Magic Vacation 2011 First Day

We'd already had our suitcases packed for a month and a half and, on Sunday morning Feb 27, Ava's first happy words were "FLORIDA TIME!" as she sat up in bed. We all were so excited about going on vacation to Disney World. This was Trip #3 to the cabins at Ft. Wilderness, so we knew what awaited us - we love that place. And to put it over the top - Brenda, John, Lindsey, Derek, Nikki, Mason, Alivia, and Landen were all going, too! We were staying at different resorts, but we all were there for the full week. Brenda and I had been planning and texting and e-mailing about this trip for months, comparing schedules and discussing attractions and restaurants - it had been a blast already, just in the planning.

Gaffer took Heidi to the kennel that morning while Ava and I ran around cleaning the house and making sure we had everything we needed. Blue Cat was going to stay in the house alone while we were gone, so we left big mixing bowls full of food and water, and two big clean litter boxes for him. When Gaffer got back, we loaded up the truck and pulled out of the driveway. The weather was dank and cold, snowbanks lined the roads.

Our flight was at 7:45 the next morning on Southwest Airlines out of Manchester, NH, and Brenda and John were on the same flight. They were riding over from Maine with Lindsey (who had a Delta flight earlier than ours, but landing later) and would meet us at the airport. We were spending the night at the Hampton Inn near the airport, where we'd get a chance to start vacationing a little early because, for Ava, pool = vacation. Ava and I changed into our suits while Gaffer ran out for pizza. We spent the afternoon enjoying the pool and hot tub and looking out at the dirty snowbanks in the hotel parking lot ("good-bye dirty snowbanks!!"). A sauna was in the pool area and we enjoyed going from the cool pool into the hot sauna, lounging in the dark on raised benches near a bed of steaming lava rocks. It was a great way to begin our vacation, in a refreshed frame of mind, and eating pizza on top of that!

We swam, whirlpooled, steamed, and ate until it was time to get back to the room to watch "The Amazing Race", read "Owl at Home" (Ava's sleeping potion - works on all three of us! It has five little chapters and in our family it's not uncommon to hear this: "You didn't even make it to the end of Tearwater Tea!") and go to sleep, Gaffer in one double bed, Ava and me in another.

As soon as I woke the next morning I texted Bren: "Where are you guys?" She instantly texted back, "At the airport!" So we started throwing our things together and got Ava up and dressed and out into the cold, dark morning. At the airport, Gaffer dropped us at the curb with the suitcases and went to park the truck. It was about 6:30 and the Southwest line was already a mile long. It was fun for us to notice the suitcases with the yellow "Disney World Transport" tags on them - many other little kids on their way to Disney!!! YAY! These were a bunch of happy, sleepy people in line - the kids and the parents! Gaffer caught back up with us while we were still halfway through the line. Southwest moves fast, though, and next thing we knew we were through security and looking at John and Brenda, sitting on a bench having breakfast. It was really happening - we were all really about to go to Florida together!

But poor Ava. She didn't want anyone to know, but her pretty, sparkly new shoes (the ones I told her weren't practical, but bought anyway because she thought they were beautiful) were scraping her heels. So she took me aside and whispered to me what the problem was, then we casually walked off to the ladies room and did a little first aid with bandages on each foot. She's always very discreet about her personal issues - a throwback to a different generation when struggles weren't worn on sleeves.

We had some breakfast, and then it was time to board. Bren and John had got A Group tickets (the first 60 people to board), but we had B Group (the next 60 - and we were at the end of the 60), so they said they'd try to hold some seats near them for us, and they did. We were right across the aisle from them, and we cheers'd with Bloody Marys (Ava had apple juice) somewhere over one of the mid-Atlantic states. Ava and I played Pollys and worked on pre-school workbooks, passing the time until we landed. She had the window seat and looked outside occasionally, but seemed mostly to be happy having me as a captive participant in the land of Pollys.

Bren and John had told us they were planning to wait for Lindsey's flight at the airport, so we would be parting at the gate. The airport in Orlando is sprawling and (we think) not well-marked. Adding this year to the previous two, we've not been able to find the Disney Transportation for three years in a row. After the short train-ride from the gate area to the baggage claim area, there are wings and floors and no signs. There probably are signs, but we've failed to see them for three years in a row. So this time, same as the last times, we wandered around like idiots and finally had to ask someone for directions, and found out we were in the wrong wing of the airport. I think we will just expect to do this every time we come back - just add it to the itinerary: "Explore Orlando International Airport". So we eventually, after making several new friends lost like us (although, to their credit, they were first-timers) got to the Disney Transportation area and then quickly onto our bus for Ft. Wilderness.

