Emma Kate: 4.5 Years Old

March 26, 2019 by

We now have a four and a half year old on our hands!

It just amazes me how fast time is flying. I saw pictures on Timehop from her 3.5 birthday cake and it seems like we were just making and eating it. Also didn’t we just celebrate her fourth birthday in Disney? A lot has changed in 6 months, as our family has been in a bit of an upheaval with moving schools and houses! There is more change coming as we are moving houses (from our rental) into one we are buying this weekend, and then this summer she will go to summer camp at a new school and then start there full time in the fall in the K4 class. We are excited!

I am not sure how tall she is or how much she weighs, but based on how her clothes and shoes fit she is definitely growing! We are in a size 12 shoe, and wear 5T and 6. She is head and shoulders above everyone in her class (she is in a K3 class because she misses the cutoff by 3 weeks in September.)

She says the funniest things, and I keep a note in my phone of her funny sayings so I can always look back on them. She is SUPER clever, way too smart for her own good, and I could tell you some stories! She uses really big words that I didn’t know she knew like “disrespectful” and despicable” and “neosporin” (we have a lot of boo boos in our house!)

Her mind is a steel trap and she forgets nothing. Last April when she went to the ER she got a purple popsicle and a Jasmine sticker and to this day remembers those details.

She never ever meets a stranger and talks to and hugs everyone, and I mean EVERYONE. So if you come up to us be prepared for a hug and to hear her entire life story. We say she is going to be a politician or a Walmart greeter when she grows up because she loves and chats with anyone, no matter how old, young, etc. She just loves people. There has been a huge learning curve for this mama who was the most shy child ever and never talked to anyone, especially not strangers. Meanwhile, Emma Kate was inviting the old ladies she met at a restaurant over for a sleepover.

Emma Kate hasn’t napped consistently since she was 3, and I can count on one hand the number of times she has napped in the last 6 months. Homegirl just does. not. get. tired. She goes to bed at 7:45/8:00 and sleeps until 6:15. Thankfully, our ok to wake alarm clock has worked well for her and she will get up and go into the living room on her own and play or play games etc. on her iPad.

Emma Kate loves her family, especially all the cousins that are here now that she gets to play with. She also loves her “sister” (Bella the dog) even though the feeling usually isn’t mutual. We let EK feed Bella and give her treats and Bella is coming around and does much better with her than she used to.

Emma Kate still loves princesses, wearing bows and dresses, and being a girly girl. However she can climb trees and play in the mud with the boys too.

She hates injustice, and does NOT like to lose. Playing board games with her or any games really is difficult because she gets very angry when she loses. We definitely have a future competitor on our hands. When another child is crying she always wants to make sure they are ok, and she loves to mother and help smaller kids on the playground and at school. She REALLY loves babies.

She still loves food, and it’s a good bribery tool. She loves cupcakes and candy of course, and also fruit, ham, pork, cheese, fruit snacks, yogurt, larabars, mac and cheese, and more candy.

Some memorable moments from the past 6 months would be seeing “snow”, going on her first Disney cruise, moving to a new school, and getting her first bike.

We love our super sweet, smart, funny, Disney loving 4.5 year old, and can’t believe in 6 months she will be FIVE! She says she will take care of me when I am old and it seems like that is happening way quicker than I ever imagined!

Filed Under: family, holidays Tagged: , , ,

Disney Wonder Cruise 2018: Part 2

January 8, 2019 by

In case you missed part 1, catch up here before reading below!

We woke up the next morning ready for an awesome day at sea. First up, we had the Disney Jr. character breakfast.

Pro tip: Spots for this free but ticketed event fill up fast. However, they hold back some spots, so go to guest services as soon as you get on board to try to snag tickets.

Breakfast was in Animator’s, and we were seated right away and promptly given napkin hats.

I will say the breakfast portions were on the smaller side, so if you like a big breakfast I suggest ordering multiple items like Bobby did. However, the characters were fun! This was the first time we let Emma Kate use an autograph book, and she had a blast with it.

