Coco Bean is FOURTEEN!

 Celebrating this girl is FUN! Other than maybe her Gee Gee, I have never met someone who loves her birthday quite like our Cora Grace. 

September 25: 

She couldn't wait to see her birthday set up! 

Sweet Hayden brought this headband to school for her on her birthday and she wore it all day! 

All of these treats came from her friends. She felt so loved and repeatedly said how special they all made her feel. 

Thank you O'Connor fam for the adorably Jellycat penguin and Starbucks giftcard. 

Coco got to FaceTime with Grammy and Grampy and open a body spray, bronzer stick and Dandy sweatshirt. 

Showing them her penguin from the O'Connors! :) 

E Newton bracelets from Mom & Dad 

She waited to open ONE gift until Rowan got home. Marc Jacobs perfume was her "big" gift. 

Coco had a fun FaceTime catching up with Grandma! Thank you, Grandma! 

Thank you for the card and check Linda! 

September 27: Olive Garden & Cookie Cake 

On Sunday, after the Cub's game, we celebrated with her birthday dinner at Olive Garden. She wanted Hayden to join us. 

Happy Birthday Coco Bean! 

October 3: Dive In Movie Party

Coco was excited to invite eight of her closest friends over for a movie night in the pool. The girls watched Legally Blonde, made their own popcorn concoctions at the Popcorn Bar and drank delicious "dirty" sodas from the Soda Bar made by Hayden and her friend Ryan. Other highlights included singing in the hot tubs, golf cart rides and finding a snake on the trampoline! :) 

Making dance videos instead of helping us set up! :) 

Cora Grace: 

Happy Birthday to my most beautiful, magical girl. At fourteen years old, you are SO much fun and quite hilarious. You are unapologetically who you are  (which is mostly a good thing). If someone doesn't like you, you view it as their loss (which it is). You have a soft heart for those who are hurting. You are so fiercely loyal and no one better mess with anyone you love. To be loved by you is to be loved well. 

You work so incredibly hard at dance and it was one of the highlights of my year to watch as you found out that you made TPC. Your tears of joy and recognition that hard work does pay off inspire me to continue to work hard and be as dedicated as you are. You dance when you're tired and even sometimes when your friends are doing something more fun but you don't complain. 

You are 5'7" and pretty much done growing. Even though you're taller than your mama, somehow you were blessed with smaller feet! Your curls continue to fit your personality perfectly as they have throughout your entire life. You thrive in mess and chaos. You love noise, you hate driving in the car without music, you are sometimes a little disorganized but somehow, it doesn't bother you a bit! You make the best brownies and smoothies and are the family master at using chopsticks.  

Coco, I am so thankful for 14 years of you. I prayed for a daughter and God gave me more than I could have ever imagined in you. Though we are different in many ways, I love that people say you're my twin and I hope that some day, I can be more like you my sweet girl.

Love you! 

Mom 

September Misc

September was busy but great! 

Labor Day: 

Labor Day weekend began with my favorite sight... both boys' cars in the driveway. Rowan made his first visit home and we were beyond happy to have him home. It made me heart so happy. 

We welcomed him back with his own personal cookie cake and favorite snacks. Pete even contributed Midas the Mouse to the welcome home goodies.

Homecoming: 

Cruz's Junior Homecoming and Rowan's Bonus Homecoming were a good time for them both. 

Cruz and some friends met up at Longhorn Steakhouse for dinner, shut the dance down and hung out with a group at McDonalds afterwards. I've been told some dance pictures exist somewhere but I've yet to see them. 

Row and Hayden had a bit of a compromise. Rowan would go to pictures and dinner but sit out the dance. He watched sports in the car while Hayden had fun with her friends and then he picked her up to spend the rest of the evening together. 

Laura's Bday: 

You can't beat boating on the beautiful ocean, watching dolphins at play and several games of mahjong in the water to celebrate a beautiful friend's birthday. Florida life isn't too bad. 

TPC:

Cora found out this month that she made the Tremaine Performance Company. She first auditioned back at Nationals in July, received a callback in late August and a few weeks later, found out that she made it. She will still be attending the Tremaine Dance Conventions that she knows and loves but instead of taking classes as a student, she will be assisting the teachers in class and then performing with the company and the teachers at the closing show. This is a dream come true for her and she's certainly worked hard for it.

Southern Social: 

We attended SCS's fundraising event and had a fun night out although these are the only two photos I got! 

Cubs V. Red Sox @ Rays

We had a fun, last minute opportunity to see our Cubbies play in Tampa. Their game against the Red Sox was supposed to have been played in Boston but due to weather, got moved to Tropicana Field. Tickets went on sale on Friday for the Sunday game and we scored amazing seats for just $15 each! We spent more on food than we did on our tickets. :) 

Cora's 14th birthday was a big part of September but more on that in its own post!!