Spring Break 2013

Our spring break has consisted mostly of Elena's spring break. She gets almost two weeks!

Last weekend we went to visit the Easter Bunny at the mall. This is our first visit to the Easter Bunny. They have not been interested in seeing Santa and most large costumed figures scare them. It did take Elena three different times to sit on the bunny's lap. Our first set of pictures was Maren only. Once Elena decided, she was ok, but we had to visit several times in between walking around the mall. While I did a little shopping, Kirk took them to look for toys. They could not find anything at this mall, so the escalator had to suffice... thirteen times!

They were super excited to put on their dresses and get dressed up.

March 23, 2013

The next day we went to pick up Meme in Rockford. We had a little lunch at the mall (this time there were some toys) and drove back home. How great to have her here all week while Elena is off school. I even got some real naps in this week!


Maren has not napped regularly since October. This has resulted in a lot of late afternoon meltdowns... or naps like this one! A 4:00 trip to Trader Joe's... we are three minutes out of the driveway and I turn around and she is asleep in the carseat. I had to stop going anywhere in the afternoons for a while because she would always fall asleep. I forgot about this and had to go to the store. Same as previous times, she falls asleep so hard she did not wake up. If she does, she is one grumpy little girl! Not worth it! So I put a blanket in the bottom of the shopping cart and laid her down in it. She did wake a little, I readjusted her for comfort, and she slept through our short trip. She woke at the check-out.



Wednesday, we took a trip to another suburb not too far away with a carousel. Pay one price, ride till they close if you like! Of course, a great time!

 Elena, Meme and Maren

 



Elena, Me, Maren

 

 

 



Enjoying themselves even on the swan bench

We returned our leased car to the dealership yesterday. Elena keeps saying: "Papa is going to miss his car." They had to go with us and ride in the car one last time. Could never have imagined having one car living in Phoenix. But many things are within walking or biking distance here. Kirk will walk or bike to the train station, which he enjoyed doing today for the first time in 4+ months. We will miss that car; I loved driving it and I drove A LOT of miles... all over the valley while working weekends over the last two years. It was a good car. Murphy's law: somebody ran into Kirk in the parking lot at the train station yesterday after work, just hours before we were to return it! Luckily it was minimal damage and it should be able to be buffed out. No dent, just scratches.

Bye Red Car!

 

 

And, no, it was not warm! But these little girls are so ready for summer and so done with coats and winter clothes! 

This Week

I have been amazed watching Elena's drawings and writing lately. She loves to paint, and this is what she came up with late last week.

 

Beautiful!

 

 

 

 

Last Saturday we headed into the City to the Chicago Food Festival. Not sure what we would expect, but we ended up really enjoying ourselves. Why not, with samples everywhere and great food. Kirk said it was all my kind of people - the crunchy kind! I have to admit, I was in my favorite sort of environment and even came home with a button that said: "Just say NO to GMO!"

 

There were not a lot of kid-centered events, but it was very family-friendly. They had fun just walking around and trying all the samples! They had popcorn and a gingerbread cookie made by some French nuns, plus lunch, so they were quite happy. And tired! They actually both fell asleep on the way home, which gave Kirk and I chance to drive around a bit and explore a new village not too far from where we live now.

Preschool is no big deal anymore. She runs right in and finds something to do. "Bye, Mom!"

is my cue and I know she is ready for me to go. She used to cling to me. Now it only takes a minute after she washes her hands to let me know she is fine.

March 20th

We are ready for spring! Where is it???

Still waiting for spring!

They know it is time... Lanie even ate her lunch outside.

 

 

But here are the first signs, so it cannot be too far away.

 

 The tree in the front yard is even budding. This is so neat to me. I feel like a kid again as I have not

experienced a real spring in 12 years. Arizona spring is about 2 weeks, it seems. I am looking forward to watching everything come out of hibernation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today went to the Children's Museum. The longest we have ever spent at anything, like this, I believe. I just did not feel like staying home today so we went and stayed. I think we went to the face painting table three times. We saw a baby chick hatch and played in the library, the nursery, the sandwich shop, and many things more than once. They never even asked to leave until I suggested it. It wore them out. But they did great. We even did a square dance lesson.

