.....two week hiatus......

.....I am returning from a two week spring break from this precious blog.....this sweet virtual space that allows me to reflect and be thankful......time off is essential, just so that it never begins to feel like a "job" to keep up with the moments in our family that I choose to document and archive......I can not say that I've come back refreshed, as I packed up the kids and drove to Baltimore while Stefan was on a business trip......a far cry from a relaxing vacation reading and sun bathing on the beach......but my cup was filled with quality time with two old friends who I sorely miss......and rejuvenating the soul can be just as good as basking on the beach in a different kind of way......

.....so to recap my two weeks away from this blog, I will highlight the best of the best......

.....our third annual High Tea at the Plaza......

.....this trip never gets old......this year, we added the adventure of hopping on the train in our Sunday best to make our way to NYC......

.....my girls can still hail a cab, a skill I find to be essential at a very young age.....

......and dear Eloise was waiting for us, just as she has every year before us.....

....we get more and more adult time every year, as the children get older and behave like little gentlemen and ladies......

.....with the exception of multiple requests for more cherries.....and when I use the word multiple, I mean this poor waiter was asked at least 15 times for more, please.....

.....we bagged the cherry servings after one of the babes ate so many they were sick.....

....but filling up on cherries meant there was more of this for the mommas to share.....

....and a plate full of decadence plus several four and five year olds who have grown up together and still love each other dearly is enough to make this tradition one of my favorites......

.....our iphones could only buy us a small window of time post tea to wrap up conversations with so many old neighbors who I miss dearly......

.....the sugar highs kicked in and had us hailing our waiter for the bill in a hurry......

.....Sara, all of your effort of coordinating so many people's schedule to keep this tradition going is worth it......thank you for planning it each year.....it is not easy to do, especially as life gets more fast and furious for all of us, but we appreciate the tradition this has now become.....

.....and I must admit, as much as I loved the trip, I was anxious to get back to suburbia.....the beauty of our little town in the spring has me counting my blessings every day that we can still experience NYC, yet spread out in our house and our yard......

.....truly, the best of both worlds.....

.....pinkalicious......

....Daddy has been knocked up again......he came home to wheels of paint color slapped all over the counters and jars of samplers opened and splashed on the wall in lines.....whenever this happens, he knows what the next few days have in store for him......

....my inspiration comes in waves, as I like to break between projects and enjoy the newness of what the most recent venture has brought me.....I let the inspiration simmer until I am inspired by something new.....and when the fresh tidal wave of ideas comes to me, it is intense and urgent........it is all I think about and I want it done yesterday......

.....since it is the girls' room, they were excited to help and Stefan is the most patient when it comes to his helpers......

....give him a few hours to perfect his trim, add another coat, let it dry and wallah......

.....final pics to come, as we are still working on the final touches......

......I will say that the source of my inspiration was our highly anticipated new bedding.....my dear friend and talented seamstress, Stephanie helped me take an inspiration piece and designed and created both girls bedding......her final masterpiece left me speechless......

....she surprised me with every detail and for the first few days, I would spend many long moments just staring at our new bedding in awe of her work......

.....and in between my moments of adoration for her work, the wave of inspiration hit me and the scrambling for the perfect pink began......

.....a link to Stephanie's store can be found here in case you, too, have your heart set on something beautifully made with dreamy fabric...... 

.....Elsie and Callie, what's for dinner?......

......the girls find it rather empowering to choose our meal for the night.....we let them decide our last Sunday supper, as we usually eat early and we always have a family meal to close out the day of rest......leave it to NickJr.com to guide the girls.....

.....Ni hao Kai-lan's favorite is veggie stir fried rice, so that became dinner.....

.....packed with veggies and scrambled eggs, it is now a staple for us too......

.....my little mermaids.....

.....I am still in awe that in a few short months, my girls went from being afraid to put their faces into the water to full on swimmers.....they dive, find rings at the bottom of the pool, swim the full length from wall to wall and never want their lesson to be over......

.....this will be the great summer of green, chlorine streaked hair and wrinkled finger tips.....

.....bring it on!......

.....music with Mr. Paul.....

.....my favorite NYC musician made his Darien, CT debut.....we threw together a few outdoor music classes in our backyard to kick off spring and the kids went nuts.....

....it was a little chilly, as spring had had a late start this year.....but we bundled and enjoyed our buddies with some of the best kid music out there.....

.....we will definitely be rockin' to more of Paul as spring sets in full swing.....

......beach bound......

.....one of the top drivers to our area was 1. our new town had to be less than an hour to the city and 2. it had to have a beach, as this FL girl dearly misses her roots.....

