Catalina Island

Our first weekend away since JESSICA!  I know!  Crazy how long it was- we promised each other we would never go that long again!

One of my preschoolers gifted me a weekend at their family beach house on Catalina Island as a Thank You gift for watching him since he was born when he left for kindergarten (he was one of my very first kids!).  I had him for 5 years- he is like a big brother to Jessica & Izzy. So sad when he left :(  What an amazing gift they gave me though!

Played a lot with my camera over the weekend.  We just walked around and explored.  I'm also playing around with placement for my pictures :)

Here are some of my favs:

Steve on the boat ride over.  Wish I could have enjoyed it more, but rediscovered that I get seasick :(

 Just arriving to the Island- we had amazing, gorgeous weather!

 Yay for a weekend just the two of us!

 The cute little Beach House we stayed at. So cozy and fun, and perfect for the two of us OR all four of us when we decide to make a trip over!

 We also ate a LOT of yummy food!  Found the best Mexican resturant, will be going back for sure!

 Jessica and Izzy supposedly missed us a little bit, they were so excited when we came home.  Especially since we brought them back some fun mermaid dolls.

Disneyland Adventure

The Birthday Celebrating continues....
Jess was BEYOND excited

We got to Disneyland right before it opened, then booked it to the back so we could meet the princesses.  Had to stop and take some pics at Sleeping Beauty's castle, first!

But Jessica wasn't so into actually MEETING the princesses- she was ok to just see them from afar.  So we headed over the merry-go-round.  She LOVES merry-go-rounds.

Then to Dumbo- she wanted to go high up!

Then to Its a Small World

She loved it

We had a yummy lunch, and then we went through Tarzan's treehouse, where she got a little scared

And also got a little scared on the Jungle Cruise

So we went back to Its a Small World

The she got a PINK lollipop.  Did you know that Jessica really loves the color pink?

Then we rode the merry go round again, then we headed over to Buzz Lightyear.  Where she got scared, and I had to kind of hold her and try to shoot my laser gun thingy with my left hand.  This picture cracks me up!

We had so much fun at the Happiest Place on Earth- and can't wait to go back for Miss Isabella's 4th birthday (in two more years....)

Jessica's Pinkalicious Fancy Nancy Birthday Party Extravaganza!

So, the plan for Jessica's birthday was to do Disneyland in place of a big party (her choice) and a small celebration at school on her actual Bday.
But of course, that did NOT go as planned.
I went overboard.  Of course.
She wanted a Pinkalicious Fancy Nancy themed party (her two favorite books)
Easy enough, I thought.
Pink & fancy.  Simple, right? Well, I guess not, because simple is NOT fancy.
Made a bunch of these Martha Stewart pom poms (obsessed!)

Stayed up late the night before making Pink cupcakes, from scratch because I'm OCD like that, and dyed with beet juice: from a beet that I actually juiced.  Trying to keep it natural.  And gluten free/sugar free/dairy free so that I could also enjoy it (its kind a big day for me, too!).  I also decorated a bit, then woke up early so that I was all decked out and dressed in pink and finished decorating before Jessica woke up.

She got a bike and a few books and a pair of shoes from her family.  Why didn't I think Disneyland was enough?
But look how happy she was!

Izzy helped make her pink pancakes (made with beet juice of course)

Shaped in the number 4

With a candle.  All day celebration, thats for sure!

We played pin the cherry on the pink cupcake with her friends, my assistant Justine made the cute cupcake

Photoshoot!  She would not hold still and pose like last year, but I got some cute ones (SOOC, not edited yet)

Izzy's boyfriend came

Fancy plates, a la Fancy Nancy

and fancy spoons....

Cupcake pull string pinata

Izzy played pin the cherry on the pink cupcake!

Pink table all ready for lunch!

Jessica chose: chicken nuggets, pink applesause, carrots with ranch made dairy free and dyed pink, and pink lemonade to drink!

delicous

Pink cupcakes with cherries on top!

Jessica was very worried when the wind kept blowing out her candles....

this picture cracks me up- she seriously looks so worried!

so we moved inside.  Much better

That night we went to dinner at the Elephant Bar (her choice) so she could get their chicken nuggets.  The girl loves her chicken nuggets!

Did you notice that she changed her outfit 5 or 6 times that day???
It was pretty hectic with the two girls at dinner...

But Jessica had a blast on her 4th Birthday! AND we hadn't even been to Disneyland yet.....