She was so excited to see Vamparina!

After breakfast, we saw Minnie Mouse was taking photos so we did that. The line was really short!

We also took a few pictures in the lobby and Emma Kate and I danced on “stage”.

Emma Kate was asking to go to the kids club, so off she went and Bobby and I walked around the ship taking some photos. The sun is deceptive, it was windy and pretty chilly!

The rest of the afternoon was pretty lazy. We got EK out of the club for lunch (we knew she wouldn’t eat enough or at all if we didn’t make her) and then brought her back. Bobby and I went to the gym and i’m pretty sure we all took a nap that day (the ONLY day she napped!) and then it was off to dinner for formal night. Emma Kate wore her Rapunzel dress, and we stopped for a quick dance party at Preludes before heading to Tiana’s Place.

I LOVED Tiana’s place. I know I am biased being a New Orleans native and all, but it was so fun with the music and dancing and had such an adorable atmosphere. Kudos on this one Disney!

We got to get up and dance, watch awesome musicians, and eat delicious food!

After dinner, Emma Kate was begging to go play in the club again (ok ok if you twist my arm, kid) so we dropped her off and Bobby and I walked around on the pool deck and started what would be our nightly tradition of hanging out in Cove Cafe and getting a snack.

Pro tip: In the evenings they had delicious cheese and crackers (like the kind from Palo) for free. So we would get a snack and sit in the quiet and relax.

They also had some seasonal coffee drinks for an extra charge.

We picked Emma Kate up around 9:00, watched Elf on TV for the 14th time so far, and went to sleep. More coming up soon!

If you would like help booking your next Disney cruise, let me know! heather@travelwiththemagic.com

Filed Under: blogging, Disney, family, holidays, vacation Tagged: , , , , , ,

12 Years

January 6, 2019 by

Back when I was a newlywed, I remember hearing about people who had been married for over ten years, and I thought “man, that’s a long time!” Here we are, 12 years in, and it’s been the blink of an eye. As I went through my wedding photos again to decide what to put in this post, I was reminded that 1.) I am definitely aging (ha) and 2.) I would do it all over again.

Adulting is hard, and 2018 was definitely the most tough year we have had together as a married couple, but here we are still standing. It hasn’t always been easy by any means, but as we strive to set a good and healthy example of a marriage for our daughter, we hope to encourage others who may feel like it’s too overwhelming. We took our vows very seriously on January 6, 2007, and they still hold true today.

I will admit, when you are 21 years old and saying “for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, till death do us part,” you aren’t THINKING about the bad times that may actually come and how you will respond. I haven’t always responded in the right way, but thankfully I have a husband who gives me grace every day and helps me learn and grow. We may be in a crazy season of life right now, but we are in it together.

While I definitely hope this next year brings about some hopeful and happy things for us, I know that even if it doesn’t, we can get through it because at least we have each other.

Filed Under: family, holidays Tagged: , , , ,

Disney Wonder Cruise 2018: Part 1

January 2, 2019 by

Back in December, we took Emma Kate on her very first Disney cruise. I found a good last minute deal, and we decided instead of spending a ton of money on Christmas, we would take a family vacation. We sailed on the Disney Wonder, and were to make stops at Key West, Castaway Cay, and Nassau.

We arrived the night before and stayed in a hotel so we would be near the port first thing the next morning. Emma Kate was so amped up that night and it took forever for her to go to sleep (ok, so I was excited too.)

That morning we walked around to burn off some of Emm Kate’s perpetual energy before driving the 10 minutes to the port.

We got the bags dropped off and the car parked, and we checked in. We got in line for a photo with this guy, and before you know it there were calling our group to board.

We immediately went to guest services and were able to snag princess meet and greet tickets as well as character breakfast tickets. Then we went to stand in line to see about changing our dining time (we had late which is WAY late for us) and to get PALO brunch reservations that were sold out online. We were able to get brunch, but they said they didn’t know about the dining which made me nervous. A downfall of booking late I guess, but I know there was no way Emma Kate was going to eat dinner at 8:15 when her normal bedtime is 7:45! We went up to the buffet to eat lunch, and then explored the ship. I loved seeing the Wonder all ready for Christmas!