 

 

What We've Been Up To

The prediction is for another inch or so this weekend, but two weeks ago today we went sledding with close friends at a park near our house. Right now all the snow is gone.

 

Maren - Just too cute in her shades

 Kyla pulling Lanie back up the hill



 Lanie pulling Maren up the hill



It was a very nice, sunny day and they all ended up taking their winter coats off.

 

 

Before we went sledding, this was what Lanie and Maren were doing:

 

Do ya think we are ready for spring??!!

 

 

 

The first weekend of March, Nick and Valerie and Danny came to visit from Des Moines. Our first friends to come visit! We had dinner one night, went to the Children's Museum the next day and had breakfast at our house Sunday before they left.





 

 

 

 

 

 

And we have been spending a lot of time playing dress up lately... in swimsuits pretending to go to the beach, in leotards going to dance class, in our halloween outfits. We being Elena and Maren, not me! We have been spending a lot of time inside lately. These pictures are from March 11 & 12.

 Now is that a classic "Say CHEESE" or what!

 

 

 Helloooo, Hollywood! What is that grin?!

Maren always wears her sunglasses upside-down.

 

 

Sweet girl, sweet pose

 

 

Serving up some coffee and pizza

 

 

 

Elena and Extend the Day

Today was a little bit of a difficult day for me. Not for Elena or Maren, of course! Not anything that I should freak about, but it was still a first! Elena starting preschool last fall was a huge transition. A very difficult transition and it took a long time for her to be comfortable there. In the last few months she has still been telling me that she does not want to go to school, that she wants to stay home with me and Maren. However, last week Michael's mom told me that she was planning to enroll him in the Extend the Day program where the kids go to the basement and play in the mat room, have lunch, do a craft and then play in the dance room with Ms. Debbie after her morning preschool is finished. I told Elena about this when she asked me what we were talking about. Ever since then, she has been asking to go, too. I told her I would talk to Kirk. She did not forget. She did not forget that it was Wednesdays. She told me this morning that Papa said that it was ok. She got herself ready for school in record time. Socks, shoes, coat and all. She had made her own sandwich when I came downstairs from getting dressed. She packed it in her backpack and even helped Maren get her coat. She got in the car and buckled herself in. These are all things that she usually needs a lot of coaxing to do... getting out the door is not easy in the mornings.

Today she was ready

Not always easy to get pictures of Elena as she is rarely still so this is a little fuzzy.

But I was in awe.

Once we got to preschool she told Miss Diane that she was doing the afternoon class. Maren got in the sand table and it took me awhile to get her to leave. When I did, I told her to tell Ms. Kristie and Ms. Diane goodbye, and she turned around and told each of them separately, goodbye. Ms. Diane says she is ready for preschool and it would seem so!

Maren playing allowed me to watch Elena a little bit. She sat right down next to Michael at a craft table and started coloring. Kailey, another little girl in her class, asked her, "Can you write your name, Lanie?" "Yes. See." Elena picks up a marker and writes her name. She has been working on her name for a while and she asked me two days ago if I would help her with her "Ns". So we worked on it for about five minutes yesterday and she sat right down this morning and wrote this.

Once we got home, she seemed to go back and forth about whether or not she liked the afternoon program. She asked if I could stay with her next time, she asked if I could come back and walk her to the basement, she asked if she could bring her lunch in her cupcake purse next time. She asked if I signed her up for next week. She said she did not want to go back because there are too many kids in the class. (There are several kids from a 4-5 year old class, too.) She said going to school was the best part of her day today. She has actually said that for the last week-and-a-half. (We usually ask each other at dinnertime what were the best and least favorite parts of our days.) Overall, I think she likes it. And if Michael starts going, she will be all-in!

