30 Days

Thirty days has September, April, June and November.  All the rest have 31, except for February alone who has 28 days and 29 in a leap year. ~ Mother Goose

Well, the last 30 days were jammed packed for us.  Here is a quick run down of the month of June in our family.

We've been doing a lot of bike riding this summer.  Kate's been getting really good at her peddling and now she's handling some downhill rides with confidence.  But with Kate riding her bike, Nathan needed something to ride too.  He LOVES getting out on the tricycle with his big sister.  He also loves being a part of the neighborhood boys!

Papa Dan has been visting us since late March.  We all love our time with him.  We were sad to see him head back to the West Coast  mid-June.  We hope he'll be back to visit again soon (and maybe with Grandma Ann this time!)  

June saw a lot of playground time.  And anytime my kids are outside (or inside for that matter) we have boo-boos.  Nathan is a walking injury these days.   And the kids want to make sure no one out does the other, so they strive for matching boo-boos.

 

The pool at my parent's house has brought much needed refreshment during our June heat wave.  104 degrees feels much better when submerged in cool water.  It also was a blessing when we lost power due to the horrible storm that passed through Maryland in late June.  We were lucky and only lost power for a partial day.  Others were waiting 6 days during a heat wave to get their power back!

Kate was able to try her hand (or foot as it might be) at soccer this month.  She took part in a two week soccer camp for 3 and 4 year olds.   She dreaded the idea and cried the night before it began.  But as you can see here, she ended up loving it.  I think her coach, Mick, made it so much fun for the kids.  They affectionately called him Coach Mickey Mouse.  :)

 

Kate and Coach Mickey Mouse

 Dress up time is a daily occurrence at our house.  After two years of being subjected to tu-tus, princess dresses, high heels, and lots of jewelry, Nathan finally scored a costume of his own.  Here is our little police officer himself, LOVING his new digs. 

 

The kids and I loaded up into the mini-van and drove north to Long Island to visit our friends the Bonzagnis while Josh stayed home to catch up on some work.   Holly and I have been friends since high school, and it's great to see our kids becoming friends as well.  We had five kids ages five and under in one house plus a 13 year old to keep things hopping.  It was very  noisy.  Very noisy.   Kate, Nathan, and I shared a room.  I think the two loved sharing bedtime- but Mommy didn't get much sleep.  

Bedtime Stories; Kate loves "reading" Nathan nursery rhymes 

Kate and Mia - future BFFs

It was a busy month.  And the summer has just begun...

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.)