4th Birthday Celebration Part 1

"River, would you like to have lunch at Chuck E. Cheese's for your birthday?"

No, Daddy.  I want crab leg!"

"Umm, O-kay."

At four years old, I think I would have been afraid of this thing.

A little help from Momma is much appreciated.

After lunch, time for a movie; Puss In Boots..

in 3D!!

Afterward, a quick trip to Toys R' Us.. and then pass out on the way home.  Life is good.

To Be Continued..

Star Wars: The Saga Continues..

A jedi youngling discovers her father's lightsaber.

"For over a thousand generations the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times. Before the Empire." ―Obi-Wan Kenobi



Beware the Dark Side..  just like the cat.




"I find your lack of peanut butter and jelly.. disturbing."



"There is.. another." - Jedi Master Yoda

Toy Story 4

River fell instantly in love with the first 2 Toy Story movies on her mini DVR player and even now hardly a week goes by when she doesn't ask to watch at least one of them. It was no surprise that one of the highlights of her summer was to see Toy Story 3 on the big screen and, although I thought it was a little too dark at times for a wee one under 3 years old, River seemed to watch and enjoy every minute.
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Soon after we returned from the theater, something strange began to happen. The characters from the movie began to follow her home!
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First came the potato..
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"Mr. The-Tay-Toe Head!" River exclaimed when she first saw him. "He's come to live with me!"

. Buzz Lightyear arrived a few days later on our doorstep like the conquering hero. River squealed when she opened the door to greet him.

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One by one they came. Not in boxes or wrapped in paper but by the front door or simply waiting to be discovered while sitting on the sofa or resting on the mantle because.. well.. it's rude to wrap old friends up in boxes and paper.

The lessons of the Toy Story films seem to have not been lost on River; Appreciate your friends, Take care of your toys and Play nice. We've enjoyed taking advantage of the opportunity to teach her these lessons and have a little fun too.

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Buzz and Jessie reunited with the help of River.
. Barbie, Ken and Etch dazzle with their spelling skills.

.A shocked River shortly after she discovered Jessie on the sofa.

. The Potato Heads enjoying a little romantic time.

. Did you know that potatoes float? (But they're not very happy about it.)

. Stretch prefers to spend his time in the pool.

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After each new arrival River would ask when Woody was coming. Sometimes she would direct her question to her mother or I and sometimes to Buzz and the other toys. Finally he arrived last Monday bringing the great Toy Story migration to an end. He was waiting in her car seat for her when I came to pick her up at daycare and you would have thought Santa Claus himself had been waiting there.

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Play Nice.

River's Silver Screen Debut

Recently we took River to see her first movie at an actual theater. The timing was perfect since she LOVED the 2008 version of Alvin and the Chipmunks on DVD we decided to let the "Squeakquel" be her introduction to the big screen.
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We didn't expect much. Being only 2 we were counting on having to leave early due to a short attention span, or perhaps being scared of being in a big dark room with a bunch of strangers or.. any countless possibilities of a toddler melt-down.
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None of this happened.
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We arrived in time to get plenty of yummy treats and took our seats. To ease River's apprehension, we purchased River her first mixed drink; part cherry icy and part Sierra Mist (The Sierra Mist keeps the icy flowing in the sippy cup and thus avoids one potentional meltdown. Yea.. I'm smart.)
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River was glued to the screen from the trailers to the closing credits. She laughed at the funny parts and clapped at the end of each musical number. She really seemed to appreciate the experience. Several times during the movie she would reach over and grab either her mother's hand or my hand or pat our leg. Wow.. all the thanks we needed.
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All was not 100% perfect, however. River, it turns out, is a popcorn hog! When she was not actually eating it she would just let her hand rest in the bag, successfully blocking anyone else from enjoying the buttery, popcorny goodness. Lesson learned; next time she gets her own small bag.
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River watching the closing credits of her first "Big Movie".

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A few weeks later we tried our hand at movie #2; Walt Disney's The Princess and the Frog. Success once again, however she did fall asleep before the movie ended. She did enjoy what she watched and, this time, she DID have her own popcorn (yea.. I'm smart).

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Walt Disney's The Princess and the Frog - Best of the Princess Films.

The Princess and the Frog was, in my opinion, the best of the Disney Princess movies to date. Not only did it promote a message of self reliance, responsibility and the benefits of having goals and a strong work ethic but it also featured the city of New Orleans. One day River will know that that is the city were her mommy and daddy where married.

Already River is asking when she gets to see her next movie in a theater or as she puts it, "I WANNA BIG MOVIE AND BIG POPCORN!"

Soon baby, but you have bigger surprises on the way...