Snowmen, Sidney and more

Grandma Sheri and Sidney (and likely Grandpa Arnie too) took delight in the fresh snowfall yesterday. While the rest of us added minutes to our commute time, they were rolling around the front yard and building snowmen. This guy is HUGE!
It's sure to make the neighbors jealous :)

I kinda like the pose from the littlest of the bunch:

Our dearest Sidders is giving us a run for our money these days. Her most recent ordeal is that she ate an Orbeez. For those of you who don't know what an Orbeez is, google it. They are tiny little balls that grow bigger and bigger in water.

Yea, she swallowed one. I can only imagine that it's growing bigger and bigger in her tummy too.

I scoured the internet and came to the conclusion that it is likely to pass...whole. 

These suckers don't digest/disinigrate. So long as it doesn't keep growing and cause some blockage, I think our sweetie will be just fine. I don't suppose I will be sifting through poo though, it's not like she swallowed a penny (thanks mom for sifting through my poo at about this age too!).

As for big sister who was "faking" swallowing an Orbeez to encourage Sid to follow suit....she was in some mighty fine trouble.  

Oh the joys!

Like riding a bike

Today, Ryan and I went on a date. I suggested we go skiing. When I told Ryan's brother what we were doing, his reply was "Ryan skies?". I literally laughed out loud reading the text. 

Quite honestly, neither of us have skied in 14+ years. 

But today we did just that. As we filled out the rental forms, explaining to the young man behind the counter that "no, this isn't our first time. it's just been a while". He smiled and said, "so you just decided to give it a whirl after 15 years?"

Yep. 

Thankfully it's like riding a bike. There is definitely some muscle memory involved and after a couple of times down the bunny hill (like the real bunny hill, the one that is only 40 feet long), we were well on our way to a day of fun! 

After a couple of hours, it started sleeting and made for some icy conditions. The fella at the lift commented that it was likely to feel like standing in front of a sand blaster. That was a perfect description. 

But we didn't let it stop us! 

Ryan discovered a 'short-cut' through a few trees, and I couldn't help but laugh as I watched him attempt the jump. He looked like a toddler learning how to walk, arms stretched out, all shaky. Here's a quick video: 

It was a FANTASTIC day and my goal is to get back out there in less than 14 years! 

Much much much thanks to Leigha for hanging out with the girls today :) Maybe next time they can come with us!?

I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

Regan has been going to a wonderful dance studio. I'm diggin' the fact that each year they do a Winter Show....in JANUARY. Yes it's a Christmas theme, but the thought of doing a Christmas dance show, and all the extra rehearsals, just before Christmas exhausts me. Instead, it's at the end of January so we bust out tons of extra practices after the holidays. 

Perfect. 

This show has been done for 10+ years by the studio. Most of the songs/dances are the same each year, with a few twists to keep everyone entertained. That means that Regan did the same dance from Kindergarten to First grade because she's in a K-1 class. 

Let's just say she was a pro this year. So uber fun to watch her ham it up on stage as she "begged" for her Hippopotamus for Christmas. 

A.d.o.r.a.b.l.e.

After hours of rehersals, a very long dress rehearsal and two shows lasting several hours each, I've seen my share of Hippos! Congrats Regan, you did GREAT! 

I have several videos, this one from the last show. Click HERE 

Dot Com

This girl keeps us on our toes. 

Her charm is something to delight in, like when she compliments you out of the blue "mommy, I like your shirt". 

Or her contagious giggle that makes you want to repeat whatever it was that just made her laugh hysterically. 

Or last night, when we sat together at her toy vanity. She keeps a "diary" and pen nearby and it's littered with scribbles because for the life of her, she can't spell much on her own though she tries and tries. Atop her vanity is also the 'desk/computer' for the doll house. She pretends to type on the teeny tiny computer and  then looks at me and says "mom, should I do 999.com?". 

The fact that our 4 year old has "dot com" in her language cracks me up. Her voice is just too tiny to say the words "dot com" and actually know what she's saying! 

We love you sweet Sidney

Oh happy day

Happy BIRTH-day that is :) 

Today I played hookie from work because Regan was still off from school for an extended MLK day. I took the opportunity to celebrate my birthday with my loves, minus Ryan who was busy NOT playing hookie. 

We woke up to this....which changed our plans of sledding and ice skating to anything that kept us indoors. Geez that's cold. My mom, who is reading this, will have to comment if it was that cold on the actual day I was born?! Schnikies. Winter birthdays are kind of the pits, I remember it was -32F windchill the day Regan came home from the hospital.  

So instead of chasing up the street for my free Caribou in the early morning hours and some donuts for the girls, Plan B included a birthday candle in monkey bread and two very pleased girls to get to blow out the single candle over and over again. With all the spit that landed on my breakfast bread, I wouldn't be surprised if I catch their runny noses. 

 Later, we made craft after craft with ideas from Pinterest. We even opened the deck door and blew bubbles into the tundra watching as they crystallized when they popped. 

