tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35769893256776647602024-03-29T06:03:10.628-05:00You Are My LicoriceLarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14724675337980390322noreply@blogger.comBlogger308125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3576989325677664760.post-63916121939581548012019-01-16T11:58:00.000-06:002019-07-09T13:47:19.015-05:00Emmeline's Fifth Birthday :: ANIMALS!Since Carys had two big parties in a row (read: character visits), I thought it was time for Emmeline to have a big party. She's old enough now that she is noticing inequality, and even though it might be for a good reason (i.e. she was so little still), she wants her fair share. And in this case, she wanted a big party with a character visit. For a long time, we were looking at a Mario party. And finding a Mario to visit? Um. Also, I was thinking three character parties in a row might be a bit much. So when she suddenly switched her desired theme to animals/zoo, I was thrilled - I knew exactly what we could do for her party.<br />
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ANIMAL VISITS.<br />
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Honestly it's what I've wanted for my birthday so I was immediately like YES LET'S DO IT GREAT THINKING EMMELINE.<br />
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And seriously (here comes the abbreviated version of the yearly letter)...? Great thinking is a hallmark of this kid's personality. She is SUCH a problem-solver and SUCH a little engineer. She builds these elaborate Magnatile creations and makes forts in her bed and creates entire cities out of paper and tape. She always has 10 possible solutions for any problem that might arise - even if they aren't all practical. She's so curious and inquiring - she wants to know the meaning behind words and how something works and why this is like that. And big ideas! She's like a non-stop idea generator, whether it's for jokes to pull on people for "Prank Day" (as she calls April Fool's), for things to build or places to go or sometimes something so random it makes me scratch my head. She's also a great physical comic, this one. She has these looks and body poses that just...make you laugh. I can't even explain it (because it's not a talent of mine - or her dads! where did it come from?! Milkman?!?!?). She sometimes will just stare at you and doesn't break until you start laughing, and only then will she stop. She's a huge cuddler (on her terms) and gives amazing hugs with her whole body. She's super strong and can hang from something for ages (and loves doing it). Emmeline is the BEST momma to her baby dolls. She nurtures them and cares for them as if they were real babies and I love watching her with them. She's got great hand-eye coordination and has inherited her dad's love of video games. She also eats like a frat boy. Pizza and chicken nuggets. That's about the limit of her palate. She would literally eat those for every meal. She HAS in fact asked for pizza for breakfast before! She's also a huuuuuuge sugar fiend - and that goes hand in hand with her sneakiness. If we have candy in the house, you'll be she'll find it and you'll be finding candy wrappers in hidden spots all over the house for months (behind the couch, in a drawer, in chair cushions, in a toy box, under the furniture...). She absolutely LOVES Tucker. I honestly wasn't sure she was a dog person when we had Murray. She didn't really connect with him (or my parent's dog, Toby). She liked them okay, but could do without a dog in her life. Until we got Tucker. She loves that dog so fiercely. She'll drop everything to pet or hug him and he's usually the first "person" she says hello to each morning. Emmeline is also stubborn as allllllll get out. If she has her mind set on something, she'll defend it to the grave. She could say the sky is green and you could point out the very obvious blue sky and she'll just be like, "Nope." This translates also to her sometimes just up and leaving somewhere when we're done. Over Halloween, I was taking pics of the neighbor kids about 6 houses down and suddenly...Em wasn't there. She had gone home because she didn't want to trick or treat and she didn't want to take any more pictures. She caused great panic among all the moms! I also think she's absolutely beautiful and sometimes I just catch myself staring at her in wonder. How did I make this incredible little creature?!<br />
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Sigh. And now this incredible creature is FIVE.<br />
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And for her fifth birthday, if you recall from a couple of paragraphs ago...we decided on an animal theme. And I was crazy excited about this because the decorations? EASY PEASY and also most importantly READILY AVAILABLE.<br />
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<i>(Almost everything was from Oriental Trading Company and/or Amazon, although a lot we had already either from other parties - like the leaves - or in our playroom - like the stuffed animals.)</i></div>
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Each guest got an animal-print headband and they LOVED them. Huge hit.<br />
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Ok. Let's talk cake. Emmeline wanted an animal print cake with giraffe, lizard, and zebra. This was pretty easy, but tedious. I made the round cake and then cut all of the shapes out of marshmallow fondant and arranged it on the cake.<br />
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Now let's talk these fucking zebra cakes.<br />
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I was like, HOW CUTE WOULD AND EASY AND FAST WOULD IT BE TO ADD LITTLE EYES TO THE ZEBRA CAKES?!?! So I added eyes. And it was easy! And fast! But they looked...not cute. Not like zebras. So I added the black muzzle/mouth. Still not cute. Still not like zebras. So then I added ears. So. many. ears. And it was no longer easy and fast. And they still weren't great. So I added little nostrils and mouths. And I called it good. In retrospect, I think they're pretty cute. But they turned out to be so much more effort than I thought they'd be. (See the evolution of them <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BratB9pFrIt/" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bray94Blkto/" target="_blank">here</a> and laugh.)<br />
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I also hand-colored 12 of these sacks. What is wrong with me.<br />
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Because we were bringing in animals, we did the party a bit backwards - cake and presents first while they were setting up for the show.<br />
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She was so happy/embarrased to be the center of attention for once. I LOVED this party for her for that reason. It was a big. freaking. deal. for her.<br />
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Once the girl from Wildlife Encounters let us know she was ready, we herded the kids into the sitting room. Honestly, the sitting room still has basically no furniture, just two chairs and a couple of bookshelves....but for reasons like this, I love it empty.<br />
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Emmeline was again SO HAPPY to be the "star."<br />
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Animal encounter #1: Hissing cockroach<br />
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After every animal presentation, all of the kids got to pet the animal.<br />
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Animal encounter #2: Skunk (Em was a bit worried it'd smell, HA)<br />
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At some point during this presentation, the girl pranked the kids by squirting them with water and telling them it was the skunk. Amazing.<br />
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Animal encounter #3: Fennec fox and also the animal I most wanted to steal<br />
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I'VE NEVER BEEN SO JEALOUS OF A CHILD.<br />
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Animal encounter #4: hedgehog. Emmeline was a little scared of his quills. She did pet him eventually but I didn't get a picture of it.<br />
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Animal encounter #5: alligator. Actually a really interesting animal as he genetically is this small, but should be much larger. They don't know exactly what's wrong with him. He's also missing a leg.<br />
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Animal encounter #6: baby kangaroo. I KNOW RIGHT.<br />
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WHAT I NEVER GOT TO FEED A BABY KANGAROO!<br />
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He really liked Emmeline.<br />
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After the presentation, every kid got to hold the kangaroo and get a picture.<br />
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Every adult present was SO jealous, and we all wanted to have our own animal party where we got to be the one to hold the fox and kangaroo. I MEAN REALLY DID YOU SEE THEIR LITTLE FACES AND SOFT CUDDLY BODIES? Come on. </div>
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This was one of my favorite parties yet, and I'm so incredibly glad Emmeline loved it even more than I did. </div>
<br />Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14724675337980390322noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3576989325677664760.post-48120651170833323432018-11-07T20:43:00.000-06:002019-07-09T12:45:24.934-05:00Halloween 2018 :: True and Zombie Orphan<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6h1-_ps5kDGqg9DQZ3QF4Fonr8EHZXyYBTH-qhzM7hkymNRoTEr4X_MBC84VdVyQLQ_pdTwb3Rmi5mMh7mvES0pyxu2aR8dXH85ir5Y1dw-PEETkTJORUYo9UJrOUq31DppZCdZTIs1v/s1600/2018_10Oct_Halloween_005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6h1-_ps5kDGqg9DQZ3QF4Fonr8EHZXyYBTH-qhzM7hkymNRoTEr4X_MBC84VdVyQLQ_pdTwb3Rmi5mMh7mvES0pyxu2aR8dXH85ir5Y1dw-PEETkTJORUYo9UJrOUq31DppZCdZTIs1v/s640/2018_10Oct_Halloween_005.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Carys pretty quickly decided she wanted to be zombie orphan. She wavered between zombie bride and zombie queen and traditional zombie and a few other iterations, but somehow (!?!?) came up with zombie orphan. I'm gonna be real honest and say I don't know exactly WHAT about her outfit screams "orphan" but it's *exactly* what she wanted, so apparently she nailed it.<br />
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Carys's costume was easy. A dress from Goodwill, a length of black crepe-y fabric from Amazon, and some face paint.<br />
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Now Emmeline.<br />
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Emmeline wanted to be True. From some obscure Netflix show called "<a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80063599" target="_blank">True and the Rainbow Kingdom</a>." It's a VERY cute show and I highly approve of it, but approximately one person - a fellow 4-year-old - knew what she was. She also considered being Masha from <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/70286901" target="_blank">another obscure Netflix show</a>, but ultimately decided that blue hair wins (obviously).<br />
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Emmeline's costume was NOT easy. It was a mix of things I got off of Amazon (<a href="https://amzn.to/30t03rB" target="_blank">hair</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/2JoJ18n" target="_blank">leggings</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/2XCtxXh" target="_blank">shirt</a>) and things I made (headband, backpack, belt, skirt), and things we had (rainbow Baby Legs, boots - which I had to spray paint yellow and which did NOT hold up after this one night, but whatevs). Emmeline was SO particular - she almost refused to wear the shirt because True's shirt doesn't have buttons on it IN REAL LIFE. Emmeline. It's a cartoon. It's NOT REAL LIFE.<br />
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Having wishes (the little yellow balls) was VERY important to her, so I painted a bunch of ping-pong balls yellow and painted little faces on each of them.<br />
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The backpack was the hardest part of the costume by far. True's backpack in the show is like three rounded sections and wishes go in and out of each section. And I couldn't find a good picture of it online, so I had to watch the show, pause when True turned around, and the screenshot that to look at. Per my usual method, I went into making the backpack with just a VERY vague idea of what I was going to do and figured it out as I went. And in the end I absolutely loved it, and Emmeline was thrilled with it (most imortantly, obviously). If you're looking for your own True backpack, I wish I could give you more specific instructions or that I'd taken more (ANY) in-progress pictures, but alas. I did not. Basically I started with the flat part that goes against her back and sewed the outside edge (strips of colored felt) in each of the three colors, then created the top by sewing three circle-ish (almost more teardrop) shapes together and sewing them to the edges. I left an opening at the top so she could put wishes actually in it. The strap as it is on the show wouldn't fit over Em's head, so I used a button closure. The badge was cardboard and beads, and I put elastic on the back of it so it could slide over the strap and cover the button. Once the backpack was done, I cut a little "x" on each section of the backpack and pushed the fabric inward, then hot glued a wish into the opening.<br />
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I made the headband using colored beads and pom-poms, and the skirt was a simple circle skirt. I cut the bangs and styled the hair of the wig, and spray painted the boots because somehow I couldn't find yellow rainboots for under like $50 and hell no was I spending that.<br />
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Speaking of the skirt, I MADE IT THE MORNING OF HALLOWEEN. Because Emmeline, my stickler for details, decided that the skirt we had wasn't good enough. SIGH. But the backpack had turned out so well I didn't want to skimp on the skirt, so back to the sewing machine I went.<br />
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Every year we go meet at our neighbor's and go trick-or-treating with a group of neighborhood kids, and I take pics of each kiddo.<br />
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What's that? Emmeline isn't in any of these group pictures? WEIRD. WHERE DID SHE GO? That was exactly my question! And the question of the other parents as we frantically searched for her! I tried calling Chris at home to see if she'd gone back home for some reason, but he wasn't answering. OF COURSE. So I ran home - literally - and found her and Chris, curled up in a chair, watching TV. What. the. fuck. She just....was done. She didn't want to trick or treat. She didn't want to take pictures. So she just....left. And I'm going to be honest, I was more like...I JUST SPENT THREE THOUSAND HOURS MAKING YOUR COSTUME AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TRICK OR TREATING than I was OH MY SWEET CHILD YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KIDNAPPED. Needless to say, I addressed the latter and kept the former to myself, except for bitching to my friends and of course writing it all out here so she knows in 20 years exactly how sad I was that my handiwork would go essentially unnoticed by the world.<br />
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Also look at this light. SWOON.<br />
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And they're off!<br />
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This is the house on our street that sets up a claw machine on their porch. It's so much fun. The kids go here first every year.<br />
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Carys loves trick-or-treating and is VERY insistent that everyone in the group gets their equal turns ringing doorbells. She'll <strike>get a little bossy</strike> exhibit leadership in making sure that no one is cutting in line and that the rightful person is leading the charge to the door. It's gonna serve her well someday, the ability to take charge and the sense of justice.<br />
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So when we got around to our house, I saw Emmeline, absolutely in her element handing out candy. Now, this kid is a sugar FIEND. Addict, even. So it was shocking that she didn't want to trick-or-treat to get more candy. But we'd had other Halloween events (where she wore different costumes, because this one wasn't done yet) and we had candy at home. And she LOVES handing out candy. It was so cute that I had to forgive her, because...just look at her face.<br />
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She did not want the kids to stop coming, so she sat on the sidewalk yelling at anyone she saw passing to come get candy. I finally pulled the plug about 9:30 and made her go to bed. But this vision of her (and look at that view of the backpack!) will forever be seared in my memory. Even if I'd wanted to murder her a few hours earlier.<br />
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<br />Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14724675337980390322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3576989325677664760.post-32135267224086207142018-09-26T13:25:00.000-05:002019-07-09T12:45:08.853-05:00Carys's Seventh Birthday :: Star WarsCarys has enjoyed Star Wars since her dad first introduced her to it as a toddler, but she really started to love it when The Force Awakens came out and she was introduced to the Rey character (so suck it to all those die-hard traditionalists that hate those movies, because they're for sure creating a new generation of fans). She decided a full two years ago that she was going to do Star Wars for her seventh birthday party (she also knows what she wants to do for her eighth!) and full credit to her - she didn't change her mind once.<br />
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Since I don't do the yearly letters anymore - MUCH TO MY OWN CHAGRIN - I'm trying to do a little blurb about the kids on their birthday post. Seven-year-old Carys is a tall kid with big hazel eyes, crazy hair (her hair frizzes like nothing else!), and long limbs. She's drop dead gorgeous, I think, with those big hazel eyes and scattering of freckles across her nose. I could look at her all day and not get sick of that perfect face. She can be the absolute sweetest, most generous kid and always (almost always) takes the imitative to share things with her sister. She's incredibly nurturing - she's a great big sister (when she feels like it) and loves to take Emmeline under her wing, and loves to play with baby dolls. Carys has creativity like no kid I've ever met and is singing, dancing, drawing, writing, imagining, and using that creative energy practically 24/7. Just yesterday she told me she wanted to set up a "Star Wars Educational Camp" where she'd teach other kids all about Star Wars. She's constantly coming up with big ideas like that - business to set up, elaborate role plays, complicated games. She wants to be a YouTube star, but freezes up whenever anyone looks at her. Ha! She can have BIG emotions and be overly dramatic at times and we're working on creating a mindset where she can realize that it's generally not the end of the world, whatever it is. And somewhere along the way she lost her listening ears, so it takes about 15 repetitions and threats to get her to listen to my requests...but we're working on it. She still loves to cuddle and loves her mama dearly, to the point where she comes into our room and climbs into bed around 2am every night and just wraps herself around me. She absolutely loves animals and nature and her big goals in life are to "get rich so she can buy all of the green space and forests to protect them" and "to adopt all of the kids from BoysTown that don't have families." She adores learning about history and has been helping my mom clean out their attic, which is chock full of "olden day" memories, and she treasures each little trinket and story that goes with it. She generally adores school and loves to learn. While I always call her my little clone, she massively takes after her dad in one way - math is her favorite subject in school. At the end of kindergarten, she was adding 2- and 3-digit sums and working on fractions. She's very bright (in the 99th percentile on all of her standardized tests!) and reading well above grade level - she went into kindergarten knowing basic words like "cat" and left reading chapter books.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgGL2VjIlHxkMbhmxvl1vB3vxzpOHzXkE9H2xlCxizWc_NjPTNfu7aYqZR4FQ8uU-Ma_Mn9Vm8JASIJMFky9BpV6GbEj7HQfv0X755Lb77DOlhP-lep36iSOIY2FofLbtGE9pGJk1raR9I/s1600/2018_07July_Carys7thBday_207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgGL2VjIlHxkMbhmxvl1vB3vxzpOHzXkE9H2xlCxizWc_NjPTNfu7aYqZR4FQ8uU-Ma_Mn9Vm8JASIJMFky9BpV6GbEj7HQfv0X755Lb77DOlhP-lep36iSOIY2FofLbtGE9pGJk1raR9I/s640/2018_07July_Carys7thBday_207.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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Anyway, obviously I think she's absolutely great. And I love that she has such big opinions on things like her birthday party themes.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Onto the pictures! That I need to post NOW, because while I started this post a year ago, I didn't finish. So I'm going to back date this...because as of the actual date today (July 8, 2019) I'm ready to post her 8th birthday. YIKES. </span><br />
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So along with her big Star Wars party, we had a little family gathering where she requested donations for our local animal shelter. HER HEART, GUYS! She opened them just like she would regular gifts, and was exclaiming over each item with genuine excitement: "Oh, my gosh - the dogs will LOVE this! This is great for the cats! I can't wait for the animals to get this!"<br />
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One might look at these pictures and think to themselves that I should have brushed her hair. I appreciate one keeping those thoughts to themselves, because I assure you it was brushed at one point.<br />
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NOW. MAIN EVENT. </div>
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Obviously, decor is my jam and one of my favorite parts of the party. Go big, says I.</div>
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These "tie fighters" were delish, BTW.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-oEm1m0uuID8PfG-mYXen_QIga7Z48qVUJzl3vi-TXCjZrJ3YWFc1KmjeaGJ72PWn9kHNgcZMEfna0Mbe7RYGIsWeVahh3pbmy7QX4v1HXVUqttTcf7_zZfshyzbZI7TtwhhvoACARTAG/s1600/2018_07July_Carys7thBday_243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-oEm1m0uuID8PfG-mYXen_QIga7Z48qVUJzl3vi-TXCjZrJ3YWFc1KmjeaGJ72PWn9kHNgcZMEfna0Mbe7RYGIsWeVahh3pbmy7QX4v1HXVUqttTcf7_zZfshyzbZI7TtwhhvoACARTAG/s200/2018_07July_Carys7thBday_243.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="text-align: start;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHandNUR-_KC35r8N8enewzyA6623TVFeAyJnuM4kTDUOz_fI7dLGl44d-5_zxFe0LReLuN7X1E3WHmuRS7CyYhemFCbwZBQFLqm4pSDbzA5oV6BC9eVGJDXIbap4s3InSre-4nsjpCcay/s1600/2018_07July_Carys7thBday_048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHandNUR-_KC35r8N8enewzyA6623TVFeAyJnuM4kTDUOz_fI7dLGl44d-5_zxFe0LReLuN7X1E3WHmuRS7CyYhemFCbwZBQFLqm4pSDbzA5oV6BC9eVGJDXIbap4s3InSre-4nsjpCcay/s200/2018_07July_Carys7thBday_048.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqN6QrECbbQVqCTau7vz-s5uMt43ZgK9upSJCqzsaxN7rgBYZxJ_IfkqjxIS9Napy4sLKDWTFF0-RZuGlMC6c-_LHhJxbdrG36k1D9bBgL_y1R1T7l2aRMkgWy53wmaW_CnTJaAVQhpcqY/s1600/2018_07July_Carys7thBday_049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqN6QrECbbQVqCTau7vz-s5uMt43ZgK9upSJCqzsaxN7rgBYZxJ_IfkqjxIS9Napy4sLKDWTFF0-RZuGlMC6c-_LHhJxbdrG36k1D9bBgL_y1R1T7l2aRMkgWy53wmaW_CnTJaAVQhpcqY/s200/2018_07July_Carys7thBday_049.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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THIS CAKE YOU GUYS. I could dedicate an entire post to this cake. I made it entirely from scratch (marshmallow fondant) and it's basically my crowning achievement as a human and I want a pic of it in my obituary. I made the cupcakes, too (swirly galaxy frosting!)...and the human child we're celebrating...but THIS FREAKING CAKE.<br />
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My grandma crocheted all of those Star Wars characters. Aren't they amazing?!?!<br />
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I wasn't going to make this a big party. I SWEAR. She had a big Moana party last year, so this was going to be a small party. But then I got an amazing deal on Rey visiting (in exchange for services) and so IT BECAME A BIG PARTY.<br />
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So Rey led the girls through some Jedi training, and they each got to train individually with her, watch as she battled Darth Vader, and then battle Darth Vader themselves if they so desired.<br />
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Then it was presents, pinata, and pool. (Honestly I don't know what I was thinking with opening the pool - we had PLENTY to fill the party time. It was completely unnecessary.)</div>
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And I have to share these decorations that Carys made. I particularly like the Death Star destroying earth (bottom middle). </div>
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<span id="goog_2137679416"></span><span id="goog_2137679417"></span><br />Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14724675337980390322noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3576989325677664760.post-63319887903913256792018-07-22T11:17:00.000-05:002018-07-22T11:17:19.858-05:00Murray :: Our sweet puppy is goneI never blogged about the most exciting addition to our family besides our two girls - our mini Goldendoodle puppy, Murray. I know people will wonder why we didn't rescue and it's not really something that needs defending, but: Emmeline has allergies, so we needed a non-shedding dog, and many rescues won't work with families with young kids. We watched rescues and our local humane society for over a year waiting for the right dog to come along, but when that didn't pan out (over and over again) we decided to go with a breeder. We've had rescue dogs before and we will again when the girls are grown, but for now, a breeder was the right decision for our family. <br /><br />We added Murray to our family in early December 2017 (he actually came home on Chris's birthday) and he was amazing and so incredibly loved by everyone - even Chris, who liked to grumble about him but would turn around and scoop him up for pets the second he came home, and who I found cuddling together in Chris's recliner more than once. He absolutely loved people and other dogs (though he liked to announce his presence to other dogs with loud barking...the second they'd get close, he'd want to play play play). Carys loved to wrestle with him and lay on the floor while he'd lick her face incessantly (and when I'd say, 'Murray, off!' she'd say, 'No, mom, I love it!!'). Emmeline loved to train him and practice the "leave it" command with him. Both girls were at their happiest when they'd be watching a movie and he'd jump on the couch and cuddle them. They'd even fight about who he greeted first when we came home from being gone. And me? I loved taking him on late night walks, and I loved the special time in the morning when he'd wake me up early to go out and I'd fall asleep on the couch and he'd cuddle up behind my knees with his head on my leg. <div>
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And I'm devastated to say that last week, in a horrific accident, he was killed. The front door was left open, and while he wasn't a door dasher, if a door is wide open and his people are outside...he's going to go outside. People were in our yard and he ran over to say hi and my biggest life regret is that they weren't able to grab him at that point...and then he ran across the street. As he was running back to us, he was hit by a car who was speeding down the street (conflicting reports as to whether the person was on the phone, and I can't bear to look at the video footage to see). He survived the hit with no external injuries, but it was clear he was hurt. </div>
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I immediately took him to the emergency vet, where they let us know he had massive internal injuries. They did their best to stabilize him, but that night called to let us know he was declining and needed surgery ASAP. They didn't think he'd survive being put under, much less the surgery, but he amazed everyone by surviving both. The next day we visited him and left him some drawings the girls had made, and that night we got our nightly update call that things were actually looking okay and for the first time the vet was able to use the words "cautiously optimistic." Unfortunately, just two hours after that, we got a call that he'd gone into cardiac arrest. Basically, at that time, our entire family melted down: Emmeline didn't understand what was going on, but was sobbing because everyone else was sobbing, Carys knew as soon as she saw my face what the vet had said and immediately became hysterical, I knew as soon as I answered the phone that it was going to be bad news and had already started becoming emotional, and lost it as soon as they uttered the words, and Chris just said, "FUCK!" and hugged us. My parents came over to comfort us and I don't think I've ever slept so badly as I did that night.</div>
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He was only 9 months old. </div>
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We opted to have him cremated with the remains (what an awful, awful word) returned to us. We got a beautiful carved wooden box for him, and Carys asked if she could have a necklace to put some ashes in, so we let her pick one out from Etsy. </div>
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I can't bear to look at pictures of him yet, so it's hard to add pictures to this post, but you deserve to see what a gorgeous, wonderful boy he was. </div>
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These are two pics Carys took the day before he was killed. He'd gotten shaved down for the summer a couple weeks ago, so his hair is super short. We'd just come back in from being outside and he was tired, so the girls made him a pillow bed. Carys woke him up taking these pictures, and I took the phone away and said to leave him alone so he could nap, and he fell right back asleep. I'm so, so, so glad she got these pictures taken, even though he looks SO tired...because I had no idea these would be the last pics of him.</div>
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And one I just happened to already have uploaded to Blogger that I never published and it popped up on me when I was adding the pics above - he was about 5 months old here, I think.</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">And then we were lucky enough to have him in some pro pics we did a couple months ago (pre-shaved) and I'll always be thankful that I decided to bring him with us to the shoot so we have these pictures. </span></div>
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God, I miss this boy. I can't believe he's gone.</div>
Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14724675337980390322noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3576989325677664760.post-48137859845535440182018-07-12T22:15:00.002-05:002018-07-13T10:25:35.705-05:00Emmeline's Fourth Birthday :: Halloween PartyI can't believe I'm writing about Emmeline's FOURTH birthday. And writing about it SIX MONTHS LATER. To be fair to me - I started this post in December, but you know. Life. I'm only writing this post now so that I can look back and remember it and because I have pics from Carys's seventh party to share - probably in about six months.<br />
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Em's officially out of the toddler stage and into the preschool stage and guys, I just love that kid so much. She's absolutely hilarious and one of the biggest regrets of my life is that I can't remember every single delightful thing that she's said - and they're just gone forever; I can't rewind and find them again. SOB. When she's sad, she's the saddest, most heartbreaking kid ever, with these big sad eyes welling up with tears and you can hear the despair and tears in her voice as she pleas, "Mama, don't be mad!" And the girl has a TEMPER with every single letter capitalized. She throws things and is just fiercely angry when things don't go her way. But most of the time - God, I just want to eat her up. And squeeze her and kiss her and never let her go. I can't tell you how many times I am driving with her, listening to her amusing stories, and I just have to reach back and squeeze and hold her hand because I can't pull over and take her out of her carseat and love on her.<br />
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And guys, she's so smart too. I can't believe I ever worried about her language skills or development, because she's brilliant. She loves shapes and simple addition and rhyming and reading/writing (she loves writing out a string of letters on a piece of paper and asking me what it says). She loves drawing, dressing up, and our new puppy (OMG I HAVEN'T WRITTEN ABOUT OUR NEW PUPPY and he's now 9 months old - whoops!). She loves video games and screens and I have to regulate those strictly, because she'd be totally happy lounging on the couch with no pants on, watching "Masha and Bear" or playing the Nintendo Switch allllllllllllllll day long. Luckily, she also loves her scooter and tricycle and I can usually get her to happily accompany me on a walk. She's got a sweet tooth like no other, and is a crazy picky eater (still).<br />
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Anyway. This is why I used to do the monthly/bi-yearly letters (and I can't dwell on the lack of those because I'll beat myself up for stopping them!). She's an amazing kid, I adore her, you get it.<br />
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For her fourth birthday, I was at a total loss. She liked a lot of things but I couldn't think of a theme she LOVED. And her birthday being in the dead of winter and two weeks before Christmas complicates it further. I asked her what kind of party she wanted and she kept telling me: Halloween. Halloween?!?!!? I was 99.9% sure she wanted a Halloween party because she loved Trick-or-Treating so much and just wanted more candy. I wasn't sure if she understood that just because we were celebrating a Halloween birthday didn't mean she'd get to go trick-or-treating around the block again. She briefly mentioned a Mario party (and I still think that would be cute) but she kept going back to Halloween. So...Halloween it was. And to her credit, she still - six months later - says that her favorite color is black because she loves Halloween.<br />
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It ended up being a really small party, and not nearly as elaborately planned as usual. Many of our usual guests couldn't attend and it was a SUPER busy time of year (did I mention that her birthday is two weeks before Christmas? And that we had just gotten a new puppy? And that Chris's birthday is the week before?). But she had a great time and was the center of attention for the day and loved it.<br />
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This was a pretty easy party to decorate - I managed to snag most of the decor on giant clearance after Halloween, and obviously we already had a bunch of Halloween decor. I did get a few things at Oriental Trading company (as I do every year) but not nearly as much as I have had to in the past. The trick with her party is always decorating around the Christmas decorations that are out. This year I just decided to cover them all with spider webs and pretend like they didn't exist.<br />
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She did not want "cute" Halloween. She wanted "creepy." I asked her if bugs crawling around a skull were creepy and she was like, "Ugh, I guess so."</div>
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I made the spider web with twine and I'm excited to bring it out next Halloween!</div>
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She asked for donuts instead of a cake, which I thought would be easy. We ended up disappointed with the vendor we used for the donuts but whatever. (I asked for a variety of Halloween colors and to have some of them decorated in orange/yellow/white stripes like a candy corn, and they ended up looking like Emmeline herself decorated them.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRKn1JekSkMcHwox4uFfriSARavLjQA89XFYlITyVvycFmxQ5CXdUMnWH5T7b4KTuaAP7WdwGxgKvbNJmTuXN7u1RQ0VtFwJQlMu3zpU9UH4utIC3QSXfg2Bryt4_Izg9pusj0jOck93oH/s1600/30689114_10156548542072275_6192793531694710784_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRKn1JekSkMcHwox4uFfriSARavLjQA89XFYlITyVvycFmxQ5CXdUMnWH5T7b4KTuaAP7WdwGxgKvbNJmTuXN7u1RQ0VtFwJQlMu3zpU9UH4utIC3QSXfg2Bryt4_Izg9pusj0jOck93oH/s640/30689114_10156548542072275_6192793531694710784_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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HOW AMAZING ARE THOSE EYEBALL CUPS?!?!? And I love the plants and napkins I got from Target clearance after Halloween. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq58DN61GzhFMgJssDHOCDCvc8gDOAWuWbQ6My5iKVCvdszZfuam0qPoIFUsSORbNWM8aQlJpj6FlvNC_LDnc0aJ3ybzECOCJ1xCce9fhv2vBeynWVPvAiOzoifXg5hycFoQ4yuB2pTz2H/s1600/30706172_10156548542567275_2843029833238183936_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq58DN61GzhFMgJssDHOCDCvc8gDOAWuWbQ6My5iKVCvdszZfuam0qPoIFUsSORbNWM8aQlJpj6FlvNC_LDnc0aJ3ybzECOCJ1xCce9fhv2vBeynWVPvAiOzoifXg5hycFoQ4yuB2pTz2H/s640/30706172_10156548542567275_2843029833238183936_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZQnmWlNU0FTXLZKuA0raIFHXa7J9h1CpgcLVtVXBq0A8U7OCapPzgXw0_dWskP62Ckw9xEgaoygm1mLPQwuUoE8xXXq2yCcpojKKBK-R084GpXzsntgo_4QWgt9o8-4IZQ2oqvrxk_8v/s1600/30689325_10156548546372275_7437833185628520448_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZQnmWlNU0FTXLZKuA0raIFHXa7J9h1CpgcLVtVXBq0A8U7OCapPzgXw0_dWskP62Ckw9xEgaoygm1mLPQwuUoE8xXXq2yCcpojKKBK-R084GpXzsntgo_4QWgt9o8-4IZQ2oqvrxk_8v/s640/30689325_10156548546372275_7437833185628520448_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd8wMh45lpzPNxJE6MfwmIfrc-73yGqlURfpVXhRHaT46daWB9SmZiYl3v6l9DTQcFPfDKi0cr9jo_7iLl3mPtd8QrhkD6WmiGdB6_QZXDcyikXHpmDZV4fJyYJgTEWFrCkM8XZzaEFe0P/s1600/30712744_10156548542087275_4161335659237212160_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd8wMh45lpzPNxJE6MfwmIfrc-73yGqlURfpVXhRHaT46daWB9SmZiYl3v6l9DTQcFPfDKi0cr9jo_7iLl3mPtd8QrhkD6WmiGdB6_QZXDcyikXHpmDZV4fJyYJgTEWFrCkM8XZzaEFe0P/s640/30712744_10156548542087275_4161335659237212160_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The gift bags were luminaries. I don't think I took a picture of what was inside, which sucks because it was cute stuff - a little potion necklace (you can kind of see Emmeline wearing it in the first pic of her) and some tattoos and some plastic bugs and tattoos and bubbles and stuff like that. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Ap-JEZoGADiG3gLSU7710k6rb0D9SY5mpGM4RYw2QfS6uq3Y0MMBtpBAyZTIrC87ApkFrMxnXSzk9tFBDE2_TIniTd4_ItKdaxJGLelg6TSswCBrcrHZQwcsu1KW1zQDIpYjImS1Rumt/s1600/30656426_10156548545687275_1885984680147156992_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Ap-JEZoGADiG3gLSU7710k6rb0D9SY5mpGM4RYw2QfS6uq3Y0MMBtpBAyZTIrC87ApkFrMxnXSzk9tFBDE2_TIniTd4_ItKdaxJGLelg6TSswCBrcrHZQwcsu1KW1zQDIpYjImS1Rumt/s640/30656426_10156548545687275_1885984680147156992_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdTjhZ0K662cedqP1kFdnXwCTWOjH5t7KBGHNYs37pnNKBMNC7qOOSW3Kayvm3nfUNaqCMi3LZdGRlyUrpUMd2IEv1TbhSozpSRjnL_j5iCKyIrvZ6g0TPG6e_07pXfZIaP9t609gEvbkb/s1600/30709647_10156548542662275_8525661235344048128_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdTjhZ0K662cedqP1kFdnXwCTWOjH5t7KBGHNYs37pnNKBMNC7qOOSW3Kayvm3nfUNaqCMi3LZdGRlyUrpUMd2IEv1TbhSozpSRjnL_j5iCKyIrvZ6g0TPG6e_07pXfZIaP9t609gEvbkb/s640/30709647_10156548542662275_8525661235344048128_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuHQa19jYsKw-gJQsLbIxfs1J9aiTqkNYD2DTKC21H3JBE5MEoHs_WQZutlGrdS1b6kugflKjwTYNph2Ik4RbNazHipKAmcHVRmKpmXBAkpZ5mFJRW62S20pB4G7mkzkXb2PraOXGeKFCM/s1600/30688771_10156548543342275_4151661318417416192_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuHQa19jYsKw-gJQsLbIxfs1J9aiTqkNYD2DTKC21H3JBE5MEoHs_WQZutlGrdS1b6kugflKjwTYNph2Ik4RbNazHipKAmcHVRmKpmXBAkpZ5mFJRW62S20pB4G7mkzkXb2PraOXGeKFCM/s640/30688771_10156548543342275_4151661318417416192_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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There's something so unsettling about a Christmas tree wrapped in spider webs. Maybe eerily reminiscent of an abandoned house or something? We tucked pictures of Emmeline during Halloween throughout the years into the webbing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vHF4vgBGVQ2vJld6-Zfr8stsn5P1eagqCt0ZB932rvYkv80OfP0MFsQ5QrUQ-ugqghXdLD8lDXC3NFrrZiklbfujcQXbYHZRAijE9YJO2NRXb13l1iZNUfhLlYxlFOOkxLGt2nNqB8DI/s1600/30727195_10156548545942275_5461690184091303936_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vHF4vgBGVQ2vJld6-Zfr8stsn5P1eagqCt0ZB932rvYkv80OfP0MFsQ5QrUQ-ugqghXdLD8lDXC3NFrrZiklbfujcQXbYHZRAijE9YJO2NRXb13l1iZNUfhLlYxlFOOkxLGt2nNqB8DI/s400/30727195_10156548545942275_5461690184091303936_o.jpg" width="266" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisWDjVX3RMV1Q-MVj7jTMuU9uXXduNaIvJEkNOUiLwtNE7KtT5HcAekyC5H4tGkFHwfOrXFbw3wVell5Ml-qybH42R1tuwk0mq6RkLAnssTkwhX3u5n9jG6KsvTAwYY7N4BAkO3lV38-22/s1600/30689079_10156548543107275_8662091936653377536_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisWDjVX3RMV1Q-MVj7jTMuU9uXXduNaIvJEkNOUiLwtNE7KtT5HcAekyC5H4tGkFHwfOrXFbw3wVell5Ml-qybH42R1tuwk0mq6RkLAnssTkwhX3u5n9jG6KsvTAwYY7N4BAkO3lV38-22/s400/30689079_10156548543107275_8662091936653377536_o.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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I got a few little foam craft kits on clearance from Target and set the kids up making little skulls and ghosts. It was a fun, easy activity and they seemed to have fun.</div>
