Turning Four

As Paige turns four, I've been reflecting on how much of a little girl she has become. No more toddler sizes, sippy cups, or tricycles. She's moving on up faster than I ever thought possible. She loves all things sparkly, bright, and fun. She dreams up games for all of us to play. I think Brian might actually start to believe he is Prince Phillip soon and I, Maleficent. For a quiet, somewhat shy girl, dancing and swimming bring out the best in her. Sitting on her bed with a pile of books and stuffed animals bring her comfort, but a hug makes everything better. Paige's affection warms up all of us and we are so blessed to have her as daughter. We gave her a purple bicycle for her birthday and she has been riding around the cul-de-sac. It's a little big for her, but know that she'll grow into it sooner than later. I asked her what she liked most about being four and her response was, "I run faster."

Halloween & A Birthday Too

Paige's birthday falling on Halloween lends itself to a pretty easily planned birthday party. We had a few friends and our family come over to play some games, eat some cake, and have some fun. The weather cooperated beautifully. It was a gorgeous day! But, best of all, Paige enjoyed her day from start to finish and is still beaming about turning four.

Lily won the "Who can wrap their parent like a mummy the fastest" game.Cinderella ties in nicely with Halloween given the pumpkin factor and all. Going out trick-or-treating was great especially for Paige. I think she practically ran the entire loop of the neighborhood and at one point asked if I'd hold her bag of candy because it was getting, "so heavy!"

Cupcakes at School

We took cupcakes to Paige's school today to celebrate her fourth birthday. It was so fun seeing her in her element as her schoolmade crown glittered with the number four. She loved having all her school friends sing to her and felt proud sitting next to her little brother. Paige shares the same birthday with a boy in her class. He brought in rice krispie treats for everyone. After cupcakes and krispie treats, do you think they'll eat lunch today?

Botanical Gardens

This was our first time visiting the Quail Botanical Gardens. I wish we had visited sooner, what a great place to walk around with the kids. We only explored about a third of it, so we'll be planning a trip to return soon. I also would like to take part in some of the kids' activities they provide during the week. Paige had most fun walking through the tree house and kids' area. And, Nick enjoyed the freedom of running around in a safe environment.

Operation Cinderella Costume

Over the weekend, we went to Legoland's Brick or Treat Party. They do all sorts of Halloween activities and we had fun walking around, in the fog (courtesy of Mother Nature), with Peter, Nicole, and Terry. Paige was all too excited to wear her Cinderella costume for the first time. Yes, the dress is finished! Although I did buy the fabric, sewed the bodice and lining, and parts of the skirt, the true work of the dress was done by my mother-in-law, Cathy. The fabric was really difficult to work with and we had tons of bumps along the way: needles breaking, thread breaking, wrong tension. Cathy was bound and determined to get this dress finished in time for all of our festivities. Paige beamed when she got to put it on. She twirled and twirled in front of the mirror in our bedroom. So, thank you Cathy for making an awesome and beautiful princess gown...you're a true fairy godmother! As a bonus for me, I got back into sewing and am excited about tackling some easier projects. I plan to take better pictures of the dress come Halloween.As for Nick, he won't have anything to do with wearing his Knight costume. He just yells, "No costume, no costume!" Hopefully, he'll learn that no costume will also mean no candy come Halloween night.

The three amigos pose in a giant pumpkin made of legos. So cool!

Picking Pumpkins

Besides the 90° weather out in Valley Center today, we had a very good morning picking pumpkins at Bates Nut Farm. Going on a Friday was a little bit different, no bbqs, tons of field trips, and to Paige's disappoint the jumpers were not inflated (I'm assuming because of the field trips). So, next year we'll probably head out on the weekend again. We did, however, enjoy the petting zoo and climbing all over the big macs. And although Brian isn't feeling a hundred percent yet, he did troop it out. Cathy joined us and bought this hilarious wax moustache for Nick to wear. He wanted nothing to do with it, but Paige didn't mind getting goofy.

Playing with a View

Brian is working from home this week, getting more rest from his jaw surgery which occurred almost two weeks ago now. He's doing very well. The swelling has come down quite a bit and he's able to speak more clearly. He's on a soft diet, but has a great sense of humor about it. Today he joked, "Well I can't decide if I want a burrito for lunch, or broccoli cheese soup...I'll go with the soup." It's kind of hard to know when's he's kidding because he can't smile very well yet. At least, he's still got a good chuckle.

We went to get a little bit of fresh air this morning and took the kids to Powerhouse Park. They had a great time climbing, swinging, and cheering on the trains. This has got to be one of the best parks with a view in our neighborhood.

Princess on Ice

Paige and I went to Disney Princess on Ice yesterday. Paige and her friend dressed as Sleeping Beauty and I'm glad they did because just about every girl in the audience was gussied up. Paige said her favorite was "Cinderella, and the stepsisters ripped her dress...I liked that part." The ice skating was very good and all the songs were the originals from the movies. Even Mickey and Minnie were there. All in all, a very entertaining show. And spending some girl time with Paige was the icing on the cake.

Tumbles

Nick had his second day of Tumbles class. Today was definitely better than last week when he acted so shy around the young teachers. I told them that this was all for show, and trust me, this kid is not shy. He loves hanging on the rings and jumping on the trampolines, but his absolute favorite is the colorful parachute. He has no qualms about running underneath it or sitting on top. I love having my one-on-one time with him while Paige is in school and I think he does too. Several times throughout the class, he would stop what he was doing just to run to me for a big hug. Now that's happiness.

Birthday at the Beach

My parents rented out a cabin at Camp Del Mar in Camp Pendleton for Nick's birthday weekend. It was the perfect place to have a relaxing celebration. Coincidentally, it was also the 67th anniversary of the assault amphibious vehicle battalion, which was my dad's crew while in the Marines. They drove in several tanks that morning and had them out for everyone to visit. The kids and the adults had a good time checking them all out. For the little boy who loves huge trucks, Nick was in heaven! There was no shortage of sand activities, playing in the water, and bonfires. Unfortunately, Nick was also stung by a bee, but he handled it like a trooper. We cannot wait to go back and spend more time there. Please visit our photos.

Nick's 2nd Birthday