My Little Fortune Cookie

Acting is Exhausting!

2012-02-13T13:15:00.000-06:00

So, we have a new movie at our house (Treasure Buddies) and therefore, we have new props, costumes, and lines...the usual immersion! The setting...ancient Egypt, the characters...golden retriever puppies, the costumes...how coincidental that we just happen to have a "Cleopatra headband" from Halloween. Kayli is playing the role of "B Dog," who leads the pups on a treacherous journey to retrieve the lost collar of Cleocatra! Kayli has even created a necklace for herself by taking one of her small wooden letters, the bright yellow "B," and stringing it on a chain... what a fashionista!

After the millionth viewing of this fabulous new tale, it was Saturday night, and Kayli was begging me to stay up later. Not that she had any particular plan, just that it's exciting to "stay up late!" So, naturally I said "sure" and, well, you guessed it...

Yep, even Egyptian Princesses need their sleep!

A Snapshot of This Mild Winter

2012-02-11T22:32:00.000-06:00

We've had such an amazingly mild winter this year! We have spent a lot of time outside, just trying to soak up the unseasonable 50s, 60s, and believe it or not, low 70s, in January and February! One of those days brought us to a nearby forest preserve, where Kayli and I hiked along the trail with our wagon, stopping to notice all kinds of exciting signs of nature. I was trying to get some pictures that were needed for my photography class, using the different settings on my camera. This day gave me a chance to see the beauty in the quiet winter woods without the bitter cold and snow!

Just look at that BLUE sky!

Time to head home...

The Wishing Pot

2012-01-25T12:08:00.000-06:00

So, as planned, on the 1st evening of the Chinese New Year, I took out 2 small pieces of paper and told Kayli that we would each write or draw something that we would wish for in the year coming up, and put these papers in our special Chinese Wishing Pot. I explained that it was sort of like Wishing on a Star! Then, I launched into my best explanation about wishes and dreams, and how some people like to wish about something they wish would happen, and some people wish about things they'd like to accomplish. Then, I gave a few examples, while Kayli listened attentively, then replied "Got It!" as she grabbed her paper and began to draw. Well, I got busy with my pencil and paper, when I heard Kayli proclaim "Done!" She handed me her paper...

Hmmmm, well, we already HAVE a puppy. I don't understand. May I ask what "wish" this picture is for? Kayli responds: "I wish to turn into a puppy!"

Me: Laugh...Sigh...Shake head...Fold up Paper...Insert into Wishing Pot...Hope it doesn't come true! I like my daughter just the way she is!!!

Xin Nian Kuai Le!

2012-01-23T11:28:00.000-06:00

Officially, the Chinese New Year begins today...January 23rd! If you want to wish someone a Happy New Year, you should say "Xin Nian Kuai Le" or (Shin Ne-yin Kwy La!) In China, this is the mandarin way to say "New Year Happiness/Joy/Rejoicing!" Lots of places here in America will post the words "Gung Hay Fat Choy", which is the Cantonese version of Happy New Year. It's literal translation is "May You Become Prosperous" which is something you would wish someone during the Chinese New Year. So, take your pick...I think the 1st version sounds "prettier!" (I don't like wishing people anything with the word FAT included!)
So, the big performance this weekend was sponsored by the K*ansas C*ity Chine*se A*ssociation, held at a C*ultural Arts Ce*nter in town. Overall, it was a wonderful show, with a variety of Chinese themed performances. Our kids had to be there by 4:30 for a rehearsal...

then, I fed Kayli a quick dinner and we were back by 6:30 to get a parking place for the show that started at 7:00. Our kids were the next-to-last performance in the line-up, with the show going past 8:30, with a 15 minute intermission. Kayli was thrilled as the show began with the drum roll/dragon dance, then followed by beautiful dancers,costumes, scenery, and she kept whisper-yelling "Mom, get a picture of this!"

When the lights came on at 8:00, for the 15 minute intermission, I turned to Kayli and...

I let her sleep until a few acts before she was due backstage... "Are you ready girls?!!!"

Ok, time to sing...

We were so proud of our singers!

Kayli was not in the dance below, but it was just so cute I had to share it...

The next day, Kayli and I got busy with our Chinese New Year preparations...sweeping the floors, shaking out rugs, dusting. Kayli had her "Chinese New Year reference book" that she was reading to me and saying "Sweep floors, check. Cut hair, check."

a thorough cleaning of the kitchen took place (mine and hers)...

we gave Sprinkles a bath, we bought a beautiful green plant with new buds, and already have our red geranium in place, our front door is already red (lucky us!)...

we posted our Chinese Wishes on the inside...

We set the table with our red silk placemats and chopsticks. We added a glass of fun/pretty chopsticks, that I had purchased at a local international market, to use throughout the week...

In this little "wishing pot" we will add our wishes and/or aspirations for the new year! We'll place the pot back on the shelf to hold and honor these thoughts for us throughout the coming year!

Finally, as dinner time arrived, with the beautiful chopsticks already on the table, and ramen noodles in a bowl, Kayli couldn't resist trying out the first pair...

We both discovered that our "chopstick skills" need a little refining, nothing that a little more practice won't bring! Happy New Year/ Xin Nian Kuai Le!

Chinese New Year Celebration Begins!

2012-01-16T10:11:00.000-06:00

Although the official date of this year's Chinese New Year is January 23rd, we have already begun the celebration! This weekend, Kayli and I attended a wonderful party hosted by a group called Families Blessed with the World's Children. Kayli has been practicing in a tiny choir of young Chinese adopted children, ages 3-6, to perform 3 songs, sung in Mandarin, for this event. We were very proud of our little performers, as they sang their hearts out, while standing on a stage in front of this large audience of over 200 people! Here are some pics of the kids in between songs, followed by a little clip of them singing one of the songs...

the party was so much fun, with a fabulous chinese meal...

crafts for the kids to make...

Kayli made this craft with the symbol for "fortune"...

here, she is holding the bead-drum

since this is the year of the dragon, the decorations focused on this theme, including these wonderfully colorful and delicious cakes...

just let me lick that frosting, ha,ha...

there was a "chinese princess" to get your picture taken with... (Kayli was speechless)

there was a chinese-themed face painting station, which is tricky when you're so ticklish...

just look at that pretty bamboo print on Kayli's face...

there was a really fun dragon dance at the end of the party, followed by "simulated firecrackers" when everyone began popping their assigned bubble wrap, all at the same time...it was amazing how much it sounded like "firecrackers" when over 200 people were doing this all at the same time!!!

All the kids were given a traditional red envelope, filled with "money" (gold-chocolate coins) In China, it is traditional to give the children red envelopes containing money, on the Chinese New Year.

Did you know that...
*If you cry on the Chinese New Year, you will cry ALL year?!!! So, Chinese parents do not discipline their children on the New Year. The children are indulged, instead!
*No sweeping or cleaning ON the New Year, or 3 days after! You will sweep out all your good luck!
*The color red is not only "good luck", it also scares away any evil dragons/spirits, aka "bad karma"! So, tie a red bow on your front door, or better yet, paint the door red!
*To get a fresh start, you should always get a hair cut and buy a new outfit (now I can support that wholeheartedly!) Make sure to wear something red, add a pretty necklace and/or earrings!
*Get a bunch of oranges (symbolizing gold/money/wealth) and put these in a bowl on your table.
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Xin Nian Kuai Le!
!

Creative Spilling!

2012-01-03T15:30:00.001-06:00

So, Kayli was trying to get the foil pulled off the top of her yogurt smoothie, and of course it spilled. She said "Sorry mom, I'll clean it up...but wait...it's the Big Dipper!" I looked, and there it was...

I had to laugh!

Happy New Year! 2012

2012-01-01T14:42:00.000-06:00

11:59 p.m......

12:00 Midnight...

12:10 a.m....

Happy New Year!!!

62 Degrees? In December? Well, Let's Pack a Picnic and Head to the Park!

2011-12-31T21:28:00.000-06:00

Hard to believe. Tomorrow is January 1 and we are at the park having a picnic! Now this is my idea of a good winter!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-28T23:08:00.001-06:00

What? The picture is crooked? No. Really? I could claim to have done that on purpose, you know, artistic liberty, but I won't this time. No, I can't tell you how many "takes" we "took" to try to get a timed picture with the 3 of us, with me setting the timer, pushing the button, running to the fireplace, while snatching up Sprinkles on the way, and hoping Kayli was still where I told her to be, only to find that Sprinkles was a blur, or Kayli's dress was hiked up, or one of us wasn't looking at the camera...then, finally, I looked through the lens and thought, hmm...I think this one will do it, then I noticed the camera was tilted, ugh!
I made a few more attempts after getting the camera leveled again, and this was the grand finale, complete with Sprinkles giving Kayli a "big kiss" right as the camera snapped the picture...

Anyway, to recap the festivities a bit, a week before Christmas there were all kinds of fun holiday activities at school, like Kayli's class caroling at the nearby mall...

then, there was the day the 1st grade decorated small gingerbread houses...

and, of course there was the holiday school party, which included...

this shot just cracks me up!

there were more than a couple opportunities to visit good ol' Santa. Amazing how he can magically change the way he looks from place to place, just to keep everybody guessing...

we spent some time at home decorating our big gingerbread house...

we left one of these gingerbread cookies for Santa and he ate all but one leg, yummy...

then, just a few days before Christmas, Kayli and I

went down to the market with Aunt Marion and Nick, to see the Grinch, as a little pre-preparation for the annual Grinch party I was going to honor again this year!

