Serious Catch Up- Part 2 Preschool and Gios Birthday!

I realized I needed to split these posts up.  They were just going to be too massive in one.  I suppose the smart thing would have required writing individual posts, but c'est la vie.

After returning home from Disney, we hit the ground running and started straight in for Bella's preschool.  She goes two days a week for two and a half hours.  Fairly small amount of time but it has proven to be exactly perfect for her.  The school she goes to is strictly a school.  There is no day care or extended hours.  In fact, it is in a local recreation center, so they actually set up and take down each of the rooms every day.  There are usually 5-7 stations set up each day.  Always an art project that each child gets to rotate through with the teacher.  Usually some sort of fantasy play (train tracks, or a farm or a doll house, etc).  Often play dough, puzzles and other focused play items.  They go outside to the attached park, have a snack, and a story circle each day.  It took awhile for Bella to begin to connect with the kids but she is slowly gaining familiarity with them.  It is still a relatively slow drop of (typically 5-10 minutes now) but I know she is not upset when I leave.  She is always happy to go which I take as a very good sign.  I originally thought she should go 3 days a week, going up to 4 next year in preparation for 5 days a week preschool the following year.  Right now, 2 days is more than enough, though we also have gymnastics on a third day.  We will see how the next year and a half go. I know insane amounts of growth happen between now and five, but it is hard to imagine in such a short amount of time that she will be ready to begin real school.  Time will tell I suppose!  Here is my sweet girl on her first day.

The final update- Gio's First Birthday!  I can hardly believe my little man is one already!  As I consider the likelihood that this is my last baby, every milestone is bittersweet.  He shows more and more personality every day.  He is a little ham and quite the Casanova.  He looks you straight in the eye and melts your heart.  At the last moment (one week to be exact) we decided to have the big bash for Gio's first.  It was Halloween themed, particularly focusing on the pumpkin.  You can read all about it here.  It was a sweet day.  Dinner and cake and loved ones.  Nothing crazy.  A couple of photos of the big one year old.

Isabella's Second Birthday!

Well okay, technically tomorrow is Isabella's official birthday, but we celebrated this weekend with a little soiree.  It was so lovely to be surrounded by family and friends and share some food and fun!  The theme was a Hawaiian luau, which was fitting since it was a crazy hot day and the pool was in use throughout!

First things first, we did a little photo shoot of Bella in her party gear so that we could have it printed for the party.  Here is my Hawaiian princess.

She is so freaking cute sometimes.  Somewhere there is a very similar picture of me when I was little.  At the time my grandfather lived in Hawaii and got a similar hula outfit for me and my sister.  I will have to hunt for it one of these days as it seems to be MIA but I can't wait to compare this one to it!

Here are the details of our luau party!  I went a little crazy even while trying to keep it under control, but it really did turn out great!

A pinterest find!  Watermelon turtle serving dish for fruit salad!

Pineapple cream cheese!  Yummy!  Two packages of cream cheese, one cup of sour cream, one small can of crushed pineapple.  I used the juice too which made it too runny.  I had to freeze it to form the log, but boy it sure did taste delicious!  I would do exactly the same recipe and put it in a bowl if presentation didn't matter.  I would cut the sour cream and juice a bit to form it in the shape too.  Halved pecans make the pineapple skin and the top of an actual pineapple makes the top!

I had a whole box of plastic leis when I discovered that I actually had fabric leis in a bin from the past.  So I needed to do something with the plastic leis knowing that they wouldn't be worn by anyone.  I came up with the idea to string them together and make a garland for our fence!  I put them in rainbow order for extra theme appropriateness.  It turned out SO cute and I was very pleased with the result!

My mom found these plastic shell containers at goodwill!  She put some leaves and a fake flower in each and it gave a lovely tropical feel!

