Quintin's Third Birthday Party!

We are incredibly fortunate to have such a great group of family & friends -- Everyone helped to make Quintin's third birthday party a very special one! We owe you all a great deal of thanks!

Quintin chose Toy Story for this year's theme (after much deliberation, lol!). Mommy gave several other suggestions, but Woody the Cowboy won out over Cars, Dinosaurs, Jungle Animals, and Western themes. Great-Grandmother Slicker got a wonderful Woody themed birthday cake from Publix, and Toy Story themed plates & cups from Party City. Mommy found cowboy hats & sheriff badges for all of the guests. Daddy helped get the house & yard ready for all of our great friends!

On the big day, we had lots of help decorating the house & getting food ready (We have the best family & friends!). Patrick the Pony was staying with us while his family relocated to a more horse-friendly house, and he provided the perfect "Bullseye" for our "Woody." Patrick's "Mom," M. J., gave pony rides to all of those interested. Auntie Coral & Uncle Tom brought their fun bounce-house slide, and the kids had a ton of fun before the setting sun made outside play a little too cold.

Quintin got many wonderful, thoughtful gifts, including many Toy Story themed presents. Despite having a high fever for most of the party (We got the bad news when Mommy took his temperature right before everyone arrived!), Quintin was incredibly excited by the event. We love you all and are so glad to have such amazing people in our son's life!

Christmas Parade!

We had a wonderful time waiting to see Santa in the Dade City Christmas Parade!

The year before was a complete wash-out, with thunderstorms & pouring rain. During this year's parade, the weather was cool and crisp (never a guarantee for Florida, even in December) -- the perfect setting for Christmas festivities!

Quintin stayed on Daddy's shoulders for most of the parade, where he watched the assorted floats of local businesses and civic groups with great delight. He loved watching the various children's acts -- there were several dance troupes, some baton twirlers, a few bands, and gymnasts. Santa finished the parade in a chariot pulled by real horses :-D

Afterward, we joined "Auntie" Coral & "Uncle" Tom Voorhees, along with Sarah & "Grandma" Holden, for hot bowls of soup! Uncle Tom got Holden & Quintin lighted swords, and they played with the different light settings through most of the meal (It's a favorite toy even now, months later, as I write this!).

The evening was delightful, perfect for getting into the holiday spirit!

First School Pictures!

I have a confession to make (Most will not be surprised, lol!): I am cheap. It's a great way to be if you're on a tight budget (Ours is usually pretty snug!). It's a little embarrassing if you're at a social function and can't stop bragging about what a tight-wad you are (A big mouth is another attribute of mine -- again, no surprise, lol!).

But I have an absolutely precious son (really!). And, despite many promises to myself to raise an enterprising and innovative child by refraining from excessive gifting...Well, he's just precious! It's hard!

When I received a letter regarding school pictures, I got very excited -- they'd be Quintin's first! Imagine, his first class picture! My little boy is growing up!

I thought hard about how to dress him for the big day. I woke him up extra early for school that morning (Alegria Montessori is in St. Petersburg, where I work, so we always leave early -- this was really pushing it!). I nearly drowned him trying to get his hair flat (Quintin is blessed with quite thick hair that stands at right angles most of the time -- especially first thing in the morning). I even used hair spray. Really.

On the ride to school we talked about what to expect. I encouraged him to practice smiling and told him to think about things that made him feel happy inside (he just kind of stared at me).

When we arrived, he shouted to his friends, "See my hair! I look very handsome!" And then, "Don't touch my hair! It will get messy!" Had I gone too far?

When I picked him up from school at noon, his hair was back to bush. His once crisp, white dress shirt was rumply, with juice & something else all over it (White? What was I thinking?). His red Converse shoes (Loved these shoes!) were scuffed & raggedy looking. I prayed they'd taken the pictures early!

I was very excited to receive notice that the proofs were back. I could hardly wait to see them -- to gush over my precious boy with Kevin (and anyone else who'd stand still long enough for me to whip them out).

I tore into the envelope and then looked eagerly at the price list. Over a hundred dollars. Really. I waffled. Got misty eyed. Texted Kevin. What to do?

I am probably (okay, definitely) breaking copyright laws by posting these. They're a little fuzzy (Which is actually a good thing, since Quintin's obviously forced smile looks almost natural), and you can see how well the hairspray worked (The back of his head is ready to take flight -- I'm certain the entire thing sprang loose seconds later). He's not even looking near the camera in the class shot and I get the impression that he wasn't very excited to take part in this part of the big event (Honestly, do any of them?). But, they're his first school pictures -- this is an important milestone, people!

What can I say? I'm cheap. And completely in love with my son!

