fake anniversary!

On Friday, Richard and I celebrated our "Fake Anniversary." We don't really have a This Is The Exact Day It All Happened! anniversary date, so we just picked a day last year, and here we are a year later!

We stopped by Whole Foods to get a random assortment of "Oh, this sounds good!" type things, and then went and had a little picnic on the pier on White Rock Lake. The weather was gorgeous and breezy and oh, so perfect, and we had such a lovely time just talking about everything. (Lawd knows we can talk ourselves to sleep!)

I got 2 packages of southwestern egg rolls--1 for me, and 1 for R to try, since he's never had them--annnd, I ate both packages after R had a taste.

 Yes, I brought my Lady Gaga towel, no shame here.

Jicama and polkies.

After our wonderful dinner, we came home, put on our comfiest of lounge clothes, popped open a Ben&Jerry's, and rented "This Is 40" (which was cute! not really a tangible point, but hilarious nonetheless). We were laughing so much at the movie and each other, it's stupid how much fun we can have doing so little. 

Happy fake anniversary, my sweet man. I have oh so much fun with you, especially when you're feeling really impulsive and drive us to Baskin Robbins in the middle of a Sunday evening ("But, it's anniversary weekend!"). You're the sweetest, most handsomest guy I'll ever know, and I'm so lucky we get to hang out together all the time. We may drive each other crazy all the time, but at the end of the day you always make me feel like we're Jay-Z and Beyonce, and no one in their right mind can ask for more than that. :)

"unfaithfully yours"

"Unfaithfully Yours" is on TCM tonight, which is one of my faaavorite movies. Hip hip for DVR recorders! If you've never seen this movie, GET ON IT, it's hilurrrious.

While I've loved this film for years, it took on a new kind of special after I met Richard. Let's just say, the Rex Harrison character's bombastic articulation reminds me a little of my sweet man...
("Today you've sunk even below yourself!")

So, on top of every other single thing I adore about him, my handsome man also reminds me of Rex Harrison roles? Ding-ding-ding! Lottery!

bits of this weekend :)

a continuation of this post.

 Watching "Wreck-It Ralph" (I just had to own it!) whilst enjoying a little tea party on Friday night.

Being a girl/teenager-in-training (*bites knuckle*)

Then on Saturday, the girls chose the most darling outfits to wear!

sweet little ice cream details :)

Girly gamer. :)

Playing the family's new video-game we got for Easter! 

Driving the Lorax around in her Barbie car... 

I just crack up looking at this picture...

My bed-side table's sick-day accoutrement...

 Made a thank-you post-card for Sadie's grandmas using the fabulous Postography app (she's big enough to get $$$ for her birthday now, so she had to show off her spoils!)

 Just before bedtime, the Lorax started delivering notes right to my bed!

kids today!

The scene: "Peter Pan" on television. Meggie (in braided piggies, neon tank top, tie-dye shorts, and ripped fishnets) sewing yellow polka-dotted fabric for a back-pack for Sadie while Nick watches and eats out of a giant shoebox collection of candy.

I mean, come on.

sweet, sick saturday

So, R and I have both been sick all week with a crummy cold that likes to remind you it's still lingering just when you think you're on the Up-and-Up. We're talking 12-hour nights of sleep, nasty tastes, glands the size of grapefruits, lost voices... all that fun stuff! But in spite of ourselves, we've manage to have a lovely date-night (fresh ravioli, thankyouverymuch!), be super productive (grad school stuff! bills! major paperwork!), and make each other laugh (at... each other's laugh... we're that couple).

I haven't been completely worthless today, but I woke up feeling terrible and I've felt completely worthless (I mean, R3 actually asked me, "Can you put on pants and play outside with me?" and I had to live with myself saying, "No..."). I've still manage to get many computer-y things done and have fun little moments with the kiddos and take naps. And then there's Richard, who just shuts me up with awe while he goes and gets me groceries, does all of our laundry, cleans the kitchen, takes the littles out to dinner, and goes and gets me Chipotle all while he's sick, too.

Oh, and I also should mention that we finally became "Facebook Official" today, all because he initiated it this morning. What else can make you feel like a Queen in this day and age? ;P

just hanging

After coming home from the Easter party, we caught Emmy just hanging, watching TV with her giant balloon hat on--no big deal!

When we told her how awesome she looked, she joked that the show she was watching "needed more entertainment!" Always willing to oblige in a reenactment of her own brilliance, this video was made...

(Richard just had to get in on the video action--siblings! ;P)

and "big sister" of the year goes to...

So, when we were at the Easter party, there was a suuuper long line for face painting. Both Emily and Sadie really wanted to do it, but we knew if we let them wait in line they would miss out on the Easter egg hunt. Ugh, life is so hard!

And then Meggie--sweet, adorable Meggie--told the girls that she instead would paint their faces when we got home after the party. (She's been into "Face Off" lately, and it hasn't been unusual to see her slathering all kinds of make-up and paint on Nick's face at random times during the week.) Be still my heart!

