#RockTheGarden Recap - Or - My birthday pretty much rocked this year.

Sunday was a big day.

Final Round of the US Open.

Father's Day.

First Official Day of Summer.

My birthday.

Yes, it was my birthday on Father's Day. Not a typical occurrence, but it happens.

This year I decided to ask for what I really wanted.

Ticket's to Rock The Garden at the Walker Sculpture Garden!

I didn't really care who was playing, but with JD McPherson, Babes In Toyland (SCORE! Reunited Legends!) and Modest Mouse as the beef of Sunday's lineup, I was pretty stoked.

Let's get a closer look at JD McPherson.

Ahem.

I loved every minute from my bloody mary at Spasso that morning to the view of Modest Mouse that evening as the sun set over the back of my shoulder. 

Mmmmmm

Ahhhhh.

But my favorite part of any event is of course....

People Watching.  

I mean I learned from the best, my dad natch. He loves to sit there and watch all the loonies go by. From the local mall to the granddaddy watching place of all time The MN State Fair my dad would poke my side and point out anyone or anything cool, beautiful, funny, silly, or unusual.

He would have loved the transvestite Santa Claus who popped up dancing from a few rows in front of us Sunday night.  :) Hair in a pony and wearing RED Converse All Stars with his/her red mini-dress. 

Another excellent thing at concerts are the t-shirts. People will wear ANYTHING on a t-shirt at a concert. The best were the Minnesota Themes on shirts.  My two favorites:

Now those are some good musical references!

So thank you Terry for saying YES to a concert. I love going places with you - even if you are checking your phone to see who won the Open every 30 seconds from 8:45 to the moment your sports app told you Spieth won.  :)  

Love you baby!

My "not so little" Girl.

Okay children, story time from the big girl has begun...

I watch her at gymnastics, or at daycare, or in groups of children where they gather.

Really, is she that tall?

When did this happen that I could barely carry her because her legs hang down so far?

When did she get so big she can read summer camp descriptions and choose for herself?

Who is this girl who just turned nine?

NINE? How is it nine years since I held her all day long and fed her and changed her and could not bear to be without her?  I would leave for the store and feel my body was not whole if I left her home with daddy.

She is growing up.

She has opinions (I'll say), style, compassion, good friends, and the love of all around her.

And boundless creativity and energy and sometimes a mama can't keep up, but my dear Boo Boo La La - your mama will always give it her best shot.

Enjoy being nine, because your "not so little" but you don't need to be big yet.

Love,

Mommy

I am trying to be proactive here...

Mother's Day and my Birthday are so close together - its like CHRISTMAS ya'll.

Seriously.

I don't really want more than spending time with my family, but if T-bone is looking for ideas I thought I would throw some out there.

Source: toms.com via mommylisa on Pinterest

Tom's would be excellent - Give one, get one! I am a size 8. (Un-Tranny Hooker Peep-Toes!  Word!)

Source: zappos.com via mommylisa on Pinterest

And I LOVE me some Rocket Dog summer sandals. Zappos has these! :)

And finally -

I want TWO 50' Pocket Hoses Please!

A girl has her priorities.  

Cute shoes and a well watered lawn and garden.  

William wants a doll....

We were at a family birthday party over the weekend - the topic came up about how we have noticed all toys that were "non-gender specific" come in two color pallets these days - primary or pink.

It seems more and more things are made "for boys" or "for girls".

I mentioned to my cousin that I had read some backlash online about the Lego Friends aimed at girls, but I disagreed with it because the Lego Friends have cool stuff!  A jet ski, a karate studio, soccer field AND AN AIRPLANE!  Yes, these are not girly girls so I like them.

Then the bouncing was over - the party began to break up.

At the end of any good party for kids there are the gift bags.

Since Mr. J was turning three his Dear Mama made up cute sports themed bags with bouncy balls, soccer and football Frisbees, pencils and temporary tattoos.  You know?  Kid treasures.

Boo Boo was totally excited.  She loves bouncy balls and things that relate to soccer, of course!

Then I thought - hmmm.  What if this had been Miss Boo Boo's birthday and we gave out gift bags with HER favorite princess - Ariel?  Would any boys there like it?  In fact I made a point at her sixth birthday of making special "boy" gift bags for her two buddies.  We even made Spiderman instead of Ariel T-shirts as the party craft.

Was that wrong?  And just how far have we come since "Free To Be You and Me!"?

Sorry Marlo.  I may have failed you.

I thought....

Last Friday I got the heads up there was a birthday invite in my child's backpack awaiting me...the teacher's mixed up the invites for the lovely M sisters...

I got home and looked in the bag, sure enough there was the invite with my daughter's best friends name on it.  I told her about the mix-up and her invite would be there the next day and she ripped it open anyway.

I look.