Another pinterest find!  Water bottles wrapped in decorative duct tape.  If you need over the top personalizations like this for an event, it is quite easy to find and do, and inexpensive to boot.  Otherwise, a huge waste of time (even if super adorable).  The punch was 1 part pineapple juice, 2 parts orange juice, 3-4 parts ginger ale and ice.  Add booze (malibu rum seemed to be a hit) for those who prefer to make it an adult party!

We found some inexpensive shells and decorated the tables with them.  I also picked up some dyed daisies to add color to my tables!

Some palm fronds from a family members yard added some extra tropical flair!

We found nets at the party store and hung them on the ceiling holding the larger shells (large starfish were the best).  It was so cute!

Fresh pineapple and tuberose added both beauty and fragrance to the party!  You can also see the very bottom of the picture that we had enlarged (12x18 costco- $6!) of Bella in her hula skirt.  So adorable and I can hang it in Bella's room now that the party is over.

An attempt to show the tiki torches we put up around the deck.  On theme, fun, and added not only ambiance at night once lit- but bug protection since they are citronella!

Hawaiian rice- delicious!  Two cups of jasmine rice, one can of regular coconut milk, 1 1/4 c of liquid (I used the juice from a small can of crushed coconut plus chicken broth for the rest, you could also use water or veggie broth or whatever suits you), and salt to taste.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to lowest heat and cook for 20 minutes.  Leave the lid on and let rest for 10 more minutes.  Add the crushed pineapple, taste for salt and pepper.  You can also add soy sauce (instead of salt), toasted sesame seed oil, green onions, crushed peanuts, you name it.  Whatever floats your boat.  I left it plain and it was DELICIOUS!

My own little creation.  A combo of Kahlua pork and Cha Siu (Chinese BBQ pork).  Delicious!  I will post the recipe separately for this one because it is a little more involved, but it was so yummy, especially served on rice, or as pork sliders on Hawaiian rolls!

Same marinade as the pork on chicken skewers that were then bbq'd.  It was a wonderful alternative for those who don't eat pork.  You could probably cook it in a different method and serve it shredded just like the pork.

Yet another pinterest find- flip flop nutter butters!  I give myself an F for presentation, but they really are super cute.  And I really didn't do a very good job since I used the wrong tools late at night on this project.  Easy cute way to have a great kid friendly treat (and lets face it, adults love nutter butters too) that are so on theme!

The beautiful cake for little miss.  The cake place actually completely messed up the decorations relative to what we ordered (the green in the middle at the top is supposed to be a sea turtle) but it was still delicious and very cute.

It was a truly wonderful day.  I am so lucky to have so many amazing people in my life, and Bella too.  Fun seemed to be had by all.  Often people don't look forward to "kid parties" but I hope that we are able to prove them wrong every time we host an event.  You can have a party that is family friendly and this was one of them!  I'll leave you with some pictures of the actual people that made this event so special.

Mommy and Bella- cake time!

Kisses with Daddy! 

Noni Lorraine and Auntie Jen! 

Cousin love!!! 

All the girls! And its even a good picture!

Hoppy Easter!

In our house we believe in the Easter Bunny and brightly colored eggs.  This celebration usually involves an Easter egg hunt, girls in pretty dresses, lots of delicious foods made by the many wonderful cooks in the family, and delicious treats too.  Most importantly it revolves around family and friends and being together.  This year was no exception.  We spent the day at my dad's house where the little kids enjoyed running around the very large backyard, and the rest of us enjoyed the sunshine and festivities of the day.

I know I am overdue for a pregnancy update and I fully intended to post one on Friday (I hit 12 weeks!) but am delayed to take a proper bump photo for you, which I should be able to do in the next two days.  So it will have to be 12 and a half weeks! =)  Something to look forward to though- our NT scan is on Thursday!  More ultrasound photos! =)

In the meantime here is my oldest beauty in her Easter dress.

Looking Forward

Happy New Year!

