The Loot

The night before Valentine's Day was a special night. It was the annual Daddy Daughter Dance hosted by our community. Emily and Lucy look forward to this dance every year. They love getting all dressed up. They love the time with their dad. I'd have to agree that he's a pretty fun date. But there is another reason they love it.

The prizes.

Let me back up to February of last year. Matt and I were done with the exploding pile of stuffed animals emerging from the girls' toy box. I seriously think that if we didn't do something about it we may have actually lost one of our children in that room. We told them they had to get rid of enough that each stuffed animal could fit in the toy box...with the lid closed. This was a painstaking process! Each of their stuffed animals had some meaning that prevented their banishment. In all fairness I was part of the problem. "Are you sure you want to get rid of that one? That's the one you picked out in Disneyland." or "Grandma gave that one to you for your first Christmas." Meanwhile, Matt was beating his head against the wall. After quite some time the job was accomplished. The lid on the toy box could actually close...with a little weight on it.

Less than a week later was the Daddy Daughter Dance. It was a fifties dance and I had spent quite some time preparing the girls' costumes. They were so excited! Off they went with their dad. I couldn't wait for them to get home and tell me all about it.

Finally I heard the garage door go up. In walks Emily with two very large teddy bears in her arms. Following her was Matt carrying a tired Lucy who was carrying two more cuddly creatures. In exasperation I looked at Matt and said, "What were you thinking?" With the same look he said, "There are four more in the car." WHAT?!! Yes, my lucky girls won a centerpiece. And not only were there eight teddy bears but there was also a chest, a large hollow book (not sure of the significance with that one), and at least four frames with pictures of teddy bears in them. How is that a centerpiece? How big was the table?

For my girls the night was perfect. They danced with their dad, their closest friends, and even Elvis. Yes, this was another prize for the night--having Elvis sing to you on stage. Few times have I seen my girls this happy. It almost made the teddy bears worth it.

This year there was a fairy tale theme. I think I had as much fun as the girls getting them all dressed up. They were beautiful and beaming. As their prince drove away with them, Miles and I took off for a night of our own. When we returned we walked in to what looked like Christmas. The girls were in their pajamas and there was the color pink everywhere.

Oh no...it happened again.

As the dance wound down they started drawing names for the centerpieces. Emily asked Matt if he thought their names would be drawn. He reminded them of the previous year's luck and that this year it was someone else's turn. Well, I guess that someone else left a little early because they had to draw extra names to find winners. I wish I could have been there to see their reaction when their names were called. Matt said Lucy was jumping up and down with her hands in the air yelling, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" Well, at least it wasn't eight teddy bears.

It was a pet.

I'm not kidding. Okay, it's only a fish but the progression stands. What will it be next year?

Along with the fish they won another treasure chest, jewelry, several art projects (including sand art), fish to hang on the wall, a toy CD player, and a DVD special edition of The Little Mermaid. Everything Ariel. There is even an Ariel figurine in the water with their fish they named Mystery (quoting Emily "there's something fishy around here"). And they all lived happily ever after.

Despite the girls' different suggestions, I talked them into retiring the teddy bear pictures for a spot for Mystery. Now we just need a few more people to sit on the toy box.

The Discovery

Emily and Lucy found a little treasure outside today. It has become the topic of discussion for hours now, driving their brother crazy. They've been in bed for 15 minutes and I can still hear them talking about it. They found what most people might call a rock. But imagine if it isn't! What if it's really an egg! I honestly can't tell if they are pretending or if they really believe they might be adopting a pet. Right now I'm hearing...

Emily: What if it's a snake?
Lucy: I want Miles to keep it. Miles loves snakes, right?

Yes, this is one of the many possibilities of what may be emerging while we sleep tonight. Emily hopes it's a crocodile. Lucy said, "If it's a dinosaur, I'll be flabbergasted!" She actually used that word. They've placed it on the heater vent for the night to keep it warm. They've given me strict instructions of how to take care of it tomorrow while they're at school in case it hatches. I must take it with me in a box with holes anywhere I go. Yeah, I'll do that.

The continuing conversation going on right now...

Lucy: What if we hear a crack?
Emily: Can we just sleep now?
Lucy: I'll just wake up and say, "What's that?!"

If we do hear some cracking tonight I'll be flabbergasted.

The Ring

(Okay, so this is something that happened last summer but I was reminded of it and thought I'd blog about it for the sake of journaling.)

Rewind to September 2007. Emily had just been baptized and Matt and I were taking her with us on a trip to Hawaii. It was actually a trip that Matt--my stud of a husband--earned through work and the timing was perfect.

As soon as we got settled into our hotel we went to my favorite restaurant--The Cheesecake Factory. I know. It's crazy to go somewhere remote just to eat something I could find here but come on...it's The Cheesecake Factory...and it was walking distance from the hotel. Yeah, that's why we ate there.

We got to Oahu pretty late but our hunger overpowered our need for sleep. Poor Emily was falling asleep at the table while we waited for our check. But of course she was a great sport and tried her hardest to stay awake.

We did so many fun things while we were there. Matt and Emily went on a catamaran.

We went snorkeling (which I'm sorry to say to those that love snorkeling in Hawaii but it couldn't even hold a candle to the snorkeling Miles and I did a few months earlier in Bali. It was like we jumped onto the movie set of Finding Nemo. I know they don't have a set but work with me). We went to the Aloha Stadium (thanks Mary!) where I found my favorite skirt. Emily picked out a $4 plumeria ring with a single "diamond" in the middle.

We went on hikes,

visited Pearl Harbor,

the North Shore,

the Dole Plantation,

the Hawaii Temple in Laie,

and of course we spent a couple of days at the Polynesian Cultural Center which could be a whole post in and of itself.

We bought an Israel Kamakawiwo'ole CD there which we listened to on our drive along the coast back to our hotel. I always think of that when I hear it. This was one of those trips that was too short and I'm still longing for more. It was so fun to spend that time with Emily.

Now fast forward to August 2008. The prized plumeria ring which really was a little too big had been lost and found again and again. Each time we were so grateful to have found the one memorabilia that was the most important to Emily. She wore it always.

On our drive back from Utah we stopped at a hotel. Before checking out, the kids wanted to go swimming. I sat at a little table near the pool. After a few minutes I realized Emily was still wearing her ring in the water. Phew! Good thing I noticed before it slipped off into the water never to be found again.

We made it home safely. The following day was filled with laundry and unpacking. Early the next morning I woke up suddenly realizing I had left Emily's ring on the table near the pool at the hotel in Pendleton. No!!! Lost again and this time it was my fault! I knew I should have stuck it in my pocket. I immediately called the hotel and said a prayer of thanks when they told me they had found it. I'm sure they wondered what the big deal was when they looked at the slightly bent and tarnished ring. I asked them if they could mail it to us to which they responded that they would need to charge my credit card for the postage. Whatever. I pictured them wrapping it in a tissue and sticking it in an envelope. How much could that cost? A few days later I got a package roughly the size of a shoebox. Hello..it's a $4 ring! The postage... $11.75. And Emily hasn't worn the ring since.

At least we have the memories....