L: September 10

The Binky Fairy Came and All She Left Me Was Debt

Last Night as a Two Year Old

Last night with a binky!

We decided the Binky Fairy would come on L's third birthday and take her binkies.  That's been the plan for at least a year, after we bagged the whole at two she would give them up. This year, we've talked about it daily, reminding her. In retrospect, it is kind of cold of us.

Writing a Letter to the Binky Fairy

Happy Birthday Girl! NOW. A crazy lady is going to come to our house and take something you love dearly. Happy Birthday! Go to bed in a tantrum!

After school, we came home and ran around the house collecting all of her binkies... there were a LOT. We made an envelope together, she wrote her a note, we stuffed all her binkies in the envelope and put it in the mailbox. I don't know where I heard someone saying their kid was scared of some strange woman coming into his room, fair enough. I decided to bypass that all together. Plus I am not graceful so why even attempt to sneak in and get the envelope if I didn't need to.

"Mama. This is FUN!"

L thinking this is all a GREAT idea, at this point!

Friends told me the binky fairy left a 'big boy/girl' present and the kid was psyched.  Unfortunately I didn't think of that in time nor did I have time to make that happen. Plus, it's her birthday, and we are having a birthday party for her on Saturday so I just kind of figured more 'crap' could wait. Also, she won't know any different - she isn't on Facebook, she doesn't know what the 'other kids' got.  I decided we'd just celebrate on the porch when we discovered the fairy came. Friends said to leave 'fairy dust' which was another thing I forgot. Someone suggested to use baby powder - but since that kid knows her baby powder I decided to scrap the whole thing and pretend the gold sparkley paint on the inside of the mailbox would do.


Fast forward through a slight tantrum at night and sound sleep through out - she wakes up and is ready to go check out the mailbox to see if her binkies are gone. I lifted her up (my mailbox is high) and pointed out the sparkly fairy dust.  She was so excited. She was amazed to see the envelope was gone.  She literally had her jaw drop and whispered, "ooh mee gaaad."  She reached around the mailbox to confirm that the bulky envelope was in fact gone.

Much to my surprise she pulled something OUT of the mailbox. Apparently I forgot to take out all the mail yesterday and there was a lone Citibank statement in the mailbox. 

She squealed "MAMA, LOOK!"  I put her down on the ground and quickly tried to come up with a story.  Before I could say anything (and this is NOT an exaggeration) she hugged the statement and said, "Mama. It's SOOO beautiful."

Ah the simple things. I quickly decided that the statement was in fact a letter from the Binky Fairy and since we were running late for school (which was another lie, because for the first time in forever we were going to be EARLY), we had to go now and couldn't read the letter. We'd read the letter after school! It turns out the letter will send L on a scavenger hunt for her big girl present since I am a sucker and she is too cute.

Special Delivery

I could say it's the end of story and clear as day. When you get something in the mail it should put a smile on your face. Mail, in general, is a rarity as it is and while I will go ahead and admit not the 'greenest' thing that is apart of our everyday - I will continue to send mail. I'll drink out of reusable bottles, I will recycle, I will car pool, whatever I can do to make the world a better place for my kid(s) and their kid(s).  Stop sending cards? I will not. 

Our wedding invitations were FABULOUS... and thank you cards matched but not fun. It WAS an experience to put them together and I hope an experience to get them. Then I started to get obsessed. 

Picture it: it was the first year we were married and had never previously done "joint" holiday cards, or any cards in general. I have a habit of buying cards... but the sending them part is where I miss. I have Mother's Day cards, holiday cards, THANK YOU CARDS filled out and addressed from my wedding shower... that remain in tact. And in my card box ... unsent.  Whoops. It is the thought that counts? Right? Tack.E. I know. I have weakness,  I am not perfect. 

What is perfect? When we get it right. Like our first holiday card. We went to a Halloween party that year - and NAILED IT. We were the Olsen Twins. Including Starbuck's cups that housed our fuel for the evening. Keg beer through a sippy cup top? It's awesome. One day, right before Christmas (I'm talking days) I thought, while looking at filling out the completely NON personal Holiday Cards that were not only not personal they were kind of boring (still have them... see also: issues with hording)... what if we sent out photo cards from Halloween? Love the Olsen's? Don't even put our names on it - just on the address labels? And a few minutes later and a couple bunch of bones spent on speedy delivery and our masterpiece was born: 

Be honest, it's hott. Killer. Da'Bomb. Hilarious. Fantastic. 