At this point, Emma Kate still didn’t quite understand that the boat was going to start moving and we would be on it for a week. Oh well. She figured it out soon enough after we pulled out of port ha!

It was time to check out our room, and we went to drop off our carry on bags. We had an oceanview room on deck 2. At first I was a little bummed to not have a verandah, but honestly it ended up being great because 1.) The weather wasn’t great so I doubt I would have spent a ton of time out there, 2.) I didn’t have to worry about EK jumping off the balcony and 3.) We were midship, and the lobby is deck 3, so we were one quick flight of stairs to the lobby, restaurants, guest services, character meet and greets, and more.

We met our stateroom host, dropped off our things, and headed up to show Emma Kate the kids club. I was SO pumped about this because I knew she would love it. Heck I love it!

She was obsessed with the slide and went down about 100 times.

Don’t worry, I plan to do a whole post about the kid’s club, there is so much to say! After we left, we went back to the room for a minute before the muster drill and noticed DCL had left us a beautiful cheese tray. (Anyone who knows me knows that cheese is the way to my heart.)

We had a quick and delicious snack before the muster drill, and then it was time for the sail away party. It was at this moment that I teared up. Being up on the deck, about to sail away for a week, my daughter on my husbands shoulders singing and dancing and squealing at her favorite characters. I had waited so long to take her on her first Disney cruise and here we were. It was surreal and perfect.

We went to the front of the ship to watch us sail away, and then Emma Kate finally realized we were moving!

We went inside as it was getting close to early dinner time, and we still didn’t know what seating we had. Bobby decided to call the dining line, and just see where we were on the list and what we should do. He explained we had a small child that went to bed early, and they gave us THE LAST TABLE at main dining. Yall, I was so so thankful. They said there were 27 other families that had a request in as well, so I don’t know if it was because we called to follow up or what, but whatever it was, we were seriously breathing a huge sigh of relief. The only thing was…it was 5:25, and dinner was at 5:45! We hurried around getting dressed for dinner and made it to Animator’s Palate just in time.

I love this menu, and was excited to have it the first night. We met our super sweet server, Dee, who has been with DCL for 12 or 13 years! She was so great with Emma Kate and was from Thailand. Emma Kate did ok at dinner…she got a little antsy so we had mickey bars and other dessert and then brought her to the kids club for the first time alone.

This gave Bobby and I a chance to walk around and see more of the ship, grab a snack, and relax. We got a text that Emma Kate wanted us and we were so confused because we had just dropped her off! We ran up there and discovered that she just “wanted to tell us the slide was closed.” Seriously. That was it. Emma Kate has been going to daycare since she was a baby and has never before had to power to “summon” us while at school, so I think she liekd the idea, but I did not. I kind of wish she didn’t know that she could haha.

Pro Tip: After this happening a couple of times (and nothing was wrong), we asked the workers to put a note in her file to not text us unless something was really wrong (hurt, crying, sick, etc.) and to not text us just because she wants to tell us something.

We went back to the room and had another sweet surprise from DCL! Cheers to a great first day!

More coming up soon!

If you would like help booking your next Disney Cruise please email me, I would love to help you! heather@travelwiththemagic.com

Filed Under: Disney, holidays, Uncategorized Tagged: , , , ,

Christmas 2018 Recap

December 28, 2018 by

Christmas is officially over, and like every year, I am officially sad. It seems to go by faster and faster every year, no matter how much I vow to “soak it all in this time” or “slow down and enjoy.” That being said, we had a wonderful 4 day weekend with family, and I have nothing to complain about (except for how quickly it went by!) I thought I would share a little recap with you all today as we prepare to close out 2018.

We kicked off the holiday weekend on Saturday with some wine and cheese outside with my parents. Christmas music played non stop every day, and we had great weather.

