The Big Dipper

The Big Dipper all-you-can-eat ice cream festival was a fun an inexpensive outing with Olivia.  It was hosted at Elm Park from 10:30am - 5:30pm and offered a wide variety of inexpensive family fun and all-you-can-eat ice cream was available for an admission fee of $5 for ages 10 and up, $2 for ages 5- 9 and free for children under 4.   

Tickets were $1 per ticket and activities ranged from 1 ticket - 3 tickets.  Activities included Moonwalks, face painting, bookmark decorating, coloring tables and a food tent with grilled hot dogs, hamburgers, ice cold drinks and snacks.

We enjoyed the bubble table which required no tickets and consisted of bubble soap trays and a variety of objects to blow bubbles.  Objects ranged from traditional shaped bubble wands to non-conventional objects such as potato masher, several different slotted spoons, foam door hangers and other "who-would've-thought" around the house objects.

The Polar soda mascot made an appearance but despite his friendly demeanor Olivia was terrified.  I tried to get a picture but she was so scared I had to literally run as far away and in the quickest time as possible.   

There were also clowns which is another common phobia of children Livi's age.  But, to our surprise Livi wasn't scared.  She was hesistant but not terrified.  Maybe this was impartly because they weren't as done up as your typical circus clowns.  Whatever the reason she was quite content with her purple dog shaped balloon made by one of the clowns  This was another activity that required no tickets.   

The other piece of amusement that Olivia enjoyed was the Moonwalks.  There were two moonwalks one for ages 8 and up and one for ages 7 and under.  The only issue I had with this activity was that it wasn't really organized.  People were all lining up in one line rather than 2 and it wasn't timed so you had to wait in line at the mercy of a child having a bouncing blast to come out.  It was a difficult wait for parents like myself who had toddlers as it was extremly hot with no shade and the length of time was making them restless and cranky.  When it was finally our turn we were told that my niece who was 9 (we noticed the sign on the ground at this point) could not go in with Olivia and said we would have to go to the moonwalk for ages 8 and up.  I thought we would have to wait in line yet again but like I said the other one had no line.  So we could have saved ourselves 30-45 min standing in the hot sun.  But, what counts is that Livi had a blast once she was finally allowed into the Moonwalk.  This activity was 3 tickets=$3 per child regardless of age.

 You could also enter raffles for prizes in exhange for x amount of tickets.  Walking around there was political persons trying to collect names for ability to have their name on ballots.  There so many occassions in my life where I have to pay attention to detail, facts and so on but I just felt this was not one of them.  I tried to listen to there pitch but really it wasn't why I was there.  I just wanted to enjoy an outing with my daughter, husband (who came into town on a surprise visit), sister and niece.  I eventually found out that if you say you're not a registered voter they will walk on by as quickly as they made themselves visible. 

Organizations such as NEADS puppies, The Lions Sightmobile were providing free hearing and vision screening, and Child Protection Resources offered free fingerprinting and photo/ID's for the kids.  The fire engine was also present later in the day for children to interact with the firemen and touch the hose. 

All proceeds benefited the programs of Children's Friend founded in 1849 and is the oldest child and family service agency in central Massachusetts.

For food we went to the hot dog/ ice cream truck which had a hot dog special (2 dogs, chips and soda for $4.50) and ate under an oak tree by the playground.  It was a nice way to spend a Saturday.  I think we'll attend next year but I hope there's more activities for the younger children Livi's age.      

A Dentist and a 2 yr Old

So Olivia had her first dentist appointment.  The facility was gorgeous although I don't think they completly thought out the atmosphere for a family dentital practice.  Upon entering you are blown away by the marlble tiles and curved arches that run and meet throughout the waiting room.  The receptionist greets you under a shimmering chandleir and as you sit on leather chairs that swivel you notice a koi pond well pool under a huge flat screen tv.  The children can sit on minature leather chairs (which are the cutest things I ever seen).  However, Olivia was overwhelmed by the spectacular surrounding that she ran from the minature chairs to the oversized chairs, to the leather stools at the koi pond-pool and back to me.  I was crossing my fingers she doesn't trip and fall into the solid thick wood coffee table, the floor or fall into the pool.  Despite the relaxing intentions of the waiting room I found it quite difficult to relax with a 2 yr. 

As for the dentist himself.  He was very patient.  Olivia did not allow the assistent to examine her mouth.  The assistent put a lot of effort introducing the instruments calling them "toys" and playing with her with the backwards straw, water and air hose.  Olivia smiled but when it came time to open wide Olivia's mouth was SEALED.   The assistant gave up and went to get the dentist.  Once the assistent left, Olivia opened her mouth WIDE.  I couldn't believe the little booger.  But, when the dentist came in Olivia's mouth was once again SEALED tight.  He was very patient and was able to count her teeth and visual check for cavities by having her sit on my lap and laying her head on his lap.  As she cried he utilized her open mouth to the best of his ability. 

We were not able to do the cleaning but he assured me she had no cavities and bring her back in 6 mos to try again.  Man, I hope her eye appointment isn't this tough. 

