Fortune Telling, Snow Cones, Tattoos & Say Cheese!

The blog is getting more and more challenging to update as time seems to slip away! The girls turned 5 last weekend. It was the final summer weekend before they headed off to Kindergarten, so I thought we'd go big! We did carnival theme, complete with a Tumblebus that you can rent for parties that has tumbling and games inside an air-conditioned converted school bus (my attempt at keeping kids out of my house if it was 100 degrees!). The Uncles and Aunt Maggie (with help from our amazing neighbor) staffed stations to earn tickets that could be traded in for prizes. The stations were Fortune Teller, Tattoo Parlor, Face Painting & Photo Booth. We had snow cones, popcorn, hot dogs, fruit/whipped cream cups & of course cake! Favorite gifts included anything Barbie, "Look-alike" dolls from American Girl, craft supplies/kits, cash registers that 'really' count and games! Thanks to those who helped and celebrated!

 Maybe in my next life I'll bake instead of blog :-)

Lilly is the sweetest most grateful little girl (most of the time) she came up to me half way through the party to thank me and tell me she was having the best day ever!



Addy & her two FAVORITE people--Grandma Linda & Grandma Jody!

 

Jacob & Jack being goofy in the photo booth

 The Harden's make it look easy!

Our favorite Trio: Livvy, Maddy & Harry

Always the life of the party!

*Most* of the kiddo's posed for a pic

A little Daddy orchestrated Red Rover rounded out the night!

Preschool Graduation, Spring 2012

Last week, the girls graduated from the pre-school they have ADORED for 2 years. We were lucky enough to be one of the inaugural families at a center when it opened and the teachers & staff have treated our family like family since our arrival. It was such a fun event, the girls were SO proud, worked hard memorizing the songs they did and LOVED that both their grandmas were there to watch. This means we are off to Kindergarten in the fall, with mixed emotions. They will be two of the youngest in their class and we debated holding them off for another year, but in my heart, I think they are ready. One is more ready than the other, so we'll see how they do! August 15th will come quick, so we have big plans for the summer, trying to soak in as much time as I can with them and just enjoying being together.

Family Photo at Graduation!

Addy avoiding a real smile for the camera!

Lilly LOVES being in the spotlight!

Proud Grandma Jody

Proud Grandma Linda

Their teacher, Mrs. E.

Mother's Day 2012--Artwork included!

Addy & Lilly are loving any kind of 'craft' time, so I'm sure they LOVED doing this activity with Ga Ga Jody. They were neatly rolled & tied with a bow to give to me on Mother's Day this year. Doesn't get much cuter?!

Summer Fun

We've been having a blast this summer, but it is flying by! The girls are telling everyone that will listen that they are ALMOST 4. I can't get over the fact that I'm planning their 4th birthday party and how much they've changed in just the last few months. I'm working on a post from our Chicago trip, but found these favorite photos from Father's Day, that I couldn't pass up posting. They love their daddy (and their grandpas)!

Jeremy celebrates 9 years with his company this week (he's the only person I know still working for the company that hired him out of IU) and I'm getting ready to take on my 4th academic year with Gamma Sigma Alpha. We are planning our final summer trip and first long road trip on September, so we still have a lot of summer in us. Enjoy the photos!

Blessed Beyond Measure-Christmas 2010

I'm procrastinating putting the decorations away and still eating leftovers, not quite ready to kiss the holiday good-bye. It was a good one. Magical, to say the least. A & L's excitement and anticipation had me awake at 5:30 on Christmas Day. I lived my best holiday through them. A great benefit of being a mom, I guess. We had visitors and gifts and I'll surely rank their favorites on a later blog when I see which span the test of some time. I'll get to my thank-you notes, clean the fridge and edit some pictures, slowly ticking off the to-do list. However, my biggest hope is that the feelings revisit my heart and theirs again before next December.

The tree-taken at about 6:30 a.m.--just before the girls walked down!
Letter to Santa--written verbatim--gotta love the potty reminder!

Evidence that he had come and gone and taken that silly Elf on the Shelf with him!

Bedtime stories with dad!

Holiday walk in the snow with Uncle Joe

Christmas Eve before church--Daddy post-lasik! It's still weird seeing him without glasses! (Lilly, on the other hand looks like she might need them :-)

Picture from the Ash grandparents holiday card!

Picture from the Sadler holiday card (yes, A & L graced 3 holiday cards in 2010-we are really trying NOT to let the popularity get to their heads!)

Humbled to host this crew at our home for dinner every year! We feel the love!

Santa Sightings...

Okay, so there are a few things my kids don't like: green beans, dogs, cats and Santa. Who can forget the infamous mall trauma that happened in 2008?

So, when I left for Phoenix 2 weeks ago, my mom and mother-in-law and husband were under strict orders to NOT visit Santa. I didn't want to miss the memory and I certainly didn't want to traumatize them without their mama around for comfort. However, this cell phone picture circulated and despite Jeremy's best attempt at telling me that Santa just "happened" to appear in the community building where they went sledding, I was a bit skeptic. But, as you can see Addy LOVED him, ran right up and gave a hug and began her list. "Santa, I want a pink bear, a pillow pet, books and baby stuff." Lilly gave him the cold shoulder and clung to her daddy like white on rice. That goes down as Santa Sighting 2010 #1.

