much ado about amelie (and me)

Things around my house have been a little, well, messy. It's hard to stay on top of housework when you have a new baby. I mean, I put it down as a great day if I have time to shower. If personal hygiene is on the back burner you know I'm not sweeping no floors or dumping the trash. Uh uh.

This girl has her priorities.

And so do my friends. I run with a group of pretty swanky chicks. They bathe almost everyday.

They told me it was time for a shower.

In doing so they gave me motivation to bathe myself and get gussied.

The favors were little bags of fancy chocolates.

Of course it was a bird theme.

I couldn't believe how many people came and how many gifts Amelie received. (If I call them Amelie's gifts it helps me feel just a little less embarrassed at the obscene amount of presents I was given.)

I absolutely HATE to be in the lime light at a party, but I loved seeing all my friends. I felt like a rock star. My kelly green wedgies and big hoop earrings helped with that.

During my infertile years (who am I kidding? I'm still infertile) I hated baby showers. Let me illiterate that. Hated. Baby. Showers. To this day, if I know that games are going to be played at a shower I have to nod out and contribute to the group gift. I just can't smell the poop stain and guess what baby food it is. Can't do it.

But this wasn't really a shower that my friends threw me. It was a celebration of life and birth and adoption and family and most of all friendship. Because that's what it is really all about. Friendship between women and the bond we have through motherhood. I'd say misery loves company, but that kind of misses the mark. More like, the more the merrier.

I went to bed Saturday night thinking of all the people that came to share in my happiness. I recreated the room in my head. I went around each table and thought of each person. The last thought I can remember was that I am the luckiest girl around.

Then I woke up forty minutes later to feed Amelie.

I know. I couldn't believe this cake either. It's insanely cute AND it was soooo good. My friend Shelley made this for me. Shelley and I go way back. I almost cried on it when I saw it, but I thought it might gross out some of those swanky friends I was telling you about.

What a day I had. What. A. Day. Thanks to everyone who helped Jenny give me the best party ever.

I think, at this very moment, I just might be the happiest person I know.

That's really something.

in lieu of tea

I had really good intentions. It's the thought that counts right? Or is that just drivel to make people feel better? I meant to get invitations out. Really I did. I thought of each and everyone of the friends that make my life a happier place to be. I thought about us sitting around the table with frou frou sandwiches and charming tableware, laughing and enjoying the season together. I even thought about the sweet little gifts that I would place on each plate. It was a great party. In my mind.

December, and all of its events plotted against me and now it is too late. Time and money have a way of raining on the grandiose plans my little brain concocts. The Christmas Tea Party Extravaganza must wait until next year.

And so, in lieu of fancy tea cups and smoked salmon finger sandwiches, I am sending out an extra special Christmas message to all my surrogate sisters.

Old Friends

photo by tara whitney

New Friends

Kindred Spirits

Merry Christmas Darlings! I hope that your holiday is merry and bright. I hope for you all the things you wish in your heart and most of all, I hope to laugh with you many times in the new year.

Consider this a quick kiss on each cheek, a hug and a check to make sure you look fabulous with no mascara smudges.

Much love, April

photo by

tara whitney

* Dear friends, if perchance your lovely face doesn't appear here on his post, it is only because I don't have a photo of you at my fingertips, and you know how lazy I can be. Please enable my indolent ways by sending me a photo to add.

par-tay

Considering the fact that we were partially comatose and totally out of whack due to traveling on Thom's real birthday, we are celebrating today. We've got a handful of families coming over to watch a movie on our back lawn after the sun goes down. We've got something like 15 pounds of candy for the "concessions stand". We've got popcorn, We've got snow cones. We've got glow sticks and bouncy balls. We're ready.

I made cupcakes instead of a cake this year. It is just easier when you have a lot of people to serve. Besides, I'm partial to cupcakes.

There are several huge advantages to having a boy (faster hair styling, less shoe purchasing and the whole pee factor*) however, cute birthday parties are not one of them. When you have boys, you may be able to get away with cute birthdays for the first two to three years, then things take a sharp turn to the ugly, i.e. Spiderman, Transformers, Pokemon.

I found a loop hole in cupcakes. Boys don't seem to notice if you beautify their birthday cupcakes. Don't try this with an actual birthday cake, from personal experience I can tell you, it doesn't fly.

*There isn't a day that goes by that I don't enjoy the benefits of having a boy when it comes to urinating. This is especially wonderful if you have mysophobia (fear of germs) and public restrooms seem like mine fields. I am all about peeing in the bushes, even outside of Target. Er- I mean Thom. Thom peeing in the bushes, not me. I personally brave the bathrooms with custom crafted paper towel gloves. As a general rule I don't pee outside. I think that would be against the law, right?