Happy Memorial Day!

And what a beautiful one it was! My husband so rarely has more than one day off a week that it would have been nice anyway, but the gorgeous weather made it even nicer. My mom bought the boys these adorable matching shirts at Walmart yesterday:



They're so handsome! They're such good big brothers, too. Zoe is a lucky little girl to have them. We went to a picnic today where there were around 100 people, and it was so easy to keep track of them... I just had to look for the red stripes! I'm gonna dress them alike more often:)

Although I have to say I'm more often embarrassed by my country than proud of it, I do appreciate those who have served our country with the intention of protecting all of our freedom. And today I felt the true meaning of the holiday... In the back of my head all day was a picture of my grandfather, a young man, dressed in his navy uniform. When I saw the picture at his funeral last December, I remember thinking how handsome, and strong, and ALIVE he looked. Though my sons were by no means close to their great-grandfather, I hope they grow up with the same values he had. Like my husband, my grandpa was the kind of guy who got up every day, and worked hard, and did what he had to do to provide for his family, and for the most part, never complained... It was just what he did. That's something to be proud of.

Daily Darling 5/31

Look at that all-american girl... What a little beauty. My mom grabbed this little dress at Walmart yesterday for 6$! I like it because it's red, white, and blue, but it's not too american-flaggy, so she can wear it all the time. And I think the big tropical bloom and blue chiffon really bring out the blue in those big eyes.

Daily Darling 5/30

What a terrific smile... She's looking up at her daddy in this picture. Can't you just see the adoration in her eyes? I actually see a lot of myself in her in this pic, especially because her eyes look brown here (they are really a bluish/greenish gray).

This dress is just so sweet and girly girl.It's another Millie Jane original, and it actually has a matching sun hat, too. It's really short, the bottom ruffle barely coming down past her cloth-padded heiny, but it has really cute old-fashioned style bloomers. On her head is a simple light-pink band with an ecsquisite spring green peony bloom.

Daily Darling 5/29

Well, clearly today's head accessory is a repeat... I mean, who could forget that hat? I just love it though, the brown and pink is so cute and trendy, and what could capture the fun of being a little more than a big ol' pink curly ostrich puff?

This little sun suit is adorable... But unfortunately this will be the last time she wears it. With the cloth diaper it just too snug lengthwise, and the elastic that make the leg ruffles leaves red marks on her chunky thighs:( It was Miliie Jane's, and something tells me Ms. Chicken Legs didn't have the same problem.

Daily Darling 5/28

Ribbit! Yes, those are froggies on her ribbon. Who says slimy amphibians are just for boys? This is one of the little Carter's cardigans my MIL bought her at Kohl's, and I have to say, I think lime green is her color! Those froggies on her headband must be princes in disguise, because she is definitely a little princess:)

The Latest Stats

Sooo... I finally got Max and Zoe to the pediatrician for their 2 year and 2 month visits, respectively. So what if they're 2 and a half and almost 5 months? Seriously though, since I wasn't planning on doing vaccines at either of those visits, and since I didn't have any concerns about their health or development, I didn't feel the need to drag them into the ped's office where they would doubtlessly have picked up some nasty bug during the cold and flu season.

So I'll start with Max... He is a very healthy boy! He falls in the 50th percentile for both height and weight. That makes me very happy, because for a while there his weight was dropping a little lower than they'd like to see it, and he wasn't exactly shooting up height-wise, either. But he is right on track now. His ear tubes that were put in last winter are still in place, which is GREAT. He's been ear infection free ever since. The only concern I have right now is about his feet... He's a little pigeon-toed. Jennifer, our practice's APRN, isn't too concerned... She just wants to keep an eye on it. As far as vaccines, Max got DTAP and polio boosters, and his first dose of the varicella vax. I really didn't want to give him that yet, I wanted to wait and see if he picked up the actual virus before he hit adolescense. But he needs it to go to school in the fall, because unfortunately CT does not allow philosophical objection to vaccines. I'm waiting to give him the first MMR dose until right before school starts, but other than that he's pretty much caught up.

