Her First Rodeo

Alice has gone out to the Houston Livestock Show since she was born. She LOVES seeing the animals and going through Ag-Venture.

However, we have never taken her to the Rodeo. I felt like she was too young to sit for that long and too much explanation would be required. Plus, it's SO LOUD.

But now that's she's a bit older and is comfortable wearing her headphones, I felt like it would be a good year to take her. 

I found an artist that I didn't think would be too uncomfortable for her and Nana found tickets.

We spent some time looking at the animals and planting a sunflower and going through the farm area. Then it was show time! 

She knew all about it because her teacher had just gone and told the class about it. Alice REALLY wanted to see the bulls. 

With headphones on, she handled it really well! We got through the National Anthem and the opening fireworks. 

And then she asked for the bulls.

The first event is Tie Down roping.

First calf out of the gate, "what are they doing to the cow?!"

This might be a long night.

"They're roping him, I don't think it hurts him. He's okay."

"He yooks sad!!! Sad cow!"

And then she asked for the bulls. 

We rock along and it's Barrel Racing time. One girl knocks the barrel over and Nana gasps. Alice pats her on the arm and says, "it's okay, Nana. They'll pick it up!" 

Still, where are the bulls?!

She FINALLY got to see the bulls. The excitement last about 8 seconds. Probably more like 6 because that's how long the first cowboy managed to stay on.

Alice feels like there should be less contestants. 

She thought the children chasing the cows were not very nice and the kids riding sheep were crazy. "I NOT doing THAT!!" Preach, girl. 

Then the concert. Her first as well. I went with Leon Bridges because his music is beautiful and we enjoyed the show! 

Nana, Alice and I had a lovely Girl's Night Out at the Rodeo!

Until next time.....

Day 3 - Back to Magic Kingdom

This day started out rough. 

I didn't feel well. We were all tired. It was SOOOOOOO crowded and SOOOOOO hot. 

Most of our party had Fast Pass times for Space Mountain while Alice, Mawmaw, and I had times to meet Ariel in her grotto. 

**Pause for side story. When Alice gets nervous, she goes into Puppy Mode. (Tami and Travis thinks it looks more like a T-rex but it's a Puppy.) This means she pulls her hands up near her face like paws, hunches over a bit, and shakes her butt like she's wagging her tail. She does this ALL THE TIME. She does this almost every morning at school. When she sees family for the first time in 12 hours. When we run into people we know out in public. If ANYONE speaks to her out in public. If we encounter another child out in public. Default is always Puppy Mode.**

We get up to Ariel and her handler asks if we have an autograph book. Nope! I am not here to take up any more time than my child needs and she has ZERO desire to have anyone sign anything. And she doesn't really want to be spoken to. God bless the Princesses and their dedication to staying in character. My mother-in-law kind of eases her toward the tailed Princess but she is in full Puppy Mode and Princess Ariel is just a talking to her. Bless. Her. Heart. 

We get her to sit next her. This is how that looks....

Bless it be.

Ariel is trying her best to engage our overwhelmed child and asks, "Oh! Are you being a fish?"

And Alice barked at her.

Yep.

And again, bless Ariel, she went on talking about how she loves Prince Eric's dog without ever missing a beat. These Princesses should be making WAY MORE than whatever Santa gets paid. 

We made it through. And I have to be honest, I was discouraged and frustrated. Why can't she just smile like a 'normal' kid?! But she is normal, she's just Alice Normal. This is just the way she is, how she copes. It doesn't hurt anyone. And for now, it's fine. This was MY damage. Not hers. This was my expectations being greater than her feelings, and I'm sorry for that. She's 5 and apparently I can still have Bad Momma Moments. I can laugh at the picture.....now.

We had reservations in the castle for her birthday lunch where we got to meet ALL the Princesses. The adults enjoyed meeting them quite a bit!! Alice avoided eye contact like they were carrying Ebola. 

We skipped our afternoon Fast Pass with Belle and went back to the resort for a much needed break in the pool. It was JUST what we needed. No hustle or bustle or crowd. Just the family floating in the pool. It wasn't at all what I had on the schedule, and yet it was probably the most important part of the day.

We had plans to go back for the firework show. We got back early enough to ride the Buzz Lightyear ride and then we headed to Main Street for the Happily Ever After show.

