Mary Poppins

Getting dressed up to attend a play is the perfect way to spend an afternoon. Especially when it's a fantastic play.

Yesterday we went to see Mary Poppins at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery, and it did not disappoint.

I've always been a fan of the movie, but after the play I love the story all the more.

The theater was packed for the 2 pm show time. The play is actually so popular its run date has been extended three times now.

The costumes and scenery were superb. The actors all stood out, from the children and parents to the infamous Bert and Mary. The bird lady, maid and Mr. Bank's holy-terror-of-a-nanny had small, but unforgettable roles.

The play was as good as Wicked when I saw it on Broadway eight years ago, and that's saying something!

Another great thing about the Alabama Shakespeare Festival itself is the surrounding grounds. We arrived early to walk trough the gardens and spend some time outside before having to sit for an extended period of time.

And while taking children to a play is sometimes questionable, even when it's a play geared mainly toward children, I knew the 2 pm time on a Wednesday meant many small children (by this I mean toddlers) would likely be in attendance.

The play itself was a good bit longer than I anticipated, and my only regret is that I didn't buy a snack before going into the seating area. I had plenty to munch on in my purse, but I promised the children a Kit-Kat if they (by this I mean Mattie!) behaved during the first act. Problem was she fell asleep right before intermission, and Jack was sulking through the entire second act because he didn't get his candy. To make matters worse the trolley was closed by the time the play was finished, so both had a meltdown in the car.

That's where daddy saved the day! I called Matt on the drive home and had him pick up two Kit-Kats for two well-behaved, but very disappointed children to have when they walked through the front door.

On Turning Three

She's been three for a week.

I can't seem to wrap my mind around how fast time moves.

It plays tricks you know. Time.

I assume all mothers have the same yearly refrain on each child's birthday to the tune of "I just can't believe ___________ is __."

And I can't. I can't believe my baby is 3.

She has so many likes and dislikes I don't know where to begin. She loves to sing and dance. Sometimes I'm allowed to sing and dance along. Other times my participation creates a complete come apart on her end.

She loves to ask for her brother to do something and then berate him for doing it.

For months she wouldn't give a kiss for any reason, but in the past few weeks she is in ultra kissing mode.

Her contradictions and moods make each and every day laughable and challenging. Her feistiness is no surprise.

She's her own person. Each day I become more aware of that. There was a time when that thought would have scared me, but being the mother of a daughter is one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

Loving her makes me remember what it was like, once upon a time, to be carefree and innocent. It helps me to remember the dreams and fantasies of my girlhood.

She makes us all laugh that genuine, delight kind of laugh and keeps us on our toes every minute of the day.

She's three, and I just can't believe it.

Biographies for Kids

I've always been a fan of a good biography. The genre is ripe with interesting stories and personalities.

But when it comes to biographies for kids they can often feel so textbook like that they leave a lot to be desired.

I can't remember where I came across the recommendation for these, but after looking up this series I decided it was worth a try.

 

I bought the entire set on impulse, and as often happens with those types of purchases was a bit regretful. What if we don't like them? What if the kids think they are boring?

As we began to read them, and Jack actually paid attention and had questions, I realized buying the set worked out well. Once we finish one he quickly wants to move onto the next. I've even seen him try to draw some of the content from the books.

While biographies aren't things we spend a lot of our reading time on, ones like these that discuss character and true Christian values are a rare find!

Our Kind of Saturday

Today, Saturday, was a good day. Our kind of day.

On this day we:

Made a batch of chocolate chip pancakes and a batch of blueberry pancakes

 

Loved on our pup a whole lot

Put together a new bed

So that we could spend the rest of the day getting someone's new room ready

And we walked the dog and played Legos and we watched too much Disney Junior and got a double dose of blueberries by fixing a cobbler for dessert. All the things that made today.

CSA Wednesday

On Wednesday we head to a local farm to pick up produce as part of a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Today was the last pick-up of the season, and here's what we got:

Bell Peppers

Watermelon

Cantaloupe

Eggs

Onions

Our Kind of Sunday

Today, Sunday, was a good day. Our kind of day.

On this day we:

Made a batch of banana-strawberry muffins

Snacked on the buttermilk pie we baked yesterday - don't let the name fool you because it's delicious

Had fun pretending to drive a golf cart

Hit a few shots with daddy

But had the most fun of all running up and down the hills on the course

And we rushed out the door to make it to church on time and ate a good lunch at Panera Bread and put a little girl to bed early so we could watch a movie that's been sitting on our counter for two weeks. All the things that made today.

CSA Wednesday

On Wednesday we head to a local farm to pick up produce as part of a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Here's what we got this week:

Cantaloupe

Just in time for 4th of July - Watermelon