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Obviously the direction was to come in costume. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LnGbOvkadRIrvZaSNDKxwBJXQ9hLrQtqwuAaDXHt8aEjcOKj6xTzKh-uhXt3QcCZB9X03YdtB2QWuM5Rc0dQYn_LgmnIwWq5lieLzEy8jNohUVaNjq-aadbp3sCPLzVZJe56QJDT5b8l/s1600/30653361_10156548543897275_7553766778287947776_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LnGbOvkadRIrvZaSNDKxwBJXQ9hLrQtqwuAaDXHt8aEjcOKj6xTzKh-uhXt3QcCZB9X03YdtB2QWuM5Rc0dQYn_LgmnIwWq5lieLzEy8jNohUVaNjq-aadbp3sCPLzVZJe56QJDT5b8l/s640/30653361_10156548543897275_7553766778287947776_o.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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After they made their little crafts, they all went "trick-or-treating." I set the adults up throughout the house and gave them each a bag of candy to hand out to the kids. This was a big hit. Because candy. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh90gGGE70OkNiv0gSqaxuK3dClb64XBGwUU3L7eG_yd7Vp3dW6Ja6hkb17YjTLjp__UnjcKqg86kpnxHg03UfCNgt8nnnxIMr-mqyaNqCUvzkNyHoap_wKrMNJrMKD18hVhv1aJ9v9KQT/s1600/30715433_10156548543767275_5723083633187618816_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh90gGGE70OkNiv0gSqaxuK3dClb64XBGwUU3L7eG_yd7Vp3dW6Ja6hkb17YjTLjp__UnjcKqg86kpnxHg03UfCNgt8nnnxIMr-mqyaNqCUvzkNyHoap_wKrMNJrMKD18hVhv1aJ9v9KQT/s640/30715433_10156548543767275_5723083633187618816_o.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_kx6MY5z8jX67aGvLTmUj9BPjxgs2v335m5D0FPiraphc7tq9wFTywq_cpWhyphenhyphenEe0ZBlVK3fwFuvdoy3Di9QotmqaiA-deiMzKyHGYNQfLiDfdgxiKxSdflUbXx9pLrU6M2-Z1D_BQpwzi/s1600/30688357_10156548545907275_3497720468490682368_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_kx6MY5z8jX67aGvLTmUj9BPjxgs2v335m5D0FPiraphc7tq9wFTywq_cpWhyphenhyphenEe0ZBlVK3fwFuvdoy3Di9QotmqaiA-deiMzKyHGYNQfLiDfdgxiKxSdflUbXx9pLrU6M2-Z1D_BQpwzi/s640/30688357_10156548545907275_3497720468490682368_o.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<i>"Trick or Treat!"</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtuTiEjlttiSGclr0OjhDY1liqdfyhDrhB4HbPCYphDPNFKQfrAJO3qavmUz9JzLHTXG31G_x-T1zgGmA-Ty80cTU2fhXEhEH_KujxXNQwJL8fLesi1iOqQBDaxA3qon9xFw3NSdpfxk_v/s1600/30689142_10156548542992275_3062909026099527680_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtuTiEjlttiSGclr0OjhDY1liqdfyhDrhB4HbPCYphDPNFKQfrAJO3qavmUz9JzLHTXG31G_x-T1zgGmA-Ty80cTU2fhXEhEH_KujxXNQwJL8fLesi1iOqQBDaxA3qon9xFw3NSdpfxk_v/s640/30689142_10156548542992275_3062909026099527680_o.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Obviously the only logical thing after a bout of trick-or-treating is to separate and sort the candy. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwd7XBP6qNvEjQgy4OQRvOD0N-aJl_O5uW2zmfL_uDOJnD9ytFBuRf5zladwL613-qqLrwFC7UFJN-zWyEO_-VZdY-HvuOb-p8xjjDlr5eg7SHA92tBATzCzUDAzIrl4ORoRGFaZaXKEyI/s1600/30698195_10156548546617275_4958243635301711872_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwd7XBP6qNvEjQgy4OQRvOD0N-aJl_O5uW2zmfL_uDOJnD9ytFBuRf5zladwL613-qqLrwFC7UFJN-zWyEO_-VZdY-HvuOb-p8xjjDlr5eg7SHA92tBATzCzUDAzIrl4ORoRGFaZaXKEyI/s640/30698195_10156548546617275_4958243635301711872_o.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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The cursed donuts. Like really, you don't even want to know how much I paid for these damn things that looked like someone smeared hard buttercream on them with a plastic butter knife.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixzQUSjFtHM0o8fNvlFduTeoQGnb5sOi2GA9ESiuiAU85VhZEDVdF9g8UcfPHDpZu6BA3PcW1dL0wBo22snEXhVdVCPujZQ5QZD4hFz6ajUAwSI0mCd15sLrjpDNom_S9PQIWY3B8VwS2a/s1600/30656317_10156548545417275_6648335110481379328_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixzQUSjFtHM0o8fNvlFduTeoQGnb5sOi2GA9ESiuiAU85VhZEDVdF9g8UcfPHDpZu6BA3PcW1dL0wBo22snEXhVdVCPujZQ5QZD4hFz6ajUAwSI0mCd15sLrjpDNom_S9PQIWY3B8VwS2a/s640/30656317_10156548545417275_6648335110481379328_o.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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OMG I love this little shy smile as everyone was singing happy birthday. </div>
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Then we moved onto opening gifts, and the kids had a tissue paper war. </div>
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Look at our adorable tiny puppy!!!! He's huge and annoying now but we still love him.<br />
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We took a group picture between the coats on the stairs and the Christmas garland on the railing. Really well thought out, Lara.<br />
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Poor Emmeline with her birthday so close to Christmas. I try to make it a priority every year because I never want her to feel second to Carys, but it's SO hard. When we were talking about having kids, Chris said we could have kids absolutely any time EXCEPT December - he has a December birthday and has always hated it. And we saddled this poor kid with a birthday that's a week closer to Christmas than his is! I plan on giving her the option of celebrating during her half-birthday if she'd like when she's older - but who knows? Maybe she'll grow up with winter as her favorite holiday and absolutely love it. </div>
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Happy birthday, you spunky little spitfire. I sure do love you!<br />
<br />Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14724675337980390322noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3576989325677664760.post-74878756198237159462017-11-30T10:47:00.000-06:002019-07-09T12:46:08.516-05:00Halloween 2017 :: Rey and BB8 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So Halloween 2017? FULLY COMMERCIAL PRE-MADE COSTUMES, YO. The girls wanted to be Rey and BB8, and there were tooooons of commercially available, affordable costume options, so HELLO ONLINE ORDERING IT WAS. It was the first Halloween I haven't frantically been trying to finish at least one costume! What joy!</div>
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We've been trick or treating with this group of kids since 2015 and always meet at their house for pictures and pre-gaming.<br />
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This house always goes all-out with a freaking ARCADE CLAW MACHINE! The girls loooooove it.<br />
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They always try to end quickly enough that they can go back to our house to hand out candy. The trick-or-treating versus handing-out-candy dilemma is REAL.<br />
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Emmeline wanted a nice witch on her pumpkin.<br />
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Carys picked the scary witch and the magic hat/wands (which she drew and carved herself!).<br />
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Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14724675337980390322noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3576989325677664760.post-54924655327624520452017-07-31T14:58:00.000-05:002017-08-01T11:18:43.743-05:00Carys's Sixth Birthday : Moana Luau<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Carys's sixth birthday took place the week before we left for Disney World, and it was definitely one of the better parties we've had! It took place at our house, and we invited a gaggle of little girls and their parents (who we also call friends). At least three kids cried when it was time to leave so I count that as a win (sorry parents). </div>
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I'm going to be honest: I generally love planning and throwing parties (so much so that a friend and I have talked about doing party planning for others) but trying to plan this and Disney World at the same time - as well as getting Carys prepared to start kindergarten - about broke me. But I survived. Or at least, writing this a few weeks after the fact I can say I survived. But at the time I felt like my brain was broken.<br />
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<i>I made the invitation using <a href="http://canva.com/">Canva.com</a>.</i></div>
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The invite says it was a SURPRISE party, but....it was more of a "surprise" party. With quotes. She knew about the party, and WANTED to know about it...but also wanted to be surprised. So we pretended - with her full knowledge and participation - that we were planning for a "Christmas in July" Moana-themed party. What, you've never heard of a themed Christmas party? Well. Me either. But it was what Carys came up with to explain the decorations and plans. Honestly, it was fun to come up with explanations to tie everything in with the Christmas party cover story, and we enjoyed a "wink-wink-nod" conspiratorial tone throughout the entire planning process.<br />
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As we have in past years, we got most of the party supplies from <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/" target="_blank">Oriental Trading Company</a> or Amazon, with a few dollar store goodies thrown in as well. Also as with past years, we split the cost of the decor with a friend who re-uses the decor and theme for her daughter's party in August, which helps us keep the costs WAY down. Hint: check the prices on both OTC and on Amazon. They often sell the same things and which site has the cheaper price varies.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLZHP7JWZyXSIQirngdAugGAT_Gd8QjTb2J5vArsFeaJeHYfd8MiX0v3fkqBPxTQ5SfOs_ZO8AEwmwq8BC2FvOuhRzT_ZgQ4kHY2kBhYpjkZmXkg_E4FuXWkrVnmXVlZ6Irj2p8eXA72x/s1600/PicMonkey+Image+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="918" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLZHP7JWZyXSIQirngdAugGAT_Gd8QjTb2J5vArsFeaJeHYfd8MiX0v3fkqBPxTQ5SfOs_ZO8AEwmwq8BC2FvOuhRzT_ZgQ4kHY2kBhYpjkZmXkg_E4FuXWkrVnmXVlZ6Irj2p8eXA72x/s640/PicMonkey+Image+copy.jpg" width="366" /></a></div>
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When you arrived at the party, the first thing you saw was the "6" door hanging Carys and I made together by cutting out the shape of the number on foam board and hot-gluing green tropical leaf leis and flowers to it. I also hung paper fans and a floral garland from the light fixture in the entryway because why not.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Nh7HaES3wfoq3-gtOnwGs-6nEhl8jvwpyAGud0rDimufJT2dLqKqRErZ9JYiOj3cFUtUMz3GOw1LNF1wExImvVjHcAOuJQJWllnxTijlqN3IawBzy0pUtHug4H60GBiiGDwdTHmLCBT3/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Nh7HaES3wfoq3-gtOnwGs-6nEhl8jvwpyAGud0rDimufJT2dLqKqRErZ9JYiOj3cFUtUMz3GOw1LNF1wExImvVjHcAOuJQJWllnxTijlqN3IawBzy0pUtHug4H60GBiiGDwdTHmLCBT3/s400/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_050.jpg" width="266" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnubgBl92Q4Sz7AaQDplWKvO6qvicutG3geLOEmmqTXcDT_3VM2hJrpD3c6qSa5pFzIl46aezvbSFIqHdEVz02shIqCRemK-fluci-MSd3m29BPUwHKN9j3htOFHtQo3oRmGx-F90BbXcs/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnubgBl92Q4Sz7AaQDplWKvO6qvicutG3geLOEmmqTXcDT_3VM2hJrpD3c6qSa5pFzIl46aezvbSFIqHdEVz02shIqCRemK-fluci-MSd3m29BPUwHKN9j3htOFHtQo3oRmGx-F90BbXcs/s400/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_058.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<i>sources: <a href="http://amzn.to/2f1n8zx" target="_blank">tropical leaf leis</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/2f1e2CL" target="_blank">hibiscus flowers</a> | <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/luau-icon-hanging-fans-a2-13729573.fltr?categoryId=553945&rd=hanging%20paper%20fan" target="_blank">hibiscus paper fans</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UP8MXUC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">floral garland</a></i></div>
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I covered some of the existing pictures in the entryway with the tropical leaf paper and used gold glitter stickers to add "C" and "SIX" to them, and added Carys's picture to a few of the frames (over the pictures that are normally there). I tucked fake hibiscus flowers all over the place, too. Also, the grass table skirt totally set the mood and was one of my favorite parts of the decor.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJgHPZQjpk0hSKp1ixffpeTjbYx4zQwGX9gstNH41dZ27uYXBoYAb1dXWpJHCO7TV1grMcD9-5eTthIcsnKZg5ucpLPx_Abfv5lJO8aotsnIlkF2IRtPVbAY-ETadXpM0XI9JuwoQqlgjA/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJgHPZQjpk0hSKp1ixffpeTjbYx4zQwGX9gstNH41dZ27uYXBoYAb1dXWpJHCO7TV1grMcD9-5eTthIcsnKZg5ucpLPx_Abfv5lJO8aotsnIlkF2IRtPVbAY-ETadXpM0XI9JuwoQqlgjA/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_057.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I had big plans for the pineapples (on this table and on the dining room table). I was going to cut the top off one and hollow it out to make a vase and put flowers in it, and the other I was going to cut in half lengthwise and hollow it out to fill with pineapple salsa. Needless to say neither of those happened. So they're just...pineapples. There's not a single pineapple in Moana. So. Shrug.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyBemxTv8xuy1WlEtZrCzGppU8BmKVpSA0QtxOoPjL6pZQhS9TjR_qcOy2eta8H09Se95USKjhbRPzTvvJEG3oqWbo_IT9NxUGuDbLWI3QPetyZtv78y2m7c9035S8g8BXNjtAWdL2GzXs/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyBemxTv8xuy1WlEtZrCzGppU8BmKVpSA0QtxOoPjL6pZQhS9TjR_qcOy2eta8H09Se95USKjhbRPzTvvJEG3oqWbo_IT9NxUGuDbLWI3QPetyZtv78y2m7c9035S8g8BXNjtAWdL2GzXs/s400/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_060.jpg" width="266" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtGpxdViS7Gnjohyg39SrC5os1x30ZXncyX_uwNqkVooZHnhFvCc_6w_oO6BTcTz4TiMoT6jtffrLjI_OD3izGEDvxiQrgRFlfo2mRxqvTiLHkA_V6qkJjNgL1_b3-g97lAhxtVJclOXI0/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtGpxdViS7Gnjohyg39SrC5os1x30ZXncyX_uwNqkVooZHnhFvCc_6w_oO6BTcTz4TiMoT6jtffrLjI_OD3izGEDvxiQrgRFlfo2mRxqvTiLHkA_V6qkJjNgL1_b3-g97lAhxtVJclOXI0/s400/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_063.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjveBCIgZO4QfTyLVUno2O11M5vJGyAAt_aQB1VfNcb1C3ILNeGX-Lpun6oY_L0PRp_YCKn4nznyOEWZd6xz-YbOWszXR8SmG9omUSfUtwt4g0404YbYgcyUoQBcVVmwFDtZACoji0TB_uV/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjveBCIgZO4QfTyLVUno2O11M5vJGyAAt_aQB1VfNcb1C3ILNeGX-Lpun6oY_L0PRp_YCKn4nznyOEWZd6xz-YbOWszXR8SmG9omUSfUtwt4g0404YbYgcyUoQBcVVmwFDtZACoji0TB_uV/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_064.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>s</i><i>ources: <a href="http://amzn.to/2hgipKO" target="_blank">tropical leaf paper</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/2f1e2CL" target="_blank">hibiscus flowers</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/2uQCBpH" target="_blank">grass table skirt</a> | <a href="http://momapprovedcostumes.com/" target="_blank">Moana dress in picture</a> | </i></div>
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<i><a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/Thegipsyandtheyarn" target="_blank">flower headband in picture</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/2uRjFHt" target="_blank">flower anklet in picture</a></i></div>
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From the entryway, you can go left into the sitting room, where I didn't change much - I left it wide open for a surprise visit from a certain Polynesian princess. WUT WUT. I did decorate the mirror (you can't really see in the picture but there is a Beanie Baby pig and chicken in the little bowl thingy) and covered the bookcases full of <a href="http://y4581.myubam.com/" target="_blank">Usborne</a> books in order to act as a photo background.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHSKZd1gZxITPggGXy2OkoYBvMEsm6Fq3yWHIN8BluixDQltG6E3uFXA_G9k-Tt2PoqBWZk0rrdw0hP_fFxQzvwPLHknUuGNbW2s8UPi3sZPm86DSjmApECauyceHkbYkz_TxzquoQnv-H/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHSKZd1gZxITPggGXy2OkoYBvMEsm6Fq3yWHIN8BluixDQltG6E3uFXA_G9k-Tt2PoqBWZk0rrdw0hP_fFxQzvwPLHknUuGNbW2s8UPi3sZPm86DSjmApECauyceHkbYkz_TxzquoQnv-H/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_053.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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<i>sources: <a href="http://amzn.to/2vbfuZF" target="_blank">faux large leaves</a></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm45H3EwBArgFp-TqxzwE0MGM3bbj_nKnVfxWvQqTRsVqO27u3nMqPJan8Et_25QVx6sKXWYk4foBrbTZ65DX8pQUtJdjl4D9TmWq8l67_7eMilizLidvC1K4NdQ6sx97Szz0Qoa28on-3/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm45H3EwBArgFp-TqxzwE0MGM3bbj_nKnVfxWvQqTRsVqO27u3nMqPJan8Et_25QVx6sKXWYk4foBrbTZ65DX8pQUtJdjl4D9TmWq8l67_7eMilizLidvC1K4NdQ6sx97Szz0Qoa28on-3/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_084.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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How cute is Emmeline testing out the backdrop? I was worried the photo background wasn't quite high enough to make a good photo backdrop, so I blew up a bunch of yellow balloons and strung them together to make this...um, giant pile of balloons? What would you even call it? If I was a real blogger I'd have a name for it. This ELEGANT BALLOON SCULPTURE BOOKCASE TOPPER. I tucked a paper floral garland in it and a few fake leaves and popped it on top of the bookshelf to give it a bit more height. And dudes. THIS THING IS STILL THERE. The balloons will NOT deflate on their own and it's been 3+ weeks!! And I can't bring myself to pop them. #sentimentalfool</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitAoVLvgIAtfooGENrmFNHq4IF-Z37fMfop-xQvkFzWtpdLqMmHKFJyPlOXLFl2_vTihizjC3HcPOKhWDKQQWPmtuX1i8tlwNqDfnaYUY20NJjePArER5Pu_eVMrdLyb7lo0eZJW8J20uf/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitAoVLvgIAtfooGENrmFNHq4IF-Z37fMfop-xQvkFzWtpdLqMmHKFJyPlOXLFl2_vTihizjC3HcPOKhWDKQQWPmtuX1i8tlwNqDfnaYUY20NJjePArER5Pu_eVMrdLyb7lo0eZJW8J20uf/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_083.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>sources: <a href="http://amzn.to/2tXeyrW" target="_blank">paper floral garland</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/2uNTbIE" target="_blank">large faux leaves</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/2uOmb2V" target="_blank">small faux leaves</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/2hgipKO" target="_blank">tropical print paper</a></i></div>
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Onto the dining room, which always gets the most decor. I had ZERO idea what to do with this pineapple and popped it into the light fixture as a joke and HEY TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT IT. So yes, we had a chandelier pineapple. #fancy<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLeZ-WTKl2em5Gw5mG1MN8G38KxLMtAiGhujPljmlVa0_19uD1bftbz6Z1SPYivokJOYQjlBM-wpnasw5davTmOEsxu6b7EIy71ao77meYc77RgrM880dwh-yo9Hf1NqWbqABMvwB-duq/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLeZ-WTKl2em5Gw5mG1MN8G38KxLMtAiGhujPljmlVa0_19uD1bftbz6Z1SPYivokJOYQjlBM-wpnasw5davTmOEsxu6b7EIy71ao77meYc77RgrM880dwh-yo9Hf1NqWbqABMvwB-duq/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_271.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>sources: pineapple + flower garland are both from Target dollar aisle</i></div>
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Each kiddo got a hibiscus cup and straw to use during the party and then take home.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDsOhPCu-K8SFdPuBuhUlz32ATAkAVBi61CdbxdoqjCmXjAIXT0cgMrqMs3cq62PFz5jPVMhJiaqoJcvNzNPYPUowd6RDK7FN2G7xzzAvJGFn0zp_x_ag5mBN0l5HOSkvMbcjKONvyM2nY/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDsOhPCu-K8SFdPuBuhUlz32ATAkAVBi61CdbxdoqjCmXjAIXT0cgMrqMs3cq62PFz5jPVMhJiaqoJcvNzNPYPUowd6RDK7FN2G7xzzAvJGFn0zp_x_ag5mBN0l5HOSkvMbcjKONvyM2nY/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_066.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>sources: <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/hibiscus-print-plastic-cups-a2-34_182.fltr?categoryId=551215&rd=luau%20cups" target="_blank">tropical cups</a> | <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/hibiscus-plastic-straws-a2-34_703.fltr?keyword=luau+straws" target="_blank">hibiscus straws</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/2tXeyrW" target="_blank">paper flower garland</a></i></div>
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This table was so pretty before I cluttered it up with - ugh - <i>food</i>. WHY DO PEOPLE NEED TO EAT DON'T THEY SEE THEY'RE RUINING MY AESTHETIC. I got these gold, white, and brown letters from a daily steals site YEARS ago and I think I've used them at every birthday. I love them. I "tropical-ed" them up by adding green leaves and flowers to the end.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5OluptpcUOp5TArkLXe5ZqZBUFGtdY9D46W_Zpx5dyP5rF4iMW4pdvr_ReUULhCcpqQlDx0-0orOOS4RCBW8n6rUGtPV0Bgr6u2C4iIAIOCmwhG3CNvHQUb-eoX3D_f7OyJdFbWI-mY-u/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5OluptpcUOp5TArkLXe5ZqZBUFGtdY9D46W_Zpx5dyP5rF4iMW4pdvr_ReUULhCcpqQlDx0-0orOOS4RCBW8n6rUGtPV0Bgr6u2C4iIAIOCmwhG3CNvHQUb-eoX3D_f7OyJdFbWI-mY-u/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_254.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8L7EsJR7cr8gJwEKh-q7KR24CiYeCMdQfOMoc2N1Jv9qvl7QUEpbRKmfkQEL1kdoL4dfTiffiHlnPvwg3tYZahMA0OWzaGmetHEzuWVIX46Ghmj2zrsxYHizXiNPGgeFUqhzoyyQWUfb/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8L7EsJR7cr8gJwEKh-q7KR24CiYeCMdQfOMoc2N1Jv9qvl7QUEpbRKmfkQEL1kdoL4dfTiffiHlnPvwg3tYZahMA0OWzaGmetHEzuWVIX46Ghmj2zrsxYHizXiNPGgeFUqhzoyyQWUfb/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_255.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Then I had to add all that damn food and ruin the simplicity. Carys also insisted on putting her Moana Lego sets throughout the table so that added to the clutter but WHO AM I TO SAY NO TO THE BIRTHDAY GIRL?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpHsTdQoATfPjNHEnGUlbYwfMi2LUHOvrXD9ne0EjjjGmizVSFU5UstOsfJQY9JXSmytIoCoZ-7TkERff7V50mdADrtn7DVaY5Eobg1kqroIi_SN7l2NC8HZjkUjFgzEFHRz2YgFSpphwd/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpHsTdQoATfPjNHEnGUlbYwfMi2LUHOvrXD9ne0EjjjGmizVSFU5UstOsfJQY9JXSmytIoCoZ-7TkERff7V50mdADrtn7DVaY5Eobg1kqroIi_SN7l2NC8HZjkUjFgzEFHRz2YgFSpphwd/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_069.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pdWU721bjTnkI02T0AdoCslSTNhz0D0JYokYhyjPcNSI-0Ljilbv-Ma68Z2zgr0RqOAHA4XDKq9dj47ZWuSRvemlPtw37L93tmfKhd2uDbfNx1-oFfUmyUJ5Af94-9NsqGXNz0l6hc58/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pdWU721bjTnkI02T0AdoCslSTNhz0D0JYokYhyjPcNSI-0Ljilbv-Ma68Z2zgr0RqOAHA4XDKq9dj47ZWuSRvemlPtw37L93tmfKhd2uDbfNx1-oFfUmyUJ5Af94-9NsqGXNz0l6hc58/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_080.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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These wooden sporks peeking out of the lower edge are basically life. What, you want a full picture of them? Fine. I aim to please. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_p_Jzc_UHvm868rT8a-4x7jEnEIiVqUNTDvldATTfA7nie3OfMWoAI0iHhjuFtHdozKhDJnj11LYlO4kN_N8BahGq8za_fj-117-t3wnc5nqSkrkJLtpG4cx8Q_TxBBJa32UGXAqE18c/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_p_Jzc_UHvm868rT8a-4x7jEnEIiVqUNTDvldATTfA7nie3OfMWoAI0iHhjuFtHdozKhDJnj11LYlO4kN_N8BahGq8za_fj-117-t3wnc5nqSkrkJLtpG4cx8Q_TxBBJa32UGXAqE18c/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_250.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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DISCLOSURE: These are left over from Carys's 1st...yes, FIRST....birthday. I know. I've hung onto wooden sporks for five years now. WTF is wrong with me. I don't know the answer to that. And guess what? THERE ARE STILL SPORKS LEFT OVER. I don't know what is wrong with people that they don't take as much joy in wooden sporks as I do. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Ep8WZS0IFVUOufRUHxfzFLJxCxHrFt0dBqMPQzjqFD69PvGJGiSXQxvuMhFUMBZYVEWc3ieOKhrCLdHRpFTnmdee4XLBO6qFq9zn22jfNZuUxU7lvtlxDHXxw-s1QzswmdLxPkvlw93S/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Ep8WZS0IFVUOufRUHxfzFLJxCxHrFt0dBqMPQzjqFD69PvGJGiSXQxvuMhFUMBZYVEWc3ieOKhrCLdHRpFTnmdee4XLBO6qFq9zn22jfNZuUxU7lvtlxDHXxw-s1QzswmdLxPkvlw93S/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_081.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSOtJqxDSX39rD5WkhZuquMqn7ARUIDXp8673kF-sAioNRCADHKUCqpMvstvOnsOvzOESVGSGa3BmJbvni-CDbUYtHY7tMjuTeYWggqGxRJpCYOSGUq3asBkwfwXGVTJpYDcdRkTDqZ1uu/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSOtJqxDSX39rD5WkhZuquMqn7ARUIDXp8673kF-sAioNRCADHKUCqpMvstvOnsOvzOESVGSGa3BmJbvni-CDbUYtHY7tMjuTeYWggqGxRJpCYOSGUq3asBkwfwXGVTJpYDcdRkTDqZ1uu/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_251.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrc_fGaMk8A50Bl8bHqIFY8jsNMT9vSYAOa3guhJiOwWMgtN7ez7QZEdaep-6Zl-5cghaJFEVmrFn8MKlFBZNjjmqKK8r8PbFoyxsCnjKO8cnXDleTKJ7uxFau4bEKWfAT37gbNSdAHNy/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrc_fGaMk8A50Bl8bHqIFY8jsNMT9vSYAOa3guhJiOwWMgtN7ez7QZEdaep-6Zl-5cghaJFEVmrFn8MKlFBZNjjmqKK8r8PbFoyxsCnjKO8cnXDleTKJ7uxFau4bEKWfAT37gbNSdAHNy/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_055.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>sources: <a href="http://amzn.to/2uQCBpH" target="_blank">grass table skirt</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/2hgipKO" target="_blank">tropical leaf paper (used as tablecloth)</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/2weh8Xl" target="_blank">wooden sporks (similar)</a> | </i></div>
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<i>grass placemats left over from our mermaid party but <a href="http://amzn.to/2uOlZAG" target="_blank">available here</a></i></div>
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Along the other wall was the cake table. I love doing little themed photoshoots of the girls and printing out and displaying pictures from the shoot for the party. Then I force relatives to take them so I'm not left with 50 Carys-as-Moana pictures that I can't display but feel guilty throwing away.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUlVOIZsnVT7aC6MqLtqoAnEobEwV0l6UderoAFLPjaYLNm7nbWh_KV-6b6EFzorSp_SRz8BgybgpT5hKo8pJnJT9l_pwI_bAIsB0BtYYeEiEDOO7SwcaydI51PcXgYJ9iTjcSwSqE1mjE/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUlVOIZsnVT7aC6MqLtqoAnEobEwV0l6UderoAFLPjaYLNm7nbWh_KV-6b6EFzorSp_SRz8BgybgpT5hKo8pJnJT9l_pwI_bAIsB0BtYYeEiEDOO7SwcaydI51PcXgYJ9iTjcSwSqE1mjE/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_068.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>sources: <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/luau-fortune-cookies-a2-13684896.fltr?keyword=fortune+cookies" target="_blank">luau fortune cookies</a> (the fortunes inside were awesome) | <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/hibiscus-suckers-a2-13764846.fltr?keyword=hibiscus%20sucker" target="_blank">hibiscus suckers</a></i></div>
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The cake was the biggest disaster. I want to be clear: I am not a baker, nor am I a good cake decorator. And I know it. And this proved it. It took three attempts to get the cake out of the pan in one piece - apparently my cake pans are crazy scratched up and I need new ones. The cakes kept sticking and then falling apart as I tried to pry them out of the pan. I ended up FINALLY getting them to work at like 11pm at night by lining the pans with foil, and that worked out perfectly (and I stress-ate the other three crumbled cakes) (only half kidding). Then I stacked and crumb-coated them before collapsing into bed and finishing the next day. The "sand" is ground-up graham crackers, the top layer is surrounded by Pirouette cookies, and the "ocean" is just frosting in various shades of blue.<br />
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However, after the disaster and three destroyed cakes, I told Chris I'm never spending the time to make a cake again (plus I'll never top <a href="http://www.youaremylicorice.com/2015/12/emmelines-2nd-birthday-you-are-my.html" target="_blank">the sun cake from Em's second birthday</a>) but realistically I'll be doing this again in six months for Emmeline's fourth birthday (wut, sob) because I'm too cheap to buy a cake.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBJlVVah58dZZNGtrRNs1FXFk24s6HSNNxrRTNStnRIjnl6mxKr8OwwMCK_zeiqFttxVpl2BBrnho4qgxuwp1qZEAxtnyO8sNCR-HlyqUgL2TpokHzwu2IRqPhfc3upYIUKVkdqwecX4a/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBJlVVah58dZZNGtrRNs1FXFk24s6HSNNxrRTNStnRIjnl6mxKr8OwwMCK_zeiqFttxVpl2BBrnho4qgxuwp1qZEAxtnyO8sNCR-HlyqUgL2TpokHzwu2IRqPhfc3upYIUKVkdqwecX4a/s400/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_067.jpg" width="266" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdvzIp9q5a7qccKJXD0fiXLaVzVNrAWzhctPQGcFRsyCPgLRwjrEMGzsf8FHI8X2TlvHwrUgrIfgPn-HYzRagduEWljywQ_rRnKXjrcnTrqhP207SGzYBy_O_VNItNJliIJGC2_R6ioOOL/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdvzIp9q5a7qccKJXD0fiXLaVzVNrAWzhctPQGcFRsyCPgLRwjrEMGzsf8FHI8X2TlvHwrUgrIfgPn-HYzRagduEWljywQ_rRnKXjrcnTrqhP207SGzYBy_O_VNItNJliIJGC2_R6ioOOL/s400/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_072.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1mKEUm0cKmnrET4GWrABtdsM27fFCZfttIX-7yPlmozzNCU717ymPJFZfuffAqmxE-Wh0jUotygqC4-9dNBZe_cnATwmokfaYfuPrLa2fQwX-ZYrSsbq6BkSaOB3h_Cppo8lW_PLdPK5X/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1mKEUm0cKmnrET4GWrABtdsM27fFCZfttIX-7yPlmozzNCU717ymPJFZfuffAqmxE-Wh0jUotygqC4-9dNBZe_cnATwmokfaYfuPrLa2fQwX-ZYrSsbq6BkSaOB3h_Cppo8lW_PLdPK5X/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_073.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Carys and I painted the kakamora coconuts and it was one of my favorite parts of the party decor. I used a knife to scrape off some of the "hairy" parts of the shell in the shape of the kakamora face, then used sandpaper to sand it smooth. We used chalk to sketch the face shapes and filled in the colors with acrylic paints. Carys did two and I did two, and I honestly think she did such a good job I can barely tell the difference between ours! (Mine are the one in the entryway and the top one above; hers are the bottom one above and the one below.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSfHEG90zq4fqhDY5aJAO4KPEH96ibpip47KZFxhcZ0svpE-ffAQzaYZf-6M112bULTILq0irFLVSabjPm8qkLMC1duec9mGhl9nv8ih0GhgLjtHLHwIqK-1L42aaAC21WR5jVZk8NN34U/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSfHEG90zq4fqhDY5aJAO4KPEH96ibpip47KZFxhcZ0svpE-ffAQzaYZf-6M112bULTILq0irFLVSabjPm8qkLMC1duec9mGhl9nv8ih0GhgLjtHLHwIqK-1L42aaAC21WR5jVZk8NN34U/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_075.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://onelittleproject.com/how-to-make-jello-roll-ups/" target="_blank">These jello roll-ups</a> were SO easy and SO good! I found them on Pinterest - not associated with Moana in any way - and thought they'd make perfect "Heart of Te Fiti" snacks. They're a cinch to make!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5LGeA8VCT87RloJn6jOaKusBHxOjfb2256jwXXYprlkteN8ui9EqHzrRjxCrcjhFCwjIixwYXybgIDBdf4rPesV5Ce8gnJCUFWR1zxZJ-kgZG5K8pqzZwA1UUm5Sp6k1Yo-DfxvJy_3K/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5LGeA8VCT87RloJn6jOaKusBHxOjfb2256jwXXYprlkteN8ui9EqHzrRjxCrcjhFCwjIixwYXybgIDBdf4rPesV5Ce8gnJCUFWR1zxZJ-kgZG5K8pqzZwA1UUm5Sp6k1Yo-DfxvJy_3K/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_074.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is what we served for ice cream - this sorbet IN FRUIT SHELLS. OMG. So cute. AND SO DELISH. I got them from Costco! I could totally eat the entire box by myself and just posting this is making me contemplate going to get another box, but not telling my family and sneaking one every night before bed.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYOovGyADQAjjNiPgB1fkMiHXxpYDLET-nX83r7s8PJ_XXRZWLNOJ4rNw-SVYXMH4BCzWcdVepB97pfYTGVGLdnyZH_WQzkMQvJBPfCjMI8HWgD6THIfVwzZRG0a_hDnAi4x4XCnyX9FcO/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_286.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYOovGyADQAjjNiPgB1fkMiHXxpYDLET-nX83r7s8PJ_XXRZWLNOJ4rNw-SVYXMH4BCzWcdVepB97pfYTGVGLdnyZH_WQzkMQvJBPfCjMI8HWgD6THIfVwzZRG0a_hDnAi4x4XCnyX9FcO/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_286.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJAE-btWyAGZJAe-3GOAzdgIZPzGVrXjuf24Ar71UWyKDnigLoX2_1mHfY6BBkVf_9mJlEfKEcfA52YwBZ46qm6CeONiOJRQQbGj3AcNELzMmjA1ekG9Ew17UoYOWso5uwwQXy_CDsleU/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJAE-btWyAGZJAe-3GOAzdgIZPzGVrXjuf24Ar71UWyKDnigLoX2_1mHfY6BBkVf_9mJlEfKEcfA52YwBZ46qm6CeONiOJRQQbGj3AcNELzMmjA1ekG9Ew17UoYOWso5uwwQXy_CDsleU/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_082.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Through the dining room, you head into the kitchen, which didn't receive much in the way of decorations. I just realized I have zero pictures of it - blogger AND mom fail - but the island in the middle of the kitchen also got a grass table skirt and there were meatballs/Lil' Smokies with hibiscus-topped toothpicks.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCQjbiWkJawoVhG2XuGJkaNzlJIP5T3UbkhLGgMm7M2A9Wbo7jjUNVWfbBz8Yj5kGuObQX17vwPNvyoRUqE9opiKyeJKo4KeYtsGsjvWb5_xwNy0x_7g-6n-6MwuN3Vm-cEUWlVpkTMvA/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCQjbiWkJawoVhG2XuGJkaNzlJIP5T3UbkhLGgMm7M2A9Wbo7jjUNVWfbBz8Yj5kGuObQX17vwPNvyoRUqE9opiKyeJKo4KeYtsGsjvWb5_xwNy0x_7g-6n-6MwuN3Vm-cEUWlVpkTMvA/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_045.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>sources: <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/disney-moana-cups-a2-13776993.fltr" target="_blank">Moana cups</a> | pineapple bucket + straws from Target Dollar Aisle</i></div>
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I made frozen fruit lemonade (just regular lemonade with a bag of frozen fruit dumped into it - SO GOOD) and Te Fiti juice. The Te Fiti juice was going to be Ocean Water, except I mixed blue punch and pineapple juice and totally forgot that blue + yellow = green. So my ocean water became Te Fiti juice and I'm just going to pretend that it was totally planned. If you're trying to replicate it at home, it was equal parts Sprite + blue punch and then a couple cups of pineapple juice (the pineapple juice is pretty strong so you don't need a ton of it).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPFq99syCvtytclJdY-_kcT6y0rgErvV_dKjPesmFtQHCLP9KxEyPlKsROvlJMed4MSvRGfmrn16bnGGe0JhCvfQfjFFCQXs9ZlTWIQUIkJJ3U5RBGYtmZsazYPd1dPtgAZvr1ZyFHOY__/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPFq99syCvtytclJdY-_kcT6y0rgErvV_dKjPesmFtQHCLP9KxEyPlKsROvlJMed4MSvRGfmrn16bnGGe0JhCvfQfjFFCQXs9ZlTWIQUIkJJ3U5RBGYtmZsazYPd1dPtgAZvr1ZyFHOY__/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_047.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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I LOVED these gold foil tattoos, which we scattered on the kitchen table in sort of a tattoo station. They were actually my second choice - my first choice of <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/hibiscus-glitter-tattoos-a2-34_705.fltr?keyword=hibiscus%20tattoo" target="_blank">glitter hibiscus tattoos</a> were sold out (<a href="http://amzn.to/2vYuxnf" target="_blank">these other hibiscus/luau ones are super cute too</a>) - but once I saw them on kids (and on myself BECAUSE GOLD FOIL, HELLO) I loved them. Can you get an actual gold foil tattoo? Because I would be all over that.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSo8k21Q8OaagPOd47kSxKndirqVpw4LjmEvl_UhX6s1t4_uSjoy-mKN99LESeHKBICs_sNEqGu_evNO4-YH04-reFeABr65O3nuzXrdDQXVHaZ9i6b_2JTUK6hyquUaCvqcrVSUgiEtXa/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSo8k21Q8OaagPOd47kSxKndirqVpw4LjmEvl_UhX6s1t4_uSjoy-mKN99LESeHKBICs_sNEqGu_evNO4-YH04-reFeABr65O3nuzXrdDQXVHaZ9i6b_2JTUK6hyquUaCvqcrVSUgiEtXa/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_048.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>source: <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/gold-foil-pineapple-tattoo-assortment-a2-13764945.fltr?keyword=pineapple%20tattoo" target="_blank">gold foil tattoos</a></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1XPa-rWPE9tLhlqPN4x7M-1dLi31g3RJtAMdHtTQTyosWhmFBEhnCXkX1c5qmGGhcvAm-X4C9al-rQ6PLYtEs4vGAVv6ZNPR68Quz1-rRGPFcQA6kAilSV1YqDA9wplqhoQZEQ40bhYKo/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1XPa-rWPE9tLhlqPN4x7M-1dLi31g3RJtAMdHtTQTyosWhmFBEhnCXkX1c5qmGGhcvAm-X4C9al-rQ6PLYtEs4vGAVv6ZNPR68Quz1-rRGPFcQA6kAilSV1YqDA9wplqhoQZEQ40bhYKo/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_244.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The only other thing in the dining room was a floral garland along the top of the French doors and the sliding doors. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIw5wwj54XFMivCntqVAOSHXnr6Jd1wQanix7dPUvdf94Vlk1Gv7t_P76p7AdbeGCHIar1FPf9RpE_oq6OnAJE3bi7T3-AtAl8W8h6UXclWSvxN9TTTYBa7mfF73YLgZcoBWCETmOZZ6wC/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_279.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIw5wwj54XFMivCntqVAOSHXnr6Jd1wQanix7dPUvdf94Vlk1Gv7t_P76p7AdbeGCHIar1FPf9RpE_oq6OnAJE3bi7T3-AtAl8W8h6UXclWSvxN9TTTYBa7mfF73YLgZcoBWCETmOZZ6wC/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_279.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>source: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UP8MXUC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">floral garland</a></i></div>
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From the kitchen, we move to the family room/living room. Which turned out SO WELL. Like probably contained my favorite decor from any party, ever.<br />
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This is looking to the living room from the entryway. FLORAL GARLANDS EVERYWHERE.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjbeQDwZsseTE9k69Fyn90NWrCPUZV9SQnVZ03XSm0azDPP0NX5ipe3JBUR9DnirQVe0olu7yd1-gBlQoLOxs2gm8_eZcONcX-fRmWgxINjq0Q0DLRyIG_KXqVcmIKAf3mQbQP2QP4J7ue/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjbeQDwZsseTE9k69Fyn90NWrCPUZV9SQnVZ03XSm0azDPP0NX5ipe3JBUR9DnirQVe0olu7yd1-gBlQoLOxs2gm8_eZcONcX-fRmWgxINjq0Q0DLRyIG_KXqVcmIKAf3mQbQP2QP4J7ue/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_280.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>source: <a href="http://amzn.to/2tXeyrW" target="_blank">floral paper garland</a></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Tz0GaprrtF1m3oLgGbudrLywt_IH157UCTECmSfxKL-oJje2YZ-vpgbCpcm1r39DBF3XW_RVKYSaVuhMhHIkL8YSxM1LRW56D8qydHgrjT25Lc_ibVejFZTVTY9VyLCmUu0jyzLKcUZE/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Tz0GaprrtF1m3oLgGbudrLywt_IH157UCTECmSfxKL-oJje2YZ-vpgbCpcm1r39DBF3XW_RVKYSaVuhMhHIkL8YSxM1LRW56D8qydHgrjT25Lc_ibVejFZTVTY9VyLCmUu0jyzLKcUZE/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_270.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>sources: <a href="http://amzn.to/2uNTbIE" target="_blank">large faux leaves</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/2uOmb2V" target="_blank">small faux leaves</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/2vcgAUW" target="_blank">long floral garland</a> (seriously it's like 100 feet) | </i></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/luau-icon-hanging-fans-a2-13729573.fltr?categoryId=553945&rd=hanging%20paper%20fan" target="_blank">hibiscus paper fans</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/2hgipKO" target="_blank">tropical floral paper</a></i></div>
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For the display over the mantle, I covered the picture that was normally there in tropical-patterned paper and put the hibiscus paper fans on top of it, and topped that with a "6" balloon that we got from the Target dollar aisle. I'm going to be honest: I thought that balloon was going to be a LOT bigger. Whoops/fail/oh well. SHOULDA READ THE PACKAGING I guess. We already had the Moana dolls from Christmas and I tucked a couple of tropical leaf leis and hibiscus flowers around the dolls' feet on either side of the main display.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsmXMbFSLJCXlAO-Xgwqjy6MVw7CN_bXpl4TKAQbzmzXc09scC0CW7akG2eKTedGXVOxX92eePLzEk2HLPtGhIHxKm8JlRZWmU01rQibmIAujLKHZYisF2ZXDA2hyphenhyphencsMC8Hn9Ysq-BmlKq/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsmXMbFSLJCXlAO-Xgwqjy6MVw7CN_bXpl4TKAQbzmzXc09scC0CW7akG2eKTedGXVOxX92eePLzEk2HLPtGhIHxKm8JlRZWmU01rQibmIAujLKHZYisF2ZXDA2hyphenhyphencsMC8Hn9Ysq-BmlKq/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_110.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The age progression banner I made with a burlap banner we already have and <a href="http://catchmyparty.com/blog/free-moana-printables-disney-birthday-party" target="_blank">these free printables</a>. I printed the water bottle labels on regular paper for the top stripe, and added numbers to the party circles with Photoshop.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8xAIkFBN9p621KlSSwnJ5E5aDpmeFZBw8m6jnfIXETGPRb66saEFzLUq3qVYBCe5_rfxoPgaON93JuUvxUeLqVOKMFZFwTdWHCoC1uOl9J-j2fl6H0PNIMr2gR6hVErE3O_xfX6xZvg7U/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_268.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8xAIkFBN9p621KlSSwnJ5E5aDpmeFZBw8m6jnfIXETGPRb66saEFzLUq3qVYBCe5_rfxoPgaON93JuUvxUeLqVOKMFZFwTdWHCoC1uOl9J-j2fl6H0PNIMr2gR6hVErE3O_xfX6xZvg7U/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_268.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Lastly, I put a table in the sunroom with some activities - coloring sheets and some ocean animal scratch-offs. Total waste because we had basically zero time to do these. A couple girls colored and did scratch-offs while waiting for Carys to arrive but for the most part, all of this was untouched.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCA1VGbuV6Xyv8ABVFDAVtOTlTmqpNQHZbTucSzQuFCOEuNN_NfIqJYBvmgwiTCtjTKdj1TDUA1rXnC1D_-jEhfsDRS5jkMdPO8R9EOPnqvlZJjsA2-TXXqs569Kpyy25rugrKRj7-LTmD/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCA1VGbuV6Xyv8ABVFDAVtOTlTmqpNQHZbTucSzQuFCOEuNN_NfIqJYBvmgwiTCtjTKdj1TDUA1rXnC1D_-jEhfsDRS5jkMdPO8R9EOPnqvlZJjsA2-TXXqs569Kpyy25rugrKRj7-LTmD/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_235.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Each kiddo got a bag and a Moana plush keychain, which I found at Dollar Tree. We used puff paint to put the child's name on the front of the bag and filled it with a beach ball, tattoos, stickers, a stone Heart of Te Fiti (just green stone vase fillers painted with a swirl), a lei, and a flower clip. As they arrived, we handed out the bags and encouraged them to wear the lei and put the flower clip in their hair. They each also took home a tropical-print cup and flower straw.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7k16yrI6QMdTw3OkwxK8OTPPisQeMZBCCXbVgPCrMJwV32tzJ0aFNM7F18zu3On3xHjDUsDEHqryJ9TlOcGW45dTnqwYNal643evhG2uCWtYyGu067oqEkRvd8GlfdnFtMFlhHK1C-3W2/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7k16yrI6QMdTw3OkwxK8OTPPisQeMZBCCXbVgPCrMJwV32tzJ0aFNM7F18zu3On3xHjDUsDEHqryJ9TlOcGW45dTnqwYNal643evhG2uCWtYyGu067oqEkRvd8GlfdnFtMFlhHK1C-3W2/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_052.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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ONTO PICS FROM THE ACTUAL PARTY! AKA the part you'll skip if you're just reading this for party inspiration. AKA the only part you care about if you're just looking for pictures of Carys enjoying her party.<br />
