Regan and Sidney

Meeting baby Addie

2012-01-24T22:31:00.000-06:00

Our dear friends had a baby last week. While I was able to sneak over to their hospital room for a visit shortly after the birth, Ryan and the girls weren't as lucky. So tonight they finally got a chance to meet her. And boy is that little girl loved. Ryan held her first and Sidney had a complete melt-down. She was not happy to be sharing her daddy....or at least that's what he thought was her problem. Turns out, she was just upset that she had to wait her turn to hold Addie.

Once Addie was in Sidney's arms, all tears quickly stopped. And Sid was mesmerized by her cuteness.

I'm surprised at how well the girls took turns holding all 5 pounds of Addie. What a peanut! So very tiny. They were in love with all that pink; head to toe girls!

Regan looks so big holding a baby. I'm thinking she would make a good Big Big Sister....what do you say?! Not happening. Keep dreaming.

Birthday fun

2012-01-22T14:41:00.004-06:00

As a teenager, I remember going to Golden Gate tubing hill with a handful of friends to celebrate my birthday. It was a blast! Minus falling onto my tailbone and bruising it which resulted in sitting in a bean bag for the following days, ouch!....but that's another story :)

So this year, when Ryan asked what I wanted to do on my birthday, I said "let's take the girls tubing!". Sidney just barely passed the height requirement and didn't meet the age requirement, but no one asked for her birth certificate so we just went with it.

We had an absolute blast!!!

Tubing has come a long way since Golden Gate. This location has lanes, the tubes have handles to hang onto along with a long one to pull, and there's a magic carpet to stand on as it pulls you and your tube back to the top. Here's a view from the top. Think Giant Yellow Slide at the State Fair with 12 lanes.

Sometimes all 4 of us hooked together, sometimes Regan and Ryan went solo. Not to fret, Sidney was never on her own; always hooked to mama.

Below is a video I shot while hooked to Sidney going down one of the more steep hills (yes, there are a few that are faster/steeper than the others). It's hard to see her face, but she's laughing (and brushing away the snow flying into her face). This seriously was a great way to spend a winter birthday!!

And now....it's nap time!

Friday Stations

2012-01-20T13:43:00.002-06:00

Each day I thank my lucky stars for Regan's kindergarten teacher. She is kind, patient, loving and welcoming. The kids love her and so do we. Every other week she puts out a call for volunteer parents/grandparents to help out with "Friday Stations". Once again today, Sidney and I ventured down to school to lend a hand.

There's always a craft project, math station, snack and a game. Needless to say, she needs a lot of extra hands to help out. Sidney enjoys jumping right in with the class and her teacher comments regularly that Sid will be an old pro when she finally makes it to Kindergarten (in another 2 and a half years....she may be the oldest in her class with her birthday).

If Sid's not next to her big sister, she's cuddled up to her big sister's BFF who happens to be about the size of Sidney. Those 3 are like peas in a pod.

What a great idea! Make a burger with wafers, mint patty, green coconut and frosting for ketchup, mustard and pickles. We even added a little sugar to the wafers and sprinkled sesame seeds on top. The kids thought it was a great treat!

And Regan was over the moon in love with the fact that her mom is able to make it to Friday Stations. So am I. I sincerely enjoy getting to know her teacher, her friends and their parents/grandparents. I wouldn't trade it for the world!

Baby!

2012-01-19T21:34:00.000-06:00

Today I ducked out of the hospital I work at and raced down the street to another one to meet this precious little bundle of joy. A whopping 4 lbs 9 oz beautiful little girl-welcome Adalyn Dawes! Congrats Dooley and Annie! The rest of the family is sooo very excited to see you guys soon!

Happy Birthday Paxton

2012-01-16T21:00:00.002-06:00

We helped Paxton celebrate his 2nd birthday last weekend; complete with a farm animal party. The kids enjoyed running around playing with new toys and wearing farm animal masks.

Oh who am i kidding, I got in on the fun too :)

I think those candles were lit about 15 times to allow all the kids a few chances at blowing them out. I think there was more spit than frosting on the cake in the end.

Regan can typically be found near the dogs; Halle, Bella and Nala were there and she was in her glory. Both the kids AND the dogs were pretty wore out by the end of the evening.

Happy Birthday Paxton! Hope you had a great day!

Regan lately

2012-01-14T11:08:00.001-06:00

We are almost half way through the school year and will be receiving report cards in just a few short weeks. Regan is thriving in school; she adores her teacher, loves her classmates and soaks up the lessons like a sponge. Each day she comes home with something new, whether it be a new game she learned in phy ed, a craft project in art or a book read by the librarian. I love that she loves school. It makes our jobs that much easier.
Each night we work on homework, usually a writing activity as she perfects her letters, or a reading/language assignment. Each. And. Every. Night.

She continues in weekly dance, gymnastics and swimming lessons. I can't say she adores each activity, but we ask if she'd like to quit and she gets upset at the idea of not doing them. So we forge ahead.

She is generally very easy-going (in the grand scheme of almost 6 year olds); she adjusts quickly in a new environment; tries new activities without much hesitation; though still, to this day, cannot figure out how to "play" with toys. She's never actually been very good at "playing". And now that she has a sister who is 3 (and happens to be very very good at "playing"), we often hear "Sidney, can I play with you?". Regan is not a leader in toy-playing, but at least she knows it and has discovered that her sister's imagination is limit-less when it comes to toys.

Although give her a clown nose or dress up and she knows exactly what to do:

And in just one month (and one day), our little clown nose 5 year old will turn 6. She cannot wait for her very first "friend" party!

Close call to Sesame Street we go!

2012-01-11T22:13:00.001-06:00

On Tuesday morning, I received a call from daycare. Sidney was not feeling well, complaining of headaches and a fever was brewing. She spent the afternoon on the couch, spiking fevers close to 103. A quick trip to the doctor gave us no information and therefore, no quick cure (i.e. strep or an ear infection would have given her antibiotics). So ibuprophen was her only friend.

Thankfully, she woke up this morning feeling like her old self again. Thank goodness because she and I had a very special date planned. It was her big turn to spend a night out with mommy....a night at Sesame Street!

She was happy as a clam as we watched all of her beloved friends take the stage while singing and dancing.

And since she isn't one to always take 'nice' pictures, we opted for silly ones instead because we were so darn happy that she was feeling healthy again!

Before we left home, I reminded Ryan just how outrageously priced these things can be. Not the price of tickets necessarily, but the toys, food and anything else being sold. He said "It's Sidney's day!" and told me to buy whatever she wanted. Well, she picked out a 10 inch stuffed Zoe for $17. Ouch.

But she's clearly in love with Zoe and I'm guessing she'll be going along to every tea party, field trip and picnic that Sidney's imagination creates in the coming days.

Thank you for a wonderful date Sidney! I'm so glad we were able to spend the evening together!

Outdoor playtime

2012-01-08T21:11:00.000-06:00

This winter has been something else. It's January and given our tree still looks like this, I spent some time today raking leaves! Yes, RAKING leaves in January! In Minnesota! Oh how I love Mother Nature sometimes.

So I raked and raked and the girls sent both their babies and themselves down the slide into those lovely piles of leaves. In January. Without snowpants or boots. In Minnesota.

When we grew bored of the leaves, we moved onto more fun such as t-ball and the parachute. Outdoor fun is just so darn wonderful when it doesn't entail frozen fingers and toes as a result of snow. Don't get me wrong, we'll be sledding sometime soon I'm sure. But for now, I'm going to bask in this wonderful warm winter weather.

And tonight we caught up online with Grandma Jan who happens to be basking in some REALLY warm 80-something degree weather.

Here's hoping for this mild winter to continue through til spring!

Friday Stations

2012-01-06T14:27:00.003-06:00

Regan's classroom holds "Friday Stations" twice/month. Her Kindergarten teacher invites parents/grandparents to help out at various stations as each child spends time working on activities. I really truly enjoy this special one on one time with Regan and love getting to know her friends. Today, however, I didn't have anyone to watch Sidney, and so, her teacher invited Sidney along as well.

Let's just say she was THRILLED to get to be a part of this time with her big sis and those other 5 and 6 year olds.

She spent her time bouncing around the various stations, checking in with me periodically, but mostly sticking next to Regan or one of her friends. She loved being their garbage thrower-awayer and glue-pusher-downer.

I was tasked with the craft table; helping each child assemble their cut pieces into penquins. Their individual penquins turned out so cute and I can't wait to see the final creation that Regan brings home next week. In the meantime, I noticed one thing about Regan's toolbox that stood out from all the 20 other kindergarteners. Each child has their own box full of crayons, glue and scissors. It is kept in their cubby for activities such as the one above.
This is what Regan's kit always looks like, notice the kit above and you'll know how the other students keep theirs:

Yes, I do believe she has inherited her mother's organization skills :)

It's not such a bad thing to inherit I suppose.

Pile of.....