My nephews continue to request that I host this annual traditional party, even though they are not little anymore, a couple of them are away at college, but they all ask me every year to pick a date so they can get it on their calendars! I've tried to keep it as a "kids only" party over the years, so it's "about" the kids and not the adults. We usually have plenty of pizza, chips, cookies, candies, pop, and lots of laughs! This year, we decided to put the two little girls in the wagon and walk the couple of blocks to the adjoining neighborhood that has every house decorated to the max with Christmas lights! The girls oooed and ahhhed the whole way! Everyone came back and climbed into the hot tub to tell stories and talk sports! We ended the evening watching some funny video clips on Youtube and laughing ourselves silly!
Kayli greeted everyone as "Rudolph" this year, complete with flashing nose!

Once Christmas Eve arrived, Kayli and I went to a beautiful church service, that ended with everyone singing "Silent Night" to candlelight, it was quite moving. Then, back home, I prepared each of our favorite meals...for me, sirloin, for Kayli, mac 'n cheese... we were both thrilled! Later, when we had finished our "family photo session", we turned on the "Santa Tracker" on the t.v., and began watching "Santa's route". We remembered to get the reindeer food sprinkled out in the front yard, and put out the cookies and milk for Santa, when we noticed that Santa was already in Mexico! I had our globe handy, and I pointed out how close Mexico was to Kansas, and I didn't have to say another word...Kayli grabbed Sprinkles and was headed off to bed!

It didn't take long before Kayli was sound asleep, and soon after, the magic began! Santa left some wonderful gifts under our tree! Some fabulous art supplies...

some great crayons, and paper that already has a frame on each page for every special creation!

A Rapunzel baby doll with magical light-up rattle, and very cool doll crib with musical mobile...

a bag full of accessories...hair bows, earrings, that shiny red necklace she asked for...

a beautiful Barbie, wearing a pearl necklace and holding one for Kayli!

and so much more...

Santa didn't forget Sprinkles...

this bacon flavored ring kept her busy ALL morning!

Kayli got her "wished for" Rapunzel/Tangled vanity, which required a bit of assembly...

and with a little team effort...

the result? A very satisfied princess...

there was even a long beautiful braid for Kayli's hair that had fiber optic wire braided through it, and lit up, just like Rapunzel's hair!

We had the whole day to "play with our toys!" Then, we headed out to have a bigger celebration with the whole family at Laura & Mickey's house. Eileen and Gary picked up Dad from the rehab center, and brought him over. We had plans to skype the gang in Redmond, as the party got underway. Robert and Ann were hosting the holiday dinner at their house in Redmond, with about 26 family members from Ann's side. We had our dinner planned with 18 in our dinner party. As always, the food was fabulous! After dinner, we began the gift exchange. I got some really cool ankle jewelry from Jamaica, and a pedicure set. Oh, now I just want to go to a beach!

Kayli opened her gift from Adam, and even though there were several gifts in the giant bag, she would have been happy with the first thing she pulled out...the princess Belle Christmas socks!

but, there was more...

and still more...

then, it was our turn to give Kayli's grandpa a gift, and Kayli helped him open it...

there were a lot of gifts exchanged, then, I decided it was time for the moment I had been waiting for...the gift from grandpa to Kayli (coordinated by me)...the minute she saw the picture of the F*resh Beat Band, she let out a sound that was somewhere between a gasp and a squeal!

then, there was a custom made "iron-on" t-shirt that she didn't waste a minute putting on!

what you see her holding, is the rest of the gift, a mini mp3 microphone and amplifier that conveniently (wink wink) had 3 F*resh Beat songs downloaded to it!

to say she was excited, would be a huge understatement! This kid went wild when she saw the microphone and heard the music start...ohh, she thinks her grandpa is the GREATEST!!!

I didn't get the spontaneous performance she launched into when she first opened her gift (darn) but here's a little sample I took when she and her cousin headed to the basement to try out a little performing to the beat of the F*resh Beats!

The F* resh Beat Concert is the end of February, the weekend of Kayli's birthday! We have VIP tickets, 1st row, with backstage passes to meet the band and learn a song and dance routine with them! Another countdown begins! Merry Christmas!

Ok, Santa, We're Ready...

2011-12-24T21:43:00.001-06:00

Getting Cloooooser!

2011-12-15T15:29:00.002-06:00

Ohhhh, the excitement is mounting as we count down the days!

and our silly elf, Tayli, continues to entertain us with the predicaments she finds herself in...

My Fashionistas!

2011-12-13T11:20:00.001-06:00

Breakfast or Snow?

2011-12-06T09:17:00.001-06:00

Which would you choose, if you were 6?

You would have thought it snowed 3 feet from Kayli's reaction upon looking out the window this morning! She has been dying to get some snow, and even asked Santa Claus to bring her some for Christmas. As Sprinkles peered out the door with that questioning look of "what the heck is that stuff?" this morning, Kayli was more than happy to help "acclimate" her to this winter weather!

COOL, Ice on the Water Table!

Time to go...Don't worry, we heated up some oatmeal bars to eat on the way to school. When I told Kayli to get in the car, she said "What? Don't you think they called off school?" I, of course roared with laughter before explaining the criteria for a true "snow day!" Too funny.

Hot Chocolate, Cookies, and Tree Trimming

2011-12-04T20:52:00.001-06:00

I decided to buy a new Christmas tree this year and managed to get in on a great sale! It was SO easy to put up, 1-2-3, plug in, and voilaa! Now, all we need are ornaments, but wait, we can't decorate a tree without cookies and hot chocolate, sooooo...out came the butter...

and the flour...

lookin' good...

ohh, baking is so much fun!

and now we're ready to decorate that tree!

We just added Christmas music and we were ready to go. Kayli was so excited to help with the ornaments, and did a fabulous job!

There's nothing like the ambiance of Christmas lights!

Santa

2011-12-04T19:51:00.001-06:00

The Christmas season has begun! We've done so many things already and I just haven't had time to post pictures. We started with Santa, just after Thanksgiving, at our favorite winter wonderland...Bass Pro Shop! This place never disappoints us...aside from the fact that Kayli just loves to see the fish in the big tank, and walk across the pretend fishing bridge with real water and real ducks, and loves to ride upstairs in the glass wall elevator, the fact that Santa chooses to make this his "home away from home" every year, is just a super bonus! We love the fact that upon arrival, there are tables set up with stationary and crayons for writing letters to Santa. Right next to the tables is the special magic mailbox that sends these letters straight to the North Pole!

Kayli made sure to write on her list for Santa to bring her mom some jewelry and perfume, gotta love it!

Then, it's on to see the "Big Jolly Guy" himself...

and Kayli makes sure to ask Santa if he could possibly bring her some snow for Christmas?

He told Kayli he would do the best he could to get some snow here! We then moved on to the "elf table" where Kayli got to make an ornanent...

we made sure to have lunch in the restaurant before leaving, and ordered the famous "kid's dessert" which Kayli graciously shared with her mom!

Puppy Love

2011-12-01T13:18:00.001-06:00

This puppy just looooves Kayli!

and Kayli loves her!

and this little puppy is getting bigger by the day. Being a Shihtzu/Yorkie mix, I think the Shihtzu genes are in the lead, and that's just fine with me!

Let the Pre-Christmas Preparations Begin!

2011-11-26T22:23:00.001-06:00

Ok, so you may or may not remember the last time we had the Elf on the Shelf in our house and it was a total bust...at age 4, Kayli was totally disgusted with the "snitch" that had moved into our house, and not at all convinced that Santa would approve of this behavior. According to Kayli, "Santa and God both know that I am doing my best!" (Can hardly argue with that logic) Anyway, we sent that elf packing, and just last night, there was a very cute show on t.v. about the Elf on the Shelf, and it redeemed Kayli's faith in the little elves. Since she has been privy to the magic of fairies, she now understands that they are really working on her behalf, and only wonderful things can come from someone that travels by the magic of pixie dust. We found our elf, put a Barbie skirt on "her" and named her Tayli! We registered on the official website and placed Tayli on Kayli's bedside table last night.

Sure enough, she magically re-appeared this morning in the pile of presents under the tiny tree in our library...

What? Presents, under a tree, already? Well, another pre-Christmas prep activity we decided to do this year was to wrap 25 Christmas themed books, and place them under the small Christmas tree in our upstairs sitting room/library. Beginning on December 1, and leading up to Christmas day, every night, Kayli will get to "open" one book-present before bed, and we will read it together! This is as much a gift for me as it is for her since one of my favorite times of every day is the end-of-the-day-reading-books-at-bedtime time!I Just Love it! Christmas Season Here We Come!!!

Growth Spurt!

2011-11-22T09:43:00.001-06:00

"Hey, Mom, You have GOT to come and see this!" Kayli yells to me this morning, after I sent her in the bathroom to brush her teeth. So, I hurry in, wondering what amazing thing I am going to see...

Look! I can reach the faucet without the stool! I can reach the cup, and my toothbrush, and, and, and I can scoot these things forward a little bit...can you belieeeve it?!!!

Seriously...I think she grew an inch last night!!! Let's check out the growth chart...

WOW! 43 1/2 inches! She's grown 2 inches since her birthday at the end of February! Amazing! AND soooo exciting! Still, a mom has to ask, "how did this happen so fast?"
Looking back, it started with this...

then...

Some of this...

And then this...

and today....................TaDa! There's no stoppin' her!

Simon Says...

2011-11-21T10:26:00.001-06:00

Ready...Sprinkles?

Simon says, "Lay down"...

Simon says, "Heads up"...

Simon says "Lick Kayli's face!"

Sprinkles says "Ok, I'm going to play with my new holiday toy..."

We bought this dog toy/ string of Christmas lights at Target this weekend. It's the kind of dog toy that you don't mind lying around on the floor because it also serves as Christmas decor!

Puppy Graduation!

2011-11-13T18:38:00.001-06:00

Tonight was our last "puppy class" and an "official puppy graduation!"

There was a "final exam"...walking on a leash...

