First day of School!

Today was a happy day and a sad day for us. Audrey started preschool and she was so excited to go! Since I have heard many parents share stories of their kids first day of school with me, I wasn't sure what to expect. Many of those kids cried and didn't want their parent to go. I had the opposite experience with Audrey and after the drop off, I was the one in tears; go figure. When we were leaving, she just looked back and said, "bye, Mom." I was OK, till I got to the car, then I cried for a few minutes. I was happy that she was excited, but a little sad to see her start a new phase. The first day was long for me and I couldn't wait to go and pick her up. When Scott met me at the house, I had the car half way down the driveway geared up and ready to go. It's true that the time goes by so fast and I don't want to miss a second of it! Here are some fun pics from her first day.

Happy Birthday!

We celebrated Audrey's 3rd Birthday with a trip to the magical Kingdom, otherwise known as the happiest place on Earth. We had such a great time, who wouldn't have fun at Disneyland? I feel like a kid again every time I step foot onto into Main Street. This time we stayed at The Grand Californian resort, totally worth it. It's great to just walk to Disneyland and take a break in the middle of the day to rest and head back for more fun. We stayed till the end of the firework show, which we really loved. Audrey wore her Birthday button that was given to her by the hotel and everyone who passed us wished her a "Happy Birthday." It was really cool and made her feel so special. The next day we enjoyed breakfast with a few characters that Audrey loves; Pluto, Goofy and Chip and Dale. It truly was a magical Birthday that she will never forget.

My little ballerina

I have been excited to get into a Mommy and me activity with Audrey. She has been expressing an interest in ballet and wearing ballet shoes. She loved going to the store to try them on so I thought it would be fun to try a class and see how it goes. I found a great local place in Mission Hills. The teacher is great and Audrey loved her! When class began, she asked us all to take a seat and Audrey went right over to her and sat in her lap. It was so much fun and such great exercise. Audrey learned a few ballet moves and a few French terms too. Miss Michelle teaches her students about the language used in Ballet and the importance of stretching and just having fun. Audrey was so tired when we left, and she really didn't want to leave. All of the students said "Merci" to Miss Michelle when they left and Audrey wasn't interested in doing so. When she woke up from her nap, she said to me, "Mommy, I didn't say Merci to Miss Michelle, I have to go back.

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What's with the attitude?

We had a princess party to attend last Saturday and Audrey was thrilled about it, that is, until we arrived. At home she was happy about her princess themed attire, which included an adorable pink and cheetah detailed tutu, magic wand, and her beloved pink converse. I was delighted to get a second wear out of the tutu which was her Halloween costume last year. Audrey can never resist a nap in the car when she's sleepy and the ride was not long enough to get a decent nap, so when we arrived she was a little grouchy. She needs a little time after she wakes up till she's ready to be social and tolerant of others. I can be a little like that, so I've heard :) We were the first to arrive and Snow White was the guest of honor, happily painting faces and doing her ‘Snow White’ thing. “Do you want to get your face painted sweetie?" I asked. She wanted no part of anything that seemed fun, in fact she was a little dramatic and snotty, which, I can't like! Every time someone would ask her if she wanted to have her face painted, arm painted or a tattoo, she just replied with, "uh uh." Seriously? We are at a kid-party with Snow White, there are treats EVERYWHERE within her reach and she still wouldn't snap out of it! Eventually Snow White won her over with a balloon animal…the girl has a weakness for balloon animals. The rest of the party was great, except for the fact that she refused to eat anything that wasn't covered in frosting. I'm sure you can guess how the rest of the day went.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Where has the time gone?

January flew by! Audrey was sick for a little over a week. It's tough to stay indoors with a little ball of energy. We took a few neighborhood walks and trips to the carousel. Just tried to keep her away from other kids. I have been going back to Pilates weekly and it feels great! Such a great way for me to relax, get healthy and have fun. I have met some great Women in my class too. Audrey keeps me active, but it's not quite the same. When you are inside for a solid week, you get creative. I made a quick trip to Target to get some essentials. There was a tree tent around Christmas that Scott found. It looked cute, but didn't think we needed it. When I saw it on clearance and a week of not seeing friends or going on play dates flashed before my eyes, I decided that we did in fact need the tree tent. It's awesome and Audrey's face lighting up as I walked through the door with it, shouting " you bought this for me? Thank you, Mom!" Totally worth it :)

A Very Happy Holiday!

Christmas was so much fun this year! Audrey saw Santa and we looked forward to his arrival before Christmas morning. Audrey really enjoyed Christmas eve with family and Christmas morning with just the 3 of us. We had dinner and appetizers with Grandpa Johnny, my brother and his family. On Christmas morning we opened presents, enjoyed some pancakes and headed over to the Hotel Del Coronado for some Christmas fun. It was such a beautiful day. We walked over to the hotel and admired the beautiful decorations. Later that night we enjoyed another delicious dinner with my brother, Christi and Mila. It was great to celebrate with family! Audrey loved singing Christmas songs and spending time with everyone. Here are a few photos from our holiday celebrations. Hope everyone had a great holiday season!