And thanks to a great idea from Ryan's cousin, Maddi, we got our nails done. That wasn't her idea, but the method I paid a pretty penny for, was her idea. Gel nails.

A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. 

Yep, I was so thrilled with the idea that I even let the girls get the full experience. They were over the moon excited. Tonight, as Regan gazed at her gorgeous fingernails, she asked "can we always get it done this way? Because mom, I don't have one single chip yet and I've washed my hands over and over again!". 

Gosh it was cute. 

Having girls is going to be expensive. As if I didn't know that already! 

Eventually we met up with Ryan and headed out for dinner. At the end of the meal, the waiter brought over a sweet surprise to help us celebrate and it's quite clear, the kids dug right in. Sidney had that warm giant chocolate chip cookie everywhere! 

Thank you to everyone for all the wonderful emails, texts and facebook messages. 

I had a lovely day, spending it with those so very important to me. 

Swim Ninnie Swim!

 What do you get when your regularly scheduled swimming lesson falls on a National Holiday? 

A bunch of other parents who forget it's swimming lesson day. 

PRIVATE LESSON! 

Technically it was private for 15 minutes and then semi private for the last 15 minutes when another girl showed up. But I'll take it. 

Miss Erica was able to work one on one with our sweet Sidney. It was the perfect timing, as we are 3 classes into her first adventure of swimming lessons. Today she got that extra push from Erica. The one where she actually let go and forced Sid to swim on her own. 

No floatation device. No assistance. 

Ugh... that little one of ours is apprehensive about this stuff. 

This is a very very short clip of her swimming. And her face falls into the water at the end and she got a little worried so she did what Erica taught her "reach for me". Sometimes I have to remind myself that she just turned 4 in September, but man alive I know how much easier summer will be when she's swimming on her own! So GO SIDNEY GO!

At the end of class they always practice jumping in. We've learned that Sidney will jump on her own count of 3, not Erica's. Love that big squat before she leaps for the noodle!

Sunday funday

This month feels like a whirlwind of birthday parties. We have been invited to 8 of them. 

In one month. 

The month immediately after Christmas mind you. 

And that doesn't even count yours truly who would also like to celebrate my own birthday! 

It's been busy to say the least.

Today, Sidney was off to her classmate's party and boy was she excited. Oh my goodness she couldn't wait! She woke up this morning with giddiness and excitement. About 10am, she could barely contain herself. Dear sweet Regan was beyond over-tired, having just come off of a sleep-over and the two were not a very good combo. 

So we did the good ole' "divide and conquer" movement.

Me to the screaming land of ten 4-year-olds (and a few siblings), and Ryan to supervise Regan's nap. 

I got the short straw there! 

After nap we swapped kids and while Ryan took Sidney home, I got to take Regan ice skating. We met up with some friends and I was quickly ditched (I better get used to that feeling!). She decided to grab a walker with her buddy Jayden and together, they skated round and round. Eventually they ditched their "walkers" and showed off their skills. 

 We laughed when we saw them sitting on the edge, solving the worlds problems :) 

Aren't they so adorable?

It was definitely a Sunday fun day!

Snuggle up

Lately, the girls have enjoyed snuggling up each evening after bath. It melts my heart as they nestle into their spot on the comfy couch and chit chat. Some nights, while watching parts of a movie, I catch Sidney burying her head into Regan's shoulder as the 'villain' of the movie makes her debut. All the while, Regan's eyes are glued to the TV, giving her little sissy the play-by-play about the not so scary villain. Their sisterly love is beautiful. Oh but don't be fooled: just prior to that beautiful moment was a scream-at-each-other-tug-of-war over a toy. Life's not always roses :) 

 

I'm only sad that it's difficult for me to squeeze in next to them! 

Date day

Regan took me up on my request today for a date. We headed down the street to the local ice arena and skated our hearts out. She's doing quite well, tumbling still but figuring it out. She realized today that indoor skating is slightly more difficult because the Zamboni sure makes the ice more slippery. She complained in the beginning saying "I need more skate marks in the ice!". 

Turns out some classmates were also enjoying the day at the arena so she ditched me for a bit and went around with her pals. 

We had a great date and enjoyed some cappuccino and hot cocoa afterwards. Mmmmm! 

Here's a clip of her sailing at a decent pace: 

Thanks Regan! I love you to pieces! 

Happy 3rd Birthday Paxton!

We headed to New Ulm to help celebrate Paxton's 3rd birthday on Saturday. The kiddos did great on the trip down (whew!, this is normally a struggle for Sidney) and back again despite the frigid temps which clearly had an impact on the DVD's/player that were left in the car while we partied.
Regan snuggled up and paused long enough for a picture with me. 

Sidney loves the bride-to-be in this family :) 

Ryan and Shane were practically inseparable in their little corner, solving the world's problems while having a few (or more) cocktails. 

It's true, they look nothing alike, but sure sound identical! Most people can't tell them apart by the sound of their deep radio DJ like voices. 

The kids sat nicely for a decent picture (boring) and giggled when Ashley asked for a funny faces picture!

The sweet birthday boy and his Micky Mouse birthday cake! Happy Birthday buddy! 

