" Princesss Lil' "

Princess Lil'

I grew up a "tom boy". You know bikes, race cars, hunting, fishing, even played boys baseball. I did have a few barbies and took dance lessons, but I don't remember playing dress up or pretending I was a princess. Now I could be wrong but I've never seen any pictures of me parading around as though I was on my way to the big ball at the palace. Having said that, in the past our family trips to Disneyland were the farthest you could get from being centered around the "Princess Magic."

Then came Lil'. While Daddy spent 4 hours or longer entertaining the brothers, Lil' and I experienced the magic of the Princess Fanfare. Remember I am a tom boy, add never going to Disneyland as a child, this was new to me. I thought you waited in the long lines to go on cool rides. Well... you also wait in long lines to see your favorite princess.

The first princess we saw was Bell at Goofy's Kitchen. Shy at first but this prepared Lil for the rest of our princess experience. Bell told us that later that day she was going to wear her YELLOW dress and dance with the Beast in the parade. Lil' was throughly in awe just thinking about Bell in her gown and dancing with the Beast.

Okay at the Princess Fanfare Lil' patiently waited to visit the princesses. "Who do you think we'll see first?" Ahhh.... Ariel just left. A little broken hearted but still eager to have the princesses sign her book and give her a hug. Here we go around the corner. Oh my gosh it is Sleeping Beauty ( Briar Rose or Aurora).




























Can you believe how " beautiful" she is? Her gown is such a pretty pink. Somebody is in heaven. Now from pink to the next princess color.





















" WOW! These princesses can actually talk. Amazing." Around our house Lil' is often heard using her princess voice as she plays with her princess dolls or is pretending to be the said favorite princess for that particular moment.

Uhmm I guess you could call the next princess a " classic modern " princess. The accient history that the movie Mulan is set in definetly deems is it a classic, but the movie isn't that old really.




Just soaking it all in.

Every hour a corination ceremony is presented. This is where My Lord and My Lady teach all the princesses and princes how to bow, wave and dance. Once we mastered the princess skills. We got to wave, bow and dance with the princesses.

"MOM, stop taking pictures and dance around the may pole with me." You're not going to believe this but Cinderella danced with us at our may pole.

After decorating a crown, Lil sits upon the royal princess throne.



Then waiting line again to see the next set of princesses. I was begining to think that it would be just horrible if we didn't get to see different princesses. Ahhh..... again we see Ariel leaving. Lil's heart sunk, but then she saw Princess Jasmine coming in to view. I felt the magic as I watched my little princess shiver with excitment and jump for joy. She definitely loves Jasmine.

You cannot pass up Princess Minnie. Truthfully I don't think Lil' had ever seen Princess Minnie so this was awesome.

Last but not least, Cinderella!!! She is a favorite. This made our princess experience the best. Cinderella gave Lil' the biggest hug. Cinderella talked and talked with Lil'. She noticed Lil' was wearing tinkerbell shoes and ask Lil' if she would give Tinkerbell a message if she saw her. WOW to be asked to deliver a message for a princess and to Tinkerbell to boot. Well I must say that princess Lil' was honored.

Can't you just feel the princess magic. This was an experience Lil' will never forget nor will I. So, if you have a little princess and you get to go to Disneyland please don't pass up the opportunity to " go princess".

BIGGEST HUG EVER!!

(by a disney princess)

I love our little princess and cherish every "biggest hug ever" that I get.

How many times was the word princess or princesses use in the above blog? 36 times I think.

"Some of My Favorite Things" ( MOST FAVORITE THINGS!)

I love my family.

We just recently went on a long needed family trip

One of our stops was in San Deigo.

As you can see, Riley and Tommy felt that after spending four days in Disneyland and never once get to ride in the rental strollers they were gonna have their turn and make the most of it.

I could care less about all the pictures of the castles and whales, princesses, mickey mouse. etc...., the pictures of our children playing and actually have fun instead of fighting will be the most cherished.

Can you say, " Got DADDY wrapped around my finger!"













This photo brings me,
"JOY"





Gotta love them.

Don't Forget the Oil

Not long ago, my friend gave me a pizza dough recipe. I have use the recipe two times with no avail. Yesterday, I decided to make pizza for dinner. I thought after working ten hours, driving to my mother in-laws to pick up my youngest children, that it would be fun to have the kids help me make the pizza. Thinking it would give me one on one time with them since I had been gone all day, and I had a good hour to pick up the kids, make dinner, and attempt to pick up the piles of residue from the day all before daddy got home.

Upon arriving at Grandma's I was already tired ( the evenings seem very long at our house). Milo was excited to see me, so I thought. He greeted me with a big hug then quickly ran back to watching TV. Princess Lil' didn't even give me a glance. I said, "hello". She still focuses on her Dizney Princess puzzle that she was doing with Grandma. I told the kids it was time to go. Milo says, " I want to finish watching Sponge Bob". Lil' says, "No". So, givining in, I decided to help finish the puzzle so we could go sooner. Aleast that way I was doing an activity with her. She was happy that I wanted to do the puzzle. Time ticked away. Tick, tick, tick. "Okay, let's go now get your coats and shoes on", I say. Milo opens the door to go outside, I hear the van still running. Well at least it wasn't gonna run out of gas I had just filled it up. Grandma helps get the kids in the car. All the while Lil' fussing and Milo lecturing me about how I need to hurry because the van was going to run out of gas. Great , he had kicked into his I am right and I am tired and angry mode. Deep breath, and relax we can get throught the night.

At home, Lil' starts to complain aboaut her legs hurting. A sure sign that she hadn't had a nap while at Grandma's. She wants to be held, Milo wants me to play "Halo" on the X-box and I wanted to start dinner. The oldest informs me that he is going to help a friend with some project at school. "Alright, I love you. Hey wait, I need my hug". Not in the mood to try to enforce him into coming back home for dinner.

