A Dream Is A Wish

We are on a real Cinderella kick this week. We generally alternate between Cinderella, Rapunzel and Tiana (Princess and the Frog). But right now, Kennedy asks to be called Cinderella and waltzes around the house looking for her prince (Greg) in her glass slippers. She finds mice in traps (all pretend) and asks me to play the roles of Stepmother, Fairy Godmother and Step Sisters. We really commit to these roles when we play Cinderella at home.

She sings songs from all three of the movies, but this week has been focusing on A Dream Is A Wish from Cinderella. She has taken some creative liberty with the lyrics, but her little singing voice is about the sweetest thing ever.

Vacay: The Beach

Last week was Vacation Week for the Hunters. Greg and I realized we had not been on a family vacation, just the three of us. We have been on plenty of vacations, but they have all been with our extended families. While they have all been super fun vacations, we thought it was time the three of us got away, especially before we become a family of four. So we headed south to Galveston and spent a few days soaking up the sun in the Gulf.

Kennedy has been to the beach before, but she was a wee-one and didn't remember it. She plays "beach" all the time at home and could not contain her excitement in the week leading up to the trip. The first day there, we checked into our hotel (changed rooms once) and then hit the sand. And I mean that literally. Kennedy wanted nothing to do with the water. She didn't like the surf or the waves, but she absolutely loved playing in the sand.

We would head out to the beach in the mornings, with lunch, drinks and snacks packed in the cooler. We would build sandcastles and play in the water. Well, Greg and I took turns wading out into the water. It felt amazing. Its warm water and was so refreshing! Then we would pack up after lunch and head to the pool for a bit. Then we would head up to the room to nap. Both Kennedy and I got in some good vacation naps, which makes for happy girls.

Because we were there in the "off season" the beach was virtually empty. This was so nice as Kennedy had ample space to run around and dig. And we didn't feel like we had to compete for space in the sand, or for chairs and umbrellas.

We had a great time and will definitely be making many return visits to Galveston in the future. This was my first time there, and Greg hadn't been in a very long time. I think we would definitely stay in the same place (Hotel Galvez) and we now have a better idea of restaurants and things to do. As Kennedy gets older, I am sure she will grow to love the water. She's already saying she is ready to go back to the beach.

Running and resting in the shade. 

Sand castle building with daddy. 

 

Sand Castle City, TX

She had the most fun letting Greg build things so she could smash them down. 

These glasses kill me. 

Beach Dad and his Beach Bum

Vacation Hunters, 2013

Baby Boo on the Beach. 

Last Day

Today was our last day of the school year, and happens to be our last day at Prestonwood. Kennedy has been there two years, and while we have loved the program, we have decided to move to a different school next year.

I had to pull it together when I went to pick her up today - I started to get a little emotional. I think it kind of hit me how much she has grown up and changed since August. I still see her as my baby and today I realized she is a Little Girl. She and Emily hugged their teachers and handed them some thank you gifts on their way out the door. We have a few summer camps lined up for June and July and will start at our new school after Labor Day in September.

The face she is making on the right is somewhere between "squinting from the bright light" and "princess face." But here we are, in the same spot on the wall.

They look like such big girls here! As I was dropping Kennedy off, Ms. Grace already had the rubber bands ready for matching braids. 

Car Conversation

Sometimes we have our best chats while I'm driving. Today I was literally scribbling it down on an old receipt at the light so I wouldn't forget.

Mother's Day - 2013

The Hunters did a bit of travel for Mother's Day weekend and spent some time in Midland. Before we left, Greg wanted to make sure I got a proper Mother's Day with just our little family of three. So we went out to dinner at Coal Vines, one of my favorite pizza/wine places. While the pizza was awesome, and Kennedy was a little angel at dinner, I did sorta miss the wine like a lot. After dinner, we walked down to Sugarbox and had a couple cake balls for dessert. Kennedy has her mother's sweet tooth and thoroughly enjoyed every morsel of her dessert. It was a really fun evening and I felt like a very special, loved and appreciated Mommy (and wife).

We had a fun weekend in Midland (more on that later) and spent Mother's Day relaxing at the Hunter house. Greg's dad made a delicious BBQ brisket for lunch and Kennedy had fun playing with all the toys. All of them. At the same time.

Me and my girl, enjoying our sweets. 

Mother's Day - 2013

Kennedy giving Baby Boo a high five. 

Grammyflash with Kennedy and Greg. 

Mother's Day Tea Party

Last Tuesday was a Mother's Day tea party put on by the kids in Kennedy's class. It was just about the cutest thing ever. They had been practicing some songs and a prayer to show us and I loved watching them all perform. There's a video after all the pictures.

Next we decorated cookies and had some juice together. Kennedy went to town on the cookies. I haven't seen her eat something with that kind of determination in a very long time. Well, maybe not since the cupcake she got to have at Emily's birthday!

Anyway, after cookies were cleaned up, Kennedy gave me the special craft she had been working on. Adorable. The whole thing was just too cute. Their teachers are so sweet and it makes me feel so good to see how much Kennedy enjoys being at her school. A funny story about her hair, no matter how I send her to school, I always pick her up with double braids. She and Emily ask Ms. Grace to braid their hair the same every day!

I loved getting to be in her classroom and definitely felt like a proud mommy!

The kids and their performance. 

My Sweet Girl. And her Sweet Tooth. 

 Sweet friends. 

Little Photographer

A few weeks ago, Kennedy and I had a lunch date at the Dallas Arboretum. The tulips were out and the weather was beautiful, so we packed a lunch and grabbed our cameras. Kennedy has had a camera pointed at her since she was hours old, and while she likes to try to use my Big Girl camera, it makes me a little nervous. So I found one of my old point-and-shoot cameras and throught I would let her take some pictures of her own.

I was shocked and impressed at how well she did with composition and framing. She was really proud of herself, and I was pretty proud of her too. She loves taking her camera with her everywhere we go now.

My little photographer (shots from her camera on the left). 

 Setting up her shots. These were all from her camera. 

Having fun in the frontier town. 

My Little Tulip.