Huh?  Tomorrow NIGHT???  5pm to 9pm for a kindergartner's birthday party?  And it's at your house and I don't know you.

Huh?

Rude?  Yes, yes I think so.  And I say it out loud and my husband says, "Well she's not going, right?"

No.  No she is not.  I am not going to drop everything I had planned for my Saturday because this child's mother couldn't get out invites before the NIGHT before the party.  I mean come on.

The trouble was...she now KNEW there was a party.  And this girl was someone she liked and I had heard her mention before....

Boo Boo?
Yea?
Boo Boo we are so busy tomorrow with everything we had planned and Daddy having to work.  I think we will have to skip your friend's birthday.  You know you can't go to every party, right?
Oh.  Okay.
We can make her a card you can bring Monday.
Can I paint a rock for her too?
Sure.
Okay.  *la di da* and she waltzes away.

I thought my child was going to throw a fit, but instead she could have not cared less.

Thanks Mama Kat for the prompt to tell my tale.

p.s. do NOT do this to your child's classmates.  Hubs and I have agreed you need to give at least THREE days notice.  Two weeks or more is preferred.
p.p.s. Yes, this post is LATE for Mama's workshop, but this is a blog, not a birthday.  ;)

Happy Birthday Hot Stuff

Is there anything sexier than a guy who spends his Sunday morning raking up a pile of leaves so that his daughter can jump in the leaves???

Nah.

Happy Birthday My Dear Sweet Hubby

I am the worst blog friend EVER!

So remember Spring of 2010 when I had a cool guest post from Michelle at So Wonderful, So Marvelous?

Yeah, she asked me to guest post while she was on maternity leave and DUH

*smacks forehead*

I TOTALLY MISSED SHE POSTED IT JULY 21!!!

I suck.

But you, you can save me and go read it now.

p.s. its Boo Boo's Birth Story so you best go read it!

Thanks!

Rockin' The Baby! (it should work now)

I hope all is forgiven...I have but ONE baby and will only ever have this one baby.

So you get her first year of life condensed in 13 photos - up to the professional photo shoot on exactly her First Birthday! Just in case you are wondering - she is now 5 and a half.

Enjoy my fellow momma's!

"Rockin' The Baby"

Create a free slideshow with Picnik!

Winner & Winning Olay Regenerist Microdermabrasion & Peel Kit

Linking up today with ...fabulous but evil... for Target Tuesday!

Really WORKS!

I reviewed this stuff on Viewpoints.com and I just LOVE it.  At Target it is about $22 - THAT OTHER BRAND is almost triple the price.  I used both - giving a good two weeks between trials and found that the Olay version is exactly the same if not better.  My pores look smaller when I use it and I can really tell it makes an impact on my wrinkles. 

Since it is MY birthday and I am *mumble* I know all about the wrinkles.

Which brings me to this contest I was running with SUPER by Perricone.

and the winner is...

comment FIVE which was made by Mama J at Raising Z and Little C - Please read this thoughtful and good blog friend please!  And J - send me your address and the item you would like! 

Peace all!

We should have been invited because we are birthday twins!

Born June 21, 1967

Boy at the top? Born June 21, 1982

Girl in center? Born January 9, 1982

Born January 9, 2006

Psst.  Don't tell @ThePeteBye about this post...he is sick of hearing about "The Royal Wedding" already.

Subject: Our own Wear Red Day!

My Mom sent this out:

Tomorrow, March 23, is Michelle’s Birthday. Let’s all wear something Red (Her Favorite Color) and let Aunt Penny know that we are thinking of her.

Aunt Irene said:


I still remember the day after a heavy snow when Michelle set off to work at St. John’s on cross country skis. Let’s be spunky like her?

Me:

Sounds great. I will put @IamBooBooLaLa in red too.

Cousin Franny:

Great idea! We could send Aunt Penny pictures.
My Brother:

...wearing about my only red item in my closet- a polo with a red stripe on the front.

Over twenty years ago I lost my cousin because her heart stopped*.  Today she would have turned forty-four just about exactly three months before me.  Our moms are close - and we spent much of our childhood together.  Even our first concert - Shawn Cassidy - was attended together.
She was spunky!
Damn could she be downright FUNNY!
She was RED!
She is loved more than you can wrap up in a silly blog post.

*Yes, my cousin was VERY young when she passed away.  She had a pacemaker and defibrillator inside her tiny body keeping her heart from going to fast or too slow.  She was put on the heart transplant list shortly before she left us to go to heaven. 

The Party

We got there early, but I was still nervous someone had arrived before us that we had invited and they would be standing there.
Waiting.
But that was not the case, we had arrived in plenty of time to greet our guests.
It took awhile to get our hands stamped and find the party planner to guide us to our table and give us the run-down of what was to happen next. 

And it was LOUD at this party so it took a bit for the planner and I to understand each other.

