Yowza! Did three weeks pass? They did. Where was I? Oh. I was here mostly, I guess. Eating strawberries with chocolate sauce, and beef burgers and veggie burgers on homemade burger buns, and grilled steaks with chimichurri.
Those are recipe links. I just thought I'd be clear about that.
Oh, what else?
Well, I got my toenails polished, as did Birdy and Michael. Have you ever been to the Pink Polisher nail salon?
I really recommend it. You just ring the doorbell.
And the Pink Polisher himself will let you in.
He's very fancy, but don't be intimidated. He's welcoming, and has a lovely selection of polishes to choose from.
I chose a color called, simply, "Pink." But Birdy picked "Mystery Pink" and loved it.
She was getting all snazzed up on account of the party she was throwing!
Everyone who is anyone was there.
Charlotte played quietly with a ballon, while Strawberry and Squeak enjoyed an uproarious game of Twister. Eebo just ate and ate.
It was a grand party. And to think: summer's only just begun!
(p.s. Birdy made the tiny Twister game from this book which I have mentioned before and which is, criminally, out of print. Still, Tiny Treats, which is not out of print, is another great one for whiling away an afternoon. And speaking of Amazon links, who here bought Waiting for Birdy for 68 cents? That cracked me up.)
this all is magic
ReplyDeleteLove it all! The Pink Polisher especially. :) I remember when pink was his favorite color to wear. He's probably glad that we all know those things about him. Waiting for Birdy for 68 cents. What a steal! ;)
ReplyDeleteThe Pink Polisher somehow reminds me of Johnny Depp. And of Ben, too.
ReplyDeleteTiny Treasures (spiral-bound) seems to be available for a reasonable price on Amazon. The hardcover is way expensive.
ReplyDeleteHa! 68 cents! I paid FULL price at the Barnes and Noble in "fancy" Rittenhouse Square in Philly. I was there (with my toddler & pre-schooler & hubby) to hear you read and bought the copy for you to sign. it was so worth it! ;-). Too bad I didn't get to meet you in person when I still lived in the Amherst area (Granby). I miss the Pioneer Valley.
ReplyDeleteWe went back last summer for a visit and I walked into Cooley Dick holding the boys' hands as I'd dreamed of doing. Too bad they were more impressed with the vending machine in the solarium than in seeing the place where they'd both been born 5 and 7 years earlier... sigh.
I loved the Pink Polisher. Is he wearing a Gymboree t-shirt? (it looks like a brown one with colorful polka dots they had last year and which I LOVED!)
Oh man, I paid full price years ago!!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the post and the pictures...so beautiful! My boys are 3, 1, and 3 months, and we are SO playing nail salon when they are older. Thanks for all you do :)
ReplyDeleteI love the creativity in Ben and Birdy's play. My children are the same ages and I have often wished Ben were my son's best friend. I love your blog and wish you would update every single day! Admittedly, I read this entry and felt a tinge of disappointment that the only thing my kids have ever polished is their Renaissance festival wooden swords ...
ReplyDeletei like the mystery pink color!! that cracked me up. and really 68 cents - totally worth the cover price.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing what Ben and Birdy are up to! Their creativity is a treasure. Catherine, have you ever read "The Grammar of Fantasy" by Gianni Rodari? I highly recommend!
ReplyDeleteGlad to see Ben is still a connoisseur of pink.
ReplyDeleteLooks like good times.
I wish I was at that party.
ReplyDeleteI wish my sons would play so charmingly...we still seem to be stuck in the "heh heh, poop" stage that I've been telling myself is almost over since they learned to talk. :P
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of immature, my word verification is "unhole." Heh heh to that as well.
Hope you're having a great summer, with cold beer and minimal mosquitos.
Thanks for the chimichurri recipe (and the wonderful story that went with it). I was wondering what to do with all the parsley I decided to plant!
ReplyDeleteSummer is here indeed! One day, when the words two year old are a faint and distant memory, nail polish will be allowed back into our house. Until then, we live vicariously through the Pink Polisher.
ReplyDeleteThe spiral bound version of Tiny Treasures is also available on the website PaperBackSwap.com - for free if you post books to swap! A note that if you join the book swapping website, and give my 'nick name' as a referral, I get credit. Its 'Reader-in-Beverly'. Check it out, great way to swap books. Just a note, Catherine's book isn't available but only 4 swapping members are wishing for it!
ReplyDeleteHow funny. I had that same, fleeting, Johnny Depp thing happen as well. I'm not sure that says as much about the actual photo as it does our middle-aged mama minds still dancing to that Tiger Beat. I suppose I should speak for myself. Okay, moving on now...
