Birthday Party Morning! - 4yo [MOMLIFE]

She came in this morning as I was still sleeping. 'Mama!', she exclaimed, 'today is my birthday!'

I rolled over and looked at the clock. The time was exactly her birth date (month and day) by hour and minute. Girl's got impeccable timing, I must say.

It's not her actual birthday today but we're celebrating it anyway (early because I don't know when her sibling will arrive) with some friends from her new school and some from the neighborhood.

This will be the first time we celebrate her birthday as an actual 'party' with her friends. I didn't actually call it a 'party', though, because the word is too heavy for my comfort. Instead, I called it a 'playdate with celebratory cake'.

It's probably because I'm not hosting this get-together at a real venue like a kids' gym or indoor structured play place. As a single mom on a budget, I wonder what happened to those simple type of parties.

Personally, I actually think those super-organized, formal parties are kind of impersonal than the informal ones I grew up going to (not that I'm complaining or refuse to go to them, maybe I'm just trying to console myself :>).

But our party was going to be old school and at our home. There's something special, imho, when you invite someone into your home and share with them your personal space. It's intimidating, no doubt, perhaps making you more vulnerable, and it's probably more work, but there's something about it. It's inviting.

Last night we picked up her cake and started working on her pinata. I was originally going to make her a cake but without air conditioning in this heatwave, the oven heat probably would have killed my feet :> Good thing, too, because yesterday I unexpectedly had to go to the hospital, which ate a chunk of my day (more on that in another post).

I started writing this post this morning and have since had the party. The turnout was unexpected. More about it in another post!

For now, here are some pics from the other night— the night before we celebrated her birthday at school— another exciting momemt. It's good to be a kid, no? So many celebrations and good times :>

BTW, the hands on the hips thing? Totally her, not me. Not sure where she gets it but I'll take the confidence :> xo

Playdate With Liana! :>

We had our first playdate with Liana last week! (yes, I'm all backed up after starting a new adventure this past week).

Girls seem hard to come by in our experiences, so Nui Nui was excited and had a great time. She definitely looks up to the older kids especially and can't stop talking about them :>

The girls bounced together in a bounce house and then had lunch together— Nui Nui enjoyed farmer's market fruit and especially enjoyed the humongous grapes (note to self: get her some grapes :>). After refueling, they played in the kitchenette, played a cupcake-building game, and played with the upright sandbox. Then they shared laughs falling (and getting tickled) on the fold-out kiddie-sized love seat.

With all the excitement, Nui Nui only slept about 10-15 minutes on the car-ride out and crashed the second we got back in the car for the ride home. Nui Nui is definitely growing up and holding her own. So fun to see :>

Some favorites of the day...



Liana telling Nui Nui how old she is :>


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Nui Nui hearts grapes, apparently. What's your or your child's favorite item from the farmer's market?

Share in the Comments below, we'd love to hear! :> xoxo

Second New School Playdate! :>

We had our second playdate at our new school and Nui Nui continued to do stellar. She recognized the building and knew she was about to embark on a sandbox adventure. The kids in her class were just starting to have snack and she was antsy to go outside. She tried to amuse herself with a snack and then finally ran out the back door the second it was let open for outside playtime.

The kids were hilarious, initially running back and forth with these stroller/shopping cart toys. I would have never thought a shopping cart would be a good toy but it has proven me wrong to being an excellent one. You should have seen these kid run, Forest, run.

Then it was onto shooting hoops and balls, the coveted sandbox (see below— Nui Nui gathered a posse :>), riding toys, and the most perfect-sized playground playset— high enough that the slide is worth climbing for, low enough to keep Momma standing afar at ease :>

Dr. M.


The Goonies.

Look at those pants!

The black mustang of toddlers.

Beware the po po...

On Instagram! :>

The slide! :>

We were there for a good two hours and I could see Nui Nui loved every minute of it. I'm loving these new-school playdates and loving even more that she'll be attending there in just a few weeks!

On our way out, Nui Nui successfully said goodbye to many of the people there, which is a great sign that she is in a comfort zone. Then, as she exited the building and climbed into the car parked right in front, she turned around and waved goodbye to the building and said, 'Bye New Friends!'. Suddenly, my heart just melted...


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What are you looking forward to this fall? Share below or Tweet or Instagram us, we'd love to hear/see! :>

First New School Playdate!

