Cold November

I feel like we went from summer to winter with the weather we had this month. It has actually been nice this past week but we got whatever it was up north + east in the US, way earlier down here when it is usually still nice. We have been in hibernating mode on days we might normally be out so it has been pretty ordinary around here with lots of snuggles, naps + movies. With the weather + after the commotion of a lengthy Halloween, then her birthday festivities, we have been on resting mode + I have been in organizing mode for the new year coming up. Now that the holidays are here this week + after plenty of rest with great weather, we are ready to go! 

I am so ready for good food + fun plans for the next month straight.

Treasure

We now have a 4 year old! The last time I was here, I wrapped up the rest of October, approaching her birthday. I had this post planned for her actual birthday because we had her little party the weekend before but I took all of last week to just be with my babe. Plus the temps got low after a cold front that came from somewhere north. I spent a lot of it reflecting + thinking of the days that led up to her birth four years ago. I might have even been a little emotional the day before insisting we snuggle her to sleep instead of putting her down in her bed + letting her sleepily walk in to our room later in the night like usual. I was trying to stretch every minute of her being 3 out + wanted to be there when she magically turned + that part of her was gone forever. She woke up to her daddy + me with a big smile because it was her big day + she hasn't looked back. It all seems so surreal that she's a small person now with her baby traits diminishing before our eyes. She loves conquering new goals that she couldn't before with better privileges she has been waiting for. She has adjusted to being 4 very well + seems a million times more grown up. 

The last two years we have spent her birthday in San Francisco with my sisters but since one is abroad, it didn't seem right to keep on with the tradition. We wanted it to be special for her none the less so we thought we would decorate a ridiculous amount + plaster our house with things just for her. She hadn't made up her mind for a theme until literally the Friday before we were going to have family over for cake + ice cream after a pizza dinner at her favorite kids arcade. She loves the Palace Pets, with Treasure, Ariel's cat, being her favorite. She is our treasure so the theme worked. I got every item in our home that could be considered a treasure + used it as a prop. Luckily I love sparkly things, as does she, so we had everything we needed around the house. She loved every bit of it + felt so special it was all for her. I just put the last of it away after letting it all stay up for over a week which she loved even more. The only reason she agreed to give her permission was just because we put up our sparkly Christmas decorations in place of the shells + jewels. Now were on to the holidays + hot cocoa.

Goodbye October

October is gone in the blink of an eye + we are welcoming November. Well she is, I'm a little sad. It's officially countdown to her bday in less than a week. She is excited about all that comes with a birthday, presents, cake etc., like most kids are but if only I could really convince her to stay little forever I would. She already acts like a teenager but her years are catching up to her personality + I just want to crawl into a hole + cry about it. I am grateful for every minute of her existence though. Everyday is so much more fun with her in it. 

These are from my camera roll, the last days of her last full month as a 3 year old. 

I introduced her to Thriller. It is now her favorite video.

Dias de Los Muertos 2014

I'm still recovering from 3 days of her dressing up for Halloween last week + a couple weeks wasted on the World Series #fairweatherfan. Add Saturday's Home Depot Workshop + a full morning/early afternoon of Muerto Fest on top of that + I am done. I swear I developed narcolepsy over the weekend because it is a struggle to keep my eyelids open. I let her watch Sleeping Beauty today, a normal no no for day time, just so she would chill with snacks + so I could lay down as opposed to tumbling + grocery shopping. I promised park time when the mr. is off this evening so she called deal. 

Dias de Los Muertos is something I hadn't really participated in before even though I am 100% Hispanic + have been aware of the holiday before it became topical on Pinterest. In an attempt to expose my girl to a little culture + get out on a gorgeous, rare cool day, we headed to DT San Antonio. The fest goes on for 2 days but we wanted to to get an early start + avoid the super big crowds over the weekend + Sundays are usually our resting day before the start of the new week. I think there is a misconception that it is an occult holiday, but the day is more about celebrating death, which is normally viewed as a sad ending in the process of life. Death isn't the end. Religion aside, whether your beliefs vary from one to the next, we all know life is but a fraction of what our souls encounter on earth + go on to experience in the after life. Of course not every circumstance can be thought of as happy when a loved one is gone, but when there is so much sadness looming, thinking of the positivity of life + love can do so much more to one's memory of those who are no longer with us. 

She has her own understanding of passing + as a child has so much positive light, she connected to the experience in a completely happy way. I explained why alters were set up + how every picture we saw, was of a person loved very much by their families. She got what I was saying but I think overall she was just really excited to dress up one more day after Halloween. ;)