Worth Every Penny!

Mom and Josh on a most special day out with Thomas
Josh and his "Thomas"
Josh and James
All aboard!
The scary Sir Topem Hat!

"A Day Out with Thomas," has got to be one of the greatest ideas ever! I just wish I had bought stock in it or come up with the idea myself. It was just what you would imagine- minivans, strollers, moms and tots- with hundreds of those darling 3ish-year-old boys who have the "fever" for Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. These boys are some of the most loyal fans you'll meet. They know every song, every story, all the trains, and they somehow become mesmerized when they hear that whistle blow and Thomas the Tank Engine pulls into the station. They are partially frozen, neck forward and eyes wide open just waiting for that first glimpse when the anticipation turns to a most exciting event in the life of a 3-year-old! "Thomas, Thomas, Thomas!!!" Josh and his little friends had a great time bouncing in the bounce house, getting "Thomas" tattoos, smiling for mom and the camera, meeting Sir Topem Hat (Josh was scared of him), watching the clowns do tricks (Josh was scared of them, too), mom's trip to the gift shop, and last but not least a 25 minute ride aboard every body's favorite train! (Josh wasn't scared of the train!) A pricey event, but oh the joy. We loved it- seeing the excitement and capturing the moments of childhood that will be gone all too soon was worth every penny! Thank-you Thomas.

A Princess at Heart

Lizzy and Kyle
Flora Fauna and Merrywheather (I need a better camera)
The lovely Sleeping Beauty and Prince Phillip
Everyone's favorite mice!
Emma, Lizzy, Kyle, and Miranda

I want to be a kid again! The ice show was amazing- I guess we can generally assume. . .

"If it's Disney, it's magic!" I know I've heard and seen these princess fairy-tales hundreds of times, yet it was so exciting and magical- I was captivated the entire show. OK- not the entire show- sorry Mulan, your routine wasn't princessy enough to keep up with Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Arial, but the other princesses more than made up for it. I even looked over at my friend who brought her 3 daughters and she was so enamored she had tears in her eyes. I think these princess stories somehow become a part of who we are as we grow through childhood imagining ourselves as our favorite princess. It seems we each have one that is the most magical of all to us. I remember seeing Cinderella- "my" princess- when I was about 7 years old with my aunt and sister. I treasure the memory and remember how real the story was to me. Lizzy loves Sleeping Beauty and I love that she has been our little "princess" now for over 4 years! I was worried that she was growing out of the stage, but I think at heart she is still a princess- just like her mom.

Mickey Mouse at Midnight

Princess Lizzy and her Handsome Groom

Lizzy and Josh with their new Pirate Mickey boat from Grandma

Or should I say 3 AM! I know it sounds crazy, but we had a quick weekend trip to San Antonio to visit Dave's family, and had to pull a u-haul trailer back. We drove really slow and ended up not getting home until 2:30am. We thought we were so lucky when we pulled out of San Antonio and both the kids were asleep with in 30 minutes, but we realized when we got home, that after a 6 hour nap, the kids didn't especially want to go to bed. I let them open their new souvenir from their grandma and play for a while. Luckily, they did get tired after about 45 minutes, and came in to go to bed.

A Weekend of Firsts

Lizzy and Grace Morphis
Lizzy and Grace

Lizzy, Cade and Grace

Lizzy had her very first Sunshine Generation performance this past weekend. We got there a little early so that we could get Lizzy changed into her performance costume. We hurried into the bathroom where my little 6-year-old donned her first pair of nylons! I can't believe how fast these kids grow up. She looked like a little teen wearing 1" heals and nylons. I guess shes getting close to being a "tweener", but I love having a little princess and hope she will be a "little" girl for just a bit longer. The performance was sweet- definitely a first- but sweet. They performed at an assisted living center in Mesquite TX which was an easy crowd to please (filled with parents and senior citizens). It was a really fun experience.

Morning Mischief

Josh and his friend Max

Josh had a little friend over to play this morning, and it got a little too quiet, so as all moms know that is the time to investigate. I went down the hall and noticed the bathroom door closed, so I checked it and sure enough- it was locked. "Josh open the door,". . ."just a minute- Im playin'" After a few minutes of politely asking, I got a credit card, and forced my way in where I found this! Josh informed me that he was just washing Max's hair. The poor kids had the top of his head covered in hand soap. Josh was working on the rinsing though- using a small glass vase- yikes!