Ryleigh Turns Nine!!

Happy 9th Birthday Ryleigh!

We celebrated your birthday with some of your very favorite things: 

a craft-filled party with friends, ice cream cake, 

a drive-by parade full of surprises and a steak dinner. 

In a not so perfect year, 

it was the perfect way to ensure you still felt loved. 

At 9, you remain one of the most loving 

and affectionate kiddos I know. 

You love to be surrounded by your family and friends. 

One of your happiest places to be is in the kitchen -

cooking and baking and chatting. 

You love music and always have a new favorite jam. 

You would have a play date every day if you could 

and would then beg for it to turn into a sleepover. 

You are super into Among Us right now 

and love to play it with your friends, 

talking over strategy and your plan of attack. 

You are also a huge fan of YouTube. 

You have a very strong sense of personal style 

and display immense passion when it comes to your hair 

and your clothing. 

You love family movie night, nature walks, swimming in the pool 

and nearly every animal you encounter. 

You are equally at home on the ski slopes 

and at the beach. 

The hover board is your preferred mode of transportation, 

though you are following in your sister's footsteps with rollerblading.

Lacrosse and softball remain your top sports to play,

and you delight in art class, making slime and just about any craft 

that involves painting, drawing or creating. 

You are a proud Italian 

and enjoy just about every pasta dish you’ve ever tried. 

You are a big time daddy’s girl

and delight in special time just the two of you. 

You live for sister sleepovers and impromptu trips to Crumbl Cookie.

You are in that amazing stage where holidays and birthdays 

are truly magical in your eyes, 

and your excitement for any celebration is simply contagious. 

You leave little notes of encouragement 

and thanks for your family and friends. 

You come home from school just about every other day with sweet 

notes from your girlfriends - filled with hearts and BFF messages. 

You love to write your name in script and doddle little characters.

You are equal parts sweet and stubborn, 

and I admire both your happy-go-lucky, 

go with the flow attitude and your sheer unwillingness to bend at times. 

These two traits will serve you well in life.

What I love most however 

is that you can find the positive in any situation 

and are truly a friend to all. 

Your happy heart fills all the hearts around you 

with love. What a special gift! 

Favorites:

Book-Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Movie: The One and Only Ivan

Color: purple and teal

Food: Pizza and lasagna

Dessert: Caramel brownies

Season: Winter

Stuffed Animal: Lambie

Holiday: Christmas

Number: 3

Animal: Hedgehog

Subject at school: Reading

 

Almost a Teenager!!

Lexi,

You have grown not just into a beautiful, intelligent,
and talented young lady but also into one of my dearest friends.
What an amazing gift your friendship is!

At twelve, you have all the markings of an almost-teenager.
You can always be found with your phone in hand, 

you have a great sense of style, 

taking more time than your daddy can understand 
when it comes to your skin care, hair and wardrobe routines. 
You are into all the latest trends (even informing me that "mom jeans"
and ripped jeans are actually a cool thing for 6th graders).
You are already more skilled than me at applying makeup,
you love any opportunity to get a gel manicure, 

and you've taken full charge of styling your hair. 

At 12, you remain a straight A student - 

tackling your challenging work load
with relative ease and grace. 

You have a kind, fun and spunky group of friends and are 
always plotting which house to have a sleepover at 

(during which you barely sleep).
Volleyball is the sport you're most passionate about, 

and we love to watch your progress
and your team's success on the court. 

You still love rollerblading, baking and creating. 

You are happiest outdoors 

and crave fresh air and activity. 
You find organizing things to be calming and relaxing 

(which is wonderful for us!)
You have a great eye for style and decor - 

at the current moment you have plans to 
own your own interior design business.

Holidays and birthdays have always been 

very exciting for you, 

and you're not too grown up to still show your love for them. 

Watching you thoughtfully plot Harry the elf's latest adventures 

for your little sister at Christmas-time makes us so very happy. 

You love the beach and spend hours in the summer 

skim boarding at the water's edge. 
Monopoly and Sequence are your favorite board games to play, 

though you enjoy anything that challenges your mind 

like crossword puzzles and uno. 

The book in your hand has been temporarily replaced by Tik Tok videos, 

though I'm hoping that years' long passion for reading 

will always remain with you. 

You are very strong willed 

and have a plan for exactly how things should unfold. 

This is both wonderful and frustrating - 

but you're working hard to be a bit more adaptable, 

a little more go-with-the-flow. 