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Everyone waiting for Carys to arrive so we can surprise her....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5tGUjIVWlZE5_9H3zpkBH4WqjuNIGamUZwb9RSxS5HuuntX7Kxjc5PScfayNvATZbBBrfKA-RCMgXGkpHDDKnlXqtvehrQMPecXYYTZ69YJphmrz4kd1ldwLbOT1m-dUniwXmAyKi6c4B/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5tGUjIVWlZE5_9H3zpkBH4WqjuNIGamUZwb9RSxS5HuuntX7Kxjc5PScfayNvATZbBBrfKA-RCMgXGkpHDDKnlXqtvehrQMPecXYYTZ69YJphmrz4kd1ldwLbOT1m-dUniwXmAyKi6c4B/s640/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_062.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And even though she knew it was coming and it was exactly what she'd requested, she immediately broke into a huge smile...AND RAN INTO THE OTHER ROOM TO HIDE. Ha! </div>
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The kiddos ran around and played for about 30 minutes, and then came the best part and the one thing I was most excited about: the surprise appearance of MOANA! I found a local company - <a href="http://www.heroandprincessparties.com/" target="_blank">Hero and Princess Parties</a> - and arranged for Moana to come to the party. Carys had NO idea this was happening and she was just in complete awe the entire time (all the kids were!). She arrived with a gift - stuffed Pua! - for Carys and led the kids in a craft, singing two songs, learning a dance, and reading a book! Isn't she seriously gorgeous and perfect? Honestly, I think she might be the real Moana.<br />
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Flower crown activity in the sunroom....</div>
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Singing songs...<br />
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The girls were split into two camps: those who were a bit awestruck and hung back, and those who sat two inches in front of Moana and invaded her personal space the entire time (AKA Carys).<br />
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Guys, she had such an amazing voice. I had actual literal tears in my eyes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6EYQKLtpLyAoVInDuwWKQGV70naJrF8t70B7ebbiAVF6rioNPhHA_3cxdBEO3ej0iDXjH3Qu61uTjR-OtfUc-5bbAO3TvbjJDSMOTRpgr8SSwQr04ibqaF6WX8BpfwT0iMe6T0LBbf_zk/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6EYQKLtpLyAoVInDuwWKQGV70naJrF8t70B7ebbiAVF6rioNPhHA_3cxdBEO3ej0iDXjH3Qu61uTjR-OtfUc-5bbAO3TvbjJDSMOTRpgr8SSwQr04ibqaF6WX8BpfwT0iMe6T0LBbf_zk/s400/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_132.jpg" width="266" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ8vFTvYoiYgOY57KstSqmY9eNV9cIvg66OxMe7rR6V0VaRnbwAySYgvQoiaItv7jI-T_SifOC4iAelTq7N9IjCq94AC0aKOB35cKeZwA3ZYV8ZSO1PbafnCLZPGqENT75IAx5H1gMiViX/s1600/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ8vFTvYoiYgOY57KstSqmY9eNV9cIvg66OxMe7rR6V0VaRnbwAySYgvQoiaItv7jI-T_SifOC4iAelTq7N9IjCq94AC0aKOB35cKeZwA3ZYV8ZSO1PbafnCLZPGqENT75IAx5H1gMiViX/s400/2017_06June_Carys_6th_Bday_140.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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Followed by learning a dance...<br />
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After that, each girl got their picture taken with Moana and a signed picture. </div>
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Just look at that family picture...GOOD THING I MADE THAT BALLOON THINGY RIGHT. If I hadn't, you'd be able to see - gasp - the wall behind it and you'd all be judging me SO HARD right now, I know.<br />
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We still had a bit of time before she had to head back to Motunui, so she read the girls a book. You can see how all of the girls have started to warm up to her and crowd around her by now.<br />
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Then we blew out the candles and sang happy birthday (led by Moana)...<br />
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The girls did NOT want Moana to leave, but we bribed them with the promise of presents and cake.<br />
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I'm going to be really honest yet again and kind of forgot that the kids would want to eat cake and ice cream and probably sit down while doing so. And I didn't think about any kind of seating for them. So they ate on the floor. But they're like flexible little kids without all the aches and pains of adulthood so it's fine, right? #badhostess<br />
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After cake and ice cream, everyone changed into swimsuits for pool and sprinkler time. Much like the unused coloring sheets, this was a totally unnecessary part of the party. I was thinking Moana for an hour and then pool party for an hour but I forgot about the whole present-opening and cake-eating parts. So I sincerely apologize to all of the parents who were ready to go but their kids wanted to swim. I am good at party planning but bad at timelines apparently.<br />
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I'll close with the funniest part: one of the moms noticed the Moana autographs were spelled MAONA. After laughing about it for a bit <i>(how could she not know?!?)</i> we found that it was purposeful, to avoid the copyright (i.e. she's not MOANA, she's a POLYNESIAN PRINCESS). After learning that, we realized how brilliant they really are - look at how similarly she formed the A and the O in the signature!</div>
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This was definitely one of my favorite parties - my other being the camping party, I think (mostly because I think that was such a fun theme). She's planning on Star Wars for her 7th birthday and Harry Potter for her 8th - and I'm not going to lie, I'm TOTALLY on board with those themes - but I'm sure it will change. </div>
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Happy birthday, Care-bear! </div>
<br />Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14724675337980390322noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3576989325677664760.post-64019206813325565432017-06-27T16:47:00.000-05:002017-06-27T16:47:08.788-05:00Planning for, like, EVERYTHINGGuys, I'm fricking stressing and I need to take a deep breath and a deep swig of booze and just chill the eff out.<br />
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We're going to Disney World next month. The week before we leave is Carys's birthday party.<br />
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Now, I LOVE planning a birthday party. I <strike>might</strike> definitely go a little crazy (<a href="http://www.youaremylicorice.com/search/label/birthday" target="_blank">proof</a>), but my god, I love it. Trust me, I wouldn't go through that shit if I didn't love it. I see absolutely nothing wrong with celebrating at a pizza place with family and no decorations. Those are some of my favorite parties to attend. But...dude, I live for it. Birthday party planning is in the back of my head basically all year long and I'm always thinking of themes (although now both of my kids are old enough to request their own themes, so most of them just are totally wasted.). I want to have another kid just so I have a third party to plan and I'm really only like 17% joking about that. So planning for Carys's birthday has been fun for me and while I COULD have given it up to focus on our other big summer event...I didn't want to.<br />
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I usually also love planning trips. I love spreadsheets and guidebooks and collecting hundreds of hints and tips and making schedules and confirmation numbers and packing lists. But this trip? This Disney trip? It's stressing me the fuck out. Like whoa. It's basically something I'm thinking about every second of ever day. I have NEVER been to Disney World so I have NO IDEA WHAT TO EXPECT. Honestly, before we found out we were going, I didn't even really know what Disney <i>WAS</i>. A place with a bunch of rides?? A place with shows? I know there are characters but, like, just thought they were walking around everywhere. <i>I had no idea there were four parks, guys</i>. I knew about the Epcot geodesic dome building but (feel free to laugh) I just thought it was a building at Disney World. Like down the sidewalk from the castle or something. And I thought that Epcot was just what was in the dome. I literally thought that Epcot was housed entirely in the dome. YES. I seriously thought that. I DON'T KNOW.<br />
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I earned the trip for myself <a href="http://www.youaremylicorice.com/2016/01/raising-reader.html" target="_blank">through Usborne</a> so I started doing some research as soon as I heard about it. I got a couple guide books and found ten bazillion websites to read and joined like forty Facebook groups and solicited advice from friends and immersed myself in all things Disney.<br />
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And now I have a schedule, and FastPass reservations, and restaurant reservations, and touring plans, and pages of tips and hints, and notes about where to go in each park if it's raining, and notes about where to go if it's too hot, and lists of the best restaurants and the worst restaurants, and custom maps, and I've basically memorized the layout of all of the parks.<br />
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Yet, as prepared as I feel I am and as much research as I've done...I still am MASSIVELY stressing about it. I'm worried that everyone is going to be miserable in the heat and crowds (specifically, my heat- and crowd-averse husband). I'm worried we're going to miss something amazing. I'm worried that our feet will hurt. I'm worried it's going to not just rain, but STORM every day and everything will be closed the whole week. I'm worried that we're trying to squeeze too much in. I'm worried that we're not squeezing ENOUGH in. I'm worried that we're spending way too much money. I'm worried that I'm going to forget a poncho and have to pay $40 for one at the parks. I'm worried about losing a kid in the crowds. I'm worried about one or both kids being scared of the characters until the very last day and then being upset that they missed all the characters and wanting to go back to meet them, but we can't. I'm worried about one or both kid flipping out on the top of a ride and causing the entire ride to shut down in order to let us get a screaming child off the ride.<br />
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I just cannot shake the feeling that I'm missing something important or that if I just do one more minute of research, I'll find that hint that I've never seen before that will make all the difference in the trip.<br />
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I mean, I planned a 12-day, multi-country, plane/train/car/bus trip through Europe. Why is a trip to Florida my downfall?!?!<br />
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<br />Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14724675337980390322noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3576989325677664760.post-23697711603930415502017-06-27T10:41:00.004-05:002017-06-27T10:53:29.849-05:00Vacation 2016 : CaliforniaA couple years ago, in a move that truly devastated me (because it's all about me, right?!?!), my little sister Kimberly moved to the Palo Alto area in California. I have one other sister and a brother who I love dearly still here locally, but we don't see them nearly as often as we used to see Kimberly. I worked with her, so I saw her regularly at work, but we also just loved hanging out with her. The girls adored her (well, Carys did - she moved before Emmeline was able to get to know her). I adored her. She helped with birthday parties, she went to the zoo with us, we made cookies together, she went camping with us - she was basically a second mom to Carys for the short time she lived here before she moved. When she moved, she promised she'd be back a few times a year, but of course - once you actually move, you find that's totally impractical and too expensive, so we usually only see her once during the year. And sadly (for me, not her), she LOVES her new home and is working her dream job - I'm so proud of her - so....I think we're stuck without her for the long haul, and just typing that makes me want to cry. But I'm happy for her and insanely jealous of the fun adventures she's going on like basically every day. But I miss her a lot.<br />
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<i>Kim and Carys before the big move</i></div>
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My mom was visiting Kimberly over the summer (this is last year, because I'm SO ON TOP OF BLOGGING) and it worked out that we were able to go - my angel of a sister-in-law had enough airline points that we were able to get the girls both tickets for free, and we stayed with my sister (her boyfriend was out of town, so there was room in their apartment). Because of that, it wasn't nearly as expensive as it could have been, and obviously I really wanted to visit her and see her.<br />
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<i>Rosie, the ever-present American Girl doll</i></div>
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<i>The four of us on the plane. We took both car seats with us since we would be driving a lot once there - we checked Carys's and took Emmeline's on the plane. </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2WMor-vFNQJPDqXjnOuhPGGSaSUCIZ7HndKWkd8-HzgJ-bgsW3zTqhyphenhyphenzdTOzjeXNSbXeIenblI_nXe82Hd1oEi5YH9cuJqGvLIST6yRcmz5lULmPKqG3F6EAkiK0HBSlRGtEDoeAWw-q/s1600/20160803_130120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2WMor-vFNQJPDqXjnOuhPGGSaSUCIZ7HndKWkd8-HzgJ-bgsW3zTqhyphenhyphenzdTOzjeXNSbXeIenblI_nXe82Hd1oEi5YH9cuJqGvLIST6yRcmz5lULmPKqG3F6EAkiK0HBSlRGtEDoeAWw-q/s320/20160803_130120.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRTtI46lZWPfoZ1LtmQ6W7eMXryxhp-u7lUY27Ld43N9_ZoO58qaim3GfRMrGNaj83AbG6ySFoh8otXoHUSEWhyphenhyphen-99n8RrjCgm8-chyNU0YHPO4Iiqf2eyGUqhCOEUV0LD9IQYuo1zY5kM/s1600/20160803_130102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRTtI46lZWPfoZ1LtmQ6W7eMXryxhp-u7lUY27Ld43N9_ZoO58qaim3GfRMrGNaj83AbG6ySFoh8otXoHUSEWhyphenhyphen-99n8RrjCgm8-chyNU0YHPO4Iiqf2eyGUqhCOEUV0LD9IQYuo1zY5kM/s320/20160803_130102.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Carys made friends with this little girl who was sitting behind us, so a few minutes into the flight, the little girl moved up to the empty seat between me and Carys for the rest of the flight.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUg1PNEH7QCnxlx-8ZIG6s29vBul1ONC5vhStp9FL0cI-61m2saSqQSzMnMpQYhdsGjRYOY-0AedEtKJBNug3-Xb9xUFIAyiRVXX5gLCIhyphenhyphenu4yi0mwpHnjjTWx7jIPMAQ_SmGyb_d2kCy4/s1600/20160803_161947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUg1PNEH7QCnxlx-8ZIG6s29vBul1ONC5vhStp9FL0cI-61m2saSqQSzMnMpQYhdsGjRYOY-0AedEtKJBNug3-Xb9xUFIAyiRVXX5gLCIhyphenhyphenu4yi0mwpHnjjTWx7jIPMAQ_SmGyb_d2kCy4/s640/20160803_161947.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx4H4GAXjUkUEIlFvAFUuZ1iLlBfN95Po7X4Deuk9BZfZxCQm9czylgEIl6YDQmt0ImdjkznFnHPlK8Bi1upFfiGBllrwvkpKXG858kowC1aC82xCe1ER5wXQ9Ht_dW-u8HW-Nx8K1tdYi/s1600/20160803_160402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx4H4GAXjUkUEIlFvAFUuZ1iLlBfN95Po7X4Deuk9BZfZxCQm9czylgEIl6YDQmt0ImdjkznFnHPlK8Bi1upFfiGBllrwvkpKXG858kowC1aC82xCe1ER5wXQ9Ht_dW-u8HW-Nx8K1tdYi/s640/20160803_160402.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We basically dropped off our bags and then the girls wanted to swim in the pool at Kimberly's apartment. <span style="text-align: center;">I don't know why the girls look miserable here. Probably because I told them they needed to be done swimming and we were going to go eat or something. I don't remember because this was A YEAR AGO.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGFIiki_P1mymFndicaMVPmNZA1A4wM7g_jkVT95ImTH26J6oBTmNcSWfMGs48VE-o_VChFJYUIIecGCNdLt_hW6dCwO5Y5DVadKybT0sjYnLOOcGNmso53jSFS46c68TesP7nEF35K7yK/s1600/20160803_182228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGFIiki_P1mymFndicaMVPmNZA1A4wM7g_jkVT95ImTH26J6oBTmNcSWfMGs48VE-o_VChFJYUIIecGCNdLt_hW6dCwO5Y5DVadKybT0sjYnLOOcGNmso53jSFS46c68TesP7nEF35K7yK/s640/20160803_182228.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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At one point, a huge family came down to swim and grill, and fed us like five plates of food each - when we declined the food initially, the daughter explained that since they were Hmong, feeding anyone within a five mile radius was basically required and that her mom would be insulted if we didn't eat.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoAs0ocBigq9_QD__-0ZJabnJyJC1oWbsCNCMV93fXLIanYlpf0BmLaR8dlkCJs9_xcgRZB-mi_VdabdOXSa1s5HYPLlhInPCjvmdufjlh_JmzYpTv2CVYK27yfz1z80w2i5qMUv7hsDjS/s1600/20160804_114435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoAs0ocBigq9_QD__-0ZJabnJyJC1oWbsCNCMV93fXLIanYlpf0BmLaR8dlkCJs9_xcgRZB-mi_VdabdOXSa1s5HYPLlhInPCjvmdufjlh_JmzYpTv2CVYK27yfz1z80w2i5qMUv7hsDjS/s640/20160804_114435.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>A trail/nature area by her apartment.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOlBDWUpWQsd_1W1s5TvKRmBj7OwrHSvHNXqx3gFO5N3bqvXVUiDdxQpfZwfDRIfGncyNasqmVffpHOZPuc4Zf8kYGHPQGFdBV_3ZsrOnhkYhoZLK8T2h9hynYCgrt6E4DZ20I77ug7331/s1600/20160804_083417%25280%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOlBDWUpWQsd_1W1s5TvKRmBj7OwrHSvHNXqx3gFO5N3bqvXVUiDdxQpfZwfDRIfGncyNasqmVffpHOZPuc4Zf8kYGHPQGFdBV_3ZsrOnhkYhoZLK8T2h9hynYCgrt6E4DZ20I77ug7331/s640/20160804_083417%25280%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4sakOruuz-Q25qltZYgzYtgCPkZcrmaOMnbLPx0lgAyy_Zf3ejKrJIIKs5sonRCMwz-BuGTDjodMB57_IOznzvLkKTAGSMqQMbO3HAZVuDxCiALWKa3v6JNKaJoHmuW9j08xthziSalfY/s1600/20160804_075911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4sakOruuz-Q25qltZYgzYtgCPkZcrmaOMnbLPx0lgAyy_Zf3ejKrJIIKs5sonRCMwz-BuGTDjodMB57_IOznzvLkKTAGSMqQMbO3HAZVuDxCiALWKa3v6JNKaJoHmuW9j08xthziSalfY/s400/20160804_075911.jpg" width="225" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLqY8W89qREVQrnGYi1a5cyyjTLcRyZDtC-efizyGrG895RkEcwau-cpwFm2y5moDbpcAu3bEPMLYYuCxs-VJza_XV3WvL5gAQm3mzMOsg0LeiIiQE9s5tlPfnj_7NkSght0uNgAvNt9a/s1600/20160804_080051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLqY8W89qREVQrnGYi1a5cyyjTLcRyZDtC-efizyGrG895RkEcwau-cpwFm2y5moDbpcAu3bEPMLYYuCxs-VJza_XV3WvL5gAQm3mzMOsg0LeiIiQE9s5tlPfnj_7NkSght0uNgAvNt9a/s400/20160804_080051.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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We drove to an upscale shopping plaza, basically only to fulfill my dream of taking Carys to an American Girl store, and...the girls both fell asleep on the ride there. So while they napped in the car, my mom and Kimberly shopped and we went to the AG store when they woke up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGAlSrH14NJJ6mygUTyNwgsucNStjGyuEW0e0mVenCMG-EHO_U3zSmh3dXKC-g6arpQMVz0vX3A5D-lPJvgx62HiR9S31sqV0NRWxcjcQ9yD4dibNUAbOFYkuZRQXpkTq4uJwNLXPbImbp/s1600/20160804_153356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGAlSrH14NJJ6mygUTyNwgsucNStjGyuEW0e0mVenCMG-EHO_U3zSmh3dXKC-g6arpQMVz0vX3A5D-lPJvgx62HiR9S31sqV0NRWxcjcQ9yD4dibNUAbOFYkuZRQXpkTq4uJwNLXPbImbp/s640/20160804_153356.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjS9M3UyGUl49MrO3TYuxcoic_GQnEgqYxXHocSw_K_SE62eBnaNQc-cEvHlvrzgO7gRnmAHGZyJyiGoMj5Pc_E_hvcMgKdACu3YG_wCUCRx3EFqjgcVkOHADOL7FgCieDpNP-_VDcWcQn/s1600/20160804_160705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjS9M3UyGUl49MrO3TYuxcoic_GQnEgqYxXHocSw_K_SE62eBnaNQc-cEvHlvrzgO7gRnmAHGZyJyiGoMj5Pc_E_hvcMgKdACu3YG_wCUCRx3EFqjgcVkOHADOL7FgCieDpNP-_VDcWcQn/s400/20160804_160705.jpg" width="225" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclbJZ7A14Y-Klk0DAvvLmcfMGX9djaIxXNYwYfCisYM-NBPA8zbLLzO4U9qgyFJBAsk0W2ytn2ujYaUxKb__A6Z52Xpbd5bQQ8kb-KuSauegNQTjqwimWDKqPWereQoo_n_-aFaD4PB2b/s1600/2017-06-26_15-51-41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="530" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclbJZ7A14Y-Klk0DAvvLmcfMGX9djaIxXNYwYfCisYM-NBPA8zbLLzO4U9qgyFJBAsk0W2ytn2ujYaUxKb__A6Z52Xpbd5bQQ8kb-KuSauegNQTjqwimWDKqPWereQoo_n_-aFaD4PB2b/s400/2017-06-26_15-51-41.jpg" width="353" /></a></div>
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<i>Out of all the things she could have gotten...she picked a bunny. Since it was her birthday, they also gave her a sticker and a little bag of Melody goodies, including a matching girl-doll kerchief set.</i> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIYqexbT0DHSukYAAi64WofYQBOAsdGknOtG11FeaW7zbDMoiPYXEkNeYo7J7gGOA9Usgsh2fjTigqJwKk6KaIC5ZtwxTethSOKmLCZZ1AyNBJVGEFjfKSdrns4nqCC9o_mFmZT62091Id/s1600/20160804_175110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIYqexbT0DHSukYAAi64WofYQBOAsdGknOtG11FeaW7zbDMoiPYXEkNeYo7J7gGOA9Usgsh2fjTigqJwKk6KaIC5ZtwxTethSOKmLCZZ1AyNBJVGEFjfKSdrns4nqCC9o_mFmZT62091Id/s640/20160804_175110.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Super adorable restaurant called <a href="http://www.coconutspaloalto.com/" target="_blank">Coconuts</a> in Palo Alto.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlbsm9_8TM8R1b13SpW57qzAA62iIduZ4UK3JYov_tDYI8Wvkn26Xnb0DIWO2mcuqrIzLAiIUNOuJlv5SM1ZpNCj320a9oZfwZ3dI7YNkGq6YZi8MMqwxCdnYj-ltxs48N_Ylr9FXPxcK/s1600/20160804_184812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlbsm9_8TM8R1b13SpW57qzAA62iIduZ4UK3JYov_tDYI8Wvkn26Xnb0DIWO2mcuqrIzLAiIUNOuJlv5SM1ZpNCj320a9oZfwZ3dI7YNkGq6YZi8MMqwxCdnYj-ltxs48N_Ylr9FXPxcK/s640/20160804_184812.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Carys in her American Girl kerchief; Emmeline eating the food of our people.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_fDvZxe2i2mZYvinHzRmONq4JtenL9AYHJ6baZNEAPW5LvSKwfRP4UrgHB8uJZiQZ6ZHMiNUGwtgZoQT12quZfsBCunrXyR8hr83a64hoUblWa0W5_E4wNBVZY9Qxj6sKoR6gXXNkkXU-/s1600/20160805_124541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_fDvZxe2i2mZYvinHzRmONq4JtenL9AYHJ6baZNEAPW5LvSKwfRP4UrgHB8uJZiQZ6ZHMiNUGwtgZoQT12quZfsBCunrXyR8hr83a64hoUblWa0W5_E4wNBVZY9Qxj6sKoR6gXXNkkXU-/s400/20160805_124541.jpg" width="225" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi16GpXD6ESTt7xtEXarU7bvBihidHNoi4qK-mYvdEq5pFB0V6MVU5-zjM2ctrVUVtsj0_mOU9at2aHPdapiTx5NhTC7ms90s8TpNMgc2eGPXuykWleQ77TAF9zexf4OIEnAv0yro4yAI65/s1600/20160804_200006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi16GpXD6ESTt7xtEXarU7bvBihidHNoi4qK-mYvdEq5pFB0V6MVU5-zjM2ctrVUVtsj0_mOU9at2aHPdapiTx5NhTC7ms90s8TpNMgc2eGPXuykWleQ77TAF9zexf4OIEnAv0yro4yAI65/s400/20160804_200006.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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We also got to visit the <a href="http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/" target="_blank">WINCHESTER MYSTERY HOUSE</a> which yes, deserves those capital letters and OMG guys is like a dream come true. I didn't even realize it was so close to Kimberly (in San Jose) and probably came close to tears of joy when I found out. It's one of those places I've always known and read about - like since I was a little kid - and was fascinated by. If you're not aware - it's a huge mansion that was built with tons of oddities, like stairs to nowhere, doors to nowhere, rooms that don't line up, secret passages, etc. AND THEY HAVE TOURS AND NOW I'M DEAD JUST LIKE MRS. WINCHESTER. No photos were allowed inside, so I bought a souvenir book (probably the point) and took tons of pictures of the exterior. (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester_Mystery_House" target="_blank">Hint: lots of pics on Wikipedia!</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiverJyHJC-OjmXInNzOBZSdf2DeznpAnb7wsSQk6MfxB3mSPlBdOA5CjmJIf4s6ieqZFLOYpXTCU2STrYcna91gQ89mZSFFHn_AtcGKAprNh4HgrcPLiCskYWkOqQjWQtlLojC_PU439Ox/s1600/20160805_100401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiverJyHJC-OjmXInNzOBZSdf2DeznpAnb7wsSQk6MfxB3mSPlBdOA5CjmJIf4s6ieqZFLOYpXTCU2STrYcna91gQ89mZSFFHn_AtcGKAprNh4HgrcPLiCskYWkOqQjWQtlLojC_PU439Ox/s400/20160805_100401.jpg" width="225" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_p6foWtKfzRuwQaWmvnEHsPX5lBeLYZNfgvdqsZ47B9QPPXRIHuvXbofddRUza9EhrMJ3yGfxfLQ5dpQc01sdpDdLM6IDf9WvuLjOw5yZGu_JfoTvvOJaPCvUn0qfpnGGNoMxaV0RVbF/s1600/20160805_100506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_p6foWtKfzRuwQaWmvnEHsPX5lBeLYZNfgvdqsZ47B9QPPXRIHuvXbofddRUza9EhrMJ3yGfxfLQ5dpQc01sdpDdLM6IDf9WvuLjOw5yZGu_JfoTvvOJaPCvUn0qfpnGGNoMxaV0RVbF/s400/20160805_100506.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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One thing I hadn't realized is that they don't actually know for sure why the house was built so oddly. Sarah Winchester married into the Winchester rifle family, and when her husband died, she inherited a shit ton of money. There's a theory that at some point after her husband (and infant daughter) died, a medium told her that she was going to be haunted by the ghosts of everyone ever killed by a Winchester rifle and that the only way to appease the spirits was to travel west and build a home where construction could never end, and that the curiosities of the house (i.e. the doors to nowhere) were built to confuse the spirits (although other accounts say that the spirits guided her in the design and what to build). Supposedly her favorite number was 13 and instances of this number can be found throughout the house (which is true - we found a ton of them, like 13 stairs in a flight, 13 panes of glass, 13 spindles, etc.). She also loved spider webs, with the mystical explanation being that they would 'catch' the spirits, and the spider web motif is woven throughout the house in the form of wallpapers and stained glass windows, etc.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYD7lPoft53Sl7whm0jtzmf2jWUE44ipR3de23NQAEQTr9mk1epMiKpncR1TrHpoGQNoFwcSYQ8JSTG9tub0_MKNo0YO_NHggnkVmiIoFsKLYfvedqjeot_gZS7l7K6S0SlWS8SENOeb_/s1600/20160805_120424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYD7lPoft53Sl7whm0jtzmf2jWUE44ipR3de23NQAEQTr9mk1epMiKpncR1TrHpoGQNoFwcSYQ8JSTG9tub0_MKNo0YO_NHggnkVmiIoFsKLYfvedqjeot_gZS7l7K6S0SlWS8SENOeb_/s640/20160805_120424.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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But during the tour we learned that no one knows that for sure, and that she might have just been bored and keen to indulge her interest in architecture - only since she was completely untrained and there was no master plan for adding on to the house, it ended up with a number of bizarre features, like the aforementioned stairs and doors to nowhere. And maybe she just liked the number 13 and spider webs for reasons that had nothing to do with anything else.</div>
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<i>A door to nowhere. See it?</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7uD4XOcVkqvNGLKFUOzpPzJT1wALdR-vObEcImsJYhKN7YzfH5ThozbhGut03wowjVHwyn6IpVKavzWSFkXIGArqdIAPmaBJnPuRQ3Ic3dBVyyS8Vp5B42XmG9fetQfYnmy3ynTCDSFI3/s1600/20160805_120230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7uD4XOcVkqvNGLKFUOzpPzJT1wALdR-vObEcImsJYhKN7YzfH5ThozbhGut03wowjVHwyn6IpVKavzWSFkXIGArqdIAPmaBJnPuRQ3Ic3dBVyyS8Vp5B42XmG9fetQfYnmy3ynTCDSFI3/s640/20160805_120230.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Or maybe it was a little bit of both.<br />
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The house now sits on 4.5 acres, but originally there were over 160 acres. There are beautiful gardens and statuary and outbuildings surrounding the main house. I can't imagine what it was like before they pared it down!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZRW2K7JL3jrGKtc9fYoou29KNnhKTo9TcJ7_epoTO6TIumq0P6BvyMFNXpVw8AeAc66BZOfnQPJkAAqFTxKd1dYSfULWgZadPJVr-o72oUske9YmH8DR8vx_86Eqnb2IYZQnbs0dl8NwL/s1600/20160805_115120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZRW2K7JL3jrGKtc9fYoou29KNnhKTo9TcJ7_epoTO6TIumq0P6BvyMFNXpVw8AeAc66BZOfnQPJkAAqFTxKd1dYSfULWgZadPJVr-o72oUske9YmH8DR8vx_86Eqnb2IYZQnbs0dl8NwL/s320/20160805_115120.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yxg4eN8tqhsVO9fpZHruwW3o5eg-ehsQqDMv01w4gGhd2DfHWHXriWNbnE9mjAWk3heYn0jnR_KkjxvyqvNP1FOppv0WIxMMaobpmQDJcoPuMi52Qb1henpmJCrTwota5HWmv6eZAGl4/s1600/20160805_114208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yxg4eN8tqhsVO9fpZHruwW3o5eg-ehsQqDMv01w4gGhd2DfHWHXriWNbnE9mjAWk3heYn0jnR_KkjxvyqvNP1FOppv0WIxMMaobpmQDJcoPuMi52Qb1henpmJCrTwota5HWmv6eZAGl4/s320/20160805_114208.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYlnJfflLpeBRUJeMRP7H-RWb9ysQqzRpHjvG_QnBELA67opYGxFWNIMW92PEEX3taWZENCSyN_wIaHISOCq6gbPy4zNa-fBEOPeHSYVBPHKLe_lkmB3ZnEo9DKtnKrj5Qy_o699CBj26D/s1600/20160805_114840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYlnJfflLpeBRUJeMRP7H-RWb9ysQqzRpHjvG_QnBELA67opYGxFWNIMW92PEEX3taWZENCSyN_wIaHISOCq6gbPy4zNa-fBEOPeHSYVBPHKLe_lkmB3ZnEo9DKtnKrj5Qy_o699CBj26D/s320/20160805_114840.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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One super creepy part of the house tour was that we learned that in the earthquake of 1906, the house was significantly damaged - three stories of a seven-story tower fell down, and the front half of the house was essentially sealed off and closed. Plaster had fallen from the walls and floors had buckled. But rather than fixing it...she just sealed it off and continued building on the back half of the house and made a new main entrance (she was trapped in one of the front rooms and supposedly thought the spirits were sending her a message to stop working on that part of the house). We walked through some of the damaged rooms and it was incredibly creepy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFttV5QGjOenVcJXmPPSKBeex6GLnQ93gQOwcNc-IyQseSB8HzLcJeVq8Uc5-PlskFIrD7JWQDNMHud8oilKMcUNiDA22J8nUp0gw5SXmY3f4lZcAUfhVZh9LjEWl-DYamJZVKxXUiujJ/s1600/20160805_114131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFttV5QGjOenVcJXmPPSKBeex6GLnQ93gQOwcNc-IyQseSB8HzLcJeVq8Uc5-PlskFIrD7JWQDNMHud8oilKMcUNiDA22J8nUp0gw5SXmY3f4lZcAUfhVZh9LjEWl-DYamJZVKxXUiujJ/s640/20160805_114131.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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While all of the furniture was sold or bequeathed after her death (so nothing is original to Sarah, though it is from the correct time period and in the right style), the house itself was opened as a tourist attraction fairly quickly (I think it was five months after she died?). However, there were SO many rooms that were sealed up and impossible to get to that a number of original items were found hidden away - including a storage room full of priceless Tiffany windows and custom wallpapers, and just recently an attic with a couch and dress form and some other random items. <br />
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We also went to the <a href="https://www.exploratorium.edu/" target="_blank">Exploratorium</a> in San Francisco, which was AMAZING. I would book an entire trip just to go there again. It's an interactive science museum for all ages - and I mean that quite literally. It was <i>almost </i>more geared towards adults than kids (though the kids had a BLAST). I could have stayed there all day. I wish we had planned two days for it.</div>
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They had a <a href="http://www.strandbeest.com/" target="_blank">strandbeest</a> exhibit, which was <i>fascinating</i>, and we got to walk a strandbeest (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BIwTfsbAJhw/" target="_blank">video</a>). It's literally made with just PVC pipe and zipties. No motors. HOW?!?!?!?! </div>
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We also hit up Santa Cruz, which has a pier full of sea lions, an old-fashioned boardwalk lined with carnival games and dining, as well as a (totally packed) beach. They also have a little <a href="https://seymourcenter.ucsc.edu/" target="_blank">Marine Discovery Center</a> that was REALLY neat and almost empty, with a little underwater submersible that you can motor around a large aquarium. </div>
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<i>The discovery center</i></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"> </span><i>We ate lunch on the pier and passed this amazing octopus water fountain.</i></div>
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<i>Discovering a geocache on the pier. </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tjdrbFWOcdtZKTmw7SbJ0ndvsfmGbOvt3MAbbeIPKrOUHtAqIapfu_g5h41Xj3d-9YlMv4PyY_o4rnCWBaO0igr7pcuprsfHSrDfam6Vh1e0D8vwDerh0KlHTBtaVmPSIMWWJizrMeFo/s1600/2016_08Aug_California_017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tjdrbFWOcdtZKTmw7SbJ0ndvsfmGbOvt3MAbbeIPKrOUHtAqIapfu_g5h41Xj3d-9YlMv4PyY_o4rnCWBaO0igr7pcuprsfHSrDfam6Vh1e0D8vwDerh0KlHTBtaVmPSIMWWJizrMeFo/s640/2016_08Aug_California_017.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi35wqgiJ01M1d4Azf9bku4Y5Qssqik5GprFiNMyBvy7jws0TNoCWXdMvAhSCaHgE5u_b4viakrVV8JKtipVKqfb7RZatDScJ3t4nY2kE30wpzFC3mut5SOB8wqw1ZVr-6vUdPO-J42xHZj/s1600/2016_08Aug_California_019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi35wqgiJ01M1d4Azf9bku4Y5Qssqik5GprFiNMyBvy7jws0TNoCWXdMvAhSCaHgE5u_b4viakrVV8JKtipVKqfb7RZatDScJ3t4nY2kE30wpzFC3mut5SOB8wqw1ZVr-6vUdPO-J42xHZj/s640/2016_08Aug_California_019.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyyT2gvdJAGQ8x0RUmo3NDGNNof6NKXKL1Bpvsgrch93n09fyaKrAl_x4pmb6zUTaTWpkjMu6BDzT2hE0SUtSyhRsxPa-jVnc87P6UkYCEJC817iI55l4Qa7Kupf8p8VaWHScGVUwBE-Ri/s1600/2016_08Aug_California_011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyyT2gvdJAGQ8x0RUmo3NDGNNof6NKXKL1Bpvsgrch93n09fyaKrAl_x4pmb6zUTaTWpkjMu6BDzT2hE0SUtSyhRsxPa-jVnc87P6UkYCEJC817iI55l4Qa7Kupf8p8VaWHScGVUwBE-Ri/s640/2016_08Aug_California_011.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhft_-CF1kIj6w3nzj3f7SpVtn52N1cVk8ukHaSF2cXGmubS4xCd5jSaPKRh9BO9mraBv6IslnXdgXPS1cGnYrZwOo1sfl0GGhh5ZQlvdlTOiBLi9lhA2mZ_uY3rjzVPliNGYqW3rlij2eT/s1600/2016_08Aug_California_014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhft_-CF1kIj6w3nzj3f7SpVtn52N1cVk8ukHaSF2cXGmubS4xCd5jSaPKRh9BO9mraBv6IslnXdgXPS1cGnYrZwOo1sfl0GGhh5ZQlvdlTOiBLi9lhA2mZ_uY3rjzVPliNGYqW3rlij2eT/s640/2016_08Aug_California_014.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNgr1RzLsvHY9FXBlydCqQxIpxNgjNcW4R2lvjH42GozM1bGlsnh69w3SvWeoojK-151DFJOIYHYB-3nyvgg97hMqcZ8Y5UmgpDUQTd2gNF4NutXz_iWvbBqqN3ITlqHEZpT15t1q3lDS_/s1600/2016_08Aug_California_013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNgr1RzLsvHY9FXBlydCqQxIpxNgjNcW4R2lvjH42GozM1bGlsnh69w3SvWeoojK-151DFJOIYHYB-3nyvgg97hMqcZ8Y5UmgpDUQTd2gNF4NutXz_iWvbBqqN3ITlqHEZpT15t1q3lDS_/s640/2016_08Aug_California_013.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xRylgagL5JNVpwccy2fO8lI1Z85OjYYBHLiKCgUHMOsv9LQCDzZzpnFbfAo-cCcGeMow1fTfU02vzPfDcz3x3b2F-SH0enURwUUUchDYDx3CFkS2EO2jH9P-ZJPLD8SJvYjnn5Am4l73/s1600/2016_08Aug_California_026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xRylgagL5JNVpwccy2fO8lI1Z85OjYYBHLiKCgUHMOsv9LQCDzZzpnFbfAo-cCcGeMow1fTfU02vzPfDcz3x3b2F-SH0enURwUUUchDYDx3CFkS2EO2jH9P-ZJPLD8SJvYjnn5Am4l73/s640/2016_08Aug_California_026.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPal76kA7AmMsdLbip2ziNpL7CQ238TcRNz2KvxQb3tk5kCdfJhwgibKzBDHejrDrcYPst3k0jhCeobAwlZUlJMbuyDxJ-9_EVSFz6Is2SiT7qiFeb7aTOCqiOT9r9PrF4ASdiO0S6EaaW/s1600/2016_08Aug_California_034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPal76kA7AmMsdLbip2ziNpL7CQ238TcRNz2KvxQb3tk5kCdfJhwgibKzBDHejrDrcYPst3k0jhCeobAwlZUlJMbuyDxJ-9_EVSFz6Is2SiT7qiFeb7aTOCqiOT9r9PrF4ASdiO0S6EaaW/s640/2016_08Aug_California_034.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="text-align: center;"> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Someone was fishing from the boardwalk (actually lots and lots of someones) and caught a baby octopus and let us hold it.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiOf71YGPqWqd3aSkIZY3k-cFKpmO9qrGnBpW-3ePlON72BR8S_e21F-CiQu6HOyCVPzfdEQRhNsfH8sfr7SVOJTebao-q4ezshOIORULRKh6figEtSaB_5HvnVrQs6TD36apQz6q1z51K/s1600/IMG_20160807_065420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="902" height="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiOf71YGPqWqd3aSkIZY3k-cFKpmO9qrGnBpW-3ePlON72BR8S_e21F-CiQu6HOyCVPzfdEQRhNsfH8sfr7SVOJTebao-q4ezshOIORULRKh6figEtSaB_5HvnVrQs6TD36apQz6q1z51K/s640/IMG_20160807_065420.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8brK7ROj5nAfG_NfqNOrsaTYRL9PF9RrLkR8MIrANINMkDVSy2F61laH76u92bNDsjdgH2na6l1izFt88peLvkaOI3aCb9bp9Xa8QE3CmxLXW-ThrahQ-UD8BBa2pZBUyGtrRvFqtmcDq/s1600/2016_08Aug_California_051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8brK7ROj5nAfG_NfqNOrsaTYRL9PF9RrLkR8MIrANINMkDVSy2F61laH76u92bNDsjdgH2na6l1izFt88peLvkaOI3aCb9bp9Xa8QE3CmxLXW-ThrahQ-UD8BBa2pZBUyGtrRvFqtmcDq/s640/2016_08Aug_California_051.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgiUvttfhJNI-xn5g6e0b2BQDOfpT9OjbwNtDqSzv84ZfqDQ-iVROYo7BZACRhZS661anUbqAboDBcLzuB7Pak3FJZFoLyNPzQoYZRdyb4_UDWxBVti87qkysyUD9fH2iXMFLdEs-FXZQy/s1600/2016_08Aug_California_056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgiUvttfhJNI-xn5g6e0b2BQDOfpT9OjbwNtDqSzv84ZfqDQ-iVROYo7BZACRhZS661anUbqAboDBcLzuB7Pak3FJZFoLyNPzQoYZRdyb4_UDWxBVti87qkysyUD9fH2iXMFLdEs-FXZQy/s640/2016_08Aug_California_056.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="text-align: center;"> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Clever cropping makes it look like we were the only ones here. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8CSmtkGanBSnRETAPgJKDBkTaW6CBr4N92i6ZXAfUahZ3TrRvK5gOL4eP9J-97f_w5-SqJcA97fAu-WyBglIdftmBjYZWtlul2ruivuZN0VwZZbjrybOPnDyVEIMega2huQmDL5IJ3zW/s1600/2016_08Aug_California_063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8CSmtkGanBSnRETAPgJKDBkTaW6CBr4N92i6ZXAfUahZ3TrRvK5gOL4eP9J-97f_w5-SqJcA97fAu-WyBglIdftmBjYZWtlul2ruivuZN0VwZZbjrybOPnDyVEIMega2huQmDL5IJ3zW/s640/2016_08Aug_California_063.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggll_WCZVZd4KhTt6gAbjK5KE7lcpIioZ4zfIztZFSJRJspUCLbQuH55eLrKvN3ucxOijKsfCHaZ5OCuTDttOi0vFKb4eO_FYoLmq4fAHZ2lXJ0tCV8q_c13BweJltGy5eX1a2Jeq15W6X/s1600/2016_08Aug_California_067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggll_WCZVZd4KhTt6gAbjK5KE7lcpIioZ4zfIztZFSJRJspUCLbQuH55eLrKvN3ucxOijKsfCHaZ5OCuTDttOi0vFKb4eO_FYoLmq4fAHZ2lXJ0tCV8q_c13BweJltGy5eX1a2Jeq15W6X/s640/2016_08Aug_California_067.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpFepGvh6HMvpH7zQJdq43quQLVfAfcGdGVtsfMA2EBKpfWtvoL-yjESg_BZeGznm7XBOJHV3HMfJXn-QCiW6EyNL0SfTdueQuquuxRXr9J0iIExi3sma2TvAOpTZOA3GuuFAV1CIBe-lY/s1600/2016_08Aug_California_073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpFepGvh6HMvpH7zQJdq43quQLVfAfcGdGVtsfMA2EBKpfWtvoL-yjESg_BZeGznm7XBOJHV3HMfJXn-QCiW6EyNL0SfTdueQuquuxRXr9J0iIExi3sma2TvAOpTZOA3GuuFAV1CIBe-lY/s640/2016_08Aug_California_073.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqddx-tPX3s4jJ7CjyBKbVbIMLs0JJaML17qSEssr1IqL_Ybjmxj8EQzeabb8wwHTs07CcrwIWMPkGikAlUtzVwBu5f64zV8imW2QRjeIscKQ1dyEQVh0XhkA-7pdHOZqiKZUknNWk7Tw/s1600/20160806_145942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqddx-tPX3s4jJ7CjyBKbVbIMLs0JJaML17qSEssr1IqL_Ybjmxj8EQzeabb8wwHTs07CcrwIWMPkGikAlUtzVwBu5f64zV8imW2QRjeIscKQ1dyEQVh0XhkA-7pdHOZqiKZUknNWk7Tw/s640/20160806_145942.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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We weren't.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUye9TvuUtYhIpxsZVPIoLQgjf9pGceFcR5-9Z0t8Vby2_5_FKjrIYEyLs1RJBpAgsmrJE19DOS1Z_xazK6FvmLv1LM8CFHWgtWikBcbOEYd23fSIHkfdRypwr9uT3oiT3SJqhN4FE1Cz/s1600/2016_08Aug_California_058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUye9TvuUtYhIpxsZVPIoLQgjf9pGceFcR5-9Z0t8Vby2_5_FKjrIYEyLs1RJBpAgsmrJE19DOS1Z_xazK6FvmLv1LM8CFHWgtWikBcbOEYd23fSIHkfdRypwr9uT3oiT3SJqhN4FE1Cz/s640/2016_08Aug_California_058.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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But despite the insane crowds (and the boardwalk was like wall-to-wall people crowded) it was beautiful.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4nOjEdK6bvBqoLAzQN9iLWYCKpizcDPEI83UYd7FGJUzJB5Rxb0Tbht2L3B4ED5Ocy9Ueo-XdwB7LY6YCKvUI1MEja-f2iOUNh4zktj2lTaZHSaOrYYJy_YEqG0ZV9YmXRdVXZBDVfbIf/s1600/2016_08Aug_California_075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4nOjEdK6bvBqoLAzQN9iLWYCKpizcDPEI83UYd7FGJUzJB5Rxb0Tbht2L3B4ED5Ocy9Ueo-XdwB7LY6YCKvUI1MEja-f2iOUNh4zktj2lTaZHSaOrYYJy_YEqG0ZV9YmXRdVXZBDVfbIf/s640/2016_08Aug_California_075.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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See? INSANE crowds. Like crowds don't generally bother me too much but even I was like, "OMG we need to leave this place."<br />
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But not before we got ice cream, of course.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgViILSauZNKQ9sDTU6gGbgEaC93p-MRwlnnA_FiVKZTlAbRR6wf4KA7P3p9hTixogjJJ8meDeXWD7vGi_kIat3LU8Z3fSvJJ391Aa3A-Qoo7JKCz24PAydrPNuzK-j_aODdU_vqUMsLMsD/s1600/2016_08Aug_California_108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgViILSauZNKQ9sDTU6gGbgEaC93p-MRwlnnA_FiVKZTlAbRR6wf4KA7P3p9hTixogjJJ8meDeXWD7vGi_kIat3LU8Z3fSvJJ391Aa3A-Qoo7JKCz24PAydrPNuzK-j_aODdU_vqUMsLMsD/s400/2016_08Aug_California_108.jpg" width="266" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMDiVRhb5vz1jX50aUPr4XoF7pkmRLOUsYSOe15V2BWyyT1XjY5dmq9vm_5Tf4pMTrGnMFNuXz-NIszzmD_lvvK_dUmKOPQOjBQYPuU3my_DefBzWvQyLpSDJ0xDfMEo7_iJ06fKf7mRY/s1600/2016_08Aug_California_109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMDiVRhb5vz1jX50aUPr4XoF7pkmRLOUsYSOe15V2BWyyT1XjY5dmq9vm_5Tf4pMTrGnMFNuXz-NIszzmD_lvvK_dUmKOPQOjBQYPuU3my_DefBzWvQyLpSDJ0xDfMEo7_iJ06fKf7mRY/s400/2016_08Aug_California_109.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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Isn't my sister adorable? Wouldn't you miss her too?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5K0HYuNjZMFcYe8-nMPVPjWzOJYUXQP23wZMVyiG47qQUEeKZ2EkZ0KtpSYkZUxa2lKp5Yjvn8Sp8V61H9INwXimDO9eouMPw5qKb4o0r7mh_ULOeVCFOcS9wpiRxOGZSiI8LVRajGphg/s1600/2016_08Aug_California_112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5K0HYuNjZMFcYe8-nMPVPjWzOJYUXQP23wZMVyiG47qQUEeKZ2EkZ0KtpSYkZUxa2lKp5Yjvn8Sp8V61H9INwXimDO9eouMPw5qKb4o0r7mh_ULOeVCFOcS9wpiRxOGZSiI8LVRajGphg/s640/2016_08Aug_California_112.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Another geocache we found on the way back to the car (Carys wrapped in a towel because she didn't want to wear wet swimsuit bottoms anymore, so she stripped.)</i></div>
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We took a day to hike among the sequoia trees at Purisma reserve. Gorgeous. Like grab-me-some-sticks-I'm-building-a-cabin-and-never-leaving gorgeous.</div>