....the first "warm" week of high 50s had us to the beach three times in five days......I can not get enough of it and neither can my kids......

....summer will beckon me here every day......every. single. day.......

....amen to salt and sand.....

.....one on one time with Brody......

......my Thursday morning Mom group has wrapped up for the end of the year, which has opened up a few hours for me to bask with my boy alone.....we have taken long walks, tried new parks, seen old friends and have literally laid around in the grass picking up rocks, ants and sticks.....soaking him in all to myself has been dreamy......

.....blog, it feels good to be back....

....happy full on spring......

....time for Plaza tea.....

.....after the last blog post gushing about my love for my boy, I have to even it out to make sure the pendulum stays somewhere in the middle.....the balance of the scales, so to speak; it must be the libra in me.....

.....actually, I don't know the faintest thing about horoscopes, but I do know that the libra has something to do with a scale and I am a very ebb and flow type person.....when one area of life suffers due to bigger and better in other compartments, I medicate the one that needs healing, neglecting the flourishing area and the whole process begins again......so after reflecting on the sweetness of my little man, I found it only appropriate to reminisce glamming it up with my girls..... 

.....I would drop anything or everything for opportunities like this with my little ladies because they are truly decadent.....

.....Sara graciously planned the second annual Tea at the Plaza and this year was even more enjoyable because our little ladies and men this time around, were one year older and understood how to have manners and be fancy......they even scored their own table so we Mommas could have our own.....many of us reluctantly relented to the idea of being separated from them in such an upscale establishment, but to our amazement, every single one of the 12 children held their own.....

.....and I even heard Elsie's little voice ask, may I please have some more cherries?.....

......reciprocated with this......

.....big steps for my oldest girl, who is socially figuring out when she wants to be bold and when she wants to be timid.....for afternoon tea at the Plaza, however; she decided on bold......

....it must be something for females when they have get togethers with their besties.....there is scientific evidence that spending time with girlfriends is beneficial to our emotional and physical well being.....studies have been done citing that our immune systems are boosted, our stress levels decline, our happiness levels rise all from spending time with the circles with whom we share our secrets.....the friends who celebrate our victories, console our sorrows, listen to our frustrations and struggles and revel in our joys......and they are also the ones who also nurture our babies like their own......

.....I full heartedly agree with many of these proclamations based on my own experiences and the after glow of time spent with a bestie; but after observing my two little girls who dearly love their friends and noticing that their friends also whole heartedly love them; I would venture to say that the beneits of friendship start at the ripe age of three.....

....and Elsie crafted each friend a personalized place card and proudly passed them out as our little people made their way to their table......

....you make my heart melt, sweet girl.....

....the love of dressing up and adoring a pretty dress in also inherently engrained in us as young girls....

....so is donning a new hair piece that needs to be placed ever so perfectly....

....as well as the favorite piece of jewelry that completes the look of the outfit....in Callie's case, it was her pearls that matched the white lace trim of her favorite purple dress.....and I watched her several times slightly touch her pearls to make sure they were placed and draped evenly over her neckline.....

....in many ways, our little ladies are so similar to their Mommas.....

....and as the children discussed their favorite pastries and indulged in grenadine soaked cherries with long stems, the Mommas weren't too far off basking in uninterrupted (almost) conversations......exchanging stories about our children, our husbands, our future plans, and the new babies who will one day join us on this anticipated occasion.....

....and we Mommas were able to savor one last cup of tea and pleasant conversation when the littles were done with their scones and sweets, thanks to tent like long table clothes and smart phones.....

....whatever works.....

....and upon hearing her name, the children made a mad dash to Eloise's tea room where her infamous piano and playroom reside......she must always be out having a fabulous adventure with her nanny when we stop by.....we've never seen her, but she always obliges us by sharing her fancy things.....

....and lately it's been so busy at home with showings and daily cleaning and open houses, that I haven't had much time to reflect on the things that I will miss when we are no longer urban dwellers....

.....but upon leaving the Plaza on our spring day outing, I couldn't help but acknowledge that next year, we will be taking the train in for this grand day.....

.....and I was both excited and saddened by the thought.....

....thank you, Sara, for planning such a lovely Saturday afternoon.....

....Tea at the Plaza is an occasion that is now etched into my description of spring in New York City.....it is part of the reason the girls and I will look forward to the new season; included with the anticipation of cherry blossoms, tulips, light pastel coats and vivid blue skies..... 

....and a time to reconnect with all the women who are not only neighbors, but have also become friends.....the ones who have all raised their babies together in this blessed, beautiful NYC life......I am grateful for the experience and the friendships that have been cultivated over the years.....

.....maybe next time we'll find Eloise.....