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.

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!