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Also full of banana slugs. I would not be exaggerating to say we saw probably close to ten million of them.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8XDlVgTGlWZ2VInMMb7KxOOg01xpgsuIPVCzxWMnn5ZSWvfo7ZAtldYz8AO5EBtPG5iUabuFp8yYzBMIhbtUnia_jsut_o1Ckr7teMzdLLuM4aVfZ5toRzYLZ_Khx3CJ4hETO0BXAvkz/s1600/2016_08Aug_California_158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8XDlVgTGlWZ2VInMMb7KxOOg01xpgsuIPVCzxWMnn5ZSWvfo7ZAtldYz8AO5EBtPG5iUabuFp8yYzBMIhbtUnia_jsut_o1Ckr7teMzdLLuM4aVfZ5toRzYLZ_Khx3CJ4hETO0BXAvkz/s400/2016_08Aug_California_158.jpg" width="266" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1vXD6SRHMitKtPSPR0utdSAt4uGDaLMnndFrG5JFkYvCy3rhx8T6WzCZc7oMURVOl0-MwDOIp74gV-KRA0zrUte1x_ht4yDLqaQJFW2PkIgMBF52Iah_qSQnNmVDN2IZ0QD-C3Dffu-eV/s1600/2016_08Aug_California_146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1vXD6SRHMitKtPSPR0utdSAt4uGDaLMnndFrG5JFkYvCy3rhx8T6WzCZc7oMURVOl0-MwDOIp74gV-KRA0zrUte1x_ht4yDLqaQJFW2PkIgMBF52Iah_qSQnNmVDN2IZ0QD-C3Dffu-eV/s400/2016_08Aug_California_146.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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Of course, no visit to the area would be complete without a walk on the Golden Gate Bridge. It was gorgeous, and at the same time far more imposing and far less imposing than I thought. I also got a little bit of vertigo walking across it. About ten feet onto the bridge, I realized we couldn't take Emmeline. She ONLY wanted to look over the edge and she could TOTALLY fall through the spaces - they weren't toddler safe in the slightest. So I had to run her back to my mom (who refused to go on due to fear of heights) while Carys, Kimberly, and I continued onward.<br />
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The area surrounding the bridge is gorgeous and there's an old military base (??? I should look this up and see what exactly it was because, you know, A YEAR LATER I don't remember).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8yOgBQZyD2FquURyVB00aPVaxKqxBT_lAZr0D03I8K0obhS3X_U7NuZoQRy5XBOCw9zy4CiQPr3QQZ-Xgy85859KyifYmo_jb8aCPRBlMk7PzHSt2gWZCBPK9Z28kmIynLd5jmhEQO0Bl/s1600/2016_08Aug_California_249.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8yOgBQZyD2FquURyVB00aPVaxKqxBT_lAZr0D03I8K0obhS3X_U7NuZoQRy5XBOCw9zy4CiQPr3QQZ-Xgy85859KyifYmo_jb8aCPRBlMk7PzHSt2gWZCBPK9Z28kmIynLd5jmhEQO0Bl/s640/2016_08Aug_California_249.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Love me a good vintage, colored door.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO7NDjjRYNdQLZDNCj-b7UOyt1Xuv2F-7Lq2eUIyhRiDSaXRyBNFnystq-RHtAD1IMZ4rpcqJMdM0uXcnis_p96wlvC4Gahg6VaPwZrenlTDhmH6Cz4BPJMoAekytKSX2EyrUikyd7WYJE/s1600/2016_08Aug_California_255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO7NDjjRYNdQLZDNCj-b7UOyt1Xuv2F-7Lq2eUIyhRiDSaXRyBNFnystq-RHtAD1IMZ4rpcqJMdM0uXcnis_p96wlvC4Gahg6VaPwZrenlTDhmH6Cz4BPJMoAekytKSX2EyrUikyd7WYJE/s640/2016_08Aug_California_255.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Gotta love a screaming kid picture</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDtjDFxH6Q7VwLMpj5hAajkWp-BQ__k0jvD6wK8lIkIHWlOqtn3pJLaVEfulJO5t4CU4ZR7Ttf-JAsnsoE6w_J781JsBnuwz3NCwFslG5FYP6MOek1XuelHo_WdhuoY9LGurR8uchgl5e2/s1600/IMG_20160807_202913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDtjDFxH6Q7VwLMpj5hAajkWp-BQ__k0jvD6wK8lIkIHWlOqtn3pJLaVEfulJO5t4CU4ZR7Ttf-JAsnsoE6w_J781JsBnuwz3NCwFslG5FYP6MOek1XuelHo_WdhuoY9LGurR8uchgl5e2/s640/IMG_20160807_202913.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9ERj6Rs5GouR2_vqGtIh7xhPh21p60e_1eWklO7zr3rmGQ52pahs5yormaJhmtsDaf9lrXGCbdNHec0pdsG771s_dO6mpTmM3dIOC9SKjYUDQNj_E6b9dCXBbWWi7YkLVIuUr1qbOkqc/s1600/2016_08Aug_California_266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9ERj6Rs5GouR2_vqGtIh7xhPh21p60e_1eWklO7zr3rmGQ52pahs5yormaJhmtsDaf9lrXGCbdNHec0pdsG771s_dO6mpTmM3dIOC9SKjYUDQNj_E6b9dCXBbWWi7YkLVIuUr1qbOkqc/s640/2016_08Aug_California_266.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4f1l_PkRlJNWrDag7AXtWGTb2dhnrTbv0pb6iIjRMIRHERXsoRboKS0S7JQFtqNwon-xyJHiE2ghbtKf-gKGMkcvJ2dpwSKSv8OG8uIbW5Ohj80KD6jiE-04OZjfF6TUZWgbTgdcM5ljT/s1600/20160807_170301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4f1l_PkRlJNWrDag7AXtWGTb2dhnrTbv0pb6iIjRMIRHERXsoRboKS0S7JQFtqNwon-xyJHiE2ghbtKf-gKGMkcvJ2dpwSKSv8OG8uIbW5Ohj80KD6jiE-04OZjfF6TUZWgbTgdcM5ljT/s640/20160807_170301.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9tJMVD65I8tYXgHlHX-7XOF1bU_YOXfRc7e37nGdhIafGOlkS8t7hDpAJZWR8jDkkdPX73e0q6jP5QR0BzR0BgGIrgepLuksoaAY4Od0pe3WBR9tRtao4rMQRb3s-B9Vjfa8Sp8u_BwYr/s1600/2016_08Aug_California_261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9tJMVD65I8tYXgHlHX-7XOF1bU_YOXfRc7e37nGdhIafGOlkS8t7hDpAJZWR8jDkkdPX73e0q6jP5QR0BzR0BgGIrgepLuksoaAY4Od0pe3WBR9tRtao4rMQRb3s-B9Vjfa8Sp8u_BwYr/s640/2016_08Aug_California_261.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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On the way back, we stopped for a picnic lunch in this gorgeous little ocean-side town, which was possibly called Half-Moon Bay if I remember right, but...again...a year later, I might be completely wrong. We ate on the rocks and watched surfers. </div>
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I've been to San Francisco once before, maybe ten years ago, but it was a very brief stay for a work convention and I was really only able to explore the part of the city within walking distance of my hotel. The guy I was with gave me a super fast, whirlwind tour of the city, so I drove by the super windy street, the piers, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Fine_Arts" target="_blank">Palace of Fine Arts</a>. And the Palace of Fine Arts has always stuck out to me as something I wanted to see again, so I was excited to check it out in detail instead of just flying by in a car. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmosMGkKwFAx_v-u2A3f29GgNVNfwPE1HnK-ra_tA8Io_14nD9xdBKiG9aPn-gbDM1t2LUUx5Xx61l6DAIPlVcETmUPIyGjN4PHgsElGCsVtFtJjJrN1F9SURWQpbUJbTGGVvRF6QtspIJ/s1600/2016_08Aug_California_292.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmosMGkKwFAx_v-u2A3f29GgNVNfwPE1HnK-ra_tA8Io_14nD9xdBKiG9aPn-gbDM1t2LUUx5Xx61l6DAIPlVcETmUPIyGjN4PHgsElGCsVtFtJjJrN1F9SURWQpbUJbTGGVvRF6QtspIJ/s640/2016_08Aug_California_292.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>There were girls getting their wedding and quinceanera pictures taken all over the place, and Carys was particularly enamored with this girl, in the "most amazing dress ever." When she noticed Carys eyeing her, she asked if she wanted to take a picture together. </i></div>
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One of the last things we did was the <a href="http://www.hhpz.org/" target="_blank">San Jose Zoo</a>, which is actually more like an amusement park + zoo combination. The girls LOVED it. If we lived in the area, we'd have a membership for sure. It was small, but packed full of activities and we spent much longer there than we'd originally anticipated. Carys discovered her love of roller coasters there (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BI3bg7Og2Z6/" target="_blank">video</a>) and has asked to go back on a roller coaster just about every day since.<br />
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We had a really great time - Chris always has the opportunity to move to the area for his work, and we've thought many times about making the move ourselves - only to pull back on the decision due to the crazy high cost of living in the area. But having visited, I have to say...it's not the worst idea in the world. And being closer to my sister would be icing on the cake. What do you say, Kimberly? Ready to have all four of us come live with you?!? </div>
Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14724675337980390322noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3576989325677664760.post-12620771411017386032017-04-25T14:58:00.000-05:002017-04-25T14:58:02.403-05:00Emmeline's Third Birthday : Candyland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Emmeline's birthday is harder than it should be. It's December 12, so I have three choices as to what to do with Christmas: 1. Wait to decorate for Christmas until after her birthday; 2. Ignore it and pretend it isn't there and decorate around it; or 3. Try to incorporate it somehow. I guess I could add number 4: have her birthday somewhere other than our home, and I actually am possibly thinking about that for her fourth birthday (OMG FOUR NO FREAKING WAYYYYYY). But for her last three birthdays, I've tried to incorporate it a bit and also just complete ignore it. </div>
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The one thing you have to know about Emmeline is that she is a sweets FIEND. She will sneak a piece of candy like a friggin' pro. She'd eat candy literally all day every day if I let her. She can have a cupcake, and then ask for "dessert" two seconds later. Hopefully she grows out of this at some point. O_o </div>
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So Candyland was an obvious theme. We have the board game and the girls like it, but the theme was MOSTLY chosen due to her candy obsession. </div>
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Almost everything was purchased from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=yoarmyli-20&keywords=candyland%20party%20decor&index=aps&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=xm2&linkId=cf0a6cfa5566bba5cb680c5c5138a6d5">Amazon</a> or <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/">Oriental Trading Company</a>. I used a lot of the pieces from our games, too. And lots and lots of cellophane wrapping and balloons.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHtlHDmENAmxBMLHAXusd50tICh_O4Mjm-NLhX_mWMSKMxeyty9npaaQwCq30ATojlNV7f2_kJeUllDcVWb9J2dXIvJ1PvO18cWGq0ec2CZRBqV4g64nNzl8RFe2Mp4uFwclrk1-Z7UelA/s1600/Emmeline3rdBday_2016_163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHtlHDmENAmxBMLHAXusd50tICh_O4Mjm-NLhX_mWMSKMxeyty9npaaQwCq30ATojlNV7f2_kJeUllDcVWb9J2dXIvJ1PvO18cWGq0ec2CZRBqV4g64nNzl8RFe2Mp4uFwclrk1-Z7UelA/s640/Emmeline3rdBday_2016_163.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Chris 3-D printed these classic game pieces at his work and I painted them. They're basically my favorite.<br />
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Floor decals were really cute (and reusable!). I wrapped a ton of balloons in cellophane to make wrapped "candies."<br />
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Lanterns wrapped in cellophane to make wrapped "candy." Things wrapped in cellophane were about 90% of the decor.<br />
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How long did I spend hot-gluing gumballs and gummy bears to this E and 3? TOO LONG.<br />
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Super simple cake made to look KIND OF like a Candyland game board. I had big plans for this, but....um....yeah. Somehow I ran out of time. I can't imagine how. It's not like I EVER wait til the last minute for anything. </div>
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LOL why did I put that lone "3" there? It looks awful. Literally I should Photoshop it out and pretend it never happend.</div>
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The candy necklaces were a big hit!<br />
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Carys picked out a Moana costume for <strike>herself</strike> Emmeline.<br />
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At the end of the party, the kids went absolutely bananas with the balloons. So next year's party will probably be "room full of balloons" themed and BOOM done.<br />
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<br />Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14724675337980390322noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3576989325677664760.post-83340672973173413062017-04-24T14:04:00.000-05:002017-06-05T02:02:30.508-05:00Carys's Fifth Birthday : Lego RainbowLet's see - it's been nine months since this birthday party, a length of time during which I could have gestated and delivered a baby, so it's probably about time to blog about it.<br />
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Carys has her birthday parties for the next few years already planned out: Moana, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Unicorn, Hatchimal (?!?! we don't even have one ?!?!), zoo, ballerina. She sometimes alternates WHEN she wants WHICH party, so it's a little touch-and-go when starting to plan a theme: yes, she wants Lego rainbow NOW but what will she want in two months?! So I have to latch onto a theme and then just hope that she doesn't change her mind, because once that box of birthday stuff starts getting filled up, that sucker is set in stone and I am not re-doing everything on the whim of a preschooler.<br />
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However, Carys LOVES Legos [side note: I know the proper term is Lego bricks but OMG I'm just going to say Legos and please don't write me angry fan mail about it] [LOL as if I have fans] and has been really into them for about two years, so once she mentioned it as a theme, I went ahead and started planning - knowing that her love of the toys probably wasn't going to go away in two months' time. I tacked on "rainbow" as part of the party since Legos by themselves are a little limited in terms of decorating possibilities (for this lazy mom, anyway).<br />
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I'm going to be REAL honest here and tell you that I don't remember where most things came from or details about the party other than what I can see in pictures. I do know almost everything was purchased off of <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/">Oriental Trading</a> or <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=yoarmyli-20&keywords=lego%20decorations&index=aps&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=xm2&linkId=effd2f6b2aaf52729381f0648b6632e6">Amazon</a> or my beloved Target Dollar Aisle (yes, that needs to be capitalized to give it the respect it deserves).<br />
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One of the things I was most excited about was this minifig photo prop. I freehand dresw it, then free-handed the letters and number and WHOOPS does that lettering ever look awful. OH WELL.<br />
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See the shirt she's wearing in this picture? I COULD NOT FIND IT ANYWHERE come party day. That's what I get for being behind in laundry, I guess.<br />
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I LOVE those forks and spoons. They're dishwasher safe so we kept all of the extras and still use them.<br />
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Dump a bunch of frozen fruit into lemonade = heaven. Hint: don't use a dispenser like this; use a pitcher. Otherwise the fruit will get stuck in the spigot and clog it.<br />
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Goodies! Lego straw cups, and a little baggie with a Lego keychain, some Target Dollar Aisle fake Lego bricks, <a href="http://amzn.to/2onqvj1">Lego minifig crayons (omg so cute)</a>, a little rainbow striped blank notebook, and I honestly don't remember what else, nor did I apparently take a picture of the contents. #fail<br />
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I covered all the doors in tablecloths and paper plates to make giant Lego pieces.<br />
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Rainbow window cling for the front door. Which we left on for MONTHS until a letter fell off and was lost forever because who doesn't need a reminder to be awesome today?<br />
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My dad created these CARYS letters and they were basically my favorite thing ever.<br />
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This rainbow tassel banner gives me life.<br />
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Rainbow popcorn, rainbow fruit skewers, rainbow suckers, rainbow skittles.</div>
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The giant cardboard Lego blocks were perfect.</div>
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We have this gorgeous printing press drawer and I have no idea what to do with it. For the party, I filled it with Legos.<br />
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So I thought I'd use white chocolate and then food coloring and make these chocolate cupcake toppers in Lego colors but HEY WHADDYA KNOW you can't use water-based food coloring with chocolate because it'll seize up. You need special chocolate candy coloring. Which I did not have and was not going to go out and search for since I was doing these the day before the party. So we ended up with just regular chocolate toppers. These <a href="http://amzn.to/2oPBDt2">molds are from Amazon</a>.<br />
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I'm pretty proud of this cake. Made using marshmallow fondant, which I discovered with Carys's third birthday and have used for everything since.<br />
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Blowing out the candles! (And how amazing is that "5" picture in the upper left??!?!? It was yellow, but I photoshopped it to be rainbow for the party.)<br />
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I don't have a lot of pictures of the kids at the party, because apparently at this age they all just run off and play independently without you.<br />
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I made EVERY SINGLE PERSON at the party take their pic inside the minifig photo prop. But I'll only humiliate my immediate family by sharing our pictures.<br />
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Hey look! The post is finished and we haven't even reached Carys's sixth birthday yet so all in all I'm going to call that a WIN. </div>
Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14724675337980390322noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3576989325677664760.post-64368888009953450202017-04-17T12:12:00.002-05:002017-04-17T15:00:17.596-05:00Life UpdatesGod, I miss blogging. I miss being able to go back and read what life was like, what the girls were doing, what stages they were at, what we did for birthdays, how we were celebrating holidays. I really blogged for myself: a journal of these oh-so-fleeting stages of the girls' childhoods and our life together. And I'm really mad at myself for letting it lapse.<br />
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<i>Easter 2017</i></div>
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I've been busy, but that shouldn't be an excuse. I'll probably never fully forgive myself for not continuing the 2x a year letters to the girls - I need to start that up again. I have such a terrible memory: Emmeline says something hilarious and I tell myself I'll write it down and then I forget and then a year has passed and I've basically forgotten how entirely hilarious she was (and still is) between the ages of two and now. I missed blogging Carys's 5th birthday and Emmeline's 3rd birthday. WHAT DID WE EVEN DO FOR THEM?!? A year plus of holidays has gone undocumented...missing Halloween posts, Christmas posts, Easter posts....(there are plenty of pictures, sure, but when do I get on the computer and look at them?! Rarely.). And I miss writing. I love to write, and I think I may have forgotten how to form intelligent, cohesive, and dare I say <i>humorous</i> sentences. Like entirely forgotten. I used to be funny and a good writer. Now I can barely pull myself together to write down a grocery list.<br />
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<i>October 2016</i></div>
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Life is so different now than it was in 2015 when I was last regularly writing. Carys is getting ready to start kindergarten this fall (deciding to wait until this year to send her is a post in and of itself). She can read and write and is the most creative, kind-hearted kid I've ever met. Emmeline's three and barely even a toddler - she's a full-on preschooler who knows letters and opposites and how to spell her name and write a (small) handful of letters and is just silly and <i>fierce</i>. And the picture of "doesn't give a fuck." We had Emmeline's third birthday a full 3.5 months ago - Candyland themed. We're planning Carys's sixth (SIX?!?!) birthday, and it will be Moana themed. Carys is in dance class and swim class and drama class. Emmeline does swim class and "messes" class, a toddler class at the Y where they paint and run around like maniacs.<br />
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<i>Emmeline, March 2017 - - - - Carys, April 2017</i></div>
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We're getting ready to go to Disney this summer - I earned a trip for myself to Disney through <a href="http://www.youaremylicorice.com/2016/01/raising-reader.html">my work with Usborne books</a> and it's been a flurry of planning and research and seriously? When I earned the trip I didn't even know what Disney WAS. Like...I knew it was a theme park. But I didn't really understand if it was rides? Shows? Characters standing around everywhere to meet? If it was just rides, what made it that much better than going to Worlds of Fun that's only two hours away and probably literally $5,000 chapter? I still am completely clueless, but I now can name about five restaurants at every park, list all of the Disney resorts, and tell you the list of all of the rides in Fantasyland in order of popularity. So I'll be a well-informed clueless first-timer.<br />
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<i>April 2017</i></div>
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We got a guinea pig (named Link) and a beta fish (named Azul, or as Emmeline calls him, <i>Blue in Spanish</i>) and we're like REALLY working on Chris to let us get a dog. The hypothetical dog is already named and the girls and I know exactly where we'll put his food and water and dog bed and whose job it will be to pick up poop and where we'll take him on walks.<br />
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<i>October 2017</i></div>
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We've done shit to the house - new chairs, painted the front door, finished other rooms. There's still a lot to do (I mean it's only been TWO YEARS what do you want from me?!) but it's coming along nicely. Mostly. We haven't touched our bedroom and it's kind of making me twitchy so maybe that will be this summer's project. <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "larish neue semibold" , "palatino" , serif; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">¯\_(ツ)_/¯<br /> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "larish neue semibold" , "palatino" , serif; letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><i>Checking out baby chicks; April 2017</i></span></div>
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We visited my mom in Dubuque and went camping. We went to the zoo and children's museum and had playdates and went on a boat and oh, my god, went to an amazing, fun family reunion to Lake of the Ozarks and dude, I CANNOT FIND MY PICTURES FROM THAT TRIP ANYWHERE and if I'd been blogging I'd at least have a record on them here. What the hell. We went to California and I DO have pics from that trip but I don't think I've edited them yet. See, I need the pressure of a blog post in order to make me edit pictures!<br />
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I might go back and blog a few of the things that I want to share: the girls' birthdays (maybe before Carys's next birthday in three months!) (goals!), Halloween, vacation, I don't know. I just know that I want to get back to this space. I want to write again and document again and share again.<br />
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<i>October 2016</i></div>
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LET'S DO THIS LARA! You got it! Go team!Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14724675337980390322noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3576989325677664760.post-33434749938567184172016-11-10T16:22:00.000-06:002017-06-26T14:09:39.950-05:00Halloween 2016 : Cleopatra and Baby BirdCarys knew what she wanted to be for Halloween early this year: after having a playdate with our neighbors, who had a Cleopatra costume, she was sold. Boom. She became incredibly interested in Ancient Egypt and wanted to learn all she could about Cleopatra and Egyptian life. Of course, it had to be THAT EXACT SAME costume, which took a bit of searching, but eventually I found it. I bought it in a size larger (the 7/8 instead of the 5/6) so that she could keep wearing it for a long time, and just hemmed it and sewed up the armholes to make it fit her.<br />
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Emmeline was also easy: we had Carys's baby bird costume from when she was 2, and I asked her if she wanted to wear it, and she said yes. Boom. Done. And I can say I hand-made her costume since, you know. I did. Even if it was two years ago.<br />
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The Halloween season started with Carys deciding she wanted to have a Halloween party for all her friends. She made an invitation on our whiteboard and set it in front of our house and was pretty devastated when no one showed up (what, you mean you need more than a whiteboard in front of a house to have a party?!?!).<br />
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So I went ahead and made her dream a reality and invited a few friends over to have a Halloween party, which was basically thrown completely by Carys. She picked out the favors, made the favor bags, decorated, decided on the activities, and made the guest list.<br />
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<i>These favor bags make me want to die they're so cute. </i></div>
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Hank is the best and often the only boy his age in a gaggle of girls.<br />
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I advised everyone to bring an old t-shirt and a pumpkin to paint.<br />
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Then we decorated masks with stickers.<br />
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And then everyone went to bed because it went way later and was more of a real party than anyone expected, including myself - except for Carys. She knew what was up.<br />
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Every Halloween season we also go to Vala's Pumpkin Patch, a HUGE basically theme park that's an area favorite. My camera died right after we walked in but I was able to get the most important pics of the day - the pictures in front of the growth chart. I have them every year for both girls and LORD HELP ME IF I DON'T GET ONE EVERY SINGLE YEAR TIL THEY ARE 18.<br />
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Their uncle and aunt (Chris's sister and husband) came over to carve pumpkins and OMG they turned out so well. </div>
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The skull was carved on the white pumpkin, and Carys picked out the design for Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas for me to carve. The wolf was my sis-in-law's.<br />
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Carys designed and (mostly) carved the bat by herself.<br />
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Then...FINALLY according to Carys...it was Halloween!<br />
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As always, we started off with a stop at both great-grandmas' houses. The girls are so incredibly lucky to have 3/4 of their great-grandparents on my side alive - in their 70's, 80's, and 90's but alive and healthy and all still living independently and dude my grandpa still golfs and he's like 91. And if I have anything to do with it, they'll have this for another decade. IT COULD HAPPEN SHUT UP.<br />
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At my mom's parents' house, we meet up with my cousin's kids every year. Mariah, the oldest, was a zombie/Monster High cheerleader and played the part for the pictures. Their son was Owlet from PJ Masks and their daughter was the cutest Yoda ever to be seen.<br />
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Grandma and Grandpa with <strike>all</strike> some of their great-grandkids (plus Mariah's friend and my cousin's wife, who had to hold little Yoda to convince her to be in the picture).<br />
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Then we went to my dad's mom's house to get our yearly "bear chair" pictures (they've had this chair ever since I can remember and there are tons of pictures of little me in it and I've already told my grandma IT COMES TO ME WHEN SHE'S GONE). However, the girls are getting so big that you can't even see the "bear" portion of the bear chair.<br />
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Then we went home for the part that both girls had been waiting for - trick-or-treating! We met up with our neighbors and everyone went as a big group (Chris stayed at our house to give out candy, and I went with the dads of the neighborhood while the moms stayed to give out candy).<br />
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As we were heading out, this group of kiddos came by and Carys was ECSTATIC to hand them candy. You can see her bending down in her patronizing "awww, you're so cute!" pose. </div>
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We stopped by our amazing neighbor's - the girls basically treat their house like a second home.<br />
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And finally made our way to meet the other kids for trick-or-treating.<br />
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These neighbors put out a claw machine every year. So amazing!<br />
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We ended the night with a group picture at our house. So grateful for such a fun, friendly, awesome neighborhood!<br />
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Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14724675337980390322noreply@blogger.com77tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3576989325677664760.post-15967835422616713752016-07-07T11:43:00.000-05:002017-04-17T12:22:39.665-05:00Letters to Carrots : Five Years Old<span style="font-family: inherit;">Just publishing this unfinished draft so I don't lose these memories/quotes. :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">February 2015</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">After learning that she shouldn't call people "fat" a few weeks earlier, we saw a woman in a period costume from the 1700s with the giant underskirts and hip things - "Mom...that lady is really.... [mimes wide hips]....but I can't say it!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Chris: "You're too big to come into our bed every night. Can yous tay in bed all night?" Carys: "No, I'm not. I'm just four and a half!" Chris: "How old do you have to be before you're too old?" Carys: "Sixteen."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">March 2015</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- "Mom, tomorrow is wacky wendesday. do you know what i'm going to do? It's so crazy I don't even want to say it." Me: "What?!?" Carys: "WEAR NO UNDERWEAR!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- After I told her I wish we were rich so I could by everything she wanted: "<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">But if we were Rich, it wouldn't be fair because not everybody would be rich. [pause] I know, we could share our money with everybody if we were rich! Then it would be fair!"</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- After I asked her to help me pick up worms from the sidewalk after rain: "Mom, I just don't feel like being a nature girl or a superhero right now, okay? I'm just taking a break from that. I'm just going to be a regular girl for maybe 4 hours because I'm 4 years old. In 4 hours maybe I'll be ready to be a nature girl superhero again. But right now I just am taking a break. Don't worry about it, it's just a little break to be a regular girl. I'll be a nature girl superhero again. So don't worry about it. I just need a break from saving the day because I save the day all the time so I need a break."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- After I said that the Pirate Festival was coming up: "OH! The blue rose mermaid! I'm so excited to see her! I'm a little excited for the belly dancers and the pirates, but mostly excited for the Blue Rose Mermaid, because I'm just SUCH a huge fan of mermaids." When I laughed and said, "Well, I'm a big fan of you!" you replied, "MOM. You can't be a fan of people. You just LOVE people. You can only be a fan of characters!"</span>Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14724675337980390322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3576989325677664760.post-14949854967295901342016-06-15T11:42:00.000-05:002017-04-17T11:43:23.259-05:00Letters to Emmeline : Two and a Half YearsJust publishing this unfinished draft so I don't lose these quotes/memories. :)<br />
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- wave to me as you nurse, stroke my face<br />
- "read this book please mommy" - first long sentence<br />
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November 2015<br />
Nightmare about something happening to Carys, couldn't go back to sleep until she checked on DeeDee kept trying to wiggle out of my arms to run out of the room<br />
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- drawing mommy fish and baby fish, mommy bird/baby bird<br />
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March 2016<br />
(in a super high pitched, quiet voice) "Little tiny baby kiss!"<br />
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May 2016<br />
I cough a hundred times a day due to allergies: "You okay, mama??" often paired iwth a hug or back pat.Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14724675337980390322noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3576989325677664760.post-2229164154443980362016-05-23T15:17:00.004-05:002016-05-23T16:25:46.841-05:00Vacation 2016 : Aruba...for my brother's wedding!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">The pictures in this post are a mix of cell phone pictures and Canon Mark II "nice" pictures. </span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Earlier this month, I went to Aruba. By myself. Let me repeat that...BY MYSELF. Well, there were other people, but no toddlers, no husband....and it was kind of amazing. I kind of also really missed them a ton and the entire time was like, "Carys would LOVE this!" or "I wish I could see Emmeline's face as she did this!" or "Chris would love to eat there!" and probably annoyed the heck out of my travelling companions, but....such is mom life, right? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We - "we" in this case being my mom, my two sisters, and I - went to Aruba for my brother's wedding. Originally the whole family was going to go, and we were going to get a local sitter during the (adults-only) wedding, but the costs started to add up, and my dad and sisters' significant others weren't able to go, so....it ended up being a girls-only trip. We were only able to go for four days, which is WAY too short...but hey. It was still four days in Aruba, right?? While it was my mom and sisters' first time, I've actually been twice before - although I can't link to it because I have no idea if/where I blogged about it. (WAIT! <a href="http://anonymousmidwestgirl.blogspot.com/2009/02/aruba.html">I found one</a>! On my very old blog! The second trip I apparently didn't blog! Because I'm a terrible blogger! But you can see pics from the <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/largirl/sets/72157613015796177">2009 trip here </a>and <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/largirl/sets/72157623840023345">2010 trip here</a>.) However, since most of our activities the previous two times focused on drinking and the beach, and I'm really old now, many of the things we did this time were brand-new to me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm going to try a slightly different format in writing about this trip, because...well. Let's be honest. I'm wordy af. So I'm going to summarize the trip with just one pic for each point, and then follow it up with a photo dump. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">WHERE WE STAYED:</span></b></h2>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.marriott.com/auabr">Renaissance Aruba Resort:</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Renaissance is located away from the main hotel clusters, in downtown Oranjestad (the biggest city) - probably one of the least beachy tourist areas of the island. Most hotels are along Eagle Beach (the "Low-Rise Hotels") or Palm Beach (the "High-Rise Hotels") and are all grouped together; this is the sole big hotel I saw outside of those two parts of the island. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Renaissance is actually two separate properties: the Marina Tower and the Ocean Suites. We stayed in the Ocean Suites. The Marina Tower is more a "city" hotel, surrounded by a high-end mall, a loud bar, and no beach access. A very urban hotel - great for people looking for more of a party-like atmosphere. The Ocean Suites tower is across the street - on the water - and has a great pool area, with two pools, as a swim-up bar, and a small beach (man-made, but still, a beach!). The rooms at the Ocean Suites are slightly larger, with a separate sitting area and sofa sleeper. While the Ocean Suites tower doesn't have as many amenities as the Marina Tower (i.e. the gym, business center, restaurant, etc. are at the Marina Tower), </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I definitely preferred the Ocean Suites over the Marina Tower, and would 100% choose it if I was traveling with kids. In fact, you'd HAVE to choose it, because the Marina Tower is adults-only. Even without kids, though, the Ocean Tower would be my preference. Larger rooms and immediate access to a better pool/beach area = win! (There is a shuttle that runs between the two towers if you're staying at the Marina and want to come over to the pool of the Ocean, or if you're at the Ocean and want to go to the business center, etc.). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The best part of the entire hotel, though, is Renaissance Island - a private island, exclusive to resort guests, with two beautiful beaches (one is adults-only and has flamingos!). You can pick up a speedboat shuttle between the two hotels and the island regularly throughout the day, and since it's exclusive to Renaissance guests, it's usually not too busy. </span></div>
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<i>View from our room, looking towards the ocean (Ocean Suites)</i></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rDjl_fKril4/VzJEeFZagrI/AAAAAAAC_6M/F39aef-dWiApe4mNpkBgLG-T9E9IavyWwCKgB/s1600/20160506_071743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rDjl_fKril4/VzJEeFZagrI/AAAAAAAC_6M/F39aef-dWiApe4mNpkBgLG-T9E9IavyWwCKgB/s640/20160506_071743.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<i>View from our room, looking towards the pool (Ocean Suites)</i></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1N2XTomYJ2k/VzJEeI7V8-I/AAAAAAAC_6M/wy8VOlIjmyEpR--qAklSsIQ_UAr_Qlg1QCKgB/s1600/20160506_071738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1N2XTomYJ2k/VzJEeI7V8-I/AAAAAAAC_6M/wy8VOlIjmyEpR--qAklSsIQ_UAr_Qlg1QCKgB/s640/20160506_071738.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">WHERE WE ATE:</span></b></h2>
