....social surplus......

....I am still recovering from the wrong stroke of a finger, the absent minded slide and click; resulting in  deleting my post, instead of publishing it.....the post that I had been working on for two days that was set to kick off my week.....the one that captures sweet memories about how rich and grand my social calendar has been lately....blogger has no way to recover accidental deletions and I still have not rallied from the loss of time and emotion my hasty hand has caused.....clearly, it is impossible to recreate what I had written.....and so, I will have to chalk that one up to the virtual black hole that post is spinning in somewhere in cyberspace.......so, the intended blog piece has now been laid to rest and we will capture the snapshot of where I am today......


.....moving on......

.....most of the time, my social calendar consists of trying to hammer out a conversation with a girlfriend while passing out snacks, talking quickly between breaking up some sisterly love spats or while chasing after Brody racing from one end of the playground to another.....occasionally, I will get the benefit of meeting for a special lunch date and between appetizers and coloring books, we may get 3 minutes of uninterrupted chatter......and if I am really fortunate that week, a friend may pop over for a glass of wine, post bedtime or Stefan may lead the bath and bed charge and I may sneak out for some fresh air with a bestie.....

.....so it's clear that my social calendar is sporadic, at best....but lately, it's been like an over flowing cup and I am loving that it runneth over......

....I can not remember the last time I sat with my girlfriends, watermelon mojito in hand; and had uninterrupted conversation while the hot, Florida sun begged me to stay longer than I had time to.....three husbands and seven babes left behind and we had 48 hours to catch up on so much......

.....not to mention, we had to carve out a few hours to share each other with old and dear friends alike....in the blink of an eye, two decades have passed; and it pains me to say that it has been 20 years already......

    .....Jennifer Briggs Photography......

.....some of these women were childhood neighbors of mine, softball teammates, cheerleading partners.....some of them were my first play dates at the same age that Elsie is right now....

    ....Jennifer Briggs Photography......

.....and of course, there had to be one photo of Mr. and Miss Boca High......it just wouldn't have been a reunion for us if we didn't pose once for old times sake......

 .....others were the dear people who helped me transition to a new school in 3rd grade.....they introduced me to new friends, invited me to their houses and included me at their birthday parties.....

....this is the group that made up 20% of my 3rd grade class at St. Paul Lutheran school....I have distinct memories of each of them from 1983......I'm feeling old as I type that, but at the same time it also feels good to be wiser.....all of us have been blessed with families that have yielded lots of babies, we have spouses who love us and we are scattered over the country.....and if I say so myself, none if us look that much different 28 years later......

....and as fun as it was to reminisce two decades, the weekend was kicked off when my sweet girl and I embarked on a mother/daughter, festive three day journey.....when our entire family took a last minute trip to St. Louis in June, we agreed that the reunion weekend needed to be condensed a bit.....Stefan and I determined that Elsie was old enough to travel with me and spend a weekend alone with her grandparents.....thank you, Mom and Coleman, for allowing me a chance to enjoy this fantastic social agenda.....Stefan and I also decided Callie would get the next solo trip.....

.....and what child does not love the one on one attention?......

.....Elsie and I spent our first night at Allison's with her boys.....the kids played, Allison and I caught up and we prepped for a full weekend.....

.....Mom and Coleman showed up bright and early after a two hour drive and Elsie was ecstatic to get going.....a little nervous about being without Momma, yes.....but she buckled in an told me that she would see me in two days......

.....and while she traveled one direction in the sunshine state, Allison and I drove another.....we had college friends to see and live music to tend to.....every summer, or at least every other; we get together for a concert and the music gets better as we get older.....not to mention, putting a little dance in your step several times a year keeps you young.....it's a secret that I have learned over the years.....

....between the excitement of anticipating good tunes, the joy and liberation of being in the mix when the music finally comes together and the rehash session the next morning of our favorite parts of the night; it's an experience that I am so glad we carve time out to do.....

....when with good friends, the music sounds better, the wine tastes sweeter and the laughter rings truer......all ingredients to a good balanced life.....

....and while Momma was away, Elsie sure did play.....she loved her time with her grandparents.....they made chocolate dirt and planted flowers......

....she was treated with push pops in the morning.....

....she practiced her swimming skills and mastered jumping in full force; including submerging her entire head.....

....and she was able to experience the true beauty that Florida bears to all who seek to find it.....

.....not to mention some good exercise as they embarked upon the look out tower......

....she also witnessed the magnificent sky that appears right before an afternoon thunderstorm rolls in.....

....and although she was sad to leave Florida, she was anxious to get home to her siblings and her Daddy.....she and sister got right back into their routine; minus the cat fights for the first few hours of reconciling.....

.....and although the week threw all of us back into routine, Stefan and I still had plans to keep the social party going.....

......more live music for the two of us, dinner dates for he and I to catch up and reconnect; plus more friends in town to keep us active and busy......

.....and just when my cup runneth over to the point I couldn't keep up with the messy overflow; there was nothing left to pour......

.....we have a week in front of us without plans, no visitors in town, no late nights, no afternoons filled with happy and rich conversation; but an apartment filled with five people who can't wait to spend some time together.....and the ebb and flow of busy and uneventful keeps it all in sync.....amen for that.....

....Orlando delivered......

.....I have always found that the blog posts to recap trips where family is involved are very overwhelming......it is difficult to even know where to begin, as sorting though the pictures brings back a flood of emotions......