"Stay"

"Sit," "Look at me," "Down," "Drop-it," "Leave it," and the grand finale was to let the puppies off the leashes, and when they got good and distracted, we were to use our final command "COME!" Oh yeah, Sprinkles came straight to me (of course I was holding some pupperoni in my hand!) I don't think they really want to know how when I tell Kayli to get Sprinkles in from the backyard, I find her chasing Sprinkles from one end of the yard to the other, calling out "you come back here," while she darts and dives, and Sprinkles ducks and runs, narrowly escaping Kayli's grip, over and over, and I'm no help because I am laughing hysterically, like I'm watching a greased pig contest! (I'm a believer in getting the most entertainment value from kids and pets?)

The instructor congratulated us and handed us Princess Sprinkles' graduation certificate...a proud moment...

then, it was "puppy pile fun" for the two puppy graduates! Too cute. Kayli hovered nearby, just in case Sprinkles needed rescuing. Looks like she's doing just fine...

A Sign That Winter is Coming...

2011-11-11T11:42:00.001-06:00

Would this be the bare looking trees? Would this be the acorns buried in my flower beds? How about the fact that we've added soup to our dinner menu? How about the fact that Kayli has added tights to her clothing ensemble? All these things are indeed signs that winter is near, but this morning, when Kayli said to me "Mom, it's time to put some mittens in my pockets for recess." I knew. This is it. There is no denying it. "Mittens in pockets" is truly the sign of all signs that "Old Man Winter" is just around the corner...Brrr!

Sprinkles wants a closer look at those "red things" on Kayli's hands!

What do I love about Winter coming? Snow Days, Hot Soup, Hot Chocolate, Crackling Fires, Flannel "jammies", Snuggling on the couch with my sweet pea while we watch our favorite Nick Jr characters play in the snow, Mounds of our own snow to play in, Baking, Holidays, Christmas Movies, and anything and everything to do with the magic that surrounds the Christmas holiday!

What do I hate about Winter coming? Sloppy Slushy Frozen Roads, Being COLD, Having to wear a coat...I hate having to haul a coat with me all the time, as if I don't have enough to carry! Having to put Kayli's seat belt on because she can't maneuver it with all the extra bulk (I feel like I'm belting in a giant marshmallow, as the belt clips disappear into the folds of her coat, and my fingers are freezing, and we're running late for wherever we need to be, and I get cranky, and shouldn't be using the word "stupid" to refer to the seat belt but I choose that over other more tempting words, like every good mom would do! ) Finally, having to shovel my driveway when I'd rather be playing!

Busy Tooth Fairy!

2011-11-07T12:00:00.002-06:00

We sure have kept the Tooth Fairy busy this year! Another tooth came out this weekend...

and once again the tooth fairy left Kayli a FABULOUS "trinket" (Ariel charm necklace) along with a crisp new dollar bill!

THANK-YOU, Tooth Fairy! We hope you weren't scared of our puppy. You probably figured out that she was securely zipped in her portable kennel as she watched you drop off the goodies!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T22:06:00.000-05:00

Seriously...how could we resist this bejeweled costume @ 50% off?!!! Kayli is already planning how she can change the leggings to tights, call it a fancy dress, and wear it to school! Hmmm...
and Kayli wants to know if we should just stay up later tonight to spend some time eating candy? C'mon, Mom, you can have your pick!

Kayli has a friend on our block who is a couple years older than her, but the two of them have a great time playing together. The girls were thrilled that we/the moms agreed to take them out trick-or-treating together.

They just couldn't contain their squeals of delight, as they ran, hand in hand, from house to house...

Then, the grand finale, for Kayli anyway, was when we got home and had a chance to GIVE out candy for a short while. She was THRILLED to be throwing handfuls of candy into trick-or-treaters' buckets!

TOO MUCH FUN!!!

Determined

2011-10-29T23:04:00.000-05:00

I bought a new fridge that was being delivered today, Saturday. They called ahead to give me time to empty the old fridge. I put all the food in coolers, and dismantled the shelves, and moved all the kitchen furniture around to clear a path. They came in, asked me where the water shut-off valve was...well, in the basement, of course. We went downstairs and looked and looked and looked and looked some more! They apparently have never been in a house that didn't have the water shut-off in a very obvious, out in plain sight, kind of place. I wanted to say, well, if there is "a typical", then, you can count me out! I never seem to fall into the "typical category" All someone has to say to me is "Well, usually..." and I immediately think "Oh, great!" "I NEVER seem to fall in the 'usually' category!" This is Sooo PAR for the course! Eventually the guys said they could leave the new fridge in the garage and I would have to call them back when I found the shut-off valve, so they could come back and disconnect the fridge in the kitchen to move it and make room for the new one. Oh, yeah, now that I've wasted an entire morning on this...grrr, I spent the next hour rummaging through old paperwork from the sale of this house to find the phone number of the previous owners. Finally, I located the raggedy edged 2x3 piece of paper that had the number written on it. I called. We chatted. The previous owners, during their remodeling project of the basement, had built a "fake cabinet" to "hide" the water shut-off valves! Apparently this wasn't noticed or noted during my buyers inspection. Ok, so now it's about 2:00 p.m., and I'm looking outside and noticing what a beautiful day it is...double grrr...as I keep letting the dog in and out. I kept thinking that I just CAN'T waste this beautiful weather day! I had made a list of Halloween related activities going on this weekend, and the Boo at the Zoo was one of them. After talking to Nebr Furn Mart one more time, and setting up another "hostage appointment" for tomorrow, I decided that, dangit, I am going to the zoo, come hell or high water! I told Kayli she had 60 seconds to put on her costume! I grabbed the nearest backpack and threw in my wallet, the inhaler, a cell phone, and my camera. I did not even take the usual time to pack snacks, drinks, etc. etc. On the way out, I told Kayli to put Sprinkles in her kennel.(And apparently she thought she did...oh yeah nothing like a puppy on the loose in the house for a couple of hours!) Luckily, we were blissfully ignorant about the loose puppy while we were at the zoo!The combination of great weather paired with the antics of the zoo animals, got me on my way to de-stressing! We hung out there for a couple of hours before heading back home to discover that Sprinkles had been running amuck through the house, and...well, like I said before, par for the course. I sure hope my luck turns around soon!
Here are some of the fun photos from today...

Ohhhh, we Really need to rub that Buddha Belly for luck!!!

All in all, it was great to get out!

A Walk in the Park

2011-10-16T21:07:00.000-05:00

Our Fall weather has been so incredibly beautiful for the last couple of weeks, that when the weekend arrives, I can't imagine staying indoors! I tried to get some household chores accomplished, then told Kayli we would take Sprinkles for a picnic in the park. You would think I said we were going to Disneyworld, at Kayli's reaction..."REALLY? A PICNIC? YOU MEAN IT?!!!" Ok, so apparently we haven't gone on a picnic in a while :) The fact that we were bringing Sprinkles along was just...well...like sprinkles on top of your ice cream! Kayli couldn't wait to tell Sprinkles that we were going to the park!

ok, let's take this puppy for a walk...

c'mon Sprinkles, you were doing great...

What do I do now Mom?

Oops, how did she slip out of her collar? Come back here, Sprinkles...

Gotcha!

Now, let's put that collar back on...

ok, maybe you'd just like to take a ride in my doll carriage...

All in all, a great day at the park!

Another Red Thread Celebration

2011-10-05T10:18:00.001-05:00

Kayli and I have been so incredibly busy! Seems like there has been something we've committed to doing just about every night after school for the last week or so. Fun things. Lots of things. Still, keeping up this pace can wear a person out, AND, put them behind on their blog!
Case in point, Kayli and I started off last week with our annual red thread celebration, September 26th, marking the day she was "born in my heart"! ( The Red Thread Adoption Legend, originates from Chinese folklore saying that there is an invisible red thread that connects a newborn child's spirit to all the people who will be important in the child's life. As the child grows, the threads shorten, drawing closer those people who are destined to be together.) Such is the reason I named our special celebratory day "Our Red Thread Day." This is the day I received Kayli's precious baby picture from China, and a request to become her mama, 5 years ago! This is the special day we celebrate each year because I feel like we made our special connection right from the moment I opened that email and caught my first glimpse of Kayli's picture. Right there before me, in a single photo, was the sweetest little face,that melted my heart. Right then, as I looked into those deep brown almond shaped eyes, I knew that this sweet baby was about to change my life forever! I felt that invisible red thread pulling and tugging on my heart, all the way to China! The two of us became a family, and settled in to our new life like two peas in a pod! Now, almost 5 years later, I know how quickly time flies, and so often wish that time would stand still., Yet, watching this child grow is exciting too, so time marches on, and all I can do is remind myself to savor the moments, and keep my camera nearby, and keep on "blogging!"
So, we celebrate by wearing red, by hiding presents in red boxes including at least one item that came all the way from China, by going out to dinner, by talking about China, by talking about Kayli's beginnings, and how we became a family, and by acknowledging how lucky we are that God found Kayli in China and me in Kansas and decided we were a match that only heaven could bring together! Because of this "heavenly intervention" my sweet pea went from this...

to this...

and the fun never ends!

This year, we chose to dine at T Rex, where Kayli loves the excitement of all the dinosaurs, but is still scared enough that she cannot walk under the roaring T Rex without ducking and running!

We made a plan to get our dessert at our favorite ice cream store,yummm. Kayli likes to get strawberry ice cream with gummy bears!

I told Kayli that she could pick out something pretty to buy at Claire's, since jewelry is a bigger treat to her than ice cream or candy or just about anything else.

She chose a beautiful rainbow colored sparkle tiara.This child just cannot pass up a beautiful tiara. So, in addition to a spoon collection, and a key collection, she's got a pretty good crown collection going!

Usually I buy some type of book for this occasion, but this year, on a whim, I just decided to write my own book and print it out at my favorite website, Blurb.

