Lizzy's Brush With Celebrity

Lizzy was invited to celebrate her friend, Hazel's, fourth birthday. The exciting thing was that Hazel was having a double party with her friend, Summer.........Summer Young.......the daughter of Steve Young, legendary 49ers quarterback......and the party was at Summer's house (and I use the term "house" loosely. Mansion, chateau, or estate would probably be more appropriate). All the girls dressed up as princesses, and as we arrived we were beckoned to the backyard cabana (next to the pool and amazing BBQ). The girls all made crowns, and then were surprised by the arrival of Cinderella (the real Cinderella that works at Disneyland- this chick was the real deal. She even had me buying her act). The girls walked down a red carpet one by one and were introduced to Cinderella to have their picture taken with her. Then after we played games and had cake. Barb and Steve (as I call them since we're such close friends) were actually really nice, incredibly generous, and very sweet. Elizabeth had a nice time, and as we were leaving said, "that sure was a really big, beautiful house!" Indeed it was! A once in a lifetime chance for both of us, I'm sure!

Make-Up for Mary Kate

Believe it or not (and I really can hardly believe it), our cousin, Mary Kate, just turned 15! I remember when she was a little girl, and now she is a lovely young lady, but that is a separate story. To celebrate her birthday, Auntie Elizabeth planned a special night out for Mary Kate and invited me to come along. An added bonus was that Lizzy and Peter got to hang out with their special cousins while I was with Mary Kate and Elizabeth. Every time we visit our cousins, Peter needs a couple of minutes to warm up, and Lizzy is always eager to be his helper and protector. As soon as we pulled up she held his hand walking in, and then hugged him for a long time until he felt ready to play. Of course as soon as he saw the trains, he was ready to go! I always appreciate what a loving big sister Lizzy is to Peter. Lizzy and Caroline had a great time playing. They really love each other so much, and have a great time together. They are very similar in their personalities- both very independent, capable, and strong-willed- but really enjoy one another's company and friendship. It's delightful to see. Uncle John watched all the little kids (which he said was a breeze because they were all so happy playing) while us ladies had a night out. We took Mary Kate to the MAC store for a special make-up lesson. Her teacher, Mary, was wonderful, and really took her time to show Mary Kate the ropes. When she was done, Mary Kate looked amazing! You could tell how excited and happy she was, which was so fun to see:) We went out to dinner afterwards, and what a treat to get to spend a night with my sister and niece over a yummy dinner! We had a wonderful time and it was a very special night!

Soccer Girl

Friday was the last day of soccer (for the session), so the coaches decided to have a little scrimage for the last few minutes of class. This has been such an awesome class, and Elizabeth has really enjoyed it. She loves all the little games they play, and has become quite good at kicking and dribbling. She, in typical form, listens careful and follows along enthusiastically. I loved watching her in the scrimage. She "got" what was going on. While many were sort of aimlessly running around, Lizzy went for the ball. She even had (somewhat of) a breakaway and a shot on goal! She's not super aggressive, but does work really hard and is having a great time- I think that's what is most important!

Crib Time

I hate to say it, but sometimes Peter has been known to have a tantrum or two. The guy is just about two, so I guess we shouldn't be too surprised. Lately, when he is yelling, I just put him in his bed until he calms down, then he can come out. Yesterday Peter was crabbing in his bed. Lizzy said, "I think Peter is upset. I'm going to go help him." She went into his room, and I could hear her talking with him through the slats of his crib. She came out and asked if she could bring some of her stuffed animal friends into his bed and go in there with him. They played in that crib together for almost half an hour! I could hear them laughing and talking together. They piled the stuffed animals on top of each other, threw in a little wrestling, and had fun together. What a perfect remedy for being crabby!

The Box Clubhouse

When we moved to our new house, one of the movers was kind enough to let Elizabeth keep one of the wardrobe boxes. She's put it in her room and it's become a sort of "house." Of course, in true Elizabeth fashion, it's decorated with jewels, necklaces and bracelets, special key chains and blankets. There are also blankets, books, and stuffed animals in there to make it extra cozy. Lizzy and Peter love to hang out in the house and play. Isn't it amazing that a simple box can be transformed into a beautiful getaway?

Memorial Day Fun

We got to go to a super fun BBQ at our special friends, the Heinz's, house. They really went all out! Out front they set up some great water toys. The big kids loved sliding down this great water slide into the pool. Everyone, especially Peter, loved the shark slip 'n slide. Peter would crawl down the whole thing, then make his way through the tunnel and run back to get in line. Lizzy wasn't too crazy about the tunnel, but would slide down until she reached the tunnel then run back to line. In the back, they set up the jumpy house- so fun! Lizzy was so sweet, and helped Connor by holding his hand in the jumpy house. Peter loved a chance to sneak in a few tackles/hugs while I wasn't looking. We had a delicious dinner and spent time with lots of wonderful friends. What a special day, and fantastic way to spend the long weekend.

Our New Backyard

The best thing about our new backyard is we get to spend lazy mornings outside in our jammies (or our diaper) and relax and enjoy the gorgeous spring sunshine. Daddy loves to sit at our new outside table and have his tea and read the newspaper. On Sunday morning before church, he makes us pancakes, and we love to sit outside and eat our super yummy breakfast. Lizzy and Peter love to dig around the garden. Lizzy loves to pull out all the weeds and water the plants. Peter loves to play in his toy car. A new favorite is to put the paint easel in the back and create gorgeous pictures. We love having a little more outside space to play and relax.