Zoe is also doing spectacular. She is in the 90th percentile for weight... and the 50th for height. Short and fat, lol. I guess all that nursing is paying off. She is right on target developmentally, and Jennifer seems to think her eyes will stay blue, although I'm still not convinced. I am still on the fence about piercing her ears... I was gonna do it at her next visit, but after seeing her get her first shots, I don't think I can cause her even brief pain for purely cosmetic reasons. She got HIB and Prevnar, and will go back in a month for IPV and DTaP.

I feel so fortunate to have found a pediatrician her in New Haven that is okay with a selective and/or delayed vaccine schedule. So many doctors are so close-minded and fear-mongering about the issue. We use New Haven Pediatrics, headed by Dr. Tamiko Jackson on Chapel street here in New Haven.

Daily Darling 5/27

Ok, you caught me... Today's headband is a rerun. But I decided I have to stop custom-designing a new one every single day to go with her outfits... The storage alone is an issue! Who knew I would one day struggle with the organization of my 4-month-old's hair accessories?

This sweet little dress is the other one that my MIL picked up at Back on the Rack. I love the soft colors and the old-fashioned style, it's so classic looking.

And who is that spotted, long-necked character Zoe is so happy about? Why, it's Sophie the Giraffe, of course! I don't know why she loves this little teether so much, but she, like millions of other babies out there, finds Sophie's friendly eyes and perky squeak irresistible. It's basically an overpriced dog toy, but hey, if it keeps her busy, it's worth every penny! And after all, it IS made in France.

Daily Darling 5/26

Poor baby, she looks so hot and sweaty in this picture! We had a high of 88 here in New Haven. On the way home from Toddler Tunes we stopped to buy a kiddie pool. The boys had a blast, even though the hose water was freezing cold in contrast with the hot, humid air. Zoe, however, was very prissy about the whole thing, retracting her feet and pouting each time I tried to give her a little dip. Oh well, we'll try again another time. Hey, she was BORN in a pool, she's gotta be a water baby right?

Anyway, this little ladybug number happens to be another Millie Jane hand-me-down that came to us with the tags still on. And, although you can't see them in the pic, she is wearing her brand new Robeez "Papillon" sandals. They came yesterday from Zappos, (God, I love Zappos VIP. Unlimited free one-day-shipping, and free return shipping, plus OUTSTANDING customer service.)And I just happened to have a bunch of 7/8 inch ladybug ribbon that matched PERFECTLY! I got it in a grab bag from HipGirlClips.com I think the yellows chiffon really brings it all together, don't you?

And WE... DONT... Have A Winner???

WTF, I literally can't GIVE these headbands away? Not a single person entered my FFS shipping lotto. Guess it's just too much bow for YOUR baby! Oh well, more for Ms. Zoo-Bear:)

Daily Darling 5/25

I know it's kind of a cliche', but this baby really is pretty in pink! And plaid, too, lol. I love this outfit cus it shows off her beautiful, chubby thighs. And the little diaper cover has ruffles on the bum, my favorite! This was a hand-me-down from Millie, but she actually never wore it, wrong size/wrong season, I guess. And I think peonies are my favorite flower for her headbands. They're just so feminine and fluffy, especially in PINK:)

FFS Lotto Drawing TONIGHT!!!

For an entry, just become a follower and comment on the headband you want to win in any of the "Daily Darling" Posts 5/18-5/24, telling me why you love it. A winner will be selected at random tonight at 8:30pm eastern. All you pay is 2$ for shipping if you win.

Daily Darling 5/24

Oooh, I love her face in this picture... Sassy! This dress is so beautiful... My mother-in-law has been shopping again! This she got at a second hand store called Back On the Rack in Hamden. It's Laura Ashley... so sweet and girly... just like the big pink loopy polka dot bow on her head! I know it looks like a special occasion headband, and that's because it is! Today is a VERY special day. My good friend Stephanie gave birth to her 3rd baby boy in the wee hours this morning. Right now he's Baby Boy Maples, as far as I know. Name and stats to follow!

Daily Darling 5/23

Is anything more darling on a baby girl than a pure white eyelet dress and a little cardigan? And of course, the fact that it's the same color as spit-up is a bonus, too(;
The dress is a hand me down from MJ, it's from the GAP. The cardigan is a Circo from Target thatI bought to go with her Easter dress, and I wish I had more of them... A baby can never have too many cardigans this time of year, especially here in New England, where the temperature can range from the 40's to the 80's within the same week. And ooooh I just love this headband. I have to credit my mother on this one though... She came up with the idea of putting, not one, but three sunflowers on the chocolaty brown crochet headband. Stunning, if I do say so myself.