Patrick the Pony Comes for a Visit

We first met Patrick the Pony at Bodhi Price's third birthday party. Bodhi's mom, M. J., rented Patrick for the afternoon to give pony rides to the party-goers. M. J. learned that Patrick needed a new home & bought him just a few days later (who could resist those liquid brown eyes?).

The dilemma: The Price family lived, at the time, in downtown Zephyrhills. And, even though their lovely home sported a very large yard, surrounded by a tall privacy fence, they ran up against a city ordinance preventing livestock (yes, even ponies!) from living within city limits.

Fortunately, the Prices knew a family who lived outside of city limits -- who, in fact, had a couple of horses of their own and, who had already professed a deep affection for their darling pony! Thus, Patrick the Pony came to stay with the Smith family for several weeks while the Price family looked for new living quarters outside of city limits (since Patrick had already become a full-fledged member of their family).

The Prices soon found an incredible home sitting on several acres, surrounded by a lovely forest, where they are now comfortably settled as a complete family unit once again. For several weeks, however, Patrick became a much beloved fixture around our place!

Quintin, in particular, was quite enchanted by our visitor! Patrick is so gentle with children that Quintin became comfortable around him very quickly. Often, I'd hear the sliding glass doors leading to our front yard open & look out to see Quintin walking to the farthest corners in search of Patrick. He was constantly brushing, bringing treats, and hand-feeding hay to the sweet pony. A favorite family activity became walking with Patrick while Quintin "rode" him.

Patrick came just in time to be present for Quintin's third birthday party, and M. J. was kind enough to lead Patrick around the yard for pony rides!

We're grateful to the Price family for sharing their beloved pet with us :-)

I wish I had more pictures of Patrick, and am sorry for the poor quality of this one! (The sun was obviously bright, lol!).

More Pictures from Aria-Bella's First Birthday!

Happy First Birthday, Aria-Bella!

We were very excited to spend time with Kevin's dear friend, Frankie, and her family, as we celebrated her daughter, Aria-Bella's, first birthday! Frankie & Kevin had been friends for years before I met her for the first time the night before our wedding -- Frankie proved a complete saint, jumping right in to help organize & set up for our reception so that I could get ready for the ceremony (she will always be a hero to me!).

Quintin had a wonderful time playing with Frankie's son, Benjamin, and the rest of the big boys at the party! Mommy had fun relaxing with Frankie and the other women, tasting the amazing Filipino food Frankie & her family brought to share. Kevin & Dennis (Frankie's husband), along with the rest of the "Dads," kept the kids entertained with games of football & chase.

It was certainly an afternoon to be treasured & Quintin still talks about Benjamin and "his baby sister dat had dat birfday at da park." And, Aria-Bella apparently made quite an impression, since for weeks afterward, Quintin begged for a baby sister like Benjamin's... ;-)

Pizza Night with the Voorhees

Wednesday nights with the Voorhees family at Pizza Hut became a wonderful tradition last fall. Either before or after our Wednesday night EPIC class at the church, we'd meet the clan for pizza & wings, courtesy of Tom :-) Spending some extra time with such dear friends is always a treat! Our boys love each other and I got a few great pictures of them giving "nose kisses" one night -- so precious!

Trunk-or-Treat at First United Methodist Church

Each year, our entire church family comes together to provide a safe & fun atmosphere for fall fun, Trunk-or-Treat.

Church congregants volunteer by decorating their trunks in full Halloween regalia, buying pounds of candy, and parking row upon row in the church's main parking lot.

Our awesome Children's Minister, Julie Nipp, organizes games & other fun and acts as general orchestrator.

Our dear friends, Coral & Tom Voorhees, purchase hundreds of hot dogs & buns and, this year, watermelons, bring their huge grill & tons of other equipment, and cook for the huge crowds of neighborhood families that show up (this entails hours of standing in immense heat, in addition to all of the prep work!).

We were very excited to join in the fun -- this was Mommy's first time accompanying Daddy & Quintin (in previous years, the event occurred on a Saturday & I was working in St. Petersburg). Quintin dressed as Woody the Cowboy, and strutted around in his fabric chaps with much gusto! Daddy wore his matching Woody costume (vest sewn by Nana Slicker!) and Mommy dressed as Woody's friend Jessie (in matching chaps made with love by Nana & I).

"Auntie" Coral & "Uncle" Tom Voorhees dressed as Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head (other Toy Story friends), handmade by Coral, while their son Holden dressed also as Woody. (We tried to get one or the other of the boys to dress as Buzz Lightyear, but each was determined to be Woody, lol!).

