Of Wishes

*We've had colds at our house.

Bad ones.

The kind that keep babies up ALL night coughing and crying and smearing yicky noses all over the mommies that stay up all night with them.

But that's not what I want to write about. That's just the back story so you can understand why my three-year-old has been watching movies nonstop for the last three days instead of getting out and enjoying New York City at Christmas. Movies like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, the Disney Christmas Special and Aladdin. (Incidentally, Donner from the Rudolph movie, is pretty much the worst father on film who doesn't actually beat his kid.)

So while a bleary-eyed, sleep deprived Amelia was watching Aladdin this morning I started reflecting on what I would wish for if I had a genie who would grant three wishes. (You all know you play this game too from time to time.)

I started out with some pretty big wishes; things like perfect health for myself and my family (inspired by the above mentioned colds) a successful bakery business for Pete; having my pre-baby body back; some extra square footage and another closet in my apartment; you know, that type of thing.  These are the thoughts that were going through my head as I was folding laundry when I heard a high pitched wail from my bedroom. And I had a realization.

What I want more than anything else right now is for Amelia to leave Georgia alone when she finally manages to fall asleep in her bed rather than lying in my arms. That would be my Christmas wish.





*This is an old blog entry from Christmastime that that never got posted. Both babies are well now and Pete is the one keeping me up at night coughing, but I figured I'd throw it up here anyway.

All Prettied Up for Church

When a professional photographer friend, Anne Robert, offered to let me borrow one of her fancy lenses to play with for an afternoon, I jumped at the chance. I had been wanting to take some really nice portraits of my Georgia in her gorgeous smocked dress that she's about to grow out of. I'm really pleased with the results.

My, she's a pretty baby.

And yes, now I really want to buy this lens.  

Now She is Three

For Amelia's second birthday I planned a big soiree with a butterfly theme; fancy invitations for all the neighborhood tots, lots of carefully handcrafted treats, cute party favors and games.

It never happened.

I was newly pregnant and not at all up to actually hosting the toddler bash of the century. So all that stuff went into a closet. Luckily, it all made it's way across the country in our moving truck last summer, so for this birthday I pretty much had a party ready made.

Unfortunately, several of Amelia's little friends were out of town for the long holiday weekend (no one celebrates President's Day like New Yorkers--pretty much any excuse to go on vacation, they will) so our numbers were few. But since we live in a tiny apartment it all worked out quite nicely.

I bought a package of plain white butterfly masks at Michael's and pulled out every imaginable embellishment for little imaginations to decorate with. There were glitter, rhinestones, stickers, flowers, feathers, ribbons, foam shapes, etc. The kids had a ball.

The star of the party, however, was not my brilliant mask-making activity. It was Pete's butterfly birthday cake.

What can I say, the man's brilliant with sugar. 

So happy birthday to my little lady. You are darlingest and I love you.  

Photo by the incomparable Lesley Colvin.

So life goes on, even when blogging does not. Here are some highlights from the last, um,  two months that I have been absent:

Amelia started her first dance class.

If there's anything in this world that's cuter than little girls in leotards and tutus, I don't know what it is. 

Another first for Amelia was her first trip ice skating. We took her to the rink near our apartment in Central Park. She LOVED wearing the ice skates. This girl isn't typically real big on posing for photos for me (which would be why I have no great pics of her in her "dancer girl outfit") but she made certain I got several of her in her "big girl ice skates." 

She didn't end up loving the ice quite as much as the skates and got pretty tired after two or three times around the rink. I told her she was lucky she wasn't Chinese; she'd be practicing two hours a day on the ice at her age, preparing for her Olympic career. 

Lots of museum trips with our co-op preschool group.

These shots were taken at the Children's Museum of Manhattan and the Museum of Modern Art. Amelia's turning into quite a cultured, metropolitan young lady. 

We had another visit from Aunt Sharon and Cousin Caroline. It was pretty cold outside so we spent most of our time indoors. The girls managed to entertain themselves just fine. 

Between playgroup, music class, dance class, preschool and long weekends, we've had a busy couple months.

Oh, and someone had a birthday. Next post.