Day at the Beach

Wow, what an unexpectedly fun day. I usually spend Saturdays with my mother (Mamu, as she is known to my kids). But today Mamu had to to go over to my recently deceased and immensely missed grandparents house to do some cleaning and tie up loose ends. So we were on our own, and since I don't have my own car, whatever we were doing, we were walking. So before my mom left for the day (we are lucky enough to have a live-in Mamu)I went for a run with Max and Zoe in the Ironman. As I was running, I decided I would head to East Shore Park here in New Haven, and have my mom meet me there with Elliott. East Shore park has a huge, beautiful playground, equipped with a standby ice cream truck, baseball and soccer fields, port-o-potties, and paved pathways ideal for a jogging stroller, leading up to a surprisingly quiet and private-feeling beach. So after purchasing a few jumbo jet pops that quickly melted into sticky blue rivulets down my children's faces and arms, we walked down to the little (and I do mean little) beach. My boys had such a great time, just being little boys, digging in the sand, discovering sea glass, tiny hermit crabs and huge horseshoe crabs, 1,000 varieties of seaweed, and even a jellyfish! Zoe spent the entire day strapped to my back in the mei tei, snoozing away.By the time we headed home, they were filthy beyond filthy, lightly sunburned, and deeply tired.

Daily Darling 5/22

"Awww, how cute," you're thinking. "She's sleeping." Yes, she is. And why is Ms. Zoe sleeping at 8 o'clock in the morning? Because she's been up since 5, that's right, FIVE o'clock in the morning. (I apologize to all the mommies who's babies ALWAYS wake up at 5 a.m.. I know you're out there, and kudos to you, I don't know how you do it). So why was she awake at 5am? Well, , let's rewind to last night. You may recall that friday night in the Edwards home is pizza night. So, I'm doing my pizza-making thang, I've got one in the oven on my wonderful new pizza stone, and another one all rolled out, olive oiled up, and ready to go, on the kitchen island. So, I take the beautiful, bubbly cheese pizza out of the oven, transfer it off of the pizza stone, and go to put the next pizza onto the stone... So, where is it? Where the f*ck is my pizza dough? I KNOW it was right here, on the island. Oh, my god, why is Roxy (little black Staffordshire Bull Terrier) licking her dog lips like that??? What is that in her mouth, is that? DOUGH?! She ate an ENTIRE pizza's worth of dough?!! Oh dear god.

This morning, 5am. I hear Roxy trit trot over to the bedroom door. Then I hear this awful splashing sound, like a glass of water being dumped on the floor. Oh, that can't be good. It's not more than 5 seconds before the smell of dog poo permeates the air. Long story short, I was up at 5 this morning, cleaning up puddle after puddle of dog diarrhea. And of obviously, since my nipple was not in her mouth, Zoe was also awake (She thinks mommy is a pacifier, how cute.) Hence the 8am nap.

So, the outfit is Carter's again, and from my MIL, again. So cute, so comfy, and I wish you could see the cute little flower on her rear end. And yes, that is a polkadot onesie peeking out from under her hoodie. On her head is a nice big red rose, accented by orange chiffon, and set on a pink crochet headband.

But is it free?

http://thefeministbreeder.com/hold-enfamil-accountable-for-lying-to-parents/

I just stumbled upon a link to this article on Facebook and thought I would repost it. She talks about how ridiculous the claims are that Enfamil is making. Here is a little sample:

“Our new Triple Health Guard is found only in Enfamil Premium. The result of years of leading edge research, new Enfamil Premium is clinically proven to promote growth, improve* brain and eye development, and improve* respiratory and immune system outcomes.”

