Sesame Street World

One of the fun things about where we live ( especially with a munchkin ) is all of the different parks. If you bite the bullet and buy passes to them, you can go any old time and feel like it's free...ish. We have passes to the San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park, and Sea World. The other day we went to Sea World, which was my first time there since they've set up the big Sesame Street themed kids area. It's awesome! We are big Sesame Street / Muppets people in this household, and it's funny to me that you wouldn't have any idea that we were at SEA World from the photos I took that day. We spent most of the time enjoying Annie's Sesame Street buddies.

You can just barely make out the top of Annabelle's head on the ride with me here. Underneath, is a gigantic smile.

She was in heaven getting to hang out with Elmo & Zoe.

So fun to watch.

This is the after glow in line for the 3D movie, which we were wondering whether or not it would work out with Miss Two.





This happy beaming lingered all through the show, even with the 3D glasses on. We had a ball!

At the dolphin show ( but how would you know that? ) with Pops.

The post party crash...notice the drool.

This kid knows how to have a good time.

Juilliard, Here We Come!

As I was looking back on the holiday season, I was so pleased at what a musical one it turned out to be. Many of our festivities involved Annabelle playing an instrument of one form or another. Some intentional and some spontaneous.

There is a show called "Dr. Zoolittle" at the zoo here, and they had a musical game involving Christmas stories where everyone was given instruments, and specific words would queue specific instruments. It was GREAT! Annie got jingle bells, and she LOVED them. It was a challenge to give them back after the program.

Christmas with these characters ended up in song as well. Miss Belle even went home with her own set of jingle bells as they had a set of them, with one they were happy to give away to Lil' Sis. What a happy surprise after learning about them at our trip to the zoo.

Annie & her Big Brothers.

There was one point in the evening where they decided to form a band. Corey's guitar string broke, so he opted out, but there was a joyful noise anyhow. Jordan even generously allowed Annabelle to steel away his drummin'.

And what a percussionist she was!!

The Band.

Is that an album cover or what?

This is the first tickling of the ivories on Christmas morning after Little Annie Lu Who opened her very first piano that Daddy promptly put together for her.

Pondering her next masterpiece.

A little assist from Daddy.

She has made our life...

such a beautiful song.

Here are some of Annie's songs to enjoy. Oh how it thrills my soul!

Divinity

It's amazing to me how the brain works and what triggers specific memories that you didn't even realize you had. It seems to happen even more often at Christmas time. My Grandma Higgins used to make that pink, fluffy, divinity candy during the holidays. The Christmas tree doesn't show in this photo, but it was the moment that Annabelle gazed up at the tree that triggered that Christmas memory for me. Wearing this pink fluffy coat that Santa brought, she reminded me of Grandma's magical divinity that seemed to appear out of thin air on lovely little dishes. As kids we would eye those three tiered, ornate, white dishes with stacks of pink divinity, hoping to be allowed another piece, and probably sneaking some. How divine!

Starting it Off Right

Now and then we like to load up the pups and have breakfast at Tower Two where they allow the dogs in the outdoor eating area. It's very close to Dog Beach, so if we're going to to Tower Two, then Dog Beach follows. We decided it would be a great way to start the new year.

Annabelle deciding what she would like to order...

so very grown up!

Kritters & me

Pops & Unca Day

The Fam.

The Dogs.

Sean & Sierra

Kristy & Nike

The Girls

Daddy & Annie

The New Year's Group.

And lastly, a video of the beach bliss.

Happy New Year!!!