Beauty and the Beast

Going to see a Broadway show at TPAC is one of the things that Amma and I love most about Nashville.  It has kind of turned into our little thing over the past few years.  We have seen so many great shows together, so you can imagine my excitement when I got the 2013-2014 schedule and saw Beauty and the Beast was coming to town!  Craig and I saw it a few summers ago in Chicago, and we knew that it would be the perfect first show for Charley.  I figured she would have a million questions if we didn’t introduce her to the actual storyline beforehand, so one Friday night we had our first at home movie night.  We all wore jammies, pulled out the upstairs couch bed and snuggled up with blankets and pillows.  I am not sure who loved it more, Charley or Craig, because she kept smiling and asking those million questions and he kept smiling saying, “this is so cool!”  Before that weekend was over she watched Beauty and the Beast five times.  She very quickly learned the story, anticipated what was coming next and picked up on the words to some of the songs.   When the big day rolled around, she was beyond ready…princess dress, Belle hair and “sparkle” lipstick to be exact!  We went to eat at  J. Alexander’s for Amma’s birthday and every one went on and on about how cute the princess looked in her special dress…luckily she wasn’t shy and did the occasional spin.  We got to TPAC in time to take a few pictures, grab some snacks, potty and find our seats, orchestra level of course.  (Craig says I started her out with high expectations, but that’s how I roll when it comes to musicals!) 

Charley was A…MAZ…ING during the show.  She spent a little time in mine and her Daddy’s lap and lots of time with her Amma.  To say she loved it would be an understatement!  I think my very favorite part of the whole night was when Mrs. Pott’s sang the Beauty and the Beast song for Belle and the Beast’s special date.  Charley adores that part and softly sang along with the words she knows.  It was P…REC…IOUS!!!!!  Luckily we had very understanding people around us, because they seemed to love her special additions, too. 

“Tale as old as time…love as old as rhyme…Beauty and the Beast!”

Family Vaca: Treasure Island

For a full week Charley was the center of attention!  So besides being in a different state, our week was very normal!  We had such a great time in Treasure Island.  Charley spent a couple of days playing in the sand with her Daddy and Granddaddy.  They dug big holes together, made sand castles that she tore down before they were finished and splashed around in the ocean.  For the most part our week was pretty low key (other than Disney.)  Craig and Uncle Justin took golf clubs and allowed Granddad to tag along for a round of golf....which I am sure was very interesting!  Amma and I took workout clothes that didn’t leave the suitcase, but Lynsey was super dedicated and got in a little six mile run one morning.  Amma and I were successful at reading a couple of great books and shopping.  It was so nice to not have an agenda every day, and we were seconds away from a Shake Shack that we visited like three times!

Charley also enjoyed the pool and made some new friends.  She held one little girl’s hand and jumped in off the side over and over and over.  By the last day she got a little too comfortable.  We had just walked down to the pool, and Amma and I passed the steps to put our stuff on the first available chair.  I dropped the bag I was carrying and when I bent down to pick it up, I noticed Charley wasn’t behind me....she was in the water, face up, floating just like she learned in swimming lessons.  I jumped in and picked her up and made a huge deal about how good she did and how proud I was of her!  She freaked out...and didn’t leave the steps.  (As soon as we got home I signed her up for winter maintenance swimming lessons.  I am beyond convinced that it is well worth the time and money!)

  

On another note, it would be so perfect to end the vacation blog with some of those adorable pictures that families take on the beach at sunset....we took the pictures....not so adorable....not sunset....flash was so bright....eyes were squinty....picture taker couldn’t see....a few are decent....Miss Priss is always cute....maybe next time!

  

Family Vaca: Our Day in Disney

After our one day trip to Disney last year, I really thought I had all of my ducks in a row this year.  Cute Mickey Mouse shirts for the whole family, check!  New memory card for the camera, check!  Backpack full of snacks, check!  Six to one adult to child ratio, check!  Juice refills for the entire day, check!  Despite my best efforts in preparation, I have decided there is no way to keep seven people happy, stay cool, be energetic, and not lose patience at what is supposed to be “the happiest place on earth!”  Even though we didn’t exactly have the “magical” experience I had been hoping for, Charley loved being at Disney!  She got to take pictures with and hug on Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, Goofy, and Donald Duck.  The only character we missed was Pluto.  She also got to meet Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Belle and Ariel.  Thanks to Princess Sofia, her love for Disney princesses is constantly growing, so seeing them up close was extra special for Charley.

 
One thing is for sure, Charley was such a big girl when it came to riding all of the different rides at Magic Kingdom. We rode the new Little Mermaid ride, Dumbo, Aladdin’s Magic Carpet, Pirates of the Caribbean, Peter Pan’s Flight, Barnstormer roller coaster, carousel, and walked through the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse...after all, that is where I got the inspiration for the blog name.  As soon as we would get off a ride, Charley would say, “I wanna do it again!"

Around 2:30 when we made our way to get a good spot for the parade, Charley fell asleep.  I was so afraid she would wake up in a terrible mood, but I really didn’t want her to miss out on seeing all the characters.  Luckily the power nap was just what she needed, and she perked up just in time!  She had a very special connection when Snow White pointed to her and said, “I love your bow!”  (They matched!)  And she finally got to see the Beast, which made her really happy!

Our first attempt at taking the classic-in-front-of-the-castle picture didn’t turn out so great, but we snapped a few more at the end of the day that were much better...which was surprising considering we were hot, tired and sweaty!

We all survived the family trip to Disney...as far as the sign as we were leaving...not so sure how “soon” we will return!  For now, Charley is beyond thrilled with the princess snow globe, Minnie Mouse necklace and bracelet that her Granddad got for her!  Maybe those souvenirs will hold her over for a while!