IT WAS SO MAGICAL!! 

This is a stock photo from Disney.

Seriously. It was amazing!! If you are planning a trip, I would save this show for last because any show after this is of no comparison. So wonderful! 

After the show, my Beloved, Alice, myself, and my mom decided to stay for Extra Magic Hours. Alice didn't really have a say but she was totally game so there's that! She's totally a 'ride or die' kid. Staying up until the wee hours of the night has NEVER been a problem for our girl.

The temperature was nice and the crowds nonexistent. It turned out to be my most favorite part of the day. 

We rode several rides and caught the last showing of the Tiki Room. We got back to the room late and went straight to bed. A rough start but a perfect end to the start of year 5 with our growing girl. 

Rides Alice LOVED: The Tea Cups, the Dumbo ride, Aladdin's Magic Carpets, It's a Small World, Under the Sea, Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, Mickey's PhilharMagic. 

And she FINALLY rode the carousel!! When she first went as a baby, we stood in line for over an hour. As soon as we put her on the horse - she screamed like a banshee and we immediately left the ride. 

Not this time!!! 

Our meal: We ate at Cinderella's Royal Table for lunch. They wouldn't accommodate a table for a party our size so we had to sit at separate tables next to each other. The food was decent and the Princesses were nice, however, I'm not sure this is one we will do again. It requires 2 table services if you are on the dining plan and is SUPER pricey if you are not. We did a different Princess dinner in Epcot and that is the one I would probably recommend. 

Tomorrow is Animal Kingdom day!!

A Very Merry Christmas

Every Christmas since Alice has been around has been just so magical. This year was no exception. This is the first Christmas that Alice really understood what was going on. She was excited to decorate, she loved the Christmas lights, and the anticipation of presents was palpable. (We spent so many days going to different houses for presents that now every time we are set to go somewhere, she asks, "I get presents?!" Not this time, kid.)

Christmas Eve, we were at mom's for the candlelight service and our family gift exchange. It was a ball, as usual! While at Nana's, she received a cash register and a little wooden make-up set that she ADORES. Now we are either being made over or getting a "keck up". 

We usually spend the night at mom's, however, this year, we came home and brought Aunt Tami and Uncle Travis with us. (My mom works Christmas day - babies don't know it's a holiday.) We got up, found what Santa brought, ate breakfast and opened presents. It was lovely. This was also the first year that Alice showed any interest in opening presents and every present, she reacted with, "oh wow!! I wub it!!" and hugged it to her. So precious.

Santa brought her lots of Play Doh, panties (her reaction was priceless), a turtle toothbrush holder, a Frozen microphone, a pink book, and Dada made her a lap desk.

Everything but the panties were her most "paborite EVER!" 

Christmas day, we headed up to Huntsville for Christmas with Papa and Mawmaw. She gave everyone a make-over with her new play make up set and we talked to Uncle David's goats.

We had a fantastic Christmas with the ones we love. We hope you did too.

Until next time.....

Monkeys, 'Mingos, and a Kitty

Before we decided to send Alice back to school, I mentioned to her uncle that we should take her to the Zoo before he headed to Spain. (He is currently in Spain for an Architecture class and was only home for a few days between the end of the semester and him leaving and I wanted them to have some time with her before he left.) I thought it might be less crowded with schools not being out yet and the weather wouldn't be too hot. So we picked a Thursday and invited the aunt too.

Only we sent her back to school. But it's okay, we just went after school! She wouldn't last an entire day there so a few hours would be perfect. There was no rain in the forecast for the day so of course, a storm blew in. Whatever. We were determined! She wanted to see the MONKEYS!!! 

Mom called when we were on the way in and asked if we were still planning on going. She could hear Alice in the backseat chanting, "monkeys, monkeys, monkeys!" and I said, "yes - the child wants monkeys."

We drive through scary skies and make it to the zoo in a light sprinkle. And while it rained heavy on us twice, we took shelter until it stopped and it was fine! The park was practically empty and the animals were entertaining. 

We stopped at the Red Panda first. Alice wasn't impressed. Only a monkey will do. We also stopped to talk to the Meerkats. They're so cute and just watching us. And then a bumblebee landed in their habitat and Meerkats came out of the ground and POUNCED on it. Yeesh.

