It's a Girl Weekend!

Daddy is off to Vegas so I get the girls all to myself and am (sorry Joe) really happy to have a full weekend alone with them :)  Not that we don't love having daddy around - Lucy bawled when he left and explained to me that "she just doesn't like me" - but I like doing it all by myself and having an excuse to plan some special things for the girls. I mean, if daddy is in Vegas - and both sets of grandparents are somewhere warm - why can't we get a little crazy in Chicago with a trip to the toy store?  I was smart and planned one or two things for each day, in between naps - so we have gymnastics, a possible trip with their cousins to the zoo, swimming lessons, a kiddie concert, plans to go to an indoor playspace on Saturday, doing some easter egg decorating and a trip to Aunt Katie's house on Sunday while I work.  

Here's to a wild weekend :)  

Happy 1st Birthday Leigh!!!

Happy First Birthday Leigh!! 

It is hard to believe it has already been a year - but also hard to believe it has only been a year with Leigh Bear in our lives.  Our family would truly not feel complete, our lives truly not as full without this sweet girl giggling her way through dinner and smiling as Lucy comes down the stairs each morning.  This week was time to celebrate Leigh!

Beth asked me on her bday if I was sad that my baby was already one - and to be honest I really am not.  Although there have been many times that I realize she is no longer a baby, and it makes me sad - like when I realize she will move into her big girl bed in the next year or when I realize we may never buy another bottle again, but I am not sad to finally be at the place where my the girls are laughing with each other, taking baths together, and starting to play together.  Leigh was an amazing, super easy baby, but I love this toddler stage more so really not sad to say goodbye to the baby days.  

Everyone asked me what we did for Leigh's bday, but it wasn't all that eventful because my main goal is always for Leigh to take good naps and be happy - which I guess is what I try to do for both girls every day :)  We of course had a nice family dinner, sang and had cake and opened presents - some new toys, a special book, some bath toys - in typical birthday fashion.  But, it wasn't all that wild because like any mom of a 1-year-old knows, they would rather be home sleeping and playing.  

But, Leigh's party this weekend was fun!!  We were so happy so much family could make it.  Leigh was spoiled with adorable clothes, lots of new toys and a new bookcase - so much that we had a hard time thinking of things to buy her ourselves for her bday.   Thank you SO much to everyone who came to celebrate Leigh's big day!

It's my day!

Party pics

Happy Happy Day Sweet Leigh!!!

End of Feb - We're still surviving here in Chicago

We are so ready for March 1st to arrive tomorrow! I am blaming the winter for two trips to the doctor/Er in the past 2 weeks.  If it wasn't so cold, we wouldn't have been in the house so long that we resorted to making an indoor slide from pillows, which Lucy jumped off of and hit her tailbone, and I wouldn't have needed so many sitters to get things done, which is when Leigh fell down stairs...and fractured her collarbone. Poor girl. But, we are in the home stretch and all surviving.

But, to be honest, as much as we are indoors, we are having a great winter. Lucy had a sleepover last weekend with Nana Kathy and Papa Joe and Abigail and Cailtin - and my parents took them all to the circus.  They're brave. Lucy came home with a giant inflatable dolphin that has been in the bath tub since.  She had a blast and what 3-year-old doesn't love a sleepover?!

In prep for spring, Leigh got her first pair of real shoes - no more fleece boots here!! And Lucy got her first pair of light up shoes, which I guess is a right of passage for an almost-4-year-old.  She picked out bright pink Doc Martins and I decided to point out the crazy colored shoes myself, hoping she would not go with the Docs.  To our surprise, they lit up.  (I just googled "past tense for light because I couldn't remember how to spell it and lite didn't look right. Feeling dumb) A purple balloon, two pairs of shoes, and of course a toy and we were out the door.  So, at least we will be stylish when spring gets here!

Showing off her new shoes!

And Lucy's new kicks


Moping around the ER in her Elmo diaper

We had another full day in the house when we realized one car seat was in daddy's car, so Lucy and I make cookies from scratch - frosting and all 

VDay 2014

I know super delayed, but updating blog pics is not too high up on my priority list these days.  It's actually last.  But, I keep telling myself that I will get better at it when I am a little less busy (which in my mind will happen when I have two kids in school in a few years and have a few hours during the day.)  So, you can all expect that I will upload photos, have an organized closet, have a really organized and updated filing system for documents (so I can find them all in tax season as I can't this year), and cook fabulous dinners in about 3 years.  But, by then I am sure I will back to work and put this all off until retirement. 

The girls had a fun Valentines Day - maybe best ever because we met ABL (my abb for her cousins) at Monkey Joe's and they ran around for hours jumping in bounce houses.  And, it was Aunt Beth's bday.    We then came back to city and had a fun night.  Nana Chris came over to see girls, and watched them so Joe and I could go out for dinner.  The girls got new movies in the treat bags that morning and Lucy has been watching Cinderella ever since.  Leigh got Pinocchio.  They also got all sorts of fun holiday things - streamers to decorate the house, heart straws and books, and got lots of fun gifts from everyone - Aunt Pat, Nanas/Papas, Aunties, and even their babysitter.  We still are playing with most of it.  

Cinderella!!!  A leftover from Santa

Nana Chris came back for a quite second from AZ to visit us!

My first vday bib from Nana Kathy

The three monkeys

The "babes"

Leigh showing off her speed