Trio

There was a lot of silliness in our house today. For Franny and Cole, most of it was spent doing two things: playing with the half-flat Red Robin balloons from last night’s dinner and playing with this empty diaper box. There was no shortage of giggling, that is for sure—and that is the best way to spend a Monday afternoon.

There are a lot of pumpkin patches to choose from in the Portland area, but for me, none compare to Kruger Farms on Sauvie Island. Here, there is a real feeling of harvest; there aren’t a lot of extras, but that is what gives it such an authentic feeling. And, it has the important things—corn maze, hay ride, hot cider, kettle corn, caramel apples and other treats, and lots of great pumpkins! Franny enjoyed looking for pumpkins, while Cole loved the tractor and the hayride. He also loved washing the pumpkins, (even though he didn’t pick one out due to his focus on getting back on the hayride). After choosing our pumpkins, we all enjoyed the festive atmosphere with some kettle corn and hot cider. It was a perfect Autumn day—the sun was warm and air cool. Everyone had a great time—even Delaney—and it was a great way to kick off a week of Halloween festivities.

This sweet girl had the power to make our vacation a challenge and a regret. We had neither, as our vacation was wonderful. This sweet girl endured a plane ride to San Diego with a half hour stop in Oakland; followed by just one day in a strange house and a day trip to San Clemente before being taken to Disneyland where she rode in the Ergo for two days and spent one night in a strange hotel room; then, taken back to the cousins’ house for a day; rode in the Ergo for another full day at Legoland; spent the next morning at the beach and then taken on a tour of Carlsbad; flew home with another half hour stop in Sacramento. Finally, after a week on the go with some very stimulating activities, happy to be home. Thank you, Delaney, for giving us such a great vacation. We know it pushed you to your limits, but you went through it all with grace and patience. You’re an amazing little girl.

Going to Disneyland with your kids is like going for the first time.  Everything is so amazing and fun and special.   Before we went, I would have hesitated to call an amusement park special.  But, Disneyland is.  Of course, Franny and Cole had a great time—they saw characters and went on rides and saw their books come to life.  But, it was less about any one thing, and  was more about them becoming absorbed in the fantasy and becoming a part of it, even if it was just for two days.  To see the excitement and awe in their faces is pure joy and absolutely priceless.  I can’t wait to go back!

We knew that Franny would have her special moment with the princess. With Cole, however, I knew he would have an incredibly fun time, but I didn’t anticipate him having an experience that stood out and was special to him. I was wrong. The Cars garage and the Pixar Play Parade brought Mater the Tow Truck to life for sweet Cole. To say his face lit up would be a complete understatement. It was, without a doubt, one of my favorite moments during our trip to Disneyland.

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After much anticipation, Franny finally had her dinner with the princesses, including her favorite Cinderella. She was clearly in awe as each princess was announced and then moved around the room to speak to all those attending. Our table was one of the last for each to visit, but Franny was very quiet and patient; she just continuously looked up to see where they were as she ate her dinner and worked on decorating her paper tiara. It was emotional for me to see her so overwhelmed—they are very special to her and also very real. Disneyland is just where they happen to live. She posed for pictures with all of them and gave them all hugs, which is something that Franny is not that free with. She didn’t say much, which didn’t surprise me, but I was so impressed with how calm and poised she was. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the look on her face and the amazement in her eyes. It was a very special night—it’s an incredible thing to be able to see your child’s dreams come true.

We just returned from a wonderful week long vacation in the San Diego area.  We had such a wonderful time reconnecting with family and having many fun adventures with them, including an excursion to San Clemente; visits to Disneyland, Sealife Aquarium, and Legoland; and a great morning playing on the beach.   These relationships are very important to us and seeing the cousins play together and have so much affection for each other made the trip a very special one.  The kids haven’t stopped talking about them since we left, and Franny has made a card for her cousins every day since we’ve been home.  It will definitely be a sweet reunion when they see each other again.  We can’t wait!

Recently, we had our first family movie night.  The kids love reading their Disney Cars book, so I thought they would really enjoy this movie as their first.  And, it was definitely a hit!  We started our evening with make-your-own pizzas, and then settled down to watch our movie.  Although I really doubt either Franny or Cole followed much of the story line, they definitely enjoyed seeing the characters come to life on the screen.  It was so much fun to see their excitement over a movie—a small pleasure for us, but such a very big deal to them. 

Today, the gang returned from Starbucks with a coffee sticker for Delaney. With all three sporting the same sticker, his gesture of inclusion brought Delaney into the ranks of the ‘matching siblings’, which is very big amongst Franny and Cole. Matching pajamas, matching shirts, matching hats…the list goes on and on. It’s incredibly silly, but very endearing as it is almost entirely led by them. And, I admittedly love it, as well.