Crazy...but good....

I have been neglecting the blog - sometimes life gets in the way.... Just to quickly update on Andy's mom - she had her brain surgery today and all went well! We are relieved and grateful and she should be back in the comforts of home in the next few days. Prayers answered....

We are off for a week in Disney World in the morning. A much needed break from a couple stressful months. We are really looking forward to it. So the blog will be neglected for one more week, and then I should have some fun pictures from the trip to post!

Have a great Valentine's Day too! We will be hand delivering a Valentine to Mickey that Julia made him, hopefully it gets there in one piece....

Have a great week!

My My Maria! What a Day!

Maria had a big day today - she started gymnastics and dance!
(They won't always be on the same day, I won't go in to boring details...)

Andy took her to her first Parent/Tot gymnastics class this morning and she did great! (I was at Julia's preschool for a pizza party.) She looked adorable in her little leo with her tummy and her diaper. She even let me put a bow in her hair and kept it there! Her favorite things were the trampoline and the rings.
Tonight was dance for the first time. She looked adorable (I am seeing an adorable pattern developing...) in her little skirt and tights. This is a solo class so I was a little nervous, but she walked right in and her teachers said she did great. She has the same ones as Julia, and they are awesome. I am so excited for her! I was having MAJOR mommy guilt over her lack of activities compared to what Julia had been in by her age but I couldn't find anything that worked with our schedule until now. Hip Hip Hooray! It's Maria's turn now! I do have to point out that Julia wanted to go to both places with Maria and didn't really get why they couldn't be in the same class. It got me a little teary-eyed that she was so worried about her. When Maria came out of dance Julia gave her a huge hug and asked her how it went. Then when she walked back I heard her ask her teacher about Maria.....Ahh, sisterly love.....

On the rings...a future Olympian perhaps?

The trampoline...look at that tummy!

Ready for dance!

Dancing in daddy's boots

Dancing Darling

Today we got to watch Julia's dance class through an "observation window" - basically a two way mirror. I don't think most of the kids in the class had any idea that there was a hall full of parents watching their every move. Julia did really good - especially considering that it is for 3 to 5 year olds so some of the kids are quite a bit older then her. It was fun to watch her. I think one of her favorite things is watching herself in the mirrors, and she definitely makes up some of her own moves, which are adorable but so not what she is supposed to be doing. Bottom line, she is having so much fun and loves to go, loves her teachers Miss Kara and Miss Taylor, and seems to be learning some too. Mission accomplished!

**DISCLAIMER**

These pictures were taken through a window from really far away with no flash with a moving child so they are not the best.

Twinkle Toes

Checking herself out in the mirror

Waiting to go across the floor...

She was one of the only ones who changed her shoes all by herself.

Miss Independent, even at dance class.

Congrats Kelly & Clive!

Mrs. & Mr. Clive Lankwarden

We are back from our weekend in New Orleans and we had a blast! The wedding was amazing and Kelly was a beautiful bride. We found New Orleans to be a challenge with kids. The Big Easy was not so easy for us. Nothing could dampen the weekend though of family and fun events! It would be a mile long post to list all the happenings so here are a few highlights...

**MORE PICTURES TO FOLLOW** I didn't take many because Andy and I always had our hands full but I have already had several people send me some - I just need to get them downloaded so stay tuned...Julia and Maria in their dresses was unbearably cute!

Top 5 Memorable Moments

5. My crazy dance-a-holic children who single handily kept the dance party going for awhile. THEY WOULD NOT STOP. Not to eat, not to rest, if the band was playing they were dancing. Even Maria was getting her groove on and would clap at the end of every song.

4. Seeing the crews from Cali, Boston, Ohio, and St. Louis. We love spending time with them but it is few and far between so it was so nice to catch up. We even talked about our summer vacation - I smell a beach house in Delaware...score!

3. Meeting a ton of people we have heard so much about but have never gotten to know. There were people there from all over the country and it was nice to put a face to so many of the names.

