Wandering With Bay

Where in the world have I been?

Wandering, of course. With a very special girl; a mermaid whose company I was gifted with for too short a time. Meet Miss Bay. She is a fantastic 7 year old.

While she was with me, we had lots of fun!

We went golfing. Her Fairy God~Lady called her while she was on the mini-golf course, and that was one of those calls that you just have to take...

We went to the butterfly pavilion just in time for a new butterfly release, which was fun. She was on the lookout for butterflies...

We found them! Thousands of them...

We rode a carousel at Heritage Square... (and a roller coaster, and a flying banana, and a paddle boat, and of course the ferris wheel...)

We swam in a pool that has a river, a waterfall, a mini frog slide and a huge twisty slide!

And we:

Went to the Tattered Cover Bookstore for Junie B. Jones books (a must, I found out)

Went to Casa Bonita for a Mexican Fiesta, complete with waterfall into a diving pool, divers, mariachi band, life size gorilla on the loose, live stage show, arcade, haunted house, gift shop, and several other attractions...

Went shopping

Went to lunch at a 50's diner and she learned about Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, James Dean, Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable...

We did SO many things... but Scarlett had a surprise in store for her little mermaid... a very special surprise. The highlight of the whole trip, as it turned out.

I dolled Miss Bay up in a very lovely navy blue formal gown (with which she INSISTED on wearing blue Hanna Montana flip flops), put her in a sparkly silver and blue crown and gave her a scepter wand, French braided her hair in a crown, and we went to Scarlett's friend Storm's house to visit Bay's Fairy God~Lady for the first time!

The very special and wonderful Fairy God~Lady, who served Princess Bay "Sparkling Creme Soda Champagne" in real crystal goblets, just as a princess should use.

That was the beginning, and she was utterly delighted...

When lo and behold, who should come down the stairs to see Bay while we were there, but Prince Charming himself...

He's been searching for Princess Bay to give her the mini glass slipper that was made especially for her when she was born, but which was stolen away by an evil witch.


Prince Charming searched far and wide for her slipper, found it in a high tower guarded by a troll, defeated the troll and brought the rescued slipper back to Princess Bay.

Princess Bay had important news to impart to Prince Charming about Cinderella and her glass slipper that he is carrying on the royal pillow...

(Serious Bay) 'I have something to tell you'

PC- 'yes?'

(still serious...) 'I know where Cinderella is'

PC- 'you do? Thank goodness, I've been looking for her everywhere, I need to get this slipper back to her, she leaves it all over the place, all the time! Where is she?'

(Bay looks at him dead pan, cool as a cucumber...) 'She's in Hollywood'

PC- 'oh! Hollywood... yes, that's right, I forgot... she goes by Cindy now. What was she doing?'

'Blowing up balloons'.

I was laughing through tears at this point, which is the best way to laugh, but a difficult medium to photograph through.

Not one to miss an opportunity, Princess Bay traded her royal scepter for Prince Charmings' REAL sword... and immediately went into Mulan mode....

It was very exciting!!

We stayed and visited with Prince Charming and the Fairy God Lady for an hour or so, and then we left... and little Princess Bay never let go of that little glass slipper for three whole days; except for the pool... and only because I wouldn't let her take it in. She talked about it incessantly from the moment we woke up until we fell asleep each night, and we sang Disney princess songs in the car the whole duration of her visit. It was one of the best visits ever, but she said that nothing we did topped her Fairy God~Lady and Prince Charming.

Her mom told me recently, that Bay had announced that 'dreams don't come true sometimes'... and we were sad that she'd grown up a little bit, but then when they were pulling out of the driveway, she leaned out the window, waving with a flourish and blowing kisses and called to me... 'dreams really do come true!'

Princess Bay and her glass slipper, returned to her by Prince Charming