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing such a fun time with your family! I've been reading your musings since you started back at babycenter! Can't believe how big Ben and Birdy are!! They're beautiful as always. It reminds me I need to be waaaaay less uptight with my children. The chimmurra (sp?) recipe looks yummy. Any chance you'll share the quinoa recipe from Nicole? I love quinoa so always looking for different ways to prepare it! Enjoy your summer!
ReplyDeleteOh, this is where I get frustrated at the internet. It is so unusual for me to see a boy near pink nail polish. No big deal, but I was reading Bringing up Ben more then seven years ago and I still check here to this day. But not much of these older kids life can be discussed in this way. I'll be fine.
ReplyDeleteI can't remember where I left the earlier comment about visiting the Little house on the Prairie in Kansas. Well, we did, and it was good, but not so good you need to drive across the country to go. But, I did learn Carrie was actually born in Kansas! So Ma was actually pregnant during the wagon ride across the prairie! Can you imagine? Ooh, also I've been meaning to tell you, I've been reading all things Laura Ingalls Wilder lately and did you know there's a collection of her fairy poems? I thought Birdy might enjoy them! There are just 4 or 5 poems, but nice illustrations. Also, did you know she wrote 'The First Four Years' but it wasn't included in the original group because it was published after her death. I have just started it and some say the writing isn't as polished but I think it's still very good. You might already know all this, but just thought I'd share! Thanks for the recipes. Someday when I don't have 3 little ones I will try them, but I read them all.
ReplyDeleteHi there Ellie,
ReplyDeleteI've read your comment a few times over, but I don't really understand it. Did you mean that Catherine shouldn't tell us about her son's use of pink polish because it is too public? Or something else? I'm not at all judging the commet, I just wanted to try to better understand your perspective.
This made my day. I love the polish color chart.
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous, sorry I wasn't clearer. I love to hear about Ben, pink nail polish and all, but I know Catherine now keep personal stories relating to him well, personal. That is a good thing for him, but I miss her perspective sometimes
ReplyDeleteWish the Pink Polisher had a franchise in my neighborhood! I'm rather jealous. (And I can see the Johnny Depp resemblance too.) Love the mini-Twister! Very very cool and ingenious.
ReplyDeleteSo more summer reading ideas if Ben hasn't already checked them out. I think he might really enjoy The Revealers; also, Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie. Keeping my open for good finds for Birdy, but hrs is an age group that I'm a little less acquainted with - perhaps The World According to Humphrey or Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat.
Ooops - sorry about the spelling errors. I can read but I can't type, apparently.
ReplyDeleteAnd in reference to Sarah and her idea that your sons would be united by a common love of poop humor: my two year old daughter loves to laugh and talk about poop too. We actually have a diaper changing song that we made up (and corresponding dance) called "Get the Poopoo OUT" that she makes me perform. I especially love when she asks for it when we've got company or we're in a public changing station; it's not at all embarassing and nobody gives us funny looks.
I too paid full price many years ago! And it was totally worth it, as I've reread it so many times I've lost count.
ReplyDeleteI kind of feel where Ellie is coming from -- I would love to hear more about how you and your kids are interacting, a la the days of Bringing Up Ben and Birdy. But those days appear to be behind us, sadly. And of course it is understandable, as their stories are their stories.
And you're probably wise not to let them be your muses, as it seems the children of so many authors have a tough time as they grow up ...
Anyway, my Ben and his big brother tend more towards the poop end of humor, so I do enjoy the Adventures of the Pink Polisher.
I ordered a copy of "Tiny Treasures" for my daughter at your recommendation, and it's so fun. She loves looking through and deciding what to make next -- thanks for mentioning it!
ReplyDeleteWonderful! That was a lot of fun!
ReplyDeleteWonderfully lead to your blog via the june/july artical in FamilyFun. Waiting in the dentist office trying to keep my mind off my son getting his first filling. So inspired by the ideas in the magazine - and can't wait to start my personal branch of The Pink Polisher. What a wonderful way to spend a too hot summer day!
ReplyDeleteoh, lady. i have to tell you - i have read and re-read "waiting for birdy" at least (*at least*) 10 times since my sister gifted it to me when i was pregnant a few years back. i have lent out (and hunted down) that book almost as many times, and it sits, now, dog-eared.stained.binding-cracked on my night stand where i am re-reading it, yet again. putting words to this free-fall that is mamahood? nearly impossible. to witness it done so bravely, tangled with honesty and grit? worth its word count in gold.
ReplyDeleteso thanks.