2012-01-03T21:05:00.000-06:00

stuffed animals!

Regan got a great idea to dump one of the tubs of stuffed animals and act as though it was a giant pile of leaves! The girls had a great time running from the living room into the toy room, picking up speed as they went. It was a great activity for their high energy level this evening.

Ringing in the New Year....

2012-01-02T20:55:00.001-06:00

with new adventures. The girls have been begging to go skating (remember THIS post?). So with an extra day off from work and school, we took advantage of the New Year holiday and ventured to a local skating rink. Sidney was pumped that she got to do a big girl activity...until she put on her skates and felt a wee bit wobbly and unable to even walk. But she grabbed a hold of her fears and made it onto the ice!

Regan was beyond words excited! At first she didn't want to use the red walker, but realized it was going to help out so took turns between going with and going without. She did GREAT!, especially since it was only her second time out on skates. Peer pressure seemed to help, she noticed a classmate on the ice who happens to be a new hockey player. At one point, as she took a break on the side she said to me "mom, ice skating looks easy, but it's REALLY HARD!".

She should try going around the rink in a hunched over position like this! Wowzas was my back feeling it after about 10 minutes; I had flashbacks from when we taught each girl how to walk and held their hands in a similar fashion. Eventually today, Sidney opted for me to hold her and skate. Not an easy feat when my blades were rusty...yes, rusty! They could use a quick sharpening before the next adventure.

And finally, she had enough and was getting chilly so we got off the ice. Regan kept on skating; she just couldn't get enough.
Skinny Sidney burned off the rest of her energy doing "across the floors" in the cafeteria like waiting area. Perfect room size for her energy level!

Kids say the darndest things

2012-01-01T22:05:00.000-06:00

Today Regan said something like this as she accidentally dropped her camera and asked for my help:

"Mom, I just dropped my camera and the batteries flew out. I shut the door to where the batteries go, but it won't work because one battery fell out. And now I can't open the little door again, so do I just drop it again and it will open up?"

Friends

2012-01-01T21:32:00.002-06:00

We hosted a baby shower for some dear friends today, and while we had some shower fun and watched a little football, these 7 energetic sweeties enjoyed every ounce of the toy room.

Sid was giving me some playful attitude after I asked her to pose; thanks Sidney!

The stars of the show: Annie and Dooley, hanging out with the girls after a day of shower fun :) We're looking forward to their baby GIRL to join the ranks of sequence, heels and feathers! She has some good role models!

Happy New Year 2012

2012-01-01T00:04:00.000-06:00

Today we took the girls over to Como Zoo to celebrate New Years (at noon). But first, we took in the animals and again, the favorite was the polar bear who was putting on quite the act.

The girls posed nicely for a picture on the giraffes

And then we headed inside to be a part of the countdown, "ball dropping" experience! Although the crowd was a little overwhelming to all of us, it was such a fun event that we'll be sure to head back again in the coming years!

Thanks to some wonderful people, each girl scored their own "ball".

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Wizard of Oz

2011-12-31T23:57:00.003-06:00

I think Regan happens to be one very lucky little 5 year old; and I happen to be one very lucky mommy. Not only has she been to see Annie , but yesterday, her and I went to see the Wizard of Oz playing at the Children's Theater.

Looking at this glass blown piece of art never gets old to me. Regan's not quite as mesmerized as I am...yet.

I like to think she's just too excited for what lies ahead than to pay attention to anything around her. She is a girl with a newfound love for theater. I was a bit nervous, thinking this show would frighten her (nasty looking witch, crazy eyed monkeys, tornados, etc). But instead, she sat in anticipation of each song and act, jumping in reaction to various scenes but overall, completely loving each and every second. She won't admit it, but I'm quite certain her favorite character was the Lion. She giggled and laughed (as did the rest of the crowd), to his silly antics.

Thanks for spending the evening with me, Regan!

And for those of you who think Sidney was left out...stay tuned, she gets a chance for a mommy/daughter date in just a couple of weeks as we head out for the newest Elmo Live show.

Christmas break

2011-12-31T23:47:00.001-06:00

With Regan off from school, we've been fortunate to spend a lot of extra time hanging out, playing and going on adventures. Last week, after some arts and crafts (thank you Ashley AND Grandma Sheri for buying paper puppets...the girls think they are fantastic!)

we ventured over to a playland which included giant inflatable slides and bounce houses (yes, that is plural on both of them).

The girls climbed and slid to their hearts desire and then....

napped the afternoon away. A successful day I must say.

Doggie Do

2011-12-28T22:21:00.001-06:00

Regan received a new game for Christmas: Doggie Do. When she initially saw and subsequently asked for this game, I thought to myself "I do not need to be cleaning up dog poop!". However, after seeing an ad myself, I knew it was a game that would create some major belly laughs. I would highly recommend this one.

Squeeze the handle of the leash...

laugh and laugh as the gassy puppy lets loose of his problems....

And then scoop up the dirty mess until you have 3 turds on your shovel!

Thanks Grandma Jan for the lovely game; the girls think it's wonderful and frankly, I could listen to their laughs all night long!

Christmas 2011 re-cap

2011-12-27T22:55:00.001-06:00

It was a wonderful Christmas, spent in New Ulm following a morning full of Santa presents. The temps climbed into the 40s (although the wind seemed to pick right up as well), but that didn't stop us from burning energy at a local park on Christmas Eve morning.

We opted for a little "boot skating" or "poop skating" in Sidneys' vocabulary.

Regan begged the entire 30 minutes on the ice for skates....little did she know they were under Grandma Jan's tree just waiting for her :)

Presents, presents and presents galore, with a little time on Papa's lap to watch a new movie (Dolphin Tale).

Sidney played tea party over and over while the rest of us opened presents on Christmas morning at Gma/pa Friederich's house.

And then it was on to the Ahlness' house where Sidney hammed it up taking photo after photo for whoever asked her. She happens to look a LOT like Hunter did at that same age, so much so that Regan still confuses old photos of Hunter for Sidney.

All three of us were thrilled to see Nala at Christmas. I just wish I could've wrapped her up and taken her home!

And look, Sidney got close to Shane....well you can see by the look on her face that she's pretty apprehensive about the whole photo op with him.

Merry Christmas to everyone and thank you for all the wonderful gifts and the time spent as a family!

Merry Christmas 2011!

2011-12-24T22:36:00.001-06:00

Extending a very Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Santa came!

2011-12-23T21:15:00.003-06:00

Santa made his appearance overnight; the girls were ecstatic! They opened games, toys, puzzles and more. Sidney's new prized possessions are a double stroller for her dolls along with her gumball machine. We're running out of change already.

Regan (let's face it, I am just as excited) loves her new Wii and Just Dance games. However, her face while opening the gift from Sidney is sweet. She had asked for hand sanitizer to hang from her backpack. After opening her present she said "Oh, just what I wanted!".

Ryan looked at me and said "only your daughter would say that about getting hand sanitizer"!

That's my girl :)

Sweet Sidney

2011-12-23T21:03:00.001-06:00

Last night was the girls' last gymnastics class for this session. Sidney simply adores gymnastics, more so than any activity she's been a part of. She cannot wait to return next session.

However, last night, she was dragging. Her class ended and as we went to watch the last few minutes of Regan's class, Sidney was not a happy camper. She whined, she complained, nothing was going her way. We were in a side waiting room, though full of other parents, and her whines were escalating. I commented "oh Sidney, I think you're getting tired". She quickly responded, in her adorable 3 year old whine "I'm not tired, I'm just crabby!".

The roomful of parents erupted with laughter. That's our sweet Sidney!

Ta-da!

Twas the night before Christmas

2011-12-22T23:34:00.001-06:00

Regan wrote a note to Santa tonight and Sidney carefully placed plenty of sweets for the jolly fella

and he was clearly hungry because he left just a crummy mess on the plate!

Kindergarten winter party 2011

2011-12-22T23:32:00.003-06:00

I do my best to volunteer at Regan's school as often as possible. Even when it means I have to take some time away from work. She squeals with delight when I walk through the door and her friends are so adorable as they yell "Regan's mom is here!". Today was her Winter Party; and without parent involvement, the classroom just couldn't handle the amount of activity.

She made cookies, played bean bag games...

M&M bingo and snowman crafts.

And of course read stories before the bell rang. I'm so fortunate to have spent time with her today; I realize there will come a time when she groans at my presence in her class.

But until then, I will soak up the love.

2011-12-20T22:52:00.000-06:00

The girls will be viewing these tomorrow....they've always enjoyed watching Santa's messages to them:

Regan: http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/watch/gHqwPaH830SZlj_dzCQBguQ

Sidney: http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/watch/gm92PtPFxHEiurYMobopd4w

Sneak peek

2011-12-20T00:39:00.003-06:00

Regan is working hard on perfecting a tap dance for the winter show coming up in January....click HERE for a sneak peek of her in action.

