Easter 2016

Talk about crazy Missouri weather. Today it started out with temperatures in the 30's and rain. Then the rain turned to snow and now the sun is shining. This put quite a damper on having an outside Easter egg hunt for Violet.

But this girl is ready for any hazard put in her way. I hid Easter eggs around the house and Violet found them all. Then she hid them again and, surprise, found them all. Who knew putting a few pieces of candy in plastic eggs could keep a 3 year old occupied for hours. 

Holidays are getting rather strange at my house. We didn't have the traditional Easter ham but settled for taco salads. Instead of elaborate Easter baskets, my kids got a couple of chocolate Easter eggs in a ziplock bag. I really should put more effort into the holidays!

Jamie's Helper

When Jamie is home and working in the garage, Violet isn't too far behind.

So Jamie built a workbench just for Violet. Apparently they've had to stress to her that the tools stay in the garage. Anyone need a good handyman???? She works for popsicles and candy!

Christmas Cactus or Spring Cactus?

With such a mild winter and now some occasional snow, my Christmas cactus is getting a bit confused.

I noticed it's blooming which usually only happens around Christmas. I hope this isn't a bad omen of another bout of winter approaching.

Violet's Birthday Party Continues

If one three year old isn't enough to contend with, try going to a party where there are 20 of them. 

I swear young mothers these days try to out do the other on birthday parties for toddlers. But Melissa was very creative with Violet's party.

She set up 3 stations where kids could decorate party hats, color a picture and decorate a cupcake with icing and sprinkles. You can imagine the amount of cleanup this required.

Jamie even rented a bounce house which fit nicely in the clubhouse.

For several weeks before the party Violet insisted she didn't want to have a party. Then she relented and said only Liam and Haley (the neighbor kids), Daddy, Aunt Pam and Ma could come. She's going through a stage where she's not very happy with Melissa. So Melissa had to stay home with Lincoln - according to Violet - because Lincoln was too little to go.

Let's not forget the t-shirt with Violet's age on it. I realize this was my idea but why change a tradition.

My family is growing and aging way too fast for me. Before you know it we'll be celebrating Lincoln's first birthday. Happy Birthday, Violet! Ma loves you.

Oh, I almost forgot, look what Violet got for her birthday. Jamie is going to have to put bumper pads around his house!

Margaritaville

One of the girls I went to high school with is affiliated with the Ararat Shrine temple. They often have events where they invite the public.

So Pam, Pauline and I set out to go to the Margaritaville party. This has to have been one of the most boring events I've ever attended. The band was great but it's pretty bad when you're my age and you're the youngest person there.  To top it off, it was snowing on the way home. I was in bed by 10:30. Nothing left to say.

Happy 3rd Birthday Violet!

I can't believe Violet is now 3 years old. But she's not too happy about anyone drawing attention to her birthday.

Even Jamie putting 2 party hats on his head couldn't cheer her up.

She did perk up a bit when the waitress brought a candle and she blew it out.

I could get her to smile a little but that's only because I brought the hats and horns.

But the best gift of all was from Karen. She got her a fingerprint set that you use in the bathtub. As soon as Violet opened it, she wanted to go home and take a bath.

Lincoln enjoyed Violet's birthday. He sang Happy Birthday all through dinner. I think he was trying to irritate her. Happy Birthday Violet. Hopefully you'll be in a better mood with all your friends when they celebrate your birthday on Sunday!

Gymnastics Update

Violet is doing much better at gymnastics.

She pays attention to the instructor and tries everything until she gets it just right. I noticed she was the only one who actually looked at the ground when the teacher told her to dismount from the hanging bar. Of course she's the best. She has that perfectionist gene like so many in my family do.

Cruising to Jamaica

My latest cruise was to the islands of Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Grand Stirrup Cay and Cozumel.

We were so excited to finally escape the cooler climates of Missouri and head east to Florida.

Our first stop was the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, FL. My friend Sam met us at the airport and was our driver to Miami.

On Sunday we boarded the new Norwegian ship, The Getaway, and headed to Grand Stirrup Cay - a private island in the Bahamas owned by the cruise line. There wasn't much to do on the island. There were a few locals who put up tents and my goal was to buy a t-shirt in every port. The ship also had a huge shelter house where they fed us a barbecue lunch.

Some of the islands don't have piers so "tenders" are used to transport guests from the ship to port. It isn't my preferred method of transportation. You have to wait for the tender to fill up before they'll take you back to the ship. I hate to wait.

Part of our cruise included a dinner package where we could go to specialty restaurants 4 nights of our cruise. My favorite was Teppanyaki. This is a Japanese steakhouse where they cook the meal on a hot grill right at your table. Our waiter was superb. The dinner lasted an hour and a half but was so delicious it was worth the wait. I had fried rice with scallops and shrimp. Part of the entertainment was the chef flipping fried eggs into our mouths. I thought he had forgotten about me but he didn't. I was sure I would look the fool trying to catch flying egg into my mouth. But on the second try, the egg went right in. Everyone, including the chef, raised their hands in the air and shouted "nothing but net". I didn't know whether to be proud or embarrassed.

Ocho Rios, Jamaica, was our next stop. Most of the excursions offered by the ship involve scuba diving, snorkeling and lying on the beach. Not some of my favorite things to do. So I enjoy investigating the shopping port. 

Watching the people is another fun thing to do so we took a break at Margaritaville.

Grand Cayman was my favorite. I actually believe I could live in Grand Cayman. The shopping is fabulous. This picture can't be far from the truth. I can truly see myself shopping all day long.

I bought a morganite necklace to go with the ring I bought on my last cruise. There are so many things to see and do. But our trip was cut short due to an unexpected storm coming in. So we had to leave early even though there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

Our last stop was Cozumel. It's funny how commercialized most of these ports are. I couldn't help myself from getting a hamburger from Hooters. The local cuisine just didn't appeal to me. But the trio sitting next to us had name badges from the ship and they were from the United States. Very rare for a cruise ship. They were actually on the other ship in port and part of the entertainment. One of the gentlemen was more my age and the stories he was telling us of past musical groups was very exciting. 

All too soon the cruise was over and time to head back to reality. But not before spending a couple more nights at the Hard Rock. I did accomplish my goal and got a t-shirt from every port. I kind of cheated and bought 2 from Cozumel.