Category: my sweet family

{october fun} halloween update and more…

November 6, 2012

Photo: So thankful for my good friends at #starbucks today!! It's going to be one long day... http://instagr.am/p/RfU4bRDfbD/

I haven’t been myself lately, and the photo above pretty much sums it all up.  The past two weeks have been filled with a whirlwind of activities and somewhere in between we all managed to get sick.  Eva and Zoe have gone through runny noses, coughs and sneezes, and even Lucas had a mild fever for two days.  Victor had a sore throat for one day, and as for me, well I got the worst of it.  My sore throat was actually a bad case of ‘strep throat’.  I didn’t get to a doctor until the end of the week, after I completely lost my voice and figured I had better try to get my hands on some real medicine before the weekend arrived.  I was put on a round of antibiotics, and three days later I’m still not at my best.  Thankfully, though, I think the worst is behind us.  I have so much to catch up on.  I hope you enjoy the summary in photos.

Sesame Street Live’s ‘Elmo Makes Music’ comes to town!

Before we all got sick, I managed to take Eva and Zoe to a fun production featuring their favorite furry monster and his best buddies.  Words can barely describe the joy and excitement they experienced as we arrived and they started to spot everything Elmo.  When the show started, I teared up because I was so overwhelmed with the happiness I saw in their sweet faces.  Here are a few shots of them before the show.  It was a really fun day, very ‘mommy and me’.

{eva and zoe posing with elmo}
After the show, I wanted to take them to eat lunch before returning home.  The plan was to go to the Cheesecake Factory at Las Olas, but when we arrived the wait was over 45 minutes because of a local art festival.  We ended up at the ‘Royal Pig Pub’ and they were very formal and well-behaved, placing their cloth napkins under their plates as they nibbled on non-kids’ meal french fries and chicken ‘fingers’.

{lunch at the royal pig pub}

Halloween Update

We are members of a local meetup group that hosts lots of fun activities for families and young children.  They hosted a Halloween party in the park and the girls were super excited to get into character, chanting Yo-Ho-Ho every chance they had.  Eva and Zoe marched in a music parade and got so into it they stopped on a tree stump for a make-shift performance with their borrowed guitar and tambourine!

It’s a good thing we went to this event, too, because by the time Halloween rolled around the girls were too sick to go trick-or-treating.  The sign we put up on our door read:  “QUARANTINE//SICK BABIES//SORRY”.  Don’t be too sad for them, though.  Victor did bring them by my office and they were pro’s asking for candy (especially Eva!) even though it was their first time out and about in costume and trick-or-treating.  The worse part was finding out that Zoe may have an allergy, or aversion at best, to peanuts.  She ended up throwing up in the parking lot before Victor went back home, and all she had eaten was a bite of a Snickers bar.  My poor baby.

{eva and zoe = my fierce pirate girls}
{my little monster}

A Baking Fool…

I got a little caught up in the spirit of Halloween, and took on one baking project too many.  After finding out how hard it is to decorate cookies by hand, I may never work with piping again.  Oh well.  Here are a few photos for your viewing pleasure:

{pumpkin spice halloween cookies}
{day of the dead sugar skull cookies}

Seven months old and growing too quickly…

In keeping with my monthly tradition of photographing Lucas in his crib, here is his seven month photo.  It is becoming increasingly harder to get a cute photo of him with the blocks in the background…

{lucas at seven months}

And this is the part where I get a little nostalgic all too soon, when I see my little boy growing up oh so fast.  Victor sent me this picture when I was at work yesterday.  My first reaction was to think that he was helped up for the photo, but I was wrong.  He got up all on his own, my little boy.  He has only been crawling for about two months now!  He’s just so anxious to play with Eva and Zoe already.  My little boy may be walking a lot sooner that we’re ready for.  {Note the terror in Eva’s eyes..lol}

{taken just five days later on november 5th}
Well, I do apologize for the long post, but even more so for the long time without posting.  I hope you’ve enjoyed my update and look forward to sharing more soon and more often.

May you have a Sweet November..

xo

ps.  Today is election day.  Did you go out and vote yet?

pps. Oh yeah, and did I mention — we got our floors redone; note the dark floor under Lucas’ bare feet! We left the living room for later — see ugly white tile beyond pretty new floors…

{peachy meets beachy} our family photo shoot

October 23, 2012

A sunset family photo session at the beach?  Why, yes please.  Now… what would we wear?  Well, it shouldn’t be so formal that we can’t run around in the sand and get a little dirty.  It should be fun and reflect our personality as individuals and as one sweet family.

After trying on several different looks, I was ultra pleased that one of my favorite bright dresses finally fit again!  Victor suggested wearing his seersucker pants since they are so beachy and comfortable.  Once we figured out our outfits, I was on the hunt for the kids’ outfits.

