Anticipation

It seems that these days kids get what they need/want at the moment. They don't have to wait for birthdays or holidays to get their heart's desires. But there are times when they are left to anxiously anticipate events to come. It is very fun to watch the process and even better when the event meets or beats the expectations.

Aubrey and her best friend, Hannah, received a fun Christmas gift from their moms. (Is it okay to just say that Heidi and I rock?! That feels wrong! ha, ha!) They were each granted a certificate good for one lunch at the American Girl Store in Los Angeles. They knew that we would drive them, and pay for lunch, but it was up to them to save their money and purchase what they wanted. They were thrilled! (And yes, Heidi and I accept that we're cheap and love that our girls are okay with that!)

The girls even dressed up for their big day. They are growing up so fast and are so beautiful. The cafe is beautiful and the chandeliers are over the top. I bummed I didn't get a picture. Note the cute high chairs they give the girls to put their dolls right up to the table. It was pricey, but it was so fun.

One of the things the girls did was leave their dolls at the store to get their hair done. The wait was over an hour before their dolls' appointment, so we went out shopping at "The Grove". Great weather, great company, great girls' day! We got home tired, but we all loved it!

We went 3 years ago, and the girls were so excited. We noticed that the luster of the dolls has worn off as the girls are growing up. I'm sure this will be their last trip to American Girl, but we are already planning to keep this a tradition of a girls' day. We'll have to come up with something new next year! :)

Moving on, Jon has been anxiously awaiting the day when he could compete in the Pinewood Derby. He got his car and started on his design right away. He worked with Brian who taught him how to cut the wood, sand it down, paint the design, and perfect it as best he could. He named the car Shark Bait.
He proved to be a really good sport. He didn't pout when he lost a race, and he didn't boast when he won. The people in charge of the event did an amazing job decorating and organizing it. With the computer set up to rank the races, it was very quick. Jon was thrilled when he learned that he came in 3rd place!