When The Moon Hits Your Eye Like Your First BBQ...

...that's amore!

We brought our new toddler-friendly table and chairs out to the deck for the occasion. On the menu: BBQ chicken, caesar salad and garlic bread, followed by apple crisp and ice cream for dessert. Discerning toddler critic rating: 5 star dining establishment. 

– Oh hi everyone. Is me, Seth. We sitting outside to eat for first time at new chairs and table. 

– Is first BBQ also which not detail to leave out! "Barbeque" is fun word to say until actual BBQ show up. Then I stop talking because I is busy stuffing face with yummy chicken. Seth get busy doing fake-out with garlic bread, but I thinks you can tell I definitely savoring the flavors here. Maybe I grow up to be food critic someday. 

– I realizing for first time that we is unfettered at table while we is also outside. There is world of possibility out there if it weren't for that meddling Mommy who insist we sit at table while I reluctantly pluck at BBQ. 

– Meanwhile, I is thinking 'dis flavors like Mama used to make back in old Napoli*. Mwah! 

– Still, 'dis maybe good time to say, "have you seen my hair lately everyone?" while I show off the back. Is filling in nicely I think. Gamma Rita not know it yet, but Mommy say this going to be the summer of hippy hair love. Is going to get all kinds of out of control over here. 

– Er... what he said. Also lemon water is nice touch everyone.**

- L.

*Despite a very mixed heritage, "old Napoli" is not on our personal map and so I hope my comment is not offensive. Still, I think the only thing missing from our first outdoor dining experience was the music. 

**Lemon water was for the adults, but a good incentive for getting the boys to drink out of something other than a sippy cup. Nate especially loved it. Note to self: buy more lemons ASAP.

PS. Seth isn't joking around. The summer of the-letting-it-all-hang-out-hairstyle? It's on, everyone!

PPS. Filed under "funny things toddler say": a chorus of "more limits!" after a passing comment I made to the other adults present about my boys testing limits lately.

• • • • • • •

Dear Nate and Seth: Careful what you ask for my sons – much like a fine dessert, more limits can certainly be arranged if that's your preference. Don't tempt me.

Semi-seriously yours,

– Mommy

XOXOXOXO

This Is What It Looks Like...

Zzzzz...

... when skipping your nap catches up with you. Another day, another casualty. Ready to call it quits yet, guys, and just go back to your regular afternoon nap? This business with the eyes closed at suppertime really isn't getting either of us anywhere. 

*sigh* 

- L.

Dear Nate & Seth...

That word doesn't mean what you think it does.

*kisses*

– Mommy

Dear Nate & Seth...

Dear Nate & Seth,

Just in case you didn't know, 4:45 AM is *not* a time of day to be awake at, much less fully alert. Good thing you two are super cute and that it's always a pleasure to see you both no matter what time of day it is, but let's not push it OK? Not sure how you keep your internal clocks so in sync, but you might want to consider letting me in on your plans once in awhile or perhaps (and this is just a suggestion) maybe try sleeping later? You know, like you used to? I'd really prefer the sleeping later option if my vote counts. Nothing crazy. At this point 6 AM would probably feel like we're all on vacation.

Glad we cleared that up. It was an interesting day and memorable as always, but let's not do it again too soon.

*kisses*

– Mommy