Princess Tomato!

We like to brag about our World's Largest Ketchup bottle around these parts. I remember when I was little on the way over to the mall announcing that the big water tower shaped like a ketchup bottle was mine. "There's my ketchup bottle!" I loved ketchup and it seemed only fitting that it should be mine. I mean...I used to eat the ketchup right out of the packets as a snack when we would go to the pool in the summer. Ick. I was young.

Anyway, they have a birthday celebration for the water tower every year and there is a Princess Tomato and Sir Ketchup pageant. I saw it last year, but you have to be at least 3 years old to enter it and since Gabriella doesn't turn 3 until the end of July she wasn't eligible. So this year I saw it was coming up and I debated about entering her. Brian, of course, thought I was crazy, but to be fair, he often does with some of my ideas. I asked Gabriella and she always seems game to try something, so on the last day to register I drove over and turned in her form.

She needed to know one ketchup bottle fun fact and have a talent. Hmmm 3 years old and a talent. We asked her what she would like to do and she said she would sing, "Zip a dee doo dah". Ok, I didn't even know she knew that song, but she belted it out for us and we were sold. For the next 3 days we would randomly ask her what her "fun fact" was and she would tell us "the ketchup bottle is 170 ft tall. That was about the preparation that we had and we were going with it.

The day of the pageant I pulled out a dress for her that I was starting to think was getting to small but thought it would work anyway. She had hair bows and matching shoes so I thought it would be better pulled together. She needed a look for "summer". It was certainly hot enough that day. Brian dropped Gabriella and I off while he went to find a parking place. She looked a little timid when we got there and saw the stage. I was having my doubts. Luckily they were playing some peppy music and we kind of danced around getting a little more energy. We were told she was going to be number 7 out of 7 girls. (I think this was a great thing for us in the end. We do tend to like 7's around here.)

So I was waiting in the back with her and I asked if she would like me to wait or go to the front to watch and take pictures. She told me I could go, but I was hesitant. She just stood there without an expression on her face at all. Another mom and I kept commenting on how our girls looked like this was less than fun, but they had both wanted to do this...so here we were. I ended up going around to hang with Brian, Amelia, Grandma and Grandpa, Kennison and Canon and even Aunt Mary Ann and Uncle Dave came to watch.

Gabriella watched the other little girls ahead of her and then was called up on stage.

She was introduced and then asked her fun fact. Her voice seemed a little horse but she got it out and then was handed the microphone for her talent. I think she was most excited about holding the microphone.

She took the microphone like she had done it before and started her song. I was stunned as I believe the rest of our family was. I swear it could have gone either way.

There were quite a few people there.

Still singing

Then once all the Sir Ketchup participants went they all came back on stage and were all presented with medals and goody bags from the reigning Princess Tomato and Sir Ketchup.

Gabriella receiving her medal

And then they announced the first runner up. We were really hoping this for her because the girl that went first was really good. Her fun fact was like a paragraph long and she told some jokes for her talent. She was older and seemed very comfortable on the stage. So we really hoped she could at least pull first runner up and still get a savings bond. We had gone over with her that not everyone wins. Sometimes we just don't win, like when we play games...sometimes Daddy wins, sometimes mommy and sometimes Gabriella. That's just the way it is. So I think we had prepared her well.

Then they announced the first runner up. It was the girl I thought would win. I looked over at Brian and was trying to figure out who would have won...

and then they announced the winner....Gabriella. Wha?? I think we sat there for a second taking it in. Gabriella never even changed her expression. She just walked right over to receive her crown, sash and trophy. The trophy was as big as she was!

Again..stunned

They finally moved her to center stage and she had a huge grin.

She did keep biting her bottom lip which when captured just right with the camera made it look like she was pouting. This picture cracks me up, but she really wasn't pouting, I promise! Oh they also all received a bottle of ketchup!

What a sweet heart!

Miss Kankakee and Princess Tomato

Kennison and Canon with Princess Tomato

They had a replica of the water tower there so we took her picture by it. I kid you not, she told me, "That doesn't look 170 ft tall". LOL, ok! How does she know what 170 ft tall is?

Mom and Dad with the Princess :)

and then Grandma took her over to rid a pony. Because she told us that princesses do ride horses.

All in all it turned into a great day! She won a savings bond, a crown, sash and trophy, pictures from a photographer,$5 for a savings account free kids meals, baseball tickets, ketchup, a medal, just a bunch of goodies. Oh and...parade appearances. this is where Brian looked at me and said, "did you realize everything she has to do now?" My response was, "i didn't know she would win!" oops :) I think we are going to have a fun year!