Bubba's Snack & Smoothie Shack

This is what happens when Daddy plans a birthday party........Kaitlyn decided that she wanted a Luau for her birthday and her Daddy decided that would be a fabulous idea. Of course, this is because neither of them have to scour the Party City Store or various online party favor sites for "Luau" themed decor and party favors or determine how to hold a Luau in the beginning of March. It might be Florida, but that doesn't mean that sunny weather is a guarantee just a day out of February! So, after much planning, we debuted our new family venture: Bubba's Snack & Smoothie Shack, for Kaitlyn's birthday. Guests arriving at the party got to order Skewers of veggies and marinated beef with a custom made smoothie to drink. They donned leis and rockstar sunglasses and played in the sand with their party favor sand buckets, bubbles, and mini beach balls. Duane had a fabulous time as "Bubba" the chef in his hawaiian shirt, attempting to decipher the names written on each "order" form. As the waitress, I helped the little ones circle pictures of the fruit they wanted in their smoothie and monitored the writing of names on the order forms, some being a little more hyroglyphic than others. Once all the kids had eaten and enjoyed smoothies of their own creation, they whacked the pinata, ate pinapple cupcakes, opened gifts, and proceeded to get very dirty in the sand. All in all, it was a fabulous event and Duane is considering more frequent appearances as "Bubba" the Smoothie Shack Chef at future neighborhood events........

6 Years Ago......

.......I was holding a brand new baby girl. We were so excited for her first smile, first words, first steps. Little did we know that in just the blink of an eye she would no longer be a baby or a toddler, but a little girl with thoughts and ideas and interests all her own. When our children are small, we ascribe each little word or look or interest to a parent or family member: "Oh, she must get that from her______(fill in the blank)." Lately, I've realized that we do that less and less with Kaitlyn. At 6, she is really her own little person. It is amazing to watch her develop her own ideas and opinions and to realize that I not only love her because she is my child, but I like the person she is becoming.

Her teacher recently wrote on her report card that Kaitlyn "is a very compassionate person, sensitive to the needs of others in her classroom and community." It made my day! :) That one little comment meant more than any other grade on her little Kindergarten Report Card because I have realized that as parents, we can teach our children letters and numbers and skills but we can only hope that we adequately model the values that we want them to have and that they make them their own. When they are tiny,we have so much control over what they learn but as they head off to school, we lose that monopoly over their world. We become only one of many influences in their lives as they grow. They begin to realize that we are failable and that we don't always know the answers. So yesterday, as I watched Kaitlyn with her crowd of friends at her 6th Birthday Party, I was infinitely thankful for the little person she is becoming - a girl who loves to learn, loves to help, is confident in herself, is a good friend, can stand up for what she thinks is right (just ask the little boy who tried to kiss her on the playground the other day - he didn't fare so well), has a great sense of humor and loves to make people laugh, likes to be taken seriously, and is kind and compassionate. As difficult as it is to "let go" as a parent, that fear is outweighed by the excitment of getting to know the little person who is my daughter.