Questions

2011-12-18T22:31:00.001-06:00

Today, as we talked about friends/family who are expecting babies, Regan asked about the timing of how babies are born "how do they know when to come out?, they don't have calendars in there". Yes, she actually said that. And no, she's not referring to us, there is no baby in my tummy!

And then she asked me this: "mommy, how does the baby get into a mommy's tummy?".

oh brother....

Como Zoo

2011-12-18T14:15:00.001-06:00

Knowing the temps were going to be record highs today, and knowing we hadn't seen the zoo animals in a while, I took the girls over to Como this morning to check things out. We've been to the zoo countless times. And never have we seen the animals so full of energy. Apparently they are just as excited for this gorgeous weather as we are!

Penguins were swimming around, coming up to the window to say 'hi' and scaring the dickens out of Sidney as she wasn't expecting their faces to hit eye level.

A big pickle in the polar bear's pool; taken just for Aunt Cindy!

This guy put on quite a show. He jumped into the water over and over, playing with various toys, pushing them against the glass and jumping on top of them. It was incredible! Click HERE for a video.

The lions, while calm, were wide awake and Regan commented "he's looking at me mom" and in my head I thought "and thinking you'd be a good lunch!". (yes, I go to the dark place sometimes)

This guy scared me. He was pacing back and forth, and Regan said he was just "thinking" while he paced, but his roars told me otherwise. I started praying. Seriously.

The chimps were playing in t-shirts, peek-a-boo, putting them on, taking them off, rolling around as they got caught up in them. Simply adorable.

The sign of a successful zoo trip:

Just girls

2011-12-18T13:45:00.001-06:00

The girls and I hit up Como (Conservatory AND Zoo) on this glorious 44 degree December day!

A visit to Santa

2011-12-18T13:30:00.002-06:00

We were a little slow on the annual visit to Santa this year. Our week nights are full and our weekends are chaotic. But the girls really wanted to visit Santa, for fear he wouldn't know what to bring them. Oh yea, and then there was the incident where they ventured into our spare bedroom defying my warnings to "not go in there!" and proceeded to raid their Christmas presents. Yes, it happened. At age 3 and 5, they snooped at their Christmas presents, which somehow later disappeared as "Santa came and picked up everything he had dropped off already". So our recent visit with Santa was also to apologize for snooping and beg that he stop back on Christmas because Regan really really really wants a Wii and Sidney is begging for a gumball machine.

Look how cute they sat as they begged the jolly man to please bring back our presents!

Cookie baking

2011-12-18T13:26:00.003-06:00

We started the preparations for Santa's cookies this weekend. The girls made cut out cookies, nearly all on their own. It was so much fun to watch them roll, cut and create their delicious treats :)

American Girls

2011-12-12T21:18:00.002-06:00

Grandma Sheri promised the girls American Girl Dolls this Christmas. Then she decided it would be fun to take them shopping; fully intending to wrap up the dolls and place them under the tree. That idea doesn't last long with two cute little girls who are very very VERY good at begging and a Grandma who is not so good at standing her ground :)

So tonight we went shopping.

And for Regan, who really has absolutely no interest in shopping, she sure was enjoying herself.

THANK YOU GRANDMA SHERI! The girls are in their glory tonight.

Holidazzle 2011

2011-12-12T21:12:00.002-06:00

We brought the girls downtown on Sunday evening to watch the Holidazzle Parade light up the streets. We found a perfect spot on the curb with a light pole behind so the kiddos could hang out and chat before the start of the parade. The balmy 28 degree weather helped draw a full crowd but packing people in like sardines on a street curb creates a bit of a wind barrier.

The girls "ooed" and "ahhed" as each float went past with bright lights and music. And of course they were extra excited to see Santa bring up the rear of the parade!

Welcome home mommy!

2011-12-11T14:11:00.005-06:00

I spent 24 hours away from the girls at a "Girls' night" with my college girlfriends. This was a big deal. It was my very first time away from the girls overnight. Regan is nearly 6 and Sidney is 3. I have never been away from them overnight (I did spend 2 nights away from Regan while giving birth to Sidney....but apparently that only counts in my book because everyone told me "that doesn't count").

So I had a fantastic time with some amazing friends shopping, wine tasting, dinner out and a night out.

My homecoming was simply the best! As I worked on opening the door, I could hear screaming inside "mooommmmyyy!" and then I barely made it inside the door and was tackled by these two beauties. Boy did I feel loved :) Regan had tears in her eyes as she climbed up on my lap not wanting to let go.

I love these girls!

Gingerbread house

2011-12-09T22:15:00.006-06:00

....err, I mean Rice Krispie house! Regan's been begging to build a gingerbread kit. It's an activity she enjoys so I agreed. But when Sidney picked out a Rice Krispie house, I didn't argue a minute, hoping this is a little more edible.

The girls were so into it!, decorating and chit chatying away the evening.

Regan liked tasting our creations most.

Yep, less than 10 minutes after finishing building their house, the girls devoured what looked good and tossed the remainder.

Disney on Ice with Grandma Jan

2011-12-09T10:41:00.008-06:00

What do you buy the grandchildren that have every toy imaginable and then some?...tickets to see Disney on Ice! Thanks Grandma Jan for taking the girls to see all the characters last night. It was Sidney's first experience, and by the look on her face, you can see just how much fun she was having!

Rapunzle stole the show and got a lot of laughs from the audience when she bonked Flynn on the head with her fry pan, just like the movie!

Snacks at intermission are always a must, although I think they might have cost more than the tickets themselves.

All 9 Disney princesses made an appearance at the end of the show, and it made the girls' night. Both of them repeatedly would yell: "mom look!, it's ______". I think Grandma Jan and I had more fun watching Regan and Sidney's expressions than watching the show. A child's excitement is priceless!

And a quiet ride home is worth a million dollars :)

THANKS AGAIN GRANDMA JAN!

IT WAS A GREAT TIME!

A day in the life of an elf 2011

2011-12-06T21:32:00.006-06:00

With some great friends, the girls and I ventured downtown to visit Macy's 8th floor display: A Day in the Life of An Elf. Again, as in past years, it was a great experience and keeps the girls in a bit of an awe as they parade through each area, watching what the elves are busy making. I'm sensing their favorite part is the sugary treat at the end:

Or maybe it's the time spent writing a letter to Santa listing all of their wants on Christmas morning!

And mailing it in a special box labeled just for Santa!

Whatever it is, we always have fun (though sometimes posing for pictures is not one of the high points of the evening!).

Happy St. Nicholas' Day!

2011-12-06T21:26:00.005-06:00

Today we celebrated St. Nick's day. For those who don't celebrate this day, here's a 2 second background:

Born to a wealthy family in the third century, St. Nick was a kind and generous man known for helping those in distress. After his parent’s death, he used his inheritance to help the less fortunate. He went on to become a priest and the Bishop of Myra. Like many other priests and bishops during the Christian persecution, St. Nick was exiled and imprisoned and later released. After his death on December 6th, 343 A.D., he was named the Patron Saint of Sailors While some complain about the commercialism of the Christmas season, Saint Nicholas Day reminds everyone about the spirit of giving to those less fortunate. He was renowned for secretly giving gifts and placing coins in the shoes of the needy.

At our home, St Nick fills the stockings with goodies and treats. Although the girls still tend to confuse St. Nick and Santa Claus (we're working on this), they seem to enjoy the gifts nonetheless!

Burning off energy

2011-12-04T22:49:00.005-06:00

You'd think with the small amount of sleep that at least one tiny family member runs on, we wouldn't need to have days like today to burn off energy. But we do and today we did just that. First it was a trip to a local indoor playland with some friends to run, jump, climb, and slide for close to 3 hours.

And then after lunch and a short nap, we ventured down the street to the local sledding hill. Despite a few snow washes and being tossed from various sleds, both girls had a great time and are ready to head back very soon!

Sidney's short legs got tired after a few attempts at climbing the hill; rightfully so! Instead she found it a perfect way to RIDE up the hill :)

Let's hope that one tiny member of the house finds it necessary to sleep tonight....or we could all be in for a rough Monday!

Snow...to stay.

2011-12-03T22:58:00.002-06:00

It snowed this evening, and given the forecast, I'm guessing the white stuff is here to stay. It was a great run at a snowless-winter, though I knew better than to believe something so silly. The girls took advantage of the fluffy snow and went sledding down the neighbors driveway. They giggled the whole way down, it was such a wonderful sound! Oh yea, and Sidney ate all the snow she could before Sophie came outside to turn it all yellow :)

Sidney's first dance recital

2011-12-02T23:36:00.005-06:00

Sidney participated in her very first dance show last night. From the start of her lessons 8 weeks ago, we would have NEVER guessed she would be where she was tonight! During lessons 1-5, she refused to dance when someone else would watch, though her teachers promised us she was doing just fine behind closed doors. At one point she even said she didn't want to go back and we were fine with letting her quit. But the following Monday came around and she asked if she could attend, so off we went.