On Sunday, we had lunch with Bobby’s family. All of his siblings were in town which never happens (there are 5 of them total) so lots of photos were taken.

That night we went to dinner for my moms birthday and I didn’t think to take photos. The Saints almost gave us a heart attack, but managed to clinch a #1 seed for the playoffs!
Christmas eve was laid back, we went to the store (again) and hung out at the house doing some cooking and watching Christmas movies. Emma Kate and I also made and decorated sugar cookies for santa. She LOVED it and it kept her busy for almost two hours, which if you know my child, is a long time for her to stay focused on one thing.

That afternoon, we all got dressed and went to the 4:00 candlelight Christmas Eve church service.

The service was great, I love closing it out singing Silent Night with all the beautiful candles. (It wa slightly terrifying seeing my clild with fire, but she insisted on having ehr own.)

We went back home and ate Bobby’s delicious chicken and dumplings, watched more movies, and read the Christmas story from the Bible and Twas the Night Before Christmas.

Then it was time to set out the cookies and milk and head to bed.

The next morning, Emma Kate was up at 6:00 on the dot, so it was most definitely still dark when we opened gifts.

We had a very happy little girl, and took our time enjoying opening gifts, drinking coffee, and listening to Christmas music.


I made a special tequila sunrise mimosa for breakfast to go along with the sausage casserole I make every year.

We spent the rest of the morning playing and cooking preparing for lunch.

Emma Kate was super pumped about her new bike. After a new death experience (I forgot to explain the brakes to her), she got the hang of it and had a blast.

We had a delicious lunch, and sang happy birthday to my mom (she is a Christmas baby!)

That evening we hung out with more family and ate…again. (so. much. food.)

After we left, we drove around and looked at Christmas lights. There were two houses that had music and lights flashing together via a radio station! We got home and I realized we had not taken any family photos that day in front of the tree, so we did that before Emma Kate’s bedtime.

We were all pretty exhausted and went to bed early. The next three days we ate nothing but leftovers, and I enjoyed every bite! I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and made wonderful memories with those you love.

Filed Under: blogging, family, holidays Tagged: , , ,

Holiday Traditions Revisited

December 20, 2018 by

This post was sponsored by Amazon as part of an Ambassador Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

I am really big on traditions, especially around the holidays. So big, that one year at Christmas I cried hysterically because my family decided to “change things up” and go somewhere else for Christmas instead of my grandparent’s house per usual. I was devastated. Now that I have a child of my own, we have started some of our own traditions, as well as continuing a few from when I was a girl.

One thing that is different from…well I won’t say what year, let’s just say “way back when”, is the technology. Technology has made connecting, learning, and entertaining that much easier (and more fun!) and I love that there are options for Emma Kate. One of our favorites is the Fire HD 8 Kids Edition tablet. This tablet is the #1 kids’ tablets in the U.S. and comes with a kid-proof case. (My child is quite the dropper!) It also includes a two-year worry-free guarantee—meaning if it breaks, just send it back and Amazon will send you a new one without asking you a bunch of questions.

How do we incorporate this device into our holiday traditions? Easy! For example, we love to read to Emma Kate, especially Christmas books. It’s been fun to read titles right from her Fire HD 8 Kids Edition like Winter, Cold and Snow, and also listen to books audibly like The First Christmas Tree and the Great Sled Race.

For a lot of people (and usually for us, except for this year,) Christmas means traveling, which also equals bored kids in the car. Emma Kate loves it when we pre-download books, games and videos for her ahead of time to enjoy in the car.

There are even kid-friendly cookbooks available in Amazon FreeTime on the Fire HD 8 Kids Edition. What is Amazon FreeTime? Each tablet comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, giving you access to over 20,000 books, videos, Audible books, educational apps, and games. There are also over 1,000 Spanish language books, videos, educational apps, Audible books, and more.