Well, 2011 was quite a year, wasn't it?  A friend of mine pointed out on facebook how much hate there was for this past year, but she enjoyed the birth of her daughter so how could it be bad?  This was a good reminder for me since I remember feeling the same way last new years eve.  2011 was a good year.  I had many friends have their first (and second) babies, there were some weddings, moves, graduations and other joys.  Nick, Isabella and I all celebrated big birthdays this year with unparalleled parties.  And although I was diagnosed with cancer, I beat cancer this year.

Although I can't say I am sad to see it go, 2011 was a year of blessings in disguise for me.  I spent more time with friends and family due to my battle than I ever get to.  I was gifted time and time again with love, prayers, thoughts, trinkets, time and support.  I got to experience the depth of my amazing community of family and friends.  And despite the fact that I was "down" through much of it, I was blessed with a year at home with my sweet girl, that I might likely not have gotten otherwise.

With all of that said, I welcome 2012 with open arms.  I see many wonderful things for this coming year.  I hope to get up on the stage and do some performing this year.  I think I will seek out part time work to help ease the financial burden of our household while reclaiming a little bit of Karey the professional.  Isabella will turn 2 this year which has already started to bring mobility, independence and communication.  I could never have guessed what 2011 was going to bring, so lesson learned, I will not even begin to try for 2012.  I will simply trust that it will be an amazing year.

Happy new year everyone.  I hope that you wish 2011 farewell with peace in your heart, and welcome 2012 with open arms.

Merry Christmas to All

Today is Christmas. It is Bella's second and my first as a survivor. Although the fact is that being a survivor is an ever-present and permanent part of my existence now, it actually didn't flavor the festivities at all. This gives me an immense amount of hope that life really will be able to return to some semblance of normal.

It has been a wonderful couple of days. Christmas Eve has been the big celebration day for both.of our families growing up. What that means today is that we combine everyone for a super celebration. We host the huge dinner party at our house. This year there were 33 of us in total. The traditions include a crab cioppino dinner with cold crab and prawns, bacala, Caesar salad and garlic bread, and a rousing game of ornament exchange. It is all so much fun.

Today we woke up late (thank you Bella!), opened our gifts and stockings, went to Nick's mom's house for brunch, opened more presents, came home for a nap, enjoyed leftover crab for dinner and now a relaxing, quiet night in our pj's.

It really is a wonderful life. I am so blessed and grateful to be alive.

Disneyland

I should really write posts closer to the time they happen since my memory is just not what it used to be, and details like to fade... Anyhow this is a little recap on our fabulous visit to Disneyland at the end of November.
As you already know, we visited Disneyland in July with Nick's mom and brothers for Isabella's first trip.  When we were down there we tried to convince my sister Sarah to bring my niece Mia for a day too.  It proved to be too much but we all agreed on a trip after Thanksgiving for Mia.  This was that trip.  I'm telling you this because I have never had such a princess-centric Disney trip, but this was all about my beautiful little niece and what she loves.

Nick, Bella and I drove down late Saturday night after Thanksgiving number two at my dad's house.  Like crazy people we arrived Anaheim sometime around 2:30 a.m. and quickly found a cheap, clean hotel room to grab a few zzz's.  Sarah, Alex and Mia flew down to Orange County Sunday morning, and we all convened at the hotel we had booked for our stay.  Once we had dropped all our luggage we headed straight over to Disneyland.

Mia didn't know where we were all going so as we approached the park we kept asking her if she had figured out where we were.  Finally, once we were in line at the gate, she knew exactly where she was.  The house of the mouse of course!

As we strolled down main street Mia was just taking it all in.  Christmas at Disneyland is pretty stimulating after all.  We quickly found Mary Poppins, and then Ariel!  A princess roaming free right in the middle of the park!  We stopped for Mia's very first picture and autograph from a princess.

Mia was in princess heaven and we'd barely begun!  We then went straight to Fantasyland for some kid friendly rides.  We enjoyed the Carousel and Dumbo to start, and then had to get some lunch.

