Updates

• It's been a long couple of weeks at school.  We have been in the throes of state testing, and it just is so exhausting.  It's a lot of work for the teachers who prepare and test the students, and a lot of work for the teachers in grade levels that don't test ... keeping kids academically engaged, entertained AND totally quiet while short staffed is no easy task.  Every year about this time, I say that I think someone from the almighty legislature should have to be at a public school on a testing day to see the impact it has on a campus, especially the kids, but - alas - nobody way up there asks my opinion on the matter.  We're almost through it now, so that's a good thing.
• Steve is headed to KCMO this weekend for Isaac's bachelor party.  The girls and I have big plans: swimming lessons, a stop at Carter's for some new summer duds (and, hopefully, dresses for Auntie's rehearsal dinner), and pita pizzas.  The forecast is calling for really bad storms on Sunday here and in KC, so I'm hoping Steve is able to fly home.  
• I deactivated my Facebook account.  I had been thinking about it for a while, and then just woke up the other morning and took action.  Although I enjoyed keeping up with some people on it, overall it was too much of a time suck for me, and the bulk of the posts weren't important to me anyway.  We'll see if I miss it.
• Ever since we watched "Mama Mia" over and over in Florida, Sara has been obsessed.  We watched it a couple more times when my parents were here last weekend, and they bought Sara her own copy.  Tonight at dinner, she was serenading us with "Dancing Queen."  I loved her version: "...feel the beat on the trampoline."  It's 100% logical to a 5-year-old.
• Remember when I wrote about the cloth wallpaper that was on the walls in the entryway?  We tore it down a while ago, and finally got around to painting the area.  It's gray, with a blue-ish tint.  It looks great, and while I was sure that painting the entryway would put the painting bug in me, it hasn't.  So for now, everything else will stay beige.
• My sister-in-law has a friend who makes wreaths, and she sent me a super cute one in our favorite Cyclone colors.  I love it, and found the perfect spot for it in our family room.

• Our neighbors across the street just sold their house in about thirty seconds.  I'm really hoping the buyer has kids.
• Emma's speech is really coming along.  She still signs a lot, but says the words as she signs.  She is consistently saying please, thank you, no (her favorite, with lots of inflection), balls, color, blankies, night-night, up, babies, bottle (for water bottle), hi, bye, brush teeth, potty ... and she's been putting some words together here and there.  She still has a lot of growing to do, but she's making solid  progress. Emma's still just a little bit, just now wearing 18 months clothes (although a lot of the 12 month stuff still fits, too).  She has a big, cheesy laugh that makes us all happy.  Also, she has no idea that she is 19 months and pretty uncoordinated ... she copies everything Sara does and it makes me nervous all the time.
• Both girls are enjoying their gymnastics classes at our new gym.  It's much closer to home and (not to brag) it's where Nastia Liukin and Carly Patterson trained before winning gold at the Olympics.  That's not why we go there ... but it's a pretty fun fact, don't you think?  If nothing else, the girls are building strength and endurance, and those things will come in handy forever.  So as long as they are enjoying gymnastics, we'll keep it up.
• Sara is learning subtraction, which she calls "distraction", at school.  I hope that is not an indication of how she'll feel about math forever.  She's pretty good at it, though, so there is some promise.
• Last night for dinner, Steve made eggplant sandwiches on sourdough bread.  They were delish.  If you're not an eggplant person (or don't think you are), I highly recommend it.  We've had it sauteed, grilled, and baked ... and it's always good.
• "American Pie" is on TV.  It's fifteen years old.  Everything in it is totally irrelevant.  How can that be?  Do you feel sufficiently old?  I do.  On that note, the updates are over.  Happy weekend, friends.
  

Wordless Wednesday

Egg-cellent Easter Weekend

Just over a week ago, my parents left Florida and hit the road back to Minnesota for the summer.  We were lucky that they chose to take the long way through Dallas.  The girls were thrilled to have them here for a few days, and their visit coincided with Good Friday, which was a work holiday for me.  We played at the park, had a picnic by the pool, and enjoyed the beautiful weather.  My mom and I got away for a bit on Saturday to do some shopping (hello, Nordstrom shoe section) while Todd, Steve, Sara and Emma braved the pool (they were all in the hot tub by the time we got home)!  We spent a lot of time on the back porch enjoying beverages - select cold ones straight from FL - and bonding.  I love this pic Grandpa captured of the girls. 

