It's Friday!

Happy Friday peeps! Did you check out my blog makeover? I'm totally in love with it!
Here are some instagrams from this week:

Sydney's favorite teacher, Ms. Anne. Today was her last day of summer camp at her old school and she will be going to a new school next year so I know she will desperately miss Ms. Anne. They share a special bond these two and you can see the tears in Ms. Anne's eyes in the pic. We were both crying and Sydney was looking at us like we were crazy.

Bangers and Mash from our fav Irish pub.
Homemade Nutella Ice cream. What? Yes I did!

Syd and her fav Care Bear. (It was mine when I was little!)
Playing in Mommy's shoes. No pants but she's got style.

Bridge I cross twice everyday to work.
The fortune from my cookie. Word.

Princess Sydney

A family friend made this 'princess tent' for Sydney for her birthday and we finally got it hung up this past weekend. It's awesome, but it's huge. Like I could house a small family in there. So we had to find somewhere to put it and the only place with enough room was.....in our bedroom. So now we have a lovely tent in one corner of our bedroom. But it's worth it because she loves it.

Isn't it amazing how when you have kids all of their stuff creeps into every room of your house! Like even your bathroom. Crazy!

They aren't as awesome but I found some alternatives to buy:
Marrakesk Tent
Indian Teepee
Knight's Castle

Summertime Photo Challenge

I'm entering this into the Paper Mama 'Summertime' photo challenge.
It doesn't get more summer than popsicles!

Anthropologie Birthday Loot

So since my birthday was July 1st, I finally got to use my Anthropologie 15% off birthday discount this weekend. There really weren't any 'new' items that were calling out to me (at least not ones that didn't cost above $100) but I did score some cute sale items.

High Gloss Belt (sold out online) - super cute color!

Amethyst Stalactite Necklace - I've been looking for one of these!

Lundin Links Sweater - I almost bought this in another color too (I still may) but it is so adorable and this color is divine. It feels very 1950's to me which I love.

Meeting Maia Indigo

My friend Debbie (Dark Horse) had her little girl Maia yesterday and we went to visit her at the hospital today. Debbie is doing great (and looking great!) and little Maia is so precious! We were happy to be her first official visitors (other than grandparents) and we got to see her take pictures with the hospital photographer; she was so calm and barely cried but she did keep making this super sweet squeaking noise.

Sydney started to get a little jealous when I was holding Maia but she was very gentle and kept smiling at her. She even 'gave' Maia her Care Bear for a few minutes! Makes me miss that baby phase...those tiny little hands, soft skin, cute little noises and that baby smell.

This week in Mommyland...

I started a new job this week which has been amazing. I am still working in a Montessori school, just a different one in the area and so far it has been awesome. I'm excited for the fall so that Sydney can come with me everyday again (right now she is in summer camp at her old school). The only downside is that I have to drive about a hour each way but it's worth it to be a part of this school's community.

Summer calls for Coldstone Ice Cream and dips in the kiddie pool.

Paint with water and then it disappears and you can paint it over and over....I'll take a dozen please!!

Beachin' it with my Little Mermaid.

All of a sudden we are obsessed with doing ballerina dances (as she says). I have a video of her on my phone dancing and she watches it over and over again.

Washing her baby with a squirt bottle. Taking in the view.

Our poor Penny Lane had to have back surgery last week. She woke up one morning and wouldn't move her back legs at all. She had surgery that afternoon and is now recuperating wonderfully. She can actually walk again and is even anxious to run around in the yard with the other two dogs! (She's on crate rest right now.) She's so spunky that I have to catch her so she doesn't slip around on our wood floors. A spirited a little dachshund she is!

Reality....

This is my Aunt Lynn on the beach with Sydney when she was visiting from Kentucky in May. Last week we got a call that she suddenly didn't have any feeling on the left side of her body, thinking that it was a possible stroke, they rushed her to the hospital to do a slew of tests and scans. After many hours of CT's and MRI's it was determined that she had a small brain tumor that was causing the paralysis. She regained feeling after a few rounds of medication but then her lung collapsed and she has had to have a very uncomfortable chest tube ever since.

This morning they operated on her brain to remove the tumor and I just got a call from my Mom telling me everything went well. She will still have to withstand several rounds of chemo and radiation in the coming weeks to be sure that they got everything but I'm just so relieved right now that she is doing well. It's really hard to be so far away from your family when a crisis like this occurs. I feel so useless here but I know there's nothing I could do there either....it's still frustrating. Any positive thoughts sent her way would be appreciated by all.

White Trash Birthday Bash

On Sunday, we celebrated my mine and my Moms birthdays. (Mine is July 1st and hers is July 4th.) We always have a theme party and this year was a White Trash Birthday Bash. We thought this tied in nicely with the Fourth of July and the costumes would be relatively easy to come up with in a pinch. I set up my photobooth backdrop as usual and we took some silly pictures.....

Her first tattoo. Ha!

Me & my girl

Me, Syd & Debbie

Debbie says I look like 'Rosie the Riveter' here!

We are badass.

I love USA.

Syd trying to blow out the trick candles. She was hilarious!

Me & my Moma
I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July!!!