Character Sitings

We returned last Thursday from an action-packed, fun-filled, and exciting week in Disney World! Mark and I had not been to Disney World since the 80s, so the "big" kids had just as much fun as the little ones. We were lucky to have two sets of grandparents join us for a couple of days to share in the "magic" of the adventures.

Kate loved getting signatures in her princess autograph book and taking pictures with the many characters throughout the parks. Lauren wasn't quite as receptive to the idea, but did her best nonetheless. Although she just had to have her own Tinkerbell autograph book. Here are just a few shots of the numerous characters we saw. (More pictures of our trip to come!)

Holiday Tea Party

Last week, the girls and I attended a holiday tea party at a friend's house. The girls dressed up in their holiday best and enjoyed the party's numerous activities. The activities included making an ornament, a gift exchange, a Christmas story, and of course, cookies and lemonade. The moms got to enjoy delicious treats and coffee while also having the opportunity to socialize (a nice treat). Kate and Lauren had a wonderful time!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Lauren!

Our youngest daughter turns 2 today!!! Happy Birthday, Lauren!

Thank you for two wonderful years. You are truly a blessing in all of our lives. Your smile lights up a room and your beautiful and caring personality brings joy to those around you. We wish you all the happiness in the world and look forward to watching you grow in the years to come.

Thanks for making our lives complete! Endless birthday wishes to one COOL kid!

We LOVE You!
Mom, Dad and Kate

Who Can Resist a Party?!

This past weekend, Kate attended a birthday party for one of her preschool friends at the Life and Science Museum. I sent Mark along since he had never been before. Kate (and Mark) had a blast! The party was complete with face painting, a Dora pinata and cake, and an afternoon filled with fun and excitement exploring the museum. After being gone for 5 1/2 hours, the duo returned home with numerous pictures and videos. Here are just a couple that highlight the event.

From Under the Sea to Never Never Land

The girls had a great time trick-or-treating this year and thoroughly enjoyed Halloween! Kate transformed herself into Ariel (her favorite princess), complete with her wand and tiara, while Lauren became Tinkerbell for a magical evening! (Thanks to our friends who loaned us the wings... Lauren lit up the sidewalks as she walked.) Although the girls enjoyed going door-to-door, Kate spent most of the night watching all of the kids come to our house, admiring the vast array of costumes. Lauren, on the other hand, had difficulty at first with others taking our candy. She started to cry, yelling "Nooooo! That's my candy!" We were able to distract her enough to empty the candy bowl and enjoy the evening. Fun was had by all.

(Kate has already informed me that next year she wants to be Belle!!)

Pumpkin Day

Although this event occurred about a week and a half ago, I felt it was still worthy of posting. The girls, Grampy (Rich), and I attended Pumpkin Day at the Farmers Market. The events of the day included a pumpkin decorating contest, the biggest pumpkin, and kids activities (face painting, moon bounce, etc.). Although we didn't partake in the kids activities (the lines were too long), we did witness the largest pumpkin and some of the winners in the pumpkin decorating contest. Believe it or not, the largest pumpkin there (not in the contest) weighed (?) pounds!! (Take a guess at the weight)

It took quite a while to pick out our pumpkins. Kate gravitated towards the odd shape ones with bumps and lumps. She sees beauty in everything! We also had the opportunity to see the "pumpkin blow-up" that Kate asks about each year, as well as come home with an orange pumpkin, a white pumpkin, and two small tri-color pumpkins. Fun for the whole gang!

Crib Diving...No Longer an Option!

About a week and a half ago, we heard a loud "THUD" about 15 minutes after putting the girls to sleep. Lauren had decided it might be fun to climb out of her crib. Although it startled her, she was okay, no broken bones or bruises. She assured us that she would stay in her crib the rest of the night, which she did. HOWEVER, she repeated the act the next night as well. (We never experienced this with Kate, so this "crib diving" was new to us.)

So, the next day we headed out to purchase a mattress for our daredevil. Since Lauren has a timetable all her own, her room has not been redecorated. Kate allowed us to paint her room and decorate prior to moving into a "big girl bed." Hence, Lauren is in her same room, nothing changed, just a mattress on the floor in place of the crib. (We did order a bed for her this weekend.)

We must say, she loves her big bed and has actually slept longer in the mornings than she did in her crib. I guess it's well worth it!

Having Fun at the Beach - Family Photos

As our families continue to grow, the hope of getting all members to look at the camera and smile begins to fade. In fact, it generally takes at least 5 tries to get the four of us to take a decent picture, let alone 10+ people! But...we continue to try and do the best we can. So, here are a few family photos from this year's week at the beach.

Having Fun at the Beach - Part 1

We returned Sunday from a week at the beach in Emerald Isle, NC. We spent the week with Grampy and Grammy (Rich and Carol), Aunt Maureen, Uncle Patrick, and cousin, Peter. Grandpa and Grandma (Dad and Pat) and Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop (Biz and Doug) also visited for a couple of days during the week. The girls were fortunate to be able to spend time at the beach with all three sets of grandparents.