.....perhaps I should start here?.....

.....quite possibly this was one of the most magical days of our girls' lives.....and honestly, Stefan looks great carrying a princess purse......

......not to say that Brody didn't also have a ball, he just wasn't as interested in the princesses......

....it's somewhat humorous because originally we planned this vacation with the intent of only lounging in our villa or basking at one of the five pools the resort offered....but I started to have a change of heart when I heard my friends talk about the interactions the little girls could have with the princesses at Magic Kingdom.....and that was truly appealing to me because the ladies in this house are definitely into princesses.....

....so with many days of discussion with Stefan, we decided to make it happen.....my Mom and I made plans, scoped out the must do's with 3 and 4 year old girls and on the eve of this big adventure, Cinderalla, aka yours truly, called and invited us to visit her castle.....and we fluctuated between totally ecstatic and very serious about this invitation......luckily, we were prepared with our princess gowns and tiaras......

....it has been years since I went to Disney and I had forgotten how incredibly entertaining and mind blowing the park is.....there is something for everyone......our girls love rides, so keeping them distracted from meeting princesses lasted all morning until Elsie started to press us on why we had not had any interaction.....Disney, in its ever changing and innovative ideas, does not have the princesses aimlessly wander the park like they did when I visited as a child.....today, their appearances are scheduled.....the celebrity sightings are listed on a map and you can gain access to a Fastpass for the event.....Fastpass, another new term that we quickly came to know well, allowed us to avoid big lines......genius.....

.....so as Elsie pressed and started to become impatient by lunchtime, Stefan and Coleman not only scored a Fastpass for our princess meetings; but they also landed us a front row spot for the parade that carried these beauties throughout a crowd of bewhildered little girls.....

....Snow White, upon spotting Elsie in the crowd, not only acknowledged they had on the same gown; but also blew my girl a kiss.....Elsie immediately reciprocated and it was an exchange between two princesses I will never forget.....I couldn't take my eyes off the exchange as it was happening, but I was able to wipe my tears just quickly enough to snap her seconds afterwards.....she was so moved by the whole experience of really thinking she was in the wonderland of the castle where these princesses actually live....the imagination and the awe is so real for them.....

.....and when it was time for the meet and greet, our girls were given cherished moments of un-rushed, exclusive conversation with their favorite wonders......Cinderella taught them how to twirl their dresses and how to curtsey.....

....Sleeping Beauty demonstrated how to share her feather pen and why it is important to sit with good posture.....

.....and Belle taught them how to pose like ladies, with hands folded and placed nicely on their laps.....

....and quite honestly, we could have gone home after that amazing experience....the girls were speechless and giddy with eyes wide and smiles beaming from ear to ear.....I am so thankful that we made the decision to tackle the intimidating thought of Disney with three kids age four and below.....I'm not sure when the lure of princesses wears off, but we hit it at the peak in our household.....however, we could not have done the day without Mom and Coleman, so thank you both for not only treating us to the special occasion, but for jumping in to assist with everything......

....having the two of you to share the experience with us made it even more magical.....

....we hit every ride in the park where we passed the height requirement, but we skipped the slow rides because we don't do slow in this house.....

.....and after 10 hours at Disney, we called it a wrap and took two exhausted girls home to dream of princesses, parades, animated boat rides, fairy dust and Daphne Duck.....

.....Stefan and I needed a day to recover....it was physically exhausting, but more so; we were emotionally zapped since we had run on adrenaline for the entire day.....we can not wait to go back when Brody can experience the awe and fascination of such a sensational place.....

....however, my home state is dear to me for many reasons......one of them being that when you need to kick back and relax, Florida delivers......the sun, the palm trees, the water, the sky, the smell of the humid air......I love it.....

....I appreciate the splendor of Florida so much more now that it's been 13 years since I moved away....I savor all of it when I am there.....and then you add the fact most of my family shows up too and it might make it the next best thing to paradise.....

...and over the last two years, especially, the girls have become fish.....they are so motivated to swim independently.....luckily, Callie's swim lessons last winter taught her to respect the water, so she isn't as much of a loose cannon as she was when she would nose dive into pools fully dressed......

......and Brody revealed his true colors.....he was slow to ease into it, but by the end of the week, he became the newest tadpole of the house.....

....his sisters kept vigilant watch over him at all times.....

.....and it won't be long until he is racing behind them in their quest for fun.....

.....I am enjoying every small detail of watching their sisterhood unfold and develop now that Callie has entered the ripe age of three.....their conversations are deeper, their thoughtfulness of one another is more encompassing and they are true playmates.....

....not to say there weren't a few scraps we had to break up....

.....but between visits with parents, best friends and some exclusive party of five time, we were showered with countless sweet, celebratory and happy moments.....

....there were many goofy and mindless moments that caused the kind of laughter that brings a smile out of anyone who hears the hearty, belly driven laughter that is ever so pure.....

.....goodbyes are never fun, but they are necessary.....

.....they rekindle our connections......

.....they leave us longing for more.....rehashing scenes spent together, day dreaming during normal life about the next time we can break away and share more of those sacred memories.....

.....good byes make the hellos for the next time that much sweeter....

.....so until next time.....

.....Mom, Dad, Colman, Dawn, Allison and your three boys.....we loved it....you all made it one of our most cherished times away from home.....we appreciate and love you.....