Well, apparently she's a natural; check out her in action by clicking HERE (apologies to the shaky video, I think proud Ryan was laughing a little along the way). You'll notice she keeps pointing and saying something...she was telling Grandma Sheri,. who had moved to get better pictures, to get back in her seat!

She sure is proud of herself, and so are we! She's ready to go back for more lessons, telling me she wants to do another show, but maybe not necessarily the lessons in between.

Blessed

2011-12-01T21:33:00.003-06:00

Tonight Sidney and I had a short conversation, it went something like this.

Sidney: (aw-choo!!!, sneezes)

long pause

matter of factly announces "mommy.....I blessed"

Me: (trying to hide my laughter)

"yes dear, bless you".

Aw, the things that come out of her mouth, they get me going sometimes! Love you sweetie!

Brave Spelling

2011-11-29T22:42:00.002-06:00

Regan continues to work on "brave spelling". A concept where she writes words and sentences by sounding things out and not asking for help. Apparently the idea is that children become more discouraged when they have to repeatedly ask how to spell something, while gain confidence as they try spelling on their own. We like brave spelling around here for a number of reasons; think of how tiring it is to constantly hear "mom, how do you spell _____" minute after minute!

Last night I caught her brave spelling her middle name.

Any "brave guessers" out there willing to guess what she was trying to spell?

Update

2011-11-28T22:47:00.003-06:00

Knock on wood....but Sidney is doing amazingly well in her new 'big girl bed'. She sleeps through the night, with minimal assistance from us (she called out a couple of times on night one and two, but went right back to sleep after covering up again and a little reassurance) and best of all....she's sleeping in until 7am! We are loving it :) Nap time has gone very well also. The only difference is she now can get herself out of bed when she wakes.

Let the fun begin....

2011-11-26T23:02:00.002-06:00

Sidney is our poor sleeper. She just can't figure it out. Some nights she is up for an hour, other nights she has a night terror and it feels like 5 hours. Lately she has been begging for a move into her big girl bed. No more crib. Today she pleaded for me to transition her bed. And I finally caved. On one condition: she stay in her bed ALL NIGHT LONG. She was so excited, stating "I think I'm tired now!" as she waited for us to announce bedtime. Regan kept saying "I'm so excited for you Sidney!".

As for the rule, well, Sidney agreed....until bedtime when she whimpered about being scared. A few extra minutes holding her hand and talking her through it and she was fine.

It could be a very very l----o----n---g night. Sweet dreams little one.

Trimming the trees 2011

2011-11-26T22:58:00.003-06:00

I climbed into the attic tonight and pulled out tote upon tote full of Christmas decorations. It's really quite ridiculous, but the girls seem to love it just as much as me. In fact, they scolded me for doing a little decorating during nap!

Regan was thrilled to put together the tree for her bedroom.

And then they both couldn't wait to hang ornaments on the real tree. Unfortunately, I only put glass ornaments on the tree....and let's just say not all of them survived Regan or Sidney's handling tonight.

Parade of Lights

2011-11-26T22:51:00.004-06:00

We ventured downtown New Ulm to watch the Parade of Lights while in town celebrating Thanksgiving. This years' weather was downright balmy compared to last, and the crowd sure showed it! I couldn't believe the number of people waiting to watch the lighted floats go by.

Regan's only complaint was not being able to sit; so she sat atop Ryan's shoulders for a bit and took in all the sights.

And at the very end of the parade, Santa graced us with his presence. Regan stood in complete awe...literally, it was a precious moment in time for her. She really couldn't believe that he was right in front of her!

It's officially Christmas season...

Just girls

2011-11-25T23:35:00.002-06:00

We had some fun taking pictures of just us girls.....first it was serious:

and then it was Regan's favorite, "SILLY FACES!":

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-25T23:28:00.004-06:00

Thanksgiving has come and gone. Much food and surrounded by lots of family. We spent the day in New Ulm as we celebrated what it is we are thankful for.

Sidney was thankful for an uncle who would hold her upside down over and over again while she giggled and laughed.

Regan was thankful for sharing lunch with T-Hud and P-Money and later enjoyed racing around the farm with Hudson in the lead.

I think most of all, we're thankful for family.

Turkey day on the brain

2011-11-22T22:43:00.002-06:00

Apparently Regan learned a new song about Thanksgiving at school this week. She was pretty excited to "perform" for us tonight at the dinner table.

Poor turkey...

First Snowfall 2011

2011-11-20T13:39:00.002-06:00

It's officially winter around here seeing as though it snowed on us yesterday.

Regan initially looked into the backyard at the snow covered the pool and said "I hate the snow" (she read my mind, which by the way I have been very good at concealing so as not to spoil winter for the rest of the family).

Turns out, she doesn't hate snow. She loves it. That girl went sledding in our front yard for 2 hours last night. The neighbor boy is teaching her to go down on his sled standing up...it's pretty darn cute to watch their lessons.

And occasionally the girls went down together, Sidney head first. The wee one of the bunch is a bit more like me. She enjoys it, playing hard for an hour and then she's cold. Time to go inside. There's no delaying it for her; when she's done, she's done.

Friends from a far...part 2

2011-11-19T23:48:00.002-06:00

Last year, we got a wonderful visit from Paul and his family. This year, we were lucky enough to get to see at least Paul again.

When this group gathers, there are a lot of kiddos involved! We're a little heavy on girls but it makes for one heck of a playdate!

Swimming Lessons: Safety week

2011-11-19T23:37:00.005-06:00

Regan's (amazing) swimming school held safety week in which the students were given oversized sweatshirts in order to show them how (difficult) it feels to swim with clothing on. Regan cried at first, not wanting to wear clothes into the water; but her instructor is a champ.....

and soon she was swimming laps, wearing that dreadful sweatshirt. She commented more than once "this is hard!" and "I don't like this", but who could blame her?

Jake allowed them to jump in and also gave them an unexpected push to mimic a fall into the water. I'm thankful for these lessons, not only is she learning how to swim, but they really do enforce the importance of safety.

Flashback Friday

2011-11-18T13:38:00.003-06:00

November 14, 2010

I wish I had her enthusiasm about the snow

It's coming, I realize that.

Winter is just around the corner and apparently the white fluffy stuff may appear as soon as tomorrow. I heard someone this week talking about the snow and say "good, bring it on. That means spring is coming next.".

Hmph, good thinking :)

For the love of homework

2011-11-16T20:16:00.002-06:00

Regan has an amazing kindergarten teacher and elementary school that strongly believes learning doesn't stop at the end of the school day. So every night, yes, EVERY NIGHT, she has homework to complete. We practice writing letters, numbers and sentences, reading and listening/comprehension. It is quite amazing, although a little overwhelming on dance class night or gymnastics class night. But this girl is really doing quite well! She doesn't argue when we say "time to do your homework" and quickly gets to work (most nights).

I'm happy to help her learn and glad she is in a school district that requires parental involvement in learning. Because it's just the best feeling to watch a child's success in school and know we were a part of it.

Baking cookies

2011-11-13T20:57:00.003-06:00

Tonight the girls and I baked cookies; something we like to do, especially when the weather turns cool and it gets dark so early, minimizing our time outside. It came to my attention that they hadn't tasted a lot of the ingredients (independently), like vanilla, flour, etc. So they took the opportunity to do just that. Including the cocoa; you know, that awful bitter tasting stuff.

Here's what they thought (Regan's face says it perfectly!):

Ah there we go! Much better! I think it truly surprised them that they can mix all of those items into a bowl, bake it, and it'll come out tasting delicious!

PS: While the rest of us freeze wearing sweatshirts and pants, our sweet Sidney runs around in dress-up outfits all day long.

Fall leaves!

2011-11-13T20:45:00.005-06:00

I used to simply love fall, but then I started to really dislike it based on knowing that winter is what was to come. This weekend was a good reminder of why I LOVED fall; the weather was downright perfect. And we fully took advantage of it, spending every waking moment playing in the sunshine.

It was the perfect opportunity to clean up the last of the fall leaves, and the girls found it the perfect time to jump into the leaves. Over and over and over again.

And when she got tired of jumping and running, she laid down for a quick rest break.

And then we pushed a huge pile in front of the slide and let them have a great time! First it was down feet first, losing shoes at the bottom of the pile, walking away with leaves attached to their pants. And then, Sidney asked to go down head first. My response: "um, sure, I guess". Regan quickly followed and I'll let the pictures speak for themselves at how hard we laughed!

HAPPY FALL!!!

Puzzles with Logie (and Nala)

2011-11-13T20:39:00.002-06:00

I'm realizing that Regan is definitely ready to work on larger puzzles so when she pulled out this long-forgotten puzzle, I was thrilled with her energy to help Logan complete it. Just after posing for this picture, Sidney (in true Sidney fashion), did what we fully expected her to do, put her hands under the puzzle and ripped it apart.
So much for Regan and Logan's hard work!