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<i>Every single place we ate was delicious, because we did a lot of research before leaving so we wouldn't be stuck at an overpriced tourist trap - and I think we succeeded!</i></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://cubascookin.com/">Cuba's Cookin'</a>: </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Delicious, and within walking distance of the hotel (bonus!). Great Cuban food, great drinks, and not too expensive. Not cheap, but not super pricey, either. Live music and dancing, too! It wasn't on the water but it was in a good spot for people-watching.</span><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">At Cuba's Cookin'</span></i></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O5SDLCsDDSk/VzNJDEjyCfI/AAAAAAADAe8/8PZ8tJvn7dUi76N-4yFQXX3cTI-Dc3nfACKgB/s1600/IMG_20160505_192213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O5SDLCsDDSk/VzNJDEjyCfI/AAAAAAADAe8/8PZ8tJvn7dUi76N-4yFQXX3cTI-Dc3nfACKgB/s640/IMG_20160505_192213.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g147248-d6280847-Reviews-The_Pastechi_House-Oranjestad_Aruba.html">Pastechi House</a>:</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tiny local snack shack - super cheap and REALLY good! Pastechi are kind of like empanada - maybe exactly like them? They also have options that look like mozzarella sticks called croquettes, and bitterballs, a fried ball - many flavors are available in each, like cod, lobster, beef, chicken, cheese, samosa, etc. The cod pastechi were the best, by far. Sooooo good. Even good heated up the next day in our hotel microwave (kept in the hotel mini fridge). The service is.....lacking. Ha! We had to check on our order several times and go back for missing items. But for the price and the yum, it was totally worth it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g1158886-d2170599-Reviews-Zeerovers-Savaneta_Aruba.html">Zeerover's:</a></b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Oh. my. GOD. In the <b>BEST </b>way. So good. Amazing views; right on the water. And CHEAP! Wayyyyyy off the beaten path and totally difficult to find (just keep asking locals) (because did I mention that Aruba has virtually NO street signs? It's true.). It's about 20 minutes away from downtown where we were staying and about 30 minutes away from the main hotel districts, in Savaneta. However, make the effort because this was the best meal of the entire trip. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">There are a few one-star reviews on TripAdvisor (like 5 out of 900) from people who said it was flavorless and I can only imagine that they were missing their entire tongue because, dude. This food was VERY heavily seasoned. In a good way. In the best way. You order by weight - if you say, "Shrimp for one!" they'll hold up a bag of uncooked, fresh shrimp and ask if that's what you want. We got the shrimp and the fish of the day (I think it was mahi-mahi) and dear lord. Seriously, my mouth is watering just remembering. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Oh. And also? Make sure you have some ones. (US dollars are fine). It's cash only...which is fine...but they might take slight advantage of tourists. And honestly, I didn't even care, just be firmer than I was. Ha! It doesn't happen when you're ordering the main meal, but at the bar - my mom went up and ordered three waters and had $6 out, and magically, the total was $6! Then we saw other people order water and it was a different price. When I went to order ice cream, I - being wary from the water experience - asked how much it was before getting any money out, and he replied "$3." So I give him a $5, and.....he waved me away, saying "It's okay, we're good." It sounds awful, but...it wasn't. I don't know, I guess I just consider it part of traveling to a different country? Like a tip for the bartender? We really weren't mad at all and laughed about it. But if you ever are lucky enough go, it's something to watch for. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">The shrimp and fried plantains at Zeerover's...oh...my....goooood.</span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bs3CXjw3K_U/VztB7n_dYqI/AAAAAAADBJI/5NBPb-yigtgOZKU3mcicISUCgvRk1mLaACKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bs3CXjw3K_U/VztB7n_dYqI/AAAAAAADBJI/5NBPb-yigtgOZKU3mcicISUCgvRk1mLaACKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_037.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://thewestdeck.com/">The West Deck:</a></b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Absolutely STUNNING views; the sunset was gorgeous. Also within easy walking distance of our hotel. Delicious food - the bread basket was particularly noteworthy, and the lobster roll I had was divine. Large portions, too! I'd recommend getting appetizers and then a side or two; it's way cheaper (and what they recommend on the menu, too). </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sunset view from The West Deck</span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QLGaN-GmCaM/VzJEeDNuuzI/AAAAAAAC_2A/wCudW9wqDmkWgFDU8zhXoK8UxCxDL-eOwCKgB/s1600/20160507_182920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QLGaN-GmCaM/VzJEeDNuuzI/AAAAAAAC_2A/wCudW9wqDmkWgFDU8zhXoK8UxCxDL-eOwCKgB/s640/20160507_182920.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.iguanacantinaaruba.com/">Iguana Cantina:</a></b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I think I've eaten here more than any place else on Aruba. It was really close to the hotels I stayed at on my previous trips, and then we stopped here on the way back from our Pirate Ship cruise since it was in the same area. Definitely not within walking distance of the Renaissance Resort - it's in the high-rise hotel area. It offers good Mexican food that's decently priced. It's upstairs in a little outdoor mall area and you can get seats overlooking the plaza in the center and people watch. It's a great area to walk around before or after you eat, with lots of shops, little souvenir huts and ice cream places. (They have a sister restaurant called <a href="http://www.smokeyjoesaruba.com/">Smokey Joe's</a> a couple blocks down with great BBQ if that's more your style - we didn't eat there this time but we did last time.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.thedutchpancakehouse.com/">Dutch Pancake House:</a></b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We went here for breakfast one morning and hoooollllyyyy lord was it good. So, so filling. You could get one pancake and split it between two people, easily. I got the Nuetella fruity one...my sisters got a savory one with nuts and cheese and honey...my mom got mini-pancakes dusted with powdered sugar. And we all loved it. This was also within walking distance to the hotel, and while not ON the water, it was close enough that you could see it. Very reasonably priced, too (and not just for breakfast!).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">My nutella pancake from the Dutch Pancake House</span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BImcj04bqJ0/VzJEeHPmsTI/AAAAAAAC_2c/1bTn8Ey5PZY1woZBM3DYpcHaY0ackMonwCKgB/s1600/20160508_081615.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BImcj04bqJ0/VzJEeHPmsTI/AAAAAAAC_2c/1bTn8Ey5PZY1woZBM3DYpcHaY0ackMonwCKgB/s640/20160508_081615.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">There are a couple places that we didn't get to but that we enjoyed last time - <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g488162-d1082257-Reviews-Wacky_Wahoo_s-Noord_Aruba.html">Wacky Wahoo's</a> (reservations DEFINITELY required - odd location in a strip mall but amazing seafood, consistently ranked one of the best restaurants on the island) and <a href="http://barefootaruba.com/">Barefoot</a> (dining right on the sand...sometimes with the waves lapping at your feet....so delicious and so very expensive. HA!). There's one place that, had I been there with Chris, I would have sold my soul to check out - a chef's dining table available for just 15 people a night. And actually now that I Google it to find the name, I see there are two options for this - <a href="http://www.carteblanchearuba.com/">Carte Blanche</a> and <a href="http://2foolsandabull.com/">2 Fools and a Bull</a>. Very pricey, but I can only imagine how amazing it is. </span></div>
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<h2>
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">WHAT WE DID:</span></b></h2>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.jolly-pirates.com/">Jolly Pirate Cruise</a>: </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We did the shorter, 3-hour, afternoon excursion - you hit two snorkeling sites and one site to rope swing. Free drinks and snorkeling gear are included in the price of the ticket, and it's just such a fun time - the guys working the boat are so cheesy and funny, you'll be laughing the entire time. The snorkeling sites get kind of crowded, which sucks (because there are often one or two other tour boats there at the same time) but we were still able to enjoy it with no problem, and the boat ride was one of the trip highlights. Note: these aren't the colorful reefs that you picture when you think tropical snorkeling, but there are plenty of fish and sea urchins to be seen. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm on a boat!</span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WdXeQilQuWs/VzNJ8gQIuMI/AAAAAAADAfY/8wNHVRJMWHUsbVBh5JldGGA2gl3qKaGqACKgB/s1600/IMG_20160508_141213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WdXeQilQuWs/VzNJ8gQIuMI/AAAAAAADAfY/8wNHVRJMWHUsbVBh5JldGGA2gl3qKaGqACKgB/s640/IMG_20160508_141213.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.manchebo.com/Spa-del-Sol-Aruba.html">Massages at Spa del Sol at Manchebo Beach Resort</a>:</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Chris and I love getting massages, so we were thrilled to find this hidden gem of a spa during our first trip. We'd previously splurged to get massages on the Renaissance Private island - they have a little spa cabana at the tip of the beach with 180 degree ocean views, and it's amazing...but it's so expensive, even more than getting a massage in the regular spa at the Renaissance. Somehow, when we had extra time one day, we stumbled upon the website for Spa del Sol, and <i>wow</i>. It was SO amazing. It's completely reasonably priced, and each massage is in a private (or couple's) cabana, right on the beach, with the ocean outside the window. And the Manchebo Resort beach area is very private and quiet (especially compared to the Marriott Resort and the Marriott Vacation Club properties we'd stayed at), so it's incredibly relaxing and zen-like. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Kimber and I outside our cabana.</span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aD7qElpiAhQ/VzNJpcGxDrI/AAAAAAADAfU/tu9XejIXdJ4ic4C7kTKsSrl4h4BFXIFbACKgB/s1600/IMG_20160508_105200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aD7qElpiAhQ/VzNJpcGxDrI/AAAAAAADAfU/tu9XejIXdJ4ic4C7kTKsSrl4h4BFXIFbACKgB/s640/IMG_20160508_105200.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.ranchonotorious.com/horseback-riding-tours.html">Horseback riding with Rancho Notorious:</a></b><span style="text-align: center;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is the only place we tried horseback riding, so I can't compare it with others...but it was tons of fun and our guide, Max, was fun and cheeky. The ranch looked like something straight out of a movie set - cacti everywhere (even cacti fences!), dogs and cats running around, open-air wooden stalls. You book a specific tour, but when you arrive, it's pretty casual and you can dictate where you want to go - so if you want to see the sights listed in the tour description, be sure to let them know that. He asked if we wanted more beach or more desert, and we said beach - and it was absolutely perfect - but it meant that we missed a couple things that had been listed as part of the tour (totally our fault for not clarifying). And, of course, we saw some amazing beaches in exchange. Also note that the prices listed on the site are a little more than the first place we looked at (which was sold out) but when we actually booked a 20% off coupon was automatically applied, so it ended up being cheaper. Max even let us trot a bit and we were the only three on the ride, which was fantastic.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t6X83OS-Uoc/VzJEeIOAK9I/AAAAAAAC_3g/Ddv12YsrzsYPvTR6r1u9m2vnYcct5QumgCKgB/s1600/20160507_102707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t6X83OS-Uoc/VzJEeIOAK9I/AAAAAAAC_3g/Ddv12YsrzsYPvTR6r1u9m2vnYcct5QumgCKgB/s400/20160507_102707.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.arubanationalpark.org/main/">Arikok National Park:</a></b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This place was probably the biggest disaster of our trip, ha! But I'd still highly recommend it. We set off thinking we knew how to get there....not taking into account the total and complete lack of street signs on the island (and our shitty map didn't help the situation at all). We decided to approach it from the southeast entrance, which may have been a mistake - the northwest entrance might have been easier to find. Let me also say: Aruba is only 19 miles long by 6 miles wide, but....holy crap, does it feel bigger when you're lost. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Landscape in the park - when you're in the tourist areas it's easy to forget that Aruba is a desert island.</span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W1GvK19eMoU/VztB7n7qwBI/AAAAAAADBJI/8YlKs-hqy_sR1fJERh5t1fIfu7n486E8ACKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W1GvK19eMoU/VztB7n7qwBI/AAAAAAADBJI/8YlKs-hqy_sR1fJERh5t1fIfu7n486E8ACKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_063.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">We managed to drive around lost for over an hour in the same section of the island, despite the fact that we stopped and asked for directions at least four times. We finally found the park after a guy at a gas station gave me very specific landmark-based directions with drawings. With that, we were FINALLY able to find the entrance to the park. The funniest/worst part was that we'd been on exactly the right track and probably three minutes away from the park entrance when we <b><i>very first</i></b> thought we were on the wrong road and turned around. Because we suck. Sigh. Anyway. And this isn't a place you can take a cab - you'd never get picked up, and you'd have no way of exploring the park (it's way too big to walk). You have to rent a car or do the park as part of a tour. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The park is very bumpy and quite a bit of it is unpaved, so a 4x4 vehicle is recommended. But we didn't have one, so we just drove very slowly (our Hyundai Accent was fine). The map they give you at the park entrance (which has an $11 per person entry fee) is a better map than all of our other maps combined, so we were able to find the landmarks we were looking for within the park easily.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Unfortunately, my sister was getting carsick, and we were down over an hour of time that we'd planned for...so we only got to hit two of the landmarks, and we missed the visitor's center being open entirely. There were a lot of things we were looking forward to seeing - the natural pool, a ton of beaches and scenic areas, doing some geocaching, etc. - that we just didn't have time for. Whomp whomp. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">However, the two items that we DID manage to see were absolutely amazing and some of my best memories from the island. The first was Guadirikiri Cave, which was breathtaking. You walk through dark, small cave chambers and then suddenly in front of you is a bright, huge cavern, with all of the sunlight coming from a small hole in the ceiling. Then you go through more dark sections into a second light-filled chamber, equally beautiful. We weren't expecting this in the slightest and we all gasped. They tell you to speak in hushed voices because it's a conservation area for bats, but I think you just naturally speak quietly in total awe and reverence. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Guadirikiri Cave</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T5oFO9pMIpY/VztB7tNDmII/AAAAAAADBJI/y_XP0PmKocEEOxCgGnODXQLQbLeQq51mACKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T5oFO9pMIpY/VztB7tNDmII/AAAAAAADBJI/y_XP0PmKocEEOxCgGnODXQLQbLeQq51mACKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_056.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The second landmark we hit was another cave - Fontein Cave. While not as visually stunning as Guadirikiri Cave, it was even more fascinating. It had a rich history and contained pictographs left by Native Venezuelan Indians over 1,000 years ago (the dates are fairly certain, the "who" is less certain). They lit fires in the caves and left a thick coating of soot on the cave ceilings. Later, in the 1800s, others (Dutch) discovered the caves and carved their names into the soot, often destroying the pictographs. This practice continued up until the 1960s (I think he said) when they closed the caves to protect the history. (He also mentioned that he and many native Arubans grew up thinking that the caves were closed because they were dangerous and people were getting lost and dying - but they don't go back very far at all). In 2011 (?) they reopened the caves to the public, but now they have park rangers in the caves at all times watching the tourists. Our guide for the caves, Robert, was a total gem - full of knowledge and so excited to share it all with us. He then took us over to see the natural, freshwater spring near the cave, which is where the name of the cave came from ("fountain" cave) and talked to us for a while about the native flora and fauna of the island. Which, if you know my family, you know we found totally fascinating. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Graffiti from 1830 in Fontein Cave</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bLrhz2fqQ-c/VztB7tAQ0FI/AAAAAAADBJI/Sis0rxa9uEMMszpU6evLBZD0wdSOYZHRwCKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bLrhz2fqQ-c/VztB7tAQ0FI/AAAAAAADBJI/Sis0rxa9uEMMszpU6evLBZD0wdSOYZHRwCKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_064.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://main.arubandonkey.org/portal/">Donkey Sanctuary:</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">On the way home from the National Park, I forced my poor, carsick sister to be in the car even longer to stop by the donkey sanctuary. Aruba has wild donkeys (imported as transportation hundreds of years ago, but released into the wild and abandoned when cars became popular in the 60's). It's free with a recommended donation, and you get to walk around with and pet over 100 donkeys. They're adorable. A fun little stop! (Story! Robert from the National Park actually saw us leaving the park and stopped to say bye, asked us where we were going, then led us to the sanctuary! Such a great guy!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VSvpn-biDxo/VztB7tXO6NI/AAAAAAADBJI/_gJGwwDhoT8BlqMTOLPJcSAWRE09oKJiACKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VSvpn-biDxo/VztB7tXO6NI/AAAAAAADBJI/_gJGwwDhoT8BlqMTOLPJcSAWRE09oKJiACKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_075.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<h2>
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">OTHER STUFF:</span></b></h2>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Car Rental:</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We used <a href="https://www.sunsetaruba.com/">Sunset Car Rental</a>, and aside from being a bit late to pick Kimberly up at the airport, they were great. Clean car, really good prices, and nice. If you're not planning on exploring the island, you don't need a car - but at $39 a day (after all of the taxes and fees), it was much cheaper for us to rent a car than it would have been to take a cab around everywhere. And driving in Aruba is pretty easy - they drive on the same side of the road and signs are in English. The hardest thing is the total lack of street signs, but luckily almost everything is off of one main road that runs along the southwest side of the island from tip to tip. Do check out a guide to the street signs before you go, just so you're familiar with what they mean (as they're different an in the US, obviously). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Miscellaneous: </span></b></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Call your cell phone provider before you go to avoid huge roaming charges! </span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">It's not necessary to exchange money; everyone will accept US dollars (although you might get local currency in exchange) and most places take credit cards.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Don't forget sunscreen and reapply regularly! It's very sunny and the sun is very strong!</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">A good proportion of the population speaks English, but at least learn "hi" (<i>bon dia</i>) and "bye" (<i>ayo</i>) and "thank you" (<i>danki, or masha danki for thank you very much</i>) in the local language of Papiamento. The locals appreciate it. </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ok, now for the PICTURES!!! These, again, are a mix of "nice" Canon Mark II pics and cell phone pics. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I flew out with Jenna and we met my mom in Chicago and flew the rest of the way with her, then met Kimberly in Aruba.</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hnXExoT20eI/VzJEeIiBqoI/AAAAAAAC_6Q/jB0UyJJgmlotmaT7HvB0GYDLtQNfCsEvACKgB/s1600/20160505_070342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hnXExoT20eI/VzJEeIiBqoI/AAAAAAAC_6Q/jB0UyJJgmlotmaT7HvB0GYDLtQNfCsEvACKgB/s640/20160505_070342.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Family reunited!</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-raJoKFOoh1g/VzJEeEk7V0I/AAAAAAAC_6Q/ZcbhFfhooLc4KuDihT9b3-yYyfNELSAaACKgB/s1600/20160505_165748.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-raJoKFOoh1g/VzJEeEk7V0I/AAAAAAAC_6Q/ZcbhFfhooLc4KuDihT9b3-yYyfNELSAaACKgB/s640/20160505_165748.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">More pictures from our balcony at the Renaissance Aruba Resort (Ocean Suites).</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-saa62sQc3fQ/VztB7mXmD9I/AAAAAAADBJI/w9pu15CJOYUWv4P2SO-uASf_PlKWeRvbQCKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-saa62sQc3fQ/VztB7mXmD9I/AAAAAAADBJI/w9pu15CJOYUWv4P2SO-uASf_PlKWeRvbQCKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_001.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hwBN2v1Ndkk/VztB7uyBZEI/AAAAAAADBJI/vnOk9l25nkoLrujnv-kNHqTxwPX5Ri22wCKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hwBN2v1Ndkk/VztB7uyBZEI/AAAAAAADBJI/vnOk9l25nkoLrujnv-kNHqTxwPX5Ri22wCKgB/s400/Aruba_May_2016_002.jpg" width="268" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TgUgzhtsl44/VztB7h2-00I/AAAAAAADBJI/90oZqACNGNQJxJWZU85mR_HHeXO2pJ7CQCKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TgUgzhtsl44/VztB7h2-00I/AAAAAAADBJI/90oZqACNGNQJxJWZU85mR_HHeXO2pJ7CQCKgB/s400/Aruba_May_2016_004.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8zR-81PO_t8/VztB7uW6ODI/AAAAAAADBJI/NLL6gIQb7vkkKQ9RS8eX6z4MFJWAtSrvACKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8zR-81PO_t8/VztB7uW6ODI/AAAAAAADBJI/NLL6gIQb7vkkKQ9RS8eX6z4MFJWAtSrvACKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_003.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4Iv34XD-u-o/VztB7jP5bBI/AAAAAAADBJI/LFu73nspJHgsChzAEISXi8d_8BwblIynQCKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4Iv34XD-u-o/VztB7jP5bBI/AAAAAAADBJI/LFu73nspJHgsChzAEISXi8d_8BwblIynQCKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_080.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8sEQHb_7jbUEIrTpJhIQiXyQLHz8nIqshpYDKyZ1FWVVWQWqzpFPK3h0B2-3PVJyaM_wIuIy29dJBG2IHDWtAkJ8Pws-Tlk5rV6yf1h-VFjjxS1qfBp4nssxAZc0dSTLe7bf9FomztFPc/s1600/20160505_165803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8sEQHb_7jbUEIrTpJhIQiXyQLHz8nIqshpYDKyZ1FWVVWQWqzpFPK3h0B2-3PVJyaM_wIuIy29dJBG2IHDWtAkJ8Pws-Tlk5rV6yf1h-VFjjxS1qfBp4nssxAZc0dSTLe7bf9FomztFPc/s640/20160505_165803.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A 360 degree pic of the view from our room.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dua5pWmbNNY/VzJEeCHvbKI/AAAAAAAC_6Q/46nl1-w9YNIjJSeH40SR-YsVWuiCR7eSACKgB/s1600/20160506_071147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dua5pWmbNNY/VzJEeCHvbKI/AAAAAAAC_6Q/46nl1-w9YNIjJSeH40SR-YsVWuiCR7eSACKgB/s640/20160506_071147.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My mom and I took a walk in the morning before my sisters woke up...</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Aruba Whiptail (female)</span></i></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GRu7OslXLbk/VzJEeJcJYAI/AAAAAAAC_6Q/qQd_akTWh2UZcXg6ITm61akmPmMFOfP0QCKgB/s1600/20160505_173631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GRu7OslXLbk/VzJEeJcJYAI/AAAAAAAC_6Q/qQd_akTWh2UZcXg6ITm61akmPmMFOfP0QCKgB/s640/20160505_173631.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qLYTWjEFG2Y/VzJEeDrOfII/AAAAAAAC_6M/41F5bI7u3jQlV8Hl7J45MXhyBfOA-imLQCKgB/s1600/20160506_074144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qLYTWjEFG2Y/VzJEeDrOfII/AAAAAAAC_6M/41F5bI7u3jQlV8Hl7J45MXhyBfOA-imLQCKgB/s640/20160506_074144.jpg" width="360" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mUJ811yyMiw/VzJEeCNAOQI/AAAAAAAC_6M/9L-8NdA8PPErOCVNlp05qT3A9EcDaF7ggCKgB/s1600/20160506_074346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mUJ811yyMiw/VzJEeCNAOQI/AAAAAAAC_6M/9L-8NdA8PPErOCVNlp05qT3A9EcDaF7ggCKgB/s640/20160506_074346.jpg" width="360" /></a></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F7UpD1yVyss/VzJEeCbtZOI/AAAAAAAC_6M/dm2OLDkuPSAGVtlHiKkvm5IYUH56jr9vACKgB/s1600/20160506_075139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F7UpD1yVyss/VzJEeCbtZOI/AAAAAAAC_6M/dm2OLDkuPSAGVtlHiKkvm5IYUH56jr9vACKgB/s640/20160506_075139.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We randomly saw the shuttle boat leaving for Renaissance Island and decided, on a whim, to hop on. I'm so glad we did, because we didn't really get another chance to go over there outside of the wedding. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ofD4YrdeQOw/VzJEeJ6051I/AAAAAAAC_58/YVT9p2RBvVwoqyZ-c0qejErPM8TvIbQ-QCKgB/s1600/20160506_081727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ofD4YrdeQOw/VzJEeJ6051I/AAAAAAAC_58/YVT9p2RBvVwoqyZ-c0qejErPM8TvIbQ-QCKgB/s640/20160506_081727.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wnJzxQiwBrE/VzJEeHUitpI/AAAAAAAC_58/D2uXJN9vRkwgzVNEKY1pSQ0lC5W6pE_zQCKgB/s1600/20160506_085818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wnJzxQiwBrE/VzJEeHUitpI/AAAAAAAC_58/D2uXJN9vRkwgzVNEKY1pSQ0lC5W6pE_zQCKgB/s640/20160506_085818.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Iguana and bird tracks in the sand.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wkhmi05rTbo/VzJEeHiVPuI/AAAAAAAC_58/_leEYB7EctE-1F5TV_BstP9ykQ90zLzsgCKgB/s1600/20160506_083406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wkhmi05rTbo/VzJEeHiVPuI/AAAAAAAC_58/_leEYB7EctE-1F5TV_BstP9ykQ90zLzsgCKgB/s640/20160506_083406.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lbsFrWGj0LE/VzJEeNpowmI/AAAAAAAC_4w/Nkxjo5zLJSwVs9wfM9WE3hjo8vWMylN-ACKgB/s1600/20160506_090913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lbsFrWGj0LE/VzJEeNpowmI/AAAAAAAC_4w/Nkxjo5zLJSwVs9wfM9WE3hjo8vWMylN-ACKgB/s640/20160506_090913.jpg" width="360" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After we got back to the hotel, my mom and I picked up my sister and we went to the bird </span>sanctuary<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and did so geocaching. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>360 view from the bird sanctuary tower</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hQtU5saomp0/VzJEeOWajXI/AAAAAAAC_5o/5sczDdQhgqEx_U24TWKO6Hiw2KOKIIt3QCKgB/s1600/20160506_110459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hQtU5saomp0/VzJEeOWajXI/AAAAAAAC_5o/5sczDdQhgqEx_U24TWKO6Hiw2KOKIIt3QCKgB/s640/20160506_110459.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mQ_PO6QFwEs/VzJEeC96EwI/AAAAAAAC_6M/IZui6tZ_zyQYTd4LgXHGpUd94G8Drs8FQCKgB/s1600/20160506_114629.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mQ_PO6QFwEs/VzJEeC96EwI/AAAAAAAC_6M/IZui6tZ_zyQYTd4LgXHGpUd94G8Drs8FQCKgB/s640/20160506_114629.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OKa-C2XbZRA/VzJEeLGPZuI/AAAAAAAC_4w/LmyGZRt90NYrz5SNTyCF6XRjFS2nBSY0wCKgB/s1600/20160506_115513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OKa-C2XbZRA/VzJEeLGPZuI/AAAAAAAC_4w/LmyGZRt90NYrz5SNTyCF6XRjFS2nBSY0wCKgB/s400/20160506_115513.jpg" width="225" /></a></span><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LZO8OH8MGAI/VzJEeCL88-I/AAAAAAAC_4w/e2Nf4mmnV-8ScOyWsOeb6k1JJb-KIZugQCKgB/s1600/20160506_115715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LZO8OH8MGAI/VzJEeCL88-I/AAAAAAAC_4w/e2Nf4mmnV-8ScOyWsOeb6k1JJb-KIZugQCKgB/s400/20160506_115715.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yGAMt5XXDtE/VztB7tbzshI/AAAAAAADBJI/BGY-5nglshIHdZjTtKgJVdPyvBhw8qLOQCKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yGAMt5XXDtE/VztB7tbzshI/AAAAAAADBJI/BGY-5nglshIHdZjTtKgJVdPyvBhw8qLOQCKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_012.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YzLL56Iggbw/VztB7uMYlKI/AAAAAAADBJI/VwzVbGJprO4MbGZinLllw7BBi1Vi24nqACKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YzLL56Iggbw/VztB7uMYlKI/AAAAAAADBJI/VwzVbGJprO4MbGZinLllw7BBi1Vi24nqACKgB/s400/Aruba_May_2016_007.jpg" width="266" /></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oj7uUzdR3Kc/VztB7pdHS5I/AAAAAAADBJI/s11Nm8xPV885fgNmwZCpL-ZUy8ZOjy21wCKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oj7uUzdR3Kc/VztB7pdHS5I/AAAAAAADBJI/s11Nm8xPV885fgNmwZCpL-ZUy8ZOjy21wCKgB/s400/Aruba_May_2016_009.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CkOfuF751Pk/VztB7iJ23nI/AAAAAAADBJI/wTk56IkdItUni8gsUJETzBuJW67YJpI_wCKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CkOfuF751Pk/VztB7iJ23nI/AAAAAAADBJI/wTk56IkdItUni8gsUJETzBuJW67YJpI_wCKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_011.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VDwZ24krH5Q/VztB7hogHjI/AAAAAAADBJI/-0HLpKgsSIg-c7gGBe8SW5imgjYT2cp_gCKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VDwZ24krH5Q/VztB7hogHjI/AAAAAAADBJI/-0HLpKgsSIg-c7gGBe8SW5imgjYT2cp_gCKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_016.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We then headed back to get ready for the wedding - no public wedding pics of the couple (they were GORGEOUS! but the bride is very private), but here are some non-wedding pics from Renaissance Island that night....</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UVxd97nALuQ/VztB7t_CpmI/AAAAAAADBJI/aXbu7Xtc5Kork3JGjBwwdpFC3Z1vniwawCKgB/s1600/JaTwyWedding_2016_034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UVxd97nALuQ/VztB7t_CpmI/AAAAAAADBJI/aXbu7Xtc5Kork3JGjBwwdpFC3Z1vniwawCKgB/s640/JaTwyWedding_2016_034.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rk0TV3Lupo4/VztB7k91deI/AAAAAAADBJI/KWgKOFBtZtcVNxQLfUmZMbjoKkkgOoDcACKgB/s1600/JaTwyWedding_2016_007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rk0TV3Lupo4/VztB7k91deI/AAAAAAADBJI/KWgKOFBtZtcVNxQLfUmZMbjoKkkgOoDcACKgB/s640/JaTwyWedding_2016_007.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SjODnFUj6tg/VzJetRMfuqI/AAAAAAADABY/WIJjbLCtmoY8_XKAuaqBbu04EOuHKaOPQCKgB/s1600/JaTwyWedding_2016_032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SjODnFUj6tg/VzJetRMfuqI/AAAAAAADABY/WIJjbLCtmoY8_XKAuaqBbu04EOuHKaOPQCKgB/s640/JaTwyWedding_2016_032.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rlwABmlQp2E/VzJetXylSNI/AAAAAAADABc/XMza646drkMtla21QdCWzvSaX_nO_KzkQCKgB/s1600/JaTwyWedding_2016_007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rlwABmlQp2E/VzJetXylSNI/AAAAAAADABc/XMza646drkMtla21QdCWzvSaX_nO_KzkQCKgB/s640/JaTwyWedding_2016_007.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RTHg145BEpY/VzJetcgOydI/AAAAAAADABc/9mSK6GXB91c0ZmirYGfU2ZZk4lyLqV2EwCKgB/s1600/JaTwyWedding_2016_009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RTHg145BEpY/VzJetcgOydI/AAAAAAADABc/9mSK6GXB91c0ZmirYGfU2ZZk4lyLqV2EwCKgB/s640/JaTwyWedding_2016_009.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-efMJHd9LTdc/VzJetVo5XoI/AAAAAAADABc/yMnVZn2akeYxaCdOYtpjFWmKT1q--ospQCKgB/s1600/JaTwyWedding_2016_010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-efMJHd9LTdc/VzJetVo5XoI/AAAAAAADABc/yMnVZn2akeYxaCdOYtpjFWmKT1q--ospQCKgB/s640/JaTwyWedding_2016_010.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<i>My mom, sisters, and I at the reception.</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Tn4bTiWhQ34/VzJetUw3MTI/AAAAAAADABU/sfzRLr5vwC4g-x8JUpjeKhqQ3XGIbW6iQCKgB/s1600/JaTwyWedding_2016_062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Tn4bTiWhQ34/VzJetUw3MTI/AAAAAAADABU/sfzRLr5vwC4g-x8JUpjeKhqQ3XGIbW6iQCKgB/s640/JaTwyWedding_2016_062.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1cA9GGrJqew/VztB7pOPNvI/AAAAAAADBJI/p_UpUYjUu5gqQYPDYLtxiXKtTjojzmiKACKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1cA9GGrJqew/VztB7pOPNvI/AAAAAAADBJI/p_UpUYjUu5gqQYPDYLtxiXKtTjojzmiKACKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_030.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The next day, Kimberly and my mom and I went horseback riding while Jenna hung out at the pool.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>360 degree view of the ranch</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CaCll3lm0T8/VzJEeArGwAI/AAAAAAAC_6A/qevTn0j_BDImd6IfTPriPDpqu449hHOmgCKgB/s1600/20160507_085434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CaCll3lm0T8/VzJEeArGwAI/AAAAAAAC_6A/qevTn0j_BDImd6IfTPriPDpqu449hHOmgCKgB/s640/20160507_085434.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HpUUC-bSPYo/VzJEeHYa9zI/AAAAAAAC_6E/gkZhgGXwGx0Lqx6wqsne97sOBU3fyR54ACKgB/s1600/20160507_085459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HpUUC-bSPYo/VzJEeHYa9zI/AAAAAAAC_6E/gkZhgGXwGx0Lqx6wqsne97sOBU3fyR54ACKgB/s640/20160507_085459.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2cctSIG4EJo/VzJEeIPFa2I/AAAAAAAC_3g/09XllPwYqxAA1buXhIlKiA7X8DOj0rSWgCKgB/s1600/20160507_090924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2cctSIG4EJo/VzJEeIPFa2I/AAAAAAAC_3g/09XllPwYqxAA1buXhIlKiA7X8DOj0rSWgCKgB/s400/20160507_090924.jpg" width="225" /></a></span><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-50sOMgNQjsk/VzJEeO3zgyI/AAAAAAAC_3g/tmNKYumQAhkQcL-mVaDv5Db6il5v-P3BgCKgB/s1600/20160507_091422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-50sOMgNQjsk/VzJEeO3zgyI/AAAAAAAC_3g/tmNKYumQAhkQcL-mVaDv5Db6il5v-P3BgCKgB/s400/20160507_091422.jpg" width="225" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d4WOutVbqhs/VzJEeKU9YII/AAAAAAAC_3g/vGWpojT_D74PBBkoJ26jfbW5gyHnLSQsQCKgB/s1600/20160507_094640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d4WOutVbqhs/VzJEeKU9YII/AAAAAAAC_3g/vGWpojT_D74PBBkoJ26jfbW5gyHnLSQsQCKgB/s400/20160507_094640.jpg" width="225" /></a></span><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2wvhK_PLE4w/VzJEeFUWX-I/AAAAAAAC_3g/7_1dVfg5GzwNPbMVrH7K2V4O9AMWxtp1gCKgB/s1600/20160507_102702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2wvhK_PLE4w/VzJEeFUWX-I/AAAAAAAC_3g/7_1dVfg5GzwNPbMVrH7K2V4O9AMWxtp1gCKgB/s400/20160507_102702.jpg" width="225" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--ScyT45jseQ/VzJEeOKWmoI/AAAAAAAC_3g/tNmjU-G6TTEO4Q-5gzFZuCV6-SMxXYPmACKgB/s1600/20160507_102644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--ScyT45jseQ/VzJEeOKWmoI/AAAAAAAC_3g/tNmjU-G6TTEO4Q-5gzFZuCV6-SMxXYPmACKgB/s640/20160507_102644.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eLnIcfQZtBU/VzJEeCLwDNI/AAAAAAAC_3c/Y2mgn4VS1jYkR8vQyivj0UYRBakUF8EcQCKgB/s1600/20160507_103151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eLnIcfQZtBU/VzJEeCLwDNI/AAAAAAAC_3c/Y2mgn4VS1jYkR8vQyivj0UYRBakUF8EcQCKgB/s640/20160507_103151.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>With our guide, Max (who told us he was a bit of a shithead when he was a kid so his mom shipped him off to boarding schools in Belgium and Argentina, ha!)</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uu7SsU929nQ/VzJEeBcnzCI/AAAAAAAC_3c/urGWtGQe93IxI5J0CMu3dkCrnEJXy9RyQCKgB/s1600/20160507_103223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uu7SsU929nQ/VzJEeBcnzCI/AAAAAAAC_3c/urGWtGQe93IxI5J0CMu3dkCrnEJXy9RyQCKgB/s640/20160507_103223.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When we got back from horseback riding, we headed down to eat lunch at Zeerover's and to go to the National Park. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">More from when we were eating at Zeerover's:</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wBpTQHsUOvs/VztB7ph0ViI/AAAAAAADBJI/JDds0cdlv8UFQfFuLfwRTD7UFyARKgxxACKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wBpTQHsUOvs/VztB7ph0ViI/AAAAAAADBJI/JDds0cdlv8UFQfFuLfwRTD7UFyARKgxxACKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_033.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tTz5BKxcBgQ/VztB7tc1yEI/AAAAAAADBJI/tLOTMBh-XlEQ0IVoEqLqewgO_KoqqXkxACKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tTz5BKxcBgQ/VztB7tc1yEI/AAAAAAADBJI/tLOTMBh-XlEQ0IVoEqLqewgO_KoqqXkxACKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_038.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oGgPepsCwRo/VztB7rL1UUI/AAAAAAADBJI/ntSQA96SdmwEiDeF-1n9rzrp7eanpQgYQCKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oGgPepsCwRo/VztB7rL1UUI/AAAAAAADBJI/ntSQA96SdmwEiDeF-1n9rzrp7eanpQgYQCKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_034.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KUXQYVIsHfI/VztB7mn22YI/AAAAAAADBJI/WJAAc_-CIpwRyodNX_sgjgxUCHAzgTPbgCKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KUXQYVIsHfI/VztB7mn22YI/AAAAAAADBJI/WJAAc_-CIpwRyodNX_sgjgxUCHAzgTPbgCKgB/s400/Aruba_May_2016_035.jpg" width="266" /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nCgGUcoV754/VztB7tmTE5I/AAAAAAADBJI/WEnY5XFhTHorXTRs5wg34v8uUS2D0GBgACKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nCgGUcoV754/VztB7tmTE5I/AAAAAAADBJI/WEnY5XFhTHorXTRs5wg34v8uUS2D0GBgACKgB/s400/Aruba_May_2016_040.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">The infamous $5 ice cream. Ha!</span></i></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rdXbf1DrMm4/VztB7vFbUHI/AAAAAAADBJI/5uW9j_XtISAQQOnv7cwci2G7H9zhPE2dwCKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rdXbf1DrMm4/VztB7vFbUHI/AAAAAAADBJI/5uW9j_XtISAQQOnv7cwci2G7H9zhPE2dwCKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_036.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">On the way to finding the National Park, we accidentally stumbled upon these grottos (I wouldn't go out of my way to see them again). </span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8MwXimJYDf8/VztB7oF5V7I/AAAAAAADBJI/_p0In9Rg0KYtBTOyk_PEwezXFpKIzKx9QCKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8MwXimJYDf8/VztB7oF5V7I/AAAAAAADBJI/_p0In9Rg0KYtBTOyk_PEwezXFpKIzKx9QCKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_042.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qFcN__MLyUY/VztB7oeQ9cI/AAAAAAADBJI/BibtpixVhnwp20pkqOlwdGX6VQ_8NSbdwCKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qFcN__MLyUY/VztB7oeQ9cI/AAAAAAADBJI/BibtpixVhnwp20pkqOlwdGX6VQ_8NSbdwCKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_043.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The glorious Guadirikiri Cave...unassuming outside....</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-grfaOLdMfGY/VztB7o7zCEI/AAAAAAADBJI/HBJ5ntyb-IUR7BcXx8qtpH2uwARqUtsKACKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-grfaOLdMfGY/VztB7o7zCEI/AAAAAAADBJI/HBJ5ntyb-IUR7BcXx8qtpH2uwARqUtsKACKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_046.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Oh5Y_mCbXWQ/VztB7mNL4GI/AAAAAAADBJI/16heWhymqsIXDWqHAdRqyHXb6lDrdVP9wCKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_047.jpg" width="640" /></span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fS2hx9FPEZk/VztB7h9t95I/AAAAAAADBJI/yG8H8l_La_oFc5R1QPj1crygDUQE87HegCKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fS2hx9FPEZk/VztB7h9t95I/AAAAAAADBJI/yG8H8l_La_oFc5R1QPj1crygDUQE87HegCKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_048.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtIZ2KCIGkszep7NNUOfOnEssokz3iSK29tF8S0R9LUA_Ai3bQcwwFP0a5HGc2IC-06RsWqVszoh-R1AFdWUwGcVI1CVm3uc6Y_SCHyf-YqRYHmUPALbP4SSf5V9cx3BSmMB7n2obZLQfv/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtIZ2KCIGkszep7NNUOfOnEssokz3iSK29tF8S0R9LUA_Ai3bQcwwFP0a5HGc2IC-06RsWqVszoh-R1AFdWUwGcVI1CVm3uc6Y_SCHyf-YqRYHmUPALbP4SSf5V9cx3BSmMB7n2obZLQfv/s400/Aruba_May_2016_053.jpg" width="266" /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-viJvF0WGNLw/VztB7iU8eVI/AAAAAAADBJI/uapvnYm-Ju84oxZ-4X9xRKz2zdCek8KXACKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-viJvF0WGNLw/VztB7iU8eVI/AAAAAAADBJI/uapvnYm-Ju84oxZ-4X9xRKz2zdCek8KXACKgB/s400/Aruba_May_2016_054.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ADhZ1IoTJGU/VzJEeGo05CI/AAAAAAAC_3c/2pfRaZ1y3c4oZyCjUeBTdNEgVcsdR6zPgCKgB/s1600/20160507_143957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ADhZ1IoTJGU/VzJEeGo05CI/AAAAAAAC_3c/2pfRaZ1y3c4oZyCjUeBTdNEgVcsdR6zPgCKgB/s640/20160507_143957.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qYF7zrSuP1A/VzJEeMli-aI/AAAAAAAC_3c/1tmKt-fp0kUBKD_x_KuhKVgfmWZkgPhYgCKgB/s1600/20160507_144823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qYF7zrSuP1A/VzJEeMli-aI/AAAAAAAC_3c/1tmKt-fp0kUBKD_x_KuhKVgfmWZkgPhYgCKgB/s640/20160507_144823.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The second chamber...</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AKhNXmeubXA/VztB7ovtScI/AAAAAAADBJI/qkdAXWS-prs1qc4N3DdHNW_CDQsp5xolQCKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AKhNXmeubXA/VztB7ovtScI/AAAAAAADBJI/qkdAXWS-prs1qc4N3DdHNW_CDQsp5xolQCKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_049.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p-QbZdQmfQY/VztB7u8IsEI/AAAAAAADBJI/zrwuM0vaJhkVRccNRLb8I2f5H1_uE3xngCKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p-QbZdQmfQY/VztB7u8IsEI/AAAAAAADBJI/zrwuM0vaJhkVRccNRLb8I2f5H1_uE3xngCKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_050.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GlPs2FAWegk/VztB7mlQ4LI/AAAAAAADBJI/u-JCYZSmpxsWUYTSDJJIwPUtgWD4K-gMQCKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GlPs2FAWegk/VztB7mlQ4LI/AAAAAAADBJI/u-JCYZSmpxsWUYTSDJJIwPUtgWD4K-gMQCKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_060.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Goats in the park! Not wild; they belong to someone who just lets them graze in the park.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SrV_JY1reAM/VztB7qbb3NI/AAAAAAADBJI/_xVwphf3M00j8SPQGBIMHROZduwLWuNgACKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SrV_JY1reAM/VztB7qbb3NI/AAAAAAADBJI/_xVwphf3M00j8SPQGBIMHROZduwLWuNgACKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_061.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The pictographs in Fontein Cave...</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XwcIwcRPRMg/VztB7sXLhxI/AAAAAAADBJI/m4A7zl6wlawJF_BD0lUCG7J-aK9xHJ6ngCKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XwcIwcRPRMg/VztB7sXLhxI/AAAAAAADBJI/m4A7zl6wlawJF_BD0lUCG7J-aK9xHJ6ngCKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_070.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ktq1sNB1Kf8/VztB7g-gKdI/AAAAAAADBJI/k7x07xntXDcqhuFyQtY2eRsrk3EM5Hk0gCKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ktq1sNB1Kf8/VztB7g-gKdI/AAAAAAADBJI/k7x07xntXDcqhuFyQtY2eRsrk3EM5Hk0gCKgB/s400/Aruba_May_2016_069.jpg" width="266" /></a> <a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HK8_8yBKjXI/VztB7nz67PI/AAAAAAADBJI/KpnHdFAaeZULFs5xew4if8rY0d6awcPRwCKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HK8_8yBKjXI/VztB7nz67PI/AAAAAAADBJI/KpnHdFAaeZULFs5xew4if8rY0d6awcPRwCKgB/s400/Aruba_May_2016_065.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xkPOcWsBQpU/VztB7tY2f5I/AAAAAAADBJI/kPTEVHxKs-wkKiY5p1xihqxXP-xyTetpACKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xkPOcWsBQpU/VztB7tY2f5I/AAAAAAADBJI/kPTEVHxKs-wkKiY5p1xihqxXP-xyTetpACKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_067.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HlvBKUPN3lQ/VztB7v-kT8I/AAAAAAADBJI/8gan_yaAq9UzxHMXIl-PdVSjSmhtGyCYACKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HlvBKUPN3lQ/VztB7v-kT8I/AAAAAAADBJI/8gan_yaAq9UzxHMXIl-PdVSjSmhtGyCYACKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_071.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The natural spring outside Fontein Cave...</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vFCbQ0dYbqs/VztB7s3s8DI/AAAAAAADBJI/qeDhekvagVIPc2YMm0TZlna1FLAtZN_8QCKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vFCbQ0dYbqs/VztB7s3s8DI/AAAAAAADBJI/qeDhekvagVIPc2YMm0TZlna1FLAtZN_8QCKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_072.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">More of the park's landscape...</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ApK83eACZq4/VztB7qFytGI/AAAAAAADBJI/8VhSrKCfgFcodCgt9Hyy7kpBFx_-i1V0ACKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ApK83eACZq4/VztB7qFytGI/AAAAAAADBJI/8VhSrKCfgFcodCgt9Hyy7kpBFx_-i1V0ACKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_073.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HUMRV3n2cho/VztB7vleXTI/AAAAAAADBJI/2jS3khoeB14fitbFgDwjO9MsC9L5hoxfwCKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HUMRV3n2cho/VztB7vleXTI/AAAAAAADBJI/2jS3khoeB14fitbFgDwjO9MsC9L5hoxfwCKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_074.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Visiting the donkeys! </span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7XYX3-PA3Ms/VztB7vNtf7I/AAAAAAADBJI/TCGPNTj3mXYn2c47B5i-3JwEk02O56f1QCKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7XYX3-PA3Ms/VztB7vNtf7I/AAAAAAADBJI/TCGPNTj3mXYn2c47B5i-3JwEk02O56f1QCKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_078.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CZ8r_TvW7ds/VztB7hpqrrI/AAAAAAADBJI/GxwzmyPhjbMVohvD-5JlkWuTjBEvn0mQwCKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CZ8r_TvW7ds/VztB7hpqrrI/AAAAAAADBJI/GxwzmyPhjbMVohvD-5JlkWuTjBEvn0mQwCKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_077.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wRu8X1zYDAA/VztB7pycdUI/AAAAAAADBJI/meA7N8u0Wm4jc2EhmYbxH9zqsI4UAxBggCKgB/s1600/Aruba_May_2016_076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wRu8X1zYDAA/VztB7pycdUI/AAAAAAADBJI/meA7N8u0Wm4jc2EhmYbxH9zqsI4UAxBggCKgB/s640/Aruba_May_2016_076.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2aLGbN-Ofqg/VzJEeFCxAuI/AAAAAAAC_0s/qTJkPTpOEYsiOVC7gRQsXz2D1V6NQ-IDACKgB/s1600/20160507_162236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2aLGbN-Ofqg/VzJEeFCxAuI/AAAAAAAC_0s/qTJkPTpOEYsiOVC7gRQsXz2D1V6NQ-IDACKgB/s640/20160507_162236.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We ate at The West Deck that night - one more picture of the beautiful sunset - </span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wqlgZSWkzAY/VzJEeOi_QsI/AAAAAAAC_1w/sSWxn2rU3TkbcprPCY7wymGi9Jn4xTOSACKgB/s1600/20160507_182726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wqlgZSWkzAY/VzJEeOi_QsI/AAAAAAAC_1w/sSWxn2rU3TkbcprPCY7wymGi9Jn4xTOSACKgB/s640/20160507_182726.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The next morning, we had our spa appointments at </span>Spa del Sol at Manchebo Beach Resort<span style="font-family: inherit;">...they were as wonderful as I was anticipating. So relaxing; I could have stayed for hours and hours.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After the spa, we grabbed lunch (I think we just ate leftovers, EXCITING!) and headed out to the Jolly Pirate cruise. We thought since we were booking it on a Sunday that it might be less crowded than it would have been on a different day, but....no. It was really busy and crowded (though that didn't affect our enjoyment at all). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>You take a little speedboat from the dock to the ship (since the water isn't deep enough to bring the ship to the dock) - it was PACKED. </i></span></div>
