The Best Four Years of Our Life

My Sweet Sydney, You turned Four yesterday! It amazes me how much you know and how self-sufficient your are at such a young age. You will spend hours by yourself working on a couple art projects, reading books in your bed or arranging your stuffed animals while making a cozy bed for them. A year ago when you were three, Daddy and I woke up and found you sitting at the kitchen island with a carton of eggs. You had three eggs cracked open in a bowl. I said to you, "I can't believe that there are no shells in the bowl". You said, there were a couple, but I picked them out". You must have been really hungry that morning! Here are some many things that you do each and every day that amaze me and make me smile.

You love art and spend hours each day doing crafts, coloring and painting. Before starting a project, you decide who you are going to give it to. You make projects for Daddy and me daily. You must have inherited her artistic ability from Daddy or Grandmom.

You will diligently clean up the playroom and bedroom until everything is put away and in its proper place. You are responsible and reliable!

You run your own bath and always offer to run mine (and you do it perfectly).

Your absolute FAVORITE pastime is reading books and being read too. You love going to the library each week to pick out new books and videos.

You can hand-print your ABC's, your name and Sophia's name. You practice writing your letters all the time! The first word you wrote from memory last year was Pop Pop [even before writing your own name].

You never get tired of playing games. You make up games that you can play with your sister. Your favorite games are hide-n-seek, duck-duck-goose, freeze dance, musical chairs, tag, memory games and board games.

You LOVE to dance, dance, dance and perform "on stage" for us. You are very artistic and serious when you dance. It warms my heart just watching you.

You are my little helper and a mother hen to your little sister.

You want to be the best (and first) at everything.

Your favorite TV channels are Noggin and Sprout. Your favorite TV shows are Upside Down Show, Little Bear, Imagination Movers, The Backyardigans, Olivia, Wow Wow Wubbzy, Scooby Doo, Max and Ruby and Mickey Mouse playhouse.

You still love to sleep in bed with us. [Sophia is the complete opposite and wants to be in her own bed until morning when she comes into cuddle.]

You love to tell stories before going to bed and you like to read books in bed with a flashlight.

You like to pray to Jesus in private.

You are a whiz on the laptop (your favorite is PBS.ORG) and you play games on my iPhone.

You like to pick your own outfits out in the morning.

You help me set the table and have great table manners.

Your favorite drink is water with ice. You take a glass of water to bed with you EVERY night.

You eat cheesy eggs almost every morning for breakfast. You like PASTA, Shrimp, Broccoli, Veal Chops, Hamburgers, Mac-n-Cheese and French Fries. You are a great eater and will try anything. You love to go out to restaurants and help cook dinner.

You listens to (and remember) everything we say... it is no longer a surprise when you bring something we said up a few weeks (or months) later!

You are always helping your sister and are easily frustrated with her when trying to teach her something new.
You adore Grandmom, Grandpop, GMa, Popie, Nana and Pop Pop.

You love animals especially your cat Uno. You are very gentle with them. Uno loves to sleep on your lap.

You are Daddy's little girl. If Daddy is not home when you wake up in the morning, you ask about him or want to call him.

Your favorite princesses are Belle and Cinderella.

You love your cousins Rose, Corban, Morgan, Anna, Noah, Velia, Tony and Isabelle (and the list goes on...). Your best friend is Rose.

You’ve been doing ballet/tap for almost a year and you just started gymnastics. You are good at both, but have more fun at gymnastics.

You tell me many times throughout the day that you love me and you hold your hands up in the shape of a heart. It makes my heart melt.

I LOVE YOU SYDNEY ANGELINA! Happy Birthday!

Part 3 of 7: Party in the Sky

One of the big events that almost everyone on the cruise attends is the pirate party on Deck 9... it's a BLAST. It doesn't start until 10:30pm. My Mom, who turned in early this particular night, still enjoyed the fire works from the quiet of her private veranda.

Here's a very abbreviated video clip of the party and fireworks... It actually last for an hour. Then, after the boat quiets down around 11:30pm, they show a movie on the big screen mid-ship by the family pool... everyone is sprawled out on the lounge chairs watching a movie under the stars.

Watch Andy almost whip Sydney's head off at the end (I may have clipped that part out because Sydney started to look like a bobble-head)

WATCH VIDEO CLIP--

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to SYDNEY AND SOPHIA!

The two other BIG EVENTS on the cruise were Sydney's 3rd birthday celebration at Triton's Restaurant (entranced pictured in photo on the left) and Sophia's 2nd birthday celebration at Animator's Palate on her actual birthday! Our waiters brought out a birthday cake and everyone sang happy birthday to the birthday girls!

 

Beck and Sophia watching Sydney enjoy her Mickey ice cream and B-day cake--

Animators Palate-- the restaurant transitions from black & white "sketch" to full color with animation. We ate dinner here two nights in a row - the food was great--

All the birthday attention made Sophia cry and reach for Mommy when they started to sing Happy Birthday---

Our baby girl is growing up and turning THREE!

It was three years ago today Sydney was born.

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When I think back to that moment, there was pure joy and emotion that I cannot explain.

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Each day, she continues to amaze me. Each day, she melts my heart with her loving hugs, sweet on-the-cheek kisses and words of “I Love You So Much Mommy”.

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I am sad to see her grow up so quickly and wish she was still a baby in my arms.

Happy Birthday Sweet Heart! We love you so very much!
Love, Mommy, Daddy and Sophia

Birthday Surprise!

It was Bob's birthday last week. His Dad and Jan surprised him by showing up at our house on Wednesday.... all the way from Punta Gorda Florida! I think he was in shock at first... with a delayed reaction before giving Dad a big hug.

Sydney is very taken with her Pop-Pop. She cannot get enough of him. Nana spent lots of time playing with Sophia and Sydney and reading books to them (their favorite pastime!) It was a great time!! We wished that they lived closer so the girls could see more of them… I guess we have to plan a visit to Florida soon!

Surprise!!

Nana, Pop Pop & Sophia
Friday night in Conshohocken - these crazy bocanuts danced to Jim Morris and the Big BambooBand! Boy does Sydney love her Pop Pop... she was by his side the entire time!

What a cute smile! We went to the Road House Grille for Dinner on Saturday night... Sophia was an angel the entire time... She was having so much fun.
The Birthday Boy with his B-day surprise.
Matt (Jan's oldest son) joined us for dinner... we haven't seen him for a while. It was great to spend some time with him.

Yummy Ice Cream at Suloman's Milk!

David's Party

It was David's 17th birthday! We drove down to North East, Maryland for the day. It was a great party. It was nice to see Susanna, Marylin and her two children... and the Birthday Boy of course! Sydney and Sophia had the best day ever... they played with their cousins all day outside. Sydney even pet a rabbit! They both road on Uncle Danny's 4-wheeler (Sophia screamed... Sydney loved it. Danny even taught her how to start it). Cousin Isabel (Danny's daughter) carried Sophia around the entire day.... they were so cute together (she will make a good babysitter some day). When it was time to go Sydney did not want to leave.

The Birthday Boy!

Sydney & Riley played in the sand box for a good hour.

Sydney & Riley on Uncle David's lawn mower Uncle Danny & Isabel rock!

Birthday Gang!

Isabel & Sophia

Aunt Mary Beth & Sydney with Floppy Ear Bunny

Uncle David helped them feed the friendly ducks some bread... Sophia ate her bread.