She. Is. Precious.
I have forgotten how much fun a 6 year old girl can be.
It has been 12 years since Ke$ha Barbie was 12 but that is not so long that I don't remember what little girls like to do. So we did "girly" things.
We started with meeting my Aunt Jane for lunch at Carrabbas. Jane and I behaved and had salmon (although I did indulge in bread and olive oil...shoulda shooed the bread basket away like I said yesterday but I was starved after my Dimples workout). Bella had fettucine alfredo and kept herself busy coloring in the activity book they provide.
I loved watching her color in the picture. She was so very precise and did it perfectly. Just like Ke$ha Barbie used to.
She told me:
"I always stay in the lines. That is because I make a "wall" with the color on the edges so that I stay in the lines. It is like a wax wall and it stops me!"
OK, that is almost as cute as "frothy"...
We also played tic-tac-toe.
She won.
I lost.
Not on purpose...she really won...
After lunch we headed to Isle Pedi Spa so I could treat Bella to a mani/pedi. I totally want her to have memories of having a mani/pedi with Aunt Niecy...
It is literally the girliest place in Houston. Silver floors, glittery walls, mirrored furniture, chandeliers everywhere, poofy seats with throw pillows, tons of polish choices, flower petals in the soak along with nice smelly stuff, and crystal knobs and pulls. Ke$ha Barbie says I am at home there because it looks like my bathroom...I even have the same knobs.
Here is my Bella having her princess treatment...
If you want a full-on girly time, go there. Go on a weekend and ask for Sophie. She's the sweetest and best. I lurrrrvvv her and my toes have never looked better.
Here are the 2 of us after the mani/pedi...note the girly couch and all the sparkle...sorry for the backlit photo but that is where Bella wanted to pose...and what Bella wants, Bella gets with her Aunt Niecy.
I texted her precious mommy and daddy photos of her and us at the spa...her mother was delighted that we were having such a good time. Have I mentioned how much I love my sister-in-law? Yeah, I thought so....but it never hurts to do it again because I lurrrrvvv her! And my sweet brother was in tears of joy that Bella and I were having such a grand time.
After Bella was soaked, scrubbed, rubbed, sparkled and polished to perfection...along with a toe ring and nail art, we ran to Fit Foods and grabbed some food for me and then ran by the house to let Bella say "goodbye" to Ke$ha Barbie.
Then we headed to the crack house.
ok...I got you there...you can now recover because NOOOOOO I did not take her to a REAL crack house...
We went to Crave Cupcakes...
I call it the Crack House or the Crack Den. It's all the same. It is crack...once you have one you can't help yourself but to continue with the addiction. It is total kryptonite to me. We did not eat our cupcakes but chose to bring them home...so I had a box made up for her, her daddy and her brother and I brought my crack home so my children can indulge...along with me...just one...just one...ok, maybe 2...but not today...one today and maybe one tomorrow if there are any left.
After the Crack Den I had to return her to my brother.
It was like handing over a precious diamond.
I kept the tears for the car...I will see her soon but letting go of something that adorable is hard to do.
I'm glad I get to be a fun aunt to my nieces and nephews. It makes memories for us all.
I have incredible memories of Jane coming to visit. We would impatiently wait for her to arrive because once Jane hit town the fun began. I am happy to say that (mumble) years later we still have a blast together but now we get to do grown-up things like drink wine together instead of the milkshakes we had when I was younger.
One time we decided to try and make "grown-up" milkshakes with liquor. Not a great idea. Ice cream everywhere and we discovered some liquors don't mix well together. And because they tasted like dessert we ended up getting tipsy...not plowed, just tipsy.
Jane also helped me grow up. She still does. I have fond memories of her taking me to see "Animal House" when I was ALMOST too young to see it. (OK, now you have a pretty good idea of my age if I saw Animal House in a theater). It took us 2 different theaters before they would let us in since it was rated "R". I had questions after the movie...she answered them.
And we both wanted to have a massive food fight after seeing it.
Jane often would arrive in town after driving all night from Kansas when she lived there in high school and college. My sisters and I would sneak into her room and would "accidently on purpose" wake her up...poor thing needed her sleep but we couldn't wait for the fun we had with her.
I also have fun memories of times spent with my Aunt Gayle. Since she is only 4 years older than me I basically gave her hell...because it was more like having a big sister than an aunt. I was horrible to her when I was 12 and she was 16. I told her she was a terrible driver. I wouldn't mind her. I gave her s&*& all the time.
Lucky for me she is the forgiving sort...
And now we have a huge blast together. One time when she was working for the "John and Leeza Show" I was in California so I went to see the show. I was pregnant with Ke$ha Barbie...about 30 weeks so I was huge. I turned into a 12 year old again and tormented her by being the enormous preggo lady calling her "Aunt Gayle"...
Lucky for me she is the forgiving sort...
I once went up to Kansas and spent several weeks with my grandparents. Jane and Gayle were still living at home. I tormented Gayle the whole time...refused to watch the shows she wanted to watch, picked on her about her hair, made fun of her obsession with Starsky and Hutch, and wouldn't mind her when we were at the swimming pool.
Lucky for me she is the forgiving sort...
I worshipped Jane...lavished my love upon her and she on me. She took us to the movies (The Pink Panther!) and to the pool. We went to the amusement park.
I refused to ride some horrible ride. I think it was called the Zambeezee Zinger. It terrified me....and I wouldn't ride it with Gayle no matter how much she begged.
Years later I took Ke$ha Barbie and The Cutest Boy in the World to California. We spent a few days with Gayle. We went to Six Flags.
I rode the roller coasters with Gayle.
We held hands and screamed.
It was one of the most joyful times of my life.
Because we got a "do-over" and we had a blast doing it with each other.
We didn't let anyone else (including my ex) ride those rides with us...it was OUR time and we were gonna do it. Gayle and Ke$ha Barbie rode one particularly nasty roller coaster called "Goliath" together...Ke$ha Barbie had watched a show on how they built it and was obsessed with riding it. it was a special thing for her to do with Gayle.
It was one of the most joyful times of her life.
Lucky for me...she is the forgiving sort...and she loves me with all her heart and I have an amazing set of aunts. Not only do I have my aunts by blood but my uncles have managed to each marry an incredible woman that I am blessed to have in my life and I love them so very very much.
I don't have my mom anymore but I do have my aunts...how lucky am I?
I have a great time with them...and they are my role models as to how I should be with my nieces and nephews.
And as for my bella Bella...shhhhhhh...don't tell anyone...but she stole my heart and might just be my favorite little girl in the world...
Inspiration Song: "Girls Do What They Want" by The Maine
Bye Darlings...you never know how your relationship with a child that is not your own might just affect them...I've been blessed to have my aunts...I want to be a blessing to my bella Bella...
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