The story is about me opening a fortune cookie each day of the week and reading it out loud. Each fortune describes a trait or characteristic about Kayli, but she doesn't know that until the end. Every day she tries to guess, for instance, one page says

Another page says "Your fortune is more valuable than gold" and she asks "Is your fortune money?" but in the end, she discovers that SHE is my fortune!

She loved the book and wants me to read it again and again!

So, of course, since I was on a roll with the theme of Fortune Cookies this year, I decided that we should each get some type of fortune cookie jewelry. (Yes, Kayli's mom loves jewelry as much as Kayli! Or is it Kayli has learned to love jewelry as much as her mom?) Well, it wasn't hard to find some cool necklaces online. Kayli's necklace is sturdy and strong enough for "kid wear, AND opens up so I could insert my own message!

My necklace was a bit more delicate and allowed me to personalize it with my own special message. I was thrilled!

I also gave Kayli a little key with Chinese symbols, for her key collection, and a little silk purse that I had purchased while in China...

then we cracked open the fortune cookies and decided that both of our fortunes were "keepers!" Mine said...

Oh, yeah, gotta love that one! Then, Kayli's fortune said...

so true, about the roller coaster life right now! Is there really a "calming down" ahead?

Anyway, I'm just hanging on for the ride right now!

Happy Red Thread Day Sweet Pea!

It's Pumpkin Patch Time!

2011-09-26T13:29:00.003-05:00

Ohhh, How I LOOOVE this time of year! When I saw the beautiful weather we had in store for us on Saturday, I knew we'd be spending the day outdoors, and what better place to hang out on a beautiful fall day than a pumpkin patch? What a great day it was!

there was so much to do, we couldn't decide which direction to go first...

"Blue", the puppy from Blues Clues danced with us while we sang him the song we love... "Here's the mail it never fails it makes me wanna wag my tail, when it comes I wanna wail maiiiiiiil!"

the big wheeled trikes were super fun...

and so was the bucking bronco swing!

then there was the climb to reach Humpty Dumpty at the top of the wall...

plenty of sliding opportunities...

climbing galore...

we took a wagon ride out to the "real" pumpkin patch...

and scrutinized the pumpkins to get just the right ones...

then, we stopped by this big chair for a break, ha ha...

we took time for a snack of kettle corn and cotton candy, yummmm! Then Kayli promptly burned off her calories by taking another turn jumping around on the inflatable pumpkin, followed by a turn on the zip line, while I burned off a few measly calories by pulling our pumpkins in the wagon and snapping pictures (you know how that picture taking can work those arm muscles?!!!)

Here's a picture from the zip line, followed by a little video clip...

We will definitely have to come back here!

Did I Mention That...

2011-09-16T12:40:00.000-05:00

Sprinkles doesn't spend much time with her feet on the ground?!!!

she loves to be read to...

she likes to watch t.v., and just happens to notice that Kayli is wearing some jewelry that looks good enough to chew on...

she finds it easy to just blend in...

she likes to look "pretty"...and is thinking that she'd like to get back to chewing on those marigolds...

she's working on her sense of humor...her expression here says:"Uh, did you get that joke?"...

Kayli says: "You know mom, I'll be sitting on the couch, just thinking that I have one of my stuffed animal snuggle friends with me, then I suddenly realize that it's a LIVE snuggle animal, and I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!!

More on Princess Sprinkles!

2011-09-11T16:38:00.000-05:00

Yes, Kayli has decided that "Princess Sprinkles" is a suitable name for our girl, but we'll just call her "Sprinkles," and Yes, Kayli has already put a dress on her!

The princess's feet have barely touched the ground with her friend, Kayli, to carry her everywhere...

and the two of them just love to snuggle on the couch, just hangin' out, watchin' t.v., posing for pictures...

Sprinkles loves her kennel too, and slept in it quietly ALL NIGHT last night! What a good puppy!

then, she and Kayli enjoyed a leisurely breakfast...

and later in the day, we brought Sprinkles to meet Grandpa, and Kayli tried to "teach" her how to walk with a leash...

Princess Sprinkles was not amused with that part!

Introducing...

2011-09-10T21:28:00.000-05:00

Our new baby girl...

She's the color of copper, and has green eyes! The "look" of the Irish...

she's so sweet...

and loooves Kayli...

and Kayli loooves her...

and Kayli is so proud that her new "baby" has already pottied outside when she told her to, and she follows Kayli around like a...well, like a...puppy!

She's the perfect addition to our family!

This Kid Loves...

2011-09-07T14:30:00.001-05:00

LOVES...to spend lots of time in the morning "creating" just the right ensemble for the day!

LOVES...to eat leftover pancakes, toasted in the toaster and dipped in syrup...

LOVES...to do homework (except when I'm "grilling" her on sight words!)

LOVES...to do "art projects"...

LOVES...to "dress up" for errand running...

especially if mom tells her she can bring some of her allowance along!

LOVES...Little Mermaid more than anything else in the world!

LOVES...to do "science experiments"...

and on this particular day, Kayli was determined to show me how "a cop" dusts for fingerprints (something she saw on the "Dino Dan" dinosaur show) She told me she just needed some flour and a paint brush to carry out this experiment, and would need me to video tape the presentation...

LOVES to...have a good laugh, just like her mom!

What A Busy Weekend!

2011-08-29T19:59:00.000-05:00

What a crazy, busy weekend we had, starting with Friday, after school, as we headed to the hospital to see Linsey and Ryan's new baby/Lily's new brother! Kayli was sooo excited about seeing this brand new baby, and kept saying "Ohhhh, I wish we could just keep him!" then, "Mom, why can't we get a baby? It would be sooo much fun!" My response..."I think a puppy might be a better solution for our family." Baby Graeme is pretty darn cute, though...

So, while we were at the hospital, ooing and ahhing over the baby, everyone was noticing that Kayli's front tooth was SOOO wiggly! Well, sure enough, one minute she was wiggling it with her tongue and the next minute she was handing it to me! Now, in addition to being "over-the-top-excited" about how cute this baby was, she was additionally "over-the-top-excited" about the tooth fairy coming tonight! She had already lost her other front tooth, as noted in a previous blog, and a new "grown-up" tooth is almost in, so she might as well just clear the way for both her new"grown-up" front teeth to move in... another milestone...

and, as anticipated, the tooth fairy slipped in and out, sometime in the night, leaving behind a trail of "pixie dust", a handful of shiny coins...

and a "special key" for Kayli's key collection...

she was thrilled!

Saturday morning, being the good sport I am, I decided to take Kayli to a special event offering free admission to the movie "How to Train Your Dragon" at a nearby theatre. This required us to be out of our house shortly after 8 am., a little too early for a Saturday morning! Kayli watched most of the movie from the floor, as she knelt behind the chair in front of her, peeking and ducking as the scary parts played out.

All in all it turned out to be a not-too-scary-pretty-good movie. The movie theatre was in the mall, so I decided to walk around a little bit after the movie, doing some shopping, and stopping in the food court to get hotdogs for Kayli and I for lunch. Then, when we rounded the corner of the mall to find the playland, Kayli, who apparently was thinking this whole time we were in some kind of extension of the movie theatre, announced "WOW, MOM, this is the most AMAZING movie theatre. It has EVERYTHING!" LOL!

Later that afternoon, we decided to go visit Kayli's Grandpa. I told Kayli we could bring her bike along and maybe Grandpa would want to take his scooter out while she practiced riding her bike. Well, Grandpa thought that was a fabulous idea...

Kayli has only had her bike out a few times, so wasn't very confident in her "braking abilities". Aunt Suzanne was visiting too and stayed near Kayli, shouting instructions while I, of course, manned the camera!

they went around and around...

and it wasn't long before Kayli was feeling pretty darn proud of her accomplishment on that bike...

Later that evening, Suzanne came to our house, she and Kayli put on their swimsuits, grabbed some water toys, and played in the hot tub til' dark!

Love the mix of planned events and spontaneity!

There She Goes!

2011-08-23T11:24:00.000-05:00

It's working! She didn't even crane her neck back to try to give me that forlorne look as she was being lead down the hall today! Ohhhh, I can feel her independence coming... in tiny... baby... steps!

The Sweet Pea Started 1st Grade This Week!

2011-08-19T21:49:00.001-05:00

Hard to believe, 1st grade!

Seems like just yesterday I was dropping a scared little 3-year-old off at her first preschool...

then I "blinked" and it was already time to start kindergarten...

I "blinked" again, and suddenly I have a 6 year old heading off to 1st grade...

Last week all the kids got to come up to school one evening to meet their teachers and choose a frozen treat from the "ice cream man"!

Below, Kayli poses with one of her teachers. She has two teachers this year, that are job sharing...

We had to stop by my classroom, of course, to see if everything was as she remembered...

We got all the required school supplies..

Got up extra early and took time to actually sit down and eat breakfast on the first day of first grade. Then, Kayli posed for a quick picture and we headed out into the pouring rain!

once inside, we dried off and waited for the bell to ring. Then, it was time to meet the 2nd of Kayli's two teachers...

I helped her find her tabletop nameplate and alphabet/number strip, then she got to choose the desk she wanted to sit in.

She decided to sit next to some familiar faces from her kindergarten class. I helped her unpack her school supplies, gave her a hug and a kiss and wished her a fun filled fabulous day as I headed down the hall to begin my busy day with all the kids back in school! Today was actually only a half day of school for the kids, while all of us teachers spent the rest of the day enduring, I mean enjoying yet another stimulating inservice!
The second day of 1st grade was a sunny day, and we were back to our old familiar routine of heading out the door with a yogurt smoothie in one hand, and a half eaten waffle in the other, making sure to get to school on time!

1st grade is "off to space" this year, meeting lots of martians along the way...