It takes about a half hour of highway driving from the airport to get into the Disney World Resort, and then there are stops at other resorts before getting to Ft. Wilderness - it's always the last stop. It's fun, though, to see the other resorts and Disney movies play on little video monitors, so the ride is enjoyable. Ava was laughing out loud at a Donald Duck movie, and it was cute to hear little kids laughing from other seats in the bus.

The skies were blue and the sun was hot when we got off the bus at the check-in (the "Outpost") at Ft. Wilderness. Gaffer went inside to do the paperwork, while Ava and I stayed outside, soaking up the sun. She was going crazy picking flowers and bringing them to me. She's a good flower-picker, as far as the flowers are concerned. She picks off one beautiful bloom from each plant - dead-heading without the dead part. For the recipient, it's kind of awkward because there is rarely enough stem presented to put in water, but it's a sweet gesture.

Ava has always loved flowers, and a highlight of her Florida vacation is the flora. Whether it's at Magic Kingdom or at the airport, it's the flowers that catch her eye. It's been this way since she was three, but this year she added something - giving out beautiful blooms to nice people she meets. She gave a flower to the lady at the reservation desk, to the maintenance guy working on our cabin, to the bus driver, to Disney characters... A dozen people were presented a tiny flower by a small girl with a big smile in Orlando last week, and all of them were sweetly touched by this gesture and thanked her sincerely.

This was the beginning of the Disney magic for us. We never ceased to be amazed at the genuine helpfulness and friendliness of the Disney staff, wherever we went. There was the occasional annoying or sullen employee but, considering the sheer numbers of them we interacted with, the impression remains that Disney employees have been dusted with something very magical. Human nature wants to be happy, I believe, and when you spend a week with people who go out of their way to help you and talk with you and smile at you, you can't help but be affected by that in a very positive way. This has been a big part of why we go back - we enjoy that gentle happiness and soak it in.

Our suitcases were to be delivered to our cabin later, so we jumped on one of the Ft. Wilderness buses for the 2500-block - "Cedar Circle". The bus stop was only a short distance from our cabin number 2505, and as we walked toward the cabin we saw a car in the little driveway. Our grocery lady was already there! We had ordered our groceries on-line, the same service we had used the previous two times at the cabin. Cathy was a retiree from North Pole, Alaska, and she was a character - telling us she'd probably be hearing from us later in the week for more beer and a bottle of rum! Ava presented her with a little flower after we paid the tab, and with a smile Cathy was off, and we were on vacation!!

Brenda texted that Lindsey had arrived and gone over to see Derek and Nikki, so they were free to meet us at Epcot. We hopped on a bus and in a short time we could see that beautiful big golf ball on the horizon. The first stop at any of the parks for us was always the stroller rental. In addition to giving Ava's little legs a break, the stroller was handy to carry the back pack and anything else we picked up in the park - it even had cup holders for our beverages. After a few pictures at the entrance, we started to wander into our very favorite Disney place. We've timed each visit to to coincide with the opening of the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival, and we weren't disappointed this year - the topiaries and themed gardens and playgrounds were everything we expected.

As we walked through Future World toward the World Showcase, the three of us were relaxed and happy. We don't really see the crowds or feel any pressure to accomplish anything in particular at Disney. I had spent months planning each day but, once there, it becomes completely about the moment. "Look where we are!" "What a day!" Allowing yourself the time to the feel the joy of the moment is a luxury that should be savored, and Gaffer and I do when we're there. Ava savors every moment of every day anyway, so this is not a new experience for her. Maybe that's one of the reasons why Disney is so popular - people find it to be a place where they can be like a child, living in the joy of the moment, even if only for a couple of days.

So, even while savoring the moment, we're also looking forward to beer! Why do we love Epcot so much? Because we can have beer there! Cross the bridge into the World Showcase and go the right and get English beer. Go to the left and get Mexican beer. Keep walking, and you can have American, German, Moroccan, French, and Canadian beer! At $8 a cup, you have to go back to Epcot for a few days to try them all, so that's what we do. But there is an intense joy in the moment when you're walking with your favorite people through the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival, holding an Oktoberfest brew in your hand.