Another thing I love about this device is the Parent Dashboard. By using the Parental Control settings in FreeTime, parents can set time limits, adjust age filters, change web browser access, and turn on or off in-app purchasing. (That one is huge. Emma Kate is always trying to buy stuff!) You can also review the things your kiddos are using and seeing in FreeTime, and even remotely adjust your child’s FreeTime settings.

fire hd 8

We are all about education and learning games, so I love how the technology of the device allows Emma Kate to have fun and learn at the same time. (ssshhh don’t tell her she is learning!) It’s also something we can do together as I guide her, read with her, and watch alongside her. It has been such a great and fun addition to our holiday traditions this year, and I can’t wait to see how they evolve next year!

Filed Under: blogging, family, holidays, technology, Uncategorized Tagged: , , , ,

Babbleboxx: Gift’s for Everyone on Your List

December 15, 2018 by

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com, however, all opinions are my own.

Everyone loves getting gifts, and sometimes it can be hard to know just what to get for those in your life.  Any gift listed here be an amazing gift for any girl on your list!

My box was super cute and came packaged very nicely. There were cards on top explaining all the items inside.

I am so pleased with it all! Let’s take a look at what was inside.

Aftershokz Trekz Air headphones: I already use and LOVE this headphone brand, so I was excited to see Aftershokz in my box! As an avid runner who hates cords, these are perfect for the fithusiast on your Christmas list. The open ear design allows you to hear everything going on around you, and they are so lightweight for forget you are wearing them. Check out their cool colors like Midnight Blue, Forest Green, Slate Gray, or Canyon Red.

Charles & Colvard
Signature Halo Moissanite Necklace 0.91CTW in 14K
White Gold: This is called the Forever One halo necklace, and it is
set in 14K gold with a 6mm hearts & arrows center stone that is surrounded
by 1mm pave stones. I didn’t know that Moissanite is a naturally occurring gemstone. It’s also an environmentally responsible and ethically sourced gemstone. It’s also beautiful with unique optical properties that are super sparkly.

Be sure to check their social media handles and
www.charlesandcolvard.com for seasonal savings.

Chesapeake Bay Candle: Looking for a gift for that hard to shop for family member? These soy wellness candles with botanical inspired ingredients are perfect. They are designed an poured right here in the USA, and below is the info on the amazing scent I got in my box:

awaken + invigorate lemongrass eucalyptus
Includes essential oils of: eucalyptus, lemongrass, peppermint, spearmint
Fragrance description: Awaken your senses with the energizing notes of lemongrass and
verbena wrapped in invigorating eucalyptus leaves, aromatic lavender, and garden
mint.

Finishing Touch Flawless: I was skeptical about the Finishing Touch Flawless at first but now I love it! This device gently erases facial hair instantly & painlessly. It has a cool built-in light and is 18-carat gold plated. Your hair will not grow back thicker, and there is no redness or irritation after!

Fun Socks
Fun x Fiorucci Women’s Sheer Crew Socks: These sheer socks are from a limited edition collection with Fiorucci. They also have t-shirts, winter accessories and more! I love that you can dress them up or down, they work for all types of outfits.

They also have a special offer for you! Special Offer/Discount
Take an additional 15% off your entire order at FunSocks.com by using code
BABBLEBOXX at checkout. One use per customer. Code expires 12/31/18
Discount is automatically applied by clicking the link: https://funsocks.com/discount/BABBLEBOXX

ALDI
Cocktail Shaker and Glasses: ALDI has gifts for everyone on your list at affordable prices. You won’t want to miss these Crofton Chef’s Collection Cocktail Shakers and Drinkware
available for a limited time starting Dec. 19 for $9.99 each for the shaker and $8.99 for a set of two glasses. I was so excited when I saw them in my box, as believe it or not we don’t own a cocktail shaker! Not to mention it’s the cutest one I have ever seen.

I was really pleased with the contents I was given, and would happily gift to any of my friends or family! All useful but fun things I think any girl would be excited to receive.

