Princess Playdate

We got a real treat this past weekend. Our friends Nicole & Ross were busy getting their house ready for an open house, so we got to keep our goddaughter Olivia for the good part of the day on Saturday!

Anna was so excited about Olivia coming over to play, and they really played so well together. They spent a lot of time in Anna's playroom. Olivia was Princess Cinderella. . .

And Anna was Princess Ariel, hoarding all of her play jewelry in her purse so "baby" Olivia couldn't get them. . .

Olivia really had fun with Anna's play kitchen, putting everything and anything in the microwave and the oven, and it was a total trip watching her try to walk in those princess shoes. . .

After a while, we put on swimsuits and spent some time outside - swinging, sliding, and playing in the little pool and sprinkler. It's so hot here this time of year, you really can't be outside unless you're getting wet!

When we'd had all we could take of the sun, the girls got to take a bath together and eat a late lunch. Anna picked out some chicken nuggets that were in the shapes of dolphins and whales, and those were a big hit along with some watermelon. Then we made some rather colorful rice crispy treats, or as Anna says "Christmas treats!" (I guess that's what she thinks we're saying.)

After lunch, we went back into the playroom to watch a movie. They looked exhausted (or maybe that was me), so I made a little bed for them on the floor, but they did not stop playing until the second that Nicole knocked on the door to pick Olivia up.

Nicole and Ross, we're going to be so sad to see you go, but we're so glad that we got to spend this extra time with Olivia before you do! Thanks for sharing your little sweetie :)

What I Sound Like

After she got home, I told Anna that she could pick where we eat dinner tonight. I never say this unless I feel like I can stomach Luby's, because that's pretty much always her pick. While I finished up a few things, Anna was playing to occupy herself until it was time to leave for dinner.

This is the conversation that followed. . .

Anna: [Playing with her play kitchen and food] "I'm making dinner, Mommy!"

Me: "Oh good! Then we don't have to go to Luby's."

Anna: "Why?"

Me: "Because you're making dinner."

Anna: [Giving me "the look"] "It's not real, Mommy!"

Me: "But I want to eat your dinner."

Anna: "Mommy, you will choke."

Thanks Anna. I now officially know what I sound like.

Alegria

I have had a long-time love affair with Cirque du Soleil.

As children, my sister Lindsay and I used to watch it on tv any time we stumbled upon it, and in college I danced to a beautiful piece of music from the Cirque show Mystere. But the real love began in 2000. New Years Day of 2000 to be exact, when my mom & dad got us all tickets to see Alegria at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi.

I've seen many other Cirque shows since - Dralion, Varekai, O, Ka, Zumanity - but something about Alegria has always stuck with me. Maybe because it was my first. But the artistry, costumes & makeup are just unbelievable. And the music (which is all live, by the way) is just beautifully haunting.

That's why I was so excited to hear that Alegria was coming near us - ten years later, I got to bring my daughter to the very same show that I first fell in love with. And she loved it too. As we walked to the car she said, "Mommy, I want to see that show again!"

Indeed, we will. And I can't wait!

Charm School

Monday night, we had spaghetti for dinner. At first, Anna said that she wanted only noodles with no sauce, and that she didn't want a fork. That seemed harmless enough to me, so I went along with it.

Somewhere along the way, she decided that she wanted sauce, but she still refused to use a fork. . .



I'm thinking of opening my own charm school and using Anna as the poster child. Who's in?

Vroom Vroom!

Guess what Anna got to do when we visited Omi & PawPaw this past weekend. . .

She got to take PawPaw Carl's new toy for a spin! Okay, so she didn't really drive it all by herself, but she had a blast riding it with her Daddy through the neighborhood. She wasn't scared at all and kept telling her daddy, "Faster! Faster!" and asking to "do it again!"

Maybe when she's a little older, they'll have to take her out to the spillway and teach her how to do 360's and get stuck in the mud. With a helmet, of course!

Little Swimmer

Last summer, I signed Anna up for a swimming class at the YMCA. We showed up for the first lesson, only to find that we were the only ones who signed up for that time and that the class was cancelled. (Thanks for the phone call, YMCA!)

So thanks to that little mess, Anna finally had her first swimming lesson today - a year later and NOT at the YMCA!

On the way into her lesson, we passed the big outdoor pool where the "big kids" on the swim team were practicing. She took one look at it and said, "I don't want that one!"

But she did so well during her private lesson with "Miss Gracie"! She was excited, and although she was a little hesitant, didn't cry at all when it was time to get into the water with only a complete stranger. Once she got in the water, she was all smiles. They practiced kicking, jumping in, floating on her back, and even putting her ears and face in the water (which has historically been a big problem, even in the bathtub).

Daddy and I really enjoyed watching her from behind the glass of the viewing area, and she just looked so proud of herself after each and every little task she conquered. It's so amazing to see her face her fears with a big smile on her face.

Miss Gracie had nothing but good things to say, so we can't wait to see how Anna progresses through the session. Hopefully, she'll be a lot more comfortable and a lot safer in the water by the end of this summer!

Ghosts of Birthdays Past

I got out of the shower one lazy Saturday morning to find this in my bed. . .

• Necklace - Clown nose from her "Big Top" themed 2nd birthday
• Hat - Backwards Crown from her "Princess" themed 3rd birthday
• Bed Head - All natural (you know you're jealous!)

The only thing missing is the customized bib from her first birthday to round out the ensemble. If she keeps digging in my things, I'm sure that can be arranged as well.