A Time to Shine

We had the girls' dance recital a few weeks ago and I'm still waiting on the 'professional' video, so I didn't take any video of the day. I did however, remember to record one of their last class sessions. One of the things I LOVE about the studio they take classes at, is that the instructor gives each child a time to shine in her own way. This is illustrated by their 'spotlight' dance at the end of each class. She lets them dance, for as long as they want, all by themselves, while everyone else cheers them on. She ends the dance with a big hug from her and a big hug from mom! Too cute!

I-N-D-I-A-N-A

If you can't beat 'em...join 'em! Go Hoosiers!

Dance Camp-Take 2

We were scheduled for a Back to Nature camp through the Y last week, but it got cancelled, so I scrambled around to find a different camp for the girls since I worked most of the week. A friend was scheduled to attend a different dance studio's "Intro to Dance" camp, so we jumped on board! The girls did tap, ballet, hip-hop and poms everyday and seemed to really like it. They had quite the stage fright during the final performance in the park, but were proud of each other regardless of the outcome. If you have a hard time spotting them in the different numbers, they are typically the farthest away from the other as they can be. It's a long video, so I'm impressed if you make it through and aren't one of the grandmas :-)

Sunday Drive....

I'm not sure there is anything better than the sweet sound of a baby or child laughing. Some days, I find myself going back and watching old videos on the blog of the girls when the were little, laughing out loud, like this one. You just want to bottle it and bring it out on one of those really rotten, no good days. Their laughs have changed and they've become giggly little girls. This videos is one of my favorites as it captures their personalities and their laughs! Enjoy...

Recital 2011

I remember "The Good Ship Lollipop" and "Monster Mash" and "Born in the USA". They were all songs from my recital days. I remember the stage and the lights. I wasn't any good, but it was fun and I remember feeling special. Hopefully, down the road the girls will remember "Alice and Wonderland" and feeling special. Hopefully they won't remember the "costumes with Playboy undertones" that my husband mentioned or that my wise-motherly words right before they went on stage were: "Please don't pick your nose." But, hey, we had lowered our expectations after Recital 2010 .

Jeremy isn't winning any videography awards, they were apart on stage and hard to film, but the pictures are priceless! The bottom-line, they made us so proud!

Interview with Lilly

Hilarious Dance Party

Princess Video

Okay, I know I'm biased, but this is hilarious! We enrolled back in dance class for the fall and the girls LOVE it. Now granted, they take a while to warm up and I think they have my same idea as far as a musical beat, but seriously, could it be any cuter? Be on the look-out for the number of times Lilly tries to hold Addy's hand and Addy totally blows her off. Also, note how difficult it is to spin around without letting go of your friend's hand :-) Enjoy!

Bike Video

So, I couldn't leave the tantrum picture up for too long--here's a video to make your day! Credit given to our neighbors for catching (and encouraging) it!

Guest Blogger-Aunt Cat Visits

Mommy Dearest--Growing up I always felt that, between my sister and me, I was the melodramatic one. My thinking changed during this visit when my sister stopped the car on the side of the road, got out and proceeded to unleash the mommy dearest fury on Addy for taking her seat belt off. This was a Mommy Dearest moment. It wasn't the first or the last I witnessed, a few more occurred during this visit. I adore my nieces, but they do know how to bring out the crazy in people. It's because of the crazy that I started to understand having the Mommy Dearest moments, because, I admit, I had one too.

A & L were fighting non-stop over this awfully loud karaoke-type-toy, accusing each other of taking their turn on the machine. I took the karaoke machine and yelled that I was going to throw it in the trash if they couldn't share. Not my finest "fun aunt" moment, for a minute, I turned into Mommy Dearest. Later in the week, Aimee's friend Jenny visited from North Carolina and shared in the Mommy Dearest moments, threatening to take the car through the car-wash (something the girls hate) if they couldn't behave in the car. Perhaps we all have a little Mommy Dearest inside? Living with 2-year-olds can't be all parks and playgrounds.

All-in-all Aimee & Jeremy have the patience of saints, I'm so impressed for their tolerance for how LOUD this house can get. I love visiting my nieces, but there were certain points during this last visit, I felt like I was on SURVIVOR--more accurately, I felt like I was losing SURVIVOR.

I am a really proud Aunt...the girls are completely potty-trained (accident free during my visit). They are smart, inquisitive, so bright, and, of course, loud. They are amazing swimmers, showing no fear in the water. Lilly is a force to be reckoned with and is so stubborn. I am not sure I'll be visiting during the teenage years--it terrifies me to think about! There is no way Lilly is ever not going to do exactly what she wants when she wants to do it. Anyone who gets in her way--good luck.

