Reese’s First Birthday Party

Posted on December 20, 2012 by letterstoreesie

We celebrated Reese’s first birthday a couple of weeks ago on a snowy Saturday afternoon with friends and family at our house. It was the first birthday party I have ever thrown (not counting one for Andrew that was at a bar) and I had high expectations for myself. Pinterest will do that to you.

I’m neither crafty nor culinary, which I am just going to have to accept and move on, but I did the best that I could. We kept it as simple as possible with pizzas, mac and cheese, meatballs, rice and apps. My sister and I made chocolate and red velvet cupcakes with raspberries and mint leaves for dessert. We used a Duncan Hines box mix after I tried (and failed) to make cupcakes from scratch a couple of days earlier (they turned out chewy and bland and I couldn’t even fool Reese into eating them.)

Decorations were also simple due to my uncraftiness. I made a few paper chains out of printed paper from Michael’s, hung huge paper flowers (Martha Stewart, from AC Moore), some sparkly garland (also Martha Stewart from AC Moore), put out some flowers from Trader Joe’s and some pictures of Reese and called it a day.

Luckily, this was Reese’s first birthday party ever, so she didn’t have much to compare it to, but I know that her day was full of potato chips, naps, hugs, and chocolate cupcakes. What more can a girl ask for?

12/14/12

Posted on December 17, 2012 by letterstoreesie

I’ve been debating writing anything about the tragedy that occurred in Connecticut this past Friday. Although I don’t feel like my words can do it justice, it also doesn’t feel right to make no mention of something that has caused so much suffering.

The news brought us to our knees on Friday afternoon and now, two days later, we go to bed with hearts that are broken and anger that lingers.

The feeling of “what the f, world?!” remains, and the reality that we are living in a world where our kindergarteners know too much weighs heavily on us.

I spent most of Friday in the depressing mindset that this must be our lowest point. This has got to be mankind at its worst.

But I’m sure this has been said before. I’m sure we thought the same thing in Colorado in 1999, or in Virginia in 2007. After all, they’re all somebody’s babies.

And then, you start to hear the stories about what took place in Newtown. They aren’t stories of hate. They are stories of genuine, unselfish love. Stories of a community who loves each other, and stories of teachers who love their students; teachers who remind us why we send our kids off to kindergarten in the first place.

And cautiously, ever so slowly, our faith in humanity is being restored.

First Steps

Posted on December 11, 2012 by letterstoreesie

Holiday Fun

Posted on December 7, 2012 by letterstoreesie

I am seriously excited for Christmas this year.

I always love the holidays (family, food, delicious cocktails, gifts etc.), but this year with Reese, it will be extra special. I cannot wait to see all the family members who will be available to hold my child while I sample the food, down the delicious cocktails and open the gifts.

Just kidding. Kinda.

I have always had excessive enthusiasm for the Christmas season, and my sisters made fun of me for years because even when I was much too old to be doing so, I would wake up crazy early on Christmas morning. It went on for far too long. I won’t even tell you how old I was when I stopped going into my parents room and asking them to get up so I could open presents. This year, my excitement is no less and there is talk of giving Reese her gifts now because we cannot wait until Christmas Day.

I ordered Reese three gifts this year; a drum (her second one, oopsie! The B Parum Pum Pum Drum from Target), a Nabi2 tablet (basically a real tablet, but for a baby; it’s a little ridic because she’s a year old, but we couldn’t help ourselves) and a grocery bag filled with pretend food from OneStepAhead (her grandparents got her a pretend kitchen for her birthday and a girl’s gotta eat!)

There were probably about 20 other things I would have LOVED to get her but I am trying to keep it under control, since she’s one and will never remember this, will probably just put everything in her mouth anyway, and oh yea, because gifts aren’t what Christmas is all about.

Can you imagine when she can actually tell me that she wants things? Or better yet, when she realizes that the terror of sitting on Santa’s lap is actually inflicted upon her because she’s supposed to tell him what she wants.

We are so in for it.

B. Parum Pum Pum Drum 5906964 Larger Front