We saw Elephants and Rhinos and Giraffes and so much more! And every time we did - she asked where the monkeys were. 

Double yeesh.

We finally found the primates. She waved to every one. Our zoo has done a fantastic job of creating an environment that's very wild. It doesn't look like animals in a cage. It doesn't feel like the animals are uncomfortable. And it's also very easy to get lost. They give you a map but thanks to JK Rowling, I always expect to see our bubble letting us know where we are at all times. I mean, seriously. 

We spent lots of time at the tiger habitat. Alice kept saying, 'here, kitty kitty!" And he was extremely willing to stop for a photo.

Uncle Travis and Alice got to visit the zoo last year around the same time. I took a picture then and I took another one this trip. I think it'll be a new yearly tradition. 

We saw Zebras and Flamingos and Triumph, the Bald Eagle and a really ugly turkey. The zoo is also full of bunny rabbits and chickens. We skipped the bug house. Nope. And the reptile house. Double nope. 

It was a great day. She talked about monkeys and mingos (flamingos) and elephants all night and first thing the next day. And that makes the rain totally worth it. She won't remember the rain or the having to wait out the storm. All she remembers is talking to the lion for a little bit longer and getting to spend time with the people she loves. And that's the point. 

Until next time....

And just like that....she's 2

So....we attempted a Sheep picture for month 24 (that's 2 years, folks!). They ALL look like this.....

Yep. This year might be a little exhausting.

Today, we celebrated. We decided to keep things very small. We had dinner and cupcakes and some family. And it was perfect. We splashed in the pool. We LAUGHED. We played. We opened presents. We ate cupcakes.

And we loved on a little girl who brings us so much joy. A little girl who lights up a room with her little grin. A little girl who waves bye bye when she leaves a room. A little girl who LOVES animals and marshmallows and books and colors.

She had our complete attention for the entire day. And that's what it should be about.

Two was a little bittersweet. One was exciting! It's the FIRST! But two means she's growing! And while I am SO proud of that, I miss the tiny little thing we brought home. However, I am SO excited to see what this next year holds for our girl. And it's an honor to call her ours.

Can you believe she's 2?! Yeesh.

Until next time....

Zoo day!

A few weeks ago, Uncle Travis came to town before he had to start his summer classes. I mentioned I wanted to take Alice to the zoo and he jumped at the chance to go. I felt she was old enough to really see the animals and enjoy the visit. And I thought it would be a treat for Travis to go with her for her first trip to the zoo. He's missed so many firsts, this one would be fun.

So we packed up and headed to the zoo. On a tip from the zoo website, we waited until later in the afternoon to go and we missed most of the school crowds. 

It was so much fun!

She walked almost everywhere. And she LOVED finding the animals.

She would duck down to see under or stand on her tippy toes to see over.

And for some reason, the zoo has free roaming chickens. And Alice LOVES her some chickens.

"CHICKENS!!!!!"

It was fun to watch Travis have fun with her. She's finally old enough that can he play with her without fear of hurting her. 

And they both had a great time!

We even got to feed some Giraffes!!!

It was a perfectly lovely day. A little hot! But still lovely.

And magical. To see her find an animal and the excitement on her face was worth the heat. And the memories are priceless. 

Until next time....

Little Miss Sass

Today I had a meeting with a bride so the Nana came to hang out with Alice.

I knew she was just around the corner so Alice and I headed out to check the mail and the weather. I put her down to walk around. She immediately grabbed a rock and headed for the street.

Yeesh.

After pulling her back a few times and a minor fit she decided stomping up and down the sidewalk would suffice. 

If she had words, they would be saying "tell ME not to go in the street! I do what I want!" all while sashaying up and down the street.

Again....yeesh. 

While the Nana was attempting to control the child who was trying to be unruly, Alice smiled. And my mother says "oh my goodness, those sweet little eyes! y'all are in big trouble!"

Yes. Yes, we know. 

Until next time..... 

It's the SUN!!!!

Today the Dada had to work so Alice and I headed over to Nana's for some fun!

Today was the first bit of warm sun we've seen in a while!

We spent a lot of time exploring the backyard.

We got to see Uncle Travis!

Mamaw!

And Aunt Tami! She always shares.

The Nana pushed Alice around in her 'Bugatti'. Little Bitty found a gift card and with card in hand, she told the Nana - "to the mall!"

