Princess Mia & Cinderella Party...South Philly Style

                                                                    

I was born and raised in South Philly and although I’m a South Jersey girl now, having moved to Audubon after my husband retired from the Fire Department; my heart belongs to the City of Brotherly love, Cheese steaks and block parties.

I love Audubon, New Jersey, because we have enough small pockets of wooded area to attract hawks, migrating birds, ducks, fox, possum, raccoon, native honey bees, butterflies, and of course, Turkeys. No, I’m not talking politicians. I’m talking wild turkeys. There are several males and females who stroll up and down our street.

                                                   

Every once in a while, I have to get back to my roots and I do that whenever I visit my family. My sister and brother and their families live in South Philly. Sometimes, I’ll go to Sunday mass at St. Monica’s church with my sister. If you remember from my “Life with Fred & Lucy” Episodes, my siblings and I went to St. Monica’s school. There were no lay teachers back in the day. We had NUNS! The good sisters of the order of the Immaculate Heart had to deal with the entire Maratea family which included all my cousins from the Tempesta and Deluccia Family. I know without a doubt that we kids drove the nuns crazy.

                                   Princess Mia with Mom and Dad

                                                                          

This past week, my brother’s granddaughter, Mia Rose, turned four. Mia is a cutie pie and a diva. I love this kid. My niece, Rita, and her husband, Eric, had a street party celebrating Halloween and Mia’s Birthday.

                                                                          

South Philly knows how to party and when we party, we do it right. There was a DJ playing music, several bounce rides and toss games, and of course, plenty of good food.

My niece hired a costume character to drop by and offer Mia a birthday wish. She had contacted www.tgifparties.com  Mia loves Cinderella and was very happy when the Disney Princess showed up.

                                                                    

I’m guessing that Cinderella had no idea what she was getting into when she dropped by. Most hired characters make an entrance, take pictures with the birthday child, play music and do a few games and then they leave. Not with my family.

                                                                   

Mia Rose, all four years of marvelous, took Cinderella by the hand to show off her bedroom, and then, her playroom in the basement. Cinderella was coerced into playing doll baby and doctor. Mia then declared that Cinderella was in need of a nap and had the princess lie down and go to sleep. It was hilarious watching this whole scene.

                                                                     

Cinderella may have expected this job to last maybe 30 to 45 minutes. I think she and her audio/video assistant were at Mia’s party for way over an hour. Mia was in her glory and I was impressed with Miss Deena, Cinderella’s alter ego.

                                         Mia, Cinderella and Uncle Mike                        

                                                     

One of my jobs at the Academy of Natural Sciences, www.ansp.org  before retiring was the Coordinator of the Birthday Program. I had a staff of delightful, caring people who were well-trained and well-versed in accurate natural history facts. My “Birthday Angels” made the Birthday Party Program one of the most successful programs at the Academy and it was because they made the birthday child, family and guests feel like royalty.

                       Princess Mia with brother, Jason and cousins

                                                                       

Deena did an outstanding job of going with the flow and, happily participated in all requests made by our family’s little princess. If I was still working at the Academy, Deena would have fit in perfectly with my “Birthday Angels.”

If you need a Cinderella for your little princess then please contact www.tgifparties.com  

Ask for Deena and tell them Aunt Marie sent you.

June Babies

                                                                  

 

                                                                            

There are two months of the year that I need to work three jobs; December and June. I come from a large family and everyone decided to be born on either the first two weeks before Christmas or in June. I wanted to say a special Happy Birthday to my nephews John and Tom, identical twins.

                                                                          

 

I could never tell them apart when they were infants and if my sister needed me to babysit, she would have to paint one of their toenails a different color. I was always placing them in the wrong crib or calling them by the wrong name. They call me the Warden. No…it’s not what you think, I’m not a meanie but when they drove their parents crazy, I would threaten them with special projects like pulling weeds from my garden or watching a foreign film with sub-titles. These guys are the best and I love them dearly.

                                                                       

Now some Happy Birthday wishes to the other June Babies. My grandsons Jimmy, Josh and Nathan celebrate their birthdays on the 6^th 14^th and 18th. My oldest grandson not only turns nineteen, but he’s graduating High School and is going into the Marines, Ooh rah!  He’s been doing his research and knows what he wants to do. He passed his physical and is waiting to get sworn in. He was born for this.

                                                                  

 

                                         Happy Birthday to the Desperados! Love you lots.

                                                                      

 

 

                                                                                 

 

 

If you’re wondering how many in my immediate family celebrate their birthdays in December, the

answer is ten. Don’t ask about Christmas.

                                                                     

Flags, Birthdays, Cat Walks and the Smithville Inn

                                                                 

This week was a scorcher, but I don’t think I need to remind anyone on just how hot it was.

This type of weather makes us all tired and cranky and forces us to stay isolated inside an air-conditioned house, instead of outside in fresh air.

                                                                                                                                  

One of my fellow ghost hunting buddies, who happens to live up my street, came up with a great idea. Rita suggested that we hang our winter garden flags up as a kind of Voodoo method to call the cooler breezes our way.

                                                                        

                              Here is Rita and her snowman flag.

                                                                           

                                Here I am with my smaller flag.

                                                                        

Other neighbors liked this and our now thinking about hanging up their snowman flags. I’ll let you know if this works, we need to try something to fight climate change beside the fact that we should also cut down our carbon footprint.

                                                                                                                                                                     

The little girl that I babysit for turned three yesterday and I was at her big birthday bash. I’ve watched this little one since she was three months old and she now has claim to my heart as if she were a grandchild. Won't show you her picture, but she is as cute as

                                                                           

After the birthday party, I shot over to Deptford Mall where my grandson Nathan and his cousin Nicole were preparing for a talent show

                                       They would get to perform and do a cat walk

                                                                                                                              
 They were contestants for the Audition America Talent Search. Nathan would be singing an Usher song and Nicole would do a dance routine. Here is my daughter signing Nathan up.

                                                                         

                              Nathan looking cool and calm

                                                                       

                                               Nathan and Nicole

                                                                                                                            
                                                Nathan singing an Usher song

Nicole doing her dance routine

                                                       ReRe and Nathan                         

                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Sunday, I was up early and heading to a baby shower scheduled at the Historic Smithville Inn.

                                                               
 This inn was once a stop for the stage line from Cooper’s Landing (now Camden) to Leeds Point. A large red ball hung outside the Inn and when the ball was down, the stage coach would stop and pick up passengers, neat huh.J

                                                                  
The food served at the brunch was awesome and I would like to return with the hubby one day soon. There are lots of quaint little shops around the inn, but I didn’t bring my credit card.
Well that was my weekend. Send me a note and let me know what you did:)