On Saturday, Lily turned seven and we celebrated with a Mermaid Party. I started with a plan downloaded from One Charming Party* and then once we got going, we came up with more ideas to make the party our own.

We don’t live by the ocean, so we had to create our own undersea world. Tim used a projector from work to draw sea creatures and then he and the girls used watercolors to paint them. My favorite is the sea turtle. Tim strung blue streamers from the porch ceiling to create a wave effect. A nice breeze kept the streamers blowing so it really felt like we were under gently rolling waves.

On the day of Lily’s party, I decorated the table with blue plastic tablecloths covered with a fishing net left over from Andrew’s pirate party years ago. (You can find decorative fishing nets at Michaels.) Then I sprinkled seashells, chocolate coins, and costume jewelry all over to look like treasure. Because mermaids always know where the best treasure can be found.

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I had planned to post a photo of a dreamsicle swing today, but after watching Modern Family last night I’m just not in the mood for cute. (Another day, perhaps.)

I woke up this morning thinking I should change the name of my blog to Screaming at a Princess Party and write about the seamier side of motherhood. Like the time my 12-year-old asked me to waterboard him. It’s for a story I’m writing, he said. There’s no way I’m going to waterboard you, I said. Fine, I’ll do it myself, he said. He put a bath towel over his face, pulled the kitchen faucet sprayer out as far as it would go, and leaned backward over the sink trying to spray himself in the face. After a minute or so of watching as he contorted himself to get the full blast of water, I said, You’re doing it wrong. (Like I know the right way to do it.) Andrew leaned back over the sink while I sprayed water onto his towel-covered face. I think this is more of a spa treatment than torture, I said after a while. Mmm-hmm, he said, warm water cascading over him. Blissed-out though he was, I’ll probably leave this incident out of the scrapbook.

So the Modern Family episode I watched last night was about Lily’s birthday party. Have you seen it? Clare tries desperately to keep her cool through various trials but ends up, in her own words, “screaming at a princess party.” You can watch it here. Poor Clare. That’s her in the photo, screaming her head off. At a princess party. Life can be so darn messy.

[Read more…] about Screaming at a Princess Party

“Summer afternoon, summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” (Henry James)

I think I’m one of only a handful of people who are completely happy with the heat and humidity that the upper midwest is experiencing right now. It’s so wonderful to thaw out finally after a long, cold winter. I’m writing this while sitting on the screen porch, faithful dog at my feet, birds chirping away, and the moisture so heavy in the air you can see it. The only drawback is that it’s hard to do anything productive when you’re feeling so warm and woozy. But I’m sure that whatever needs to be done can wait, can’t it?

This week we’re enjoying a visit with family from Phoenix, complete with a young cousin who likes American Girl dolls as much as my girls do. Thanks to our visitors we’re indulging in a week chock full of our favorite things: picnics, water balloon fights, lunch at the American Girl store, games, canoeing and kayaking, and lots of reminiscing each time someone asks, laughing, “do you remember the time we—?”

Alas, Mama can only sit so long on the porch. I hear the kids stirring and it’s time to get a move on. There are Things To Do and a mermaid party to plan for this weekend. So I’ll tear myself away from the hummingbirds and get busy. This afternoon, we’re going to attempt to make ice cream in a bag, so I’ll let you know how it goes.