Rich and Carol rented a beautiful house right on the beach with its own pool. Most of our days were spent on the beach playing in the sand, splashing in the ocean, collecting shells and taking dips in the pool. We did venture out one day for lunch at a local seafood restaurant and then an afternoon of exploration at the aquarium.

We had a wonderful week filled with fun, sun and quality time with family!

Due to the numerous photos taken, I figured I would spread them out over a few days. Enjoy!

Back to School

Kate returned to preschool following Labor Day and has a week and a half under her belt. She is going three mornings a week this year and is so excited to be back! Although, only two of the girls are returning from last year's class, she still gets to see past classmates on the playground and before and after school. (Walking with friend, Ryan, in the below photo)

This year, the kids eat lunch at school as well, so of course, we had to buy a lunchbox. Kate was so excited when I came home a month ago with an Ariel one from the Disney Store! Now, she excitedly packs her lunch in the morning and holds "Ariel" in her lap the entire ride to school.

Let's hope the excitement for school continues for the next 20+ years!

Princesses, Princesses Everywhere!

Kate's birthday continued into this past weekend with a "Princess Party" for her and her friends. Each of the girls came dressed in their favorite princess attire. We spent the afternoon playing games, opening presents, doing crafts and eating cupcakes and ice cream. Each girl made her own tiara and necklace. To complete their princess look, each girl was given a handmade wand (that was my job the week prior).

I knew all of the preparation was worth it when Kate came up to me in the middle of the party and said, "Thank you, Mom. I am having so much fun at my princess party."

May all of your birthday wishes come true, Kate. You're one of our favorite princesses!

And you, too, Lauren!

Kate's Birthday Celebration

On Saturday, we celebrated Kate's birthday with family and friends. Kate's cake request this year was Ariel from the Little Mermaid. I'm finding her requests to be much more difficult as the years progress, but I did my best to produce "Ariel" for the event. Kate enjoyed every moment of her party and loved all of her gifts (which for the most part centered around the princess theme)! She has spent the last couple of days putting several of the gifts to use. Thanks to all who helped make her 4th birthday special!

Happy 4th Birthday, Kate!!

Happy 4th Birthday to our special little girl, Kate, who is growing up right before our eyes. We had a busy weekend filled with birthday celebrations and fun! I have plenty of pictures that I will post tomorrow, but for today, we just wanted to wish our daughter a very happy birthday and say thank you for 4 beautiful, loving years!

You have touched so many lives in such a special way and we are truly blessed to have you in our family. WE LOVE YOU, KATE!!!!!!!!!!!

Exploring Life and Science

Last week, the girls and I joined some friends and traveled to the Life and Science Museum in Durham. Our adventure began with a train ride through the woods, including a small tunnel followed by a slight hill, which felt similar to a child's amusement ride. We then explored the butterfly house and its beautiful creatures. We were able to see butterflies released into the environment just a couple hours after their birth! One of the butterflies tried to hitch a ride on my diaper bag, but was discovered before we left the building. Other highlights included the farm animals, the "clouds, " the dinosaurs, and the system of balls. The girls and I agreed that a future return trip is in store...this time with Dad.

Watermelon Day

About a week and a half ago, the girls and I headed to the Farmer's Market for "Watermelon Day." Not sure what we were in store for, we ventured out for a day of "rural fun." Plus, seeing as how watermelon is one of Kate's favorite fruits, we couldn't pass up the opportunity. Much to our delight, we had a wonderful time watching the various events and eating watermelon. Next up...apple day in September!!

Naps...Take Them Where They Fall

In our house, naps are a beautiful thing...when they actually happen! Kate is reaching the age that naps are pretty much non-existent. There is that special occasion that her body finally decides to quiet down and get some rest, but that only happens so often. As for Lauren, I usually get one a day, ranging anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 1/2 hours (very rare!). So, I don't get much accomplished during the day. However, yesterday was one of those rare occasions that both gave in to "sleep" at the same time while watching Sesame Street. Did I mention that I'm not too picky as to where the naps take place? Here was yesterday's chosen spots.

Swimming and Water Ice...Now that's Nice!

Two weekends ago, we took a short trip to visit Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop (Biz and Doug) at their house for an afternoon of fun. We spent some time at their pool, cooling off from the hot temperatures and splashing around. Lauren enjoyed playing with sand toys on the edge of the pool, occasionally floating in her tube to cool off, while Kate jumped in several times to Mom-Mom and swam around with the rest of the gang.

After a delicious meal, Mom-Mom surprised the girls with water ice for dessert. Based on the pictures can you guess what flavor each one had?! Thanks for a nice day, Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop!

At the Ballet

Kate is once again taking another round of dance lesson at the local community center. However, this time she is thrilled that cousin, Carah, is joining her!! The two spend 45 minutes performing graceful ballet moves and making "noise" with their tap shoes. Here are a couple of photos from the first class. (I didn't have the camera this week.) The two are planning to perform in a local concert with their group at the end of August. Almost 4, and the dance recitals have already begun!