I had actually never seen this commercial, because I try to keep the TV the kids watch on the commercial-free networks, but I am not surprised at all. Formula companies keep coming up with more and more outlandish claims, trying to make formula sound like this magical cure-all that turns your baby into some sort of super-hero. Let's face it... Human milk is the perfect food for human babies. Feeding my baby a powdered, canned, or bottled version of cow or soy milk and a bunch of synthetic vitamins will never be superior to feeding my baby the food that my own body makes for her. End of story. I understand that a very very small percentage of moms are unable to breastfeed their babies for whatever reason, and I can't imagine having to go to work full time when my baby was just a few weeks old, and going back and forth between the breast and the whole pumping/bottle thing. In our society, breastfeeding has sadly become somewhat of a luxury... But it is definitely one that my family is willing to make sacrifices to have. My husband works 65+ hours a week so that I can stay home and nurse our baby. But for some moms, formula seems like the only realistic option... I get that. But saying that formula is as good as breastmilk, or that it can do things like create immunities and improve respiratory function, is just a bunch of bullshit. Breast is, and always will be, best.

The next thing you know, Enfamil will be saying that their new formula can protect mothers against breast cancer and help them fit into their skinnie jeans faster after giving birth(; But until they make it FREE, like the stuff I feed my little princess, there's just no comparison, lol.

Daily Darling 5/21

Polka dots again! My mother-in law gave her this dress a few days ago. I had almost bought the same one myself the day before, but my husband has placed a moratorium on Zoe-shopping until further notice:)It's by Carter's. I LOVE Carter's stuff... so cheap and so cute.

And what compliments polka dots better than korkers!? I love the pink and green ribbon against the orange chiffon... SO fun.

I think Zoe is a fan of this outfit too... In fact, she finds it simply delicious(;

A Few Words About No Pudge Fudge Brownies

What could be better for a calorie-conscious chocolate addict than 110 calorie per serving brownies? This is exactly what I thought to myself when I saw No Pudge Fudge Brownies as Trader Joe's last tuesday. However, having bought and made this box of brownies, I have discovered a few things:

1)These brownies are so simple to make... You just add a 2/3 a cup of vanilla low-fat yogurt. But because the mixture contains no raw eggs, there is absolutely nothing stopping me from consuming sickening amounts of the uncooked batter. I kept saying "Max, if you keep eating the batter, they'll be nothing left to bake," all the while shoving spatula-full after spatula-full into my own mouth. This fact was made painfully obvious when our brownies were only a quarter inch thick when poured into the 8x8 pan:(

2) Despite the name, I do not think these brownies can be considered "No Pudge" if you consume the whole tray.

3)Running 13.1 miles on sunday does not make it okay to to eat brownies in place of 2 out of 3 meals on monday. And tuesday.

4) If you would like to maintain the "No Pudge" status of your brownies (and your heiny) it is best not to add things like marshmallows and peanut butter to the batter, like I did.

5)Moral dilemma: Is it okay to continously offer your baby the breast when she does not appear at all interested, with the sole motive of burning off some of those formerly No Pudge Fudge brownie calories?

That is all.

Daily Darling 5/20

What is it about little girls in polka dots that just seems so RIGHT? This is another hand-me-down from MJ, except the little shorts didn't fit Millie like a sausage casing like it does Zoe. And the hat... well, what can I say about this hat? It makes her look like some wonderful, adorable Dr. Suess character. Man, I searched high and low for curly ostrich feathers that were not listed for some astronomical price... Finally found them by the foot for 20% off. YAY! My name is Suzanne, and I'm a bow-a-holic.

Cinnamon Play Dough Recipe

Here's another neat project I found in Elliott's High Five magazine this month. It smells so good, and my kids liked that it looked like real dough. Just makes sure your little ones are old enough to understand the whole "Fun to play with not to eat" thing.

Ingredients:

2 CUPS BAKING SODA
1 CUP CORN STARCH
2 TEASPOONS CINNAMON
1.5 CUPS WATER

Mix all the dry ingredients in a pot and whisk. Add water. Mix. Heat on medium flame, stirring continuously, until it is the consistency of mashed potatoes. Allow to cool, then kneed until smooth. I found it to be a little crumbly, so I put some water on my hands during the kneeding stage and worked it in.

