Easter, and a Winter Reprieve

Winter in Colorado is beautiful, but after a while it can start to feel a little like being under house-arrest.  Fortunately for us, Easter weekend brought with it sunshine, warm breezes and perfect temperatures for outdoor fun.  Friday, Ava and I took our babies on a walk to the park to meet some friends.

I tried to tell Ava that Rapunzel probably didn't care for riding on her face like that.  She assured me I was wrong.

Lila's boyfriend Tate.  He's as sweet as he is cute.

Then it was back to the house for egg decorating, which has gotten a bit more complicated over the years.  When we were kids, the kits only came with color tablets and that weird little metal rescue-spoon.  Now there are beads, glitter, stickers, sequins - as if the whole thing was designed by a Kardashian. The results are pretty awesome though.



Tate's big bro, Cooper is one of Ava's current besties.

Saturday brought more sun, and an Easter egg hunt and carnival at a local school.

Sunday delivered more fun, sun, and - of course - the Easter bunny.  Stay tuned...

Night of the Arts 2013

Your Child on Stage; there may not be another 4 words in the English language that simultaneously thrill, and strike irrational fear into the hearts of parents quite like these.  As with all things child-related, it's impossible to predict what they'll do when presented with a captive audience followed by the promise of cake.  So you take your seat with all the other moms and dads, hold your collective breath, and wait.  Because regardless of what happens, your kid is on stage.  And that's pretty cool.

Such was the beginning of the Night of the Arts pageant put on last Friday at Ava's school.  Andy, Lila and I took our seats, fully prepared to allow our girl to bow out at the first sign of stage-fright. 

Lila was in charge of the program, which she declared delicious.

Ava's class was first.  They filed into the auditorium and made their way to the front, Ava on the end, and the music started.

It took about 30 seconds for her to decide that Divas belong front-and-center.

The laughs coming from the audience were for her, and that was all she needed to know.  She sang, she danced - and briefly attempted to wear her skirt as a hat (she's 3; what can you do?).  She was a hit.

We're proud of you, big girl.  You were born to be a star.

My Little Water Babies

Kids and water are an unpredictable mix.  Will it be too cold?  Too warm?  Will the water on their faces freak them out?  Or worse, terrify them?  The plan with both our girls was to expose them to the water as early as possible, and hope like hell that they love it as much as we do. So, in keeping with that plan, Lila started swimming lessons on Saturday.  We got to the rec center a little early so the girls could have some fun before class. 



 

 

 

So far so good.  Now it was time for the Lila's real test (big sister passed this test with flying colors years ago) - head under water, blowing bubbles, floating on her back....

 

 

They don't give gold stars in baby-swim class, but they should; baby girl would have been covered in 'em. 

 

Then it was home for Ava's new favorite treat - some hot cocoa to take the chill off. 

 

 

I think this summer - minus the cocoa - is going to be awesome. 

Thanks, Mom.

My mom always encouraged my love of reading.  Never did I ask for a book that she didn't make sure I had it, and if she caught me up reading in the middle of the night, she took a minute to make sure I had proper lighting before she went back to bed.  I grew up loving all things literature, and promised myself I'd do my best to make sure I raised my kids the same way.  I think we're headed in the right direction.

 

Anybody up for a trip to the library?

Fun, Party of Two (cont.)

Finding fun for both my girls at the same time is proving to be a little easier than I thought.  (Although, I'm sure I'll eat those words in a few years.)  Remember Little Monkey Bizness? 

Still awesome.  Squared.

Love.

My girls are surrounded by love.  The sheer volume of kisses planted on the children in this house might just be a little nuts.  So in honor of St. Valentine's Day, here is a bit of love, from our house to yours.

Let's begin with Grandma.  I've been told that being a parent doesn't hold a candle to how much fun it is to be a grandparent, and my mom is making a believer out of me. 

(Unfortunately, Ava didn't sit still long enough for me to get any good pictures of her with Grandma, but rest assured the snuggles were plentiful.)

I tried every tactic I know to talk Grandma into staying, but so far no luck.  But it is so wonderful to watch the mutual adoration between her and my girls.  They are so fortunate to have her.

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Love doesn't always have to travel.  My sweet babies fill my living room with it every day.

  

Happy Valentine's Day.

Fun, Party of Two

Having 2 girls is wonderful.  I love tea parties, I'm charmed by the sea of pink in their closets, and I find the Girl Power vibe of the recent crop of Disney princesses totally squeal-worthy. (Sorry, Cinderella, I'm not talking about you.)  But, being nearly 3 years apart, finding activities that they'll both enjoy is likely to be a bit of a challenge.  The Children's Museum is a great answer to this little dilemma. 

My favorite part (which is further proof that I'm a mom) is that they have no idea that they're learning.  All they know is that they're having tons of fun.  Awesome.