I carried the coral and turquoise theme through, and was so happy to find Lucas such a cute onesie that matched both Victor’s and my outfits!  The girls were very happy to add one more tutu to their collection, and I’m happy I found the perfect girly and sparkly tees to match.  I found everything I needed at Target!

I also made small organza flowers for sequined headbands I also made, to add the final touch to their look.  I used sequined elastic ribbon in silver and gold for the actual headbands, and wide organza ribbon in matching silver and gold to make small flowers, following this easy tutorial via ‘go make me’ — bejewelled flowered headband/diy project’ blog post.

Inspiration:

 

Sneak Peek:

We had a wonderful time at the beach, and are very happy with the Sneak Peek of our photo session.  Alison is such a talented photographer and so great with the girls and the baby.  She has so much patience and such an eye for beauty.  Please visit her blog for the full sneak peek, and if you’re in the South Florida area, I highly recommend her for your own family photo session or special event.  You can see visit her full professional website here.

{enjoy the sweetest moments}

xo

~the sweetest mami~

{a week in the life..}

October 5, 2012

It’s been one BUSY week!  Friday is finally here, and I’m ready to start the weekend soon, but not before I share a few random shots of the week that I’m about to say goodbye to.  {You may not agree that the week starts until Monday, but MINE gets started on Friday night!}

{friday}

I love coming home to my girls.  This was taken last Friday evening when I got home, with my iPhone.   I love these silly moments!

Victor was golfing on Saturday, to celebrate his big birthday.  He wanted me to alter this funky pair of pants for him, but I didn’t get around to it, because he moved up the golf outing by one day to take advantage of the better weather.  Which length would you have voted for?

{saturday}

We celebrated Vic’s birthday last Saturday.  The weather was gorgeous, so we ordered pizza and had some cake with good friends.  I baked [again] and the result was better than I could have ever expected.  I have the lovely Barefoot Contessa to thank, though.  I made her Double Chocolate Layer Cake, and although I had a small crisis once I finished frosting it, I managed to save the cake and it was a huge HIT!  If you’re feeling ambitious, and have, oh about 3 hours to spare, you should try making it.  Good luck!

{our fun family of five}

{tuesday}

I took Lucas in for his six-month wellness check on Tuesday.  I met with a new doctor at our pediatrician’s office and I was finally impressed with a pediatrician here in South Florida.  He was very attentive and understanding of our family’s needs and gave me great tips on getting Lucas to sleep through the night.  Lucas weighed in at over 16 lbs, and is measuring somewhere around 27″, so needless to say he is one big baby.  The doctor says that if he continues to grow at this rate, he can expect him to be about 6’0″ as an adult.  Geez, as if I didn’t already feel short enough, as it is…gotta love it!

6 month wellness visit {lucas}
{the cat in the hat}

{thursday}

Lately, Lucas is doing too many cute things to keep track of!! I’ve noticed him peeking through his crib slats when we are getting Zoe and Eva ready for bed in the evening.  He is very social..much like his daddy and mama..and does whatever he can to get in the mix, when he can.  Here’s my little munchkin and his juicy lips!

{jailhouse rock!}

Well, the week is now over, and I’m ready to enjoy a new one.  This week, I’m just hoping for clear blue skies so we can enjoy a Family Jazz Brunch we plan to attend on Sunday.   In between, we will probably end up at Target again, and I may or may not take on another baking project.

{Happy Friday!}

xo

~the sweetest mami~

{inspiring}

October 1, 2012

Five years ago, I thought Breast Cancer was something women didn’t need to worry about until we turned forty.  That is not the case any longer.  I am saddened to share that two of my dearest friends have received this terrible diagnosis within these last five years, and am humbled and inspired by the courage they have shown throughout their personal battles.

These women are fighters.  Both are great moms, and health nuts.  They were moms before I was one, and I have always admired them in so many ways.  When I learned they had breast cancer, it was unreal.  How could it be true?  Before I could even come to terms with the news, they were moving on with their lives.  Running marathons, returning to work, growing stronger — not weaker — with each passing day.

Thankfully, they have both undergone treatment and are now Breast Cancer Survivors.  They continue to inspire me each day with their strength and positive outlook on life.

In honor of these heroes of mine, and so many more like them, I am making my annual donation to the Susan G Komen for the cure this October, being it is National Breast Cancer Awareness Day.  I hope we find a cure and put an end to this ugly day some day.

Join me in supporting this cause.  During the month of October, if you sign up to follow my blog I will add $1 to my donation.  You may also make your own donation here:  Susan G Komen for the Cure

{Find a Cure}

xo

~the sweetest mami~