On the 3rd day of 1st grade Kayli was thrilled to get a package in the mail from our good friend, Natalie. She sent some of her famous "first-day-of-school-monster-cookies!" What a great surprise!

Kayli and I talked a lot about starting a new school year and I told her that she didn't need me to walk her down the hall this year. The day before school started she told me that she didn't want to hurt my feelings when I was telling her about being big enough to walk to her class alone, but she really didn't think that was a good idea. In fact, she would prefer that I didn't talk about it again! Ok, so I had to do some creative thinking...a teacher near my classroom has a first grader that walks down the hall with a big sister. This teacher and I made a plan that her girls would knock on my classroom door and pick up Kayli on their way down the hall. Well, so far, she hasn't been thrilled about it, but wants to be nice to the girls who so sweetly take each of Kayli's hands and guide her down the hall, after I've given her a hug, a kiss, and a little push!

We just take each day as it comes, because like I said before, another blink of an eye and these days will be just a memory. A very sweet memory.

Hangin' Out With Grandpa

2011-08-09T22:14:00.000-05:00

Ever since we taught Kayli how to play the "Kings in the Corner" card game while trying to help her grandpa pass the time in the hospital and rehab center, she just can't seem to get enough of this exciting card game! Whenever we head over to her grandpa's house to either run an errand, help out with something, or just visit, Kayli begs to get the cards out! Last time we were there, she won 3 out of 5 rounds!

She also loves to help grandpa "bird watch" and she'll get the bird chart out and identify the birds we spotted on his porch. She's always loved the big, colorful, laminated bird "identifier" he has at his house, and whenever we would head outdoors, she would insist on bringing that along, just in case we needed to identify a bird on our walk! Now, grandpa is not taking walks, as his knees are just causing him too much pain, and he is still not real strong after his recent surgery, but who doesn't need to get outside for fresh air? So, grandpa has been trying out a new motorized scooter! Kayli was over-the-top excited to hear that we could get grandpa out on a "walk" with his new scooter! So, as we prepared to head out the door, she, of course, ran back to grab the bird chart before catching up with grandpa...

Still Unpacking...

2011-08-05T23:33:00.001-05:00

Ohhh, the packing, planning, preparing, anticipating, and counting down to a lake vacation! One whole week, 7 days, away from home, immersed in lakelife, eating, drinking, swimming, shopping, game nights, and just kicked-back-late nights, then letting the sunlight of the morning coax us out of our slumber and into the kitchen where we stay in our jammies, savoring a sweet breakfast and watching the boats out on the water, and knowing that getting dressed for the day just means putting on our swimsuits and deciding whether we'll head to the dock on the lake or the pool with our bag full of pool toys!
Kayli loved having ALL her cousins around all week! On Thursday or Friday, we were walking back to our cabin after another great day at the resort pool, and Kayli said "Mom, I just can't decide." What? I ask. "Well, I do miss our home, but I also LOVE living here!" Too funny. Which reminds me...when I was packing the last of the bags from the garage into our car, the day we were leaving for the lake, Kayli says to me "So, mom, are we coming back, or are we moving again?" I never know what's going through this child's head, so it's a good thing she asks lots of questions!
So, without further ado, I bring you an assortment of photos depicting the lake vacation, as grandly experienced by Kayli. Suffice it to say that there are plenty of photos of the grown-ups enjoying our time too, gathered in the pool, the lake, the swim up bar, but on this blog, there is really just so much space!

I found these totally cool glow-stick baseball caps at the dollar store!

and probably the biggest hit of the week, after so much reticence and deliberating, was the waterslide just above this waterfall....

and after a definitive "no" turned to a "maybe" and then "I'll try it" and then...

Is There Really EVER a Good Time For the AC to Quit Working???

2011-07-31T21:58:00.000-05:00

It's just not the first thing you want to deal with when you return from a vacation! Ok, it actually didn't stop working until we got up this morning, and I didn't notice it for a while because I was busy unpacking bags and boxes in the garage. I was going back and forth between the kitchen and the garage, when during one of those "trips" it dawned on me that the temperature was no different inside the house than it was in the garage! Yep, there was air coming out of the vents, just NOT cold air, and the house was getting hot! Kayli walked into the kitchen and looked up at me with sweat droplets running down her face and said "Should we go swimming or something?" She had no idea why our house was so hot but she was ready to take action! Well, I didn't have the energy to even think about packing another bag, even if it was just a swim bag...so I chose the next best option...our deck, the hose, and the hot tub filled with cold water! We both cooled off, and had some fun while waiting most of the day to hear back from a service person...

We even decided to share some of the water with our poor, nearly dead flowers, and the pitifully cracked earth beneath our deck, and Kayli asks "Mom, is this called a drought???" Sure looks like one...but we're hoping this is a mini-drought and if we need to we might have to do a "rain dance" to get some water moving through our skies!

My previously beautiful flowers went from this...

to this...

Well, at least we've got cool air coming through the vents again! We'll be sleeping well tonight!

Are We Having Fun Yet?

2011-07-26T09:33:00.000-05:00

At the lake...we stop at a nearby place for lunch, swim-up bar, and one of the longest water slides around, but Kayli says:
"Noooo, I don't want to go on that big water slide, it looks too scary!" ...then, she watched her cousins coming and going, listened to everyone's comments, took a long look at that slide, walked up the big hill with Aunt Marion, took another look, agreed to give it a trial run, and as I reached for her in the swirling water at the bottom of the slide, she came up grinning from ear to ear...

and exclaimed "Mom, this is sooo much fun, I just want to do it ALL DAY!!!" ...and she did!

Theatre Day-Camp!

2011-07-15T17:52:00.000-05:00

A full week of singing, dancing, and acting! Then, of course, a grand production! This was a winner! Check out the videos below:

The makeup they put on her was quite a sight!

Then, she was in a skit called "The Really Long Haired Princesses"...

There's no business like show business to bring on the giggles! This daycamp was definitely a hit!

We Love Our Midwest Beaches!

2011-07-15T13:01:00.000-05:00

Ohhhh how we love the little beach on the lake at Sh M park only a 15 minute drive from our home! We can pack a cooler, load up the wagon, set out the beach umbrella, blanket, and chairs, dump out the sand toys, and soak up the summer sun! We can build sand castles, chase minnows, collect tiny shells, and bury our feet in the sand! We can collect summer memories 'cuz that's what will help us get through another cold winter, brrr!

We've been to our favorite beach twice now this summer. The first time we met up with Linsey and Lily and had a great playdate!

It was a sunny AND windy day, so Linsey and I kept taking turns catching the beach umbrella just as it was being lifted into the air! So, of course I NOW own a new beach umbrella that you can actually "drill" deep into the ground! Kayli and I tried it out on our second visit to the beach.Works like a charm!

We also altered the time of day we went to the beach. Going a bit later in the afternoon was much better for avoiding sunburns and much better for avoiding the day-camp crowd! Ahh, room to spread out, and almost our private beach by the end of the day!

At the end of our day, after all the splashing, swimming, digging, building, laughing and playing, I took a moment to sit by the edge of the water, just long enough to take in the serene stillness of the scene before me. Not only will this provide me with another strong visual summer memory, but will also help to remind me to stop occasionally in the midst of my busy life to breathe deeply, and resist the urge to forge ahead when I can stay just a little bit longer to linger in the gift of a calm, quiet moment...

She Really Wanted to Try the Rock Wall!

2011-07-09T21:01:00.001-05:00

AND, she discovered that she liked swinging from the rope, "like swinging from a vine" better than the climbing!

Guess Who's Coming To Our House Tonight???

2011-07-08T21:21:00.000-05:00

Kayli says: Oh Yeah! I'm sooooo excited!!! I've been waiting and waiting for this wibbly wobbly tooth to finally pop out!
Mom says: Now that looks like a true soon-to-be-first-grader's smile!
AND...That sweet toothless grin just makes ME smile!

Love Those Fireworks!

2011-07-05T20:08:00.000-05:00

Kayli was intrigued with all the popping, cracking, and pretty "lightning" going on outside our windows all weekend! "So, why do they have fireworks on this holiday?" she wants to know. I carefully begin to answer in a not-so-specific manner, when Kayli says "C'mon Mom, let's just ask the computer!" Yep, when in doubt, do a web search! Imagine our surprise when we found out that the idea of fireworks at a celebration actually originated in CHINA! Oh, Kayli loved that tidbit of information!

On the night of the 4th, we loaded up the car with our big wagon, snacks, drinks, picnic blanket, bug spray, camera, and headed over to the local mall where the city was hosting a fireworks show...While everyone waited sooo patiently for the sun to set and the show to begin, the show sponsors surprised us by drawing our attention to a nearby roof by blowing whistles, then tossing hundreds of frisbees into the air! Kids (big and little) were running everywhere! Kayli was thrilled to catch her own frisbee in the midst of all the chaos!

My "little firecracker" loved watching the cool fireworks, but still had to watch the whole thing with her fingers plugging her ears!

I think the WHOLE CITY was at this show, judging from the number of cars trying to make their way out of the parking lot, when it was all over! Actually it wasn't too bad taking the slow drive home, and the city generously provided traffic cops to help us all keep moving!

Kayli told me that she is so glad we have so many holidays to celebrate, 'cuz we just have so much fun! I couldn't agree more!

Happy 4th of July!

Checkin' Out the New Stuff at the Zoo

2011-07-03T21:37:00.003-05:00

Of course we had to schedule a day to check out the new sky safari ride and the Polar Bear exhibit at the zoo! Thanks to Aunt Marion's Deluxe zoo membership, we were able to ride the train, tram, carousel, and sky safari ride while we were there! Kayli and her cousins, Jake and Nick, all had a great time together!

Kayli just loves looking at maps! Here she is telling Jake "what the map says"...

We've never seen the inside of an elephant's mouth before!