Sidney

2011-11-11T13:27:00.004-06:00

I get the pleasure of spending Fridays with Sidney. Just Sidney. She makes me laugh, this sweet girl. She's full of energy, language and lots of love.

Some of my favorite Sidney moments include:

* her very natural way of giving compliments, whether it's about clothes, food or home decorating. She tosses them out regularly and actually means them.

* the amazing way she can entertain herself for hours and hours. Her favorite playtime activity includes lining up (over 30) babies and putting them to bed.

* her simple fears which make her cling to me like I can save her from anything.

* but the ability to be strong and overcome those fears.

* the way she loves her sister, wanting to tell her all about her day, listening intently and asking questions about Regan's school adventure.

* her ability to hold a conversation with an adult; i.e. asking someone how their day at work went, and then waiting for an answer so she can build the conversation. Seriously, she's only 3!

* her hugs and snuggles that light up my world!

Now if only I could get her to sleep past 6am we'd be in real good shape!

Sidney's first haircut

2011-11-06T16:21:00.005-06:00

We're not quite finished with "firsts" in this house. Sidney turned 3 in Sept and we had yet to get her scraggly, blond hair cut. She has a few curls at the end, not a ton, so it was much less traumatic for me compared to Regan's first hair cut (where I feared all of her curls would be forever gone!). Sidney proudly watched Regan get her hair cut, then exclaimed that she wanted nothing to do with a hair cut.

Not to fret, we got her settled into Vicky's chair, holding my hand (no bribes needed) and washing her stinky pig smelling hair (see previous post).

Those first snips were a little emotional for me...a few tears.

She was beaming with pride as she showed off her new hair cut. Not that it really looks much different than before, but it's one more "first" crossed off the list.

Packing it all in

2011-11-06T15:49:00.013-06:00

People have been known to say to me "boy, you sure don't waste a second!". It's a blessing and a curse sometimes, but I do tend to pack a lot of fun in our days. This weekend was certainly no different. We ventured to New Ulm to help my very best friend move into her very own home! I was so proud to be helping her move, paint, unpack....repeat for hours Saturday. The girls cannot wait to come back and PLAY with her kids! Congrats Kari.

And after all that moving, my dad had to teach me how to use his new "toy". Not the remote control helicopter he insisted on flying around, no, his new pellet gun. Complete with a target practice; just look at my form!

"Take that baby!!!"

Not bad for my first time.

Don't worry, the girls were safely away from all the pellet gun action, nestled in the living room reading stories from when I was in the 3rd grade. Piles upon piles of Berenstein Bear books.

Sidney even read them to her students, lined up in rows listening intently as she showed them pictures.

Sunday morning, the girls showed Papa...or maybe Papa showed the girls, some dance moves on the Wii. Click HERE to watch a video; and enjoy a laugh. Nice job dad!

The big adventure of the day was heading out to Uncle Lon's farm to check on the piggies. The girls have asked many times to visit his piggy barns, but we knew the smell would be tough for them to handle. Turns out, Regan (and I), had the hardest time; yes, I was nearly gagging as I brought up the rear of our parade. Sid wasn't too phased and started petting it as soon as Lon brought it out.

Man alive there are a lot of pigs in this barn....and to think there's more than just this one barn. Despite how clean it is...the stench was BAD news!

Eventually, Regan asked for a pink pig to be brought out and then started to pet it. They enjoyed pushing on his nose, apparently it's pretty soft. Lon tried to get him to make some squeals and noises but he was just too calm. Turns out he was taking a poop on Lon's leg and maybe a little too busy to squeal!

Tried as I might, no amount of fresh air was going to take the smell off of my body/hair. Thankfully we were heading straight to Vicky's salon and I immediately washed my hair.

Because before our short (but incredibly busy) trip to New Ulm was over, we had lunch at the infamous Happy Joe's and the girls watched in awe as they made pizzas right before our eyes! Apparently, my picture taking was added stress for the pizza makers, because this poor guy had to scrap out a few ingredients and an entire pizza he nervously tried to assemble!

We sure like to "pack it all in", but life's too short to sit around!!

I'm so thankful the girls are up for our daily adventures, ready and waiting to experience it all.

Family Fun Night 2011

2011-11-04T22:12:00.003-05:00

We've stayed pretty busy this school year. Between dance classes, gymnastic lessons, swimming lessons and the day to day tasks of homework, housework and life in general, it's been more than chaotic at times. Regan's school hosted a "Family Fun Night" tonight and although it was one more night out of the house, on the run, and slightly chaotic, we opted to check it out. At first the girls were apprehensive about the DJ and waited (im)patiently, for any of Regan's classmates to show up. By golly, once a few friends were a part of the fun, FAMILY fun night was a great hit! Apparently the family part of it isn't necessarily to spend time AS a family, as much as it is to spend time WITH other families! We met many other parents and siblings while the kids danced, ate and ran around. Sidney couldn't stop talking about it as we left 2 hours later...."mom, I just had SO much fun!"

Here's a short video of the girls dancing. Bust a move Ninie, you go girl!

Grandparent Breakfast

2011-11-03T09:29:00.003-05:00

Regan's elementary school sent home a flyer last month to announce "Grandparents/Special Person's Breakfast". By the look on her face in this picture, you can tell she understands just how special she feels that ALL FOUR of her grandparents were able to attend this morning with her.

The comment by my mom later in the day was "she was so excited it was like there were ants in her pants!". While many children don't have relatives close (enough) by, we are incredibly grateful that these 4 made the 100 mi trek at 6am to visit with Regan at school for less than an hour. It certainly made her day; and she's already asking when they can come back again!

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T22:32:00.007-05:00

Big day today. Busy day for the mommy of the group. I managed to squeeze in a couple hours of work this morning before meeting up with Regan in her lunchroom.

She was a little more than excited to see me!

From there it was party central! We are so thrilled that her school allows the children to celebrate Halloween complete with a parade around the school, snacks and party games!

Regan had 2 other bees in her class...all different bee costumes.

After Regan's school let out, we quickly stopped at home to pick up Grandma Jan and Sidney to take her to her classroom party (Mondays remain dedicated to grandparents but we were able to attend the party). As soon as we walked in, Sidney stuck like glue to her best buddy, no big surprise there.

Then it was home for dinner, setting out the creations from the weekend....

and we were off Trick or Treating! I was thankful to have Leigha join me while Ryan stayed back to hand out candy. Sidney was a hoot, racing from one house to the next, commenting on the "old lady" that answered the door, or the the "funny looking dog", which happened to be a donkey plant holder. She had us laughing quite hard most of the evening.

And after a walk around the (incredibly large) block we live on, each girl had a pile this big setting in front of them. Part of Regan's homework this week was to count her candy, she came up with 87 pieces. Wowzas!

We hope you had a great Halloween!

Pumpkin carving 2011

2011-10-30T14:08:00.005-05:00

With Halloween on Monday, it was a great opportunity to carve pumpkins this weekend. Not to mention the QUEEN of pumpkin carving (aka: Grandma Sheri) came up to babysit for a few hours Saturday night! Ryan couldn't have been more excited!! We did the dirty work for her, prepping the pumpkins, and I had two very big helpers.

Regan simply loved digging in to the guts of the pumpkin this year. It's been a progressive trend (click HERE to see how she did last year). I laughed at her as she kept repeating over and over again, "this is just SOOO much fun!!". She helped clean out 3 of the 5 pumpkins.

Ryan isn't much for 'cleaning' the pumpkins and takes over as the carver. It was like an assembly line with Regan starting the cleaning process, Sidney placing seeds in a bowl of water to bake, me scrapping down the inside of the pumpkin (with a tool that ended up scraping my hand to a bloody mess), and finally Ryan, and later grandma Sheri, doing the carving.

Sidney proved that she did actually put her fingers inside the pumpkin. She doesn't mind it, but prefers one that's a little more dry compared to a gooey wet one.

But she took her job seriously and we had a large bowl of seeds to bake to yummy goodness!

Pictures of the carved pumpkins to follow soon!!

Halloween celebrations continued

2011-10-30T13:59:00.004-05:00

A local store put on a Halloween celebration and the girls were eager to dress up again in their costumes and check it out. Balloons, treat bags the size of their heads, haunted houses and decorating cookies. What a great time it was!

Sidney wanted nothing to do with their little haunted house, though it didn't phase Regan a bit. We're beginning to realize that Sidney is a little scardy-cat....a lot like me.

She was much more entertained at decorating her own cookie. Carefully putting a scoop of frosting onto the cookie, and then another into her mouth before repeating the task with sprinkles, M&M's and candy corn.

But what a gorgeous creation she made! Pretty, but apparently not very tasty to her, she took one bite and tossed it in the garbage.

Not this little girl who brought her cookie home to munch on every last bite. We had sprinkles littering the table and floor, next year I'll make them eat it at the store.