Frienships are Forever

I love this picture! I think it goes along with my "Whatever they'll be they'll be" themed post from the other day. I find it interesting, not just that my son Max dressed himself in a purple satin princess dress, but that his little girlfriend, Millie Jane is dressed as Batman. People are usually forgiving of little girls who favor more "boyish" clothing. They are called "tomboys" and it is, for the most part, socially acceptable. However,little boys who choose to sport pink, purple, flowers, glitter, or whatever their little hearts desire, still provoke stares and dirty looks in public. Recently a friend recounted a story to me of her son choosing a pair of pink polka dot rain boots. Everywhere she goes, strangers, adults, stare, and make comments such as "Silly boy, did you put on your sister's boots today?" Her little boy, obviously confused, answers "Uh, no, they're mine". Rude Adult: "Are you sure?". As if this person just could not rest until she felt satisfied that this was indeed a mixup, and that no gender roles are being violated nor comfort zones or social norms being pushed. And the thing that really gets me is that, at least on the preschool level, the other children are completely accepting of this sort of thing... They don't even bat an eyelash. Once again, I think we all need to step back and take a lesson from our children.

Oh, and my favorite part? Embroidered on Max's princess dress are the words "Friendships are Forever". I hope that one is:)

Daily Darling 5/19

Well, you can dress 'em up, but you can't take 'em out- note spit up in corner of mouth. Zoe is a habitual spitter-upper, but I refuse to put bibs on her because I can't stand her cute and painstakingly chosen outfits being covered up... So I just change her clothes 17 times a day, lol. Today's outfit is another warm n' comfy cotton number, because today is another cold and yucky day. It's basically pajamas, but my rule of thumb for dressing babies is, if it doesn't have feet, it isn't pajamas. The hot pink color is so vibrant, it can brighten up any rainy day. Hmmm, I feel like I'm missing something. Oh, right, the enormous mountain of hot pink chiffon strapped to her head, lol. These are what I call "party bows". They just scream "I'm special!" and, the contrast of the cool bluish violet flower against the pink is just striking.

Daily Darling 5/18

Poor Zoe had the hiccups this morning, hence the " I am NOT amused" expression on her face. Today is a cold, rainy day here in CT, so I dressed her in a warm, comfy cotton one piece, with a delicate pink and green floral pattern, and a little bow in the front for that extra girly touch. And I love the headband, the sprawling, pink tropical flower is almost big enough to serve as an umbrella! Really though, the picture doesn't do this piece justice- the petals have a pretty sheen, the shape of the flower I think is very unique, and it has a large crystal in the center for a touch of bling(;

We have a winner!

So I held a little Free For Shipping Lotto on my favorite parenting site Diaperswappers to win one of the headbands Zoe is wearing in last week's Daily Darling posts. I just asked people to comment on their favorite headband and tell me why they liked it. Then I chose a winner at random, and she wins it, all she has to pay for is shipping. So our winner is... Jamie AKA Jameism! Thanks, Jamie, for playing!

I just love spreading the girliness, LOL. I think I'll make it a habit, so join us next monday for another round of "WIN ZOE's BOWS!"

Just so everyone knows, I am not one of these creepy pageant moms...I know my daughter is much more than a little doll for me to dress up. She is a person, who will one day grow into an independent, intelligent, creative, beautiful young woman. Her personality is her's alone, and I will never try to pidgeon-hole her into my idea of what a daughter is, or make her into something she's not. When she is bigger, she can be a cheerleader, or join the softball team. Wear tutus and tiaras, or baseball caps and overalls... or all of the above! I will always love her for who she is and encourage her to be proud of being a girl, in whatever way feels right to her. But for now, while she is still my baby, when all that matters is being cuddled to my breast and fed and changed and loved, I am going to put giant ridiculous bows on her head and take pictures:)

Daily Darling 5/17

This outfit is so unique...Just like ZOE! My mother-in-law gave it to her on the day she was born, and I remember thinking "This thing is huge, it's never gonna fit my little peanut". And now it's a perfect fit... I also just put away all her size 0 Kissaluv's and the tiny newborn pocket diapers I made her. She was pouring out of them, and my friend Stephanie is going to be having her baby any day, so I figured I better send them her way. But it just broke my heart, especially because she is my last baby. (Greg got the snip-snip while I was still pregnant). They grow too fast!

Anyway, my favorite detail about this outfit is the green lettering across the chest that says "All Girlbugs Need Hugs," and it even has a little stripey buggy sewn onto it! Oh and the heiny is covered in girly green ruffles! And on her head is a sweet violet crochet headband with a nice fat brown gerbera daisy.

