Dearest Aerin, Three years ago today, a nice lady placed a red-faced, screaming baby in my arms for the very first time. I looked down to see your face and whispered, "Hi baby, I'm your mommy. You were in my belly for almost ten months. I'm so happy to meet you...
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Look at me! Did that scare you? ;-) Because it's pretty freaky, if I may say so myself. As much as I would like to take credit for this zombie effect, I didn't have to do any work to achieve the ghoulish look (unless you call clicking on some buttons "work"). So no, there will be no makeup tutorial. :-P What I can tell you is that you can easily do the same for yourself, or any other person's portrait. All you need is a Google+ account...
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I never played with dolls as a kid. I have memories of painstakingly cutting out elaborate paper dolls and their clothes and accessories...
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Claire should technically still be in preschool. However, because she missed her school's cutoff age by only a couple of months — and because she's a bit advanced for her age — her teachers recommended she start pre-kindergarten early. (As such, she will always be one of the youngest kids in her grade.) And one of the things that distinguishes preschool from pre-k is the inclusion of homework. I was shocked when they handed us her first assignment at pickup. Really? Homework for 4-5 year olds? (At the time, Claire was only 3.) I don't remember getting homework until the 2nd grade! They also included a sheet of instructions in her homework folder which included things like: Establish a scheduled time and quiet place for homework to...
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At this time 4 years ago, I was admitted to the labor & delivery ward of Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, NJ. 11 and a half hours later, our Claire Emmanuelle entered this world. I love her for her confidence and sass. I love her for her for her curiosity, intelligence, and hilariously sharp wit. I love her for her passion and tenacity. But who really needs a reason to love her? Sometimes, just loving someone for no reason is enough. Happy birthday, my love. May you continue to embrace life. May you continue to bring laughter and joy to those around you. May you never know a day where you didn't feel loved by God. I love you. Claire's school does a "Montessori Celebration of Life" activity for each...
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