Addy is fiercely independent and adventurous. I envy her zest for life! She is the girl who will follow her own path. I'm certain the path will involve a lot of running, dancing and loud music. I "Looooooovvvvveeeee" you both Addy & Lilly and I hope for the sake of your parents' sanity, your terrible twos come to an end soon!

Mommy Resolutions...

The holiday decorations are packed in the attic and we've eaten the last of the leftovers, it's time to ring in 2010. Here are a few Mommy Resolutions for 2010:

1. Find calm in the chaos (I resolved this last year and will probably resolve this every year until retirement)
2. Bribe less, show praise with words more
3. Be more patient with my VERY independent toddlers
4. Bring back date night
5. Stop eating Addy & Lilly's snacks
6. Play in the snow more...

The video is about 4 minutes, so pop some popcorn if you must, and enjoy!

Leave me a comment and share your New Years resolutions! Cheers to you and yours this NYE!

Christmas Caroling....

With still 6 days until Christmas, my girls have broken: 5 ornaments, a stocking hanger, a Santa figurine, a wooden reindeer, 2 snow globes and wripped pages out of 3 holiday books....

And today in Indiana--SNOW! Hope you are enjoying the holiday countdown!

Duck, Duck....Goose?

With all this turkey talk, Jeremy and I decided we'd teach the girls this silly little game the other night. When I stepped away to get the camera, it looked a little like this:

My 2 year-old Lilly

Lilly's post from last year can be read here and to be honest, a lot of her personality characteristics have remained the same. She is most certainly my talker and only occasionally lets her sister get a word in between her outbursts. Riding in the car, she'll sing songs to herself or point and narrate out the window to me. She keeps us honest, like yesterday, I went upstairs and told her mommy was taking a shower, stay and play with daddy. I came down a little later, not still in my pajamas..."Mommy, shower?" was her response. As in, "Get upstairs and do what you said you were going to do Mommy." She's a sponge, wanting to know what to call everything and everyone. A few times each day, we talk about where everyone in the family is...

"daddy?", "Daddy is at work Lilly"

"GaGa Jody?", Grandma is at school teaching the big kids

"GaGa Linda?", Grandma Linda is in Pittsburgh

"Grandpa Dave?", Grandpa Dave is at work

"GaGa Ian?", Grandpa Ian is in Pittsburgh

"Aunt Cat DC?", Yep, honey, Aunt Cat is in DC

"Hide n Seek Joe?", Your uncle Joe is at home

"Uncle Jon?".....seriously, Lilly, there is nothing wrong with your memory, girlfriend....

It's a viscous cycle that happens throughout the day and EVERY night before bed, when we have to go through everybody and say good night. I was NOT prepared to do this at the age of 2. With this, she's also become quite manipulative, quickly figuring out when I say no to snack time or something similar, she can seek out dad and get a different response.

She's still a giggler, loving to laugh and dance. She LOVES to read books, her favorite right now being the Itsy Bitsy Spider which we read at least ten times each day. She loves watching the big kids play outside and yells to them when they get on the school bus each morning. She also loves to talk on the phone (see picture). She isn't the best sleeper, waking first almost every morning and each afternoon nap. She's figured out this is the best way to get alone time with Mom & Dad, so she's working the system for sure. Lilly has happily taken on the role of "big sister" and looks out for Addy much more than Addy looks out for her. If you give her a snack or drink, she'll look for one for her sister and deliver it to her proudly. She also gets very sad when Addy is sad, this is very cute and I wonder if this character trait will stick around.

Lilly eats pretty well, but prefers the toddler diet and will ask for Chicken Nuggets each time we drive by the golden arches. She takes after her daddy and loves a good breakfast-blueberry pancakes are her absolute favorite.

Here's a video of them when they tried on their new pair of "wee-squeak" shoes. They are fun and they love them! When one runs one way and the other another, then I can hear them both! Don't worry, the squeakers can be removed for 'quiet' wear.

Finally, I'll end the post, with her favorite tagline..."Bye-bye, love eww, miss ewww, peace-out"

Mother's Day 2009

These girls have been making me laugh all week, the connections they are making right now are pretty incredible....I'm a lucky mom!

Who needs a "Do Not Call list"?

Tigers to Time-outs?

