Final swim

As our vacation came to an end Beth had made great strides in her swimming and comfort in the pool. She swam at least daily and most days enjoyed the pool in the late morning and then again in the late afternoon. She didn't quite understand why we wouldn't let her stay in longer during the late morning but seemed satisfied that she could stay longer in the late afternoon. Beth also had a lot of fun swimming with Anna along with Paul and Mandy, something different from back home at the Y.

Valentines Dinner

Since we were in Florida over Valentines Day we made the best of it and enjoyed an all you can eat seafood buffet. Mandy didn't partake in the seafood but did have a fabulous chicken dinner and Anna and Beth both benefited from the buffet. Beth enjoyed the crab legs as she had had them once before at home when mommy made them on the grill along with steaks. Of course she did enjoy the deserts most of all!!!

After our dinner we returned to the condo for a final swim, as we flew out the next day. Later in the evening Beth enjoyed the frosting off cupcakes and managed to make a great mess of her face which was then removed in a bath with Anna.

Downtown Disney post princess makeover

After her makeover into princess Ariel, the mermaid, Beth's patience was wearing rather thin so uncle Paul walked her outside to pappa and auntie Mandy who were playing with baby Anna. Beth saw statues of Cinderella and Aura and convinced pappa that photos were needed. The princess makeover lasted about an hour and while enjoying a snack at McDonalds she wanted it off as it was itchy and the bobby pins were hurting her head.

Princess Makeover

Beth had the experience of her little life when she visited the Bipity Bobity Boutique and had a princess makeover. She chose to be Ariel the Mermaid princess and sat amazingly still for the 45 minutes it took to do her hair and make-up and paint her nails. She was even fairly cooperative with the professional photographer afterwards and we got some super cute photos. Her patience, along with baby Anna's, moms, dads, uncle Paul and auntie Mandy wore out however while waiting to pick out her photo package as the lines were long and the grandma in front of mamma couldn't make up her mind.

Anyway, I apologize for the length of the slide show but she's my only little girl!

Book under the blanket

When going down for her nap before her princess makeover Beth decided she wasn't quit ready so she started reading her book under the blanket and "hiding" from mom and dad. It turned into a great game before she settled down for her nap.

Breakfast by the pool

On the 13th there was a breakfast by the pool that was relaxing and the fresh oranges were great. Beth and Anna very much wanted to go swimming but it was a bit chilly that morning so they waited until the afternoon.

Beth acted like the big sister watching Anna and making sure she stayed safe and Anna seemed to enjoy the attention.

Old Town

We spent an evening at Old Town which reminded us of Hill City, SD with all the trinkets shops, tourist joints and such. There was also an amusement park with a variety of rides. Beth and Anna enjoyed the carousel then Beth went on her first rollercoaster ride. It looked like a catepillar but did have some decent turns and slopes for s kiddy ride. Beth loved so much that when we got off she saw the big rollercoaster behind us and asked to go on it next.

While walking along the streets Beth was convinced that she had a rock in her shoe and sat in baby Anna's stroller until shoe thoroughly inspected each shoe, then had mommy so it before putting them back on and walking again.

Feeding the Ducks

There were multitudes of ducks with different coloration than we have back home and Beth was enamored with them. She had fed a group of them Cheetos while we were playing mini golf one night so she and pappa went out one morning and tried to feed them with bread. They very much seemed to enjoy this, so much so to the point that Jim ended up picking Beth up and carrying her away as the ducks were "bumping" her with their bills in an attempt to get more bread.

Beth also enjoyed the various flowers that were throughout the complex and in bloom.

Clearwater Beach

On our trip to Florida we spent a day at Clearwater Beach. The water was a bit too cold to enjoy playing in but Beth VERY much enjoyed playing with the sand and building sand castles with her mom and dad and "auntie" Tina. Tina and I have been friends since high school and still manage to see each other every other year or so.

There was a fabulous covered playground that Beth and Anna enjoyed as well and it gave the moms a chance to sit and chat while the dads "watched the van" conveniently parked in front of a bar.