Ava had never taken a nap all day, and was still going strong. We had taken a left toward Mexico and were strolling toward the outdoor cafe where we could get a beer when we heard, "Hey", behind us and there were John and Brenda walking toward us. Ava ran over for big hugs, and then got back into her stroller as we started meandering with our Dos Equis toward Germany, where we had a dinner reservation. It was great to have friends to be with! I was missing Steve and Jennifer (and Andrew)- wishing they could have shared in the laughing with us - but it was great to have 1/3 of our card playing comrades with us in Florida!

We were seated almost immediately in the Biergarten restaurant - taken to our long wooden table by a cheerful grey-haired fraulein. At Biergarten, the tables are occupied by as many people as will fit so, unless you are a big group yourself, you'll always end up sharing your table with people you don't know. The lighting is dim: you feel as though you're sitting in an outdoor cafe in a quaint old German village, with balconies dripping with flowers, German state banners on the walls, and clouds moving across a bright moon in the night sky. The seating is raised, looking down upon a stage with a dance floor - live polka music plays in between short breaks, and the little kids love to dance to live polka music! Who knew? It's a blast.

The food is buffet, with a selection of German cuisine for all palates. Ava was tall enough this year to help fill her own plate, and she was very generous with herself with sausage, roast pork, mac&cheese and mashed potatoes. And a roll with butter. She eats well at Biergarten. We were joined at the table by a young couple with a cute blond-haired little boy named Jackson who was about Ava's age. She could barely wait for everyone to finish eating so she could go dancing! This is a kid who had woken up in New Hampshire many hours earlier, now wanting to dance in Germany - I was impressed! "That's my girl!!"

So she and I went down to the dance floor, and who should follow us? Little Jackson!! So the three of us held hands and swung to the polka music until Gaffer joined us and then it was four! Polka-ing with two 5-year-olds after a buffet of sausage, sauerkraut, and herring salad (and mugs of German beer) is not for the faint of heart, but Gaffer and I were up to the challenge - we were still dancing when Bren came up to let us know that she and John were heading back to their room. It wasn't too long after that when we returned Jackson to his parents (regretfully - I would have liked to have seen them again!), and wandered back out into the World Showcase.

Ava and I don't remember the bus ride back to Ft. Wilderness that night. We both fell asleep on the bus from Epcot, but Gaffer got us safely home to our cabin, like the good Gaffer he is.

Magic Vacation 2011 Last Days

Before dawn on Friday morning, Ava woke me to ask for a drink so I went out to the kitchen to get it. I wear earplugs at night, but have always felt fairly confident that I can still hear through them. As I rustled around the kitchen, getting Ava's drink, I was kind of surprised. Brenda is an early riser, and I half expected to hear from her while I was up. I planned to stay up with her if she was awake, but I didn't hear anything from the Murphy bed. I was kind of happy for her - "oh, great! Bren must be getting a good night sleep!!" and smiled to myself as I went back to bed with Ava's cup. Later Brenda told me that she had been calling to me - "Pam... Hey, Pam..." and I never heard a thing. She didn't know I wore earplugs, and thought to herself "Pam is deafer than I am!!"

By 8am everyone was awake - Ava was the last one to get out of bed - and after breakfast we went over to Epcot to meet up with Derek and Nikki and Landen. We went by way of the boat to Magic Kingdom, and then the monorail to Epcot - it was a fun way to get there, with lots of sights along the way.
The kids were happy to see their parents at the entrance to Epcot, and we went right to Spaceship Earth. Turned out that this was Mason's favorite ride, too! Livvy, Ava, and I rode in the front of the car, with Mason and Nikki right behind us. After that, we went over to the World Showcase so the kids could play "Kim Possible".

We had been looking forward to this detective-style activity for the kids, but it turned out to be a little hard to do with three young kids. You get a "communications device" (looks like a little Nokia cell phone) which gives you clues around whatever country you're in (we were in England) and you follow the clues to find a bad guy who plans to hurt the environment in some way. We found the clues kind of hard to follow with such a long back-story accompanying each one - the kids didn't really have the patience to listen to it. Plus, by then the three of them had spent about 20 straight hours together and were starting to get a little edgy with each other.