Filed Under: blogging, holidays Tagged: , , ,

Buy One Give One With Aftershokz

November 21, 2018 by

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Aftershokz, however, all opinions are my own. Affiliate links may be present, where I get a small commission if you buy through my link.

It’s now November, and the holidays are upon us. It’s my favorite time of year, with all the beautiful decorations, movies on TV, parties, and events. However, there is one aspect of the holidays that can sometimes get overlooked, but it’s a really important one to me. The holidays are a time to give. To give of our time, our resources, and our love. It’s a great time to show your care for friends and strangers alike and recognize people for the goodness in their hearts.

This year, Aftershokz has made it super easy to give something to a deserving person, without it costing you anything extra. Were you maybe planning to buy some amazing wireless headphones this year? First, let me tell you why you need them, then why you need them specifically to give back to someone else with the buy one give one promotion.

In case you aren’t familiar with the brand, AfterShokz is a sport headphone company. These specific wireless headphones are amazing because they allow you to gain motivation from your music without blocking out your surroundings. They rest outside of the ears and use bone conduction technology to transmit sound. Also, AfterShokz headphones are extremely lightweight, and comfy. I usually forget that I am wearing them!

Now for the special promo: This Black Friday weekend, Aftershokz will be offering their wireless headphones at a discount along with a buy one, give one deal. For every order of wireless headphones on the website, they will be adding one FREE open boxed Trekz Titanium headphones, while supplies last.

The goal here is to pay it forward to someone else this holiday season, and Aftershokz is making it easier than ever.
In the pictures in this post, you can see me with my dear friend Kelley. She is such a wonderful, deserving friend and I knew immediately when I heard about this promotion, that she would be the recipient of my extra set of headphones.

Here more about Kelley, the promotion, and why she deserves this special gift in the video below.

Be sure to follow the hashtag #GiveGoodVibes, and use it as well as @aftershokz to show you giving your second pair of headphones to someone else. I can’t wait to see your photos. Happy giving!

Filed Under: blogging, fitness, health, holidays, running, running gear, technology Tagged: , , , , ,

Halloween 2018 Recap

November 2, 2018 by

Happy November my friends!

I can’t believe there are only 2 months left in 2018. Weren’t we just taking down the tree and setting goals? Not that I’m complaining, because these next two months are my favorite time of year. But before we start singing Jingle Bells and trimming the tree (do people actually trim trees? IDK. Ours is fake) let’s look back at our Halloween with Emma Kate:

We attended a trunk or treat at a local park on Monday night. Some people were really creative with their setup which made it fun! EK decided to go as Rapunzel for this one.

She was just a tad excited.

The line moved pretty fast, but a few people did start running out of candy!

This was my favorite one of the night. She had to “walk the plank” to get her candy.

The poor fireman ran out of candy, I think Emma Kate got the last piece!

We are visiting family in Mississippi, so my parents sent Emma Kate a card and stickers.

We let her watch Hocus Pocus this year, and she literally watched it every day, multiple times a day, for 3 weeks. So, of course, she was pumped to wear her Hocus Pocus dress all month. She also painted a pumpkin (see below) and she chose this “pose” all on her own haha.

Halloween night was a bit confusing. It was supposed to rain, so some neighborhoods decided to trick-or-treat the night before. We didn’t know this, so on Halloween night we kept an eye on the street as it got dark…there were no trick-or-treaters. It was 6:45, so I panicked and we threw EK in the car and started driving. We went to two neighborhoods…no kids. FINALLY, we made it to a 3rd one that had tons of lights on and tons of trick or treaters and ended up meeting some of the sweetest people. I’m so glad it worked out this way, it was a great, low key night and we only got rained on a little bit for a few minutes.

At every house, Emma Kate asked to pet the owner’s dog…and we were even invited in a couple times. I love the south! She was more excited about the dogs than the candy!

That night well really the next morning at 3:00, the rain DID come, int he form of tornado warnings. Sirens going off, etc. We got up and watched the weather for over an hour until we felt it was safe to go to bed (after it was downgraded to a watch). Not my favorite way to wake up at 3:00 am, but we are safe and still had a wonderful holiday!

