Pure Magic

Well today was the day...the day long awaited....the day that couldn't come faster for Kate...the day that did not let anyone down.   I have a zillion pictures to sort through, but I thought I'd post a few that top my favorite list!  Let's begin with the mere excitement of the kids as we waited to board the monorail into the park.  We just caught a glimpse of the castle from across the lake, and they were very excited!!

   As expected...the princesses were magnificent.  I was so impressed with how each one really took time with each child.  Kate had full conversations with each of them -- but anyone who knows Kate is not surprised by that!  (And Brenden...he managed to sneak a kiss in with Cinderella.  Sly fella that one!)

 Kate took Princess Tiana by surprise with this hug, and almost knocked her over!  As I mentioned yesterday, the Frog Princess is among Kate's favorite right now.  But Belle has a sweet spot too in Kate's heart.

Another highlight was the 3:00 parade down main street.  It was HOT!  We were TIRED.   We almost decided to skip out on the parade all together in place of some shade and A/C.   Boy I am glad we didn't.  Kate had a prime spot on the sidewalk, and almost every character stopped by to greet her.  I missed her handshake with Captain Hook - boy was she thrilled with that one!  But I captured a few exciting moments.

 I believe Kate is shooting, "Mom!!  Look who is coming!!"

In this picture, Cinderella is actually waving to Kate. 
And Kate is thrilled!   

Well done, Disney.  Well done!

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo

Kate has been counting down the days to our Florida/Disney Vacation.  Meeting the princesses is top on her list of things to do.  In fact, when we landed at the Orlando airport, she asked if we were immediately going to Cinderella's Castle.  Sorry Kate; we have a few stops to make before the castle.  But, tomorrow is the big day - and Kate will FINALLY meet the royal princesses.

 Before we embark on Magic Kingdom tomorrow, we had a little surprise for Kate.  Today SHE became a PRINCESS thanks to the Fairy Godmother's helpers at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.  And to say the least, Kate was beside herself with excitement!!

 She was asked to pick a hairstyle and tiara.

 She was asked which princess she wanted to be.  And when Kate responded Tiana, the Frog Princess, she found this dress, crown and wand magically waiting for her in the dressing room.

 She was pampered with glittery hair, shiny nails, and even makeup.  Kate was very excited to wear lipgloss!

 It was a magical experience for Kate.  One I hope she will never forget.  At four years of age, the magic of make believe is still alive.  And even though we had to listen to her Bibbidi Bobbidi Booing all evening and using her magic wand to make dinner appear and doors open and cousins stop talking....it was very special for me to watch her take in all the glitz and glamor and wonder that Disney provides.  In her heart, Kate was a princess today.  To believe that magic still exists is a priceless gift that I wish I still possessed.  Maybe I do after today.

April = Birthday Celebrations!

April seemed to fly buy.  It was full of happiness and celebrations.  Josh and Kim celebrated their 7th wedding anniversary on April 1st.   We went to the Ashby Inn in Paris, Virginia for the second year in a row.  Paris in April is magnificent.  ;)

Nathan turned two in early April.  He LOVED every minute of attention poured out on him. We had a fish themed birthday party, fish being one of Nathan's first words.  He received some pet fish and we created a fishing game out in the back yard with fishing poles.  (Somehow I missed getting pictures of the game.  Hopefully Aunt Debbie got some!)  I can't believe my little guy is 2 already!

In the final days of March, Papa Dan arrived for a long visit.  He was able to be here to celebrate Nathan's birthday and his own.  Dan turned a young "72" and for his birthday we were able to take him out to a nice dinner sans kids.  Instead of birthday cake, we splurged on some Cakebread wine.  Papa Dan slept really well that night. (wink...wink...)

Collin rounded out the month with a pizza party for his 4th birthday.  The kids became little chefs at California Pizza Kitchen.  They each got aprons and were able to make their own pizza.  Then they received a tour of the kitchen - pretty special they were.  Nathan loved being one of the big kids.

Nathan also LOVED the HUGE ice-cream sundae that came after the pizza!

A little Irish makes for a grand Saturday

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!!

Josh took the morning off of work (which is a very rare treat for a Saturday morning) and accompanied the family to our local Saint Patrick's Day parade!  It was a beautiful March morning.  The kids loved the excitement, the noise, the candy, the clowns, and especially the Irish dancers!

 (We met up with the Riveras a the parade; Kate and Natalie have become good friends.)

Katie Had a Little Lamb

Anyone who knows Kate also knows Lambie.  Lambie is her favorite thing in the whole world. 

 Well yesterday we got word that Fox Hollow Farm had a new baby lamb.  Sadly her momma couldn't produce enough milk to take care of her, so the Scuderi's were bottle feeding the lamb every three hours.  They invited the kids over to pet the newest member of their family.   The first lamb of the season (Adam) was born about a month ago; however, he was nestled in the back of the barn with his momma.  So Kate could only get a glimpse of Adam when he was born.  Today, Kate had a front row seat to see four day old Bummer the Lamb (yes, really.  my guess is their daughter named the lamb because it was a "bummer" that her mom couldn't take care of her.  Regardless of the silly name, Kate absolutely loved petting the lamb. I'm so grateful that the Scuderi family is so welcoming to our kids.  They love to go to the farm. 

Are we in Maryland anymore??

I posted a few weeks ago about how mild our winter weather has been this year. Did I sleep through January and February and March, to awaken in April?   I keep finding myself asking if I am still in Maryland?  I think my dear friend Peggy has been having similar temperatures in L.A. as we've been having in Maryland.  Maybe our wind is a little nippier here, and the occasional flurry does awaken us from the dream that winter has disappeared from the calendar completely.  But in all my years of living in the Old Line State, I have NEVER experienced such a mild, beautiful winter!!  Today I just had to get out in the sunshine and fresh air.  So inspite of a little bluster here and there, we ran (or drove as the case may be) as fast as we could to a park to meet up with some friends.   Kate, Georgia and Laney quickly settled in on the tire swing, and there they stayed for most of the time we were there.  They called it their "girl party", and they screamed and yelled and sang as loud as they could. It was a picture of pure joy!   Have at it girls!  

While the girls dizzied themselves with laughter and circles, I chased after a very mobile Nathan!  That boy is fast!   But I loved that he got to get outside and run around today.

 
I did finally find a way to confine him, but much to my disappointment he wasn't too thrilled with the swing.  He was off and running again soon!

 

So I hear they are calling for snow on Sunday.   Snow. What's that?   I'll believe it when I see it.