.  our backyard, flooded with golden rays and melodies of the avett brothers, put us all in a cheery mood.  it was lovely.

our darling theo boy turns one early on this upcoming week but we chose to celebrate a few days early so some our our closest family members could take part.  they traveled from iowa to make his party extra special and i know it meant the world to him.

i kept things simple for this birthday: a nap-time crafted garland made from eucalyptus and found feathers, a gold crown, homemade pumpkin spiced apple pies (a mini smash pie for theo and one larger pie for us hungry adults), a few of his favorite wooden blocks, sugar cookies, a new tee pee birthday present from his nanas and papas, flowers picked from our neighbor's garden, and one giant white balloon for the birthday boy to play with.  the focus was set on spending wuality time together and less on elaborate party games and expensive decor.  in learning from the past, simpler is always better despite being the obvious, it being more manageable.  i am sure glad i went this route because it gave us more time to focus on family and just plain ol' hanging out together.

we set our little brown haired chap in his new fort and gave him his tiny homemade pie that i had baked earlier on in the week from apples we had picked ourselves.  he knew right what to do with it.  he dove in face first, as all pie lovers wish they had the tenacity to do, and showed that pie who was boss.  with an ever so sly grin and very present twinkle in his eyes, he licked his bowl clean and got pumpkin apple filling all over the place.  it even found its way in-between his darling baby rolls.  watching him in his new tee pee you could tell this was his best moment ever.  he was so happy.  glowing, even.  we looked on with grins ourselves, snickering as he fearlessly kept going back for more, lifting the wee tin to get as big of a bite as he could.

afterward, when there was no more mess to be made, i took him inside and hosed him off in the kitchen sink.  i washed the pie away and out came a clean and rather slippery baby boy.  a boy that wanted to cling to his mama in the warmth of his towel.  as i felt the weight of his chest fall onto mine i held him there, my almost one year old, whispering "i love yous" into his still wet ears.

happy, happy birthday sweet boy.  i love you, i love you, i love you.

for a very special birthday

today the kids and i were on birthday duty because andrew is one year older!  after stella's ballet class downtown we headed to the plaza to pick up a few gifts we knew our most favorite person would love.  a vampire weekend album, a new chambray button down, some old school lollies, and a charming little tie for work.  we headed home to wrap them and make homemade cards and one fabulous birthday cake.  but not just any birthday cake.  a funfetti one, personally detailed by stella all by herself.  ahem...take a peek at the middle of the cake. her accidental/overly excited pour of the sprinkles dead center on said cake looks pretty good if i do say so myself.  and we ran out of frosting because someone thought it would be a really good idea to sample it before spreading it.  silly gal.

if each one of us was a type of birthday cake my husband would be funfetti with extra sprinkles, which is definitely what he got for his twenty eighth birthday.  i suppose i would be just ol' plain vanilla.  maybe with rosemary lemon frosting or something.  stella would be red velvet without a doubt, all dramatic and a bit untraditional in her adorable three year old ways.  and theodore, well he would be rich chocolate, heavy on the sugary sweet frosting.  he's all charm, our littlest.

i cannot wait to see andrew's eyes sparkle when we cut him the first slice and he sees all those pretty colors dotted throughout the white fluff of cake.  i hope it takes him back to his childhood when funfetti was the only way to do a birthday right.  but only after serenading him in our best opera voices, of course.   we will be sure to sing loud and off-key because we love him so.  then we will fill our bellies before supper, because nana and papa are coming over to babysit while the two of us go out for a late birthday meal.  so tonight, cake first.  supper, second.  you know it's a special day for someone you love when things are arranged in that particular order.

happy birthday, andrew! xo

stella vivienne, you're three!

we have been celebrating our sweetest girl stella for the past few days.  she turned three on thursday and it has been heaps of fun ever since.  shortly after waking we started her big day off with fluffy red pancakes and three striped red candles glowing per her request.  red is her color of choice as of late and i have tried to incorporate it here and there to make this birthday extra special.

that sunny afternoon for her birthday treat i took both kiddos to the aquarium downtown and gosh, were we ever surprised.  it was really beautiful and so much fun for both the kids and myself.  we explored a bit as stella shouted "come see, come see!" around every corner.  it was special getting to see her eyes light up as hundreds of fish and sharks and stingrays swam overhead.  if you have little kids and live in the area i really do recommend it.

when andrew got home that evening nana and papa "vivienne" watters came over for pizza, strawberry rhubarb pie pie, and presents.  i noticed a theme taking place as each gift she opened had something or other to do with the outdoors.  her very own gardening tool set, a bug flashlight, a bug box, an umbrella, a 3D puzzle of notre dame (to do with dad this summer outside on our new patio) and a big set of chalk.  this summer spent running barefoot in our our new yard is going to be her best one yet.  all of these fun new toys are going to give her hours of joy and smiles and i cannot wait to jump in and start playing along with.

the weekend came and so did stella's nana and papa and uncle shane from iowa.  when she found out they were coming to celebrate her birthday she said "dat make me so so happy".  what a gift to have them present for her special weekend.  i remember experiencing the same when i was a little girl and it made me happier than any present.  birthday parties are just that much better when all of one's loved ones, especially nana's and papa's, can be there.

on saturday afternoon we had all of her party guests over to our little home.  the rainy weather kept us inside but boy was it ever fun.  every nook and cranny of our home seem to be brimming full of little babes running wildly in princess dresses nibbling on snacks, sipping juice boxes, squeezing their way towards the toys through the legs of onlooking adults.  it was birthday chaos and  it was fun.  from noon to two there were party goers occupying every room in our little treehouse, cake on every surface, and lots of good laughs.  just like birthdays should be.  we sang happy birthday in loud, cheerful voices to stella bear and had the most lovely red velvet cake with three perfectly pink peonies perched atop.  simple and feminine and homemade for my girl.  i am going to make it a tradition to make all of her birthday cakes from now on.  it is something we both can look forward to and when she is old enough i'd love for her to help.

in all, the party was a good one.  stella smiled and smiled and layered on princess gowns and plastic jewelry like you wouldn't believe.  andrew and i are pretty sure her three year old dreams came true that day and despite the fact that i swore i'd never have a princess party for my little girl we are sure glad we did.