The details from here start to get a little fuzzy for me- where we went and when is a bit jumbled.  As you can see from the pictures, Bella was exhausted.  She was happy, just really tired.  So tired she actually just fell asleep on Nick's shoulder while waiting for the Tiki Room!  Mia danced with Mary Poppins, and we found our way on to a couple more rides in the park. 

Eventually we worked our way back to the hotel for a nap before dinner.  We went to the Big Thunder BBQ for dinner and stuffed ourselves on sausage, chicken, ribs, and all the BBQ fixins.  Delicious!  After dinner we watched the fireworks and Fantasmic! while indulging in some desserts at the French Market Restaurant.  Not to give away our tricks, but if you want a seat, and a decent view for Fantasmic! grab a table at the French Market.  You can see the whole show, you have a chair the whole time, and you can get dessert (or dinner) at the same time! 

After a late night and a long first day, we headed back to the hotel to rest up for day two!  Here's the whole group required castle shot!  (Yes, we did put the girls in matching Snow White Shirts for the day.)

The second day was my actual birthday, and we had a very important date to attend.  I had scheduled us for the Princess Luncheon at Ariel's Grotto!  We started off the morning with fruit and bagels (with a birthday candle for me!) and then headed off to California Adventure.  The boys went off to ride the big roller coaster while Sarah and I and the girls went on The Little Mermaid, Undersea Adventure!  It was sweet to experience the magic with our little princesses.  We stopped for a girls photo op along the way.

We rode some rides (I finally got to ride Toy Story Midway Mania, which is insanely popular and always has a very long line), and eventually worked our way to Ariel's Grotto for our Princess Luncheon.  This was the highlight of the trip for me.  Mia was in absolute heaven.  Ariel greeted us at the door, and then Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Cinderella and Belle worked their way around the room one at a time, greeting each little princess personally.  Mia became more and more excited with each princess that approached (we were at the end of the circuit so she watched them work the whole room before reaching us), so by the time Belle joined us, Mia was over the top.  Belle also happens to be a favorite, so when she arrived, Mia literally tackled her with a hug.  It was the sweetest thing I have ever seen.  Bella slept through the entirety of lunch, but I was almost glad because that meant Mia got to have her very special experience all for herself.  Bella will get to have her own Princess lunch when she is old enough to appreciate it.  Here are some pictures from our fabulous lunch.

After lunch we wanted to hit up a couple more rides (both kid-friendly and adult-friendly) before heading back to the hotel for our daily nap.  On our way to A Bug's Land for some fun for the kiddos, we stumbled across Minnie, Mickey and Pluto.  We happened to be the last allowed in line to greet them and so lucked out with probably one of the most awesome Disney pictures possible.

We finished up California Adventure with rides for all (big and small) and headed back to the room for a little rest.  We had originally planned an earlier dinner with the girls but quickly realized that the park was closing early that night, so we pushed back our reservations for some more Disneyland fun.  We went on It's a Small World (always a winner with the kids), the Tiki Room (another favorite of Bella's) and the Haunted Mansion.  Once we had shut down the park, we headed over to Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen for a delicious birthday dinner!  After a tasty steak dinner, we indulged in a birthday beignet and some banana's foster.  Yummy!

Day three was planned to be a partial day since we were all heading home at various points throughout the day.  Alex left in the morning (or at least he was supposed to, but due to fog in the bay ended up getting stuck in Anaheim until Sarah and Mia left in the afternoon!), so it was Nick, Sarah, Mia, Bella and I for day three.  We planned to visit Pixie Hollow to meet Tinkerbell, and the Princess Faire to meet whichever Princesses were on duty.  Done and done!  We met Tinkerbell, Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine and Belle.

We finally made it on Peter Pan (the best kid friendly ride in all of Disneyland in my opinion), and got a little shopping done.  It was truly a wonderful trip.  It made me that much more excited to take my kid(s) and experience the magic time and again as they appreciate new and different aspects of the Disney magic.  I know it is cheesy, but it really is the happiest place on earth.  I think I should do this every year for my birthday! ;)