Kindergarten

Dear Charlotte, 

First, I'm sorry I haven't been keeping up with our blog the way I should have, especially since there is no baby book, but my Instagram is up to date for you to view one day and look at all of our adventures. This however was more wordy than Instagram could ever be. 

You my dear will be starting school. Real big kid school. I'm so incredibly excited, scared, sad, happy and more for you! You're five years old now! I can hardly believe it. It seems like just yesterday you were my tiny peanut who needed me for everything. Just a small baby in my arms every chance you could be. 

Now you can run and jump and play and dance and sing. You've made friends and even got a kitten, that you're doing a very good job taking care of. You're becoming your own person more and more everyday and I'm so proud of you, and still can not believe that I am the lucky duck that gets to be your mommy. I'm thankful for that everyday. 

The last five years have truly been the best most rewarding of my life. Watching you grow and learn and change, is something indescribable, but now we are entering a new chapter. 

I hope you always stay this kind and sweet. You're very cautious when exploring new things and places, you watch other make mistakes and try to avoid them, that will serve you well, but I also hope you take some risks. 

One of the things I love most about you is your joy in the simple things, and how you always find it. No matter where we are or what we're doing, you'll stop to pick up a penny, or a feather or point out a plane or a bird or a school bus or the most beautiful flower, things I would normally just walk past and not even see. You look at them or pick them up with such joy and wonder. This is something I hope you never lose. It's something I'm learning from you. To be more aware of all the joyous things around me. 

You are smart, and brave and kind. Sleep well tonight, for tomorrow you will move mountains, and I will be there to support and love you unconditionally every step of the way. 

Love, 

Mommy 

Breakfast with the Easter Bunny!

Well, my resolution to update more has NOT panned out well! I am sorry for any of you faithful readers who have been itching for a Charlotte update. 


For Easter we did something extra special.  We went to the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore for Breakfast with the Easter Bunny! Boy was it fun! This was my first time going to one of the Zoo's breakfast events, even though we have been zoo members for over a year.  I chose this event because I love breakfast and animals and Easter. We were fortunate enough to have people come with us on this adventure! Charlotte and I were joined by GG, Aunt Jenna, Cousin Holden and Holdens Grandmother Mary. 


I should start by saying how impressed I was with the organization of the event.  While standing in line, they told us what table we would be seated at.  It was nice to have assigned seats.  It was a sold out event, so I imagine it would have been sucky to fight for a table with enough sits for the six of us.  The best part of this event is that Holden and Charlotte were free because they are under two.  A lot of times places who have kids free under two, require the kids to sit on laps, so I was pleased to see they had seats for the kiddos too!


When we walked into the mansion house, it was decorated for Easter and all the kids got a free small stuffed animal.  Charlotte chose a duck.  Then we found our table, and boy did we luck out, we were right near the food and where there was a set up for Easter bunny pics!


We went to eat first, and the food was great. I should mention they had Hershey kisses decorating the table, so of course Charlotte ate one of those pre-breakfast.  They had mini muffins, apples, bananas, French toast sticks, scrambled eggs, bacon and hashbrowns. YUM! I had about an entire plate of bacon, one of my favorite foods, that I don't buy or cook, so I gotta stock up.  The hashbrowns kinda sucked but everything else was great.  Charlotte ate a lot of mini muffins, eggs, and a French toast stick. 


While we were eating the Easter bunny came around to meet everyone, he stopped at every table.  Charlotte LOVED the Easter bunny, she cried when he left and spent the rest of the breakfast looking for him.  She met up with him several times.  In our family photo she wouldn't turn around for the camera because she was hugging him.  She found him to show him the craft she made too.  It was too cute! I liked how accessible the Easter bunny was, much better than the mall. 


They also had a craft table set up, it looked like two different crafts, however Charlotte only did one.  She got to color a bag to collect Easter eggs in.  She had a great time coloring and it was nice they had activities to keep the kids busy. 


The description of the event said to look out for the zoo's animal ambassadors and their handlers for pictures and things.  This was the only disappointing part of the event (although didn't make a different to Charlotte) The animals were two rabbits, which were super cute, but it was in a pen, and you couldn't pet it or really get your picture with it.  Charlotte had fun looking at the rabbits and waving to them (if you ask her what a rabbit says, she says HOP HOP HOP, so she spent time shouting HOP HOP HOP at them) but it was disappointing you couldn't pet them, when we saw the Flemish Giant in the zoo, we were as close as we were during that breakfast, so it wasn't anything extra special, so a little disappointing, but didn't ruin the event in the least.


After the breakfast we got to tour the zoo, which was a lot of fun! We did the Easter Egg Hunt at the Bunnybonanzoo event they had and went around to look at all the animals!


It was a great day! Charlotte laughed and ran and had so much fun! She is so grown up and engaged in activities now.  It is impossible to have a bad time when you hang out with her.  All in all, the Breakfast with Easter Bunny Event is recommended.  I hope we are fortunate enough to go next year :)