Daily Darling 5/16

Ok, so today Zoe WAS wearing this adorable pleated dress, with little tiny soda-shop style milkshake details that make it look oh-so-50's. I love how bold the big red flower looks against the pink headband, and it has just a touch of brown chiffon underneath. The dress is a hand-me-down from Millicent Jane, my friend Jenese's little girl. Millie reportedly only wore it once, and did a huge explosive breastmilk poo up the back before anyone even got to see her in it. So why did I say Zoe WAS wearing this dress? You guessed it, she did a huge explosive breastmilk poo up the back right after this picture was taken. The damn thing's cursed! Poor daddy had to give her a bath! And where was mommy that she was unavailable to assist with the poo aftermath? I was out running, solo, doing a "dry run" for my half-marathon in June. Thats's right, I ran 13.1 miles this morning, in under 2 hours! And now if you'll excuse me, I need to go take 800mg of ibuprofen, ice my knees, eat a pint of Ben and Jerry's, and then sleep for the next 18 hours.

Daily Darling 5/15

This is one of the few outfits Zoe has that actually isn't a hand-me-down. It was a gift from the "shower" my husband's co-workers at Steven Mancini Salon (he's a hairdresser) gave him while I was pregnant with her. It was a total surprise, and they gave us sooo much cute stuff- this little dress is one of my favorites, though. It's from the Gap. The colors are so vibrant, and I love the little blue elephants in the pattern. Speaking of vibrant colors, doesn't this headband just scream SUMMER? The fancy organza bow is courtesy of the Bowabra, of course(;

Pizza, Marshmallows, and Jelly Donuts

Ok, so Max had a jelly doughnut for the very first time today, and I just had to share. The look on his face when he realized there was something yummy INSIDE his something yummy was just priceless.

Anyway, tonight was pizza night, as is every friday night. It's a tradition I stole from my friend Jenese, that she carried on from her Catholic childhood when they couldn't eat meat on fridays (although I often make meaty pizzas, lol). Usually Max and Zoe and I hike down to Ferraro's to buy dough, and then walk over to wooster square to meet Elliott and get some pre-dinner italian ice (naughty mommy). But today was a little iffy weather-wise, so we took a chance and walked into our favorite local pizza joint, Grand Apizza. We got them to sell us some dough, and a meatball too, lol. Yes, I know pizza dough is something that can be made, as well as bought, but that was not a new venture I was willing to attempt on this particular friday. (Maybe next week?) The pizza came out superb. We made one cheese, one, meatball, and one chicken-sausage and pepper pizza.

We also whipped up a cute little recipe that we found in Elliott's High Five magazine for Apple-Marshmallow happy mouths. Here's what you need:

1-2 red apples
cream cheese (we used light cream cheese)
mini-marshmallows

1) Core the apples and cut into thin slices. Leave skin on. (Obviously a grownup does this).
2) Spread a thin layer of cream cheese onto all the apple slices.
3) Stick mini marshmallows into the cream cheese on half the apples, and then top with the other half of the apples slices.

Cute, easy, yummy.

Daily Darling 5/14

I just love this outfit. It's actually another hand-me-down from Riley, I believe it originally cam from Babystyle. Anyway, I wish you could reach into your monitor and feel this fabric.It is sooo soft, and has such a playful texture. It reminds me of one of those fancy poodle dogs. And the criss-cross ballerina style top is so Zoe. On her feet right now? Well, nothing... I forgot to bring down socks this morning, and now she's napping. But when she wakes up, I think I'll go with her little pink socks that are made to look like ballet slippers. Oh, and how could I forget that stunning headpiece?! It's a crochet headband with a breathtaking frosted peony. The color is so pretty, like an ivory with just a hint of gold tones.

And just in case anyone was wondering, this is what Maxwelll has chose for today's outfit...



It's pretty much his signature look(;

And I can't remember what Elliott put on this morning, but you can bet the shoes are on the wrong feet, the waistband of his underpants is twisted, his shirt is by this time covered with smears of peanut butter, and that the outfit is, in some way, Star Wars related.

Hey Girlfriend!

