Playhouse Reveal

I finally got around to hanging the curtains and hooks in the playhouse.  I would like to move their little play kitchen out there eventually.   

 

But for this summer, a few chairs and dress up stuff will have to do.

 

My mom bought us these flower boxes and I think they look great. 

Last weekend

We had a visitor, we enjoyed the great weather and checked out the junk food at tosa fest.

Face off

"Patty, why are you so ugly?"
"Mae, why are you so bald?"

Courtesy of Andrew

Although he made up for it by climbing in bed with me this morning and saying, "You my favorite."

Whose house? Mae's House

Back by popular demand....guest blogger Mae Malone

Available for rent!

I am a baby.  And everyone knows that babies are really super fun to take on vacation.   If you want to have an awesome vacation, I can come on your vacation with you.  And instead of relaxing, you can take care of me! 

I know you are thinking, "But Mae, what does that really mean?  Just how much fun will I have on vacation with you?"   Well my friend, keep reading....

In August, I went to Mexico with my family.  We stayed at a house that was named for me.   Casa DeMae.  Well not really, but I like to think so.  And act so. 

 I am going to have a little cousin in a few months.  Which means I will no longer be the baby in the family.  I fully intended to use my baby status to my advantage this trip.  I did not want to relax or sleep or take it easy.  I wanted to party!  I wanted to eat! 

 

Enjoying a margarita, poolside.  Don't worry, I don't know how to use a straw yet.  My mom was secretly hoping I would figure it out and drink some tequila.  Because maybe then I would sleep.  Something about one tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.  She is lame.  This was actually kind of embarrassing, because the glass got stuck between my thighs and I spilled. 

Catnaps!  Every once in a while I would pass out, but usually not for longer than 15 minutes before I was ready to resume the party.

The last two days my mom tricked me into napping by putting me in my stroller and walking me around.  Took her long enough to figure that one out. 

I am the life of the party. The other kids were asleep, but the night was just getting started for me.  I usually got to stay up until 10 o'clock.  Or I kept my mom up until 10 o'clock.  Potato, potahto.

The food in Mexico looked delicious. In fact, the sight of my mom's food on her plate made me really, really hungry. So hungry that she spent most most of her meals in the living room feeding me.  Well, only when I wasn't being passed around the table like a basket of bread.

My mom took me in the pool for about 20 minutes each day. One time she forgot to put a swim diaper on me. Get with it mom.

 

Aunt Amy spent the week silently noting all my parents' mistakes and swearing she will not make them. She told me if Mom ever really loses it (she has already lost it to a certain degree), I can come live with her.

Here I am enjoying cocktail hour with my Uncle Mark.  I had just noticed a whale in Banderas Bay and I was contemplating whether or not seeing them this time of year is consistent with their typical migratory patterns. 

Boy, my mom sure does love me, even though I don't let her sleep and make her carry me around all day.  I have her wrapped around my tiny little finger.   I wonder what I will get away with when I can actually walk? 

(I choose to ignore the fact that she calls me her parasitic twin. )

from my garden

Just kidding! The weather was cool enough this weekend to walk down to the farmers market where I picked these up.  They were delicious!

Dorothy's 95th

Oh my, what do we have here?!

This is a nap. I think. It had been so long since I have seen one of these, I am not sure what to think. Maybe she is coming down with something?

Grace's First Day of K5

Grace is back to school this week - and boy were we ready!  Last year, these were tearful days.  However this year, she is ready to go without any apprehension.  Way to go Gracie!

Sorry, but I just don't get it.

  I am really trying not to buy much of anything for Mae, but she is still a baby and some stuff is just too funky to pass down.  And it seems like everyone I know is pregnant.  So I do find myself in baby stores every once in a while. 

For the record, I literally HATE BuyBuyBaby.  Less than I hate Babies r Us, but I do hate it.  Really I do. 

That being said, their coupons suck me in once in a while.  And I always leave kicking myself and thinking, "Well that wasn't worth the $10 I just saved.  Next time I will just order it from Amazon.  I really will.  I promise."

Anyways, I find myself wandering their towering aisles every once in a while.  And interacting with the same clueless sales lady. 

One time after failing to understand some sort of coupon thing she was talking about, I said, "I guess I am just really tired."  I was not about to admit that I am not smart enough to grasp Buy Buy Baby's coupon policy. She said, "Oh maybe you should take a nap!"  No shit lady.  Its like when I am pregnant and people are like, "Oh you are sick?  You should eat crackers."  Yes!  Crackers!  The dry, crunchy things!  I never thought of that! 

Although, one time I did have this exchange with her. 

"Yes, this is my third baby."

"Oh wow!"

"Yup, it is interesting to walk around here seeing all the stuff that babies just do not need."

"Oh. Uh. Okay." 

 Sometimes I cannot help myself.  I was trying to make conversation, but just ended up being rude.  So it is no wonder that she doesn't like me.   

There are some new products that I love. Such as the aden & anais swaddle blankets. Being obsessed with swaddling, I really wish I had those for Grace and Andrew. In fact, I still swaddle Mae, (even though my favorite baby site, dr. sears, says not to) which would not be possible without these blankets.  And the pampers swaddlers that have the blue line to tell you when the diaper is wet - those are great.  When Grace was just a tiny baby and we had to record those wet diapers, I remember not being able to tell if they were wet or not. 

Awe, remember baby Grace?

Anyway, it is interesting to see how much all the stuff changes every few years.  The car seats keep getting bigger and bigger.  I can fit in some of them.  Seriously. 

And the products more and more ridiculous.    

Such as Boogie Wipes.  Special wipes for a runny nose.  Because babies cannot use kleenex?  I guess?  I didn't know this. 

Or this thing, kidco portable activity seat, I cannot even imagine where one would use it....no idea. I love that it has close to 5 stars in the reviews.  I am sure people are like, "Well I am an idiot for buying this ridiculous seat.  But I don't want to be the only fool, so I will give it a fabulous review so other parents buy it too!" 

And finally, I know EVERYONE has this Sophie the Giraffe French teething toy, and the babies love it.  And please do not take offense if you bought one of these.  

But I don't get it. 

I really don't get it. 

It is just too expensive (Yes, I know I buy a $4 latte like every day.) 

I actually kinda think it is some sort of social experiment to see what people will buy.  If it wasn't "French" would people still buy it?  Would they pay less if it were from another country....like Cambodia or Kazakhstan?

Maybe someone will buy it for Mae and I will finally understand the appeal.  

Will she be like a French baby?

Will she look oh so refined?

Will she want to wear a beret and eat brie?

Will she start cooing in a French accent? 

  

(Don't you love this smug smirk (somewhat French, err, Parisian) look on her face.  I can just hear her..."You stupid Americans!")

I won't be buying one.  But if the Le Expensive Baby Toy company wants to send me one to review, I will gladly do so. 

Andrew's Birthday

 

We celebrated Andrew's birthday in Mexico, because that is soooo much easier for everyone (me).  He got some fun gifts, danced to his favorite song, ate stick donuts (churros) and got to break open a pinata. 

 

And....them do have meatballs in Mexico!

Grace got really into the pinata.  She was taking out all of her pent up frustration.  It was sorta scary.

Andrew was really excited about these batman socks.  Which are no where to be found.  I think they probably got thrown away with all the wrapping paper.  Whoops.

The boys hanging at the bar.