Hold and comfort Lil' get her some "cocoa", the main staple in her life. Talk Milo into playing a different game by himself so I can do dishes then start making pizza. It took a lot of talking, the time ticks away. Quickly call Riley and ask for help setting up the x-box for Milo. Comfort Lil' somemore. Wonder where could Tommy be, start calling friends' houses, while washing dishes. No Tommy, call Dad to see if he had reported to him. Sigh... he had. Okay, back to dishes. Lil' now wants the castle that Tommy had put away while doing his chores. Escort her up stairs to get castle, trains and princesses. Dishes almost done, pre heat oven. Give Lil' more loves. Tell Milo to calm down, he is getting frustrated with the video game. "Says, he wouldn't be angry if I'd just play Halo with him". Here comes the "guilt of the working mom".

Dishes done. Okay, get out pizza dough recipe and get started. Water, yeast, ,honey to sit while I measure oil. Milo still angry and frustrated at game. Okay maybe we should do homework. Get Milo started on spelling words. Measure salt and flour then add to the sitting water, yeast, honey mixture start mixing (by hand, no luxuries). Lil' into kitchen crying about legs, in walks Dad. Big hug and a kiss for him. " I am making pizza, sorry it's not ready yet. Could you please help Milo with his homework?". "Yeahhhhh", in his I am tired as hell and hungry tone. I love him so much. Boy this dough is really dry! Well lets roll it out anyway, cut it in half and start rollin'. Dad is patiently waiting and already patiently ate some cottage cheese.

Dad is a breathe of fresh air, if you can get past the sweat and saw dust. Gets Milo to work on two math pages, missed yesterday, and finds a Christmas cartoon for Lil'. It's really hard to roll out this dough. Milo, now, wants to help. "finish your math, you can help roll out the second crust." In comes Lil' crying because the cartoon stop. Explain commercials, it will be back in a minute ( she watches alot of videos). Still rollin' out the dough. Coming close to 8 pm. I left work at 5:30pm. Finally get dough rolled out and placed on the pizza pan. Yummmm... wait a minute what is in the measuring cup sitting the counter by the pizza dish? Was it residual oil and honey from the measuring spoons I had put in the cup, nahh could be that much liquid. Yep.... arghhhhh, it was the olive oil. Quickly dump it in the bowl with the leftover dough and plop in the rolled out crust. Just maybe it will mix up just fine!, Ha-Ha. Look at Dad and Milo quietly doing home work and throw the dough in the garbage.

Frustrated. Should I just order pizza? No, I can make another batch of dough quicker. Water, yeast, and honey mixture; measure oil and add to mixture. Let it sit just a minute. Help Lil' go potty. Afraid to be in the bathroom alone. Now, add flour, salt and mix. Yeah this is it, the perfect dough. First, pizza in the oven. Call Tommy home, take out recycling, sweep up all the flour. Pizza out of oven, serve to Dad, Milo, and Lil' who were watching the last of the christmas show. " Hey, Milo want to roll out the dough?". " Ya", he says. Never comes to the kitchen until I was putting the cheese on the pizza. He walks away angry. Sister calls and wants help with some personal stuff. "Could I come down for an hour and help her?", she asks. "No, I can't. I am still cooking dinner and need to bathe the little ones. I am tired." I say. Here comes more guilt. " I'll call you later, love you."

Lil' in the tub. wouldn't touch her pizza, ate honey sandwich instead. Starts to cry again, doesn't want to be in the bathroom alone. "Okay, just let me go check on the pizza I plea." She continues to cry. I quickly remove the pizza. Great it looks burnt. Dad looks burnt out. Cut the pizza, it wasn't burnt, extra flour on the crust was just dark, whewww. Back to the tub, lock the door and sit in tub with Lil'. I washed her hair, put conditioner on her hair and combed the tangles out. She relaxes and plays her toys in the bath water. She needed me and I needed her. Dad knocks on the door, " you okay, did you get to eat? Tommy is going down on the pizza." "Yeah, I am okay, we're just getting out of the tub. Thanks". I love him.

Lil' in her pajamas, I cuddle her on the couch as I eat a piece of pizza. She is out in less than a minute. "Boy wish I was her," I think to myself and then ask tired Dad to run a bath for Milo.

Later as I still cuddle Lil' , we all watch the holiday favorite " Christmas Story". Lots of laughs. Especially the soap in the mouth scene.

I wake up at 3:30 in the morning still on the couch, with Milo near by. Gently remove myself from the couch stretch and get in to bed next tired Dad.

Now I know this had been long. Believe me I was there. I began thinking about that oil I had forgot to add to the dough. Oil is an important part of our lives. We have become dependent upon oil. This led me to think of Christs' parable of the 10 virgins. Well by the end of the day I felt that my lamp was empty. However as I think back about the events, I was replenishing that oil little by little by just being with my family and loving them. The hug from Milo, doing puzzle with Lil', watching tired Dad do homework and care for the children, getting in the bath with Lil', combing her tangled hair, Dad asking me if I was alright, cuddling with the kids on the couch, the patience and love I felt from my tired husband all filled my lamp and makes me grateful for the many blessing and love I feel in my home and from my Heavenly Father.

So even when we are tired the little mundane things can replenish our lamps so we can endure each moment of our lives .

Black

Just trying it out. I think I like the black. Yeah, yeah, I know it isn't very Christmas like, I just trying to figure this whole blog, blogg, bloggg, bbbblog thing out.
At a later date, most likely much later, I'll BLOG about something interesting , or maybe even ahh inspiring.