2. Being there to help celebrate with my sister-in-law as she and her new husband start the first chapter of their life together. We are so happy for them, happy to have Clive join the family, and happy to have been part of such a wonderful event.

1. My daughter as the flower girl. She looked so beautiful and walked down the aisle like she owned the place. Not a moments hesitation or nervous glance - I was stunned speechless and it was one of my prouder moments.

Top 5 We Will Laugh About it Someday Moments

5. There were no high chairs and no kids menus. No milk and no kid cups. It is actually like they are under the illusion that people come out of the womb ready to consume massive amounts of liquor and stare at naked ladies all day. I knew it was not a "kid town" but holy cow!

4. I never in my life thought I would eat at somewhere called the Sugar Shack (and it isn't called that because it is a candy store...) with my husband, 2 children and mother-in-law.....

3. I am confident that if I lived in New Orleans I would be VERY skinny. I do not eat seafood - of any kind - and that is basically what they have there. I know this is my own fault for being picky...

2. Cocktail party + toddlers = disaster for mommy and daddy

1. Toddlers in white flower girl dresses + promised M&Ms for walking down the aisle = no longer white dresses...

All in all it was a great trip! We had tons of fun, had a few laughs at our own expense, and gained a brother-in-law. It doesn't get any better.....

My new favorite thing....

is drinking beer. Now, I am not saying that to be funny. (Well, I am kind of...) We went Saturday night to the Vatican Splendors exhibit at the Minnesota Historical Society in St. Paul (which was great - especially having been at the Vatican in Rome in October. I would say go see it but this was the last weekend - and it has nothing to do with the beer...) and after went to the place called the Blue Door Pub, where I had my first beer in a VERY long time. (Okay, first several beers...) Maybe since college? I am more of a wine gal but this place got me in the beer mood. It was awesome! Hole-in-the-wall dining at it's finest. They had a list of juicy "blucys" a mile long, deep fried tater tots and beer battered green beans. A few brave, and in my opinion deranged, soles even tried the SPAM bites. The booths has chalk board walls, which we made good use of, and the service was outstanding. We waited a long time for a table, clearly others love it too, but well worth the wait. And, the company we were in wasn't half bad either, wink wink. Thanks for the great night guys and the great find R!

Good Golly Miss Molly!

Much to Julia & Maria's delight, my niece Molly stayed with us for a couple of days last week while my sister and John took a much deserved vacation to Mexico. The girls all had so much fun together and it was nice having her here. My favorite thing was listening to her and Julia talk and giggle in bed at night. The best was Molly declaring, top volume, "Be quiet Julia! Auntie Jenny is coming!" Ha! Made me laugh so hard. My sister survived the experience of leaving her kids, it was touch and go for awhile, and had a great time. We would would watch her again, anytime......

Hanging out in the play tent. The only bummer was that Julia wasn't feeling super great. She has another ear infection and a bad cold - she is on the mend now, I just wish she had felt better when Molly was here.

"Sleeping" in Julia's bed. Check out those little smiles.....

New Year's Eve

For New Year's Eve this year we do what we always do - spend it with some of our closest friends, going out to dinner and then holing up at some one's house for the evening. We always go to the same restaurant and it was great again this year. After, the kids played and we watched a slide show of our trip we took in October that our friend put together and drank the wine we brought home with us. If you tuned out the kids and just watched the pictures go by as you drank your wine you could almost feel yourself back there. Almost. It gave us the bug to start planning the next trip. We have some fun things up our sleeves.....

As for resolutions, I only have one.

WORRY LESS, ENJOY MORE.

Worry less about money and appearances, enjoy my children and husband more. Worry less about my weight and my need-to-be-dyed roots, enjoy my friends and family more. Worry less about about the laundry and the mess everywhere, enjoy the time I spend coloring and playing dollhouse more. Worry less about what doesn't really matter, enjoy the things and people that do.

Our family at dinner

The girls partying

The Whole Gang

Maria, Ethan, Julia, Kendall, Jared, Bailey, & Maren