This week has been the week of firsts and change. Newly unemployed, full-time job hunting, recovering from germs I just couldn't avoid (Nui Nui = unavoidably kissable), Nui Nui's first intro/playdate at her new school she'll be starting in September, and breaking the news to her current school, which was unexpectedly weird— I wasn't prepared and didn't even realize I had to be. At this point, I'm actually content with where she is but, o well, that's what growing up is all about, right? Reminds me of the wise words of Elenor Roosevelt:

Credit: wordstruly

Isn't this so true?...

Credit: good.is

You can't grow without change. #mantra

This week has been a haze to say the least. For sure, I realized my appreciation for schedule and routine— so much for my love of change, huh? :/— as well as my un-appreciation for job searching: 'Hey! I'm great! Can I play on your team?', followed by a 'Sorry, no thank you'. Sure brings back fond memories of middle school gym class...

Anyway, onward an up... #nothingbutrainbow

In the meanwhile of solicitation and finding a home, I've started studying Xcode/Objective C, as I said I would, and amping up the social media skills, including Hootsuite, Facebook Pages (check us out! and please support by 'Like'! Facebook.com/piecesofm :>), and soon Google Adwords. I have a steep learning curve ahead of me and am putting to test my claim that I know how to learn.



As for being proud, I was really was of Nui Nui on her first playdate. The new school she will be starting in September encourages new students to spend the summer leading up to the start date to come in on 'playdates' and ease the transition by getting the kids acquainted with the enviornment and people. It's really a terrific practice and one, I think, all schools, should practice in some form or another.

I'm very happy that Nui Nui has had the 'school' experience since she was one and, though only one day a week, feel that it's been an invaluable experience for her (and me). For her, it's interacting with her peers and other adults independently in a different environment than what she is used to and, for me, it's learning to let go, though I will always always be there for her no matter where she is or I am.

So she entered the school shy as a button when the directora greeted us at the door but once she found her classroom, she had at it with all the new toys and playstations— gotta love those kitchenettes! :> Followed by outdoor play in those mini-coupes? a la Little Tikes. I was able to sit aside without her worrying where I was. Climbing, exploring, enjoying— keywords of the visit— and making new friends :>

Here's a peak into our first school playdate vist!



Check out the full slideshow! :>




To wind down the almost end-of-week, I got to spend some time with the ever-lovely J and new friends over some local small bites. Drool this.



What fun filled your week? Share below or Tweet or Instagram us! We'd love to hear/see! :> :> xoxo

Pre-Mother's Day Bonanza!

We went to a new park on Saturday. It was the beginning of a gorgeous weekend.

I tell Nui Nui when she's at the top of the slide to wave Hi to the park and everyone she sees :>



She happily drove a train with her boyfriend..



Swung with him... 


Pushed him...

Played Legos with him... 
And even helped buckle him in... :>
It was a really good day :> 

Nui Nui is growing just so big... even clobbering Pau Pau :> Here she is being a Gruffalo while reading the story about him... :>

Then we had a pre-Mother's Day dinner with family, which a mix of Chinese and Portuguese food...

Nui Nui played with more boys :>
She ate ice cream :>

And played with woof woofs... 

You wonder why moms get so tired by day's end... :>

Saturday was beautiful? How did you spend it? Share below, we'd love to hear!

Dinner At Amanda's :> - Too Many Dishwashers...?

Friday night could not come fast enough. I was so looking forward and thankful I could spend the night with friends :> ...and it happened to be along the beautiful water no less! It's fun to watch the kids play together these days because they actually are. They watch mimic, and follow each other. At one point they all went into the bedroom, closed the door, and tried to barricade it off from the mommas. Giggle. Sigh. So fun to watch them grow up... #sobigsofast #toobigtoofast

They say too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the broth but, really, can there ever be too many dishwashers?... :> :>



Full album!



How did you celebrate the start of the weekend? Share below, we'd love to hear! :>

Pizza, Milk, And Wine Dinner Date! :>

Fryday!! Finally :> It couldn't have come soon enough. We booked it over to our pal's house for a Pizza, Milk, and Wine dinner date. We played, had pizza, went to the park, had some goldfish and fresh-baked cookies, took dumps, changed diapers, and played upstairs in our pal's bedroom. It was a fun-filled night and good way to end the work week— Moms and Babes.

They ate...


She strode...


They climbed...


They ate some more... (and eventually dumped, not shown :>)


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How did you cap this long week off? Share below, we'd love to hear! :>