We had the talk about the basement again this week and as the weekend approached I could see Michelle getting more agitated. She really wanted to clean it. Better yet, she wanted to purge and eradicte clutter.

We were hosting a second birthday party for Ally. That’s right, she somehow managed to get us to agree to a second, joint birthday with her out-of-town (i.e., non-school_ friends. She looks innocent but she’s devious. In preparation for the party, we were straightening up. Or, I was straightening. Michelle was tossing things in garbage bags and sneaking out the back door.

Is a spotless house with no clutter, no mess, no evidence of kids really the goal?

There is a particular table in our basement. We’ve had it since our first shared apartment. Ally now uses it as her craft table and it is a maelstrom of mess no matter how often we attack it.

You know what? Kids are messy. The more chaos, the more mess, the more fun they’re likely having. And the more fun they are having, whether they’re toddlers or teenagers, the harder the evidence is to hide. And why, would you want to hide it?

This isn’t to say we should let everything go, but you do have to let some things go. You’re going to have to accept some mess.

Because it’s beautiful evidence. Evidence that the kids are alright. Evidence you are doing some things right.

A cold, wet six miles to start Saturday. Just warm enough not to be icy, but cold enough that, to paraphrase the words of the great Canadian poet The Weeknd, I couldn’t feel my face.

A run and prepping dough has become my new Saturday morning routine. This week trying a new rustic loaf with some buckwheat flour for Sunday’s pasta dinner.

For Christmas we tried to order Ally some slime but instead she received the power to create portals for transport between two non-adjacent locations.

Okay, she has no superpowers. It was just a very bright neon sign from her aunt but now every time I come up the stairs and its on I think I’m an extra in a Barbie-themed horror movie.

Big sister helped make cupcakes for the second birthday.

Best recent baking hack? Putting grains of rice in the pan before putting down cupcake or muffin liners. Does a great job of soaking up grease and moisture when cooking.

Despite assuring me that, other than the party, we’d have a low key weekend, right after finishing our workouts, she immediately began tackling mounting the new exercise room TV.

The infamous craft table where Ally defied the no presents ban on this birthday and made her friends some art.

Showtime!

Corteo takes place during the funeral of Mauro The Dream Clown. As friends, family, and the circus troupe Mauro was a part of mourns over their loss, Mauro’s spirit awakens from his body and he begins to watch his own funeral.

We might have bought tickets before we fully checked out the plot of the show. We decided to keep it vague when we explained it to the girls.

Look! People flying through the air.

They might not have understood it all (no one did) but they enjoyed it. Cotton candy concessions helps with translation issues.

While the girls were at the show, the older sisters decorated.

And made an impressive array of colorful cupcake frostings.

If you’re coming to our house for dinner, odds are high that you are having pizza.

Not only was it a second birthday, it was a sleepover.

Last I saw the girls, they were downstairs. This morning, no one was in the kitchen, so I assume the giggles eventually led to some sleep.

Have a good Sunday!