This post is just a tad late… sorry.

A few weeks ago my friend hosted a “Royal Playdate!” what a fantastic idea! We had so much fun! got all fancy… hats… and came over to watch the TiVoed version of the “Royal Wedding!” what a treat!
So many special details! great treats! even handmade crown napkin rings! wow!
it was a fun morning and a nice touch to have mimosas at a playdate! why didn’t we think of that before!

but best of all was this image below… to watch my oldest seeing a “REAL PRINCESS” was just precious!
I remember myself maybe a tad younger than she, watching Princess Diana marry… so this image below reminds me of myself… to see that fancy white dress… the long red carpet… it’s beautiful!

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this day was such a treat…. we went out to the countryside with some special friends to see where milk comes from!

the kids learned so much… the cows were so beautiful and the milk was so delicious! it was quite a chilly day which was fun… and it was just before Christmas so there was a little skip in everyone’s step… thoughts of Santa’s visit… just being with friends together…. was lovely!

it’s so beautiful how children are so gentle with animals and it’s even sweeter how the animals are so gentle with the children… there is no fear really… just love.

the children take in nature… like it’s so easy… they love the animals so much it’s almost like they could hug the sweet creatures.. it was really fantastic how this farm really focused on teaching the children about the milk… nowadays kids really think that milk comes from the market… strawberries come from the little crate in the produce stand… but if we teach our kids where our food starts from… from the farm … from nature… to the table… it’s pretty much the most beautiful thing to me. it’s quite a circle… teaching children about the lovely rhythms of life… of nature…

making fresh butter… a real treat

we then came home and shook shook shook some more butter…mmmm!

what a day though… the drive from the beach to the countryside is just so peaceful… me and the girls… the windows down… singing… cool breezes blowing our hair carefree…. a fun memory.

so lucky we are to have such sweet friends! so fun to have sweet little cookie playdates!!!

I love this group of friends… we all hold these sweet moments tight and love to make memories together…. what a load of funny stories we will have to remember when the kids are off in college or backpacking around the world!… but for now we just laugh and enjoy every day and eat lots of cookies and drink lots of coffee! perfect!

one of the mammas in our little circle has had this plan for a paper mache fun get together… well.. we finally did it! and what fun it was!

I love how the kids don’t see much of a difference in ages… they have all grown together… they have older and younger siblings… they just see each other as they are and are totally happy playing together… as little friends! This is our youngest playing with Tyler who is twice her age… they both don’t seem to notice… and we don’t tell them any difference. they are collecting newspaper strips to help with the project ahead…..

there were lots of sounds of eeeeeeeooooo…. yyyyyyucky……. eeek… yyyllluuuck! it was quite fun to squish all of our fingers together in the goopyness

and there you have it… masterpiece!

so yes… my girls get quite dirty… it’s how it is… I wouldn’t want it any other way…..

I reeeeally loved this moment… us Mammas were sitting having coffee and chatting and I happened to look over and see just this… it totally completely reminded me of when I was a little girl… playing with the hose in my underpants with all the kids in the neighborhood… happiness… that’s all I really needed and I am glad to see it’s the same with our daughters… just a hose and a puddle of mud… easy!

I tried so much to turn our little Isabelle from being a princess… I didn’t want her to think that just because she’s a girl she has to be all about pretty things… she can be anything I am constantly telling her… so when she sprung on the Princess… I was shocked! maybe a little bit sad… I kept waiting and waiting to see if she may bite at any of my other suggestions… but no… I want to be a Princess Mamma! since she was a little tike I have been reading her one of my favorite books… Cinderella! The book is so tattered and lovely and she loves it so much… so of course Cinderella was her ideal princess! the final day when I decided to throw in the towel… she looked at me very sadly and said, “ok, Mamma… I can be a witch if you really want me to be one.” oh my she knows how to get to me… then I said… NOPE you will be Princess Isabelle!!!!! It’s going to be a ROYAL costume! “can I wear a tiara Mamma?” OF COURSE… with sparkly jewelry.. sparkly shoes… what EVER you want to BE you can be!!! we did just that! Our youngest however was happy to be anything we suggested… I knew to take advantage of just that in case next year she insists on being a princess as well… and yes, she was Little Red Riding Hood… so sweet! She was so happy to be just that… walking so carefully with her little hood! oh it was just precious!

we had their little cousin over one morning to play… my Grandmother came too… it was so fun for her to see her little Great-Grand-daughters in their pretty pretty costumes!

then the little cuties “read” to each other all cozy cozy!

seriously…. these kids have a life! a group of friends and their sweet families… I am so happy to have met all of these woman and have gotten to know their families… it’s a good sense of community as well as family as well as long lasting friendships… so good for these kids to have a constant reminder of having friends… what that’s all about… they see us mammas as close friends and our families coming together… enjoying conversations… having bar-b-ques… it’s really a lot of fun!

about once every week or so one mamma has a little get-together at their home… sometimes we meet at a playground… sometimes we have a cookout… a beach sunset picnic… it’s always something fun, sweet, and always always always memorable!

we stay hip and with it don’tcha think!

a lot lately a little thought has been lurking… next year our oldest kiddies all start kindergarten… and although it is reality we just keep getting that lump in our hearts… the sensation to gulp it down and twinkle our eyes to stop the tears…. it feels so good to have each other and to know that we will all go through it that day… we will be strong together and weep together and have a little coffee morning at one of our mamma’s house… and surely we will make sure not to wear mascara on that day. our littles can play together… we will miss the big get-togethers with the olders and the littles… but there will be days off and the summers and breaks and sunset picnics… but just little crafty playdates like this… will be a memory… but they will all be tucked in my heart and hopefully the children’s as well……

one of the Mammas in our little circle had a fun little pizza making morning! what fun! our family’s favorite! she is so creative… even had a little craft put together to make the little one’s chef hats! so cute!

my little one… all excited to help out!

our Isabelle and her pal Grant busy making the perfect pie!

very colorful and seriously tasty!!!

and then at the end of the afternoon… she surprised me with a birthday cake! wow…. I felt so loved! thanks Michelle!!! xoxo