For the first 50 years of my life, my perfectionist self mistakenly believed it was all about knowing more, getting it right, planning, attempting to prevent bad things from happening, and keeping all of my chicks in a row. It took me this long to discover that the JOURNEY is all that matters. This quote from Gilda Radner sums it all up:

"I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next.
"


Friday, March 24, 2017

Parenting-Our First Year

Parenting...
It's been quite a journey.

My winter project that I've been plugging away at 
is to digitalize my old negatives.  It's a bit tedious
at times, scanning and retouching pictures to fix
the color and get rid of dust.

Despite the long hours I've been spending,
it brings me pleasure.
There were so many happy times.
I've been so fortunate.

Our first year of parenting was full of joy
and oftentimes uncertainty.  After being married
to each other for 7 years,  we knew how to do 
the "couple" thing.  With the birth of our son, Adam,
we needed to navigate entirely new waters.

I'd like to share pictures of our first year as parents.
With only one child,  we were able to take lots of pictures
of each other with Adam.  There was always a set of 
empty hands.  


A mom for only a minute.


A dad for almost a day!




First trip to Burlington.










First vacation.










First visit to the pumpkin patch.



First Halloween.



Baptism day.


First Thanksgiving at Grandma and Papa's house.


First visit to the mall to see Santa.


First Christmas (and 3 months pregnant).


First time at Disney World.



First (and only) speedo bathing suit.


First (and only) tennis outfit.
At a year old,  Adam couldn't have looked more
like his dad!

Kerry would be born 2 1/2 months later.
We were ready to expand our duties
and our love.

Monday, March 20, 2017

Kerry's Obsession is Revived!


I went to see Disney's new Beauty and the Beast movie
yesterday with my daughter, Kerry.


We had watched the cartoon version of the movie
together hundreds of times before,  so it was rather
fitting that we went together to see this one.

There was a time in Kerry's life that Beauty and the Beast 
was an obsession.


She was 3 years old at the time, and she
looked so much prettier in the yellow Belle gown
than the Disney character in the cartoon!


I made this cake for Kerry on her third birthday.


It was perfect that Lumiere had 3 places 
to put her real birthday candles!




One of her cherished gifts that year
was a snow globe of the castle, the Beast,
and Belle.


Adam was just as big a fan as Kerry was!




We also went to see Beauty and the Beast on Ice
which is where they got their "Chip" cups!


Annie was a few years behind, but she, too, adored Belle.



She was almost speechless when she got a chance
to give Belle a hug at Disney World!

The new Beauty and the Beast opened this weekend 
and all three women in our family went to see it.
I wish Annie had been able to go with Kerry and me,
but we all had a long discussion of the movie 
on the phone last night.

The verdict:  It was even better than we could have imagined!



Emma Watson was the perfect Belle!  
She was a strong, confident, intelligent Belle, 
as well as very beautiful in a very innocent way.
Annie said she cried a little when she first saw 
Emma Watson in the yellow ball gown!


I loved that she was not overly made-up too.


The entire movie was magical and beautiful!


The costumes were perfect and the casting spot-on.
You could not have casted a better Gaston!


Maurice, Belle's father, was portrayed with much
more intelligence and feeling by Kevin Klein.



And the magnificent Beast was both a scary animal
yet very human - just as he should be.


Even Lumiere and Cogsworth were perfect!

After watching this human version of the movie,
it's sad to say that I don't expect the cartoon 
version to be watched much anymore.

I predict Emma Watson will be the idol 
of every little girl (if she isn't already for 
playing Hermione in the Harry Potter movies!)


I know, for a fact, that this movie will
probably be watched again and again 
in this household.  

My little Belle
texted me earlier today to say she was thinking
about going to the movies again tonight to see
it for the 2nd time.  

No doubt it will become an obsession
once again!

Bravo, Disney!