 And of course we dyed eggs.  Every time someone referred to "dyeing" the eggs, Sara clarified that we weren't killing them.  Ugh, English language.

 Emma had very blue hands by the time we finished, but she sure loved being part of the action.

 After an egg hunt and breakfast here on Sunday morning, Grandma and Grandpa left to continue their journey home.  Then the four of us headed to Mamas and Papa's house for continued Easter celebrating.  The girls had a good time hunting for more eggs and eating corn on the cob.  Here they are in their sweet polka-dots.

 Even though the clouds rolled in, we enjoyed the warm weather and mango margaritas out front while the girls colored with sidewalk chalk.  It's all fun and games until someone face plants in the fresh pink chalk, isn't that right?!

 Uncle Bark came to the rescue, but shortly after this incident, it was home to bed for us.  You know it's been a busy weekend when, despite all the sugar, your kid sleeps for 13 hours straight on a Sunday night and then is back in bed before 7:00 on Monday night.  It was special to be able to celebrate with both sets of grandparents this Easter.  Now if I could just step away from the chocolate ...

Book Talk

I have recently read three books worth recommending...

Beautiful Ruins takes place between 1960s Italy and current day Los Angeles.  It's a total love story (but real love, not just sex-love), and a story about what could have been for the characters involved.  Very well written, and difficult to put down.

 If you haven't read The Rosie Project yet, it's time ... it's about Don Tillman, a genetics professor who studies autism and aspergers, who hasn't identified the disorder in himself, and who turns everything in his life into a scientific project.  This tactic tends to work for him until he meets Rosie, someone who defies logic.  If you know or work with anyone on the spectrum, you have to read this book; you will - without a doubt - identify someone you know in Don.

A Long Way Down is about four strangers who meet on a London rooftop on NYE, where they all plan to commit suicide.  They don't, of course, so this is the story of how their lives intertwine and unfold in the aftermath.  At times I loved the story, and at other times I could have walked away; in the end, though, it was worth the read. 

"My test of a good novel is dreading to begin the last chapter."

Thomas Helm

Wordless Wednesday

 

finally

It happened ... finally ... I put my money where my mouth is and bought a new car!  I've mentioned in plenty of posts my frustration with the Trailblazer, which needed a repair practically every time I turned around.  When, on Friday morning, I had to drive to work with the brights on because the headlights refused to work, I told myself, enough is enough.  And this time I meant it.

Saturday after swimming lessons we headed to the Chevy dealership and selected a new Traverse.  It's the first brand new car I've ever had, and I love it!  Finally, I have a car that tells me the temperature outside and which direction I'm headed.  High class, I know.  Oh, and the speedometer works, so that's a huge perk, too.  It's a total upgrade in so many ways.

Here I am, a happy new car owner!

 

When I began researching cars, I was looking for models with third row seats.  If my track record is any indication, I'll have this one for a while, and I know I'll want the seating space in the coming years.  I just couldn't get myself to go for the ultra practical and spacious minivan, but the Traverse felt like a really great happy-medium.  It seats eight, and even with the third row up, there is a good amount of cargo room in the trunk. We've had good luck with Chevy, and I think this will be another great car.

Yesterday morning when I ran to Target, I learned about a major downside of having a new car: with the old one, I'd swing into any old spot, even next to the cart corral if that's what was available.  Now, though, I'm looking for a spot in no-man's-land in hopes that nobody will park beside me and ding my doors.  This was only a slight issue yesterday because it was pouring rain, but Emma and I parked far away and just made a run for it.  This morning when it was time to leave, we walked into the garage and Sara said, "This will be our first day driving to school in our new car!"  When your five year old cares about what she's riding in, I guess that means our purchase was necessary ... if not way overdue.