They were all good, but it became confusing as to whose turn it was to hold the communicator. Derek turned out to be the best at listening to and understanding the clue, and he was able to get us through it, but we were all kind of relieved when it was over.

Patrick, Bren and John had waited for us on a bench in a beautiful English garden, and they waited a little longer while we took the kids into the Kidcot station for England.

We had briefly visited Canada before Kim Possible, letting the kids check out the "Kidcot" station there. Kidcot is a wonderful idea for kids, and it's something that we look forward to. Each country in World Pavilion has its own station and kids pick up a cardboard cutout (free! - last year it was a theatre mask; this year was "Duffy", a bear, the Epcot mascot) glued to a paint stick, and take it from country to country. The country's representative sits at a table, has some conversation with the child, and stamps the stick with the country's name. If it's a country with a different alphabet than ours, they write the child's name in the native language. (Last year, they also affixed a ribbon or other decoration to the mask, but for some reason not this year.)

After they get their stamp, the kids can go over to a little craft table surrounded by little chairs, where they can choose colored Sharpies out of a big bowl to color their bear. Ava made sure to divvy up her coloring such that she was able to finish it at the last country.

Gaffer got the kids some ice cream along the way, and they had a fun time running around, eating ice cream, going into the Kidcot stations - they even got to see a street show in France with two acrobats dressed as French chefs.

By early afternoon they were tired, though, and Derek and Nikki took the kids back to their resort, and Bren and John headed back. (Lindsey had left the night before, and it seemed as if some bubbles in the champagne were missing....) Gaffer and Ava and I did some more Epcot wandering, doing some more Kidcots, and had dinner in Germany again. Ava fell asleep on the way out of the park, and Gaffer looked cute with a little princess slung over his shoulder on the way back to the cabin!


On Friday morning we headed out bright and early, back to Epcot. This was going to be our Garden Festival day, and we took our time wandering through all the exhibits - the Fairy House garden, the Butterfly garden, the miniature village in Germany, the scented garden in France, the tea gardens in England.



We went back to Ft. Wilderness in the afternoon, spent some time at the pool, and that evening went to the Chip n Dale Campfire Sing-along at the campground.

We bought a little "s'more" kit and Ava had fun roasting marshmallows and dancing with Chip. She got his autograph, too. Dale was working a different part of the crowd, so Ava was disappointed that she was never able to catch up with him for his signature. She had a lot of fun with that autograph book!

Brenda and John were leaving on Saturday and they came over to Trail's End for breakfast before they took off for the airport. Ava had another pony ride while we waited for them, then it was hugs and promises to get together as soon as we got back home, and then they were gone. Derek and Nikki and the kids were also leaving that afternoon. It felt kind of lonely to know that our family was all leaving, and we wished we could have spent more time together while they were there; it was hard with all the kids and everyone's different schedules, but we were glad for the time we did spend together.

So we had the rest of the day Saturday to enjoy. I asked Ava if she wanted to go back to Magic Kingdom and was surprised by her answer: "I never want to go back there - it's my worst favorite place!" When I asked her why, she said, "Because everything's fake!" That's our little Ava - a true Capricorn - feet planted firmly on the ground, practical and logical. But I was kind of disappointed - I would have enjoyed another walk through Magic Kingdom!!

We spent the day very enjoyably at the pool, and most of Sunday there as well.

On Sunday afternoon we made our last visit back to Epcot. We walked slower than usual, knowing it was our last day. The weather was gorgeous, sunny and warm, and we soaked it in. We had dinner at an outside table at Morocco, Ava enjoying the chicken and couscous, and watched a Canadian bagpiping rock band ("Off-Kilter" - they wore kilts) for a while before drifting out of the park.






One last ride on Spaceship Earth and we were on the bus back to Ft. Wilderness, to be ready for our 4:30am transport to the airport. We were looking forward to coming home, sunburned and tired, and happy.

Acadia 2011

Last winter we had planned to snowmobile in Acadia, but the weather never cooperated with enough snow. So this year, after our big January snowstorm, Gaffer wasted no time in planning a quick trip for us. We left Thursday afternoon (1/13), after dropping the dogs at the kennel, for our hotel in Ellsworth. Ava slept most of the ride, and was quite impatient to get to the hotel so she could go swimming. She definitely was not happy when we decided to pull into a diner in Ellsworth to get supper before checking in to the hotel - but it was 6:30 and we knew she wouldn't want to leave the hotel once she got there, so supper first it was.