Grandma Linda came last week to help me out as I got a lot of work done, both for my job and my family! The spring cleaning bug hit me and I got closets organized, clothes and toys organized to sell and more. It was so nice to have her--thank you Ga Ga! We even made it to the zoo last week....

Ga Ga and her peeps at the first zoo outing of the season

"He looks just like my stuffed animal at home--but bigger....way bigger...."--Lilly

Loving the dolphin show and the shark exhibit, we may have a marine biologist on our hands! (Addy)

As we near the 2-year mark, the girls have begun to give me a glimpse of the terrible-twos. I've done time-outs with them for almost a year now, starting when punishing them for biting, pulling hair, etc. Now we try and enforce it for tantrums, throwing toys, running off in public, etc. Mostly things that I consider dangerous or that make mommy need a time-out so I don't lose it. We started giving the time-outs in their crib, lastly only 1 minute. Now, they'll do them just about anywhere and know I mean business. A couple weeks ago, after running away from me Addy did hers on a park bench, I've also done the front door step when they run onto the street when playing in the driveway and our dining room chair has become the timeout seat for the first floor. Here are a few rules I've tried to follow...

1. Be consistent, tell them why they are going in time-out, put them there and when your done explain again, hug/kiss and let them go. If they get up, put them back and set the clock again. If the behavior warrants an apology, make them "say" it, even if they can't say it.

2. Don't use time-out as a blanket threat, if you say they'll get a time-out if they throw a toy again, and they look at you and throw the toy, you need to follow-through (yes, even grandmas)

3. Try to keep a straight face when you go back after a minute and the arms are outstretched and they are ready for the kiss...Pavlovian response? (disclaimer, I was not in the room while filming, arm was going around the corner of the wall, but notice how she looks directly at the camera...can we say drama queen?)

Another funny story...when the girls were in the NICU, Jeremy and I used to sit through feedings and talk about what we thought they'd be like as they got older. One day, I was feeding Lilly and Jeremy was feeding Addy. Jeremy told me that Lilly would be just like her mom and LOVE ketchup on everything. Addy would be the condiment queen, passing on ketchup and using "better" condiments like honey mustard, bbq, etc. (I know, we did a lot to pass the time). As it turns out, Addy is my ketchup queen and reaches over to dip off others' plates if she doesn't have her own. Here's Addy...(we are still working on the deal with Heinz...free ketchup for life?)

Last item for this blog, Brooke tagged me for 7 favorite things (in no particular order)....Lilly's bear hugs, Addy's sloppy kisses, a bubble bath, wine with friends, uninterrupted sleep, Michelle's cupcakes and a back rub from my hubby. (Tags--Mamalouise, Amy Wagner, Brooke Kline)

A Week in Pictures....

"Mom, seriously this spaghetti stuff is AMAZING--can we have this everynight?"

(PS. I'm still scrubbing my walls behind her high chair!)

"I'd prefer not to get messy--you never know who might stop by."

(Lilly--my daughter who if I allowed her to would survive on fruit and Ritz crackers)

"You think we'd get kicked out if we took a little swim?"

(The Three Musketeers (Mallory, Lilly & Addy) at the Children's Museum)

"Girls, let me go first, this could get dangerous."

(JD, looking out for his leading ladies..."

We are as crazy as ever! New favorite words: Addy's is "No" and sometimes she even shakes her finger at me as she says it...delightful. Lilly's is "Buh-bye". She says this to books when she's done, food as she throws it on the floor, everyone she meets, wherever we are--how am I going to teach her that not everyone is her friend!?

And just in case you needed a little belly laugh in your day...

So you think you can dance?

Here are our contestants...

Happy Thursday Everyone!

Happy Inauguration Week!

The week is finally here and history is being made. Aunt Cat is surely in the trenches, relishing in every moment of the week, reminding her why she lives in DC. Lilly says "Cat" now, when we talk about her aunt, so that's fun. This morning, was Addy's first purposeful "Lilly". Both girls have mastered "sissy", so the words are coming! Last night, we perfected our touchdown dance as we cheered on the Steelers to victory! Yes, with the Colts out and IU embarrassing its graduates right now, we've moved on to Steelers and Butler Bulldog fans! (Didn't I admit in a previous post I was a fair-weathered fan?)

We were in hibernation for 3 days last week as temperatures in the state stayed in single digits most of the week. Here's a game we played to burn off some energy. Don't judge, I never had a dog growing up...

Hope everyone else is staying warm! Think thoughts of SPRING!