The carousel is ALWAYS a hit!

The polar bear was so much fun to watch! He was really performing...

Kayli had a little talk with the deer, and gave them some food...

Notice the red scarf Kayli brought along today? She's decided that it comes in handy to have a scarf when you are outdoors and you happen to hear the buzzing of a fly or a bee and you need something to swat them away with! Also, when it gets really hot, you can wipe your forehead with it (nevermind that wearing a wool scarf around your neck can MAKE you sweat!) Finally, you never know when you might have the opportunity to pretend you are Rapunzel and the scarf becomes your hair...as in the picture below!

The sea lion show was FABULOUS!

This sign indicates that you must be over 42" to ride alone on the safari ski lift. Kayli stands on the edge of the box to give herself a few inches. She is exactly 42" in height right now, but I have no intentions of sending her on a ski lift ride by herself! Nosirree, I need someone to hold on to while I ride this scary-high ride! Ha.

Oh, what a relaxing, carefree, barefoot ride over the savannah...

Marion and Jake are right behind us...Jake ended up seeing a buddy from school up there on the ski lift going in the opposite direction!

We spent the whole day at the zoo today, and as we headed toward the exit, through the gift shop, Kayli begged for a new stuffed friend, so we brought home...Coral, the snake!

A Pattern in the Kitchen!

2011-06-28T10:02:00.000-05:00

So, the other day, Kayli says to me "Look, Mom, there's a pattern in the kitchen." Oh yeah? She points to the set of drawers where indeed some of the decorative handle covers have fallen off..."Seeee" she says as she points to each one in a row, "broken, fixed, broken, fixed"...

Glad she retained that great "pattern information" from her kindergarten studies! So, maybe I should just leave those drawers alone, since they make such a nice pattern!

The D r a g o n B o a t F e s t i v a l

2011-06-25T20:53:00.000-05:00

We woke up to booming thunder and raindrops, but thank goodness the storm just blew right on by! We had plans to check out the dragon boat races on the Plaza today...

We took a break to have a nice lunch down on the plaza, and while we waited for our food, Kayli and Jake entertained us with spoon tricks...

After a fabulous lunch, we watched the last of the boats finish racing...

then, Kayli and I went to get a better view of the creek from the bridge...

and, finally, we just decided to hang out in the Plaza for a while, just strolling past the shops, well, except if the doors were open and Kayli spotted pink things or sparkle or jewelry, and she'd dart through the doors yelling "C'mon Mom, we've just GOT to look in Heeere!" So, we would walk around and "oo" and "ah" over all the fancy stuff, then on we'd go. Kayli was awestruck when she saw the horsedrawn Cinderella carriage, and when I told her it cost a LOT of money to take a ride in it, she vowed to begin saving her pennies! But, for now, we took the few pennies I had in my purse and we made wishes while tossing them into the fountains...

What a great day this was! I know we'll want to come back again next year!

How to Play in Your Water Table

2011-06-24T23:05:00.000-05:00

Today, after helping me water the flowers, and pretending to help me with a few other yard chores, Kayli was clearly looking for another alternative, and was asking me if I noticed how hot it was getting! When I asked her what she thought about me bringing her water table up onto the deck for her to play in, she ran off squealing, and returned in about 60 seconds, wearing her Little Mermaid swimsuit, and clutching her 3 bath mermaid sponges! Woohoo! Let the water-fun begin! But, wait, you're really not supposed to play IN the water table...oh well

Oh yeeeeah...

this is GREAT!

just us mermaids, hangin' out, gettin' cool!

This was the perfect choice for outdoor entertainment, while allowing me to finish some things in the yard! I managed to get some flowers replanted, bird bath filled, bird feeders up, moved some wind chimes, and just thoroughly enjoyed my fabulous yard and this fabulous weather! Check out my new "garage sale find!" below...

and, the rainbow flower planter from the 50%-off sale...

now I just need to paint that hot tub shell to match the new cover and I'll have another thing checked off my list!

My Perfectionist Goes Bowling

2011-06-21T22:47:00.000-05:00

Free bowling. Oh yeah, we're game! Kayli is thrilled...cool shoes...

hand picked, shiny, mermaid-green bowling ball...

and here we goooo...

cousin Jake helps Kayli line things up...

but wait, Kayli thinks, I can't seem to knock down ALL the bowling pins! I keep trying and trying. I'm not sure I like this so much...

but, soon, her cousins had her laughing, and having a good time...and pointing out how LOW her MOM's score was!

and the fun continued til' we all bowled 2 games and ate a 2.99 lunch of 2 sliders and approximately 2 french fries (kid sized of course!)

So, even though we didn't get ALL the pins down, we ALL ended up having a great time!

Swimming Lessons

2011-06-13T10:24:00.000-05:00

I signed Kayli up for a two week stint of swim lessons, meeting each day for 45 minutes. Parents are not allowed to stay :) On the 3rd day, I picked her up, and as we were walking to the car she said "Hey, Mom, did you know you had a child that could see underwater without goggles?"

A Scene From the Cat in the H...at. It Always Starts with a Great Idea!

2011-06-10T12:32:00.001-05:00

then, the boys took over "our space" with an impromptu driveway-tennis ball-baseball game, so we moved our "chalk party" to the front driveway! A neighbor spotted Kayli out there and decided to come over to investigate...

pretty soon, it's time for Marion to head out to Nick's baseball game, but she tells me to feel free to stay as long as I want, since Kayli is having so much fun with the chalk. Well, little did I know, the fun had just begun! Next thing I knew, another little neighbor girl, was standing over Kayli's chalk art, dripping wet from the sprinkler she had been running through...

Emma wasn't sure what to say at this point, so I quickly assured both girls that playing with wet sidewalk chalk was indeed LOTS of fun! In fact, I offered to go in the house and fetch some water bottles... ohhhhh yeah, we all know where this is going, don't we???

now, everyone wants a piece of the action...it's a party!

Now, as it was nearing dark, and it was time to wind up the "water-chalk-party", I looked at this child of mine, in all her colorful glory, and decided we would not be leaving for home without a visit to Aunt Marion's bathtub!

and this is where the "cat in the hat" similarities began...

Kayli had more fun in the bathtub, with bubbles and bar soap, but once we drained the tub, there it was, the infamous colored tub ring that wouldn't wipe out with a simple swipe of the washcloth! Now, since I didn't have a "mother's white dress" like the cat in the hat, to take out that ring, I'm rummaging through the house for some magical 4*09! Ok, found it, cleaned the tub, and now I'm putting away the chalk buckets and water bottles, but wait, the water bottles are now multi-colored...permanently! Whoops. Didn't anticipate that one. So, what's so bad about rainbow colored water bottles. I "worked on them" for a while, in the kitchen sink, and then just decided to leave them drying in there, and let Aunt Marion wonder about them when she spots them lying in her sink in the morning! That's my own added fun. Yep, all in all, I would say the MESS was worth the happiNESS!

Happy Birthday to Grandpa!

2011-06-02T21:34:00.001-05:00

Kayli's grandpa just turned 81, and we decided to bring the party to the rehab facility where he's still recovering from a recent big surgery! After all, maybe a little "celebrating" would help perk him up a bit. He seemed to be pleased with the party, and hung in there for a good couple of hours!

then, we brought Dad/Grandpa back to his room, cleaned up the party room, and moved the party to another location for the night!
It was quite a bit cooler than one would expect for the end of May, so Matt got started on lighting the chiminea...

while Kevin gave a quick "yard tour" to Uncle Loyola, Aunt Pat., and Aunt Veronica...

and Kayli decided she just couldn't resist the pool!

then, on second thought, decided that the hot tub was a better option with cousin Jake!

Karen passed out "snugglies" (blankets that you wear like an apron) for the rest of us to keep warm with. I got the wild leopard print!

a fun time was had by all!

I Blinked!

2011-05-26T19:47:00.000-05:00

When Kayli was preparing for kindergarten last year, more than a few "experienced moms" told me that once a child starts kindergarten, it seems that in a "blink of an eye" the year is gone, then the next, and the next, and pretty soon they are off to middle school! So, my sweet pea headed off to kindergarten just overflowing with excitement, while I tearfully watched my baby start elementary school and tried not to "blink"! The year was filled with learning and fun, and Kayli loved kindergarten and loved her teacher! I watched my "baby" grow as she went from reciting her alphabet to actually reading, from counting to 10 to counting to 100 by 5s and 10s! This year my little perfectionist went from not wanting to color because her drawings weren't "perfect" to proudly creating picture after picture of the most creative drawings, which I proudly display in my classroom and on the refrigerator at home! She made lots of friends and learned lots of coping skills while playing with kids possessing a "variety" of personalities (or should I say while playing with some kids who appeared to be possessed?!!! Ha, ok, kidding:)) So, eventually "I blinked", and here we are already at the end of the school year! Time marches on, and all we can do is attempt to capture snippets of this time through photographs and videos, and try, try, try, NOT to Blink!

And, here's a video clip from the "end-of-year-kindergarten-program" : so cute!

Kids!

2011-05-25T09:18:00.001-05:00

So, I pick Kayli up from her day in kindergarten and she has a big hole in her tights, and I notice that the spot of skin exposed is an orangish color, and I assume she fell and skinned her knee, thus the hole in the tights. Logical assumption right? But, I become suspicious when I notice that the skin is still smooth and intact. I still can't stop myself from asking "Kayli, did you fall at recess?" "No" she says. "Well, how did you tear your tights?" She looks down at the hole in her tights and says "I don't remember" and looks like she is trying to review the events of the day in her head. Then, I ask the next crazy question, which is "Why is your skin the color of orange?" "Ohhhh, well I colored it!" What? Why did you color it? "I was in the 'writing center." Oh, silly me, I see now, you just happened to have an orange marker in your hand and you looked down at this perfect circle of skin that just looked like it needed to be filled in. Now I see...and I'm supposed to nod as if this was a perfectly logical sequence of events, and really it IS, a perfectly natural sequence of events, if you are in kindergarten...too funny!

and, yes, it is May and we are still having intermittent weather that is cold enough for these tights!