Such a mess, our girl.

Before we headed out, I took the FMS picture of 'favorite drink'.

I'm not sure I could face a day without coffee. I like a little coffee in my creamer. I never used to drink coffee but then I had a baby and babies ruin everything so..... ;)

I accidentally bough decaf once. It was a dark, dark day. We still don't speak of it.

Before we left, the Dada also lowered her bed for the very last time. 

 Such a big girl.

Until next time...

Heart

She has ours.

She took a picture with the same monkey last year. It seems to be shrinking. 

:)

The monkey was a little hesitant to participate. She spends a lot of time on the same shelf as the sheep. They talk. So it took some convincing. ;)

Again, that's just a year. One year. Oh my.

The Nana came over to watch Little Bitty so her parents could run an errand and have a meal....alone. 

Our first stop was Social Security. He takes me to the most romantic places. ;)

Because of Alice's birth weight, she qualified for assistance from Social Security. And it turns out they were never notified she left the hospital. Oops. So we had to take some documentation and prove she's home. Fun times.

Afterwards we had an early dinner with just the two of us where I didn't have to order something I knew the baby could eat and I didn't have to pick food up off the floor and I didn't have to eat fast because the baby was getting testy. It was heaven! 

Then we headed home where the Nana and Alice were having piano lessons.

So sweet.

All the Nana wanted was a little girl to teach to play the piano. I think Alice might be her girl. ;)

We brought some leftovers and apparently Alice approves of blooming onions.

The girl will eat almost anything. Yeesh.

Until next time...

Cheeto Fingers

Today we sold her car seat. The seat we brought her home in. The seat we took her to doctors appointments in. The seat she slept in at restaurants. 

And it was hard. 

There was no reason for us to keep it and it was taking up a lot of space. Now a new family will have the same feelings with their little one. 

But it was still hard. 

We happened to be around Mom's hospital so we stopped by to say hi. And Alice was sweet enough to share her Cheetos. 

When we visit, the nurses goo and gah over our girl. And our nurse friend Cathy knows the way to her heart is food! So she gave the child a bag of Baked Cheetos. She had orange everywhere. 

We had some more errands to run and it's cold! So she FINALLY got to wear her Christmas coat!! We found this coat on a crazy sale right after she was born. Mom bought it for her and she got it this past Christmas. And it's A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E.

Seriously. 

I skipped the picture yesterday but today's picture is water. I took this while we were out and about.

Until next time....

Childhood

This prompt was super easy seeing how I'm still very much attached to my childhood toys. I say I held on to them to pass down to my child but let's be honest - I didn't want to part with them.

I have my CareBears, my Popple, other stuffed animals I'm very attached to and my Pound Puppy family. 

And today she met the Pound Puppies.

She is currently very attached to a blanket I was very attached to as a baby. This makes me so very happy. 

I had to go to the dentist today so the Nana came to play with Alice.

I am so thankful Alice has so many people in her life who love her to pieces. 

 

Until next time....

Joy is...

...raising this little trouble maker.

There are days that are trying. There are days that are exhausting. There are days I question my choice of being home with her...all....the...time. 

But truth be told - there isn't a day I would trade. To watch her learn and grow and laugh and not miss a second of it brings me the most joy ever. 

Today we helped the Nana get her house ready for Christmas.

While we were there, we learned we could climb the stairs.

Oiy vey. Now we're in big, BIG trouble.

When we got home, she decided to try out her new Mountain Goat skills on something else.

Such a mess, this girl.

And all ours!

Until next time....

The Weather Today

It was cold. The kind of cold where it doesn't matter what you do, you just stay cold. 

And it was rainy. A yucky, constant mist. Not enough for an umbrella. Just enough to give you pneumonia. 

A lovely day for Christmas shopping. ;)

Today, Alice got to spend the day with Mamaw while I got to run errands with the Nana. Mamaw likes to give me days off and really - she likes having Alice all to herself. ;)

I can't even begin to express how much I love that these two get to spend time together. 

I'm thankful for Mamaw and her willingness to roll on the floor with our silly girl. I'm also thankful for a day out and away! 

I love being with Alice but it's nice to get a day off occasionally. 

The Nana did get to see Alice!

Visiting with Mamaw and Nana wears a girl out.

;)

Until next time....