A Frozen Fete.

Simone hosted her first "friend" birthday party.  The Disney cartoon Frozen is the hottest thing on the planet.  I am guessing that every little girl from 4 - 14 is singing the songs and playing Anna and Elsa.  Even Cullen loves Olaf the snowman!  I will credit Dirk with the idea to have Queen Elsa visit the party.  But as we contemplated, it had to be someone that Simone didn't already know.  On a whim, I contacted my co-workers daughter, Camille.  She's 19, has a background in performing arts and also loves Frozen.  To top it off, Camille has long blonde hair and actually looks the part!  

8 little girls were invited to the house for a breakfast birthday party:  pancakes, bacon, doughnuts and fruit (the easiest party meal to prepare!).  For the special occasion, I found an Anna costume for Simone to wear and she was pretty pumped. The girls got here and played for about 20 minutes and then, Elsa arrived.  Camille did great!  She entered the backyard and the girls were in awe.....  Elsa then took over the party.  She read a book, played musical chairs and sang songs.  When breakfast was served, she sat with the little ones and answered a million questions:  "What does Olaf the snowman eat at your castle?"  "How did you get here?" "Do you like summer or winter better?"

I have never seen smiles so big on little ones.  These are the years to capture the magic of their  imaginations.  Mission accomplished.

Fabulously Four!

Simone Elizabeth is now 4 years-old.  The last few years have gone by in the blink of an eye.  Simone is sassy, sweet, smart, silly and stylish.  She is not afraid to say how she feels (either smiling from ear to ear or crying).  She loves Frozen and Doc Mcstuffins, soccer, singing, her puppy dog and her aunties.  This little one is very girly, yet not afraid to touch a worm or pick up a turtle crossing the street.  We capped off the birthday celebration with a family BBQ.  Grandpa Mark, Grandma Liz, Annie, Dane, Tracy, Jameson, Quinn, Mimi, Bobby and Jason's Mom and Grandmother visiting from Oklahoma.  We played with pop-its and a pinata and ate a deliciously decorated pink cake.  Grandma Liz and Cullen wowed the crowd with their hula hooping skills.

Happy birthday sweet girl.  We love you to the moon and back!

Mother's Day Hikes

Brigette and Mason paid us a visit this Mother's Day weekend.  We had a great hike at Perrot State Park overlooking the mighty Miss.  Cullen, Mason and Simone started out running straight up the bluff and we had to remind them that it was a long hike - not a race!  When we reached one of the higher lookouts, the rain clouds opened up.  The cool water actually felt good, but made the trail a bit slick (that's when Dirk decided to hoist Simone onto his shoulders).  On Mother's Day, we had a delicious brunch at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe - which also included a hike on the trails.  The best part of the weekend was just spending time with the kids.  Not only do they keep us on our toes,  but they make us smile, induce belly laughs, and tire us out completely.  And I wouldn't change any of it!

The best clown ever.

Cullen recently performed as a clown in the Cathedral School 4K Circus Concert.  The various kids in 4k were given roles specific to the circus:  acrobats, tigers, monkeys, ponies, and clowns.  The best part was that Cullen actually wore the costume Dirk's Aunt Linda made for him when we was little!  Cullen, never shy in front of a crowd, dazzled us with his singing, tumbling and cart driving.  And for the finale, he was shot out of a cannon.  This was a circus not to be missed!

Easter Celebration.