You are a loyal friend, a great secret keeper, 

a curious mind, a determined spirit and a confident girl. 

I love that you are both left and right brained 

and equally as happy creating a new dessert 

or making a Christmas ornament for your grandparent's from scratch 

as you are solving a hard math problem 

or organizing your sister's desk drawers. 

You are learning about the Renaissance in school - 

but to us you've always been a bit of a Renaissance child - 

interested and talented in many different areas. 

We love you so very much 

and can't wait to see what lies ahead for you. 

Favorites:

Color: Blue

Season: Fall

Book: Hunger Games

Number: 3

Holiday: Christmas

Food: Spaghetti and meatballs

Dessert: Ice cream

Animal: Elephant

Song: Driver's License

Subject at School: Social Studies and Math

Place you'd love to visit: Hawaii and Italy

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

I first read Harry Potter nearly 20 years ago

as I commuted on the MetroNorth -

and fell in love with the series.

Lexi spent most of third grade

devouring the books,

and Ryleigh has just begun reading them.

We have watched and rewatched every

one of the movies...

and so it was time...

to pay Hogwarts a visit.

As a Christmas gift,

we surprised the girls with a trip 

to Universal Studios which they would share 

with my Godson, Graham.

The girls and I checked into the Hard Rock Hotel

On January 3rd, and their excitement was palpable.

The weather was beautiful,

and we were ready to experience all that the 

theme park had to offer. 

Universal Studios is so easy to navigate. 

You simply walk or take a quick water taxi right from the hotel, 

then enter either Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure. 

You are surrounded by shops and restaurants, 

and the Express Pass ensures that you never have to wait on a long line. 

Our very first stop was Diagon Alley, where you are instantly transported 

into the charming world of wizardry and witchcraft.

We stopped to take a look at the Knight Bus,

we passed by the Weasley's Magic Shop

and visited Ollivander's Wand Shop to select our very own wands

(well, actually, the wands selected the wizards!)

Lexi choose a willow wand, and Ryleigh opted for ash. 

We tried (and loved) the popular Butterbeer from the Leaky Cauldron 

- basically a cream soda with butterscotch and marshmallow topping.

And, we all agreed that Escape from Gringotts was a wonderful ride. 

We witnessed the dragon breathe out fire from the top of the bank, 

and just strolled around and took in the magic. 

As night fell, we took the famous Hogwarts Express train over to Hogsmeade.
It was such a thrill to jump through the platform at 9 3/4,
just like we've watched the characters do in the movies so many times.
We sat in train cars that looked exactly like those from the movies,
down to the very same fabric,
and watched as the characters came to life outside the windows.
We exited the train and entered the most charming village,
all lit up with white lights and the Hogwarts castle glowing in the distance.
After dinner at the Three Broomsticks,
we were treated to the nightly light show at the castle and even some fireworks.
Back at the hotel, the kids enjoyed a nighttime swim,
while Elizabeth and I enjoyed putting out feet up.

Rain was expected on our second day,

so we woke up early and got off to a quick start.

We began the day back in Islands of Adventure.

Lexi convinced me to ride the Hulk roller coaster with her.

It was both terrifying and amazing

and quickly became our favorite ride of the trip.

Ryleigh enjoyed the magical Dr. Seuss village -

where she encountered Whoville villagers, the Lorax, 

the cat in the hat and a fun carousel and tram ride. 

From there, we all rode Flight of the Hippogriff 

(Ryleigh's favorite ride) and the Forbidden Journey 

which actually took us inside Hogwarts Castle. 

We exited the ride to pouring rain,

so we paid a visit to Honeydukes, 

the famous candy shop mentioned in the books and movies,

where the kids loaded up on chocolate frogs, 

fizzy whizzes and other exotic candy, 

before heading back to the hotel for some lunch,

the video arcade and to wait out the storm. 

Our afternoon was spent much of the same way -

riding more rides, tasting more butterbeer,

visiting more attractions, enjoying the Hogwarts Express

and then stopping for dinner at Margaritaville. 

Sunday was our last day at Universal.

We started the day by running into Lexi's friend

in the hotel lobby - such a small world. 

After being asked many, many times, Graham conceded 

and joined Lexi and I on the Hulk coaster.

He loved it just as much as we did, 

so we rode it a second time.

We had a great lunch at Mythos 

then spent the rest of the day tackling 

new rides in both parks.

