"Taylor Swiff"

Last night we took The Barefoot Princess to see her favorite Country singer Taylor Swift or "Taylor Swiff" as she calls her. She was over the moon with excitement!!! The icing on the cake for BP was when she saw Taylor wearing a blue sparkly dress. BP had been asking us what Taylor would be wearing all day and we made all kinds of suggestions, like jeans and cowboy boots, a skirt, a dress, etc... BP said, "No, maybe a blue dress." Thank you, Taylor for considering BP with your concert fashion choice. She was in awe of the blue dress. Then Taylor sang BP's favorite songs, 'Picture to Burn' and 'Our Song,' while BP danced around. We took turns walking her closer to the stage so she could really see the blue dress. Then Daddy went to get us drinks and came back with a blue Taylor Swift t-shirt in BP's size. She put it on right away and wore it all day today!

I love the pictures of her face when #1 she saw the stage with Taylor signing for the first time and #2 we took her down closer so she could really see the blue dress. Is it just me or does she look really old in these pictures?

Lunch with a Rock

On our last full day in St. John we had lunch atop Bordeaux Mountain. The views were breathtaking, the breeze heavenly, and the food delicious. A local named Loretta whipped up bacon cheeseburgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken, and potato salad for us, but she insisted we take a rock for our plates too. The rock served a very important purpose. It held the plate when you picked up your sandwich so the Carribbean breeze didn't steal your lunch away and blow it down the mountain. It was a very casual lunch and definitely one of my favorite meals while we were in St. John!!!

Harvest Time

It is harvest time in our garden and we are all so excited to see the reward of our hard work. We gathered cherry tomatoes ("matoes" as BP says), string beans, berries, sunflowers, zuchini ("kini"), and cucumbers over the last three days. The Barefoot Princess totally gets the connection between what we planted and what we are able to eat now. The last picture is a fresh from the garden meal we had this past week... Chicken with basil, fresh mozzarella, red peppers, and cherry tomatoes. Next on my baking list... Chocolate Zuchini bread. Yummy! If it comes out well I will post the recipe.

The Natives

A few pictures of the "natives" of St. John. The donkeys walked right up to our Jeep and the one attempted to take a bite out of the door. We fed them some puffs and then continued on because they were scaring BP a little bit. The goats also roam the island and we came upon this herd meandering down the street one day. I cannot believe it, but I don't have one single picture of the iguanas that hung by the pool morning, noon, and night. BP talks about them ALL the time. Again, she was a little intimidated by them, but at the same time intrigued. I have to say iguanas are very pre-historic and dragon like that they kind of freaked me out too. Oh, and how could I forget when Mama (Grandma) stepped in the iguana poop (with her sandals on thank heavens)... BP will never forget this! The "natives" of St. John shared their island well with us tourists!

Day 1...Journey to St. John

The journey to St. John is not easy and involves a few modes of transportation. Add to that 2 children under the age of 3 and 2 carseats, 2 strollers, and all of our baggage and it can be chaotic. Totally worth it when you reach the island, but chaotic! We also experienced some plane trouble the morning we left, which meant we had to sit on the first plane for over an hour at the gate and then disembark and get on another plane an hour later. So we were a little behind schedule for the day and BP and BB had to be extra patient. We flew from JFK to St. Thomas, took a taxi to the ferry, a ferry to St. John, and finally rental cars to the house. We left our house at 3:30 am and arrived at the house in St. John at 6ish. About 16 hours of traveling all together, and I am only pointing that out because The Barefoot Princess and The Barefoot Baby were troopers, awesome, and more patient than we were at times. Above are some pictures from the journey. The first two were taken when we first boarded the airplane. The last two were taken later that afternoon. As you can see from the last two pictures both BP and BP were still smiling about fifteen hours into the journey. It is not easy to travel with two young children, but I think totally worth it and can teach them so many great life lessons! I am so proud of our two little adventurers!

A Big Fish

One of the highlights of our vacation for BP and BB's Daddy was catching this big fish. He went fishing early Sunday morning with Papa and Uncle T. It is a Horse-Eye Jack. (Interesting name for a fish.) He caught a Kingfish also and brought that one home for dinner.

