Lizard Princess turns FIVE!

When I first asked Cora about her ideas for her 5^th birthday party, she said she wanted a “big girl fairy princess ballerina party with ten friends and absolutely no boys, little sisters or mommies allowed”.   Check. 

What about food? No surprise that she wanted “Oysters from the Blue Fish, shrimp cocktail, smoked salmon, pink meat and some calamari and some cheetohs on the side”.  (I immediately envisioned ten little girls running from our house gagging. )   

After much negotiating and explaining to her that most little girls did not have such a, well, sophisticated pallet as the Lizard Princess, we came up with plan B: Chocolate sandwiches and P,B and J on white bread, which is a special treat our house, fruit (so I can say we had something healthy on the table), cheetohs, pixie sticks (a la the fairy theme) and juju flowers. 

Cora demanded that they all go lizard hunting after they got dressed up, but I convinced her to go with more traditional party activities and promised that Daddy would take her on an after party date where she could lizard hunt until her little heart was content.  

After undergoing a fairy transformation complete with homemade skirts by my mom, butterfly headbands, sparkly wings and earrings, the ballerina fairy princesses did crafts, decorated wands, and played pin the wand on the fairy.  They were all well-behaved little ladies and Cora enjoyed holding court which is a nice way of saying pleasantly bossing everyone around.  

After the party, Colin surprised Cora with a special date to smoothie king where he told her she could have whatever she wanted.  It was no surprise to me that our little fairy ballerina princess selected an orange smoothie and…. A piece of ostrich jerky.  Followed by a trip to Boone Park, which is known for having bountiful lizards.  It is safe to say that not one lizard felt safe when the Lizard Princess and her proud papa arrived.

Cora, I love your fierce hugs, love of nature, endless curiosity, bountiful enthusiasm and independent spirit.  With you, every day is truly a wild adventure full of extraordinary surprises, lizards, unexpected challenges and your generous love of all things bright and beautiful and great and small.  Your Daddy and I are so proud that you are ours!!  

Can’t wait to see what your 5^th year will bring.  We Love You!!!

Summer love!

Allen playing "daddy" one afternoon (with my nursing cover as the baby carrier!).  Such a good, hands-on dad, just like Colin!

Now he is pretending to be Mama, managing two kids plus whoever is over here for a playdate haha.  This is the best impersonation of me ever.

Wen to see Monsters University with Allen's BFF Tuggy.  They shared a chair, popcorn and many laughs.  Tug's mama and I survived the whole experience and were thankful for post-movie beers at Pizza Palace.

On our way to grill out with our neighbors.  Cora loves getting all dressed up for her nights out in the 'hood.

Allen took this picture. Fitting.

Allen channeling Austin Powers.

This will be a good one for their rehearsal dinner slideshow someday.

Allen wore this shark costume around the whole time we were at Hammock Beach.  He got so much attention it was like being with a celebrity.

Entertained himself while Poppy and Daddy fished.

What could be more fun than digging a really big hole?  He said it was his dinosaur house and he played in it for an hour!

Allen Moore Thakkar fishing with his namesake, Terry Allen Moore, my wonderful dad.

Back to the hole for more fun!

Since we have no snow in FL, we make sand angels instead! 

hole in the wall in Flagler beach.  Colin, want to take me to lunch here soon?!

my favorite fruit of summer at the Flagler Beach farmers market.  yum!!!!

Allen was mesmerized by this dude that makes musical instruments out of driftwood.

Fresh pineapple juice, served in the pineapple. 

My beautiful and talented Mama with the kids and the squeaky dolphin and shark I let them pick out at the market.

My mom the artist giving the kids and impromptu art lesson on the chalkboard by the pier.

Flagler Beach is pretty cool.

back in town today.  Tried to get over my post-vacation blues by taking pics of the kids are the playground.

awe.

loves swinging!

Allen blowing me a kiss!

devastatingly handsome little guy

caught a snail and it came out of its shell.  Cora named it "Zelda" and exclaimed "Oh Mama! I have always wanted to see a snail come out of its shell.  It's a real Miracle! Now the snail is in her bug box and she is drawing a picture of it.

my miracle with her miracle

fitting Cora asked to check this out from the library today.

eavesdropping

This afternoon my next door neighbor was kind enough to lend me her almost 4 year old precious daughter, Harley, to occupy the ever industrious Cora while I attempted to touch up the woodwork in our house (something I found I simply cannot do while Cora is following me around asking hypothetical questions and making endless demands.  Whoever thought that bringing another child into the house would actually making getting things done easier?  go figure.).

When we opened the front door to greet Harley, Cora and I were shocked to see a neon pink cast on poor little Harley's right arm.  Her mom said that Harley had broken her thumb after falling off of a couch.