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That night, we ate at Iguana Cantina and then went home early the next morning. The trip was entirely too short and we didn't get to fit in half of what we wanted to do - but it was still an amazing time and even better was the time spent with my mom and sisters (and, of course, the wedding!). </div>
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Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14724675337980390322noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3576989325677664760.post-30735898960420758362016-03-01T14:20:00.000-06:002016-04-01T14:55:16.614-05:00Letters to Carrots : Four and a Half Years<div style="text-align: right;">
July 8, 2015 to January 7, 2016</div>
Dear Carys,<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The first picture taken of you as a four-year-old.</i></div>
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This might be the absolute latest I've ever published a letter to you. Or your sister. Two months late. Eeep.<br />
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Four hasn't bothered me too much. Four I've been handling. Four sounds like a reasonable age for you to be. But when we start talking about turning five on your next birthday....well. Five is entirely too old. Five is ancient. Five is...FIVE. I'm not ready for FIVE yet. It's too soon. Thank god this is just your four-and-a-half year letter and I have six months to prepare for five (except that I started writing this in January and now it's March so I only have 3.5 months to prepare myself mentally!!!).<br />
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Four-year-old Carys is a fricking delightful bundle of energy and sass and imagination. I always feel kind of silly going on and on about how special you are, because every parent thinks their kid is THE MOST SPECIAL, but hey! To me (and your dad, and your nana, and your grandpa, and your grandma, and your aunts and uncles, and your sister) you are indeed the most fantastic four-year-old ever. EVER. You have this great combination of humor and imagination with a streak of naughty, so you are constantly making me laugh out loud.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirax2GxEaqXuTgVIVB0L-xb_raOXSzJHRFKLapcIuwQDFfpub2iGSqdEWvQKQ3LwE0ff54WHMyTtTF6gndOa4qURkMg_c2e8CyhkkofELNDmF0uu2a3xzuVJN0va-EONgqXT58gjjipiw7/s1600/IMG_20150708_153143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirax2GxEaqXuTgVIVB0L-xb_raOXSzJHRFKLapcIuwQDFfpub2iGSqdEWvQKQ3LwE0ff54WHMyTtTF6gndOa4qURkMg_c2e8CyhkkofELNDmF0uu2a3xzuVJN0va-EONgqXT58gjjipiw7/s640/IMG_20150708_153143.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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You're so beautiful, Carys, with your hazel/green/gray eyes are so unique and so incredibly expressive, and your long lashes and freckles and wavy hair (I've given up on the curls, SOB...they're gone....SOB SOB SOB) and the smattering of freckles on your nose. I just want to smother you in kisses every time I glance at you. You're tall and lean, and so strong. You love to climb, you love to ride your scooter around (and are mastering the two-wheeled variety versus the three-wheeled one from last summer) and you are talking about learning to ride a regular bike.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV52NkUHRoT_SZCIevH93Nbzfr_Gv9FOpPlLEKn-Dvamdq3iP5MJRY00NjuCoXnjn7D1RKVEQW0TIbnRJARLaa-JdgJLmqJZIyPsq3Kp69F6G5YB7LabK2SM3Ns1Y7HKQF7gTrdCFE9Gj9/s1600/IMG_20150710_113130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV52NkUHRoT_SZCIevH93Nbzfr_Gv9FOpPlLEKn-Dvamdq3iP5MJRY00NjuCoXnjn7D1RKVEQW0TIbnRJARLaa-JdgJLmqJZIyPsq3Kp69F6G5YB7LabK2SM3Ns1Y7HKQF7gTrdCFE9Gj9/s640/IMG_20150710_113130.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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You're an amazing artist. You come home with sheaves of paper, each one with a different drawing - mermaids, superheros, princesses, and family portraits are the most popular, but you had a week in there when it was all Noah and the ark and rainbows, and a week when it was all pictures of the earth, a week when it was pictures of pirates - you take your school's theme that week and illustrate it over and over. And your pictures are really good, I think. And not just for a four-year-old, but really good in general. I mean, you're not like ready to open a gallery or anything, but they're good.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE14vaerT1195oj8tLXjoNkBOJ5Uqbh48uTAyxOda9oWt_hGKqh4iCB2j9-H91gbRpE3oE9mvCWo7DXuZRASPz6uEW9lzADvvMi_aRZDgepqV-hhWrh_ULVii0Hz_P2kBO16Tr2NvKzxBM/s1600/20151208_085437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE14vaerT1195oj8tLXjoNkBOJ5Uqbh48uTAyxOda9oWt_hGKqh4iCB2j9-H91gbRpE3oE9mvCWo7DXuZRASPz6uEW9lzADvvMi_aRZDgepqV-hhWrh_ULVii0Hz_P2kBO16Tr2NvKzxBM/s640/20151208_085437.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2duah5iIjEJLWEdpE8mmrjO419L76EjnFNxkzDSWEFQJO5qt6YPfXBHsM723AqxTlT0u1dsltNybJC0Hmn15hyphenhyphenVubG_xci4vbAEmDJpynnv8nDABzyFw1hAsaq4cZLd-jg2W9QKNfYu2w/s1600/IMG_20150715_155607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2duah5iIjEJLWEdpE8mmrjO419L76EjnFNxkzDSWEFQJO5qt6YPfXBHsM723AqxTlT0u1dsltNybJC0Hmn15hyphenhyphenVubG_xci4vbAEmDJpynnv8nDABzyFw1hAsaq4cZLd-jg2W9QKNfYu2w/s400/IMG_20150715_155607.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJvIBXvsiCEpuStesX5ASkXoNZicBKulS8G4wdCTiUEOddc5FO31JSs2Gi1AvYNmPmT20POKSgD6BJu6Qa3QqJH8xT-xC1wEuWCTuNduHCK9nOolzduB7Flg58DmLmBJpocDYOA7Ndfjud/s1600/IMG_20150715_155520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJvIBXvsiCEpuStesX5ASkXoNZicBKulS8G4wdCTiUEOddc5FO31JSs2Gi1AvYNmPmT20POKSgD6BJu6Qa3QqJH8xT-xC1wEuWCTuNduHCK9nOolzduB7Flg58DmLmBJpocDYOA7Ndfjud/s400/IMG_20150715_155520.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Your other obsession is Legos - you love building with them, and whenever your dad is home for a few extra minutes, you beg him to build Legos with you. The same thing happens with grandpa when we're at Nana's house - he has a huge stash of Legos and the two of you disappear into the den for hours, emerging with some fantastic creation.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWz8EKoDBCrlWWmgKXoBm53v_hMs45_Wwr7EON9hSzXfw2nRXNrN2lMyh81xM4tRRUhwSryUw0j876FkdgXscLvVNIPYzPRfKdaJxJiNtlue03cJMTdtz3x8TPKuoPc4VDcVmkjnSUzjFn/s1600/IMG_20150716_112041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWz8EKoDBCrlWWmgKXoBm53v_hMs45_Wwr7EON9hSzXfw2nRXNrN2lMyh81xM4tRRUhwSryUw0j876FkdgXscLvVNIPYzPRfKdaJxJiNtlue03cJMTdtz3x8TPKuoPc4VDcVmkjnSUzjFn/s400/IMG_20150716_112041.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUxD6DKmmj0jB9HGjer-ogqqyT9pTEVc4LcL-fF7jom_SwSt4oGC3zII7cStT4x7ovXRku0dMZV79u0E3B2ZbRuJuk3VgZw01AUQnmk_x2vvACZ4Kw8ByKaFGO85TCA04mPy_ljKf2c5D/s1600/IMG_20150708_153025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUxD6DKmmj0jB9HGjer-ogqqyT9pTEVc4LcL-fF7jom_SwSt4oGC3zII7cStT4x7ovXRku0dMZV79u0E3B2ZbRuJuk3VgZw01AUQnmk_x2vvACZ4Kw8ByKaFGO85TCA04mPy_ljKf2c5D/s400/IMG_20150708_153025.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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You LOVE to sing and act. The arts are what give you energy - you are always introducing different scenarios you want us to act out, or putting on a performance for me, or singing a made-up song about our day, or hosting elaborate scenes with your dolls. I will be shocked if you're not in drama in high school (is that still nerdy? or do cool kids do drama now?). You still love to dress up and come up with the most insanely creative outfits and costumes that you've thought through down to to the last jewel.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigT57Kh39KRXJdd8TJNtLBkcLxyoRsrSLm7odUmWFoEVW_AqWqu_gxNYGAD6gM4jXdtkRiZnkUc9tuO-vrj-BMGnhGQ1UBqCgSICGCYKZZmd9uv_VzacK0If44ZERdL9HcRsD72h15FqMu/s1600/IMG_20150716_173002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigT57Kh39KRXJdd8TJNtLBkcLxyoRsrSLm7odUmWFoEVW_AqWqu_gxNYGAD6gM4jXdtkRiZnkUc9tuO-vrj-BMGnhGQ1UBqCgSICGCYKZZmd9uv_VzacK0If44ZERdL9HcRsD72h15FqMu/s400/IMG_20150716_173002.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-NdsQBO4J4uZLoQxXbLfZO4w8sH91yxLsuYvvLpVFs1jP8YiCdutgQ0FABhoWEAVYSSSekAQ2iV4pMtsp9ywFJxDS9VRbZdriWDdUDewC_suS4QYIr1ZliZvQjxr2ITN2PMm_ngj3Xd8Z/s1600/IMG_20150716_200629.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-NdsQBO4J4uZLoQxXbLfZO4w8sH91yxLsuYvvLpVFs1jP8YiCdutgQ0FABhoWEAVYSSSekAQ2iV4pMtsp9ywFJxDS9VRbZdriWDdUDewC_suS4QYIr1ZliZvQjxr2ITN2PMm_ngj3Xd8Z/s400/IMG_20150716_200629.jpg" width="295" /></a></div>
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You also love animals - you ask for a dog about 100 times a day. You love rabbits and cats and birds and iguanas and spiders and horses and about any type of animal I could possibly think of. You love the zoo - but the petting zoo and visiting farms and places where you can touch and interact with animals is where you thrive.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKZtkWLt3XGA_dpgMphmAJManfY7UT1w5UqBViVS586JifdNRykh1YtcbLFgUORNI0LcfjQO89Jg6fmUsF02hNPRnBRAIkISoD9zt3zjkttZYGk83ute1Uy9TFTmIYEK2KsS8A1tLwW0uT/s1600/20150730_132012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKZtkWLt3XGA_dpgMphmAJManfY7UT1w5UqBViVS586JifdNRykh1YtcbLFgUORNI0LcfjQO89Jg6fmUsF02hNPRnBRAIkISoD9zt3zjkttZYGk83ute1Uy9TFTmIYEK2KsS8A1tLwW0uT/s640/20150730_132012.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOf4zafQ43Q6ejf9-8Vwwvp8yn1CR-G-oiT3ONxCJYrjUGih6tDXTGSbmuI0QZZkjDdb5eiZFndv8UgRGT8mcwIxGZqaA1xkBS8N2CwWWm5UdKVxFAS-oz0jrSChP8LjcOFmQ4_JNRvB0z/s1600/20150806_155326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOf4zafQ43Q6ejf9-8Vwwvp8yn1CR-G-oiT3ONxCJYrjUGih6tDXTGSbmuI0QZZkjDdb5eiZFndv8UgRGT8mcwIxGZqaA1xkBS8N2CwWWm5UdKVxFAS-oz0jrSChP8LjcOFmQ4_JNRvB0z/s400/20150806_155326.jpg" width="225" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNhIEG1Jx0wA09zmaPRiCeq2vGPYdUknbuOx2UnV7fhrsDf7HnC_ThK_GpuvyI1k1Kj-LmNtHfnm1oXowd1jLno5kyKQsNN_T0_OZe2gDkWJVtzjzniXTWBWHqAGcwKBq-wo1DHQtzIoCy/s1600/20150730_122946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNhIEG1Jx0wA09zmaPRiCeq2vGPYdUknbuOx2UnV7fhrsDf7HnC_ThK_GpuvyI1k1Kj-LmNtHfnm1oXowd1jLno5kyKQsNN_T0_OZe2gDkWJVtzjzniXTWBWHqAGcwKBq-wo1DHQtzIoCy/s400/20150730_122946.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>So sad because we couldn't take the bunny at the county fair home with us.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBdHvIn2BMwkEbrtQCgVaZxM9UwUvSDaIYfLSI7Iao7rNEnBwWSoB7w8CFNuapM3jVpxfaDhnGIhnJ5j0A5tZ8YVzNIAFVwO0U5BaTyvdmcqstMnBcemgTnliX_p8nZlP4KT557_cIPNIn/s1600/20150801_112742%25280%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBdHvIn2BMwkEbrtQCgVaZxM9UwUvSDaIYfLSI7Iao7rNEnBwWSoB7w8CFNuapM3jVpxfaDhnGIhnJ5j0A5tZ8YVzNIAFVwO0U5BaTyvdmcqstMnBcemgTnliX_p8nZlP4KT557_cIPNIn/s640/20150801_112742%25280%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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You're in dance class and swim class, and this summer I'm hoping to get you into t-ball or soccer or some other sport - you're pretty athletic and more coordinated than I am, so you might love it. I don't know. I WANTED to love sports when I was a kid, but I was...not good. Your dad, however, is pretty athletic and good at sports, so I hope you've inherited his genes when it comes to that.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHTEAFNdJqC9T6chO1qn6J-8hx07kXvAJh6gGT_fhPqAqI5rg-jczZyApSwTS59Dr046qaYVV35HNaZigE0VdcR4d4rJBF1DaMFPnSysTHaE_EXXFChM5rLg9kUc2kD3LZcddFQJ9p4cFm/s1600/IMG_20150717_195520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHTEAFNdJqC9T6chO1qn6J-8hx07kXvAJh6gGT_fhPqAqI5rg-jczZyApSwTS59Dr046qaYVV35HNaZigE0VdcR4d4rJBF1DaMFPnSysTHaE_EXXFChM5rLg9kUc2kD3LZcddFQJ9p4cFm/s400/IMG_20150717_195520.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK97zYRlUnIw_F1Hkt8JJzQaJFClcNiOMwR3hocrLoInmClptYuaQ268_36qex1j_C5ynVqU_vyg1YQ54Ph2dJwTFUIAN2vyb0OvMq1KPSE2m0COVrqADvZcKO6-HBgFfYYo1MoaRT3XkS/s1600/IMG_20150717_195450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK97zYRlUnIw_F1Hkt8JJzQaJFClcNiOMwR3hocrLoInmClptYuaQ268_36qex1j_C5ynVqU_vyg1YQ54Ph2dJwTFUIAN2vyb0OvMq1KPSE2m0COVrqADvZcKO6-HBgFfYYo1MoaRT3XkS/s400/IMG_20150717_195450.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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You're so hungry to learn - you devour books, you want to learn to read (and are just starting to sound out words), and you always want to know how and why. You love going to museums and touring historic homes and are always asking me to look up answers on the computer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL5DsoZQEo_ZosRIv-r16I4WyUe4jAA9f9mL6j2cm9ChdWCipRlGbCY7qmDddi2aSnrev573HaUvnRiA5yM9gGWMp_y98xguTwu9QNXZb1L3S1brh9Vrko20ch4mDK-eyXT_3ttLuTzvtW/s1600/IMG_20150718_151058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL5DsoZQEo_ZosRIv-r16I4WyUe4jAA9f9mL6j2cm9ChdWCipRlGbCY7qmDddi2aSnrev573HaUvnRiA5yM9gGWMp_y98xguTwu9QNXZb1L3S1brh9Vrko20ch4mDK-eyXT_3ttLuTzvtW/s400/IMG_20150718_151058.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ZXYdb2D8J6Z9WNROfJxCXuqlWXL-lQcCMGGK_W6KjqbyG94fT3lXqopHHxJg6QJx0vGywaDqMcBXZn-2oGiBDo_hVYgSClKDjed460IfbQ6mfQ8tfAUYAUC62oxiuz0DeclEtj9-aVSE/s1600/15+-+1+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ZXYdb2D8J6Z9WNROfJxCXuqlWXL-lQcCMGGK_W6KjqbyG94fT3lXqopHHxJg6QJx0vGywaDqMcBXZn-2oGiBDo_hVYgSClKDjed460IfbQ6mfQ8tfAUYAUC62oxiuz0DeclEtj9-aVSE/s400/15+-+1+%25281%2529.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5P9nfva8ieeyIX5NW-bZS-7Rit8D1K86jzdXI1j2SblimZNkbg5lQTUe7pe3_yHdUNrNRZztucy3w1oxxZwiZSUb1cQ6B6WFRK7MvvvHp1LRleR3xGRfuUJqydLGtMyQrFUn0goWNNA5/s1600/IMG_20150720_183017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5P9nfva8ieeyIX5NW-bZS-7Rit8D1K86jzdXI1j2SblimZNkbg5lQTUe7pe3_yHdUNrNRZztucy3w1oxxZwiZSUb1cQ6B6WFRK7MvvvHp1LRleR3xGRfuUJqydLGtMyQrFUn0goWNNA5/s400/IMG_20150720_183017.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHz0hVolMK3y1KNuslb_tVbWkcoltFHs4wKbf9JxiBZkrjg6pgkqXz_kBUTztgjYOzrVKpfWYCgKdHs9JYbmsITHuWO5LUzraHeaxy3dARfSYe0IUKUvhFL33WQjTwvcrBEUEgF6odcA8u/s1600/IMG_20150719_145318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHz0hVolMK3y1KNuslb_tVbWkcoltFHs4wKbf9JxiBZkrjg6pgkqXz_kBUTztgjYOzrVKpfWYCgKdHs9JYbmsITHuWO5LUzraHeaxy3dARfSYe0IUKUvhFL33WQjTwvcrBEUEgF6odcA8u/s400/IMG_20150719_145318.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
That naughty streak, though....the last month or so you've apparently lost your listening ears because it's like anything I say is in one ear and out the other. It's so frustrating, this deliberate ignoring of requests. Because Carys, I KNOW you hear me! It's starting to get a little bit better, so hopefully it was just a brief phase. Of all of the phases we've experienced, it's been about my least favorite. It's like "OH MY GOSH, KID, CAN YOU JUST PUT YOUR SHOES ON PLEASE?"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbY3oTz3zQwq1sFUHbJuTrqgGnW8JnKKqMzANjvCWYRAGtvv4SYuGy26nFFKU6N_ZUywUCMdLW0TU8J9SX4GlEn7AX7mPgWPLBKeCXFX8rndKe-lmeoyrc4asYzkjGT_0j_zMNig5PFs_/s1600/20150722_174041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbY3oTz3zQwq1sFUHbJuTrqgGnW8JnKKqMzANjvCWYRAGtvv4SYuGy26nFFKU6N_ZUywUCMdLW0TU8J9SX4GlEn7AX7mPgWPLBKeCXFX8rndKe-lmeoyrc4asYzkjGT_0j_zMNig5PFs_/s640/20150722_174041.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Maybe related to that...PROBABLY related to that...you've really been craving individual one-on-one time and are having a hard time sharing me with Emmeline. The other day you asked, "Why do you always talk mean to me and not to Emmeline???" (see above: this was during a not listening streak when I'd asked you to clear your plate approximately 1000 times and an hour ago and it still wasn't cleared, so....yes, my voice may have gotten a little testy...but hello knife in heart and mom guilt!). And you've been asking me to put her to bed early so we can have "Mom Carys" time and any time we've got even a second of downtime you want me to hold and cuddle you. I'm trying to carve out more one-on-one time with you - it IS hard to share your mama, I know. I have also been telling you daily how special and unique you are to me, separate from Emmeline, and that seems to be comforting you, too.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGo3GnI2PLZ73DL7ElRDWWA7JlQggnoD2kiHWKgpm7wqDdDyDMGMDSzVW1iETvzUNP0mzFMfw9AiVAvMwC-_XPsc1K3tLeQQa7Y-IBn8PY4_0F6h8ZfRG9Nwy4_DrQ-XZTb3FYjFz8OynY/s1600/20150723_104351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGo3GnI2PLZ73DL7ElRDWWA7JlQggnoD2kiHWKgpm7wqDdDyDMGMDSzVW1iETvzUNP0mzFMfw9AiVAvMwC-_XPsc1K3tLeQQa7Y-IBn8PY4_0F6h8ZfRG9Nwy4_DrQ-XZTb3FYjFz8OynY/s400/20150723_104351.jpg" width="225" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjacKLEcCr9PMXB6n69fWsGX30bdQrxjt_irIRqmJxFkyk0s1LhUVkzPsPBUklIdbtHpo5vTGwqzrX-K1mSMxTi6zw1y4QU3yahgidH3Nviwhly7DR4cTwp9qiQ6ICcmnAUqXAqye6Ew1j9/s1600/20150722_181513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjacKLEcCr9PMXB6n69fWsGX30bdQrxjt_irIRqmJxFkyk0s1LhUVkzPsPBUklIdbtHpo5vTGwqzrX-K1mSMxTi6zw1y4QU3yahgidH3Nviwhly7DR4cTwp9qiQ6ICcmnAUqXAqye6Ew1j9/s400/20150722_181513.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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Even with that struggle, you are <i>such</i> a good big sister to Emmeline. Every night, you fix her bed up - place her stuffed animals just so, spread out her blanket, get her Soothing Seahorse music playing, and you sing lullabies to her for a few minutes while I get her settled. She loves listening to you "read" a book and often requests you to do it over me. I love looking in the back seat and seeing you two hold hands, or seeing her mimic and copy you - if Carys does it, you can be Emmeline will be doing it in the next ten seconds (that's a problem, sometimes, when it's something you aren't supposed to be doing!). Yesterday we were driving to school and the car was just full of Emmeline's giggles and belly laughs - all from just watching your face.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRWKg9SnXpaGwInJz7YTvARHzXIzGdFUixV93O3BSiMeM4A-3olvqkyUQrMzXMWU5NZOdC9-DJYeDtSIFKGxq2eWX5aaQetW-VgJWqPkZrm0MWxEsrG40fpgzmSL0O2kmTU-KL7s-p-Hj/s1600/2015_10Oct_Pumpkins_006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRWKg9SnXpaGwInJz7YTvARHzXIzGdFUixV93O3BSiMeM4A-3olvqkyUQrMzXMWU5NZOdC9-DJYeDtSIFKGxq2eWX5aaQetW-VgJWqPkZrm0MWxEsrG40fpgzmSL0O2kmTU-KL7s-p-Hj/s640/2015_10Oct_Pumpkins_006.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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It's such a controversial subject that I barely even want to talk about it for fear of igniting a mommy war and stressing out about it, but....kindergarten. You dang summer birthdays! Causing stress for moms since the 80s. Your birthday is in July, and the state we live in has a July cut-off for kindergarten. You make it by mere days. So we could send you and have you literally be one of the youngest in your class (if not the youngest), or we could wait and have you be one of the oldest in your class. I was the third-oldest in my grade school class, and it was fine. I liked being first to drive, and I'm kind of bossy (kind of?) so being the oldest kind of fed that. Maybe that part wasn't so good. Ha! Right now, we're leaning strongly towards waiting. I think you'd be fine if you went, and I think you'll be fine waiting. I don't think there's a right and wrong answer here. I know many people will disagree with not sending you this year, but we have our reasons, and they're good ones - for us, and they have nothing to do with helping you academically or with sports. So. Sigh. This is something I've been stressing out about for months but I'm pretty confident in our decision.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK8lNJ4SxYUVUMEfcBzkjxN8zJi-BQbcMKcxkvp66bKuHlt4UoKUSfl_F5Pq_14ofgr5YghHPTJr8jGEUVnWufV0EMY19Ze1ZpXe5iqYIqKRJ6qsMIIdqblS_-Juux9Q2R7djIh6hymev9/s1600/20150723_125924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK8lNJ4SxYUVUMEfcBzkjxN8zJi-BQbcMKcxkvp66bKuHlt4UoKUSfl_F5Pq_14ofgr5YghHPTJr8jGEUVnWufV0EMY19Ze1ZpXe5iqYIqKRJ6qsMIIdqblS_-Juux9Q2R7djIh6hymev9/s400/20150723_125924.jpg" width="225" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMXRvAHi7k_OVwRpQT6dOxWuSJvjkY8RF1HtxG34Yz58w9GYsleZP21HDMhLPQU_NdOtN9BitfVvaFn6EP2yU_1UPJVv8dXQZl7EELuqs7EETT4nDfXvxNMa27rIqiOR4yRO3ZnK-4bx9C/s1600/20150723_120809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMXRvAHi7k_OVwRpQT6dOxWuSJvjkY8RF1HtxG34Yz58w9GYsleZP21HDMhLPQU_NdOtN9BitfVvaFn6EP2yU_1UPJVv8dXQZl7EELuqs7EETT4nDfXvxNMa27rIqiOR4yRO3ZnK-4bx9C/s400/20150723_120809.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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We've been in our new house a year now (holy crap did that fly by) and you've done so well with the adjustment - you love our neighbors Bob and Cathy (who you call "Aunt Cathy," and run to visit them weekly. I feel kind of bad for them; their daughters are grown so they're out of the toddler/preschool stage and then every few days their house is invaded by this 4-year-old ball of energy. Sorry, Bob and Cathy! It probably takes you a full day to recover from the Hanlon girl invasion. Ha! We love the park a block away - while we didn't go much over the winter, we'll be picking up our park visits now that it's getting warmer again. THANK GOD. You and Emmeline both love to go with me on bike rides, riding in the bike trailer on the back, and I can't wait to hit the trail by our house this year - and maybe by the end of the summer, you'll be riding your own bike?!? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Jx9Wt80PlOxQN0qvOaTwZ5-DsGmZ96PaOKnrI2KnsQ3wLpxQEfTOdUZ-HPyoLBqQ5rYFW7tEubUOUuZI8ImJbZQERnd10Qu4UqcIr3mQ0MZMPCPisTWjxA9UI37BdUtODhGC1zxt3Ysk/s1600/20150730_112957%25280%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Jx9Wt80PlOxQN0qvOaTwZ5-DsGmZ96PaOKnrI2KnsQ3wLpxQEfTOdUZ-HPyoLBqQ5rYFW7tEubUOUuZI8ImJbZQERnd10Qu4UqcIr3mQ0MZMPCPisTWjxA9UI37BdUtODhGC1zxt3Ysk/s640/20150730_112957%25280%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And then there's my favorite part of the neighborhood - there are two other 4-year-olds a half-block down the street, and you love them and tell me that they're your best friends. You ask to play with Taylor and Elizabeth daily....multiple times a day, usually. I'm SO grateful that you have friends nearby - and more grateful that I love their moms, too. I had no idea that neighborhood friends were so important to one's mental well-being - it's not something we had at our old house. So this is new for me. WONDERFULLY new to me. Even a year later, I have to pinch myself. Sometimes I do feel a little bad for you, because they live next door to each other so they're usually already playing by the time you get down there or by the time we've noticed that they're outside, and you've mentioned that it upsets you before (last week you told me, "Mom...I wish I lived next door to Taylor and Elizabeth too so I could play with them right away...I don't like being the last one there,") or they'll tell you about going to each other's houses and you get sad you didn't go (they're not leaving you out, by the way - they're both great friends to you and their moms are wonderful about making sure you're invited every time they get together - these are days when we're not home. But it's hard for a preschooler to understand that when you're feeling left out). Sitting in their circle watching all the nearby kids scoot around on scooters or running around squealing with laughter - it was my favorite thing last summer and I can't wait to repeat it this summer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_u21fp28YwOLWp3sIkLzl1T79MHB5y6nATNvlSzbmYTge54ac_J8OZ_bUMnQTMcgUOsVa-r8w3Fr90xJAkv1u4Mo8H1AiTKDVr1-BwwRsIT4WxMAkRZgWb-4e-31vC3iCbUcdMhZ8ZFKm/s1600/20150727_200133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_u21fp28YwOLWp3sIkLzl1T79MHB5y6nATNvlSzbmYTge54ac_J8OZ_bUMnQTMcgUOsVa-r8w3Fr90xJAkv1u4Mo8H1AiTKDVr1-BwwRsIT4WxMAkRZgWb-4e-31vC3iCbUcdMhZ8ZFKm/s400/20150727_200133.jpg" width="225" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbjFx0XVhFJdDJIq28asMKtsFiLwQ2r3l_SIBS3g5BqU6YCCkXnb70Y-w4178S3xLofXKY6GEunhNkAtLT3z2zhwmb4rVSyRbj-gfKKfkXtFj9O6YhCd3xmrvNvFZ3C7EHzsOuZYfzHCky/s1600/20150727_200007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbjFx0XVhFJdDJIq28asMKtsFiLwQ2r3l_SIBS3g5BqU6YCCkXnb70Y-w4178S3xLofXKY6GEunhNkAtLT3z2zhwmb4rVSyRbj-gfKKfkXtFj9O6YhCd3xmrvNvFZ3C7EHzsOuZYfzHCky/s400/20150727_200007.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGq35UM-VyBg6vQooMb48CTgIPyeo_gV1kcmrGMMS-_j2fMAMXpwvui6d2HTUWViw2B8FBDDk5JT15GjfLLZz5LihQ2c8mgWxkDHST9qbCWfJw0vHSeFxr68CPD3-yfVNW7InTYYBsUDtr/s1600/20150729_173034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGq35UM-VyBg6vQooMb48CTgIPyeo_gV1kcmrGMMS-_j2fMAMXpwvui6d2HTUWViw2B8FBDDk5JT15GjfLLZz5LihQ2c8mgWxkDHST9qbCWfJw0vHSeFxr68CPD3-yfVNW7InTYYBsUDtr/s640/20150729_173034.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy8XXR-Duorc2cad-6uLs9Kd-FzurQbjC3ADerHftQg6Ot2s6Odr5aNtH38-lOKFLpRJM0YC0xQgQEfstfn3Cni3R0wCUzT4XzgJzvgZ-319iwogUf5uUPTFrerit7-nhh5cP2yu_rYSvG/s1600/20150807_112721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy8XXR-Duorc2cad-6uLs9Kd-FzurQbjC3ADerHftQg6Ot2s6Odr5aNtH38-lOKFLpRJM0YC0xQgQEfstfn3Cni3R0wCUzT4XzgJzvgZ-319iwogUf5uUPTFrerit7-nhh5cP2yu_rYSvG/s640/20150807_112721.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We've done so many things since July - visited our zoo many times, visited the Lincoln zoo, went to the Children's Museum, had sleepovers with Charlotte, went on a family vacation to Lake of the Ozarks, went to a state fair, watched parades, went to Dubuque, attended birthday parties, had countless play dates, obviously celebrated many holidays (Halloween! Thanksgiving! Christmas!)<br />
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You are my heart and soul and reason for living. You light up from the inside out - and you light ME up from the inside out. You cheer me up whenever I'm stressed or upset, you make me laugh exactly when I need it, and your hugs and cuddles are second to none.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpj3QtW18qH9c99sdHXoEJMv6mjTg1iowGp_8FiS7l5b8-desYmupgFoHyjhkV66inF6CZMXOqKdNJlkDECzBak0WzUJhHatn2DKthBFL3G2gFsP0g9C6_Hh5Qb4onIbZxoZGuSt0TVVrj/s1600/20150724_130728.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpj3QtW18qH9c99sdHXoEJMv6mjTg1iowGp_8FiS7l5b8-desYmupgFoHyjhkV66inF6CZMXOqKdNJlkDECzBak0WzUJhHatn2DKthBFL3G2gFsP0g9C6_Hh5Qb4onIbZxoZGuSt0TVVrj/s400/20150724_130728.jpg" width="225" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiX2lZVIQXnDBiwjz91TH-ng6fHtbhq57FPhZUFhAbpQBAx_LSInVwF1BLId-FtTHQ31fUmrxNVxnq1zsnXM301TQmqUMZ3BQgOqlEU5nwYBZGRWaQdeWQco00Vo0Mp4llJHQ48opyFVAC/s1600/20150724_130413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiX2lZVIQXnDBiwjz91TH-ng6fHtbhq57FPhZUFhAbpQBAx_LSInVwF1BLId-FtTHQ31fUmrxNVxnq1zsnXM301TQmqUMZ3BQgOqlEU5nwYBZGRWaQdeWQco00Vo0Mp4llJHQ48opyFVAC/s400/20150724_130413.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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I've been terrible about writing down your sayings and expressions that make me laugh, but I did get a few of them. I wish I could replicate your humor in writing, but so much of it comes from your delivery and voice and posture and voice that it just doesn't translate to mere words on a screen.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeiLSXGAJTr2PjXBVd6Ou4kP8rUkAfUQ85jinCpn-YQkl5oec4SLy8oo_9Sze6foH3xgQD8R5yZ9zQe7qUl9zBOl5Y1pACAAd40ssIcHPZLCXB_OIWSU54I9VwEVlnHOfPBcCe7N4sUP08/s1600/20150726_161212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeiLSXGAJTr2PjXBVd6Ou4kP8rUkAfUQ85jinCpn-YQkl5oec4SLy8oo_9Sze6foH3xgQD8R5yZ9zQe7qUl9zBOl5Y1pACAAd40ssIcHPZLCXB_OIWSU54I9VwEVlnHOfPBcCe7N4sUP08/s640/20150726_161212.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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August 2015<br />
- Piles hair on top of head while taking a bath: "Well, essentially I have short hair right now."<br />
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- "For real life?!?!?" (whenever something seems to good to be true)<br />
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- "Hey, that rhymes!" (you're so into rhyming - we love to play rhyming games in the car)<br />
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- Carys: "Mom, I just saw a couple of birds! I think there were hundreds of them!" Me: "You saw a hundred birds??" Carys: "Yes, like 10!"<br />
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- Out of nowhere: "I miss the dinosaurs. (Starts sniffing) I miss them so much. They were so cute. I think everyone is so sad they died. (Brightening) Except....I think one is hiding somewhere!!!" Me: "Oh, really? Which one?" Carys: "A tiana-saurus rex! He's hiding so no one kills him! In the woods! Let's go find him and tell him he can come out and we'll protect him!"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXQP8RrS0OaDTCRyeGKhDIRpJtRYnSaCXtq1cJCqpQdfxM6gs6P64u3ykr3iCN5Hz0wupkacLdySWSUaiOYg1aze96afkXEm5d1HSLN7RtKg1v96i27I_pVJa4pNUfSuBBK68ZQ_C8sNy/s1600/20150809_160657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXQP8RrS0OaDTCRyeGKhDIRpJtRYnSaCXtq1cJCqpQdfxM6gs6P64u3ykr3iCN5Hz0wupkacLdySWSUaiOYg1aze96afkXEm5d1HSLN7RtKg1v96i27I_pVJa4pNUfSuBBK68ZQ_C8sNy/s640/20150809_160657.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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September 2015<br />
- "Mom, I'm just...<i><b>really </b></i>into Wonder Woman right now." (When I let her know her Elsa PJs were also clean and she could wear those instead of the Wonder Woman ones)<br />
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- You've been walking Emmeline to her room in the morning and basically doing the drop off routine, complete with hug and telling her to be good.<br />
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- "I have the best idea!" (about ten times a day...followed by a hilarious/amazing idea)<br />
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- American girl doll (Which you often shorten to 'American doll') - you got an American Girl doll catalog and became obsessed. You asked for one for Christmas, and even started calling Christmas "American Girl Doll Day."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLZ5x-ZIC1CmmN6qdO0ZQZGmI42VBJ8x4q0LutfGS7Y9mY4YUIHRS8jq-vzIokjQdpEIwxCIe7NvWnMbsZG9DFsPw4uMb9dKIA7vJ8bVVyqKzu_2M3xnl7dSDs43ccqgStyAGdLIHpOu9w/s1600/20150810_130914.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLZ5x-ZIC1CmmN6qdO0ZQZGmI42VBJ8x4q0LutfGS7Y9mY4YUIHRS8jq-vzIokjQdpEIwxCIe7NvWnMbsZG9DFsPw4uMb9dKIA7vJ8bVVyqKzu_2M3xnl7dSDs43ccqgStyAGdLIHpOu9w/s640/20150810_130914.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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October 2015<br />
- After trying and failing to make noise while snapping your fingers: "Ugh, I need a snap class."<br />
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- Totally out of nowhere: "Emmeline, you can have everything that is mine. Everything. My room, my toys, and my toothbrush."<br />
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- Me: "How did you know that?" Carys: "Well, because I'm so smart."<br />
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- Me: "I love you more than ice cream." Carys, eyes huge: "WOW. I love you more than ice cream too." (pause) "We should hug each other if we love each other so much." (while hugging) "I can't even let go I love you that much." (not even a second later, she lets go) "Just kidding, I can let go."<br />
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- I jokingly asked Carys to get Emmeline dressed while I took a shower - when I came out, Emmeline was completely dressed and Carys was so proud of herself. <br />
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- After reading a book that lectured against smoking: "We should write letters to everyone that says smoking is bad and will turn your lungs black so you can't breathe and you will die and you will cough".<br />
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- "I can't brush my teeth tonight because remember when I couldn't get that makeup off? I used the toothbrush to try and scrub it off so now it's covered in makeup. But wasn't that a great idea?"<br />
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- Me: "Are you excited?" Carys: "Yes, I'm so excited! I'm 2 20 12 excited!!!"<br />
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- "I'm not cute!!! I'm a nature girl!"<br />
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- "I want to dress up like that 'Roar' girl [Katy Perry].....I know!!! [Runs and gets one of my bras] I need this!" I put it on for her, after which her face falls and she takes it off. "No, no...this is too bubbly for me."<br />
<br />
- While taking a shower with me: "Put the washing machine on me!" (referring to the shower stream)<br />
<br />
- While reading a book that mentioned butterflies, she said, "Mom, that's not a butterfly, that's a moth." And she was right!<br />
<br />
- Learning sign language at school, loves to spell things out in sign language.<br />
<br />
- "Booty....bottom...BUTT!! I have a nice butt."<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5NuvybC7LE5U3X0H4JZvf_d4VpeI5f-VSa_8W-cGFALXwMDJsaxzI_U7NIE4GBxU1C2QvYTSMDdsybsGWxB5FPITrgxjVKVKZMiDisidkMp2QcNsdL7NrViNB1gVRr_by3iNcMg73paz/s1600/20150813_183430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5NuvybC7LE5U3X0H4JZvf_d4VpeI5f-VSa_8W-cGFALXwMDJsaxzI_U7NIE4GBxU1C2QvYTSMDdsybsGWxB5FPITrgxjVKVKZMiDisidkMp2QcNsdL7NrViNB1gVRr_by3iNcMg73paz/s400/20150813_183430.jpg" width="225" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9Lg7JGV_YgS5L5DMXQOoerQbj6ci7uSGA6n559N6yAtz278sKkb6UXu3KfSvgk8CKISzoX9w2yEa7Akt_nOq1OUo66VHc349kuiH0Mq25d3dt0oo_lY5-jNONW-WKfq4P7O1vy9U-F6o/s1600/20150811_185053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9Lg7JGV_YgS5L5DMXQOoerQbj6ci7uSGA6n559N6yAtz278sKkb6UXu3KfSvgk8CKISzoX9w2yEa7Akt_nOq1OUo66VHc349kuiH0Mq25d3dt0oo_lY5-jNONW-WKfq4P7O1vy9U-F6o/s400/20150811_185053.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<br />
<br />
November 2015<br />
- As we're driving home...<br />
Chris: "Hey, there's an ice cream store!"<br />
Carys: "ICE CREAM?!? Can we go??"<br />
Me: "No, I'm sorry. Not tonight. We just had pumpkin pie and we need to get home and go to bed."<br />
Carys, starts crying: "Dad, you should never have said it! Why did you say it? Next time, just spell it so I don't hear!" <br />
<br />
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<br />
- You were hiding a little pouch in your pocket and behind your back....I asked to look inside (because you were acting kind of sneaky), and you answered, "NO! MOM! Don't look in there!! It's your birthday present!!" I suspected you might have something you're not supposed to, so I peeked inside (last time it was my makeup). But it was just hair things, all good, so I said, "Ok, I didn't look, I didn't see my present. I'm just closing it." You started crying and yelling: "You DID look! You just lied to me! Moms shouldn't LIE!" (We can talk about how guilty I felt after that later.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZ_0X9Q3qf5hDaG7LWcNWtFt8H1Vi8uEezUOYYpxROQZ8CuLF7w0c84nWBUkbu71R2q4n6i6dLIeSVWMBGm5QFDzoBBSXLfFTPQ24KReU5zkPRXGsFaK3LeStea6I8DNcUtQwhR7iGFks/s1600/20150815_123029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZ_0X9Q3qf5hDaG7LWcNWtFt8H1Vi8uEezUOYYpxROQZ8CuLF7w0c84nWBUkbu71R2q4n6i6dLIeSVWMBGm5QFDzoBBSXLfFTPQ24KReU5zkPRXGsFaK3LeStea6I8DNcUtQwhR7iGFks/s400/20150815_123029.jpg" width="225" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrGZu3czq6ZIapdZtLFLoH4p8gU3qfIh0xzJp3cNlna54joQJcqaRqYTvEs45O1gMPI9ecR_elF8JvC1LhyiVrMFqfYNRar0DzGAEu-1Eho2QIfM2_GEwXEb5gHCDig-kSkbs7ijL1SGnK/s1600/20150808_083729%257E2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrGZu3czq6ZIapdZtLFLoH4p8gU3qfIh0xzJp3cNlna54joQJcqaRqYTvEs45O1gMPI9ecR_elF8JvC1LhyiVrMFqfYNRar0DzGAEu-1Eho2QIfM2_GEwXEb5gHCDig-kSkbs7ijL1SGnK/s400/20150808_083729%257E2.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
<br />
December 2016<br />
- After trying something and getting frustrated: "Ugh, I don't know how to do this, I'm just a child!"<br />
<br />
- After a quiet car ride and out of nowhere...speaks up nearly in tears "Mom...I just wish I had magic and powers."<br />
<br />
- Emmeline put her own bowl away in the sink: "I guess you ARE big, Emmeline!"<br />
<br />
<br />
January 2016<br />
- While watching a movie with a baby in it: "Mom, when I grow up I'm going to have a baby just like that." Me: "How about you have TEN babies?" Carys: Mom, I said ONE baby. You get what you get and you don't throw a fit."<br />
<br />
- "Charlie [a boy at school] just is mean to everyone all day, but when his mom comes, we're saved!" (SOB. I talked to her teacher about it.)<br />
<br />
- "Wilson [a boy at school] is really nice, mom. Next time it's a special day when you get to go to school with me, you **have ** to meet him!"<br />
<br />
- You came out of the bathroom, where we have an automatic light, in shock with eyes wide with amazement..."Mom, I really have the light magic in real life. I just touched the wall and the light came on ALL BY ITSELF. [long pause, almost to herself] I can't believe I really have magic!!!!"<br />
<br />
- After smelling something that smelled like wood burning while we were on a walk: "Mom, what is that? Wait, I'm going to give you a three choices of what it is: one, a campfire; two, a car; and I don't even want to say three because you won't like this one. Three, [whispers dramatically] <i>someone smoking.</i>"<br />
<br />
- Me: "Aww, Carys...look how little you were in this picture. Time is going so fast!" Carys: "I know...but don't worry. You'll always be my mommy. because remember how Barack Obama has two daughters and they grew up but they're still a family? That will be us."<br />
<br />
- "Mom, I'd like you to meet my baby, Assie." Me: "What did you say?" Carys: "My baby, Assie" (I was dying.)<br />
<br />
- We took her friend (Charlotte) to a hockey game, and as we were driving there, you told her: "If you do really good at cheering and dancing, they will put a little camera on you and then put you on the big TV in the middle and everybody will love you!"<br />
<br />
There were hundreds more things - probably better things - that I should have written down, but didn't. And I already regret it - I never remember things like I think I'm going to. When will I learn?<br />
<br />
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<br />
I love watching you grow up, Carys. You're my Care-bear and you always will be. I love you so much that I can't even express it. Just know that it's more than anything.<br />
<br />
Love,<br />
<br />
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Mama<br />
