Pre-Kindergarten Graduation

Havi's graduation from Pre-Kindergarten happened while we were in Orlando... but luckily we were able to get her pictures with in her cap and gown.

We got her end of year TEKS assessment when we got back and Havi has done SO well at school. She is more than ready to start Kindergarten in August... I can't believe she's so big!

We also got her Pre-K Graduation Diploma - too cute.

Now we have a fun filled summer semester left at Abacus to enjoy... she's very excited about afternoon swim being back now that she's doing so well with her swimming.

Fun!

Little Mermaid

Before we set off for Orlando we decided to get Havi back in the water after her fear issues from late last year.

We had a couple of private lessons with Sarah at Nitro and it was like Havi was a different child. She did SO well, right from the get go.

After a couple of weeks in the pool on holiday and she's like a little mermaid! Still a little timid on her back, but she's definitely over her fear.



I love the last few seconds of this video when she tries for a roll under water :-)

DISNEY!

So after what seemed like the longest countdown ever for Havi (and us) we finally landed in Orlando a few minutes before Grandma, Granddad and Auntie Dan landed from England.

Within 10 minutes of getting to the house we were staying in for two weeks, Havi was in the pool - I'm pretty sure she spent time in there every single day we were there.

We had 14 day passes for Disney so over the couple of weeks we went for half a day here and half a day there - with a few long days thrown in too.

Havi met so many characters and filled her autograph book up completely. She loved the rides, even the scary ones like Stitch's Great Escape at Magic Kingdom and Dinosaur at Animal Kingdom. We went on all the roller coaster type rides she was tall enough for a few times - Splash Mountain being the best.

We watched a few parades and Havi would have watched them again each day if we'd let her! Auntie Dan would have probably too :-) Granddad and Daddy, not so much!

The first day we arrived we picked up Havi's Birthday Badge from guest services and she wore it every single day we went to a park - this resulted in "Happy Birthday Princess" from every cast member (the official name for Disney employees) who noticed her badge, and that was a LOT. Even people in the parades themselves wished her a Happy Birthday.

For her actual birthday we had the biggest surprise ever... so much so it gets it's own post HERE!

All in all we had so much fun, relaxed, played, ate and drank (OK, maybe not Havi with the last one!) Between us all we took well over a thousand pictures - check them out HERE if you dare!

Best Fifth Birthday EVER!

We had a special surprise set up for Havi's birthday that she had no idea about. We set off for Magic Kingdom around 11am and went on a few of Havi's favourite rides, then at about 1pm Havi got a phone call from Cinderella inviting her to lunch at her castle!

It was actually Auntie Brooke on the other end of the phone, but Havi never guessed and the look on her face was priceless.

We headed to the castle and were ushered into the foyer - there was Cinderella. After a couple of photos with her we were called up to the banquet hall as the royal guests.

The food was 5 star delicious but Havi was too excited to eat as Belle, Aurora, Snow White and Ariel were mingling with the guests. Each one came to our table, signed Havi's autograph book and posed for another picture (she'd met them all a few days earlier) with her. She was in her element.

After a 'wishing star ceremony' in which Havi concentrated VERY hard on her wish, she was served a double dessert (ice cream sundae and a cupcake) and had Happy Birthday sung to her.

The best birthday ever... her 6th may seem quite boring! :-)