NEW YORK (CNN) -- The crown of the Statue of Liberty will re-open to tourists on July 4, the Interior Department said Friday.

The crown was closed after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, for safety and security reasons.

The National Park Service closed the attraction amid worries that it would be difficult for visitors to evacuate quickly in the event of an emergency.

Visitors must climb a narrow 168-step double-helix spiral staircase to get to the crown.

Access to the crown will be limited to 10 people at a time, guided by a National Park Service ranger.

If you ask Alexis where she wants to go the first two places that she will likely tell you are the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower! We're hoping to take her to New York soon. France will have to wait for a while! Mom needs to go to Ireland first! ;oP

Found via CNN.

Jamison is supposed to have the day off today. He got called around 4 am this morning and has put in two hours of work already....

I'm thinking that might not bode well for his day off or the weekend...I'm just saying! ;oP

Sometimes 24/7 support sucks.

The party is over. (It was a hit!)

The house is cleaned. (It's amazing what a birthday party can do to your house!)

I think it's time to take a few days and relax, breathe and just be. Sounds good to me!

If you want to see a little about the food hop over to Dianne's Dishes and see the cake, some cookies and even some penguin appetizers!

(CNN) -- Farrah Fawcett, the blonde-maned actress whose best-selling poster and "Charlie's Angels" stardom made her one of the most famous faces in the world, died Thursday. She was 62.

Fawcett was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1947. She married Majors in 1973; they divorced nine years later.

She was diagnosed with cancer in 2006.

Not shocking, but sad none the less. As I'm half way to 40 myself, 62 sounds so young! Cancer is a nasty disease. May she rest in peace.

Found via CNN.

SYDNEY, Australia - Wallabies snacking in Tasmania's legally grown opium poppy fields are getting "high as a kite" and hopping around in circles, trampling the crops, a state official said.

Tasmania Attorney-General Lara Giddings told a budget hearing Wednesday that she had recently read about the kangaroo-like marsupials' antics in a brief on the state's large poppy industry. Tasmania is the world's largest producer of legally grown opium for the pharmaceutical market.

"We have a problem with wallabies entering poppy fields, getting as high as a kite and going around in circles," The Mercury newspaper quoted Giddings as telling the hearing. "Then they crash. We see crop circles in the poppy industry from wallabies that are high."

When I saw this headline as I was scanning the morning headlines on my iPod it amused me. I mean come on...Wallabies making crop circles? That's priceless! The little buggers eat a few opium plants, and of course we all know what opium does, and then they wreak havoc in the fields. They get discombobulated and hop around in circles, thus making crop circles.

How.

Amusing.

Is.

That??!?!?!?

OK, I'll admit I'm amused easily, but still! ;oP

Found via MSNBC.

My dearest Alexis,

Six years ago, shortly after 1 am, you were born. In the past six years you've spent most of that time growing, changing and becoming the vivacious, free spirited individual that I love so well. You are spunky, fun, caring and most importantly you never shy away from being you. I like that about you.

As time has passed it has become more and more apparent that you are a people person. You have your father's ability to go into any situation, or get up in front of any crowd and make things happen, coupled with my inherent ability to like people and make new friends. You got none of his cynical thoughts and none of my shyness. It's the perfect mix! What has resulted is an amazing little girl that makes friends wherever she goes, wins over the hardest souls and just has fun with life. I like this about you too.

There are so many things that I want for you as time passes. And I know realistically that there are times that you will be sad, and even hurt because sometimes life deals blows that can not be avoided. But you are strong and I know that you will make it through whatever hills life throws at you. You will climb those mountains and once you on are on the other side you will be even stronger.

I wish for you a life filled with happiness, a life full of loving friends and family. I hope that you are lucky enough to find a best friend like your Aunt Darlene is to me, who is always there for you and would never dream of stabbing you in the back. I also hope that you find an adoring mate who worships the ground you walk on, that you enjoy spending time with, that completes you like your Dad is for me.

I also wish for you a life filled with adventure. At six you are one of the most adventurous individuals I know. You are ready at the drop of a hat to go and do things. I like that about you. (Have you noticed that there are a lot of things that I like about you? ;oP) I hope that this sense of adventure, this need to go and do things, to see things continues. I wish for you the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty and all the other things that you yearn to see and do.

Go out and do things.

Be what and who you want to be. Never let anyone put/keep you down, because in reality they are most likely jealous that you dare to dream/do.

Find good friends and keep them. If someone isn't true get rid of them. Life is too short to worry about someone stabbing you in the back.

If you have a dream follow it. Life is too short to wonder what would have happened. You're more likely to regret what you didn't do, versus what you did.

And most importantly continue to love. You have an amazing, huge, open heart that welcomes everyone. I like that about you.

Also know that I will always be here for you. Now and forever. You are a part of me and I love you more than I could possibly ever tell you.

Love,
Mom

Comments aren't working as you may have already figured out. Jamison has a problem ticket in. Hopefully it will be fixed soon!

Update: 12:07 PM: We appear to have comments working. If someone tries to post and it doesn't work send me an e-mail at daffodildianne at gmail dot com and let me know. Thanks!

The presents are wrapped!

The tutu is done!

Tomorrow Miss G turns 6!

A few days ago someone I follow on Twitter posted a "no sew" make your own tutu. Last year I tried to make Alexis a tutu, complete with bedazzling, but it ended up looking more like a tulle skirt and less like the glorious tutu I had in my head. When I saw this version I knew I wanted to try and see if I couldn't make something a little better. This definitely fit the bill!

I choose a dark blue and a light blue since blue is Lex's favorite color. I alternated them as I put them on the elastic. I cut the strips at 48 inches so that when doubled over it would be roughly 24 inches.

Once I had my strips cut and the elastic measured and put together I was ready to go!

I also used two pieces of tulle on each color as I alternated. Cutting out the strips actually took longer than putting the tutu together itself. Adding the tulle to the elastic took roughly 30 minutes. Cutting the tulle took about 45.

Along with the tutu Alexis is also getting some books, an emperor penguin snow globe (she collects snow globes), a penguin mood ring and a butterfly garden. I will put the presents in her room after she goes to sleep and we'll open them first thing in the morning.

Have I mentioned how it's hard for me to believe that six years have passed?

More tomorrow.

On Friday Alexis and I ventured into DC to meet up with some friends from Tennessee. Alexis ended up falling twice and injuring her leg so we didn't get to see them. I really hate that. But we had fun until she did fall!

Here are a few pictures I took. I so miss my DSLR. *SIGH* But they turned out ok none the less.

Friday morning was absolutely beautiful! In the mid 70's with a nice breeze! Just lovely! I think I'll wait until the fall to venture back over though...People everywhere!

Most importantly Alexis got to see "her ruby slippers" so as far as she is concerned all is right in the world.

If only it would stay that easy! ;oP

If you remove one gray hair it is rapidly replaced by three in its place.