Good Ol' Field Day!

2011-05-11T14:10:00.000-05:00

Yep, it's as "old as time"; the good ol' Field Day, the grand finale of the school year. A time to head outdoors, and spend a day with hot, sweaty friends, participating in a variety of "olympic events" like the...
...drag-a-classmate-on-a-tarp-across-the-grass-event...

"Ok, gang, a little to the left"...

"Whoa, I'm feeling a little bit like a hotdog in a bun here"...

"Ahh, much better, I'll just relax a bit til' we get to the finish line"...

and, of course, there's always the tried and true tug-of-war event... Positions Everyone...

aaaand PULL...

and pull some more...

"ok, a little help here, please?"

now, let's re-group, boys against girls...

"C'mon Mrs. H, we need your heeelp"...

Woohoo! Oh, yeah, Girls Rule!!!

Time for a group huddle, drinks, and a little pep talk for the next event...

and she's off and hopping...

almost there...

made it!

Next event? It's one of my favorites. It's called the "waiting-in-line-for-your-turn" event, and it always offers something new!

seriously, if you ever want a good laugh, just watch a bunch of kindergartners waiting in a line...

Kayli tells me that this little boy accidentally elbowed her in the nose and when he asked if he could check her nose, he "tricked her" and told her it was bleeding (such a typical "boy stunt") you can see the little girl, in the picture below, next to Kayli, is doublechecking for her, too funny...like I said..."line-standing-olympics!"

This "taxing event" was followed by a much milder competition of picking up some sidewalk chalk and tracing a friend...

there, of course, were many more events, but I only photographed a "sampling" since I was busy "manning" some of my own stations, giving teachers breaks, and taking kids to the potty, while Kayli and her class rotated through a whole bunch of other super olympic activities! It was a REALLY HOT LONG FULL DAY at 90-something degrees, and by the afternoon, lots of kids were begging to repeat the water events! Thank-goodness for the "water events" to cool everyone off! At the end of the day, I brought home a soaking wet, overstimulated, but very tired little girl, who couldn't even make it through our after school grocery store stint without falling sound asleep in the shopping cart! Then, as the evening wore on, and Kayli had more than a few irrational-tear-filled-meltdowns, the "light bulb" finally went on in my head and I realized that I should have put this lethargic lunatic in her bed for the night the minute we walked through our door! I'll remember that next year, or will I?!!!

"The Best Mommy in the Whole Wide World!"

2011-05-09T14:05:00.000-05:00

This is what Kayli always tells me, and I love it! But then she always adds..."no matter what anyone says!" Ha!
So, Happy Mommy's Day to me from my ad-libbing, adoring sweet pea! Kayli couldn't wait for the "big day" to arrive, as she had heard from someone that it was customary to serve your mother breakfast in bed, and that's what she intended to do! I told her that I thought it was a fabulous idea just as long as she didn't try to carry milk or coffee up the stairs. No problem mom...

Honey Wheat Chex, cinnamon roll, juice bags, and, um...cheese stick? Oh, right, that would be for Kayli...

Oh, you noticed a tiny foreign red object in the corner of the tray? Yep, that would be one of my fabulous "Kayli made" Mother's Day gifts. It's a...aww, a sweet little heart shaped candy dish, of course!

Ya gotta love it! Kayli told me that she didn't get the whole thing painted before the teacher took it, but that's ok because she thinks the white part just makes it look more "interesting!" "It just adds more detail, Mom!" Oh, and Kayli was so proud of her new experimental way of signing the word "Love" using a heart for the letter "O"...

there was a giant card with this inside...

and a little card with this happy picture of the two of us...

then, she humored me and agreed to take a "field trip" to the arboretum. I told her we needed some good ideas for planting flowers in our back yard. This was a big sacrifice from a little girl that is seriously suspect of ANYTHING that flies and knows that's just what we'll encounter while we stroll through a garden! She agreed to the outing, as long as she could ride in the wagon. Oh, and it's a good thing she decided to bring along her newly acquired sun umbrella, because her mom wasn't even thinking about the blazing sun and the fact that we both should have had sunscreen!

The place was beautiful...crowded (hello? it IS Mother's Day), but beautiful...

Beautiful, yes, but sooo hot in the middle of the day..whew, what was I thinking...blazing hot sun, pulling Miss Pink Parasol around in a wagon, seriously, this field trip needs to happen on another day when we can get there in the early morning, and on a non-holiday day, Hmm... Ok, Kayli, one more picture and we're out of here...let's go get ice cream! Thanks, Mom...I was hoping you'd say that...

Happy Mother's Day!

A New Mask!

2011-04-30T13:47:00.000-05:00

...so, as I was saying about the "cat allergy" and the itchy eyes that seemed to set off a chain of events over the next few days of itchy, watery eyes, throat clearing, coughing, and eventually to audible wheezing, and a trip to the pediatrician, and...tada...a new mask!

Yep, I am now the surprised owner of a brand new nebulizer that I get to "hook up to" Kayli every 4-5 hours, round-the-clock, for the next week or so! Not so bad except for having to set my alarm for 4:00 a.m, then wake up Kayli, and convince a very sleepy girl to sit up and snap on this fancy fish mask for her middle of the night breathing treatment!

While at the doctor's office, the doctor was explaining to me how to use the new nebulizer, and she asked Kayli if she'd rather use the "mouth tube" for her breathing treatment, or a "fish mask." Well, I knew what the answer to that silly question was, OF COURSE...the fish mask! Kayli was thrilled with her new fish mask and insisted on taking possession of it immediately. In fact, she carried it out of the office holding onto the elastic string, as if she was carrying a purse and as we climbed into the car, she proclaimed "Mom, this is the BEST DAY EVER! I just LOVE my new fish purse! We had to go to T*ar*get to get our prescriptions filled, and while waiting, we walked around the store, browsing. Well, Kayli was proudly wearing her fish mask hanging around her neck, and I laughed out loud when I watched her spot another child and stealthily slip the mask onto her face, and wait for a reaction! She just cracks me up!

Here's the fun mask without the tubing attached...

On a final note, DARN THOSE ALLERGIES!!!

Why is Peter Cottontail Still Hanging Out in Our Yard?

2011-04-30T12:19:00.001-05:00

That's what Miss Kayli wants to know!

Since I have used every opportunity possible, in the last few weeks, to point out a rabbit in the yard and say something like "Oh, there's Peter Cottontail again, just checking in to make sure you are being good and listening to your mom." I might add that our yard is not lacking in "cottontailed rabbits. I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that our back yard is currently not sprouting grass but cloaked instead with a nice "rabbit-food-clover-weed-mix?!" So, I guess the lingering rabbits will just keep her wondering if the Easter Bunny is still watching her every move!
That bunny watched us... dye Easter eggs...

...search and find the goodie filled Easter baskets...

...put on our fancy clothes for church, and snap a few pictures on our way out the door...

...enjoy a big family gathering for Easter brunch...

...line up the troops in preparation for the Easter egg hunt, from the smallest to the tallest...

...try out Kayli's new sidewalk chalk that she brought along to share with her cousin, Anna...

...stop to pose for a mother/daughter picture...

...then, Kayli kicks back in the hammock and thinks "what a fun-filled day this was"...

*Even though Kayli is on a twice-a-day dose of zyrtec, I usually try to add a dose of Benadryl before we go somewhere with cats, (kind of my own experiment to see if it might provide extra "power" against an allergic reaction) but I forgot this time...and as we headed home today, I looked in my rear view mirror and saw Kayli rubbing her eyes. Then she says "Mom, my eyes hurt" and it was then that I was reminded again about that darn "cat allergy", and I handed her a chewable Benadryl and made a mental note to ask the allergist about a better plan for this kind of scenario.

First School Research Project

2011-04-19T15:09:00.000-05:00

~~MY OUR~~ HER FIRST RESEARCH PROJECT...

Oh yeah, the first of many to come, the ever-so-popular-hard-to-believe-it-starts-in-kindergarten-research-project-display/presentation, was assigned to Kayli last week! Apparently, as part of their talk about nature, the kids were given a list of “bugs and/or critters” to choose to research, then create some type of creative display, for all the facts that we she gathered. Then all the kids would be asked to present their project/facts to the rest of the class. Kayli chose “the fly”. Seriously? What would possess her to choose this insect, the very one that causes her to panic at the sound of it’s buzzing, or rush to close the screen door that I left open while carrying a tray to the deck, or beg to eat indoors just to avoid any chance of coming into contact with the little beasts! This is the insect that recently prompted her to choose to buy a fly swatter from the dollar bin, with her allowance, (granted it was pretty in a bright pink color with a large fake flower attached to the top), but, she wanted to be prepared for the approaching Spring to Summer weather that meant only one thing…the fly invasion! Last year she would literally scream, duck, and run if she so much as imagined hearing a “bzzz” sound. I tried to help her face the fear by empowering her with knowledge, taking her to the library and checking out books on the topic, buying fake bugs, and equipping her with a state-of-the-art fly swatter that she always kept close at hand. It all seemed to help us get through “fly season”. Then, Winter came and we forgot all about the little pests until recently when the nice weather returned along with our first “fly encounter.” I could see “the wheels turning” as she spotted the bright pink fly swatter at our favorite dollar bin store! So, here we go again…and how appropriate to begin the “season” with this special research project? THE FLY!

Let me tell you…the facts on the fly are NOT PLEASANT! I decided to avoid pointing out the fact that these insects poop and vomit on everything they land on! Wouldn’t that add to Kayli’s already dismal impression of these buzzing buttinskis?

