Paisley took her first Yellow School Bus field trip to The Seussical!

This is Nyiaga. She taught me the hip hop version of the Hoedown Throwdown. And I think I like it better than the original.

We've been enjoying the days that haven't been rainy!

And, we just love Elise. That's All. And don't get me started on thinking about the possibility of us moving in September and not having her come with us...

Happy Birthday Scotty!

(May 2nd)

We just took it easy and hung out for Scott's 29th Birthday! He had so much going on with school, I couldn't even convince him to let me take him to somewhere that was a surprise that I KNEW he would love. I'll have to wait til mid-August when his rotations end. He's such a party pooper! At least his expectations are low.

Oh How These Tres Chica's Love You So!

Mother's Day

Paisley walked up to me and gave me this sweet gift as I came to pick her up from school the Friday before Mother's Day. And said in her sweetest Pais voice,
"Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Sugar is sweet and so are you!

I was showered with gifts that the girls had made at school. Ella made me a cute purse in her craft class that she beaded the wire strap with cute beads. Her class also created a class poem about Mothers. Her portion was the first phrase,

"Mother's, as beautiful as a jewel..."

I SO knew that was her contribution.

This is what we look at around here for fun....

I have no idea what any of this actually means in an operating room.

But, I'd like to think that it is helping my husband along his way to be done with this program in less than four months! His commencement is in just 2 weeks!! We can't wait to see family!

I keep telling him if this whole thing doesn't work out, he's becoming the super of a building so we can have an awesome apartment with free rent...either that or he could be a textbook artist.

(It will work out, just so you're not worrying!)

Scott just started his second to last clinical at New York University Hospital.

Make.

We've got a pottery painting shoppe just a few blocks down that we've been wanting to check out. We hadn't been since Ella was 9 months old! Paisley's little friend had a birthday party at Make this past Saturday and it was super fun. I brought Ella along to pick something out a paint while Pais was with her friends. The picture above is of Pais painting a mermaid's hair red. Can't wait to get the pieces back.

This is one of Paisley's best friends. Her mama and I have become good friends as well.

I would take Ella to paint pottery more often if it wasn't so expensive! She really enjoyed it and took her time. I was impressed.

Then we unexpectedly ran into her friends again on the way home, for some dancing on the corner of 88th and Amsterdam. It was darling. The florist's radio was on and all these little girls just started shaking it!

I Heart Central Park.

In this park is where you will find us almost every Saturday Morning.

(without make-up, weather permitting)

Wicked Witch of the Upper Westside.

Me and My Girl.

Ella had a hard morning. This picture is from a different hard afternoon, but you get the point. She told me, while I held her on the ground in the hallway of her school, that she wanted to spend time with me alone, that we never got to be together just me and her.

She was absolutely right.

So we spent a couple of hours together. Just me and her.

And I enjoyed myself tremendously. I think she did too.

Who would want the imprint of a flower on their rear end anyway?

It was ALL FUN and (free) GAMES...

UNTIL SOMEBODY (almost) LOST A FINGER.

(Who would want the imprint of a flower on their rear end anyway? Is rear end one word or 2?)

Pais stuck her right pinky in one of those holes in the metal chairs at Magnolia Bakery (see picture above). I took a glob of her frosting and tried to lube it up so it would slip out. Not a chance. It was down past her second knuckle. I told a worker about the situation and asked for oil or butter. The owner brought out some liquid hand soap. At that point a guy came up and took over, as I'm sure he saw the panic rising on my face as I watched and heard Paisley crying in pain telling me to not pull it out but to "pull it out with sticks." (all I could think about was, "Oh my gosh, we're going to have to cut her finger off, right here! Tears started welling in my eyes.) Thankfully the man was an ER doctor and calmly talked to her. The finger wasn't budging though. He called for some ice at that point to try to reduce the swelling. "Mommy?! SOB! SOB! SOB! What does swollen mean?" Thankfully her finger hadn't changed much color. I told him that I was okay with him just pulling it out. So that's what he did. And it broke skin on both sides, but she was able to bend it, thankfully. After running it under water and a band-aid and a balloon, and finding Ella again (whom I apparently left at the table to rush Paisley to the sink! Great mom, I know. She was fine with the owner.) We packed up and left....that place is too small for something so dramatic to happen. As we strolled out, we said thank you to Andy, who which I might add was on a date. What a way to impress your potential life partner! I felt horrible that sitting right next to us was the owner's best friend who was visiting. And seriously, I understand that not everything can be recalled if it is potentially dangerous for children, but a free cupcake would have been nice Magnolia.

Then she rested in this lovely position on the way home after her traumatic experience. Poor Paisley! She did however eat growing foods all night and broccoli for breakfast the next morning to make sure it didn't turn blue or get swollen, her new favorite word that was added to her vocabulary.

ps- we went to the local YMCA for a day of free fun!

"Mommy come look!!"

"It's a Paisley shaped EDAMAME!"

We get pretty excited 'bout the little thing around here.

Say What?

I have been feeling very misunderstood the past two weeks, I'm not even sure if I know who I am anymore b/c of some of these comments...

1. Me- "Hi, can I get an iced venti Passion tea, no sweetener and a bran muffin..."

Pregnant Barista- " GIRL, you too young for BRAN!"

2. Ella's Friend's Dad when I picked her up from a play date... "Ella, your NANNY's here!"

3. Scott- "The problem is Ella, that by the time you are in 3rd or 4th grade, mommy won't be able to help you with your homework anymore..." Thanks Babe.

4. Picking my daughter up from school- "Are you the babysitter? If so, you need to sign her out."

5. And my favorite from Scotty...

"If you weren't so cute Jubie...POW! Right in the kisser!"

To others, I look (and act) like a 9 year old.

At least I can say that I get my way sometimes...

It's really just very funny to me.

One last Hoorah...

At Dylans' Candy Bar... or if you're Pais, "Bah"

...and I must say, they have some pretty darn good chocolate covered gummy bears.

Ella's class just read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. She told us all about it, from her perspective, which was quite beautiful to listen to. We showed her the movie last night. A lot of it seemed to be how she had imagined it in her head. It was fun to watch her, watch it!