We had an amazing evening with many dear friends! M.J. & Marcus Price, with their young children Bodhi & Ellie, dressed as an astronaut & wife, with alien entourage. The Boggs family came dressed as Disney's Playhouse characters. I think our entire EPIC class was there in full-force! I wish I had lots more pictures to show off all our creative friends' artwork :-D I know the pictures exist (including some of our family), but am unsure of how to get them onto my blog, lol!

Halloween Pictures!

Dawn Harrison, an incredible amateur photographer who attends church with us at First United Methodist in Zephyrhills, was generous enough to share her talents (and cool new photography "toys") with the families of young children in the nursery. During Sunday School one weekend before Halloween, she instructed us all to bring our kids' costumes and brought her camera, tripod, and a large white sheet to the nursery.

The resulting mayhem may have intimidated a weaker soul, but Dawn has three young kids of her own and worked miracles among even the most obstinate of her models, lol! There were tears and yells, and even Quintin, who had been very excited about getting into his costume at every opportunity before that point, suddenly decided that he had better things to do ;-) Dawn got at least one great shot of each child, however, and then provided a choice of backgrounds for each one.

We loved each so much that it was hard to choose just one to post! I got wallet-sized pictures of Quintin with each background produced to glue inside of the invitations to Quintin's Toy Story themed third birthday party -- everyone got a different one, since I couldn't decide which I like best, lol!

Thank you, Dawn!

When I got the pictures developed, I passed those with the Toy Story characters superimposed on them to Quintin in the backseat, to look over while we drove home.

I could hear him chattering away for several blocks and then, suddenly, he burst into loud sobs. The change was alarming and I quickly pulled over, convinced that something quite terrible had happened back there.

When I asked frantically what the matter was, Quintin answered tearfully, "I want Buzz to be real!"

I babbled on about the differences between "real" and "pretend," (which he apparently already had a pretty good grasp of, lol) and said what I hoped were encouraging things about the importance of imaginary play. Quintin kept blurting out things like, "But I want him to really be next to me in the car!"

I got out and sat with him in the back seat, and we talked about what he would say to Buzz & what he hoped Buzz would say to him; eventually, he calmed down.

I love that Quintin has such a vivid imagination and have always enjoyed listening in on the intricate conversations he has with his toys (and they have among themselves), the sweet songs he makes up while he's playing, and the passionate way he works to involve us in his play ("Remember to ask the dinosaur what he wants for lunch, Mommy!").

I felt we were passing an important milestone that afternoon, but still can't nail down exactly what it was (The beginnings of concrete thinking? Or, the beginnings of abstract thinking?).

There was certainly a fragile sort of beauty in that moment -- so bittersweet and funny!

I guess there's some growth in the simple knowledge that as great as fantasy play can be, sometimes nothing takes the place of the real thing!

Pumpkins at Publix!

Each Monday, we drive to St. Petersburg to spend the day with Quintin's great-grandmother, my dear Grandmother, Elsie Slicker.

She clearly loves him dearly, as demonstrated by the small pumpkins she purchased for him each week in October from our local Publix grocery store (that pleading look is soooo hard to resist sometimes!).

I couldn't resist getting a few shots of him posing with glee among the pumpkins (these big ones were way out of our budget, but that didn't stop him from begging, lol!).

Trick-or-Treat at the Florida Aquarium

Alright, so I couldn't resist posting these last few picts from the Aquarium fun! (Our family is just so dang cute lol ;-) Sorry they're so fuzzy -- I've gotten lazy about bringing a real camera & take them with my phone instead (convenience over quality!).

More Picts. from Trick-or-Treat Fun at the Aquarium

It was such a pleasure to spend quality time family! Love them! :-D

Halloween Fun at the Florida Aquarium

A Halloween Trick-or-Treat experience at the Florida Aquarium really helped get us get excited about the holiday!

We met Uncle Mikey and Aunt Tanya, along with their daughter, Quintin's Cousin Makayla, their niece, Ashley and nephew, Tyler. The company was fantastic! (So much so, that the hour-long wait to get in flew by -- We were apparently not the only ones who thought this sounded like a fun family excursion, lol!).

Makayla was dressed as Minnie-Mouse in an adorable costume Tanya made herself (see picts. of the awesome tutu!). Although Makayla was not crazy about the mouse ear accessory, as you can see by the pictures, she was quite precious without them!

Quintin dressed as his hero, Woody, the lovable cowboy from Disney's Toy Story. We ran into at least a dozen other boys dressed as Woody & Quintin stopped next to a similarly sized boy dressed as Buzz, Woody's best friend.

It was wonderful to spend time with our fabulous family and the fish & fun of the event were great bonuses :-D