To Olivia With Love ~ Mummy

Two years you have given me TWO wonderful years with you.  I read and I’ve been told that these are the critical years.  Your ability to soak in everything around you makes me understand why these are the critical years.  Everything you learn now will resonate throughout your growth and development.  As your mother, I would like  to teach you the importance of communication before you actually need to work at it and also the value of work.  But, before you can comprehend such lessons I must first instill in you certain behaviors such as manners, the value of money and how to stand up for yourself. 

At the age of two you are already showing signs of compassion and empathy for your peers and those around you.  These attributes are why you have earned the nick name “little mama”.  You are always checking to see if those around you are okay.  If someone cries you rub their back  and ask “are you okay?”  When your sister is crying after being scolded you cry a heartfelt cry until you are able to ask if she is okay and give her a big hug.  I hope that you retain these attributes as they are essential in life.  But, guard them.  Hold on to them tightly and close to your heart because if you don’t they will turn into jadedness and contention leaving you to always feel incomplete. 

Over these 2 years I have observed your curious nature.  You question everything to no end.  But despite your curiosity there is a sense of cautiousness.  It is an accompaniment that most toddlers don’t possess at your age.  I hope that you can use both of these to your advantage but don’t let your curiosity get the best of you or your cautiousness impede on your discoveries. 


You will come into contact with many people, most of whom you can or should cast aside as useless to you, but there will be a few you will need to hold onto for various reasons.  And if you follow your intuition you will know exactly who these people are right away.  That intuition comes from the foundation that your father and I are working hard to build right now.  We hope to build it strong with a bright guiding light so please do not doubt that part of you, because it is the greatest gift we can give you.

You my sweet little girl are the things that dreams are made of, perfectly assembled, conscious, and full of life.  Your smile, your strength, you feistiness….yes you are a feisty one.  It’s actually a quality I admire although we have to work on it so that in the future it works for you and not against you.  You are beautiful, so amazingly beautiful.  But, it’s okay if you don’t see it, someone else will be sure to tell you long before you realize the implications of what it means.

One thing I admire about your father is that he has a growing capacity for greatness, he doesn’t settle for less and has a desire to improve himself and understand me in my entirety—and I can assure you, it’s not always easy.  There are days he falls short but he doesn’t let failure keep him down.  He gets back up and tries again.  And this, I implore you, is what you search for in each individual you want to build some sort of bond with.  I hope you select people of meaning, of substance, to hold in your heart, but I hope you learn by playing with everyone. 

There is one important piece of wisdom I wish to impart upon you during your youth: Do not do anything that you feel compromises your ethics.  It is important to learn to compromise between you and another in order to see things through, but don’t think it is ever necessary to compromise between you and yourself.  Doing so will most definitely prove to be shallow and based on nonsense.  Anyone who demands that you compromise between yourself and your ethics is asking you for your soul, and that is your identity, which you should NEVER sacrifice. 

Olivia, I enjoy being your playmate and I don’t mind being your pillow (even though you tend to move around a lot) but, I want you to know that before all else I am your mother and that is a bond that can never be broken only modified.   As your mother, I will do my best to protect you from the occasional head bump or fall but as you get older I’m afraid it will get harder for me to protect you from the hurts, pains and bruising life will cause you.  So yes my little one you will get hurt in life and as you get older you will do things that will cause hurt and other kinds of bruising found on your psyche and ego.  But, it’s okay to have these.  They build character and serve as a frame of reference when learning new concepts.  It may sound dreadful but trust me, you’ll be fine.  Most importantly know that you are not alone.  You have a resource of support, knowledge and our undying love at your disposal.  As your parents we have the ability to alleviate some of that unnecessary suffering by instilling in you common courtesy and defining how and what to value. 

My sweet little girl.  I have loved you from your birth to the cute little craft projects you’d be sent home with from daycare to the time we spent in car rides, playing at the playground (and waiting for the new one to open its gates), reading and bedtime prayers.  Every moment with you is ingrained in my brain.  Your Barney, your bath time duckies, your bear hugs, your contagious belly laugh and fascination with belly buttons (BEEP,BEEP!).  I have enjoyed every minute of it.  You are well rounded, loving and caring and you have two parents who love you tremendously. 

I wish you could stay like this forever.  But, then when I think about it and how awesome you are now, I can’t wait to see how much more awesome you become as you grow.  I thank God for allowing me to be a part of that and hope that I can keep up with you to nurture  and nature your goals.  You have so much potential.  Oh, luv bug I see SO MUCH potential in you, I can only hope someday you will see it too. 

I love you very, VERY much. Happy Birthday Olivia!

(((((big, biG, BIG Hugs))))

 ~Mummy~

Olivia's Birthday Celebration



The Birthday Girl!

 We celebrated Olivia's 2nd birthday yesterday before her sister left for Arizona.  I was a little disappointed that they were predicting thunder showers throughout the day and wrestled with an alternative location.  It was suppose to be a BirthDAY in the Park Party not a cooped up in the house party.  In addition to New England's fickle weather my husband called to tell me he couldn't make it home. 