Filed Under: blogging, family, holidays Tagged: , , ,

Emma Kate: Four Years Old

October 2, 2018 by

We have a four-year-old! Emma Kate had been asking and asking when her birthday was for the past three or four months, so you can imagine how pumped she was when it finally happened. Not to mention, she looks five and most people think she is five so it was nice for her to finally be four as to not confuse so many people!

We had a low key day since it was a Monday and I had to work, but we went to dinner that night with my parents to Applebees and then had cake, ice cream, and gifts at home. My mom made the cake and I decorated it, which is a feat considering I have terrible handwriting. She has been into Shimmer and Shine lately so that was our “theme.”

Let’s take a look at how our girl has changed since my last update 6 months ago. She is 43 inches tall and weighs 41 pounds. (85% weight and 96% height).

Our girl is super silly and I think is going to be a class clown. She has a very strong will but is also very sensitive especially when it comes to injustice.

She says the funniest things and it’s hilarious and frightening to never know what is going to come out of her mouth.

Eating: She is a pretty good eater, but it takes her FOREVER to eat a meal which drives me crazy. I’m constantly saying “please eat another bite” or starting a timer telling her she only has five minutes left. She gets so distracted! She still loves to eat things like yogurt, fruit (grapes, apples, bananas), cheese, and of course candy. For meals, she will usually always try something one time even if she hasn’t had it before which I’m thankful for. She still drinks a ton of water and loves milk.

Sleeping: Emma Kate has done great in her big girl bed but started getting up a lot so we had to start trying different tactics to get her to stay in bed. I bought an ok to wake clock (this one, we love it!) and she knows she has to stay in bed until the light turns green. At night she was getting up a lot before she fell asleep, so we started telling her she could have 4 M&M’s in the morning if she didn’t get out of bed, but every time she did we would take one away, and for the most part, it has worked well. Naps don’t really happen a whole lot anymore, maybe twice a week. She isn’t tired until after 2:00 despite waking up at 6:15 most mornings, and if we let her sleep too late in the afternoon she won’t go to bed at night so that means she is super cranky in the evenings a lot of times.

Clothing: She is in 5T and 6, and wears a size 11 shoe. I have been buying things a size big so she can wear it longer (the outfit above is a shirt and short set but I bought it big so it’s like a dress) and this tactic has been working well for us. She still loves wearing bows and likes me to do her hair in an “Elsa braid” or “Anna braids” most days.

Potty: EK hasn’t had an accident at naptime in over a year, but still wears pull ups at night as she occasionally has a wet one and I’m not really to let go of it yet and have middle of the night bed changes haha.

She still loves to watch movies and the iPad, and she will watch one movie then want to watch it 100 times before she gets hooked on another one. Right now she is loving Land Before Time, Aladdin, and the Toy Story movies. 

She loves to go swimming and recently started swimming under water by herself. She got to go to the ebach a couple of times this summer and loved jumping in the waves and building sand castles.

She thankfully loves Disney like her parents and dressed up as Belle for Mickey’s not so scary Halloween party. She loves riding Dumbo, Magic Carpets of Aladdin, Alien Swirlinig Saucers, Toy Story Manina, and the Peoplemover. She loves meeting characters and and getting ehr picture taken with them. 

Emma Kate loves babies and puppies, and playing at the palyground.

She is the cutest little Saints and LSU fan, and will say “Go Tigers” and “Who Dat” on command (I’m so proud.)

She is really into watching other kids open toys on YouTube kids and was super happy to get her own blind bags for her birthday this year.

Some days we fight and struggle, but at the end of the day I love her tenacious spirit and know it will serve her well later in life. She is strong, brave, and independent. We love our sweet four year old and know this will be an awesome year!

You can see her other updates on this page.

PS: Emma Kate has her own Instagram account! Follow her here.

Filed Under: baby, blogging, Disney, family, holidays, vacation Tagged: , , ,