Conferences, dentist, dance and more

2011-10-24T21:45:00.003-05:00

Today's agenda included so many items that even the mom of the house who normally has it all well put together, had trouble keeping track. We started out the morning with Sidney's conferences where we learned she's doing well, on track and loved up by so many teachers (the only worry is the whole color-blind issue but there's not much to be done about that). She is social, has her own little group of girlfriends (yes, a little clique of sorts it seems...oh brother), and is academically right on track. After a shortened day at work, I picked up the beauties and headed....to the dentist!

This was Sidney's 2nd attempt at a cleaning, the first one 6 months ago didn't go so well. With a lot of prep work, she managed to muster through this one on the safety of my lap. She did great and only whimpered when the suction straw was placed in her mouth.

Unfortunately, I had to leave after Sidney's cleaning to take her to dance (you can see her wearing a tutu on the photo above). Grandma Sheri stayed to hold Regan's hand and get her through her appointment before meeting back up for a celebration dinner out of NO CAVITIES.

and then finally whisking Regan off to her dance class, complete with Halloween costume attire as they celebrated Halloween a week early. Man alive it was a busy day, I'm happy to have that one behind us. Here's to a quiet Tuesday!

Half-Haunted Halloween '11

2011-10-23T16:36:00.006-05:00

The annual Half-Haunted Halloween trail was held yesterday near our old neighborhood. We've been going to this Halloween related event for many years and the kids have so much fun trick-or-treating, playing games, watching magic shows and just enjoying the day.

The beauty of letting the girls pick out their own Halloween costumes, is that they both enjoy putting them on and attending some fun festivities. It's a (sometimes painful) rule we had as soon as Regan could help decide on her own costume: they get to go to the store, scour through magazines, websites and finally decide on something all on their own. We started the season in a much different spot than where we landed, Regan was supergirl and Sidney was Ariel. Those costumes didn't last long before being sent back to the store for lack of comfort and pure dislike of their choices. And what girl doesn't have the right to change their mind!?

Each year I've wanted to somewhat coordinate their costumes (you know, theme of a movie, etc) but neither girl could agree. Amazingly, this year, they coordinate as insects. Lovely.

Kari was in town for the weekend and joined us through the trail. Typically at the end, there is an incredibly large petting zoo that the girls thoroughly enjoyed in years past; Sidney asked the entire trail when we'd get to the "amimals". Change of plans this year, it was a "hoedown dance" and Kari took Regan out to polka....because she is THE expert in that field as far as I'm concerned!

Just look at the fun they were having!

And after sending Ryan and the girls home to bed, she and I went out to have a girls' night out and celebrate anything that needed celebrating!

Pool closing 2011

2011-10-21T13:24:00.004-05:00

Today marked the official end of the pool season. Last night we prepared by cleaning, dropping the water level, adding chemicals and removing the light. We're going to miss this view!

The girls were our "helpers" and had a little fun while daddy was pretending to toss them into the 51F water. Brrrr!

Down, down down it went. All night we heard the sounds of a waterfall from the returns pouring into the pool.

And this morning, Tony came to blow out the lines, remove the pool fixtures and close it up. Until next year....hope it's going to be a short winter!

MEA break

2011-10-20T22:28:00.004-05:00

We're fortunate to have MEA break for 3 days this week. And in doing so, opted to forego any daycare setting and just split the days among each other. Today was my turn to find some fun and entertain these two energetic, wishing-it-was-still-summer, beautiful girls. So to a local park we went in hopes of burning off pent up energy.

Regan still has her paw print tattoo on her cheek from last night. She'd put one on her face daily if I would allow it. Stinker.

And fun we did have. It was free and it was entertaining. Made up games, impromptu rounds of tag and experimenting with shadows.

I wonder what tomorrow holds....

Wanna-be

2011-10-19T21:39:00.002-05:00

Regan showed off tonight what she learned from cheer clinic last weekend. We ventured over to the football stadium where she looked around in awe at all the big kids, football players, cheerleaders, band members and a slew of middle school/high school students. She enjoyed cheering, although it was pretty overwhelming for a 5 year old and she felt a little lost at the end searching for us in the sea of parents coming to corral their daughters. To see a short video, click HERE.

(Pardon the winter gear....it was cold tonight!)

Growing up....

2011-10-18T21:54:00.004-05:00

My big girl is growing up, and I'm reminded of this daily.

I hear THIS SONG occasionally and it brings tears to my eyes.

Tonight we ventured to her first parent-teacher conference of her elementary school experience. Before we left, she did a number of things to remind me just how much she has learned in the first 6 weeks of school. First, she created a "book" by gluing paper as a binding and not only writing her own story, but also illustrating it. She continues to 'brave spell', and today all on her own, wrote her story with the exception of 2 large words which she asked for prompting.

After she read her story to me, along with a similar one from school today, I picked out one of the Dick and Jane books. By golly this girl is starting to read books!

Yes, I completely agree that those stories are cheesy and annoying but the repetition of it makes her successful in reading and her face beams with pride at the end of each page. As her teacher mentioned tonight, one of the greatest joys is teaching a child to read. I couldn't agree more!

As for what else her teacher had to say, it was all positive. Regan is on track, and at times beyond what is expected, academically. (Un)fortunately, she's a little social too so we need to continue to remind this little beauty that "listening ears" are put on for a reason.Thankfully her teacher is accustomed to chatty 5 year olds and reminded us she too, had to be prompted to mute herself during her school years. It could be worse right?, she could be crying in a corner refusing to make new friends!

We love you to pieces Regan and are so very proud of you, our big kindergartner!

Apple Orchard

2011-10-16T21:41:00.009-05:00

We spent the day with these cuties at a local apple orchard, taking in everything they had to offer: hay rides, petting zoo, train rides, silo turned playground, apple orchard, pumpkin patch and face painting. It was a glorious fall day!

At the end of the day, Sidney was quick to remind us her favorite part of the day was the train ride. She loved it.

The girls each ate 3 (partial) apples today, and only one had some fresh carmel included. In fact, when the kids all asked for home made donuts, Sidney stood crying as she wanted an apple instead. Not a problem sweetie, enjoy your apple. Regan danced around to live music munching her apple.

The entire gang, enjoying a hay ride. Thanks for a super fun day!

I busted Regan out of the hay pile to pose for a picture, I knew she'd do it without hesitation. She's a sucker for these cutout boards.

Something tells me this impromptu picture might make the final cut for a Christmas card.

Cheer Clinic '11

2011-10-15T15:15:00.004-05:00

Regan brings home a lot of permission slips, activity opportunities and local happenings. Recently she brought home a flyer for a local "Cheer Clinic". Brought me back to days in high school when we put on dance clinics for the elementary students. It's a fun opportunity for both ages. As we do with every slip, we offered Regan the opportunity and she immediately lit up with a giant smile and yelled "YES!".

This morning, we headed to the high school, greeted by this guy:

and she put on her t-shirt, hair ribbon and grabbed a set of poms. Off she went, that brave soul. She spotted a few friends from kindergarten and was in her glory as she looked up to the high school students.

This face says it all; she loved watching all the girls show off their cheers and wave their poms.

I think there had to be 100 girls all screaming out cheers and finally posing for a picture. Regan's pretty excited to perform in front of a crowd at the local varsity football game next week.

Fire Department Open House

2011-10-15T15:06:00.002-05:00

This morning it was just me and Sidney. Unusual for a Saturday morning. We took in the local fire department open house and picked a station just down the street from where Regan was spending her morning (more on that later). Sidney is a very shy girl, especially without her big sissy. She didn't want to climb into the trucks, despite my willingness to go with, she didn't want a cookie and she certainly wasn't about to crawl through the little house set up for all the kids. So instead, we watched from a distance as kids took turns spraying the fire hose.

And after much convincing, I got her to at least stand next to the truck (her argument was "they're going to drive away!") for a picture. And then we headed back to the car. Once in her car seat, she asked for a balloon. A balloon that I had offered to her at least on 15 different occasions. So back to the station we went for a balloon. Oh little girl, it's a good thing I love you!

Little Georgia O'Keefe

2011-10-13T21:19:00.002-05:00

Regan amazes me with her love for art, drawing and now, spelling!

She's been working on "brave spelling" lately, writing out words that she doesn't entirely know how to spell. Not just sight words (which by the way she recites daily and today we were in the middle of the store as she yelled "L-I-K-E like! "W-E-N-T went!"), but spelling words she just has to sound out.

It's great to watch her, and although I'm not entirely sure she spelled 'Candycorn' all on her own, she claims she did and was very proud of her work.

She says the girl on the bottom is her dancing, and then she proceeds to show me the dance move she's drawing. Adorable little artist :)

This and that...

2011-10-11T21:19:00.005-05:00

Given the amazingly warm temps we have been experiencing, I took the opportunity to have a picnic poolside tonight. The girls were a bit nuts about the idea and had a hard time sitting still....it's going to be a L-O-N-G winter if we're experiencing this already.

