ONE YEAR older and Wiser too...

Happy Birthday to you!

(Nanners and AmBam)

Nanners turned 1 just over a week ago.

I'm reeling over the fact that I no longer have a baby.

She's a full-fledged toddler now.

And toddlers need little Converse to learn to walk in.

She has to fit in with all the other kids at the playground.

We went out for dinner on her birthday and gave her a mini cupcake to maul.

And maul she did.

And then throw up she did.

In her (and our parenting's) defense-she did play a mean game of blanket wave.

The blanket wave entails Nanners sitting on her knees while

The Pants waves a big blanket up and down in front of her.

Picture those huge parachutes from elementary school.

Nanners laughs uncontrollably while trying to get under the blanket--

but it just looks more like she's getting blown over by a windstorm.

Now you understand why she couldn't keep that cupcake down.

It's akin to the Tilt-a-Whirl at the county fair!

We had a bouncy ball themed BBQ party for her a couple of days later.

She made out like a bandit-with two sets of grandparents and

an aunt in attendance.

I am so grateful for new toys to distract her with.

Although my purse (or whatever else it is she knows

she shouldn't be getting into) still never cease to entertain her.

Here's the happy girl pre-cupcake up-chuck.

When all was right with the chocolate cupcake world.

My birthday was fabulous too.

This is old news seeing as it happened a few weeks ago-

but still I think it should be noted on the blog.

Mostly, I just wanted to show everyone the awesome present I got

from the Pants. It's a giftcard tree. Complete with giftcards to all my favorite stores.

I always happen to run out of spending money come week 1 of 2.

Seriously, where does that money go? I do happen to eat an absurd

amount of fish tacos each week from this great restaurant down the street.

Now that I think of it, that's probably where it's all going.

I like to think I'm at least sending their kids to a semester of college.

In order to offset my fish taco habit, The Pants thought it

would help to have gift cards to combine with my spending so I can

get a few things I've been wanting but have lacked the self-discipline to save for.

He's either very thoughtful or an enabler.

Either way, Thank You Mr. Pants!

I also got a membership to the zoo and a trip to the dentist,

and more gift cards, of course!

All fantastic ways of saying "You are loved."

What lovely birthdays we had!