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Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14724675337980390322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3576989325677664760.post-2902475086033284652016-01-21T16:00:00.001-06:002017-04-17T11:40:29.155-05:00Raising a Reader<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Well, I have an important announcement, and it’s not another pregnancy, HA! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">I was a massive bookworm growing up (I got in trouble for reading under my desk a lot and remember begging for “reading dinners” where we could read at the table) and I have a huge desire to raise Carys and Emmeline to be bookworms as well - and that’s translated into a passion for increasing children’s literacy and creating an entire generation of bookworms.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This has led me to become a consultant for Usborne Books & More. (If the word “consultant” scared you off and visions of MLM schemes are dancing in your head, DON’T STOP READING, I PROMISE IT GETS GOOD!). Usborne is a children’s book company with over 2,000 AMAZING titles for everyone from babies through young adults. And a few things that will appeal to adults, too! I’m a little obsessed. And everyone that knows Usborne is obsessed, too - so it's no surprise that company has been around since 1975 and is a world-leading publisher of children’s books - books that are so unique they actually compete with TV and tablets. Seriously! </span></span><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-95c1e83f-662b-4c92-f8d3-566ad9620068"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Usborne’s offerings include </span><a href="https://y4581.myubam.com/c/11/activities" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">activity books</span></a><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to keep kids busy and quiet (!!), story and picture books that spark the imagination, </span><a href="https://y4581.myubam.com/c/69/non-fiction" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">non-fiction/educational books</span></a><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (this is where Usborne excels the most, in my opinion - the books are so fun kids beg to read them and they WANT to learn!), and one-of-a-kind series like the </span><a href="https://y4581.myubam.com/search?q=shine-a-light" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Shine a Light” books</span></a><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, where hidden images appear on pages when illuminated). Many of their books are also wonderfully interactive books and invite kids to </span><a href="https://y4581.myubam.com/search?Q=lift+the+flap&As=false&Cid=0&Mid=0&Pf=&Pt=&Sid=false&btnsearch=Search" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">lift flaps</span></a><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, do </span><a href="https://y4581.myubam.com/p/396/under-the-sea-jigsaw-book" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">jigsaw puzzles</span></a><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, or </span><a href="https://y4581.myubam.com/search?q=pull-back" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">pull-back a train</span></a><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to allow it to zip around the tracks of the book. Oh, and as for those adult books - they have tons of gorgeous coloring books to feed into the adult coloring craze that’s happening right now (</span><a href="http://y4581.myubam.com/p/5607/art-designs-to-color-cv-ir" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Art Deco</span></a><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">! </span><a href="https://y4581.myubam.com/p/5633/art-nouveau-patterns-to-color" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Art Nouveau</span></a><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">! </span><a href="https://y4581.myubam.com/p/1251/butterflies-coloring-book" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Butterflies</span></a><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">! </span><a href="https://y4581.myubam.com/p/5631/celtic-patterns-to-color" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Celtic Designs</span></a><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">! </span><a href="https://y4581.myubam.com/p/5606/india-patterns-to-color-ir" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">India</span></a><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">! </span><a href="https://y4581.myubam.com/p/5578/mandalas-to-color-ir" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mandalas</span></a><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">! </span><a href="https://y4581.myubam.com/p/2569/nature-to-color" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nature</span></a><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">! and a ton more!) and these amazing historical sticker doll dressing books (</span><a href="https://y4581.myubam.com/p/1791/historical-sticker-dolly-dressing-1920s-fashion" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1920s</span></a><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">! </span><a href="https://y4581.myubam.com/p/3195/historical-sticker-dolly-dressing-victorian-fashion-ir" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Victorian</span></a><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">! </span><a href="https://y4581.myubam.com/p/4817/sticker-dolly-dressing-wartime-fashion-ir" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wartime</span></a><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">! </span><a href="https://y4581.myubam.com/p/5384/historical-sticker-dolly-dressing-country-estate" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Country Estate</span></a><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">! ←that one is on sale!) that I want ALL of. For me. Not the girls. ;)</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I often hear, “I love Usborne books, but I’ve always heard they’re so expensive!” Well...</span><i style="font-family: inherit;"><b>no</b></i><span style="font-family: inherit;">. But also yes. But mostly no. They’re about the same price you’d pay at any bookstore or on Amazon, and these are incredibly high quality books that will easily last multiple children. I haven’t gotten one yet that I thought I paid too much for, honestly. Most of the books are between $5.99 and $9.99. And yes - they are expensive compared to Scholastic books or other cheap options. Don’t get me wrong, we LOVE Scholastic and I’m a great believer in their book orders (the best day at elementary school was when my book order came in!) and they’re a great way to get books in homes for very cheap, but...they’re very cheap. They’re very thin and often </span>abridged<span style="font-family: inherit;"> versions of popular books, which allows them to be so inexpensive. Usborne books are not cheap quality...at ALL. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> I don’t want to annoy my blog readers - all ten of you, haha - and I know whenever I see a sponsored blog post on blogs I read, I quickly exit. This isn't sponsored. Usborne didn't pay me to write this. This is me sharing a company I'm really kind of obsessed with. ;) I will try my hardest to not clog up my blog and make you hate me; however I DO want to get the word out, because reading is SO IMPORTANT in raising children to be successful, intelligent, and curious. Study after study has shown the importance of literacy in a child’s life. I promise - if your kid doesn’t like to read, they just haven’t found the right book or topic. And if you don’t like to read to your child, you need better bedtime stories. :) And Usborne has books that you will BOTH love. I'll try to limit it to the </span>occasional<span style="font-family: inherit;"> review or recommendation. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbgSQuSIoKQ5FrrTodg5Q3d7XZaN_AFnY9UBrCSKIBvNxlPgqeE_G1LnTOFpJTwQIhPBqRSZ_922BavEc_lT8Gpy5S0EL-ej49OlGYdIbqqEoO0Qbbzuy_YCo4YM_speM3pDaGLE-IaaDB/s1600/CarysUsborneBooks_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbgSQuSIoKQ5FrrTodg5Q3d7XZaN_AFnY9UBrCSKIBvNxlPgqeE_G1LnTOFpJTwQIhPBqRSZ_922BavEc_lT8Gpy5S0EL-ej49OlGYdIbqqEoO0Qbbzuy_YCo4YM_speM3pDaGLE-IaaDB/s640/CarysUsborneBooks_002.jpg" width="402" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><b>Here are the important things to know: </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1. If you want to shop or browse the books, go here: <a href="https://y4581.myubam.com/">https://y4581.myubam.com/</a>. These are great birthday gifts, baby shower gifts, Christmas presents, and everyday gifts! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">2. If you want to be part of a group that is for sharing tips for fostering a love of reading with your child(ren), article on literacy, and posts where I review and recommend books (and maybe have a few contests for free books along the way!), please request to join my FB group: </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1687802181466778/%C2%A0">https://www.facebook.com/groups/1687802181466778/<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">3. If you want to earn free books yourself, let me know and you can host a party through me on Facebook (super easy as I do most of the work...and it's fun! It takes place entirely on Facebook for just an hour!). When I did my party, I earned over $300 worth of free books and got a giant box of books in return. Between that and the ones I ordered out of my own pocket, I now am a proud owner of 70+ Usborne books. And...no surprise...I want at least 70 more. HA! The girls love them so much!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I REALLY appreciate your taking the time to read this. Here's a cookie for you! (Um, so I don't actually have a cookie but I SO WOULD GIVE YOU ONE IF I COULD.) </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s so nerve-racking putting yourself out there like this, but I truly believe that these books are so important and worth sharing. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you have any questions about the company or the books, PLEASE don’t hesitate to leave a comment or message/text me!!</span></span>Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14724675337980390322noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3576989325677664760.post-13508559290437501032015-12-27T12:06:00.005-06:002015-12-30T13:51:51.160-06:00Letters to Emmeline : Twenty-Four MonthsDear Emmeline,<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOmZrJE0mwB6nHGRD565f-svIw8XP5MdisaJU-FAgiey6UU3LHbYht6nAnQA8d1zhUbkBqmBAxQibmylMWaNd6lAZYgr_tPRmJoLzMJ-RW5BFl3aJghIDA6DAcmB8HxOWuAjo95vxZNvrn/s1600/emmelinecollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOmZrJE0mwB6nHGRD565f-svIw8XP5MdisaJU-FAgiey6UU3LHbYht6nAnQA8d1zhUbkBqmBAxQibmylMWaNd6lAZYgr_tPRmJoLzMJ-RW5BFl3aJghIDA6DAcmB8HxOWuAjo95vxZNvrn/s640/emmelinecollage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Back when I wrote <a href="http://www.youaremylicorice.com/2014/01/letters-to-emmy-one-month.html">the first letter to you</a>, it felt like this day would never come. It feels like I wrote that first letter ten years ago and ten days ago simultaneously. My gosh. I just can't believe I'm writing this, that we've come this far (it's equally mind boggling to me that when Carys was the age you are now, I was pregnant with you!).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHjQHcNgqcRSBH3rKy1dtzejlcUfkNsDoOaLpcrNHsoNHAu9OjKOe14A0_bxeL-rEfd00snRWp2JZ_SoId0Sow3K3iuvKBIFn9UV-OngtAGihSy5FfReB6EU9iSx6Z_yLGwLcuq3kBNGFj/s1600/20151114_193447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHjQHcNgqcRSBH3rKy1dtzejlcUfkNsDoOaLpcrNHsoNHAu9OjKOe14A0_bxeL-rEfd00snRWp2JZ_SoId0Sow3K3iuvKBIFn9UV-OngtAGihSy5FfReB6EU9iSx6Z_yLGwLcuq3kBNGFj/s320/20151114_193447.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRiw9JDVqxXjDwYCDEoec8vYb6a-EFZfObH-wqwwl8s3H0m0WhD1CQslYtru_QckQyjF0xTxBmPaJyJfm4_fr3iKZKBjpmLaadIVV7TYYKOpCAQoFsHUXuBGL-cuUErEOAL0zCOoImbkMc/s1600/20151114_193423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRiw9JDVqxXjDwYCDEoec8vYb6a-EFZfObH-wqwwl8s3H0m0WhD1CQslYtru_QckQyjF0xTxBmPaJyJfm4_fr3iKZKBjpmLaadIVV7TYYKOpCAQoFsHUXuBGL-cuUErEOAL0zCOoImbkMc/s320/20151114_193423.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHq4eRn7L5VNP3pjELWsRK4452Cfc9SOMGrSGPnE_cd8nWSOfz225YRIfIl2haufmObhBImpulPFLBClzXJysyxVs3qJz63l7gCQIu4f2sGaV_H8zsekZtFJtvLl432b94Wut_ASJQRyCD/s1600/20151114_193438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHq4eRn7L5VNP3pjELWsRK4452Cfc9SOMGrSGPnE_cd8nWSOfz225YRIfIl2haufmObhBImpulPFLBClzXJysyxVs3qJz63l7gCQIu4f2sGaV_H8zsekZtFJtvLl432b94Wut_ASJQRyCD/s320/20151114_193438.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Man, this is a hard one to write. I keep staring at the screen and the words just aren't coming. (Me? At a loss for words? QUICK LOOK OUTSIDE ARE PIGS FLYING?). It's the end of a (personal for me) era. The end of your babyhood. The end of me raising babies, which I've just loved beyond anything. The end of counting ages in months, the end of toddling, the end of monthly letters. And the words are just failing me. So I'm sorry if this last letter isn't up to par - I'm writing it under duress.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7cskFbgN6857OyNwJiQb3X9Skz5EwMR8yC8nSDwFioySNaXmpGiYD-f56CTh-Pojr7Ckuy_4P5xwL2WyRDuPn5ZNrLrkZK8l_T6sUXjPcD5-FCGGS1uKLS58icMjLwDQFPtLKROFBE0v/s1600/20151211_103903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7cskFbgN6857OyNwJiQb3X9Skz5EwMR8yC8nSDwFioySNaXmpGiYD-f56CTh-Pojr7Ckuy_4P5xwL2WyRDuPn5ZNrLrkZK8l_T6sUXjPcD5-FCGGS1uKLS58icMjLwDQFPtLKROFBE0v/s640/20151211_103903.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I just can't get enough of two-year-old Emmeline. You're so funny - if you discover something makes us laugh, you repeat it ad naseum in an effort to keep us in stitches. You will be doing something totally normal, then suddenly you'll just start walking funny or making goofy faces and Carys and I will just start laughing and you love it. Your dad and I have often mentioned that this stage that you're in right now is reminding us that the 24 to 36 month stage with Carys was our absolute favorite (don't get me wrong - all the stages are pretty great, but that one was particularly adorable) and so we're both really excited to enter this stage with you and re-live it with you. It's a lot to live up to, but based on what we've seen over the last few weeks...it's going to be just as fun with you.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Y0OAP4TxR7DVgEFlPHGOntxw2cX4iU-8w9kTuRcmhu11ESQu9NsZELWFZnyyrUu4_FNaSTuoeqqMl0tQgqcSE8TmfoluutZ-aFMsC7ZD_SkY-jwy9ObNty_nYAECIGH_DtvkxlQMVsLE/s1600/20151118_131115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Y0OAP4TxR7DVgEFlPHGOntxw2cX4iU-8w9kTuRcmhu11ESQu9NsZELWFZnyyrUu4_FNaSTuoeqqMl0tQgqcSE8TmfoluutZ-aFMsC7ZD_SkY-jwy9ObNty_nYAECIGH_DtvkxlQMVsLE/s400/20151118_131115.jpg" width="225" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdaE1rAAk2RyCQv78hmbCX4xuOwRNqRbgLGTtpb_pCM-av0jVFSxb7Af8Yf2f3ItHZetekKAmdDUrRqOQB-rgCfCGV7792m1LSFfbhKHFTD1k01OeHWDa7-FzRqyW6M2rTLADTvY-HVu9h/s1600/20151118_131057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdaE1rAAk2RyCQv78hmbCX4xuOwRNqRbgLGTtpb_pCM-av0jVFSxb7Af8Yf2f3ItHZetekKAmdDUrRqOQB-rgCfCGV7792m1LSFfbhKHFTD1k01OeHWDa7-FzRqyW6M2rTLADTvY-HVu9h/s400/20151118_131057.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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The only part of this age I don't like is the OMG INDEPENDENCE stage - but not the OMG I CAN ACTUALLY DO IT MYSELF stage, just the OMG I WANT TO DO IT MYSELF DESPITE THE FACT THAT I HAVE NEITHER THE STRENGTH NOR THE DEXTERITY TO DO SO stage. It's only a slight exaggeration to say that literally everything I go to do for you is stopped by you yelling, "NO! EMMELINE!" You want to pour your own milk. You want to get dressed yourself. You want to put your shoes on. You want to climb in and out of your car seat (which you can actually do, it just takes forever). You want to wrap the presents. You want to cook dinner. You want to chop peppers. I'm sorry for not letting you handle the razor-sharp knife. You can talk it out with your therapist in 20 years.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgILYcs9mmQZkQZtuTMHencdTAE2yrw1Vyxa53FZ_Aei7UWLtHMEoV_u_121NdQm5RkInpYj3HSoSQ6SINtu07wUtZnkvCAasd_G_354whZ6IBNb_vkHqjQhfexx7YYbbV1yXN-R4ckMgiM/s1600/20151114_181922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgILYcs9mmQZkQZtuTMHencdTAE2yrw1Vyxa53FZ_Aei7UWLtHMEoV_u_121NdQm5RkInpYj3HSoSQ6SINtu07wUtZnkvCAasd_G_354whZ6IBNb_vkHqjQhfexx7YYbbV1yXN-R4ckMgiM/s400/20151114_181922.jpg" width="225" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJ7s8v1oCC0zd49AVhsrA5gOUZv5wDFwY3GjLQSExSKPJIwzVrebpHd6YGUVRZc2vqI0MKU5y-JujBJXYtgtmAGwUsMAdJ7VY6XwG5HRy7WmsvK5H79zkm68IW9ZqCD5pmJNdISFJYb93/s1600/20151114_181701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJ7s8v1oCC0zd49AVhsrA5gOUZv5wDFwY3GjLQSExSKPJIwzVrebpHd6YGUVRZc2vqI0MKU5y-JujBJXYtgtmAGwUsMAdJ7VY6XwG5HRy7WmsvK5H79zkm68IW9ZqCD5pmJNdISFJYb93/s400/20151114_181701.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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I'll get it out of the way here: yes, you still take a paci at night and naps, and will steal a paci if you find one at someone else's house. You're still nursing, though we've cut way back, and you don't nurse before nap or bedtime anymore. KNOCK ON WOOD but you're a great sleeper and really easy to lay down.<br />
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You're talking more and more every month and have even started singing. You sing "Jingle Bells" (Dinga beh, dinga beh, dinga beh, dinga beh, dinga all the da way, HEY!) and "Let It Go" (leh it goooo, leh it goooo, anyMOOOOOORE!). You're starting to express more and more complex thoughts and your vocabulary has exploded. Which, since you weren't a big talker for a very long time, is really good. I'm glad you've found your voice. It's a really cute voice. It's a voice that seems to never stop, so it's a good thing it's cute.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKaUhFc-2d8Zc1zpwZ_LlOUBxc13Lhtzq8tsr-ghvDNOz-XVdJ2_OhYtGYiS6d5rzR451sPMPkys1Mqe7Elq0ySFmJc04LVo8wEmt9XiXFi_WFuxYbLp3nU78paipkyHOBPi8HeK9bmL94/s1600/20151118_130238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKaUhFc-2d8Zc1zpwZ_LlOUBxc13Lhtzq8tsr-ghvDNOz-XVdJ2_OhYtGYiS6d5rzR451sPMPkys1Mqe7Elq0ySFmJc04LVo8wEmt9XiXFi_WFuxYbLp3nU78paipkyHOBPi8HeK9bmL94/s400/20151118_130238.jpg" width="225" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFLfoDcwD8ytD8FpRtYwA1X5_sF1jH4AcHvxi4hzmzfYEyu66eTrO1h0fVsWO1tGPnYCgxAsOIhURzXB1cuok4Oo8B8f9w6sL04jZoBIyJLapJLoA9EtyWzBooHEIENzlBujFfPAyJbrSA/s1600/20151118_125844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFLfoDcwD8ytD8FpRtYwA1X5_sF1jH4AcHvxi4hzmzfYEyu66eTrO1h0fVsWO1tGPnYCgxAsOIhURzXB1cuok4Oo8B8f9w6sL04jZoBIyJLapJLoA9EtyWzBooHEIENzlBujFfPAyJbrSA/s400/20151118_125844.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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You know several colors - definitely yellow and purple. I think you know blue and green and red and pink but those are a little more hit or miss. Yellow and purple you can identify, say, and pick out. The others you can pick out of a pile if I say, "Emmeline, give me a green crayon!" but you don't say the words yet. You're starting to get the hang of counting, and pointing to items individually while I count. Your dad taught you to hold up two fingers and say "two!" whenever anyone asks you how old you are. He also taught you to answer "Daddy!" when he asks you who your favorite person is - stinker! He did the same with Carys. I can't be mad - it's cute.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggjpn2OhGrn3VmcwAcBZjrOoy27LhRSHIkcQY61hc4Efx37j7Xhk89l41KVSP51dzOxL8mw2LiPY5KQsTtwx4W87punV1v-51LhfuX-Tj1KLyAvy1Xmyq8yTkR20j5gpLcpJURdx-Ii4ai/s1600/20151127_190121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggjpn2OhGrn3VmcwAcBZjrOoy27LhRSHIkcQY61hc4Efx37j7Xhk89l41KVSP51dzOxL8mw2LiPY5KQsTtwx4W87punV1v-51LhfuX-Tj1KLyAvy1Xmyq8yTkR20j5gpLcpJURdx-Ii4ai/s400/20151127_190121.jpg" width="225" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRudkqiPe5LKDdaHUxXVh4uMJ42VCjRClYbcvH2XqhEWJF5ks1qj-twluKgwbUzkbzCUdVDgisS8OJKvfISjJqP807BG6Lgq3LE7RZu9Y-4cRwUEG5q-lPRCLkxaB3fwnMlOksnbYw55kz/s1600/20151127_155125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRudkqiPe5LKDdaHUxXVh4uMJ42VCjRClYbcvH2XqhEWJF5ks1qj-twluKgwbUzkbzCUdVDgisS8OJKvfISjJqP807BG6Lgq3LE7RZu9Y-4cRwUEG5q-lPRCLkxaB3fwnMlOksnbYw55kz/s400/20151127_155125.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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You're still the tag-along to Carys and the other big girls - always a minute or two behind them. They'll run a lap around the house, yelling some phrase at the top of their lungs, and a few seconds later you'll come running the same path, yelling gibberish at the top of your lungs. It's so endearing (and a little heartbreaking). Soon enough, girl, you'll be able to keep up entirely. Too soon for my liking!<br />
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Maybe because you're always trying to keep up, you're a total climber and daredevil (although it may just be in your genes, since big sis was the same way). You learned to ride a trike during the last warm days of fall in late November and early December. You are nearly as good on a scooter as your sister is (in fact, you love HER scooter so much, there's one on your Christmas wishlist). You love being tossed in the air and playing airplane with anyone who will have you (but especially dad).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9bvYI37chixap9IKSmwFDjsETeHu-2ZQeDfsxs5wroBSoGS7d2WDibEczA5evZVAjSstf5U7f0fcXDlKxu4YSKzBzczGNDCEMYLiYAkKDDE5ajNwqvzcID9Ow6pwnsOsyEilVSp4YDSF/s1600/20151206_171821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9bvYI37chixap9IKSmwFDjsETeHu-2ZQeDfsxs5wroBSoGS7d2WDibEczA5evZVAjSstf5U7f0fcXDlKxu4YSKzBzczGNDCEMYLiYAkKDDE5ajNwqvzcID9Ow6pwnsOsyEilVSp4YDSF/s400/20151206_171821.jpg" width="225" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBnQjffWaeXxtTXsTTjt3o1bN5c82f5tifvnj1j7xEM-m08O7-RdHXSY074WxUnLBcdPyQeuzF_l1kHpN91mmmfBo-oe3xISw7qbkayRzxTescu0DsqmGsDboaDWjjWryxcQLrAtBYLQ_o/s1600/20151206_171813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBnQjffWaeXxtTXsTTjt3o1bN5c82f5tifvnj1j7xEM-m08O7-RdHXSY074WxUnLBcdPyQeuzF_l1kHpN91mmmfBo-oe3xISw7qbkayRzxTescu0DsqmGsDboaDWjjWryxcQLrAtBYLQ_o/s400/20151206_171813.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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You've REALLY gotten into dressing up - I don't know if you developed this interest by yourself or if it's part of copying everything Carys does - but you're entering the "put the Anna dress on and then not take it off even to go to the store and throw a fit when I forcibly take it off you because you can't wear it to swim class" stage. There are a few different outfits you like to dress up in - a tank top of mine, a shiny play skirt of Carys's - but by far your favorite is the Elsa dress. And the Elsa dress. And then the Anna dress again. And then Elsa.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiONLWQlt_3nOEY4L1QdysHXztKg0extkPdUARqmYrYYB5eWgxjb60oavVED_o9hkVKLvOWk7PlU3xpc-NR2fQFSPmbfqLsRxaouhBb0uv_1IFKpysZuzLO6dP3d1xUB-puz4m85rWiFhuZ/s1600/20151113_173322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiONLWQlt_3nOEY4L1QdysHXztKg0extkPdUARqmYrYYB5eWgxjb60oavVED_o9hkVKLvOWk7PlU3xpc-NR2fQFSPmbfqLsRxaouhBb0uv_1IFKpysZuzLO6dP3d1xUB-puz4m85rWiFhuZ/s640/20151113_173322.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Speaking of Elsa and Anna, it's the first movie you've really taken an interest in and ask to watch. You urgently point to the TV saying, "Movie! Elsa! Anna!" over and over until we put it on for you. We probably watch at least a snippet of it five days out of the week. Carys is pretty sick of it, but then I remind her that she was JUST as obsessed at your age, and she thinks it's cute that you are into the same thing she was, so she relents.<br />
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Almost concurrently with becoming obsessed with Frozen, you became obsessed with my phone. It's like a switch flipped and you suddenly recognize those screens can offer you entertainment. Much like your sister, I actively avoid letting you have my phone. Much like your sister, your dad thwarts my no-screen-time plans. But in the course of less than a week, you learned to navigate my phone almost as well as Carys can and it's a liiiiiiiiiiittle frightening.<br />
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We did some fun things this month, though it was pretty slow as we prepped for your dad's birthday, your birthday, and Christmas. We went to the Children's Museum. We had several playdates in the circle, and had the two daughters (Charlotte and Shelly) of friends from out of town over. We hosted Thanksgiving at our house. You slept through most of it, but I did manage to get you in the same outfit I wore when I was just a little older than you, and the same outfit your sister wore at your age. We saw Santa (and you wanted nothing to do with him - though you love pointing him out in pictures and saying "ho, ho, ho!"). Nana came into town - once for Thanksgiving and then again for Christmas break - and you've decided that she's your all-time favorite person in the entire world and attach yourself to her hip permanently. She'll leave again at the beginning of January to go back to Dubuque and I'll immediately start counting down the days until her next visit on your behalf.<br />
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You experienced the first snowfall of the year and absolutely loved it. This surprised me, because you strongly dislike being cold. But when you saw the snow, you ran out, touched it, ate it (why?), threw it, stomped in it, and enjoyed the heck out of it. I had to physically drag you back inside when your fingers turned purple.<br />
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You've also discovered that with snow comes hot chocolate, which to you is like manna from heaven. CHOCOLATE IN A CUP TO DRINK? YES PLEASE. AND MORE. MORE MORE MORE. (This is good for me because I, too, love hot chocolate and you present a great excuse to have it more often.)<br />
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<i>Also you can see in these pictures that you still have your total cheeseball fake grin. </i></div>
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We got an Elf on the Shelf this year and I didn't think you'd be into it at all - or even notice - but Carys really involved you and would ask if you wanted to go find Callie (named after our neighbor's dog). A few times, you'd find her totally on your own and would yell, "Callie! Callie!!!" and be so proud of yourself. We didn't follow the "no touching" rule for either you or Carys, so we'd often find you carrying Callie around treating her like a baby doll.<br />
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I am so, so, so eternally grateful for you, my sweet, spunky, hilarious girl. I love you so much.<br />
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Love,<br />
Mama<br />
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Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14724675337980390322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3576989325677664760.post-6849116622797901052015-12-17T10:32:00.001-06:002017-08-01T12:35:54.201-05:00Emmeline's 2nd Birthday : You Are My SunshineI've never been so conflicted on a theme for a birthday party before! I had a couple ideas I thought could be cute, but I (SHOCKER) way overthought it and couldn't decide. Partly because I wasn't super excited about any of them. But once I decided to just go with "You Are My Sunshine" - mostly because I had a lot of the stuff for the party already - I totally fell in love with the theme.<br />
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This year, I also started decorating a few days before the party, which made a world of difference in terms of organization and what I was able to do. Usually I'm scrambling to finish up as people are arriving and I'm not able to do everything that I hoped, but this year I got it all done and then some. PLANNING AHEAD? BRILLIANT. WAIT WHILE I WRITE A BOOK ON THIS REVOLUTIONARY IDEA.<br />
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Unfortunately for Emmeline, her birthday is close to Christmas, so her birthday decor has to compete with Christmas decor. I took down a few decorations to make room for birthday things, some we just left up and pretended weren't there (the tree, the garland/ribbon on the bannister, the ornaments decorating the built-in bookshelves), and some we worked into the decor (wrapped wreaths with a flower garland, for example). Had I been a better planner and more ambitious, it would have been awesome to cover the Christmas tree in suns to go with the theme, but...no. Taking off all the existing ornaments to do that would be way too much work.<br />
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As with most of the other parties, almost everything I didn't have already was purchased from Oriental Trading Company. I linked to sources (not affiliate links!) but OTC tends to change inventory regularly so I apologize if items aren't available anymore. Also as with other parties, cheap was like number one priority for this party, so nothing was expensive.<br />
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The kitchen got very minimal decor. Some <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/pink-orange-and-yellow-hanging-lanterns-a2-13636688.fltr?prodCatId=551273">paper lanterns</a> above the cabinets, a <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/web/browse/processProductsCatalog?mode=Searching&sku=7%2F25">sun that would later be a pinata</a>, a bowl of lemons and a yellow tablecloth on the table, and a <a href="http://amzn.to/1maluta">string of paper lanterns</a> in the doorway.<br />
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Most of the decorating took place in the dining room. For the area by the mirror, I left the Christmas wreath on the mirror and wrapped it in a floral garland we already had, added window clings we already had, and used washi tape to put a picture up. And some balloons, of course.<br />
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I used crepe paper and a paper plate to create a giant sun on one wall of the dining room, and covered a folding table with a <a href="http://amzn.to/1magqVI">grass-print tablecloth</a> and used some <a href="http://amzn.to/1magBQJ">tissue-paper grass</a> and <a href="http://amzn.to/1MjaPl8">paper fences</a> to display cupcakes.<br />
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I had regular sprinkle cupcakes, then baked six in silicone "pots" that we already had and stuck <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/yellow-mini-unicorn-pops-a2-13640400.fltr?Ntt=yellow%20suckers">suckers</a> in them as "flowers."<br />
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The sun was one of my favorite DIY projects since I've never baked a 3D cake before or used fondant like this (for Em's first birthday, I rolled it out and cut out snowflakes with a cookie cutter, but I've never used it to cover a cake). I turned a small mixing bowl upside down to bake the cake mix in for the main part of the sun, then cut graham crackers in triangle shapes and covered them with the fondant for the rays of the sun (I used fondant to attach a toothpick to each ray to stick it in the cake). I used <a href="http://www.wilton.com/rolled-marshmallow-fondant-/WLRECIP-242.html">marshmallow fondant</a> - easy to make and work with, and delicious. I baked the cake and cupcakes and made the fondant the night before and assembled them the morning of the party. You can very much tell that it was made by someone who had no idea what they were doing but it was made with love and that's what counts, right? RIGHT.<br />
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Some of the cupcakes also had fondant decorations - I just rolled out the fondant and cut the numbers and suns out with cookie cutters.<br />
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Another wall of the dining room was covered with a collage of pictures of Emmeline taken over the last year. I could stare at this wall all day. It might still be up because I can't bring myself to take it down.<br />
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These mason jar cups and wooden sporks were left over from Carys's first birthday, and a friend surprised me with the paper straws (which suck for acutal use but are SO CUTE so whatevs). The stickers on the cups were just labels that I printed the pictures on. Actually, the little glass jars were also from Carys's first birthday (originally from Target's dollar aisle).<br />
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I made some ruffled streamers and a little tassel garland to decorate a corner where Em could blow out her candles. <a href="http://www.handcraftedparties.com/diy-crepe-paper-tassel-garland/">I used this tutorial to make the tassels</a> and <a href="http://www.danamadeit.com/2011/05/tutorial-ruffled-streamers.html">this one for the ruffled streamers</a>. The wine rack had a couple decorations (all of which we already had) and I stuck the favors (really just leftover things that wouldn't fit in the pinata) in the cubbies.<br />
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The sitting room houses the Christmas tree, so I only really decorated the buffet. I got the banner from Steals.com when they were having a 25% off sale (<a href="http://scrapbook.steals.com/p/3023534/my-minds-eye-fancy-letter-banner?v=3098394">one white set</a> and <a href="http://scrapbook.steals.com/p/3018959/my-minds-eye-kraft-letter-banner?v=3080602">one craft paper set</a>) and will use it for many occassions to come. I again wrapped a Christmas wreath with a flower garland, hung up copies of her birthday invitation, added some pinwheels that we already had, and decorated the ceramic Christmas deer with party hats and bows (this was totally Carys's idea and I was 100% on board). I also used the washi tape (which originally came from Target's dollar aisle) to make an "E" inside the wreath. I saw the little <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/40180621653174547/">"you are my sunshine" wooden plaque project</a> on the OTC website and decided to make it - super easy. </div>
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The entryway got a wreath (a wooden form I got on sale from Target for <$3, wrapped with yarn, and stuck a picture behind), some <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/yellow-pom-pom-decorations-a2-13700330.fltr?Ntt=tissue%20paper%20pom%20pom%20yellow">tissue paper pom-pom balls</a>, and a few things on the entryway table.<br />
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I printed the two "you are my sunshine" prints, already owned the "Hello, Sunshine" print, and covered a wooden "E" in tissue paper. Actually, CARYS did the "E" almost entirely by herself.<br />
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I loved how the living room turned out. Another banner, some streamers, and some <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/yellow-tissue-hanging-fans-a2-3_4225.fltr?Ntt=tissue%20paper%20pom%20pom%20yellow">paper fans</a> on the mantle. I used the stocking holders that were out for Christmas to hang paper fans and display four pictures of Emmeline from the past years.<br />
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Probably no one at the party even noticed, but when I saw <a href="http://amzn.to/1MjeBep">this pillow cover on Amazon</a> for insanely cheap, I had to grab it for the party. Yes, I should have ironed it or something but honestly I didn't even think of it because who irons a pillow???<br />
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And some pics from the important part of the party - the people and the birthday girl.<br />
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The pinata was so fun! We didn't have a great space to do it indoors (plus I wasn't sure if Emmeline was strong enough to break it) so I cut a big flap in the back, attached six long strings to the flap, and then loosely taped the flap back in place. When it was time to do it, each kid got a string, and they all pulled on the count of three to release the candy and small toys (I used this <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/super-toy-assortment-a2-4_8037.fltr?Ntt=toy%20assortment">OTC mix</a> to fill the pinata).<br />
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Cake time!!</div>
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Present time!</div>
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Yes, that is a container of baby wipes. It might have been her favorite present. She's obsessed with wipes.<br />
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She immediately had to put the dress on, and immediately started pushing the stroller around.<br />
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I can't believe my baby is two. It's okay to cry over that, right?<br />
<br />Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14724675337980390322noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3576989325677664760.post-83936010398516847122015-12-07T11:59:00.004-06:002015-12-07T13:16:52.435-06:00Those Damn CurtainsSo if you remember from my <a href="http://www.youaremylicorice.com/2015/11/sitting-room-curtains.html">OH SO INTERESTING AND SCINTILLATING curtain post</a>, I was - <i>am </i>- trying to decide what curtains to get for the sitting room. We have no furniture there, and no plans to get furniture any time soon (sigh. but. but. but. it's actually been kind of nice having an empty room to use for whatever we need it, and we often end up plopping down on the floor to work on projects like painting pumpkins for Halloween, and using it for the Christmas tree and extra seating for Thanksgiving, so...while I want furniture in there, it's not all bad). On the one hand, picking curtains should be easy, because there is nothing to match...but on the other hand, since giant curtain panels are so expensive, I need to think of what the future furniture and rug MIGHT look like and try to match the imagined pieces. Also, the lack of furniture kind of demands that the curtains be show-stoppers.<br />
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On the last post (and in the Facebook comments) the gray and the orange curtains were the winners by far, with about equal votes going to each. Since the gray and the orange were my top picks also, YOU GUYS BASICALLY DIDN'T HELP. If the internet could just come together for a consensus, that would be super helpful. (Say what? People agreeing on the internet? <i>Never.</i>)<br />
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To hopefully help me decide, I went ahead and ordered one of each of the panels, to see what I thought of them in person. And, of course, what YOU thought of them in person. Virtually in person.<br />
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Note: In these pics, nearly everything in the middle section except for the buffet is temporary (hi, Christmas deer!), so don't worry about "matching" the curtains to that section.<br />
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Also note: THESE ARE TOO DANG SHORT. I KNOW. UGH. I measured like three times but still came up short. These are 108" panels, so I'll order the 120" and hem them next time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz41rG1vocLcSPTjcCgYh-a3UqnZHeIqnJMNYm_by0mkw8ySjZDv2Fz1RoRPGcZeszCRB_N2R_tzJy35boKO_6WZsToaNs78J2d84z6Q2M1ya8p-HEv2UtQUHzz9ukXuoMA8DO-0ir8-DM/s1600/20151202_093056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz41rG1vocLcSPTjcCgYh-a3UqnZHeIqnJMNYm_by0mkw8ySjZDv2Fz1RoRPGcZeszCRB_N2R_tzJy35boKO_6WZsToaNs78J2d84z6Q2M1ya8p-HEv2UtQUHzz9ukXuoMA8DO-0ir8-DM/s640/20151202_093056.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0warOO-Gszwx3whTKJT_BnrOi6H6aKUCrwWYHPds-waS6Xbq5qHDM-k9zbN15NGC3H245r80XN38crg4J21RdWS_3qi_pZtQ8AXs4XnOIc4PBd_6zT3-GnX88kU4idU_HpTMddJEO4Et9/s1600/20151202_093013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0warOO-Gszwx3whTKJT_BnrOi6H6aKUCrwWYHPds-waS6Xbq5qHDM-k9zbN15NGC3H245r80XN38crg4J21RdWS_3qi_pZtQ8AXs4XnOIc4PBd_6zT3-GnX88kU4idU_HpTMddJEO4Et9/s640/20151202_093013.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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And in slightly different lighting (and minus the Xmas decor)...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmOxagNUXFo0lmDuKHVbOkARhe-DkoFeXqSXDE5cdSdl_LbN46QsW_wpxodbg0pIR2ze72bgzzD_qtDkbRMu9W75DuTn678q8n2hiu4T2N13ErXkLqBh4-szv4Eu0hf4qd9NTBNPOTnYdq/s1600/20151125_102014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmOxagNUXFo0lmDuKHVbOkARhe-DkoFeXqSXDE5cdSdl_LbN46QsW_wpxodbg0pIR2ze72bgzzD_qtDkbRMu9W75DuTn678q8n2hiu4T2N13ErXkLqBh4-szv4Eu0hf4qd9NTBNPOTnYdq/s640/20151125_102014.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And a few with the orange panel closer to the shelves...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1jO-wiaSqaxwjSZ_3S8H4knrvgJ4tkb1j_FtJVTjyej3EVzTTxGbcYGZAQcNzAuSGRoSMNetTVwcxj2FvzSxQPU218XafRtzLu3nvhoBo7XrPE7eUyHSTngLbxvH3P6JMGOuDIaY6DuB/s1600/20151206_151338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1jO-wiaSqaxwjSZ_3S8H4knrvgJ4tkb1j_FtJVTjyej3EVzTTxGbcYGZAQcNzAuSGRoSMNetTVwcxj2FvzSxQPU218XafRtzLu3nvhoBo7XrPE7eUyHSTngLbxvH3P6JMGOuDIaY6DuB/s640/20151206_151338.jpg" width="360" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXmAiy7NDB6hS8Pk1fGpD3vKt8Kiz-xh7EbD76DF-NjyfO8E9rPcVQgonqTGS0QRcFDw9agk8eU5hv6cxkjoarw-Mg3cK4CC7gb3dCWJ473ek4jI0zDhj-bIYoLmQBx2H9OQM8kwHfofR8/s1600/20151206_151311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXmAiy7NDB6hS8Pk1fGpD3vKt8Kiz-xh7EbD76DF-NjyfO8E9rPcVQgonqTGS0QRcFDw9agk8eU5hv6cxkjoarw-Mg3cK4CC7gb3dCWJ473ek4jI0zDhj-bIYoLmQBx2H9OQM8kwHfofR8/s640/20151206_151311.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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So, what do you think? Orange or gray? Or back to the drawing board to look at some of the original other options?</div>
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Other, small, middling updates:<br />
