A "Fancy" Day

Fancy Nancy is the name of the latest in childrens popular books. The main character, Fancy Nancy, just LOVES everything fancy, frilly, glittery, and flashy. She uses "big words" like "glamorous" and "delectable". Kayli, of course, completely relates to this character, and loves her books. So this weekend we had tickets to a "book signing party" on the plaza. With a ticket, we were able to attend a special presentation by the author and illustrator, where the new Fancy Nancy Christmas book was read to the audience, followed by some author tips, an audience participation activity, a prize drawing, our own copy of this new book and the opportunity to stand in a LONG line to meet the author & illustrator, and get our book signed. All the children in attendance, came in their "fanciest holiday attire"! Kayli chose a satin holiday dress that was sleeveless, keeping in the mind the 70 degree weather today! It was funny, though, when she went to choose her shoes. On any other given day, she would pull out her red sparkle shoes, no matter what the color of outfit. Not today, though, she reached way back to get her black patten leather shoes with the rhinestone buckles. She said "I need to dress like a real people today Mom." So, I'm guessing she was going for "Elegant" vs. "Fancy"! Regardless, my sweet pea looked beautiful, and we both had a FABULOUS day!
Oh, and we didn't win the grand prize, which was a Fancy Nancy Doll, but we all know that Santa is already watching to see what kinds of toys he might put in his sack for all the good little girls and boys across the world!

Here's our special autographed book...

Here Kayli is at home, all ready for our fancy day...

Kayli is checking out her new book, and hanging tight to her "lipstick"(after I put on lipstick at home, she just had to search the house for one of her own, we found a cherry chapstick for her to stuff in her tiny black velvet purse)...

While waiting for the program to start, Kayli passed the time by tracing the letters on her new book...

From start to finish, we were sitting in our chairs for a "long time" from a 4-year-old's perspective, so as time passed, the pony tail came out, the tights came off, the necklace was dangling from her ankles, the tiny wire bracelet was stretched, molded, then in and out of her mouth. The mom behind me and I were discussing the fact that if we were "running the show", we might have had some preschool activities going on during the long wait times for the author, and at the end while everyone stood in line for maybe an hour to get their book-signed. (Typical for an adult author book signing but not so practical for preschoolers)

The author and illustrator were wearing their fanciest attire!

Oh good, an audience participation activity...

The illustrator came down the aisle and had the girls on the ends of the rows (Luckily, Kayli was one) put a banana on their heads to see how straight and tall they could stand, just like little ladies do...

By the end of the presentation, most of the moms' daughters were no longer sitting in their own chairs but in the moms' laps. I happened to have a tiny container of peanuts in my purse that I magically produced to help with my "restless native"...

As I said before, we waited in the book-signing line for a LONG, LONG time, while Kayli did somersaults, sang songs, and occasionally climbed into my arms with her head on my shoulder, then dropped her bracelet to see how many people would "fetch it" for her, and give her an opportunity to say "Ohhh Thank-you" in her most polite voice!

Then, finally, our turn to meet the author and illustrator...
Kayli thought they were pretty silly.

The author conversed with Kayli about her "Georgeous" bracelet!

We were both happy to get back outside into the beautiful weather and take a little walk along the plaza...

Since we were all dressed up, and Kayli was "sooo hungry and firsty (thirsty)", we went to a fine restaurant and toasted to our fun and fancy day, then ordered Mac 'n Cheese for Kayli, Baked Potato Soup and Bleu Cheese Salad for me, Mmmmm!

In the end, Kayli remembers *A Wonderful day *Wearing a fancy shmansy dress and her fancy shmansy accessories *Getting a special Fancy Nancy book to keep *Going out to a fancy restaurant where they had her favorite Mac 'n Cheese! Really, you can't beat memories like this!