Rollerblading

Regan's been focusing on a rollerblading unit in her gym class this January. She's been having a great time and each day comes home telling us it was the best part of her day. Today, Sidney and I went to school to take some pictures of Regan in action and help out the class get all of their gear on. Wowzas, that's a lot of elbow pads, wrist guards, knee pads and helmets! Safety first!

 

Life lessons

The girls have many choices when it comes to activities. I can't imagine that my parents had the same number of choices to offer me at age 4-5-6. We could easily over-schedule the girls, but we're not those freaky parents. However, there is one activity that is not negotiable: Swimming Lessons. Regan is pretty darn good so we opted to let her sit out this session, but Sidney needs some professional lessons so tonight we started off. Her biggest request was a female instructor. That is not an easy feat! I needed a female instructor, teaching her level, on one specific night, preferably at a decent time. 

Three possibilities later, I found one :) Whew! 

She did great tonight, totally impressed me. She listened to the instructor, and loved every minute of it. Little show off :) 

Tubing 2013

20 degrees F

Sunny skies

Little to no breeze. 

A wide open Sunday

what to do.....

go tubing!! 

This place is a blast! Ryan and I definitely have more fun than the girls do, but they are warming up to it each time we go. I should clarify, they have fun for the first 1-1.5 hours, and though we could keep going up and down over and over again, they let us know it's time to head home. 

Here's a few videos from the action. The first, we are linked together, all 4 of us going down together. 

The second video, is just Regan sailing down on her own. Sidney did the same thing, and she was so funny to watch! All 34 lbs skipping down the snow, stopping way short of the end because she was too light. At one point, the ski patrol asked if everything below was alright because Ryan had to run part-way up the hill to collect her and the tube. She was perfectly fine, just too much of a light weight to get the tube to finish out the run at the end :) 

Art, Art, and More Art!

We have a couple of little girls who are obsessed with art. You name it, we have it on hand. Crayons, markers (regular, window, ones you blow into and the ink splatters, dry erase...), paint (water, finger, regular, acrylic, oil...), chalk, pens and pencils (boxes full of them). And then there's play doh, stamps, glitter, scissors, model magic, and the list goes on. Four entire cabinets of art supplies.

My parents bought Regan the "mother of all" art kits for Christmas. She's in love. 

I'm in love that they play on this together. 

Just look at the rows and rows of colors. And there's everything a girl can think of to use on paper, all wrapped up into one tidy kit. 

It also came with a "how to" booklet which has taught her the step by step instructions for drawing a basic puppy face, butterfly and whale. Regan took it to the next level and is now drawing away on her easel. 

Look out world, here's the next Georgia O'Keeffe!

Lunch dates with Regan

Today when I dropped off Regan at school, she turned and asked "can you bring Subway for lunch?". I normally prefer to giver her teacher a heads up about our monthly lunch dates, but couldn't pass up Regan's request for a spur of the moment date. After all, I know eventually she won't be asking me, let alone allowing me to come! 

So I obliged and off to school we went. 

Not to fret, Sidney came too. This sweet girl soaks it all in. Notice how she's not sitting next to me or Regan!? Nope, she just plops herself down next to Regan's BFF and chats with anyone around her. She fits right in. One smooth talking adorable boy said "are you going to 5th grade now?, cuz I think you could just skip first grade and go straight to 5th!". 

Thanks for the lunch date Regan! 

Ice Castle

Tonight, I took the girls to the Ice Castles outside the Mall of America. They were quite the sight to see, and I'm certainly glad that we opted to go during the evening vs day hours. 

The lights are incredible! 

 me and my princesses, dancing around the castle.  

It doesn't look like much from the outside, but once inside, you can feel just how high the walls are.

It was chilly, but we were bundled up and enjoyed all the castle had to offer. 

The girls came upon a love seat and begged to get their picture taken. 

I was in love with the changing colors behind the castle walls. 

I can't say it was worth the price of admission, but we're sure glad to have experienced it! 

2012 in review

We celebrated birthdays.
We played games.
We went on vacations.
We laughed....a lot.
We hosted parties.
We spent weekends in New Ulm.
We hung out in our pool.
We ate picnics.
We laughed some more.
We tried new sports, succeeding at some more than others.
We attended parties.
We lived every second of every day.

One sweet girl finished Kindergarten, and then started First Grade.
Another sweet girl started in Pre-K, ready to be just like big sissy.
Regan grew nearly 2 inches.
Sidney grew nearly 2 inches just this fall (holy buckets!).

It was a great year, and we look forward to what 2013 has in store for us! 

Happy New Year! 

Happy New Year!

We said goodbye to 2012 with a whopper of a party: 8 kids singing, dancing and parading through the house while the parents ate, drank, laughed and played games.

It was a happy happy New Year! (Sadly I ditched my camera after taking this one picture and never thought about taking more!!). 

and we said "hello" to 2013 with every other 4-8 year old girl in the metro by heading to the AG salon for a new hair do. Holy mackerel is that place a zoo.