We've been talking about taking Evangeline to the American Girl Shop on her 5th birthday ever since she was a baby. Well it just seemed all too serendipitous when my Mom won a trip basket to St. Louis at her school carnival last spring. The basket included all sorts of tickets for various St. Louis attractions. Some of the tickets that really got our attention was a free night stay at a Drury Inn, tickets to the Arch and a riverboat ride on the Mississippi. We decided to plan our little trip around these tickets. We went to the St. Louis zoo which was great. Immediately upon arrival Evangeline wanted to get her face painted. She always mentions wanting to have it done so I decided to fork out the cash and let her do it. It was worth every penny to watch her sheer joy over it all. She hopped right up in the chair and took sitting still very seriously.
The zoo had a fantastic monkey exhibit with gorillas, orangutan and chimpanzees. The gorillas were fascinating. I don't remember ever seeing them in real life and they were just incredible creatures to watch. There is also a really neat underwater tunnel to observe the sea otters which we enjoyed. Evangeline loved petting and brushing the goats. She thought it was so funny when she felt a goat nibbling her skirt.
We hung out at the hotel that night and did a little swimming. Bright and early the next morning we headed over to the American Girl shop. Evangeline was dead set on Kaya, the Native American. She originaly said she wanted to get it because I would be "frilled" if she chose that one (I must have mentioned that I liked her at one point). I told her that I wanted her to get the one she wanted and she told me that she likes Native Americans so she didn't think she would change her mind. She was right. She didn't give any of the other dolls a second glance. She had a total one track mind. After Kaya was rung up they handed her the doll. It was a priceless moment to watch her excitement as she examined her long awaited birthday gift from Grandma.
Evangeline: "Kaya's the best doll I ever got. I love her, grandma. How I love her so much."
We had reservations to eat at the American Girl Bistro for lunch. It was adorable. Pink and girly as can be. They advertised it as "doll friendly dinning". There were little doll seats at the table and they gave the doll her own cup and saucer which Evangeline got to take home with her. The napkin rings even doubled as hair ties which were also meant for the guests to take with them. Evangeline enjoyed some pink lemonade with her lunch and we all got milk shakes for dessert. They brought Evangeline's shake out with a candle on the top, announced her birthday to the shop and everyone sang to her. It was a very special day.
This was what she did when the place sang to her. She told us that her birthday wish was "that we will always be family together and that Grandma will always live with us." Could she be any cuter???
Well it was a flawless trip until we headed for our riverboat cruise. We ended up getting lost and crossed back and forth from Missouri to Illinois a few times. We missed our reservation and decided to skip that and head straight to the Arch. I hadn't ever visited the Arch before and it was pretty cool.
We decided that the little tram cars that take you up were a lot like being inside an egg.
Evangeline has now transitioned from her fascination of China to Native Americans. It was perfect for her that we visited the Museum of Western Expansion. She really enjoyed seeing all of the artifacts. She kept going back to watch the animatronic Native American tell us about they were totally screwed over.
And what is it that I find so irresistible about a bonnet. If my sanity wouldn't be questioned you would find me wearing a cotton prairie gown and bonnet every day. There was a little old timey general store in the bottom of the Arch that had lots of neat little things.
Oh, what a perfect little trip with my mama and daughter. It was a late night getting home due to some unforeseen road construction traffic, the little one fell asleep cuddling her new doll.
When we got home and as I was putting Evangeline to bed she said to me, "no one has a Grandma like mine."