Before we closed out our visit, 

Lexi and I rode the Rip Ride Rockit -

thrilling to say the least. 

We left that evening with so many memories

and so much love for both the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

and Universal Studios.

The attention to detail, the way these theme parks truly brought 

the magic to life for both children and adults,

the amazingly fun rides,

the shops which stayed remarkably true to the storybooks...

every bit of it made for a great visit.

The ability to bypass every line (except for the new Hagrid ride),

the hotel and all of its features,

and, most important, the amazing memories made with great friends

all led to an unforgettable trip. 

2020

Happy New Year,
and Happy New Decade

Merry and Bright

The Christmas season has come and gone.
And like every year so far,
there are certain moments,
certain memories that stand out
from all the rest
This year, what I will remember most of all,
is the ways in which each girl embodied
the true spirit of the holiday.

This is the year where Lexi sought out
ways to spread Christmas joy and cheer.
This was the year where she discovered that
the real magic of Harry, our elf, lies not in him,
but within us.
This was the year where she took the reigns....
moving the elf for her little sister's benefit.
And she didn't simply move the elf each night before bed,
she thought up creative hiding spots, creative activities
for him to do, creative "gifts" for him to leave behind.
Lexi, on her own, helped spread Christmas magic.

And it wasn't simply with the elf on the shelf.
At 11 years old, she went to Home Depot,
got a piece of wood cut into a square shape,
drilled a screw through it
to anchor a small Christmas tree on,
decorated that tree with ornaments she collected,
dressed it in a tree skirt,
strung lights from it,
and gave us the sweetest surprise when we
stepped into our master bedroom to our very
own Charlie Brown tree.

Lexi also hand crafted gifts for many members of the family...
an illustrated booklet for Grandpa Mike outlining the things
she loves about him and the ways she enjoys spending time with him,
a snow globe for Grandpa Tom with seashells she collected at his beach
this past summer.
She pooled her money to get Vic the new oven mitt she knew
he needed and me the new Anthropologie candle she knew I wanted.
In ways big and small,
Lexi embodied the true spirit of the holiday.

This was also the year where Ryleigh burst with 

Christmas excitement. 

Where the events and activities 

filled her with an infectious joy. 

I want to look back and remember the enthusiasm 

for creating her Christmas list then revising it, 

more than once, before finally sharing it with Santa,

and her race each morning as soon as she awoke to find Harry 

and ensure he had returned safely to our home.

I want to recall her pride in making Bailey 

a home-made Christmas collar,

and her insistence on being the one 

to put the star on top of the (now artificial) tree.

I want to close my eyes and see her happiness 

taking in all the Christmas lights 

that shone so brightly throughout our neighed. 

I want to remember her love for snuggling together 

and reading an advent storybook each night before bed.

I never want to forget how her little hands poured Santa's milk

and prepared his chocolate chip cookies and the reindeer carrots,

then placed it all right on the fireplace hearth before bed. 

In so many ways, Ryleigh reminded us of just how magical 

this season is when seen through the eyes of a child. 

This was the year where the girls
developed a love for Hallmark Christmas movies.
In fact, both Lexi and I even attended parties that were
filled with Hallmark movies, bingo relating to these movies
and pjs/holiday socks.
They were totally cheesy yet fabulous in their own right
and will hopefully be a tradition that carries
over from year to year.

This was also a year where we carried on old traditions,
like decorating gingerbread houses,
and baking Nanny's sugar cookies,
and cooking cinnamon raisin bread.
Where we attended the Home for the Holidays Event
in Townsquare and the White's Chapel Christmas Festival.
It was the year where we again took in the beautiful sounds
of the Fort Worth Symphony (Grandpa Tom's first symphony experience, in fact!)
and where we witnessed the beauty
of the Christmas Eve candlelight church service.
It was another year filled with fun dinner club parties
and neighborhood parties.
A year filled with holiday events with our classmates
and Christmas caroling with our sweet friends.

It was a year where we raced to the mailbox each day to see which
family and friends would be greeting us,
where we checked our favorite holiday movies off our viewing list,
where we played the Christmas radio station incessantly in the car
and on our Alexa.
It was the year where we celebrated Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
with Grandpa Tom, then welcomed Nanny the very next day.
It was another year filled with special moments,
both big and small, that I hope I will always remember.
It was another year where we were reminded
that sharing and spreading holiday magic is truly the best gift of all
(though the new hoverboard was certainly also appreciated ;)