And after dinner, we got down to business with making fall colored M&M Halloween cookies!

Regan loves to crack the eggs. But she sure does make a mess! And then Sidney turned on the mixer while the beater was in the air...batter flying all over the kitchen! We tried to keep our composure, but Ryan and I just ended up laughing.

mmmmm....

Sidney was mid-chew when I asked for a picture, needless to saw she was not happy to pause!

New dance studio

2011-10-10T21:18:00.004-05:00

Tonight Regan's dance class started back up, a little later into the fall than usual. The studio has moved into a much bigger space and it couldn't be more perfect! Regs is in her glory. She was literally all smiles each time I poked my head up to the window to watch. She loves both tap and ballet equally at this point and really thrives on the variety it offers to her.

Just a short video as the girls learn a little tap...

Planet Spooky 2011

2011-10-08T21:59:00.010-05:00

Planet Spooky was today's destination at this local attraction:

So the girls got dressed into costumes, Sidney in a ladybug:

and prepared to trick or treat, ride on some rides and eat icee's.

We normally say that Regan is our photogenic child. Today it was Sidney. She hit us up with her charm, flashing a great smile and posing for some great pics.

And Regan remains a natural in front of the camera. There's no need to bribe this girl, she knows to pause, smile and then proceed when I pull out the camera and yell "look here!".

Sidney and Hudson were inseparable today. Poor Paxton was stuck riding solo until we could get Regan off the bigger kid rides.

Face painting (incredibly over-priced) when Grandma Sheri is around means you get whatever you want. And Regan wanted a kitty cat. She doesn't even look like herself?!

Sidney choose Hello Kitty and thoroughly enjoyed the part.

Regan (5.5 years old) and Paxton (he's 1.5 yrs old) with his arm around her. A picture from the front would show you that her arm was resting on his leg, in a protective manner :)

See what I mean?, inseparable!

Thanks Grandma Sheri! It was a great day.

Three Rivers Park District

2011-10-07T21:53:00.008-05:00

Tonight the girls and I ventured to Mt. Gilboa for the chairlift rides. We've been doing this for 5 years (technically longer if you count the year before we had kids!) and the girls love it every year. Click HERE for our 2007 trip.

We're minus Ryan tonight as we lost him to another concert...such is life!

The girls loved the chair lift "ride", until the wind gusted to around 40 mph and Sidney got a little nervous. She even asked me "can we get off now?", as we were suspended way up in the air!

The colors were simply amazing. Just breath-taking!

This guy, or whatever owl shows up each year, mesmerizes the girls. Sidney surprised me by getting up close and even asking questions about the "bird". We all love to watch him turn his head all the way around, man alive that's something that would work nicely when the girls are fighting over a toy!

While playing a ring toss game, the volunteer stepped backwards almost right onto a salamander that had ventured into the area. Sid immediately asked if she could touch it! Where is this brave girl coming from?

Regan was interested in learning about the "dead animals" this year. Ryan keeps reminding me that they have a nicer name like 'skins' or something. Sure, whatever. Look like a bunch of flat-as-a-pancake-dead-animals to me!

I couldn't get a picture of me/girls as I've done in previous years, so this one will have to do!

Leaves!

2011-10-07T21:46:00.004-05:00

Sidney and I had the opportunity to do a little raking, running and jumping in the leaves today. It's funny to look at these pictures because she's in a summer outfit during these 80+ degree temps, but it's the middle of fall in MN where we are used to 60's this time of year.

We're loving it!

Wii-Just Dance

2011-10-04T22:08:00.002-05:00

Regan continues to be in love with playing Wii-Just Dance on my computer, courtesy of YouTube. Whatever works; though she will be getting one from Santa this year! Recently, she's been able to convince both myself and the neighbor girl to play along with her. It's sure a lot of fun and great exercise!

Overcoming fears...dance 2011

2011-10-03T21:35:00.003-05:00

Sidney put on her brave face today. For weeks she's been wanting to take dance classes, just like her "big sissy". So, we signed her up. And then upon arriving, she bounced down the stairs, turned the corner and instantly got cold feet. Yep, right there in the middle of class, she froze. Clinging to me for dear life, crocodile tears welling up in her eyes and a quivering bottom lip decorating her precious face.

Amazingly, I talked her out of her fears, enough to grab a name tag and stand next to her new friends. She obliged, but only if I promised to sit in front so she could see me. As for actually "dancing", well, she did a lot of watching, but towards the end, she really got into it! She gets embarrassed if we look at her, but yet she wants us to recognize her work.

I'm a tad bit afraid that we will have the lone child in the winter show who stands there, not moving, for the entire 2 minute song.

It's just a good thing she's cute :)

Bent Creek

2011-10-02T21:07:00.002-05:00

Today my mom and I were fortunate to play a local private golf course. Not only was the golf a great experience (I have played only 9 holes in the last 6 years), but the company was wonderful! And golf courses are a great place to take in scenery. And today, we did just that.

Thanks again mom! I had a great time!

Fall photo shoot 2011

2011-10-02T20:35:00.002-05:00

Every year, we head to a local park to see the changing leaves on this tree and take pictures of some amazing colors. Click HERE (2007), HERE (2008), HERE (2009) or HERE (2010).

Regan was my little model, willing to pose for picture after picture.

Sidney on the other hand, took over an hour of convincing and playing before she was willing to stand even for one picture.

Regan found this branch and again, acted like my little model. When the girl is cooperating, she can sure be fun to chase after with a camera.

After some play time at the playground, Sidney was willing to sit still and let me snap some pictures of her.

The number of geese at this place is overwhelming, but that also means the amount of geese poop on the ground is tremendous! All four of us walked away with "treats" stuck to our shoes.

Regan becomes mesmerized by water....my 'water baby'!

Regan lately

2011-10-01T07:38:00.003-05:00

Regan is now a month into Kindergarten and continues to learn and amaze us. After spending a couple of hours in her classroom helping out yesterday, I think I'm just as amazed with the patience of her kindergarten teacher as I am with the amount of information Regan has learned. That lady has some ability to keep up her energy level and patience for 6.5 hours/day, 5 days/week. She's a saint. Regan came home practicing the Pledge of Allegiance yesterday and at one point, it went something like this...."I pledge allegiance to the flag"...."one ninja, under God".

Um, ninja? Oh yea, she means nation! It's clearly a work in progress.

I've been taking her to swimming lessons for the last 4 weeks. She knew how to swim, but she lacked technique and wasted a lot of energy in getting from point A to point B. Just look at her go now! And we have 10 more weeks of swimming left, what on earth will she learn!?

A day with Sidney

2011-09-30T20:51:00.006-05:00

Although I did spend a few hours with just Regan (volunteering at her classroom is a wonderful experience), the bulk of Fridays are spent with Sidney. And today, we took advantage of the gorgeous sunshine and headed out to see the fall colors. In between pointing out trees, we talked, played and just loved being together.

That is one gigantic leaf we stumbled across, the size of Sidney's face and a little hole for her eye.

The beauty in the colors is simply wonderful. Unfortunately, about 5 seconds into our journey today, I realized that Sidney likely is not experiencing the fall colors like the rest of us. I've mentioned before that we're pretty certain she is red/green color blind and when it comes to fall colors, it breaks my heart that she can't see the magnificence.

She really doesn't seem to mind, after all, she knows nothing different.

Stopping at the old style playground for some fun in the sun and playtime.

WEEEEEEE!!

And the afternoon was complete only after a little begging on the part of an adorable 3 year old who remembered eating ice cream at this park last time. She also happens to sense that this mommy loves ice cream....and I spotted 'mocha chip' which put me on a sugar high for hours!

Thanks for a great day Sidney! I love to spend Fridays with you!

She says the darnedest things

2011-09-29T21:26:00.002-05:00

Tonight after a shower, Sidney grabbed her PJ's and headed downstairs to dress while I finished with Regan. Suddenly I heard Sidney climbing the stairs exclaiming "I need some new jammies, deez are broken mommy". I looked down and she said "Da odder leg is lost!".

I love that super serious, but oh so silly girl.

Frosting in my mouth

2011-09-29T21:09:00.003-05:00

We made cupcakes this week for Wednesday night dinners, fundamiddle cupcakes.

Yep, fun in da middle. Chocolate to be exact. With a little pink frosting on top.

The girls seem to like the frosting the best. They tend to lick off the frosting and leave the rest.

BUSTED!!! They'd be happiest if I let them loose on the container of frosting.

Officially fall

2011-09-25T20:49:00.008-05:00

Happy Birthday to Papa!

That also means we've moved from summer to fall...officially. Today we headed for lunch to celebrate and then check out the nearby pumpkins, apples, and everything else fall-related.

Sidney was willing to take a couple of decent pictures, after we promised her she could pick out some candy from "Minnesota's largest candy store!".