I have to mention a few more funny things she said to me today. First, this morning she asked me why she does not have a pretty name like Maren. "I want my name to be Maren." I am not sure where this is coming from and she brought it up again tonight at bedtime. I told her that she has a beautiful name and that I chose her name for her long before she was born. I also told her what her name means: Light. She stopped talking about it, but I remember many of the names that I wished I had, too. But it did not begin at age 4!

Another thing she has stated a few times lately is: "I have 3 Es, 2 Ns, 2 As and 2 Ls in my name." She is taking "Lanie" and "Elena" and counting the letters. Where this came from, I do not know. But it amazed me.

Tonight at bedtime, I was laying next to Elena in her bed and she kept asking for the little ladybug that lights up. She and Maren take turns keeping it for the night. Elena: "Why does Maren have the ladybug?" (She knew it was her turn.) "Because you have me." "Oh." I cannot get in bed with Maren; she is still in her crib. "But, Mom, you don't light up." I laaaaughed. She giiiiiggled. "You are not a ladybug, Mom. You are a people. You are a kid. You don't light up." Oh, LanieBird. You do!

Elena's Fourth Birthday Party

Elena's Fourth birthday party was on Saturday, Feb. 16th. We made the cupcakes for her party the morning of her party. Elena often does not like her picture taken so here she is being silly and covering her face as we were making cupcakes in jammies. Kirk is in the background.

And here is Maren enjoying the cupcake batter, lemon and vanilla.

 

Maren on the carousel at Chuckie Cheese with her empty cup. More tokens, please!

 



 

On the left is Kyla, with Maren behind her. My friend, Colleen, is standing in the middle of the picture holding her little boy Gunner. Her daughter, Delilah, is on Elena's right side. 

 

That is Christy, Kyla's mom, on the left with me behind her. You can see Elena and Michael,

a boy in her preschool class.

 

 

Here are Cousin Jennifer, Bob, and Grandma.

 

 

I hardly saw Elena the whole party, which really made me sad. It was hard to talk to everyone, and I was with Maren most of the time. I had to include this picture of Michael, because Elena LOVES Michael! Now, I am not sure if this is a crush or she just thinks he is pretty great, but she played with Michael almost the entire time. She told Papa to go away, and she went around playing games with Michael and his mom. He felt like she was on a date! She once told me she likes him because they are about the same size. Her preschool teacher says they play very well together. I think it is sweet and fun that she thinks so much of this little boy. He was the only child from her preschool class that she wanted to invite.

 

 

These pictures are after the party, back at home. A rare moment of Elena and Maren giggling and laughing together without anyone crying! I had to get a picture of this. 10 minutes later, they were fighting over Elena's birthday gifts. Ah, sisters! 

What a great smile! Both so happy.

 

It was a great party and Elena is already planning who she will ask to her party next year. I just hope we can persuade her to do it somewhere a little quieter and calmer than Chuckie Cheese! Please!

Unckie Beth

A few more pictures from the day Beth arrived, February 14th.

 

Beth got to watch Little Einsteins with them.

 

Sharing Valentines

Father/Daughter Dance

 

Kirk, Elena and Maren attended their first Father/Daughter dance at the Howard Leisure

 Center through the Niles Park District on February 1st. Unfortuately, it did not start until

7 p.m., so they were quite antsy to get there and exhausted once they got there. Maren actually spent the first half hour asleep on Kirk's shoulder, something she has not done in a

long time! She woke up and joined in the fun and dancing, though. They were the youngest ones there by far, according to Kirk, but they had a great time and came home with all kinds of goodies given to them by the dance committee. They looked so cute in their dresses and they both agreed to have their hair done like cousin Sophia did when we all went to see Santa Claus when we were in Phoenix in December.

I am excited to have this be a yearly tradition.

 

 

 

 

 

What a fabulous memory!

Dream Night

 

I suppose the last time Kirk and I went out and got this dressed up was a wedding.

So it was very much fun for us to do this, and just the two of us! Elena and Maren

got to stay home with a new baby-sitter.

This was what is called Dream Night, and is a yearly event for Independent Business

Owners put on through a part of our business support. We had a great time!

 

 

January 12, 2013