"Did you look at the menu?  Do you know what you want to order?"
"WHAT?  I ordered online, don't you have that on your sheet?"
"Oh yeah.  Do you still WANT that?"
"Ummm, yeah."

not boding well for this party.

"Can we get her in the ticket blaster asap?"
"Sure, I will be right back."

~15 minutes later

"Okay, we can get her in the ticket blaster now!"  smiling
"Uh, now I have to go FIND her."

And on and on it went - being pushed and pulled around by our party planner at Chuck E. Cheese.  I mean, really?  You can't do some of the stuff WHEN I want it done?  Why? Why? Please tell me why?

But - we had wonderful turnout of GREAT friends.
The people ate ALL the food - save a few pieces of cake and celery sticks.
Boo Boo was DELIGHTED with everything and so HAPPY her friend Jordan had joined us! 

So, when I finally got into the car with a tired and happy five year old and my tired and not cranky husband, I was relieved it was all over.

anyone want about 140 Chuck E. Cheese tokens? ;P 

Blast Off!

 This post was written in response to Mama Kat's prompt to write about "A moment you truly felt relieved."

Interview With A Boo Boo

Boo Boo sez - "That's what the people want to see."

ML: How old are you tomorrow?
BBLL: Five and I am going to Chuck E. Cheese and go in the ticket blaster!
ML: Yes, you are.  What does it mean to be five?
BBLL: That means I can go in the ticket thing and get my own chair and cake and ice cream...AND stop what are you doing?
ML: I am typing what you say..
BBLL: Oh, did you just type that?
ML: Yes.
BBLL: And you get five year old stuff for your birthday.  Not baby stuff. 
ML: What kind of things will you be able to do when you are five that you couldn't do before?
BBLL: I couldn't do karate...
ML: You couldn't do karate?  Do you want to learn karate?
BBLL: No.  And I couldn't reach stuff, but now I can reach high.  That's good.
ML: Yes.
BBLL: Now can I talk more about Chuck E. Cheese.
ML: Ah no.
BBLL: I am done, I can't think of anything else.  Did you put new songs on my iPod yet?  And stop typing, the people don't want to read that much....

Flashback Friday - When We Were FAB FOUR!

Boo Boo Turns FIVE on Sunday - this is what I posted for her FOURTH Birthday last January 9th, 2010!





Enjoy our memories...


...today after our struggle to get out the door, they weigh heavy on a mama.

I cannot believe this picture was taken nearly four years ago when we first came home from the hospital. My mother and I were trying to figure out what was wrong...she was so mad about something! I loved that little froggie outfit - if it was clean, she wore it.


This is what I usually saw looking up at me on maternity leave...the I am hungry and WIDE AWAKE face. :) I took many pictures like this one.

Mornings as she was able to sit up - and afternoons when she woke from a nap - I was greated usually with a smile. She never used to be crabby when she woke up; I wonder when that changed?

Booger Lickin' Good!

Learning cool stuff - like my feet smell.

She is always making faces - just ALWAYS! Look at the evidence in ALL the picutes...

I used to have to MAKE her pose...that changed. (I loved that shirt and those cute Ecco Shoes!)

Hoppy Easter - or "The Bunny Santa" is coming to town...

I see this face A LOT! It says, "Mom, you are NOT serious."

Tired Pooker.

Again, she is embarrassed by me at a YOUNG age...

Did someone fart?

Peek-A-Boo! I see you...

Quite often she puts her hands to her face, fingers in mouth, when taking photos. It has begun to annoy me....

So she and I are even!

I am still not sure if she was annoyed, or confused. ;)

And now we are in our "Show Off" years.

This one says, "PLEASE can I have it?"

She gets TOTALLY excited by ANY present or treat.

I hope that lasts for a while...

She TRIES to be a mother hen...

I love my family a lot. I will sit with EVERYONE!

When I get tired...I get tired.

Such a happy face...I love this face.

BLAH!

Fashonista's at the after party from "The Paper Bag Princess" premiere.

Dressin' Up is fun to do!

I am Princess Osh Kosh of the Milky Way

Move over Beckham!

Here is what I hear, "See mama, I TOLD you..."

Frogs? Forget frogs. I kiss FISH!

Heidi Klum goes to pre-school...

I AM Ariel. Who are you?

Ha Ha Ha! Bouncy Houses are the best!

I plan on starring in "Zoolander: The rise of the Daughter"

I got a Barbie!

Daddy's little goofball say "Wha?"

This little light of mine...

I love to watch her shine and be silly and confused and just about everything.
Yes, I am ready for my next modeling gig in Paris.
Poor Boo Boo - she just wants to go to school.
She is my sweet angel and I love all of her faces.

Even...

ACK! The public cannot see me at the hair salon! Be GONE people!

But be back at 4pm for my birthday party.

Kisses, Boo Boo La La