On the horizon......VACATION!!!

Mike and I just booked our first EVER kid-free destination vacation!!

We never had a honeymoon, or any other pre-kid vacations before Abby arrived (well, we did Hawaii when I was pregnant with Abby for 3 days when the boat pulled into port there, but little umbrella drinks aren't quite as fun when you are sober; so this will be a VERY different experience for us!)

We are staying at the Sheraton Maui for 5 nights the last week of June.

We needed to get it done before Mike starts school that next week in July, and Abby starts Kindergarten the first week of August! 

Its a 9 year overdue honeymoon, and some much needed R&R for Mike and I after him being gone 9 of the last 12 months........and moving on top of it all.

Just couldn't contain my excitement any longer! So we will be unavailable June 25-30th!!

CHEERS!!! I have to practice......we will be saying that a lot on this trip!

March Recents.....

Clearly I'm in full single-parent mode......when you start to see group postings of my photos!!

We are over the one month mark now.....50-ish days to go......and we are COUNTING!!

There is so much going on now....its making my days/weeks go by faster (in my head....) so I'm 100% fine with crazy right now! We are in the process of renting the house, planning for the movers and finding our housing in Monterey! In the next week alone I have the following things going on.....

*Hair appt for me!

*Garage door repair man here

*Abby has bday party to attend

*Easter at friends house

*Moving company goods inspection here

*Chimney cleaning company here

*Abby's allergy doctor appt

.........and its spring break as of this Friday......so we are all home.....yippee!!!!

See, busy=time flies! That's how you have to keep things on deployment.....MOVING FORWARD!

 Sometimes we lay on the couch like this (I used to do this ALL the time as a kid so it makes me laugh that she does it too!)

 We smile A LOT......and they request photos ALL THE TIME!!!

 They have silly lunch dates together

 She sticks out her tongue A LOT more than she should! Stinker!!

 And they pose whenever they can!

 And when you ask to take one kid's photo, the other (little) insists on hers too,

 as cheesy as it may be!

 Again, you photograph one, and the other demands!!

 They love being TOGETHER!!

So I guess I've done a good job for 3 years!

As stubborn as she can be, Maddy is a good little sister and enjoys being bossed around at times!

(Well, when its good for her :)

 

There is a LOT of giggling going on in this house lately.....goofiness and giggles and sisterly creativity. Saturday they were able to go outside and run free. I will miss our house/yard, even without the pool they love to be out back and entertain themselves....somehow leaves and sticks become new objects of their making!! For hours!!!! 

Flat Stanley's Visit

Abby's class is doing "Flat Stanley"! Its a first for her!

So he came to stay with us for a week. We documented a few things he did with Abby.

I sent the photos into class, and she will get to share them with her classmates soon!

Recent KID Videos

SOMERSAULTING FUN

Maddy attempted her first sommersault yesterday (with success!!! she's trying all sorts of new things lately).....And so today they wanted to do it together!

 GOOFY LUNCH GIRLS

Yesterday I (mistakenly...) let them eat lunch together at their picnic table in the toy room. In true sister style they enjoyed themselves by cracking each other up! Abby had Maddy laughing and giggling the WHOLE time! After multiple threats I gave up and let them continue the charade!

 DANCE MOVES!

Today we met friends at a local bounce place and they had a X-Box Kinect dance system setup. I told the girls they were too young for it......apparently NOT! When we weren't looking they took right to it on their own accord.

 SHE EATS!!!!

Maddy eating her 3rd helping of corned beef!!

Grandma Donna's Visit

My mom came to visit this past week.....much overdue, and so much fun!

The kids LOVED having her here, and so did I! I got to go to the gym at odd hours I normally don't get to, run errands during nap time, and just not be needed 110% of the day. It was a nice break.

 

 Night before Mom left I made Corned Beef & Cabbage (early, so I wouldn't have to enjoy it solo....) Well to our disbelief, Maddy voluntarily and with NO opposition, ate three HUGE helpings! Weekly food achievements going down in our house!!

While Mom was here she tried, for the first time.....

*Steak (she calls it chicken.....)

*A small piece of shrimp (probably called that chicken too.....)

*Small piece of broccoli (gagged a bit, but overcame it and finished the bite)

*Small piece of cooked carrot (again gagged a bit, but did it)

*Corned beef!! 

To say the least, it was a very successful week of eating!

 We took Maddy for a much overdue haircut

 And since we are leaving the good 'ol South for a while......I had to take mom to her first "Waffle House" experience for breakfast, before we headed to the airport. 

It was a wonderful week together, just the four of us, and we were lucky to have decent weather too!

'Til California.......Officially on the 10 week countdown! I'm not sure if that sounds short or long....

Recents.....

Well we've been busy keeping busy trying to get back into a dad-free routine.......So regular picture taking hasn't hit high on the list of things to do......but here is what the kids have been up to:

 Abby's class celebrated 100 days of school the week before last. It was a whole day dedicated to counting to 100 (which they've been practicing for months; so I'm an expert now too!)

 It's been a VERY cold weekend here. The sun has been out, but the temps have been in the low 40's and with a slight windchill, its just no fun outside. So the girls have been busy entertaining themselves indoors. TOGETHER! Best of friends!

 Miss Madelyn is SLOWLY coming around with her eating habits. Last week she tried (and LOVED) cheese for the first time. No kidding this kid wouldn't eat grilled cheese sandwiches, cheese sticks or anything cheese. Well I let her help me make the grilled cheese, and I offered her cheese on the side, and she has been hooked! Her toddler eating days will soon be behind us. 

Next up on the list....eggs....she's never tried them and screams if you ask her to....so this should be fun. (Maybe I should try eggs for dinner, so its more appropriate for me to have a glass of wine while she screams in protest......)

Daddy Days

 A couple shots of the girls spending quality snuggle time with Mike week before last when he left!

Mommy gets all the snuggles now!