Happy Birthday Papa Stu - Luce Went Poo!

That's almost how tonight's phone conversation went... almost. Since the girls came down with their 245th cold of the year, we did not go to Maine for the long weekend and so we missed out on BBQs and birthday cake but we made the most of our quarantine. We decided to kick Luce's diaper habit once and for all! Luce was really interested in the potty about 3 months ago, but the Mothers Goose was slightly distracted at the time. So we missed the window then, but decided to smash it back open this weekend and so far so good! Lucia was so excited about her potty usage tonight she had to call Nonne and Papa right away. In her haste to tell Papa Stu her news, she buried the headline which was supposed to be "Happy Birthday Papa Stu!" instead she just told him about her potty productivity. At least Lucia can be sure no one else wished him a happy birthday in quite the same way. Ok, enough with the scatological humor, it's beneath me (HA!)...
Despite being a little snotty, Luce and Carmen had a full calendar of activities including visits from gift bearing friends, receiving gentleman callers and taking a spin on some new wheels. It was a banner weekend to be sure.

Thank You Enablers, Really...

In case any of you were wondering, the glow of the Emerald City (no Uncle B, not Seattle) is still shining over here in Brookline. Thanks in part to our extended family network who, much like crack dealers, continue to supply her with the goods. Exhibit A: this picture. Uncle B and Auntie Alison provided the authentic Dorothy dress and our dear friends Merrily and Don, grandparents to Hoboken's own Luke the Boy, were kind enough to think of Lucia whilst purging their attic library. They came across a book once owned by their daughter Paige (yes, that Paige) and thought Lucia would appreciate it. Well, needless to say Luce did... big time. Our other dear friends (?) Cathy and Kelby really kicked things off 3 months ago when they thought big sister Lucia would like a "hey your moms have a new baby and you may not see them for 5 days" gift. Not only was this an exact replica of her favorite character, but she sings too. Grrrrreat. And finally, last weekend we went up to Maine so Nonne could take Lucia and the crew to see a middle school production of Oz - or a "retelling" as it was billed. There were no musical numbers, Dorothy didn't wear a blue dress, Glinda was more of a hippie love child with a flowered mumu and the flying monkeys had black wings, but Lucia could not take her eyes off that stage. After the play, Mama Mer took her up to meet Glinda... and then Lucia's head exploded. The look on her face was priceless. It's moments like that, and like this that really makes it all worth it in the end (please excuse my Mama Rose-esque coaching in the background).
And just because I haven't mentioned her at all, Carmen was there too!

Happy Mother's Day Squared...

Just a quick post tonight to say "Happy Mother's Day" to all the mothers out there - you know who you are (I hope). Our day started off a little shaky since Luce was up a bunch during the night. She has developed a fear of bees (don't look at me) and now wakes up thinking there are bees in her bed. We sent her to bed with a special bee banishing wand (a.k.a. flashlight) so we're hoping that works. So with not much sleep under her belt, Lucia was a bit of a crank this morning but after a nice long nap she turned things around this afternoon. Carmen on the other hand had a great day and is getting bigger by the minute. Both girls took a brief moment to send Mother's Day wishes to their Mimi and Nonne. And now, it's time for Mama Mer and I to enjoy our Mother's Day - she just handed me a beer. Ahhhh :-)

Yes, Veronica, There Really Is a Baby Carmen...

Although you wouldn't know it from the dearth of photographic evidence seen here. Carmen, I swear we're trying but somehow your older sister and cousin grabbed most of the spotlight (I suppose by the time you can read this you'll be well used to it). So yes, the Seattle contingent of the Leary Reeves clan braved their way to Brookline to see if in fact this "baby Carmen" was the real deal. Well, it didn't take long for Carmen to christen their clothing before they were believers. In addition to surviving a torrent of baby vomit, our guests were also kind enough to cook and clean and launder for us. It was simply wonderful. Please come back.
While the visit from Auntie Alison, Uncle B and Baby Veronica was certainly the highlight of the past few weeks, we have enjoyed some other fun events as well. Such as co-ed bath time pajama parties, the annual Ellen's House Egg Hunt and of course, a true rite of Spring - - breaking out the sandbox.

First Holiday As Sisters - Success!

One of these days, I'll catch up on all my blogging. Not to mention the giant pile of "thank you" notes we still have to send out. And, oh yeah, Carmen's birth announcements. Ah well, such is parenthood... always behind the 8 ball (shake, shake, - reply hazy, try again). So back to Easter. We were on the fence as to weather or not to head up to Maine due to Carmen's super pukeyness and lack of sleepitude. But as our wise daycare provider once said, "Sometimes the only way out is through" so up we went. As it turns out, Carmen was a rock star and had a great time hanging out with all the Mainers. Not that you'd know it from the pictures, but there were other people at Easter I swear. Next up, I'll tell you about the great visit we just had from Uncle B, Auntie Alison and Baby V. Look for that sometime in June.

I'm Dorothy Gale From Kansas...

Ok, so at long last here is a sneak peak at the Wizard of Oz madness that has consumed our household. We have Ellen to thank (blame?) for all of this. The kids at daycare LOVE to dress up as the different characters and act out scenes from the movie (they've only seen snippets - no flying monkeys thank you very much). Of course, Lucia's favorite character is Glinda (pink! pink! frilly pink!), but here you see her sporting the Dorothy dress and showing off her ruby slippers. We have more photos somewhere, and once I find them I promise to post. Lucia has assigned roles for every member of the family as well - I'm usually the Wicked Witch (trying not to read into that one much), Nonne is always Auntie Em, Mimi is Toto, sometimes Mama Mer gets to be Glinda too, and Carmen of course is a Munchkin. Lucia knows all of the words to all of the songs (Judy G. would be so proud) and she also knows a bunch of the dialog. Our favorites are when she says, "I'm Dorothy Gale from Kansas!" (she's never just Dorothy) or when in the Wicked Witch voice she says, "Who killed my sister?!? Was it youuuu?" that one gets me every time.
Speaking of Carmen, we realize she's been getting short shifted so we're trying to make up for it... I just need to be better about blogging it. These days, Carmen seems to be doing better with her reflux (oh yeah, did I mention we got another spitter?? Thanks a lot God.) now if we can just get her sleeping through the night. We have such low expectations since Luce didn't do that until 6 months out, but we're holding out hope that Carmen can get there soon. Our family could use the rest. Luckily, we've been keeping busy with fun activities so maybe sleep is overrated. Well no. No it's not.

That's A Cute Concept

In Carmen's first four weeks of life, she has been blessed with many, many visitors. Auntie Jo Jo paid us a visit all the way from San Francisco and did a great job of caring for all four of us. Since last I blogged, we celebrated Meredith's birthday, had a quick visit from Auntie Mia and even managed to go out to dinner. Sorry for the lapse in posts, but between the newborn, trips to the hospital for various members of the family and doctors visits for every member of the family for various ailments, we have had our hands FULL. Luckily, Lucia is diving headlong into her big sister role, and has started helping us with chores around the house. Jury is still out as to whether this is helping or creating more work. We are sitting for our first family photo shoot tomorrow, so keep your fingers crossed for good moods and good hair for all. P.S., the title is a quote from a sales lady at a children's clothing store today. Upon check-out, she looked at both of us with baby Carmen and said "Oh, you are both the mothers? That's a cute concept."