The Joy of Motherhood

The best part about being a mom, to me, is getting to relive my childhood again. No, not through my children - that is what the mom's on TLC's show "Toddlers and Tiaras" - but with them. Hanging out with them on the playground. Dancing in the living room. (Boo particularly likes Billy Idol's "Dancing with Myself" on my iPod). Building sandcastles.

So I particularly delight in all the things that make Pea girly; more specifically, when she wears her Princess dresses. And as i've mentioned before, she wears them everywhere - to school, to play in, out to dinner - even to the Memorial Day parade today. She is working on the princess wave, too - nearly has it down.

So I was particularly delighted when on the last day of school, "dress up day", I saw this when I picked up Pea:

(Focus people: I'm referring to all the pretty princess costumes - and one Gabriella from High School Musical - not to the caged preschoolers.)

Every single girl in her class dressed up, and every last one of them was a Princess or Fairy (or movie heroine. Hey, Pea wears her princess dresses any old day - they aren't really costumes. She wanted to wear something special.)

There is something magical watching a little girl in her princess dress. The innocence, the fantasy, the glitter...I dunno. Whatever it was, it was delightful!

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So after their morning of fun and excitement, my friend Wendy and I thought we'd enjoy the gorgeous day and take the kids to the park for a picnic (a la Portillo's Hot Dogs drive thru). You know, the boys only had graduation that night - no reason not to take them out, get them hot, sweaty, stinky with sunscreen and dirt. (Huge Mom Fail, here folks. I'm just sayin'...)

So we took them to a park referred to as "Timbertown" - a giant fort/treehouse park, with a timber car, timber boat, and timber bridges. It was lots of fun, although Miss Petite kept getting stuck in the play pieces, shouting "Mama, COME. GET. ME. OUT! I's too showt."

She looks seriously irritated, doesn't she?

Mr. Imagination, on the other hand, loved the Timber Boat, and was barking orders to everyone on board as to what he was doing and where the boat was going. (Fortunately, no one fell overboard...)

All in all, it was a fun day for all the kids (and the moms, as we hung out and watched the monkeys run). Look at these red cheeks. Can my friend Wendy's children BE any cuter?

They had fun, but now we need to get these overtired, sweating bundles of kid home and into bathtubs, as tonight, you see, is graduation....