This is what the Kingfish looked like later that night after Uncle T's adorable and sweet friend "Chef Lauren" worked her magic. It was delicious with spinach salad and cheesy potatoes!!! Yummy!!!

Las Brisas Caribe

We are packing and preparing for our trip to St. John. We leave very, very early tomorrow morning. We are all excited to visit paradise. BP wants to see the lizards and the turtles and fly on the big airplane. BB has no clue what is going on. Daddy needs a little "zen" as he calls it. I cannot wait to see the aqua water, the calm ocean, and feel the tickle of the Carribbean breaze. I also cannot wait to experience the island through the eyes of BP and BB. Lots of pictures promised when we return...

Fit Flops

Trying to decide if I should add these to my shoe collection... and wondering if they really work. Can a pair of flip flops really tone my legs and buttocks and combat cellulite? I am not completely convinced, but I have seen a lot of people wearing them this summer. Do they know something I do not?

Couldn't Resist

While walking in Cape May, I saw this plaque on a house and I could not resist. Funny thing... Mama and Papa looked at this house before buying the lavendar Victorian just down the street.

My Wipey Wallet

So clever and crafty, why didn't I ever think of this? It is a Pampers travel wipe container which someone decorated and turned into a sophisticated and stylish 'wipey wallet'. The store that I found them in had all different materials and designs it was so hard to choose.

Barefoot Beach Fun

8 Months

The Barefoot Baby is 8 months old.

Some of her favorites...

Being held, of course.

Chewing on her toes.

Clapping and waving.

Trying new finger foods.

Pulling herself up on anything and everything.

Holding, kissing, and chewing on BP's Bitty Baby.

Smiling at everyone all day long.

Talking, babbling, and screeching.

Crawling, but only backwards and side to side.

Snuggling her white silky satin blankie.

Splashing water, in the bath, in her babypool, or on the beach.

Watching and studying her big sister with awe.

Freda

BP's Daddy sometimes calls her "Freda"... as in "Freda from the Catskills." Here is a perfect example why!
She insists upon accessorizing with such pizzazz. Is the pink potty considered an accessory?

4th of July Parade

Mom Confession #4

My sweet obsession... Mickey D's sweet tea!!! I am addicted. If you have not had one, you must! Just $1.00 for a huge cup of cool, refreshing sweet tea that tastes like it came from your Grandmother's sunny summer yard. I am sure this drink is seasonal, so I am making sure I get at least one a day!

Red, White, and Blue...

A few pictures of 4th of July decor that caught my eye while walking in Cape May.

Happy 4th of July!!!

Hoping to beat the traffic, we are leaving today for the beach. While we are there we will celbrate BP turning 2 and 3/4, BB turning 8 months, and myself turning 30. (Yikes!!! That is really the first time I acknowledged it.)

Happy 4th of July to all our friends and family. Have a wonderful holiday. See you in a few days.

(picture from Martha)

Spaghetti

The Barefoot Baby enjoying spaghetti for the first time. We are entering the world of real human food, slowly, very slowly. She likes everything so far. We are not surprised by this at all!

The Bling Ring...

Here is The Barefoot Princess with her dear friend Grace or "Race" as she calls her. They are sitting outside our local toy store showing off their new rings. The sign above them in the store called them... "Bling Rings" and you can see why. Well, these two little cuties who love all things fancy and sparkly and girlie could not refuse the enormous "Bling Rings." BP has been wearing hers for the last three days straight. Oh, and how could I forget to mention the other two girls in the picture... Baby Shush (Grace's Baby) and Bitty Baby (BP's Baby).

BP's Mani / Pedi

As a treat for overcoming her fears of going #2 on the potty we decided it would be nice to treat BP to her first manicure and pedicure. We were thinking of rewarding her with an expereince rather than a material thing. She loved every minute of being pampered at the local nail salon. She sat so still and was very patient while her nails dried. She chose pink and then the nail tech asked if she would like little daisies painted on her nails and toes, and of course BP could not refuse that. Then the nail tech asked if she would like glitter over the top, and you know the answer to that one too. She stared at her digits all afternoon and beemed when others noticed them. The funniest part was when our neighbor commented on her nails and toes and she told her exactly why they were painted... "because I go poopie on the potty." Oh, BP!!!