And when Ryan came across this pumpkin, he so wanted to take it home to use as our "joe" (aka: the ugliest, most full of warts pumpkin).

The sun was shining brightly, making it tough for Regan to take a good picture, but the hundreds of pumpkins in the background were too fun to pass up!

Big ones, little ones, fat ones, crooked ones.

I love fall, I just wish it didn't lead into the next season.

2011 VanSlooten party

2011-09-24T22:57:00.006-05:00

Today we headed up to my old college stomping grounds to hang out with some great friends at an annual "end of summer/beginning of fall" bash. Chrissy goes all out and rented a bouncy/climbing deal for the many many kids to burn off some energy! It was perfect weather and with so many other kids, the girls instantly made new friends and were off and running.

Sidney stayed nearby as more kids arrived; the bouncy place got a little chaotic until she met a 12 year old girl who helped her navigate around all the wild and crazy boys!

Half of the best group of college girlfriends (+Colten!) a gal could ask for!

Thanks for a wonderful and fun day Chrissy and Jeff!

Swimming lessons, continued

2011-09-24T22:53:00.003-05:00

Regan continues to make great progress at her swimming lessons. We took the plunge this fall and put her in a swim school (after recommendations from friends) with the idea that she'll be finished with swimming lessons after this session. We are definitely on that track. She had confidence and abilities before, now she is gaining technique with her strokes. It's been simply amazing to watch; I would recommend this swim school in a heartbeat.

Wednesday night dinners....we've grown

2011-09-21T22:05:00.001-05:00

This is the second year that Logan has been joining us for Wednesday night dinners. And this year, another cousin of Ryan's has moved to the big city and is joining us weekly :) We are thrilled to have her and the girls simply love her! All night we heard "save me Leigha" from Sidney as she was being tickled, squished or attacked by her big sister.

And when Logan is around, the girls are sure to get tossed or flipped or tickled (until they "toot"!). Tonight, I came into the family room hearing "do it again Logie....please?". How could she resist!? Up and over hear head she went, with Sidney landing on the couch in giggles.

We tried playing a game, but the girls, with the help of Logan of course, decided making 'boobies' would be much more fun! Clearly, Wednesday night dinners aren't just about the dinner, but a lot about the memories that the girls are making...yes "boobies" included!

Oh brother!

Duck races

2011-09-19T20:23:00.002-05:00

The girls scored these giant ducks at a doctor's office last week (side note: an 8:50 appointment and we first saw the doctor at 10:15....we aren't returning to that office).

But the ducks make for some fun in a freezing cold pool on these crisp fall days!

Sidney's stats-age 3

2011-09-17T08:28:00.002-05:00

We took Sidney to visit her pediatrician this week and check out her growth over the last year. In full Sidney style, she walked into the exam room, took one look at the gown and said "I'm not putting that on". We pleaded and bribed with her to at least take off her shirt so the doctor could take a peek and she continued to refuse. The poor thing is fearful of the doctor, just as she is of the dentist and any other stranger who wants to invade her space.

The doctor then walked in and smiled, as Sidney clung to me. I mentioned that we had once thought Regan was our challenging child....boy how wrong we were :) Sidney did allow the doctor to exam her, from the safety of my lap, but when it came time to do the hearing/vision test and check her color-blind status, she melted. Forget it. That was not going to happen. So we ended with a flu mist, which went much better than a shot would have gone.

As for stats: she's 30 lbs on the dot (fully clothed of course) and 36.5 inches. Growing like a weed!

Jeans?!

2011-09-15T22:43:00.002-05:00

For years, Miss Regan has refused to wear jeans. Unfortunately this refusal has worn off on Sidney who now also refuses to wear jeans. Well, with the introduction of stretchy jeans and a neighbor girl who she just adores, Regan put on some jeans and went to school today! And boy, does she look older than 5!

Fall fun

2011-09-14T22:09:00.003-05:00

When summer hits, our family tends to get daily exercise via swimming. We're in the pool nearly, if not every, single day. So the outdoor toys/equipment is sadly neglected. With cool weather upon us, we dusted off the cobwebs from the bikes and took the girls out for a stroll tonight. Regan has impressed us by almost (solely) climbing the hill, whereas in spring, she would barely make it out the driveway and start whining.

Today she was off and pedaling.

This lil' peanut still needs a push (or 57) to make it around the neighborhood, but we're working on it. Her steering could use some work and she prefers to move close to parked cars and then reach out her hand and touch them. I'm sure the neighbors love her for that.

Thank goodness she's cute!

Minnie Mouse Party

2011-09-11T21:22:00.005-05:00

Surrounded by family, Miss Sidney Marie celebrated Minnie-style today. Complete with a cake from my best friend, she had the best Minnie party a 3 year old could ask for! The afternoon started off with a bag full of dance/ice skating costumes from her older cousins and she put one on and never took it off.

I joked that her birthday turned into a 'birthday party, turned pool party, turned Vikings party', all in one! We managed to fit in a lot of fun today!

Sid reminded us the real reason for today's celebration: her birthday! With enough presents to last her all year, she dug in and opened up new toys, bath fun and more dress up costumes.

A family picture, with two beauties dressed up for a dance show and two parents who were trying hard to cheer on the Vikings. Happy Birthday Sidney! Hope you had a great party!

9-10-11: Sidney's Birthday!

2011-09-10T21:41:00.008-05:00

Today is 9-10-11; it also happens to be Sidney's 3rd birthday! Pretty cool. She didn't understand the importance of the numbers, but I couldn't stop thinking about how ironic it was.

This morning, as she rose at 6:20am (go figure, it's Saturday!), I looked at her and said "Happy Birthday! You are 3 today!" and with a puzzled face she said "I'm not 2 1/2 anymore?, I'm 3 now?". It's like she expected something magical to happen, or to feel different now that she was 3. I could see the wheels spinning in her head as she thought about being 3.

Once everyone was awake, we let her open presents and get to know her new iXL, or "leapster" as she calls it.

Ryan then headed out for an all day golf outing with the neighbor and I embarked on a day of fun with the girls. We first went to the park, Sidney's pick. She's been eager to get her hands back into this park when she realized that it is where Regan attends school and now plays daily. Someone was feeling left out.

But we all quickly got hot in this 80+ heat (remember, it's September in MN) and came home to swim. The clock hit 11am and my mind went back 3 years ago, when my water broke, right in my office and I sat on my garbage can. Pretty resourceful (especially for a germaphobe) :)

Today at the same time, Claire came over with more presents and we opted for lunch on the deck, mid-swim. Perfect idea on a gorgeous afternoon!

And then it was on to a 3+ hour nap for my darling girls who were clearly wiped out from all that playing and swimming. As the clock ticked to 2:59pm, the exact time she was born, I found myself right back in that hospital room. Flood of emotions :) Ryan came home and we ventured over to Rainforest Cafe. Sid was apprehensive, as she always is, but plastered on a brave face and forced herself to have fun. She loved it after the first 10 minutes on my lap...oh yea, and her $9 Icee arrived at the table.

And then we splurged some more on a ridiculously priced (and enormously sized) dessert, that we decided was warranted given it is her birthday! Click HERE to watch as it arrived.

Tonight, as we put Sidney to bed, she said the same thing she says every night "sleep good, like I did last night?" and this time Ryan replied "no, not like last night!" because she's been sleeping poorly and coming into our bed around 11pm. I suggested she get a big girl bed like Regan and she jumped at the idea. Then I told her she had to stay in her big girl bed all night; she replied "I don't think that's a good idea". Oh well, I like my baby girl contained in her crib!

Sending you all the birthday wishes i can muster up my sweet beautiful girl!

Sidney's 3rd birthday slideshow

2011-09-10T15:49:00.003-05:00

I create these sentimental slideshows for both the girls' birthdays to capture how the year has gone. Click HERE to watch. It really is a labor of love as I spend hours sifting through photos to find just the right ones (and a few the girls enjoy too) which show their true personality as well as memories from the year, and then hunt down songs that seem to capture an idea I'd like to express to them about just how much they are loved!

Enjoy!

Sidney's 3rd birthday eve

2011-09-09T20:51:00.003-05:00

Tonight marks the last night of the terrible twos; and tomorrow we embark on the horrible threes! Well, it's pretty safe to say we've been entering them for a while.

This picture of Sidney says it all; just look at that face! It's the same face she made right after delivery when I announced to the doctor "she looks pissed off!" (yes, I said those exact words, it's the worst I said during/after delivery). Well needless to say, she continues to show us a similar face on a regular basis.

But thankfully she shows us faces like this too, which completely outweigh any crabby look she flashes.

Today was my first day alone with Sidney, as Regan enjoys full day kindergarten. Sid broke my heart as we walked out of school and she said "I miss my Regan". She really is a sweetheart who adores that big sister.

Tomorrow I promise to post all fun things related to Sidney as we start her birthday celebration!