Hi, it's my birthday, and I invited lots of animals to my party.

Alex's birthday party was today, and it was epic.  An entire barn, complete with cute little animals, came to the house.
Alex's birthdays are bittersweet for me.  While I am so proud of the person she has become, I am also sad that she will never be 2 again...
Happy Birthday to my sweet, sweet baby!

Meet the animals

The Petting Zoo included:  2 pot belly pigs, a horse, a donkey, a sheep and a goat named "Boots".  And a surprise to us all was the fact that the people who brought the animals didn't even look like Carnies one bit!

Just having fun

Look at how beautiful my girls look...makes me happy.

just being me

Another spectacular toddler move at the wedding.  (Alex was removing the tree sap from between her toes, classy.)

"GET IT OFF!!!!!"

We have just arrived at a wedding, and Alex REFUSES to wear her dress.  If there was no proof before that she was from my gene pool, let this be the evidence.

As she is ABSOLUTELY MELTING DOWN, BFF says, "What are we going to do?"    

My response, "Get the video camera, quick!"

Clearly, you can see that reading the parenting books that last month have been extremely helpful.

Come on in!

Hello Virtual Readers, this is my school, and I still like it!
I play with Play Dough, there is a pretend kitchen, there is a water table, but my favorite is the pretend ice cream station.  Then we wash our hands and have snacks, then we go outside to the best playground in the entire world!!!  There is even a "zip line" for kids just my size!

Day 2, it's competitive to get in the door...

This is the second day of school.  Just a little taste of Alex's world in the mornings, twice a week.

Zoo day

It's starting to drip, and that's where I come in.

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open open open open open open open open open

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!!!!
Here is our baby, waiting, patiently waiting, for the doors to open for her first day of Preschool Juniors.
Shortly after this picture was taken, the doors opened, and Alex took off running, like her pants were on fire, to her classroom.

Cold Hotdog

I heart veggies too Alex.  Another "Mother of the Year Award" coming my way.

Darn you croup!

Croup has struck again!  Alex had to miss her first day of school.  We made the best of it by going to the Botanical Gardens. 

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Guide her, protect her

This excerpt is from Tina Fey's book, "Bossypants".  

Tina Fey's prayer for her daughter:

First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, May she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her
When crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels.

What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen. Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, That she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back.

“My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.

Amen.

Source: Bossypants

Git her outa there!!!

I'm so glad that Alex isn't in my belly anymore.  This picture was taken exactly 3 years ago.

She's leaving the cocoon and going to school...

Look at the little caterpillar, she's growing up!

Butterfly Pavilion

"Mama, look at those butterflies on the ceiling!"

This is Alex's new school! She starts next week, and she's VERY excited! Wish her luck.

Just your standard trip to the grocery store with Spiderman, no biggie.

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