A Parade & Some Apples

What a busy, fun day for the Pontus Family!

We started the day watching the Hazelwood West Homecoming Parade with some dear friends.  We met up with Liz & Natalie, and Poppy.  Amelia really enjoyed her first parade!  Amelia & Natalie were CANDY MAGNETS.  The amount of candy that was thrown at, and at one point actually just handed to, the girls was insane.  If we had been wearing our thinking caps, we would have carted all of it home so that we would have been stocked for Halloween.  :)  Julian didn't seem to care either way about the parade, but that was to be expected.  Let's face it - any time he's not crying is a good time.

After lunch, we headed to Eckert's with the Brown Family.  Since Babcia was in town, she came with us.  Boy were we glad to have her - she helped wrangle the girls!  Amelia & Olivia had fun picking apples and then trying to pick out pumpkins.  We spent some time in the store and then headed over to the farm animals and rides.  Amelia shocked the heck out of us and not only rode a pony, she rode a flying ride thingy with Olivia!!!  Both the pony & the ride were huge hits.

Amelia's 3rd Birthday Party

Yesterday was Amelia's 3rd Birthday Party (yes, it all deserves caps...it's THAT important).  It was so much fun!  Amelia had been looking forward to it for weeks, probably months.  I did some crafty things for the party (that will be a separate post), and as she saw them being completed, she would get more and more excited.  A few weeks ago, Amelia was standing by the front door.  I asked what she was doing, to which she replied, "Waiting for my birthday party!"  She would even "practice" having her party.  She was amped about it.

Admittedly, I went a little (maybe a LOT) overboard this year.  That was not without a few good reasons.  1) This was the first year Amelia picked the theme (Princesses, of course).  2) This was the first year Amelia actually got the whole "birthday party" concept and was excited about it.  3) This was the first year we had our OWN HOUSE to host a birthday party.  Call it pride, call it maternal instinct, call it feeling a little crafty - whatever you call it, I just wanted to do it BIG.  So I did.  :)

We had 7 kiddos, 2 babies, and 19 adults in attendance (including ourselves).  It was a great party.  Thank you to all our friends & family who came to celebrate with us!  We hope that you had at least half as much fun as we did.  I'm already planning Julian's 1st birthday party (I know, it's a sickness).  ;)

Waiting for her guests

party people

THE birthday princess

Modeling her princess birthday tiara & boa

Amelia & Olivia

Aaron, baby Mason, Olivia, Amelia, Leanne & Me

Grandpa & Aunt Marilyn

Prince Brendan, Princess Olivia & Princess Amelia

Prince Julian & Ian

Aunt Kimmy (as Belle), Princess Natalie, Princess Amelia & Princess Olivia.
All the party girls dressed as Cinderella!

Lucas & Adam

Aunt Joanie, Aunt Sue, Aunt Ree Ree & Uncle Tim

Handsome Prince Julian

Prince Brendan

Opening presents with Grandma

Blowing out the candle on her cake

Eating her brownie (she doesn't like cake)

Princess Belle was the waitress ;)



Standing with Julie



Double Play-date

A mom-friend of mine has a daughter about 2 months older than Amelia and a son 2 months younger than Julian.  We've been trying to get them together for a while, but life is busy!  They finally came over to play on Monday, and everyone had a blast!

Olivia & Amelia share a love for Disney Princesses, so they quickly became BFFs.  :)  By coincidence, we had dressed our boys in the SAME outfit - too funny!

Amelia loved playing with Olivia, and I think Julian enjoyed making his first friend.  Of course Mommy enjoyed some much needed grown-up conversation.  Amelia is already asking when Olivia can come back over.

Princess time

Hey, you're on my mat AND you're wearing the same outfit!

Hugs