Trio

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.

Although it is the end of the summer, this camp chair built for two was too fun to pass up.  Franny and Cole love it—it quickly has become part of the gear that they haul out of the garage whenever they play in the front yard.  I already have my eye out for one built for three for next summer.

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Auntie Noelle is finally starting to get the smiles from Delaney! I predict there will soon be three vying for her attention. But, I know she wouldn’t have it any other way, which is probably why they all adore her so!

Sweet Delaney, now three months old, has lost nearly all her hair and now her eyes are starting to change color. I can’t wait to find out what she is going to look like!

Today, hot weather left a beautiful, warm evening—perfect for joining the huge crowd that gathered to view the Vaux Swifts’ descent on the Chapman School chimney. We went early (probably a little too early for three young kids) with a blanket and picnic dinner in order to have an ideal viewing spot. It was quite the event—right at dusk, thousands of Vaux Swifts gathered overhead prior to circling and diving into the chimney where they roost each night. I find it absolutely fascinating that all these birds find this one chimney in Portland, Oregon during their migration from British Columbia to Mexico. It was definitely worth the trip, despite the chaos three impatient kids can create, and one we plan to do again next year. It was truly an amazing sight!

Last week, Franny was given her first homework assignment—a concept she was not overly impressed with. Once she started the process, however, I think she did enjoy it. She was to look through magazines, cut out pictures that begin with the letter A, and make a collage out her findings. Surprisingly, examples were scarce (she went through 5-6 magazines), which made it a little tedious for her, as it was the first week. She did come up with alligator, apple, almonds, asparagus, armadillo, and arm. Pretty good, I thought, although I think her favorite part was using the scissors and glue stick!