52 : 7 (part 7)

Ewan does not need an excuse to celebrate, but his favorite reason is definitely his baby who he has recently taken to calling "Darb Darb!" Darby turned 4 this week and we are all in shock, and stuffed from Celia's and plenty of cake... pictured margaritas were for the grown-ups.

A Letter to Darby on Her 4th Birthday!

Darby -

The photo with this note may be my new favorite, it represents 4 year old you so beautifully - I just want to kiss those cheekies. 

You turned this corner of sweetness a month or so ago that is simply the cutest, maybe it was when you realized your birthday was coming up and you wanted to reinvent yourself for the big FOUR! For awhile there you were a bit of an emotional terrorist, but we knew (hoped and prayed) that it was a phase, the threenager in you wasn't quite ready to vacate. You now stop doing things when we ask, hug when we ask, kiss when we ask, and say your thank yous with such genuine gratitude that even people that do not know you are overwhelmed by the sweetness. We hope this continues, but no matter what phase is next we love watching you grow little love.

You are enjoying a stint at a new preschool while we wait for your new fancy school's year to start but you have not missed a beat, you can make yourself comfortable anywhere and seem to be surrounded by friends almost instantly... this doesn't just happen at school either, at the grocery and Starbucks the story is the same. We are not sure where the extrovert gene comes from, but we love seeing it serve you so well. Some days you seem fine and then I wake up to you staring at me in the night and asking for a cuddle, it is the only indication that we ever have that something may be stressing you, but it always seems to pass quickly and in the moment we typically (95% of the time) take full advantage of the smoochy squeezes.

Your 5th year will include that new school, more dance, some sports, lot's of learning, and many other adventures. Keep growing, keep learning, keep on keeping us guessing... keep being you, lady!

Love you big time,
Mama

A 4th Birthday Date for Darby

A birthday date for Darby includes a lot of pink and purple with a steady dose of princess. This year we continued our tradition of going to the San Francisco Botanical Gardens, and also enjoyed tea at the Rotunda! It was a sweet day that we wrapped up at Celia's for the birthday girl's favorite quesadilla and a couple margaritas for Mama and Daddy to commemorate 4 years of our girl... and for surviving that long as parents of 2! But of course the birthday wasn't really done until the cake was cut.

4 Year Old Darby

Darby is so proud to be FOUR, and we are so proud that she is ours. Pink cheeks, pigtails, and always a little bit of tulle.

Darby Moira - 4 years!

Darby's Perfect Princess Party

When planning Darby's birthday party we knew our house would not be done, nor did we really want the pressure of a count down to it being done in order to entertain. In our new neighborhood there is a lovely rec center with a multi-purpose room and the perfect spot for a bounce house, which was Darby's only real request. She is still very much in love with Ariel so we invited her to join the party and we can safely say all the little ladies LOST - THEIR - MINDS... and the boys appreciated her magic skills. Darby is already talking about her 5th birthday party and she says she wants it to be exactly the same!

Darby 52/52 v4

BABY BUTT WARNING... Mama's new bathtub required some breaking in - natural light, bubbles, and quiet conversation were the perfect end to our weekend... don't be fooled, the quiet did not last long.

52 : 6 (part 7)

Ewan is definitely still in the testing sports phase, trying a little bit of everything and not yet in love with anything. This week he started t-ball, which is focused more on learning the game than mastering the sport, but he seems to be off to a good start!

Darby 51/52 v4

While construction is stressful and anger inducing for these adults, our children find it fabulous. If only we could approach this project with the silliness and smiles that Darby does.

52 : 5 (part 7)

Another tooth gone, another $5 in the bank... we think this is number 6. Ewan's teeth are achieving a new level of heinous and we never want to forget this smile or the joy of an easy $5 to a 6 year old boy.

Darby 50/52 v4

This week was a big one for our family, and not very well planned out by Mama. We moved into our new (incomplete) house on Saturday and celebrated Easter on Sunday, before Mama left on a work trip for a week on Monday. Too much to do, too little time, and far too much chaos, but it is funny how an almost 4 year old Darby barely seemed to notice aside from choice adjectives escaping her mouth at random (hilarious) times because Mama and Daddy are stressed out right now and are therefore a but more colorful in their language.

52 : 4 (part 7)

We are supposed to call them "Study Trips" but of course we all still say "Field Trip". This week Ewan's class went to a farm and Daddy chaperoned. So many animals, lots of friends, and a ton of smells.