Truth: People (going on 4 years later at date of this post) STILL break this out with their holiday decorations, yearly. Seriously. Christmas lights come out, as do the Olsen's. Menorah gets lit and the Olsen's get hung. 

Truth: Following that up was hard. SO bottom line, we knew we needed a kid in there to spice it up.   2007 L's first Christmas

I think it's right about now that I realized that having a baby had many benefits including improving the quality of mail! Like Thank you cards - would no longer be boring. They would include such hits as: 

Thank You Cards for "Just Because" - new babies get a lot o stuff from generous friends & family. They deserve a BUNCH of thanks! 

Oh first birthday celebrations had to be spectacular. Thanks be to all things wonderful, I have a friend at work, Steph who is a genius and generous with her talents. She designed the following invitation. Seriously have you seen a better party invite for a first birthday? Sure, Steph rocked it - but I contributed the ADORABLE child and a website for the event - including at the time voting for a cake.  It was crazy. We had two parties to make everyone happy. It was chaotic. What can we say? L is lucky to have so many people that love her.  And I was lucky to have a talented graphic designer supply me with another piece of mail that is an experience.  

Fabulous parties mean the need for more fabulous thank you cards. 

Life got hectic and balancing work, life, life, and life got harder. 2008 we didn't have Holiday Cards. Awful. I know. We were busy living, having fun and L was attending her first wedding ever her Great Grandmothers! Another reason was we had a while after that trip with out a working camera, so that led to no holiday card. There were plans of a Happy Valentine's Day card or MLK Jr Day card but nothing really panned out.   I knew though 2009 had to be a good one.  First came Valentine's Day and then her 2nd birthday - and to be honest, I cheaped out on the invites, though I thought the wording was clever (enough) to pass. 

Another adorable Halloween costume because word fodder for Thank You Cards. Listen. If it isn't broke, don't fix it. 

And finally this past year's holiday card. One of our finer works. Sure it took a few HUNDRED pictures but we finally came to (one) of my favorite cards ever.

Yup. That's me & my ball & chain with the exact same outfits miles and miles away from each other - but most likely the same year to the right and our own little beauty flying high - she's doing "superman" while I am lifting her with my legs. She is looking down at me and I am taking as many pictures as possible. BOOM. It worked. What didn't? Apparently since we skipped a year everyone forgot our dog's name - poor Abelle. so upon wishing everyone a great holiday season ... they thought we were also announcing a new addition. Little did they realize she's been around longer than we've been married! 


Little things about me? I love making mail an experience. Also - for serious Halloween, birthdays & yes... the HOLIDAYS are just around the corner. What great ideas are out there that I can plagiarize?

*Today has been brought to you by the number 15 of the "100 Things" List about little old me. 

15. I believe receiving mail should be an experience.

wordless wednesday

girls DO just want to have fun

Dear L,

Three years ago at this time, you weren't here just yet but you were well on your way. We waited forever for you, in so many ways. I was pregnant for almost a year (p.s. I'll forever be convinced you were actually 3 months at birth), your delivery took days, and the waiting for you to come home for the hospital was endless.  In retrospect, it turns out we were waiting for you before we even knew what we were waiting for. Worth the wait, doesn't describe it.

You are wise beyond your years and an old soul, that is for sure.  Your humor and wit is spot on, you have amazing comedic timing already.  You are beautiful beyond description.  To boot you are brilliant, but don't let that get to your head.  We love that you know who you are already.  When you are told how pretty you are, you are quick to correct them that you are "smart, too."  You aren't just a pretty face. 

We have some of those qualities, but in you it is enhanced.  We're funny (if I do say so myself), not horrible to look at and not to shabby on the smart front. The genetic mystery - besides your complexion, stunning blue eyes and wavy blond locks - has to be your athletic ability. The way you can throw a ball, hit a bat or kick a ball like a pro amaze us. 

Baby girl, pretty soon (not today - or anywhere in the 10 month vicinity, thank you very much) you won't be our only baby anymore but you will always be our first baby and the one who walked us down the road of the most amazing journey we have ever been on. 

We know the last year has been tough. We aren't always with you when we want to be. It hurts our heart how sad you get when we leave to go to the store knowing that you think we are pulling another disappearing act on you.  We hope you remember all the days we make up for it, instead of the days separately we miss your everyday. We do it ALL for you, everyday, every decision, every moment we think of you. 

Today on your third birthday we wonder how we lived all the years we did before you arrived. I suppose we were getting ready for you. You are worth the wait. 

Love you much. Love you always, 
Daddy & Mama