She's always good, though, so she patiently tolerated the time spent at the restaurant, and was ecstatic when we were finally in our room and she was able to get into her swimsuit. The hotel clerk told us that it was a salt-water pool, and we found out that the salt water must have just been pulled out of Penobscot Bay, iceburgs and all. It was literally the coldest pool we'd ever been in - your feet turned numb just stepping into it! Ava didn't let that little detail bother her, though. She was swimming and jumping and splashing like crazy - happy as could be. The hot tub was just the same in the opposite - very hot, but wonderful. We actually enjoyed going back and forth between the two - Hot Cold Hot Cold! We swam until about 8:30, then came back to the room, read some books and went to sleep.

The next morning we were up, breakfasted, and loaded up by 8:30. We drove to the entrance of Acadia, near Hulls Cove, and parked at the almost empty visitor center. There was only one other truck in the parking lot, and as we were getting the snowmobile ready the other snowmobilist was coming back down the trail. He had already been to the top of Cadillac!

We changed into our warm clothes at the truck, and then headed out - Ava riding the dogsled, standing on the step in the back. She's recently been interested in dog-sledding since we gave her the story of Balto. The Itidarod is also starting shortly, so we've been choosing our favorite mushers and talking about putting up a big map of Alaska in the house so we can follow the progress of the race. So, she was tickled to be riding her own dogsled, and promptly decided to name our snowmobile "Balto".

We followed the Park Loop Road, which in places is not plowed at all and had a beautiful fresh snow pack, and in other places is plowed on only one lane for cars with a berm on the other lane for snowmobiles and other winter recreationalists - we saw several cross country skiiers and snowshoers, but only one other snowmobile during the entire day in the park.

We stopped often to take pictures and look around. It was snowing lightly during the morning hours, and everything was breath-takingly beautiful. Heavy fresh snow covered the branches of the trees on either side of the trail, the air was cold but not uncomfortably so, and the ocean and the hills on either side of us were gorgeous to look at as we rode along. The road itself was lovely, the old carriage road with its famous bridges. Later in the day the sun glanced out from time to time, and patches of brilliant blue sky made the day even more incredible.

Ava and I took turns riding on the dogsled, alternating between sitting backwards on the snowmobile so we could keep an eye on each other. We were all warm and comfortable as we rode along the road overlooking Frenchman's Bay. We saw "The Cat" at her ferry terminal, the parking lot snow-covered and deserted for the season, and we saw a lovely doe standing beside the road. We stopped to watch her, and she stood for the longest time looking back at us, until two of her friends crossed the road behind us, then the three of them loped away slowly into the woods.

We had packed a picnic lunch of cold roast chicken, cheese, crackers, salami, and apples, along with a big thermos of hot chocolate and a bottle of Luna for Gammer and Gaffer. At around 11am we stopped at a scenic overlook to have our snack. Ava enjoyed the hot chocolate more than anything - it really "hit the spot" for her! She was the reason we brought the salami, too. It's one of her favorite foods, and she munched down three or four pieces to accompany her hot chocolate!

Around and higher we climbed into the park. At one point, we came to a stop when the trail seemed to end. We had come out onto an obviously heavily traveled road, completely plowed clear of snow. We turned the sled around and drove back the way we came, until we saw where many other snowmobilers had turned into the grounds for the Wildwood Stables. We turned in, but then the trail went up a winding trail into the woods - obviously not the Park Loop Road. We stopped, wondering if that was the right way to go, when the one and only other snowmobiler of the day happened to come along! He told us to stay on this trail, and we'd come back out to the Park Loop Road. It was a good thing he came along when he did, because there had been no signs to indicate the right way to go, and there were several other trails going off into other directions.

So now back on track, we started into the most beautiful part of the ride. We were quite high in elevation now, and the views were truly spectacular. The crystals in the trees sparkled in the sun and the pristine beauty of the area made a privilige of every breath I took - how amazingly fortunate we were to be allowed into Mother Nature's sanctuary.