You Want Me to WHAT???

2011-04-12T11:13:00.002-05:00

...Take a bath under that broken skylight???
Uh...Mom, Remember this???

Yes, I do remember when Kayli was the first to enter my bathroom the night of the BIG hailstorm, picked this up, and turned to me saying "Hey, Mom, where'd this come from?" After nearly hyperventilating and retrieving this glass shard without a drop of blood being shed, I thankfully discovered that it was really not glass but a kind of plexiglass that is used on skylights, WHEW!
Regardless, it is still broken, and looks pretty ominous when you are standing underneath the window, which is now covered by a large tarp that makes a scary kind of wind-blowing-whistling-flapping kind of noise! And, so, when I suggested to Kayli that she needed to take a bath, well, she looked at me like I had just sprouted an extra head! The choices are: 1) Bath under the large broken skylight 2) Bath under the smaller broken skylight 3) Shower (no toys, no swimming, no fun?) "No thanks, Mom, I'll just pass." Ha ha. Not an option. So, after taking a two-second bath without taking her eyes off the ceiling, (can't say I blame her) I decided to "up the anti" with a new bath toy to focus on! Introducing...the new swimming baby doll! Yep, this "priceless" ploy worked like a charm! Ohhhh, yes, bathtime was fun again, with something new and exciting to focus on! For the moment, we forgot all about the broken skylight...
Yep, this doll REALLY moves her arms and legs and SWIMS through the water!!! I was just cracking up as I watched her swim around the tub! What'll they think of next?

AND...here's some footage of the little swimmer..

When it Rains, It Pours...or Hails!

2011-04-04T09:55:00.004-05:00

My skylight...Need I say more?

Ok, so it turned out to be BOTH skylights from both bathrooms, AND my roof, beat to a pulp!

(This was confirmed today when the roofer came to cover the gaping holes in my skylights, so I didn't have to continue to share my heat with the outdoor world, or repeat last night's episode of watching it rain into my bathroom! )

Kayli was quite upset with the whole scenario..."but I don't want it to rain in our house!" ..."what if our whole house floods?"...and in all innocence, finally... "Why would God make weather that would break our windows? I just wouldn't expect that from him!"

Emergency Landing...

2011-03-20T00:33:00.000-05:00

Yep, just trying to get home, diverted to Charlotte, for an emergency landing, shortly after leaving Orlando. Something about losing oil in one of the engines, then the captain announces that everyone needs to sit down and buckle up, immediately! He assures us that everything will be fine. Well, I was confident that all was under control with the plane, the problem was that Kayli had already informed me that she REALLY had to go potty! And when you're her age, you don't plan ahead for those things, you wait until you suddenly realize that your bladder is about to burst. Oh, great! I watch her squirm and wiggle and whine, and I see another parent who tried to take his kid to the potty being blocked and diverted back to his seat, so I can't even consider making a break for it. I am frantically racking my brain for an idea, something for Kayli to pee in, digging in the backpack, thinking that this would be the perfect time to have a maxi pad handy, then hoping that maybe I threw in one of her spare "night-time pull-ups." Well, the luck of the irish was with me on this one as if by magic, there appeared, one of Kayli's night-time pull-ups! I told Kayli the plan was to put this on her and it was ok to pee in it. She didn't like the idea, but I told her in emergencies people are allowed to do crazy things like this, and she agreed as I quickly performed the feat of discreetly slipping this on her, and just in time I might add! Then the plane landed to a fleet of firetrucks, and emergency vehicles, and the crowd on the plane broke out in applause! Now we all have to get off the plane and figure out how to get home from Charlotte. Airline personnel are frantically trying to get people on all kinds of different planes and people are going in all different directions. I already missed my connection in DC. Now they're telling me that my only chance of getting home this night was to take "stand-by" tickets on an overbooked plane that doesn't leave for another 3 hours! Oh, this should be interesting...
UPDATE: 11:30 p.m. We're home. Our suitcase is being held hostage somewhere in Washington DC. I'm just happy to be home after dealing with travel arrangements since 6:30 this morning! Why do great vacations always have to end with "airport drama?"

A Different World

2011-03-16T22:43:00.000-05:00

We're riding on the shuttle bus last night, and Kayli says to me "Mom, this sure is a different world than we live in." I ask "What do you mean?" She says "Well, you know how our food looks like Mickey Mouse, and if you want to buy candy, it looks like Mickey Mouse, and then there's all the princesses that live here, well, it's just amazing isn't it?" Oh yes, it sure is...
So, here's a whole stream of pictures to show some of the amazing things we've done...

my little Sleeping Beauty...

Sleeping Beauty doll came along for the day, and really enjoyed the rides!

this "ride" took us through the hot desert, rumbling, thundering rain forest, and farmland. It was pretty cool but Kayli did not like the thunder in the rain forest!

It was pretty darn hot today (ohhh I'm savoring the memory) so to cool off a bit, we stopped in Mexico to get a popsicle for Kayli and a frozen margarita for me!

In China, Kayli found a fabulous pink parasol to shade herself from the sun. The owner of the shop saw Kayli holding it and motioned us to come over so he could write her name on it in Chinese...

We just arrived at the Princess Dinner at the old castle in Norway...

Kayli got lots of cupcakes on this trip to help her celebrate her birthday...

We've managed to squeeze in plenty of pool time...

My little Cinderella gets ready for the big dinner with Cinderella and Prince Charming...

We just happened to arrive back at the Magic Kingdom as the 3:00 parade was coming down the street...

we made our way to the castle for our bibidi bobbidi boutique appointment...

presenting...princess Kayli...

now, just look at Kayli's plate of "yellow food", mac 'n cheeese, corn, pizza, bread and butter! I had some yummy caesar salad, prime rib, garlic mashed potatoes, and more...(yep, there goes the diet!)

Kayli poses with wicked stepmother, she really played up her part and just cracked Kayli up!

Funny stepsister...

Clearly...Prince Charming...

and, of course, Cinderella!

my goofy princess...

Breakfast, the next morning...

Ohhh, the soooft, white sand, and the sun beating down with an ever-so-slight of a breeze...Heaven!

and about that "different world" statement, seems like every time I turn around there's another parade coming down another street!

We're staying up late tonight, sleeping in tomorrow, then I promised Kayli we would call it a "pool day!" Woohoo!

As They Say in DisneyWorld...Let the Memories Begin!!!

2011-03-14T22:42:00.000-05:00

Before leaving home, Kayli discovers a package on the front porch, addressed to her, from the "Disney Princesses!" She was thrilled with her special "Sleeping Beauty Doll" that was chosen just for her because she and Princess Aurora have so much in common...both have 3 godmothers, both have "Rose" in their names, both just had birthdays, and both are so pretty in pink! The package came with a special invitation from the Disney Princesses requesting the presence of Kayli at a royal dinner in DisneyWorld where they would be happy to help her continue celebrating her 6th birthday! She was soooo excited!

Thanks to Casey, we had some FABULOUS, melt-in-your-mouth, candy-coated "princess puff-popcorn" for the trip, and oooh it was soooo yummy!

We arrived after 7 p.m., and by the time we got something to eat, suitcases delivered, etc. it was late, we were tired, then we had to push our clocks forward and lose an hour of sleep, and I was still tired in the morning but decided we should get up so we could get to the Magic Kingdom for the grand opening. Unbeknowns to me, though, they opened an hour early on Sunday, and so we could have slept in after all! Oh well, we were "off and running" and I can't believe how much we managed to do in one day, ending with the grand nighttime electric parade, and the amazing fireworks, over the castle! (Jayne, we stood in front of the Rose Garden and had a perfect view of Tinkerbell, when she flew out the castle window and over our heads!)

The lady told Kayli to make a wish while she sprinkled pixie dust on her head...

We took a mid-day pool and lunch break, back at the hotel...

Kayli was in "heaven" splashing in the pool! I was in "heaven" with the hot sun shining down on us through the palm trees!

Then, after changing clothes, it was back to the Magic Kingdom for dinner with "Pooh and Friends"...

Pooh is holding Kayli's stuffed "baby pooh" that she brought along to show him...

Piglet decided to try on Kayli's "piglet snap bracelet" that just cracked her up...

Then all the kids joined in on the "Tigger parade" as they marched around the restaurant...

They brought Kayli a cupcake with a candle, and a birthday card signed by all the Winnie the Pooh Characters...

The magic carpet ride was even more fun than the flying Dumbo!

and, now that it's dark, let the light parade begin...

the fireworks over the castle were awesome!

and, now, my sweet pea, it's time for us both to get some sleep, there'll be more fun tomorrow!

Februrary 27th, The Day She Turned 6!

2011-03-08T14:32:00.000-06:00

Kayli wakes up on her birthday and immediately wants to check and see if she's grown! Yep, of course we knew there was some reason why those tights just weren't stretching as far as they used to...

She's grown 2 inches in the last year!

Later that day, as we're preparing for birthday party #2, the BIG family gathering, Kayli says "Well, Mom, there goes another tooth." Oh my gosh, she was right, tooth # 2 just fell out, and a big tooth is sitting right behind it, ready to take it's place!

We had lots of fun picking out the "perfect" birthday desserts for the party tonight, one for Kayli's #6 candle, a small chocolate cake, and one for Jake's #12 candle, a key lime pie!

So, with the kitchen table extended to it's max, the lasagna and garlic bread baked and ready, desserts in place, drinks icy cold, extra rugs in the foyer (for this rainy day), our family guests began to arrive, and the celebration was underway!

Then...Monday at school, Kayli got to celebrate AGAIN by bringing treats for her class and wearing this cool hat all day long!

AND, the story doesn't end there, nosirree, as we have plans to continue the celebration next week in DisneyWorld!!! WOOHOO, I am already doin' the "happy dance!"