I won't lie I cried.  I cried because I wanted to give my little girl a special day filled with love, laughter and beautiful memories and I felt it wasn't possible.  But, after picking up the cake which looked aMaZinG I felt regenerated to make this party all those things I mentioned earlier indoors or outdoors with or without her father. 

How awesome does this cake l

After some minor plan readjustments we did a quick stop to the dollar store before picking up Livi from my moms and picked up some party supplies.  The next day my sister came and took the birthday girl while we prepared for the surprise.  I was surprised to find out I didn't know where my camera was and so we spent some time trying to scramble for a camera.  But, my sister was able to get hers to charge -whew!


Her cousin Jarod fell asleep and when Olivia arrived she was asleep....I didn't plan on that! I scheduled a 2pm party because she normally has her nap by then.  Sooo, it's a party and the lil' boogers are sleeping....errr! But, she'd been sleeping for a while and Jarod just woke up so WAKE that BIRTHDAY GIRL UP!!


She was sleepy face at first but when the lights went off and the singing started Livi came alive.  She was soooo excited to see her barney birthday cake she poked it and I let her.  So yup, we had finger prints in the cake but we ate it and it was DELISH!


We had a window of sunshine and headed outside to play with giant bubbles (made of dish soap and a little shampoo) four square, scooters and just dance around to toddler music.  It was a blast.  I'm soooo happy her day turned out nice.  The mess on the other end....wellll....let's just say I went to bed late ;)


For those interested I believe I did all this under $100 for a group of 9 people let's tally it all up:


Price Chopper
Cake 16.99 (my splurge but well worth it)
watermelon 4.99
16 hot dogs 2.00
16 croissant rolls 3.50
corn on the cob 5 for 2.69
chips 2 for 5.00
100% juice (for little ones) 2.50
juice drink (I'm ashamed but hey 1 day of the year isn't going to hurt anyone) 1.39


EBay
cake topper 5.00


Dollar Store
tablecloth 3.00
banner .75
6 helium star shaped balloons and 1 happy birthday balloon 7.00 (what 2yr doesn't like balloons?)
paper cups 1.00
paper plates 1.00
napkins 1.00
treat bags 1.00
party toys 3.00
party treats 2.00
party hats and crowns 2.00
candles 1.00


Marshall's
Gifts: 22.00
___________
Total: $88.81


How do you keep your party cost down?

It's My Birthday

Well, today is my birth day.  It's kind of odd that I really didn't crave a party, cake, big outing or anything this year.  It wasn't that I dread turning another year older or any age issues people tend to go through (I never really understood that but to each their own).  I just been busy and excited about preparing for my daughter's 2nd birthday (we really never had a 1st one so this is huge for me).  And to be honest I've been having a blast planning it.  I found a Barney edible cake topper on ebay for $5 and it fits into the color scheme of the birthday table cloth and banner I bought on clearance 9 months ago at Old Navy (table cloth $3.00 and banner 0.75).  My greatest excitement was placing the order for the cake....choices, choices, choices....YUM!! We decided on a yellow cake with strawberry filling and butter cream frosting, I hope it taste as good as it sounds ;)  And since we didn't exactly see what we wanted we designed our own cake so it will be sprayed green with barney purple dots around the side ($16.99).  In my head it looks absolutely delightful~I hope when I pick it up I feel the same way. 


I also found matching plates and cups at the dollar store and I decided 4 star shaped balloons would look nice on the table (plates and cups $2 and 4 balloons $4).  Sweet and simple.  And for food I think I'll just do pizza and snacks...still debating. 


But, sorry ABOUT my birthday...it was really just another day with some perks here and there which made me smile to know how blessed I truly am.  I made German pancakes with my 1 yr old and it came out delish (a little crunchy but the laughs outweighed the eggshells).  I received 3 beautiful cards which felt so personalized they brought me to tears.   One from my sister...weep, weep!! A musical one from Chelsea...with a little magic you blow on the dandelion and it sings...how sweet! One from my husband who went to Hallmark and found a card that really nailed it....when did I become such a crier? lol. 


For sweet treats I received ice cream cupcakes which I been drooling over every time I go into the grocery store.  But since they are ridiculously expensive they are something I would buy for someone else not myself.  So, I really felt blessed that my sister felt I was worth those ridiculously expensive cupcakes, lol! And my husband brought me some really delish Ferrero Rocher Chocolates.  It's a nice big box which I have hidden in the freezer and have been picking at since early this afternoon.  And lastly we went out as a family and came back to a simple dinner that required very little effort but tasted really, really good. 


There was no party, no fancy dinner and no really huge gifts but I felt as blessed as ever that people cared enough to make my birthday meaningful rather than eventful.  And if my day couldn't get any sweeter...text messages and my Facebook wall with birthday wishes from friends I met along the way made me smile to high heaven.  So many beautiful memories swarmed into my head as I read each of them.  I just can't express enough how aMaZiNgLy BLESSED I feel at this moment.


Thank you everyone who made this day special. 


~Catt~