The girls went inside and start crafting with Cora's new Tinkerbell stationary set as I was painting the baseboards in the other room.  I couldn't help but overhear...
  

Didn't know a cast could look so cute! bless her heart!

 Cora:  So Harley, I feel so bad for you that your thumb fell off.  That must be sooo hard to not have a thumb anymore.

Harley:  Well actually it didn't fall off Cora, I just broke it.

Cora:  Look at my thumb... I am much older than you so I bet mine is much, much bigger. 

(long pause, waiting for Harley to react which she didn't, much to Cora's dismay.  I peeked and saw her with her best Moore scowl going in full force). 

Cora:  So... then how did you break your thumb?

Harley:  My brother got very angry with me and pushed me off the couch and I fell on it and broke it.  He is always very angry which is why mommy said he couldn't come play with you today too.

Cora:  Well did you know that if your thumb ever falls off, you could maybe grow another one?  Like when my lizards lose their tails God helps them grow another one?

Harley:  Cora, you are so funny.  But did you know I am actually funnier?

Cora: (slamming her hand on the toddler table).  No Harley, you know I am way funnier than you.  Because I am older and funnier!

(argument ensues about who is funnier.  Last time they argued it was about who was "bossier")

***

Before I had kids, I used to listen to NPR while I painted.  I may not be as informed about current events or pop culture at the moment, but I don't think NPR has ever made me laugh out loud.

Happy Monday!

role reversal

In the car this morning (on the way to get pink frosted donuts at the neon pink Donut King for good behavior at the YMCA)...

Cora: So Mommy, what is your car made out of?

Me: Uh, well the windows are a kind of glass... and the outside is metal and paint, and the inside like the seats are leather.

Cora: What is leather?

Me: well, it is actually the skin of a cow.

Cora: oh Mommy... (rolling her eyes)... How is that possible that this (touching the seat), is a COW?  That is so silly. And cows have spots most of the time, did you know that?!! but there are no spots on this seat.

Me: It really is made from a cow though Cora, trust me (someone gave me this line to use when toddlers start questioning everything and I may have overused it lately as it gets less and less effective).

Cora: Mommy, I bet they hurt the cow to get the skin, didn't they?

Me:...um... Well I think the cows have actually died I mean gone to heaven by the time they get the skin sweetheart.

Cora: Oh ok!  (long silence)  .... "So how do you say Cow in Spanish again?

***

Later, Colin and Cora were off on a date so it was up to me to tuck the little guy in for his nap. With Cora home for the summer and our schedules jam-packed, I have not had the time or energy lately for our pre-nap ritual of books, snuggles and singing.  Allen has pretty much gotten a stack of books on his bed to read to himself and me giving him a kiss on the forehead and he giving me his best Moore scowl in return.

But today was different.  Sure I have the normal stuff to do, all of which I am behind on at the moment, but it is the weekend and for once we were home alone, just me and Addy Boom.  First Allen picked out books to read, including "Little Blue Truck", his all time favorite (and my favorite one to read to him) and then his second favorite, "Bear Wants More".

After we read the books in his bed, he wanted me to tuck him in on his quilt on the floor as usual.  Yes, Allen still sleeps exclusively on the floor until Colin and I sneak in and scoop him onto his little bed, but at least he is no longer sleeping in the closet.  Baby steps and all that.

Since the house was so quiet and peaceful and I was in my pre-afternoon coffee slump, I found myself laying next to him on the quilt, and the next thing I knew he was giving me a proper tuck-in.  He got himself a little stack of books and sat Indian style, "reading" each one the best he could.  Then he covered me in blankets and brought me every stuffed animal in his room, including his precious "Gween-gin" (penguin) which he carefully arranged around my body.  The next thing I knew he was petting my head attempting to sing "Edelweiss", the song I always sing him that my dad sang to me every night when I was his age.  Then we curled up together and discussed the rain.

Allen: Mama rain side!

Me: yes it is raining outside, which is good so Mommy won't have to water the flowers today.

<thunder booms>

Allen: (crawls on top of me): Tuuuuunder Mama! Ayen skeered.

Me: It's ok Allen.  Look we are making a tower together since you are laying on top of me, just like you make towers with your blocks.  Look, I am putting your alligator and bear on top of us so they are part of our tower too.

Allen: (rolls himself off of me knocking the bear and gator down too): AYEN knock tower all down!! (cheering) Yeah!!  Gaint mama!!! (translation: do it again mama, which we did about 20 times).

Happy weekend!!

pink donut and pink milk for Miss pink from the "pink" donut shop

Allen devouring the very masculine "bwown" (brown aka chocolate) doughnut

from my love.  Just because.