I love thursdays, I really do. Not only is it just one day away from friday (Pizza night!), but it's the day I go visit my best girlfriend Jenese, who lives across town. A typical thursday goes something like this: Wake up, get the kiddos fed and dressed, and get Elliott off to school. Then I run around like a maniac trying to get the morning chores done- dishes, laundry, putting away the breakfast aftermath, etc. Then I load Max and Zoe into our Bob Ironman Duallie, turn on my headphones, and forget the kids/husband/dishes/laundry/dinner/groceries/dog-walking, and anything else I'm responsible for, and run behind that stroller like a bulldozer for the next 3-5 miles. Then we go home and I run around like a maniac once again, finding something for Max and I to eat for lunch, showering, packing a diaper bag and snacks for our day's adventure, trying to remember important little details like sunhats and bus money. Then we're off to the bus stop, Zoe in the sling, Max either sitting in our handy little Maclaren Volo, or else pushing it himself, with me begging him ton "Quit stopping to pick dandelions and run or we'll miss the bus!". We (usually) get to the corner just in time to jump on the D bus, which is about a 20 minute ride down Grand Ave., New Haven's very own Spanish Harlem. Once we get downtown, we hop on the B bus for a 5 minute ride into Westville, which as far away from where I live as you can get and still be in New Haven. But it also happens tom be where Elliott's nursery school is, and where Jenese lives too. I get off at her house, and together we walk to Elliott's school, where we let the kids play on the playground until they're coated with a thick layer of dirt-sand, and ready to fall down from exhaustion. It's just so nice... Our 2 oldest are about 6 months apart, and happen to share the name Elliot(t). Our toddlers are 4 months a apart, her's is a blonde little girl, but I think they actually have more in common than the Elliot(t)s. And then Jenese and I get to play. Yes, grown-ups need playdates too! Sometimes we chatter like a couple of 6th grade girls, sometimes we sit there and goo at baby Zoe together and laugh at her multiple chins and the chub rings on her legs, sometimes we just sit side-by-side in silence and fiddle with our phones. During a visit with Jenese, I can count on two things. 1) No matter what parenting issue I'm dealing with at the moment, be it diaper rash or sleepless toddlers, she will totally get it, and 2) She will make me laugh so hard I almost pee my pants at least once. There's something about that once a week visit that just recharges some internal battery that belongs to the person Suzanne, and not just the Mommy. And it makes me be able to get through, and even love, all the insanity. Thank God for girlfriends.

Daily Darling 5/13

Today, Zo-Bear is wearing a fuchsia floral print button-down Ralph Lauren dress with adorable ruffles down the front, and of course, matching ruffled bloomers- hand-me-downs from 4-year-old cousin Riley. On her legs are some comfy ivory colored cotton tights with a few flowers sprinkled in for fun, that I picked up at the annual Jump-A-Thon tag sale at Elliott's school. On her little feet are a pair of cream colored, patent leather Pediped mary-janes, with satin ribbon laced around the ankles. Of course, one of the ribbons is stained pink from a drip of Max's watermelon italian ice landing on it last friday:) And no outfit is complete without a giant flower headband, in my book, so today's headband, custom-designed by me to match her outfit, is a fuchsia crochet headband, accented with a simple 5-inch crystal gerbera daisy in ivory.

Summer is on it's way!

I know it's a little early, but I just couldn't wait to get started on Ms. Zoe's 4th of July ensemble... And everyone knows that any fashion forward outfit starts with the accessories... So here is a sneak peek at her independence day head gear:)



I chose not to post the pic of poor Maxy crying because I wouldn't let him wear it:( I'm gonna have to to make him a "snazzy" beanie copter or something to wear while we sit under the fireworks. This was my first attempt at making korkers, I found a pretty good tutorial here.

I didn't have 5/16 rods, so I used some bamboo skewers I had lying around. Instead of using a wood burner to cut the ribbon, I borrowed my husbands wire soldering tool. It did essentially the same thing, but was a little cumbersome for my small hands. I think scissors and a little Fray Check would do just fine, too.

I am hopelessly bad at tying bows. I even have a weird way of tying shoelaces. But I stumbled upon the mini Bowabra at Joann's. It really is a neat little tool, especially for those of us who are bow-challenged.