I present to you a mermaid and a faerie!

Meggie did a "good side/evil side," and also scared the shit out of us by making Sadie look 10 years older.

(Notice the criss-cross scarf styling. I have no idea.)

Meggie even used some old fishnet stockings to create a scaling effect.

Taking pictures of her own...

Oh, these girly-girls! I love them ever so. :)

easter party!

We had all the kittens on Easter weekend this year, which is both a blessing and a curse. Blessing: celebrating holidays as a whole family is the best! Curse: I usually have to work Sundays. Ugh!

Fortunately, we live in a wonderful apartment community that hosted a family party this Good Friday and we were all able to make it. It was so much fun! There were bounce-houses, basketball, balloons, and even an Easter egg hunt all for free. I mean, hello! Count us in!

Look at the sweet little man!

She was getting pretty good by the end of her turn!

Emily is so not afraid of making big creative statements.

!!! 

So excited for the Easter egg hunt to begin!

That field was clean in less than 2 minutes. 

 If you need any further proof we had a great time, here it is: pictures of Meggie smiling. That's right, we had so much fun as a family, these pictures happened without complaint. Can't ask for more than that! ;P

I'm always so amazed how often little opportunities like this come our way just when we need them, and I'm so blessed that Richard is just as appreciative as I am to go-and-do when we get the chance. Planning holiday stuff that's both affordable and fun for everyone around visitation can be so hard, but we always seem to manage to do something that's adventurous. :) And thank goodness for those iPhone cameras!

sadie's birthday groupon

For Sadie's birthday, I got her a flower arrangement (always--all the girls will always get flowers on their birthday!) and an appointment via Groupon at Sweet & Sassy, which is a cute little "make-over" place for girls. She was so excited about it! If Sadie enjoys one thing in this whole world, it's being super girly. (She also enjoys a "good deal," so she was all about the word "Groupon" when she told anyone about it!)

So after singing along to Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake in the car, we went to get her hair, make-up, and nails did!

It certainly wasn't much, but I guess the whole thing went over well because this note was hanging on my bedroom door later that evening... ;P

"just once a year, I like to show everyone that my heart isn't completely as black as they think it is."

Say, girl, who's that's sweet Easter Bunny at Whole Foods Market today?

Oh, just my boyfriend!

sadie is seven

Sadie's 7th birthday was this past weekend and oh my goodness, she's 7, and I could cry. My sweet little Sadie who loves being a girl and curling hair and wearing pink and having her nails painted and coordinating the perfect outfit. My sweet little Sadie-bug who is always willing to try new food and loves to help with everything even when she's sick and tired. My sweet little Buggins who's Cuddle Tank is never full, who cries when her daddy's tummy is sour, and who gets so excited when "Sweet Home Alabama" is on the radio.

Our sweet little Buggins been quite the busy 6-year-old this year! She's learned to write and spell big-kid words. She's mastered hilarious impressions of me and her daddy, as well as the "I'm Elmo and I Know It!" dance. She's cleaned her plate 98% of the time so eager to tell you, "I didn't like it, but I ate all of it!" She's learned how to hula-hoop and swim by herself!

Right now she's super into Ballerina Buns, the color pink, and singing along with Top 40 Radio. She walks with me to get the mail all the time, likes pajamas in theory (they never stay on the whole night), and will occasionally choose a banana over a sweet dessert because she "wants to eat healthy!" She'll proudly sport my lipstick kisses on her cheek and slyly show her older siblings she knows how to hold her own in this family, too. And at the end of the day when you need a hug, she's right there needing one, too, and she'll never stop reminding you with her sassy attitude that she's just like Meggie.

Top Sadie Quotes this year include...
"I can't eat any more... Daddy put in too much looove!"
"Nobody listens to little kids! The only people who listens to little kids... are babies!"
"I'm a Baby Ballerina Princess Puppy-Dog, and you're a Step-Mom Ballerina Mermaid Princess Queen."
"I love you so much, and we'll never be apart, except for only sometimes."
"You're the Dollar, and we're the Cents!"
"Uhhhh... Cheeeese Zombieee! I need more cheeese!"
"Thanks for letting Bob come over...!"

We didn't get to see her, but we had a little birthday bash on Tuesday when we saw a the kittens on our weekly Tuesday visit. She got all kinds of swag, and let's just say that swag comes really natural to this little lady. 

Sadie, you're seven now. You're starting to give really awesome bathtub concerts, and on Tuesday you gave me a "... really?" look after I patted your bum and told you how sweet your heiney is. (You'll soon realize that I don't care.) I love watching you open and close the gates to the pool (you insist on doing it yourself), and I love when you ask if you can pick-out my outfits. You're still small enough to pick-up when you just can't stand it anymore, and you say the most hilarious things about people you're unsure of. I can start crying when I think about not being able to get you into a ballet class right now, but I promise I'll always do the girliest things with you whenever I can. You're our sweet Sadie-bug, and I can't wait to see all the shit you get into next. :)