HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY, Miss EEEEEEEEEEE!!!

To my Little Miss E, on her FIRST birthday....

What a year it's been.  It has gone by FAST.  I still have to pinch myself sometimes when I see you....you are HERE!   And you are larger than life.  You are the most perfect fit for us.  You balance out this family so well.  You and your sister are going to have the most awesome complimentary relationship.   I can't wait to see what the future holds, but please, slow down.  I want to cherish this time with you (while still maintaining a sense of myself, too!).  

It's not funny! (As i'm laughing!)

Evie-climbing up on the stove.  Stepping up on the bottom handle of the broiler, hands on the oven door...and then...to add insult...turning the knobs of the stove.  And Gary and I standing there, laughing.  What else were we supposed to do?  

Evie-I turn around for a second, and she is standing on top of the picnic table outside.  How did she manage to climb up there?  She's not even one year old yet!!!  All the other babies her age are still happily sitting on their blankies at the park, shaking the same old toys.  Not my girl.  She's standing on the picnic table, practically on top of Marea and Madison's dinner.  

Evie-dancing on the red chair in the living room at 7 a.m.  And just when i've got my eyes opened up enough to see (zzzzzzz), and decide that mustering up the energy to do something about it is IMPORTANT, like NOW (!), she gracefully steps off, as if she's done it a thousand times.  

She's a wild one, that Miss E.

We LOVE it.  

Chili's Gang Days

Today we had one of our park days with the girls from my Chili's days.  Rachel with Lauren and Danielle, Kristen with Emma, Julia with Gabe, and Cathy with Dillan and Sophia.  We often meet at Livingston park in Belmont Shore (my old stompin' grounds!) for some fun on the extra super fancy new playground down there.  The kids all play together really well and us girls get to catch up a bit.  One of my favorite things about these days (besides the fact that we have all been friends for SO long and being together is ALWAYS super fun), is that we got each other's backs.  Everyone watches everyone else's kids.  We used to be the Chili's waitress team, and now we're a team of moms.  Today was also special because we went to lunch at SuperMex after the park.  It's been so long since i've eaten there....brought back memories, for sure.  Except this time, we had our stroller brigade, and no corona's were drank.  My how things change.  And how so very much they stay the same.