Happy Birthday Sadie Part Two

Hi Everyone,
I did it! I planned a birthday party for Sadie and it happened. One down, many more to go.

It started at the local restaurant in my town (the, meaning, the one and only)...



And people showed up...







And after we ate, we headed back to my house for cake and ice cream...






...and then there was present opening mayhem...



and Frida belly rubbing...



..and balloons to discover...



..and new friends to make who are handy with a bottle...



Speaking of friends. I have some great ones. Seriously, the best.
So even though Sadie is looking a little worse for the wear here, I was all warm and fuzzy because I have such awesome friends.




And these awesome friends have amazing children (and are having amazing children--two in this photo are pregnant). It's so nice to watch them play together. These little versions of us, different, but familiar, interacting and forming relationships just like we did a long time ago.

Love
Rosalie

Oh Yeah, I had Breast Cancer

Hi Everyone
So, as the day to day activities of being a mom and wife and owner of a dog and home (that's my sense of responsibility, in that order) and all the stress and worry about keeping my job crowd my mind, I sometimes I forget I am a breast cancer survivor. Yesterday I ran in to an old friend from high school and he didn't recognize me at first, seeing as I have had long hair my whole life, not counting the time I wanted to look like Pat Benatar in the sixth grade, and the time I chopped it all off in eighth grade when my dying grandmother took one look at me and asked where all my curls went--yeah, cutting it all off didn't exactly bring the curls back, only made me look like an even more awkward thirteen year old. Anyway, the point is, it took me a moment to remember why I had short hair.
While I was super sick, a photographer who was doing her thesis on breast cancer survivors, in a round-a-bout way, learned of my situation and came out to my house with all her equipment and took some pretty amazing photos. I just got a packet in the mail of the photos she took. Some of them were hard to look at. The one of just Sadie, of course, is now on my wall.



So cute.

I didn't know what to do with the others. Of me, bald, skin on the bottom of my feet shredded. Bury them somewhere like the ostrich burying its head in the sand? Move on. Your alive. That kind of idea? And then I thought. No way. That's a part of who I am. And even though now I am fighting other battles and worried about other things, I cannot forget this one. So, I framed it and added it to the rest of framed photos.



And sometimes, I glance over at the photo and I don't recognize myself. Who is that, I think. Not quite sure. Not me anymore really. But, whoever she is, she amazes me.

Her entire project is pretty amazing. Please take a look. Sometimes, I do, just to remember. In this time of useless worry about being keeping my job and my house and all the superficial 'stuff' that goes along with having money, her images ground me in an amazing way and remind me what's important and who I am.

Love,
Rosalie

The Little Mama for Obama

Hi Everyone
Happy Inauguration Day!




Love,
Rosalie

Happy Birthday Sadie Wren

Hi Everyone,
It's officially been a year. And in that year, my little bird went from this...



...to this.



And we went from this...



...to this...



Wow. I have a one year old.

Even though today was her official birthday, I am planning on having a party in a few weeks (please I hope I get it together enough to pull this off, because I fear if I don't it says something about my skills as a mom!). Anyway, Greg, who is very sentimental, could not let the day go without officially recognizing it as the day of her birth. And so he went about ordering an organic chocolate cake from the local bakery, bought some flowers, a few presents (he even got her a card) and invited our neighborhood friends over to celebrate the day.



The cake was good...






Oh yeah, the cake was definitely enjoyed..




But before the cake was enjoyed there was the candles--and nobody thought this might not be the best idea for a one year old...Oh well. We've only had her a year. We are still learning!



Love,
Rosalie

Holidays....DONE

Hi Everyone,
So the holidays are officially over. Sort of sad. Sort of relieved. Here are the highlights, as seen through Sadie's eyes, of course.

Christmas Eve was at our house. I made two kinds of lasagna, we had cracked crab, salad, bread and the aunties supplied a scrumptious chocolate cake. Was delicious. Amara was dressed in a little velvet suit, so I shoved Sadie in to similar attire. A dress buried deep in her little armoire, at the ready for a special occasion. Too bad this will be the only time she will wear it! She had already grown too big for it and it was so tight on her little (but big for her age) body..



Here are the little birds on display for their admireres, giving kisses and being irritated by the flashing camera.









Hannah did another lovely table setting (though the tablecloths are a little hodge podge, note to family--next year, for Christmas, I need a new tablecloth)...



Frida was more nice than naughty...




Sadie eventually was put in to something a bit more comfortable. Though not as festive, she was a lot happier...



Linda stopped by and gave Sadie some new books. She LOVES books.



Look at her little face. So excited.



The next day, Christmas day, was spent at Nina and Dan's where they made a yummy brunch and we all opened presents. Sadly, I have no photos of this event, probably because I was too busy preventing Sadie from eating ribbons and wrapping paper. After a walk through chilly San Rafael, we headed to my dad's house.
Here we are opening presents on the stairs (not quite sure why we parked it there and whenever I look at these pictures I remember a nasty spill I took at the bottom when I was in high school and I heard my cat getting in to a fight out in the street and tore down the stairs to rescue him only to turn my ankle at the bottom ending up in the emergency room with a trick ankle every since....but I am seriously digressing here)...



At this point in the evening, Sadie was over it, hence the dour look, no matter how hard I tried, this was all she would give...



And I really tried...



Then Amara joined the stair party...




And discovered they were fun to climb...





Oops...



...and just like that, Christmas was over.



New Year's ever was fairly uneventful. We were in bed by 10. We had drinks and appetizers at our friend's, Elizabeth and Andrew, way up the street. There were kids, so Sadie got to crawl about...



Then we walked down the street to Linda and David's and had dinner...



Sadie wowed everyone with her trick of pulling herself up and standing...



...and then got really tired...




so we walked home..

But New Year's Day...we actually have a tradition. An, I believe, six years and counting tradition of driving out to Tomales Bay, to the little blink and you'll miss it town of Marshall and getting BBQ Oysters (or raw if you are in to that sort of thing). The best BBQ oysters, and clam chowder and garlic bread. It just so happens Elizabeth and Andrew also wanted to start a similar tradition so we took them along. I swear, six years ago, maybe there were ten people there. But now, it's a total scene.



It was a beautiful day and Greg and I, once again, reminded ourselves we need to explore this amazing area we live in. We are really lucky.




Plus the light was amazing, so we got some good shots of the little Wren Bird..



Even if most of the time she was giving her best, 'You talkin to me?' face..



...or, better yet, the back of her head.



Happy New Year Everyone. Without the birth of my daughter, I would definitely chalk 2008 up as one of the hardest years of my life. I know it's a cliche, but whatever doesn't kill us, right? And I'm still here. And that's a lot to be grateful for.
Love,
Rosalie