Favorite Things Friday: Curbside Cupcakes

Picture shamelessly stolen from Curbside Cupcakes.

OMG.

Seriously.

I know I haven't done a Favorite Things Friday in, uh, forever, but this post just had to be written.

Two words: Curbside Cupcakes, my friends, Curbside Cupcakes.

(You can thank me later.) (In cupcakes.)

So, here's the story, last Saturday we attended what is most likely the most casual, relaxed, fun wedding we ever have or ever will attend. The wedding itself took place by the Jefferson Memorial, guests sat on blankets or bag chairs or ran around (um, this was mostly the kids in attendance). Then we walked through the FDR Memorial (only my favorite memorial in all of DC!) to the polo fields where the Salahis met us. (Totally stole that joke from the officiant!) Okay, where there was a big white tent waiting for us along with...wait for it...wait for it...a taco truck and a cupcake truck.

Fun, right?

The tacos were amazing (and probably deserve their own FTF post) but the cupcakes? The cupcakes were divine.

I had two.

And, the next day the bride dropped off three extras at our house.

I had 1.5 of those.

Yeah. That good.

So, apparently this truck drives around DC (find out where it is at this very moment) and you (if you are a lucky duck who lives or works in downtown DC) can buy one. Or 12.

(But let me warn you: if you by 12, do not, I repeat, DO NOT, take them all home. You will eat them. I know, you will try to resist, but it won't work. See above: 2 + 1.5 = 3.5.)

I did receive 3.5 cupcakes for free. But they were paid for by my friend (or whomever funded that totally awesome wedding.) However, if Curbside Cupcake would like to compensate me in any way, the truck is More. Than. Welcome. to come to my house any day of the year! (Do you hear me Curbside Cupcake?!)

Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!

The Twins

Exhibit A:



Exhibit B:

Which is Nathaniel and which is Lucas? Everyone says that Nathaniel looks like me and Lucas looked (and still looks!) like his dad, but I think these two boys look so much alike!

In a last-minute decision, we sent both boys to my parents' house this weekend--both boys gone for three nights and two days! It was great, we got a lot of campaign work done, I made some dents in our mountain of laundry and ironing and we even went out on a classic DC date night (dinner followed by a moon-lit tour of a monument!).

I was nervous about being away from Nathaniel for so long because I'm still breastfeeding. And, it did pose some challenges. Pumping was fine for about 24 hours then my body fully rebelled about the fact that there was no baby involved. Luckily in just the first few hours of Nathaniel being back things seem to have, um, regulated.

Answer key: Exhibit A is Nathaniel, B is Lucas. Did you guess correctly?

Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!

Brothers

Lucas drew this picture of a good deed during Children's Liturgy at church last week. It's a picture of him standing next to Nathaniel's crib and singing to him. Indeed, that very thing had occurred just the day before. Someone was at the door and Nathaniel woke up from his nap and started crying. Before I could say goodbye and close the door, Lucas was up the stairs singing to his baby brother. It was the sweetest thing you can imagine.

Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!

Vote early, Vote often

Nathaniel joined me this morning to kick off the start of Early Voting in Maryland. It was pretty exciting to mark the "X" next to my own name! I lingered just a bit before hitting submit. Here's to victory!

Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!

"Hi," she said quite sheepishly, "I've missed you."

Hello there, dear readers. I presume the only ones to get this will be those who have me in a feed or some sort of reader. I mean, when someone hasn't posted in almost two months, you kind of stop checking, right?

Well, I'm back. For today. No promises about tomorrow or next week. But, for today, I'm back.

And, I'm going to let you in on a big secret. Well, not a secret, really, but something I haven't shared with you, my dear readers: I'm running for office. Yes, that's right. I have yard signs (and even get to see them when driving down the road, which is very strange), campaign literature, a website and even a few endorsements. I was given a passing mention on a prominent news site and subsequently a prominent blogger was outraged on my behalf (and on behalf of the other even more amazing women who weren't mentioned either).

I'm running for School Board in our county and campaign season is in full swing. Every. Single. Day. I have campaign stuff to do, usually more than what I can possibly finish in a day. And, of course, it's summertime and Lucas and Nathaniel are both home with me all day (ya' know, cuz I'm also a stay-at-home mom!) and so life is insane. But, also really, really exciting. Abel is 110% on board with this and so incredibly supportive. (Thank goodness, because, if he wasn't? None of this would be possible.) When I don't feel like I can do One. More. Meeting. or knock on One. More. Door. He pushes me to do it, to go, to smile, to knock, to talk, because we believe in this effort and we know that it is worth it. Worth it for our sons and their future. Worth it for all the children in our county. Worth it.

But, now that my "secret" is out to you, friends, I'll be even more honest. It isn't just being busy that has kept me from blogging (but it is being too busy that has kept me from reading and commenting on your blogs, however, and I truly am missing you!), it's also a feeling of being too exposed.

I am putting myself out there, publicly, and asking thousands of people to either vote for me or against me. To say: yes or no. To me. And, even though I have not ever blogged anonymously, and I do think it is a very good thing that voters could google me and come here and learn more about me than literally any other candidate on their ballot, it is also a little scary. Because it's me. Yes or no to me. And, damn, does that cause some major writer's block!

But, with the wonderful encouragement of my dear friend, Dr. Blondie, I decided to come back, let you in on my adventure, ask you to cheer me on (and if, by God, you live very near to me, I ask you for your vote!), and support me in my cozy corner of the world here on Smiling Mama. A corner I hold near and dear to my heart and a corner that I have been missing very much.

Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!

Favorite Things Friday: Hydrangeas

Friends,

I can not tell you how much I am adoring my hydrangea bush! I have had beautiful purple and pink blooms adorning my dining room table for weeks and it is still blooming! I know there are methods for trying to control the color of your blooms but I am so pleased with our beautiful deep pink and purple flowers that have come with no additions to our clay soil other than some mulch each year. Oh, I do hope that the blooms continue for at least a few more weeks!

Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!

Perhaps I let him jump a bit too long

Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!