Ava had started to get sleepy so Gaffer put her in front of him on the snowmobile and, from my perch on the runners of the dogsled, I could see her little mittened hand dangling after a few minutes. As she slept, we turned into the road to the Cadillac summit. Up and up and around and around we went, until we arrived at a winter wonderland at the peak. We woke up Ava and spent some time walking around to look at the views from all points - just amazing. We had another hot chocolate break, then loaded up for the final few miles back to the truck.

We arrived back at the visitor center, happy and thrilled by our day, at 2pm and were back home by 6. Ava never fell asleep all the way home! Her little nap while climbing Cadillac Mountain had apparently been enough to hold her over but after only about 10 pages into "Owl at Home" that night she was snoring and slept a solid 12 hours!

Fall 2010

Halloween was fun this year. Ava chose to be a princess, and wore the beautiful gown she had worn for Cinderella's breakfast at Magic Kingdom last winter. Her pre-school class had a little Halloween party, and for a week or two Ava was on the fence about going. But at the 11th hour, she decided to go so Gaffer and I enjoyed watching her parade through all the kindergarten classes with her fellow pre-schoolers - very cute! Then the kids shared a Halloween feast back in their own room, and Ava ate her weight in orange jello squares! Who knew she liked them?? It was VERY cold the actual night of Halloween, but clear and beautiful. We drove her to Gorham so she could trick or treat at Gram and Gramp's first. They were delighted to see her! Then we found a parking spot across from Baxter Library in the village, and headed out from there. Ava was wearing little princess sandels, so I packed her crocs in a bag, convinced that it wouldn't be long before she'd swap shoes. But that kid tromped for miles in her fancy shoes and never asked to change! She was in her glory - at every house she was told how beautiful she was, and she would graciously smile and say "thank you!" Gaffer and I found a treat at one house, where an old lady was out on her porch with crock pots full of hot cider that she was handing out in little styrofoam cups. We covered a lot of ground and her little plastic pumpkin was full when we decided to call it a night and head home. She's not much of a candy eater, so at this date (Dec 2), the pumpkin is on top of the fridge - still full!

In November, Gaffer's seaduck hunting season really took off, and he was hired to work in Stonington helping another guide there. I was asked to cook for the crew for a few days, so Ava and I drove up. It was a beautiful drive, and we had fun singing "Shady Grove" along the way and looking at the sights. She was fighting a cold, so we stopped at a pharmacy along the way for some tylenol to bring with us, but she was cheerful and looking forward to the adventure in spite of being under the weather. We arrived on Saturday afternoon, and Gaffer was happy to see us! The rented house was at the end of a long dirt driveway in Deer Isle, right on the water. We spent the day on Sunday helping get ready for the hunters from PA to arrive - making beds, getting groceries, cooking... The other guide, Mark, and his girlfriend April were there, along with April's 9 year old daughter, Iva. Ava and Iva hit it right off, and Ava fell in love with Iva's black lab, Flash. Mark, April, and Iva left that afternoon, and then it was up to Gaffer, Ava and me to take care of the seven hunters. Ava was her usual friendly, talkative self, and they all enjoyed her very much! She ran out of energy quickly, though, with her cold, so spent quite a bit of time in our bedroom, watching movies on her portable DVD player. She'd take a break, gather up some steam, then come out and be the life of the party! It worked out well, in a way, that she was so happy to be in bed resting, because I was up to my elbows in cooking and cleaning for the next three days. By Weds, she was feeling lively enough to give me a lot of help as we cleaned up the place before we left - she vacuumed, washed floors, made beds, cleaned shower stalls - what a great helper!! One of the hunters had "tipped" her a dollar two nights in a row for bringing him his newspaper, and then April tipped her six dollars for all the work she did around the house - Ava's first income!! She's saving it for our trip to Disney in February.

Thanksgiving Day was another highlight this fall. Ava went with Gaffer to pick up Joe in Brunswick, Uncle Steve and Jennifer came over, and Bobby and Katie brought Kerry with them - and then, surprise, Nannie also showed up! Beepa was working a shut-down at McCain Foods up in the County, so Nannie decided to come to Durham rather than stay home alone! We had such a fun day! Ava had helped me cook the day before (we played music and danced all day while we worked!), so we only had to warm things up and wait for the turkey to be done for our 2:00 feast. She was in her glory with all her aunts and uncles (and Nannie) to dote on her. She wore her red Christmas dress from last year, and was simply gorgeous - with her happy face and beautiful smile, she made my heart go pitter-patter everytime I looked at her.