Santa Sighting 2010 #2 happened while Jody treated the girls, her mother and my mother to the Polar Bear Express adventure through the Parks & Recreation department in Fishers. We've read the book (perhaps not enough to prep for the event) and I sent the girls off in their PJ's while I attended one of 5 different holiday parties. They were beyond excited--trains, snacks, BOTH grandmas--it was their heaven! Until they saw Santa, "Santa's Wife"-as they call her, and the Polar Bear. Addy, again recounted her wish list and Lilly cowarded behind her sister. There are no pictures of the Polar Bear as both were in tears on a respective grandma's lap.

"Hey--fat guy--keep those hands where I can see them and don't get too close."

"Good thing I brought protection."

When I got home from my party, I went and tucked both girls in with kisses to each. Addy opened her eyes a bit and wanted to show me her new bear that she had gotten from "Santa's wife". I said, "I love it, Mrs. Claus is so nice isn't she?" Addy said, "Santa's wife is alright, but next time, can we go on the train without the Polar Bear?" Only my kids would want to take the Polar Bear out of the Polar Bear Express...

Santa Sighting #3 was a bit better orchestrated. Instead of standing in line at the mall and plopping them on a lap, my parents signed us up for Breakfast with Santa at a local country club. We did a lot of preparation for this visit. I knew stage-fright might overcome them, so we decided to dictate letters to Santa the night before so we would remember to ask for everything on our list. Complete with each of their own signatures! Lilly's read something like this:

"Dear Santa, I've been a good girl and I share everything with
my Daddy. I want books and toys and puzzles and toys and a doggie pillow pet.
Don't be late."

Addy's letter read:

"Dear Santa, You already know I want a pink bear and books. I too want a dolphin
pillow pet and clothes for my babies. I will share with my sissy."

So, dressed to meet Santa, we arrived and the good-lookin' couple read both letters aloud while the girls listened and nodded, reassuring their own words.

Before breakfast, Lilly kept a safe distance and declared that "No one could touch her."

Perhaps time to delve into the concept of "stranger danger" with this one--a candy cane offering and she was SOLD!

Then we sat down for breakfast, the girls were chatty as always, but I could literally see Lilly's wheels turning. She said, "All these kids sat on Santa's lap and they aren't scared." and "Do you think if I sit on Santa's lap, he'll remember me?" Man, she is her mama's daughter--totally over-analyzing the situation and boosting her own confidence. Then, she made the decision. "Mommy, if you hold me doll and daddy watches me, I want to sit on Santa's wife's lap, but you can't make me sit on Santa's." So, that's what we did and THAT is the story of our first "no tears" picture with the Claus Family! As always, in Lilly's time....

Halloween Hangover...

Not sure where October went, but the final weekend was occupied by a Hayride & Picnic with our twin friends, a costume/birthday party for a friend, neighborhood gathering & parade, and trick-or-treating with both grandparents here celebrating our chicken & egg. Now, I'm trying to wrap my brain around November and rid the house of any evidence of any Halloween candy.

The week leading up to Halloween, EVERYONE asked the girls what they were going to be. Most anticipated hearing "princess" or "fairy" or "ladybug." I was afraid the girls would be swayed and would want to go as princesses instead (because don't get me wrong-they love princesses), but they were troopers, each time proclaiming proudly that they were going as a chicken and an egg! Overall, they were great trick-or-treaters and tolerated Daddy driving them all over town to show them off before getting to do any actual door-to-door action.

During the neighborhood gathering & parade, we realized we hadn't quite prepared them for the 'scary' costumes. Lilly took one look at some kid draped in black cloth (head to toe) with a bloody stump on top of his head and FREAKED. Girlfriend had to come back to the house and ran upstairs insisting that she'd rather go to bed than participate in Halloween. It was so sad, but after some coaching, she rallied. With her daddy by her side, she braved the neighborhood again. The grandpas' recounted a couple of times having to cross the street to avoid the "scary" guys". Luckily, we had no long-term side effects of the trauma.

Addy was a doll and told anyone who asked that her Ga Ga Jody had made her costume. She has a new-found love of NERDS and I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing as she eats them one-at-a-time, so a mini box can occupy her attention for up to 30 minutes. She adored watching the older kids and idolize our neighbors, so any holiday that means she spends time with them, she's on board!

Enjoy the pictures!

Lilly on the hayride

A wind-blown Addy on the hayride

Braving the big-hill slide at a park nearby during the twins club picnic

Mom's turn!

Addy-layered and ready to go! (it was a chilly Halloween night in Indiana!)

Lilly-ready to fill her bag!

First stop: GiGi's and Wild Bill's house (great-grandparents)

Grandpa Dave, Grandpa Ian, Ga Ga Linda, Ga Ga Jody, Daddy, his chicken & his egg!

Birthday Party (check!)

Now that my 3-year olds totally believe that birthdays can span a month, I think we are done! We hosted their party at a Splash Park this weekend and it worked out great because it had to be nearing 100 degrees outside! The kids had a blast while most of the grown-ups sweat. We ordered invitations from Cards with Care, sandwiches from Jimmy John's, cakes from Pat-A-Cake's Bakery and mom celebrated after bedtime with wine from Tasteful Times (opening this week--more on that to come!).

Pretty cute theme for twins if I do say so myself...

Not much decorating at a splash park (bonus)

Birthday girl Lilly--this was the first year we sang to them each individually and they were both hams!

Goofy Addy, never quite as easy to photograph!

They are getting pretty brave with the fountains

Always fearless Addy!

We love celebrating with friends--thanks to everyone who came!

We also like to flirt...

Grandma Linda & Grandma Jody helped a ton--thank you!

We hung out with Uncle's Jon's girlfriend, Maggie--who A & L ADORE!

Mommy and Addy

Family picture--bring on year 3!