Little girl date

One Saturday shortly after James started kindergarten Juliet and I wanted to get out. We were going a little stir crazy and James and E were perfectly content to stay home all day. I told her I'd love to go on a date with her, and where would she like to go. She thought for a minute and said "somewhere old fashioned?" We decided on Gardner Village.

I decided to pull a dress out of her closest that she had yet to wear, and she was so excited. "Oh, I will look so beautiful!"

Shopping with her is such a treat. I actually don't love shopping, but she said "wow look at this!" or "this is so cute!" to practically everything we saw. Every store owner just smiled at her, how could you not?

 The doll shop and the candy shop are always must stops.

Pink doors make for the best back drops.

The mountains are calling and I must go

After a huge, thick, wet snowfall on Tuesday the mountains looked absolutely magnificent yesterday. I dropped James off at preschool, and on the way home promised myself that I must see them up close. The blue sky and the swirling clouds looked absolutely magical.

And Juliet, my best little buddy is always up for an adventure.

Lately she has been very very attached to Tiger, E's Hobbes from when he was a kid. Tiger goes everywhere with us, eats every meal tucked behind her back, and sleeps with her every single night. Tiger, apparently feels the cold, and needed to be tucked gently into a snowsuit.

I don't mind spring snow after such a warm spring.

*Anybody out there have a problem with Blogger adjusting saturation when uploading? Drives me batty. If anybody can tell me how to override it I'll give you a gold star and a hug. ;)

This snow bunny only wants to eats handfuls of snow.

Our constant companion. I smile, thinking about all the years I took a doll with me everywhere I went.

I can't get over her personality these days. She is SO FUNNY. So happy. The other day during quiet time I heard her singing "I am so happy! And my whole body is naked!"

It's pretty hard not to smile from ear to ear when I'm with her. (Again with the saturation?!!!)

Liberty Park date with my boy

It seems like in every post I talk about the fact that now Juliet is taking a morning nap. I say this (and say it again and again and again) because it has changed our family dynamic so much. Not for the worse, per se, but definitely different.

Only a couple months ago we'd be out morning and afternoon. On the weekends we looked forward to mornings out as a family. Hikes, visits to parks, and the Farmer's Market was how we'd spend these hot hours before noon.

This morning E offered to stay home and let James and I go on a little one-on-one date to Liberty Park.

We were so excited to visit the Seven Canyons Fountain and James was pumped to see the "huge waterfalls". When we got there we were so disappointed to see the fountain was closed with a large repair sign posted. James went to each and every corner of the fountain to double check it was turned off.

It was. We were so bummed.

So we decided to head over near the lake and run up and down the hills. Luckily he didn't seem too put out by the change of plans.

Soon we decided to wander over the the rides. James had been eyeing these retro rides for ages. I loved them as a girl and have been waiting for the perfect time to take him. 

After buying tickets we went over the the Farris Wheel. James was beside himself with joy. He could not wait!

This ride looks the exact same as it did when I rode it as a girl. Vintage yes. Maintained? I hope so.

The Farris Wheel is not huge, but actually pretty fast. At the top we had a nice view and James was loving the entire ride.

He kept looking over at me with the happiest biggest grin. I could tell that the speed and the newness frightened him a little, but not too much, he was having the time of his life.

 Before we left we hit up the vintage merry-go-round.

 And the airplane ride.

I realized on the way home as he happily chatted about the fun he had had, that it was actually kind of lucky the fountain had been closed. Our day took such an unexpected awesome turn for the better. And one-on-one time with this boy is so important.