11 Months and Counting

Can you believe it has been 11 months?

Way too fast.*

*And now Mark says we have to get all 3 in one picture. If all else fails, he says may take the heads out of this picture and put them in new clothes... now those would be some photoshop skills that I would like to see.

T'is the season

For birthdays.

Last night we had a birthday* dinner for Grandma Jean.




Forget the dangers of Christmas cookie weight gain--with 14 family birthdays** in the next 7 1/2 weeks, I think there might be more more danger from birthday cakes.***

*Her actual birthday is tomorrow. And if you tried to count, the number of candles and candle holes is wrong.
** Three of them are in my immediate family of five... Ellis and Avery are exactly one week apart and I am two days later.
*** Good thing that some of the birthdays are out of town. Mom left her cake here and we had it for breakfast. And will probably have it for lunch. And I see a snack or two in the not to distant future... see what I mean????

Dear Diary

Ellis asked me how to spell "diary." She proceeded to write it on the top of a piece of paper and started drawing a princess dress.

E [holding up a crayon]: Mom. Do you think this will make a pretty dress?
M: That will look nice. Purple is a royal color.
E [indignant]: It's VIOLET. Violet Purple.
M [She happened to be right]: How do you know that? Did you remember that from before?
E [As she holds the crayon so I can see the side]: Right here Mom. V-I-O-L-E-T. It says it on the crayon. WHAT? You think I can't read that?

Um, actually.... that is exactly what I was thinking. What other gems of knowledge are in that little mind.

Sea to Shining Sea

In 10 short months...

Malibu Beach, California
Pacific Ocean
3 months old

to

Cocoa Beach, Florida
Atlantic Ocean
10 months old

Surf's Up

We took a side trip to Cocoa Beach. The beach was lovely and the weather was freezing. The area is a typical, seedy, touristy beach area. Our hotel, which looked cute and charming online, looked like it had last been updated around 1978. Smelled like it too.

We braved the beach (Avery and I were wearing jeans and fall jackets! Mark, Chase and Ellis were brave):
Visited the pier: A surf shop:And an orange grove.
We stopped at Cape Canaveral--but at once decided that it was not worth $150.00 (the least expensive option for taking the whole family) to drag our children through the visitor center (to actually get to see the launch pad would have cost us over $240.00!!!)

In Historic Cocoa, Florida we walked past a store and it was too perfect. Chase took a picture of Mark next to the sign:

Proof

That he ventured out with them alone*...


Here they are trick-or-treating.**

*I showed him how to use the sling.... I promise... She's still alive...
** Their costumes are a baby kangaroo, a runner, a ballerina, and a pink cat. Mark insists that they were all in costume.

Beach Babe

Prepare yourself. Death by vacation photos... coming soon!

Checking in...

My event was a success. I think it is a good sign that my new client gave me a hug, thanked me, and she asked me what we are going to do next year to top it!

Attendance was up over 20%.

Mark has also been a super trooper. He not only took charge of the girls for the 3 days of my event [I was gone 10 hours Sunday, 18 hours on Monday and 14 on Tuesday!], but ventured out to Disney's Animal Kingdom, Epcot, and a Water Park. Honestly, I don't think I would ever attempt to do any of that SOLO. There are even pictures to prove it [which I will post soon.]

Note: Tomorrow will be our third day at Disney as a complete family. And I can tell you that feet are not made for this.