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Carys got a big-girl bed! She was in her crib-turned-toddler-bed until last week. I KNOW. She was way too big for it. We had a bed coming to us, but needed a truck to go get it. It all came together Thanksgiving weekend and we brought it home. She loves it. I am planning on painting or staining it (it's raw wood) but probably not until this summer. I did put a rail on it because the kid does dance moves in her sleep.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz4glsn4c0Kl4GqnQdrYo1S0pAbV0XA5xy7SfbbOBWzSs-luZoWJxgHCbgEOsrW5ax5tEqPslv6FI_h6p6771zpAWySeKwRifZdQJLY5SCPTwnph0wSPHcRZQXxJ5GfMzBGW-05nMH_x60/s1600/20151128_162948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz4glsn4c0Kl4GqnQdrYo1S0pAbV0XA5xy7SfbbOBWzSs-luZoWJxgHCbgEOsrW5ax5tEqPslv6FI_h6p6771zpAWySeKwRifZdQJLY5SCPTwnph0wSPHcRZQXxJ5GfMzBGW-05nMH_x60/s640/20151128_162948.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1qbgahvR_sCKlg8wW-PlOm8dXgBBmMJ5hOJ_1_8uhY_9We9nnmR88kU73bdyLwfVmcshkhwiy5rxtfvOT0DcuuIIFRxMu6Agc1NLimAloCWIe9LIIHSwVU4nPmrIAB50lv4iYc9Z0AJvz/s1600/20151129_003957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1qbgahvR_sCKlg8wW-PlOm8dXgBBmMJ5hOJ_1_8uhY_9We9nnmR88kU73bdyLwfVmcshkhwiy5rxtfvOT0DcuuIIFRxMu6Agc1NLimAloCWIe9LIIHSwVU4nPmrIAB50lv4iYc9Z0AJvz/s640/20151129_003957.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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We got curtains in the dining room! I just went SUPER cheap, plain white in here. We're talking like $16 for all four panels cheap. I didn't want to do anything big or expensive in here until we know what we're doing with the sitting room - since the rooms open to each other, they need to coordinate. I need to steam them to get the wrinkles out, but until I do that, here they are in their wrinkled glory. I hung them with the curtain clips versus sliding them onto to the rod - the clips give them a little bit of a modern touch (and I think they hang better).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Sjy4oMSZlXFkbeXrWPkCEc35zwfsaXd5PVcJ1YdTijuI9FWmxg8BAD-yw27d4p3EoipbK6mQtOzzgcdnCs_1Np13-ycBjzISV9Ic488fwmVK0hUueE2wpRFnGmqt-IF4VntC-xI09XV4/s1600/20151206_151208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Sjy4oMSZlXFkbeXrWPkCEc35zwfsaXd5PVcJ1YdTijuI9FWmxg8BAD-yw27d4p3EoipbK6mQtOzzgcdnCs_1Np13-ycBjzISV9Ic488fwmVK0hUueE2wpRFnGmqt-IF4VntC-xI09XV4/s640/20151206_151208.jpg" width="360" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKj9LIocLcbTHkRIOwt1RNv6t3tI6nZ0GfX56DxOznLwH8kOiy2PDMjIL1Prh49ohxjz1YXyt6DK0Ts4ZlFijoeMBL6dOrkDToJCFC1viNiUN9ty0eexLMiD2oNU5E10fcPtdFnvJcVkGp/s1600/20151206_151101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKj9LIocLcbTHkRIOwt1RNv6t3tI6nZ0GfX56DxOznLwH8kOiy2PDMjIL1Prh49ohxjz1YXyt6DK0Ts4ZlFijoeMBL6dOrkDToJCFC1viNiUN9ty0eexLMiD2oNU5E10fcPtdFnvJcVkGp/s640/20151206_151101.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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Lastly, I also took the cream/orange frosted glass shades off of the sitting room lights and replaced them with Edison bulbs. I LOVE IT. I still would like to get some sort of new light fixture here, but taking those early 90's shades off made a world of difference. I am going to either paint or wrap that white base to hide it, but need to figure out what will hold up to the heat (maybe that Rustoleum high-heat paint that I used for the fireplace?). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJblByoLvMezrWeg5qYhmFYddK5AiGT2ZzMRYWPYfdE6deNUsiQs9BGJEPvIX_X1bTL2dkDaCyfaS-fOTwTiM-e7dBiiv2YgG6wzDtjdHr1XtkM64PmKW-OE6Mr8n0XFhBHm12VMzBR5Q/s1600/20151125_101937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJblByoLvMezrWeg5qYhmFYddK5AiGT2ZzMRYWPYfdE6deNUsiQs9BGJEPvIX_X1bTL2dkDaCyfaS-fOTwTiM-e7dBiiv2YgG6wzDtjdHr1XtkM64PmKW-OE6Mr8n0XFhBHm12VMzBR5Q/s640/20151125_101937.jpg" width="360" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXx8En7gBvaeASwz-zy_A0SIhbSS7_O9mokAFvTLSGpEDZn0AwHMXYa2USV-aMTP4YghXvcBFIL8mCwFlIjvsIi41w6uxeizdlSiQzBBzpnfUOVUNX-9Ap4507PaecVkNl1Ox9vya5XOm3/s1600/20151125_101925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXx8En7gBvaeASwz-zy_A0SIhbSS7_O9mokAFvTLSGpEDZn0AwHMXYa2USV-aMTP4YghXvcBFIL8mCwFlIjvsIi41w6uxeizdlSiQzBBzpnfUOVUNX-9Ap4507PaecVkNl1Ox9vya5XOm3/s640/20151125_101925.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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As a reminder, here's what they looked like before:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PXpV8g40lqQ/VgCo5TkjufI/AAAAAAACojU/OdYvyABY3YM/s1600/20150918_151231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PXpV8g40lqQ/VgCo5TkjufI/AAAAAAACojU/OdYvyABY3YM/s640/20150918_151231.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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If you scroll back up to the dining room curtain post, you can see I also removed the matching orange/cream frosted glass shade from that pendant light. And then when I was trying to look for a replacement at Home Depot, I dropped it and it shattered everywhere and I was completely mortified and we didn't find anything to replace it, so....WHOOPS. That's pretty much my life, though, so....Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14724675337980390322noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3576989325677664760.post-75677766381807094832015-11-22T13:29:00.004-06:002015-11-24T19:04:10.470-06:00Letters to Emmeline : Twenty-three monthsDear Emmeline,<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_BcRNcojsgAFsbapTJUoDwqx-r2xRpdOyZAFLFCesCOa6E_2xOnZwXAMYuwveBTGbXBa3CZt7KXscy7o1KK16Yui1ogoUXOghG5uCTs7uxgOec2zDm9mfcdmMkC_MSYe_ABTwVVNWvaJT/s1600/20151019_181313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_BcRNcojsgAFsbapTJUoDwqx-r2xRpdOyZAFLFCesCOa6E_2xOnZwXAMYuwveBTGbXBa3CZt7KXscy7o1KK16Yui1ogoUXOghG5uCTs7uxgOec2zDm9mfcdmMkC_MSYe_ABTwVVNWvaJT/s400/20151019_181313.jpg" width="225" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit7u5pSXDcMHxWfoG_b3aHIR1P4QjEy6Pe78xbAyXWkblhLqbHAazdqurN2DPkGxcy4S40cwKF3hczd2LAOrv2cZMAFb7GS-ltIRhli2gWHzRQycfzoan5U0bNFgxGUj-CWVwpxzjJ4mnn/s1600/20151019_181309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit7u5pSXDcMHxWfoG_b3aHIR1P4QjEy6Pe78xbAyXWkblhLqbHAazdqurN2DPkGxcy4S40cwKF3hczd2LAOrv2cZMAFb7GS-ltIRhli2gWHzRQycfzoan5U0bNFgxGUj-CWVwpxzjJ4mnn/s400/20151019_181309.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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Well, this is your second-to-last monthly letter. After you turn two, I'll write to you every six months; trying to cram a hundred million amazing moments into one letter. I love these letters, and I love writing them, and I love looking back at the pictures I've taken over the last month, and I love reading them months (and years) later and seeing how you developed and grew. It also helps with my baby-amnesia since I mostly only write about the good things. (Probably why I want another kid. Too bad I can't get anyone else on board with that idea!) But monthly letters are a lot of work - plus, as you get older, the month-to-month changes are more gradual. So to every six months it is!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1ajPR-4CA477EzRiHjcM3943sHj-0Ey9pRHWPCGPGcSdbf5-FTTJgjHO8xDpJ-_vlp9L18g-np_xnQLCrYelK9e1mCr5AHOfUY42aYIIjDcon_5wp59Ix9AgIXu38t3Q5ghBrT22pgm_/s1600/20151101_080015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1ajPR-4CA477EzRiHjcM3943sHj-0Ey9pRHWPCGPGcSdbf5-FTTJgjHO8xDpJ-_vlp9L18g-np_xnQLCrYelK9e1mCr5AHOfUY42aYIIjDcon_5wp59Ix9AgIXu38t3Q5ghBrT22pgm_/s640/20151101_080015.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Over the last month, you've morphed into the world's most polite one-year-old. Every time I hand you anything or help you with anything or say yes to you, you respond with a dutiful, "Dank-oo, Mommy." I zip up your coat: "Dank-oo, Mommy." I hand you lunch: "Dank-oo, Mommy!" I open a pouch for you: "Dank-oo, Mommy!" Even in the middle of sobbing because you got hurt: I kiss your owie, and you get out "dank-oo" between sobs. It's so endearing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhbmk6iuGHlL0OIDTvgUCBC_DMIWJ9leOKE-JOtzXmyy0P9LA3LI3ETqKE9kvTGAoea-m2BOCRfvznz4gKNoZXx5y5YWgUs7wbFnnJerCLFLbdf9jKaYWX7usr7egU9YKEsUDt4RwhTra/s1600/20151108_164241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhbmk6iuGHlL0OIDTvgUCBC_DMIWJ9leOKE-JOtzXmyy0P9LA3LI3ETqKE9kvTGAoea-m2BOCRfvznz4gKNoZXx5y5YWgUs7wbFnnJerCLFLbdf9jKaYWX7usr7egU9YKEsUDt4RwhTra/s640/20151108_164241.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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Also endearing is this sweet little "Oh" sound you make whenever you're told information. I LOVE IT. It might be one of my favorite things that you've been doing. I have to catch it on video - it's like partly said in resignation, partly factually, partly in answer ,and it's just the cutest sound in the entire world. I'm always commenting on how much I love it, and Carys has picked up on it too, mimicking me: "Mom, I just love it when she says, 'oh.' It's so cute!"<br />
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You have become obsessed with my phone. In the past, you never paid more than two seconds of attention to it - at the most you'd sit for a couple minutes and watch a show with your big sister - but Dad taught you how to play a Lego game on his phone, and now all you want to do is play games on my phone. If my phone comes out to make a call or text someone, you're reaching for it and grabbing at it, repeating, "Peese? Peese? Peese?" You call it "ow" - not like a ribbon <i>bow</i>, but like "<i>bow</i>-wow". I finally realized you were asking for "owl," which is referencing the Kapu Forest game that has an owl in it. As much as I don't want to give you very much screen time, I'm still impressed by your dexterity in using the touch screen and how quickly you figure out new games. I let you have it every other day or so for a few minutes while I'm doing something I need you away from me during - like standing on a ladder trying to hang curtains (because otherwise you try to climb the ladder after me - and you can climb it - and that's probably not the safest thing).<br />
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We've been spending so much time with our neighbors (well, six-doors-down neighbors) over the last couple weeks. Carys has two little friends who are girls exactly her age (one a day older; the other six months younger). Then each family has a little boy, both who turned one in September (I know, crazy, right?). So you kind of bounce between playing with the bigger girls and the little boys. You WANT to play with the big girls but you're always a half-step behind and I have to remind them to slow down and wait for you. When they are feeling generous and include you in their games, you're totally delighted. Seeing you mimic them and run after them is completely hilarious. You'll play with the little boys for a few minutes, but they're not quite at the actual "playing" stage yet, so you usually end up back in my lap or running after the big kids. I wish you had friends your exact age in the area, and maybe we'll find some more friends as we live here longer, but for now you're stuck in the middle.<br />
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We went to Dubuque to visit Nana, and you loved every minute of it. I'm so grateful to see the connection that you've built with her despite the distance. We visited a few nature centers, and you parked yourself in front of the fish/turtle/alligator aquarium and excitedly pointed them out to me. We went to an apple orchard, and while your sister played with the two resident dogs, you made an immediate beeline to the swings. You did great on the bus ride there and the car ride back to Omaha, keeping entertained with the Magnadoodles and stickers.<br />
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We also celebrated Halloween. We visited a local pumpkin patch and I don't even know what your favorite part was - the dog show? The jumping air pillow? The train? Oh - scratch that. I do know. The caramel apple. Holy shit, did you love that caramel apple. I tried to get you to go on a pony ride with your sister, but you refused - though you loved waving to her as she came around!<br />
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For actual Halloween, you did wear your costume, though you all but refused to keep the hood on. I think I got maybe two pictures with the hood on all night. You enjoyed trick-or-treating and if I walked you up to a door, you'd happily hold your bucket out and receive candy...but if I didn't walk you up to the door, you were just as happy to ride in the wagon.<br />
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Pumpkin carving didn't really interest you too much. While most kids would love the chance to get elbows-deep in slimy pumpkin guts, you weren't a fan of touching it and getting your hands dirty - although I did get you to pull a few scoops out.<br />
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You love putting on your sister's mermaid tail and hopping around in it - and you're surprisingly agile! Maybe you were a mermaid in a past life. You love riding your sister's scooter, and constantly challenge her on ownership of the scooter, telling her, "My scooter! My scooter!" while you try to wrest it from her hands. You also try to take her fake-American-Girl doll (Gracie) and tell her the same thing: "My doll!" Basically, you love anything belonging to your sister or that your sister is interested in.<br />
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When you don't want to listen or don't like what I'm telling you, you go into this hilarious "statue" mode where you pretend like you can't see me or hear me. You'll look just behind me, stand completely still, and not move. It's pretty effective until I pick you up and physically move you...after which you let me know your displeasure more vocally and by going limp.<br />
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You're a climber, just like your sister. You love to climb up anything you can get your feet on - me, the media center, a fence, your crib. You've recently started climbing out on the wrong side of the railings lining the hallway above the landing - which is something you've seen your sister do many times. Until recently you'd only go out a couple feet, so you were still right above the stairs going down, but I just caught you all the way out. I approached you slowly so I didn't scare you and grabbed you back over the railing. Talk about a heart attack!<br />
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You love being tossed in the air (what kid doesn't?) and swinging. You love making silly faces and having us mimic you. You apparently love baked beans, which is a little surprising considering you won't even any fruit that isn't a banana (it's payback for being so proud of Carys being such a great eater). You love coloring, but ONLY with markers. You love our neighbor Laura and will run to her as soon as you see her. You love toy balls. You absolutely LOVE to read. As soon as I say it's bedtime, you immediately start running to your room, calling, "Book! Book!" It might just be a stall tactic, but we could read ten books and you'd ask, "More book? Peese?" You have started to really enjoy dressing up in costumes and wearing silly hats and glasses. You love sweets and will literally fight anyone who tries to keep them away from you. You still completely adore your sister and want to be with her and do what she's doing every moment. You're still nursing, though we've been slowly cutting back on the sessions, especially during the day. You started pointing out "baby" versions of things - if we see a pair of animals, one is always the "baby," and anything that's smaller than the regular version of itself is a "baby" as well. Another thing that makes me laugh - also another thing that's better caught on video than a written description - is when you don't want to eat something. You put your hands over your mouth with these big eyes peeking out behind them and emphatically shake your head "no" while saying (muffled by your hards) "no eat!" So cute - while equally being frustrating since you eat. nothing. at. all. Sigh.<br />
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I love you, girl. I love you so much. I delight in kissing your cheeks and neck before bed and making you squeal with laughter. I love demanding "BIG!" hugs from you and feeling your little arms wrap around my neck. I love cuddling you and feeling your weight against me. I can't imagine my days without you, my sweet, silly, darling girl. </div>
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Love, </div>
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Mama</div>
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Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14724675337980390322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3576989325677664760.post-78796258570033334922015-11-15T15:48:00.004-06:002015-11-15T22:24:19.446-06:00Sitting Room : CURTAINS!Guys, our sitting room is desperate for some curtains. At night it's like a big flashlight pointing into our house and you can see every detail from the street, which a) isn't safe, obviously, and b) highlights the lack of "done-ness" of the room and c) means I have to keep the room spotless, lest our neighbors think we're the cluttered sort (hint: we're the cluttered sort).<br />
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AS USUAL I just have no idea what I want. <br />
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SO HALP.<br />
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Refer to my always-on-point Photoshopped renderings below and help me decide! (Note: these pictures are from a month or so ago when we first finished the sitting room - the buffet/middle space looks <a href="http://www.youaremylicorice.com/2015/09/one-more-sitting-room-post.html">more like this now</a>.)<br />
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<b>OPTION ONE</b></div>
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Do I want to pull in the colors of the dining room and the accent wall behind the built-ins with a soft blue-green? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBymJ8kYrvFDe5_K62OhDMGlLvLRJwLvH2QVI_icelw6CrOo_Xn6CAYfSSXTg2YL-8zOOZUEkNEQHiBz2JUQ06FeB9RK2m3x3jTtH_aNFo64RlEyQPlCQ-H-YMq71bJ7UO7ZmpoayZnTAP/s1600/curtains1b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBymJ8kYrvFDe5_K62OhDMGlLvLRJwLvH2QVI_icelw6CrOo_Xn6CAYfSSXTg2YL-8zOOZUEkNEQHiBz2JUQ06FeB9RK2m3x3jTtH_aNFo64RlEyQPlCQ-H-YMq71bJ7UO7ZmpoayZnTAP/s640/curtains1b.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b> OPTION TWO</b></div>
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Do I want to go for a fun pop of color to draw your eyes to those beautiful windows and take the house into less neutral territory? If I go with this one, my plans for the canvas would have to change a bit.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKrreAr3ESplcBPZvYuM8-yC4Tv6h0gIW2p-7cESMvA1hF3q7Tipo9wR8k7mEdTfuD504HqLR4ZL16ruuZ_F1VBtXL-eMZ9URafAwXDppZF44ro4i8www1DY1WprQrNYjtp0awQSOKQ8J/s1600/curtains2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKrreAr3ESplcBPZvYuM8-yC4Tv6h0gIW2p-7cESMvA1hF3q7Tipo9wR8k7mEdTfuD504HqLR4ZL16ruuZ_F1VBtXL-eMZ9URafAwXDppZF44ro4i8www1DY1WprQrNYjtp0awQSOKQ8J/s640/curtains2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPFupfNOKOs1dwN0pHmqmmc7giy5cumx1zoqtDD-xpah5_ZJ9V0nvWsxR33iDQ6UnG8ZK3yKV3Ij37vMck50QNDHt4hppukayw46pVrF7Pk8-jsgNW1iiPYeTppqDW_6CKzHMt0YkojQV/s1600/curtains2b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPFupfNOKOs1dwN0pHmqmmc7giy5cumx1zoqtDD-xpah5_ZJ9V0nvWsxR33iDQ6UnG8ZK3yKV3Ij37vMck50QNDHt4hppukayw46pVrF7Pk8-jsgNW1iiPYeTppqDW_6CKzHMt0YkojQV/s640/curtains2b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>OPTION THREE</b></div>
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Do I highlight the gray walls and bring a darker tone into the room to match the buffet?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-oIb9m3OzeOsg7x7hi7HW4wIdruX9S1M_kwOt5E4yAGhD2dI2YLDH4xxLZivgIhSL7RotqrI6FX4n0l4hvCdSd02mnjBF0qmonM7IiIqqjaLy4ROiMETzqRpOAbxGFGhzbxGETU-cefvU/s1600/curtains4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-oIb9m3OzeOsg7x7hi7HW4wIdruX9S1M_kwOt5E4yAGhD2dI2YLDH4xxLZivgIhSL7RotqrI6FX4n0l4hvCdSd02mnjBF0qmonM7IiIqqjaLy4ROiMETzqRpOAbxGFGhzbxGETU-cefvU/s640/curtains4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4VFFrp1xjoC-NbOBEyszqR1JmCupH5ts9dj6kD9OMGa-7pvtcozteBOT-qMqHkXDvDxABhIKMVFHYmrYCtZNF0iyiaidy7reOZ6vBL1AVnSfn6-aV2gqXG2QBjL9y0fXg9lEgWOW3W43/s1600/curtains4b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4VFFrp1xjoC-NbOBEyszqR1JmCupH5ts9dj6kD9OMGa-7pvtcozteBOT-qMqHkXDvDxABhIKMVFHYmrYCtZNF0iyiaidy7reOZ6vBL1AVnSfn6-aV2gqXG2QBjL9y0fXg9lEgWOW3W43/s640/curtains4b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>OPTION FOUR</b></div>
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Do I go for the ultimate neutral - a light, bright white - to keep the room open and airy? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnkiosdzSgmvSucoXXKYcZQcAxRzQ0NdZ5wB1skyp54cshArGLy24xVTw4Tsl4wOAYu9b0NybcQBvKUlHqofCA486jgYCGMJRmIytejbF8WTHNSw7D4H9dFKkK2DWfF-ZEuIaWhkOeuVBI/s1600/curtains5b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnkiosdzSgmvSucoXXKYcZQcAxRzQ0NdZ5wB1skyp54cshArGLy24xVTw4Tsl4wOAYu9b0NybcQBvKUlHqofCA486jgYCGMJRmIytejbF8WTHNSw7D4H9dFKkK2DWfF-ZEuIaWhkOeuVBI/s640/curtains5b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGuh8v467AGmv6r9coxnHrQwAmhdv-HFC3gTcIjntdu8qRzRb9Jcm6v_136kRrIxcbgFOJ458r2nCe7UeG16QMfPGkyOVnlEsFMWQGBy-zUF4U33kKJujxCOJ2AB78EZY-fhda1CPPXrrU/s1600/curtains5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGuh8v467AGmv6r9coxnHrQwAmhdv-HFC3gTcIjntdu8qRzRb9Jcm6v_136kRrIxcbgFOJ458r2nCe7UeG16QMfPGkyOVnlEsFMWQGBy-zUF4U33kKJujxCOJ2AB78EZY-fhda1CPPXrrU/s640/curtains5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Option one is a little too traditional/boring/safe, I think. Do I think that? Maybe? I don't know?</div>
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I WANT desperately to love option two, but...is it too out there? If I went with that option, I'd definitely bring the orange in elsewhere in the room (furniture, etc). Am I too in love with the idea of a fun pop of color and not able to see that it's garish and ugly? IS IT GARISH AND UGLY? Please tell me.</div>
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Option three and four seem to be the safe options - not safe as in boring, but safe as in "either would work." I like the way three brings some depth and darkness to the room, and I like the crispness of four (which somehow isn't as boring as number one!)</div>
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Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14724675337980390322noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3576989325677664760.post-22426368897457204302015-11-08T12:29:00.001-06:002015-11-08T12:33:36.029-06:00Halloween Costumes 2015 : Boo and Wonder Woman<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.youaremylicorice.com/2012/11/halloween-2012-oompa-loompa.html" target="_blank">2012 Halloween Costume : Oompa Loompa</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.youaremylicorice.com/2014/01/halloween-2013-baby-bird.html" target="_blank">2013 Halloween Costume : Baby Bird</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.youaremylicorice.com/2014/12/halloween-2014-cabbage-patch-kid-and.html" target="_blank">2014 Halloween Costumes : Cabbage Patch Kid and Elsa</a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W1LRzU3oD_0/VjZaKRwjZZI/AAAAAAACoR8/zOHlxBJFNGE/s1600/carys%2Bhalloween.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W1LRzU3oD_0/VjZaKRwjZZI/AAAAAAACoR8/zOHlxBJFNGE/s640/carys%2Bhalloween.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-e_OD-U7CkAfwll12RqvvKdqBWDFnPsYGHLBassmuVavffR_2vRRkfJO41OjC-GXVOpNzFy2IgdmP6YE5fFmem6aklJaZUFvfBgrNLcKLyqxIOY3v-kNaXeZs6Aasgwq6UMF6Mi2uHqSg/s1600/emmeline2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-e_OD-U7CkAfwll12RqvvKdqBWDFnPsYGHLBassmuVavffR_2vRRkfJO41OjC-GXVOpNzFy2IgdmP6YE5fFmem6aklJaZUFvfBgrNLcKLyqxIOY3v-kNaXeZs6Aasgwq6UMF6Mi2uHqSg/s400/emmeline2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I've concluded that I can put time and effort into <b><u>one</u> </b>Halloween costume a year. That means that the other child (the poor, neglected, unloved child) gets a ready-made costume. At least unless I start working on this in....like....August. Which isn't going to happen. I'm the type of person who is frantically shopping Amazon the three days before Christmas while thanking my lucky stars for Amazon Prime and two-day shipping.<br />
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Also note: I actually *like* working on things like this. If I hated it, I'd be store-bought all the way. Store-bought costumes are awesome. I just wish I had the time and energy or make them both; but I don't.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3bnsv10vB6M/VjWb0bp2ROI/AAAAAAACoBg/p_cEaLr0jg0/s1600/2015_10Oct_Hween_059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3bnsv10vB6M/VjWb0bp2ROI/AAAAAAACoBg/p_cEaLr0jg0/s640/2015_10Oct_Hween_059.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Last year, Emmeline was the pre-made costume. I bought a wig off Etsy and we owned a cute vintage dress that was exactly like something a 1980's Cabbage Patch doll would own. DONE. No effort on my part (except that which involved attempting to keep the wig on Emmeline's head, which was not a small effort). Then, on the flip side...<a href="http://www.youaremylicorice.com/2014/12/halloween-2014-cabbage-patch-kid-and.html">I slaved over Carys's Elsa dress</a> and wig. Like SLAVED over. I worked so long and so hard on that damn (said lovingly) dress and wig. But she loved it and I loved it and I was proud of it.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UkBlhg2YnRU/VjWb0aRYmfI/AAAAAAACoBw/0v8DThhUQ2U/s1600/2015_10Oct_Hween_091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UkBlhg2YnRU/VjWb0aRYmfI/AAAAAAACoBw/0v8DThhUQ2U/s640/2015_10Oct_Hween_091.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This year, Carys has wanted to be one thing: Wonder Woman. She's been into superheros lately, so she <a href="http://amzn.to/1Ws8CPG">saw the costume</a>, fell in love, and requested it. Sure, kid. Done. Easy enough. (Note: if I did it again, I'd order a size up. We got a "small/4-6" and she wears a 4T or 5T currently, but it fit perfectly and so it won't last long as a dress-up dress after Halloween. Bummer. Also, she DEFINITELY needed leggings under it due to the fairly short length.)<br />
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I did a few modifications to make it more wearable and a little "nicer," though. I sewed the front of the belt onto the dress, because when she was wearing it around the house, the belt and skirt would bunch up (it ties in the back, so I left the back loose). We also bought a couple yards of "rope" (drapery ties) to use as the Golden Lasso of Truth. When I sewed the belt onto the skirt, I also left a space to loop the lasso through. We ended up making an entirely new tiara, as the one that came with the costume was super flimsy and small, whereas <i>actual </i>Wonder Woman's tiara (as Carys informed me) is big and takes up her whole forehead. So I used some gold fabric, stiff interfacing, red felt, and some sparkly gold elastic to make a new tiara for her. I cut a piece of interfacing in the correct shape, sewed the piece of gold fabric over it, then sewed the elastic to each side. Then I covered the back side - the side that would touch her forehead - in a soft red felt.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lvhjQFwU21M/VjWb0cH5TuI/AAAAAAACoNQ/LnNf6GqkqS8/s1600/2015_10Oct_Hween_006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lvhjQFwU21M/VjWb0cH5TuI/AAAAAAACoNQ/LnNf6GqkqS8/s640/2015_10Oct_Hween_006.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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We threw a white long-sleeve leotard (actually from her Elsa costume last year) and a pair of fleece-lined leggings for warmth/modesty. And then we were done. So Carys's costume modifications and DIY parts were easy and took less than two hours. Easy peasy. My kind of DIY!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qv0erG8BdCM/VjWb0U4WlRI/AAAAAAACoNM/oCgdQHD-Se4/s1600/2015_10Oct_Hween_005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qv0erG8BdCM/VjWb0U4WlRI/AAAAAAACoNM/oCgdQHD-Se4/s640/2015_10Oct_Hween_005.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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She also insisted over. and over. and over. that Wonder Woman has black hair (and she's not wrong) and that she needed black hair. So I <a href="http://amzn.to/1Ws3Npp">bought a can of black temporary hair color</a> to spray her hair. I wasn't entirely enthused about that hair spray. 1. It never completely dried, so the entire night it was rubbing off on her leotard and costume and on anyone/anything that it touched. When she was riding in her carseat, I had to cover the back with a towel to prevent transfer, and she couldn't sit back on a couch at anyone's house. 2. It kind of faded/came off quickly. Within just a couple hours her natural color was already showing through. 3. Although it did come out fairly easily, it was a giant mess to get out.<br />
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In retrospect, I should have tacked or pinned her leggings up so they stayed in place. Oh, well.</div>
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Emmeline's "Boo" costume was the second "sweatshirt-based" costume that I've made (<a href="http://babyhtaketwo.blogspot.com/2014/01/halloween-2013-baby-bird.html">the first being Carys's bird costume from two years ago</a>). I initially wanted her to be a superhero so we could be a superhero family, but Chris and Carys teamed up to convince me that she should be "Boo" from Monsters Inc. How could I say no to that?<br />
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<a href="http://i1107.photobucket.com/albums/h393/Ceiroh/FMSTFIB07.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1107.photobucket.com/albums/h393/Ceiroh/FMSTFIB07.png" height="400" width="315" /></a> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dEhHrbZW9-Y/VjWb0f0olzI/AAAAAAACoO4/U0w-TH83v8w/s1600/2015_10Oct_Hween_025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dEhHrbZW9-Y/VjWb0f0olzI/AAAAAAACoO4/U0w-TH83v8w/s400/2015_10Oct_Hween_025.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=boo+costume&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS614US614&es_sm=93&biw=1266&bih=619&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=0CJ4CEPwFKAFqFQoTCPW9p_no8sgCFVDfYwodFbsB2w">Most of the costume tutorials I found online</a> were complicated and cumbersome (using bowls for the top of the Boo costume, etc) and I was 100% sure that Emmeline wouldn't wear anything like that, so I tried to come up with a more comfortable solution. (Though those tutorials DID result in totally adorable and realistic costumes - so if you have an older kid that will wear a bowl on their head, there are some fantastic tutorials out there!).<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RItnbhA7vwQ/VjWb0WNntsI/AAAAAAACoOE/S_-isa14vX4/s1600/2015_10Oct_Hween_012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RItnbhA7vwQ/VjWb0WNntsI/AAAAAAACoOE/S_-isa14vX4/s400/2015_10Oct_Hween_012.jpg" width="266" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uwNG7LEmqHA/VjWb0QY65rI/AAAAAAACoOM/BfHWYFrD1QQ/s1600/2015_10Oct_Hween_014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uwNG7LEmqHA/VjWb0QY65rI/AAAAAAACoOM/BfHWYFrD1QQ/s400/2015_10Oct_Hween_014.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VPpOSm7cz9g/VjWb0SRGa9I/AAAAAAACoOQ/Squno503QJA/s1600/2015_10Oct_Hween_015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VPpOSm7cz9g/VjWb0SRGa9I/AAAAAAACoOQ/Squno503QJA/s400/2015_10Oct_Hween_015.jpg" width="266" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nE00x60J6ig/VjWb0XoyYnI/AAAAAAACoOY/sgJvR6Od1n8/s1600/2015_10Oct_Hween_017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nE00x60J6ig/VjWb0XoyYnI/AAAAAAACoOY/sgJvR6Od1n8/s400/2015_10Oct_Hween_017.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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I bought a <a href="http://amzn.to/20oRn0Z">purple hooded sweatshirt</a> off Amazon to use as the base. I wasn't thinking and got her current size - 2T - and I totally should have gotten at least a size bigger.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yBgtYD5bA0s/VjWb0bjrnGI/AAAAAAACoNg/MJxNiyaV3CQ/s1600/2015_10Oct_Hween_029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yBgtYD5bA0s/VjWb0bjrnGI/AAAAAAACoNg/MJxNiyaV3CQ/s640/2015_10Oct_Hween_029.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I sewed elastic around the inside of the body of the sweatshirt to make three equal-ish segments. The plan was to stuff these to give it the fluffy look of the source costume, but after doing some testing, I determined that Emmeline wouldn't wear it if it was stuffed, ha! So unstuffed it was left.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-suZEkLhovUQ/VjWb0cSbUJI/AAAAAAACoPo/kV9Cy2jQ70o/s1600/2015_10Oct_Hween_084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-suZEkLhovUQ/VjWb0cSbUJI/AAAAAAACoPo/kV9Cy2jQ70o/s640/2015_10Oct_Hween_084.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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I also ripped the arms out of the sweatshirt and replaced them with a soft white minky fabric that had a dot pattern. I closed the end of the new sleeve, but left a flap so she could put her hands out of it if she wanted (and had her hands out pretty much the entire time).<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0pMwsMrdFlE/VjWb0aCOO5I/AAAAAAACoBg/LZkSDjoZc0s/s1600/2015_10Oct_Hween_058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0pMwsMrdFlE/VjWb0aCOO5I/AAAAAAACoBg/LZkSDjoZc0s/s640/2015_10Oct_Hween_058.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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For the head of the costume, I cut "teeth" from stiff white felt and sewed them around the edge of the hood opening. I bought an actual mop head off Amazon (ha!) and cut pieces of it to use as the hair. Figuring out how to get it to flop in the same manner as the original character was REALLY HARD. I ended up gathering the pieces into two bunches, then hot glueing and sewing the bunches to the hood on end. I then took random pieces and hot glued them in spots that looked sparse. The eyes were two styrofoam balls with the back half covered in purple fabric (from the sweatshirt sleeves I cut off) and black felt pupils (both hot glued onto the ball). I then stuck pipe cleaners (three twisted together, then folded and twisted again to make a short stalk of six) into the back of the balls (secured with hot glue again). I bent the last inch of the ends of the pipe cleaner stalk out at 90 degrees to make kind of a stand to attach to the costume. I never really figured out the perfect way to attach them to the hood - plus if they were attached permanently it made it a much harder costume to wear in her carseat - so I just used safety pins and pinned the ends of the pipe cleaners to the hood.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVulA2PHRMIpZAJAxERvphHm46K0SIF8OC_5rBxto-H-lhmzQm0k-1lUHlKkClGcIkYf54PNbpZSqx5vhGKMp4nZLliRS44RqmaSbrz30IAEKHYtJBIHL5ZkXVIgAUcUq1XIPFsQMQ3WX_/s1600/20151025_175846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVulA2PHRMIpZAJAxERvphHm46K0SIF8OC_5rBxto-H-lhmzQm0k-1lUHlKkClGcIkYf54PNbpZSqx5vhGKMp4nZLliRS44RqmaSbrz30IAEKHYtJBIHL5ZkXVIgAUcUq1XIPFsQMQ3WX_/s400/20151025_175846.jpg" width="225" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-aCJl0aBEfoeqeMacBWD-fQfQ56Id9eg_1eHYwjt33VGNTjLi1786mLI9kpTUBU3qyL8irE5clqkKlot9vh0udDNIuqpk9OWe0PQECCJvGoW1ftwIWZbWaqycO6J4i_0FbekCQxfbfFco/s1600/20151025_175831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-aCJl0aBEfoeqeMacBWD-fQfQ56Id9eg_1eHYwjt33VGNTjLi1786mLI9kpTUBU3qyL8irE5clqkKlot9vh0udDNIuqpk9OWe0PQECCJvGoW1ftwIWZbWaqycO6J4i_0FbekCQxfbfFco/s400/20151025_175831.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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You'll note in these pictures that she pretty much refused to keep the hood on...at all. This is probably the best picture of the hood on that I got all night (and even here you can see we didn't have time to make sure the hair was lying correctly or anything - it was a "put it on and take a picture before she realizes it's on!):<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nZdLkX0w_ZY/VjWb0fvEkSI/AAAAAAACoBo/hz3uIx9MRWg/s1600/2015_10Oct_Hween_044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nZdLkX0w_ZY/VjWb0fvEkSI/AAAAAAACoBo/hz3uIx9MRWg/s640/2015_10Oct_Hween_044.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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To finish the costume off, she wore purple leggings and we put her hair in pig tails. She DID have shoes and shoe covers made of the same minky fabric as the new sleeves, but....well, Emmeline doesn't love shoes. And it was warm enough out that she didn't have to wear them, so I let her be. </div>
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Carys has already informed me that next year she's going to be a fairy - and it's a little disconcerting to realize that Emmeline might have an opinion next year and want to give input! Although to be completely honest, I'm hoping I can get her to wear Carys's bird costume from 2013 because CUTE and FREE equals a done deal in my book. </div>
Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14724675337980390322noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3576989325677664760.post-87883994592239829792015-11-01T22:36:00.002-06:002015-11-15T22:25:32.929-06:00Dining Room Rugs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So I'm trying to find a rug for the dining room. Using the "measure the chairs pushed into the table then add a scientific number of inches in order to ensure the chairs stay on the rug while they're being pulled out and pushed in" I came up with a rug size needed of 6'8"x8'3". However, that doesn't seem to be a REAL rug size (WTF RUGMAKERS), so I cleverly rounded that up to 7'x8', which STILL isn't an actual real rug size. I ended up looking at 6'7"x9'6" sized rugs, which seems a very odd number to be a regular rug size, but apparently I'm just a consumer who knows nothing about rugs so I'll defer to the rugmakers. THIS TIME.</div>
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I was advised to look for an indoor/outdoor rug because they're durable and can be washed with a hose pretty easily. And I have two small kids. So those are absolute musts. </div>
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I looked at a few different sites and kept finding rugs that were beautiful but way out of our price range. Someone pointed me to Overstock.com and BINGO! Good selection at a price that we can actually afford (kind of) - well under $200. I tried to pick out a few that I liked from a wide variety of styles (modern, classic, contemporary, traditional, plain, etc.) to look at because I had no idea what I wanted or what would look good in the room.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N7KOeAAGzFQ/ViFKoLyRLOI/AAAAAAAClQc/inSndaLU9n8/s1600/rug1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N7KOeAAGzFQ/ViFKoLyRLOI/AAAAAAAClQc/inSndaLU9n8/s320/rug1.jpeg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-etRCHbAvttI/ViFKoOz-V_I/AAAAAAAClQc/CE76_xOgvqg/s1600/rug2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-etRCHbAvttI/ViFKoOz-V_I/AAAAAAAClQc/CE76_xOgvqg/s320/rug2.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EIQs67H_06s/ViFKoKh3C1I/AAAAAAAClQc/1JJhVnnBbqg/s1600/rug3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EIQs67H_06s/ViFKoKh3C1I/AAAAAAAClQc/1JJhVnnBbqg/s320/rug3.jpg" width="320" /></a> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-seBcK_OPIDk/ViFKoILPOJI/AAAAAAAClQc/1okCIPOb6mI/s1600/rug6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-seBcK_OPIDk/ViFKoILPOJI/AAAAAAAClQc/1okCIPOb6mI/s320/rug6.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T4pLOMhQCgE/ViFKoMuIFcI/AAAAAAAClQc/Rkuev9d0CLY/s1600/rug7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T4pLOMhQCgE/ViFKoMuIFcI/AAAAAAAClQc/Rkuev9d0CLY/s320/rug7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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(<a href="http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Safavieh-Dark-Beige-Beige-Contemporary-Indoor-Outdoor-Rug/7542988/product.html" target="_blank">source 1</a>) (<a href="http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Outdoor-Indoor-Grey-Gold-Casual-Area-Rug/7521427/product.html?refccid=MU77XH2WSBJYQ6CKXQUMEN3HWU&searchidx=4&option=10330681" target="_blank">source 2</a>) (<a href="http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Safavieh-Indoor-Outdoor-Abaco-Blue-Natural-Rug-67-x-96/3899049/product.html?refccid=EI3BFCON7SMLFQKCSWX2DZIX6E&searchidx=89&option=5181825" target="_blank">source 3</a>) (<a href="http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Safavieh-Courtyard-Natural-Gold-Indoor-Outdoor-Rug/7357036/product.html?refccid=MU77XH2WSBJYQ6CKXQUMEN3HWU&searchidx=0&option=9992265" target="_blank">source 4</a>) (<a href="http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Safavieh-Courtyard-Grey-Beige-Moroccan-Style-Indoor-Outdoor-Rug/7357010/product.html?option=9992117&searchidx=3" target="_blank">source 5</a>)</div>
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I then hastily photoshopped them into a picture of the dining room. The problem is this: I can't get a good picture of the color of the dining room. It photographs more green/blue than it is. It's a bit more subtle in person. So while my beloved peacock rug idea looks like it clashes terribly in this picture, but in real life, it would only MOSTLY clash, not completely clash. Anyway, I hoped that this would help me narrow down the type of rug - if not THE rug - that I wanted.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aNQsHXuCyhA/VjbjVpQSSkI/AAAAAAACoWQ/X037ynry0cs/s1600/rug1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aNQsHXuCyhA/VjbjVpQSSkI/AAAAAAACoWQ/X037ynry0cs/s400/rug1.jpg" width="322" /></a> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xDXcivQtNDM/VjbjVmnNm6I/AAAAAAACoWQ/RqOu6XIJBIU/s1600/rug2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xDXcivQtNDM/VjbjVmnNm6I/AAAAAAACoWQ/RqOu6XIJBIU/s400/rug2.jpg" width="322" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SZkSUa_AJAo/VjbjVq_TOgI/AAAAAAACoWQ/fZW4gYMDvPc/s1600/rug3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SZkSUa_AJAo/VjbjVq_TOgI/AAAAAAACoWQ/fZW4gYMDvPc/s400/rug3.jpg" width="322" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ycbDTicWKcw/VjbjVrCbBbI/AAAAAAACoWQ/Jz0OCfZDSpY/s1600/rug4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ycbDTicWKcw/VjbjVrCbBbI/AAAAAAACoWQ/Jz0OCfZDSpY/s400/rug4.jpg" width="322" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fatu-qr1em4/VjbjVnxVO2I/AAAAAAACoWQ/6BenAJmoKu8/s1600/rug5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fatu-qr1em4/VjbjVnxVO2I/AAAAAAACoWQ/6BenAJmoKu8/s400/rug5.jpg" width="322" /></a></div>
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After looking at the mock-ups, I think I've decided to go with the first rug exactly as it is - a natural jute/sisal-type rug with a subtle pattern. I think it will pull in the oak from the kitchen cabinets and provide a bit of continuity with the oak color since it's nowhere else in the house.<br />
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I love the second style with the floral medallions, too, but I think it might make decorating the room too hard (keeping in mind that it has to match the sitting room, too, since they are open to each other),..especially for someone with no idea what they are doing like me. The peacock rug clashes, although I really like that style, I think. Possibly worth looking for something like that in a different color? The the fourth rug is too plain, so I want something with a little more interest than that. And the last one I think is very...well, either very <i>last year</i> or very current and <i>will soon be dated</i>. Although I like it, too. Am I wrong and it's a classic look? Or is it heading out of style?<br />
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Remember, I'm at Decorating Skill Level Zero so I know nothing. Don't be shy about telling me my instinct to go with the first one as-is is terrible.Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14724675337980390322noreply@blogger.com1