Easter Fashion

Yes, my mom put me in a bow tie
Originally uploaded by Amanda_and_Mike

Based on the picture, bow ties and Sam don't seem to be a match made in heaven. While he may not enjoyed it, he tolerated the tie through church and long enough for me to snap a picture in the car. Who could blame him? We learned the next day that the poor boy was battling a double ear infection and some digestive issues on Easter Sunday.

Maybe I could have lessened his suffering by skipping the bow tie, but isn't one of the joys of parenting the privilege to dress our children according to our preference? We only have a few years to select our children's clothing, then, if they are like my fashionista, they let it be known quite clearly as to what fits their personal style. I decided early on that clothing was not a battle I intend to fight. My theory is as along as my children are appropriately dressed, then they are free to wear what they want. Luckily for us, E is in the midst of a feminine phase and is always asking if she can wear a dress. I like this stage, I hope it lasts.

Happy 1st Birthday Sam

Happy Together
Originally uploaded by Amanda_and_Mike

I'm a day late, but what a busy and special day it was. We had so much fun celebrating Sam's birthday. I'm exhausted this evening and ready to call it a night. I posted pictures to flickr of his birthday party. While we missed people, we still had lots of laughs and lots of fun. Of course, it isn't a party without presents. Even with a smaller crowd, the boy still managed to clean up. Now, where in the world do we put this stuff?

In my attempt to save some money on this party, Tricia and I partnered together to tackle the cake and cupcakes. Any guess who did which one? Tricia is quite the patient artist. Both were tasty, so while my cake was not as artistic as I hoped (helps if you give yourself more time to decorate), I had fun attempting to put it together. In retirement, maybe I'll learn how to properly decorate a cake.

Thanks to everyone who helped us celebrate this wonderful occasion. To Mr. Sam Sam, I am not quite sure where this first year went, but thank you for blessing us with your smiles and laughs. You are our happy little guy and we adore and love ya. Happy First Birthday, Stugga!