Mama Likes to Jitterbug

Vacation: Day 2 (Part 2) - "Our Cation House"

Day 2, Part 2 of our vacation was the drive to Lake George, New York and the arrival at our "cation house".  I'm not exaggerating when I say that we could have spent the entire week just hanging out inside our cabin and the kids would have been happy as clams.  It was that fabulous.  My only regret was that I didn't have the video camera rolling when they stepped out of the car.  It was worth every penny spent to see their excitement over the littlest details.  But the smiles on their faces when they discovered their bunkbeds, and a "real TV" in their room, was PRICELESS!!!

Here's the first view we had of our cabin. 

Located right behind it was an AWESOME playground.  It had a putting green, a rock wall, and a gigantic pirate ship.  The best part was that we could just let the kids go out on their own and still keep an eye on them from our bedroom.

 

When we went to the circus earlier this spring, Gracie's favorite act, hands down, was the trapeze show.  So needless to say, she was very excited to have one right in her backyard.  She spent every chance she got practicing her act.

One of my favorite memories from our first night was putting the kids to bed and settling into the front porch rocker with a glass of wine, only to discover that they had locked us out and decided to throw their own party. 

 

 

   

Last but not least, here's the amazing view that we woke up to every morning. 

Vacation: Day 2 (Part I) - Nana & Papa's House

While Gracie and I were finishing up with cheer camp, Steve and Sean headed to Nana and Papa’s house to drop off Steve’s car for some repairs.  The plan was to meet there and then drive over to New York together. While the boys were waiting for us to arrive, Sean spent the afternoon fishing and making a birdhouse with Papa in his workshop. Based on these pictures that Nana took, and the grin that was plastered on Sean's face when Gracie and I finally arrived, I gather he had a pretty fabulous afternoon.

Sean in the shop with Papa.  (Love the work glasses!)

 

 

Carrying the birdhouse outside to put in a tree.  He looks so proud!

  

I think it's funny that Sean insisted on putting his dog, Sophie, up in the tree with the birdhouse.  Guess he thought it needed a guard dog.

All painted and ready for its first occupant.  This was done after we returned from New York (with a lot of help from Nana).

Vacation: Day 1 - Cheer Camp

Our vacation got a delayed start because of Gracie's first weekend of cheer camp at her new gym.  It was two days, four hours each day, and a lot to handle for a 4 year old.  (Even her preschool isn't that long.)  Needless to say, going in, I was extremely nervous about how Gracie would handle 8 hours of cheerleading in one weekend - and how I would manage 8 hours in a windowless parent room - but we both did great.  I was soooooo proud!  She did everything the coaches asked of her, kept up with all of the older girls, and only had a few tears when I went out to the car to grab something and she thought I left her. 

The downside to the weekend was that there's now some uncertainty about whether Gracie will be on a cheerleading team at all next year.  Last year Gracie was a Tiny (ages 4-6).  We left her old gym because I didn't think there would be enough girls returning to have a Tiny team and, at the time, they weren't planning to have a Mini team (ages 5-8).  At her new gym, Gracie tried out and made the Mini Level 1 team.  It was a perfect fit for her.  However, after the first day of camp, the coaches decided to disband Gracie's team and move the kids to various different teams based on their ages and abilities.  Gracie was moved to the Mini Level 2 team - Go Gracie! - but I was told that while she was "beyond the Tiny team", and "had the skills to be on the Mini Level 2 team", there were concerns about her age and whether she would be able to keep up with the pace and choreography of a Level 2 team.  I agree.  The kids on the team are mostly 7-8 years old, and are no joke.  I told Steve that I half-expected Shawn Johnson to walk out on the mat during practice.

The coaches want to watch Gracie over the next month and see how she does at the next work weekend.  At this point, I give her about a 50/50 chance of making the team. She would be the only five year old, and regardless of how good she is for her age, she's still only five (actually 4, going on 5).  After initially being bummed, I'm ok with whatever happens.  I've been feeling a great deal of pressure to choose between cheerleading and competitive gymnastics.  As much as I thought we could do both next year, we can't.  I've come to the conclusion that if she makes the cheerleading team, we'll let her do that, one day of recreational gymnastics, and decide later which one she likes best.  And if she doesn't make the cheerleading team, we'll let her be on the gymnastics team and follow that path wherever it leads us.  Until then, here are pictures of my fabulous little cheerleader at her first day of camp.  So proud!

  

We're Back!

We're finally home from our vacation and back in the swing of everyday life.  What a fabulous week!  It was equal parts relaxing and fun.  And I can't even begin to say enough wonderful things about the place we stayed.  Every time you turned around, it was like something out of a postcard.  And very family-friendly.  I literally have hundreds of pictures to sort through, so I'm planning to do a separate post for each day of our vacation.  Stay tuned. 

The Comedian

One of my favorite things about Sean is his sense of humor.  The kid is hilarious and loves a good laugh.  He's recently discovered the Shel Silverstein book Where the Sidewalk Ends. He carries it back and forth to Isabelle's and makes us read it to him every night before bed.  Two of his favorites:  "Ridiculous Rose" (who ate with her her toes) and "The Planet of Mars" (for the super silly picture that goes with it).  I definitely plan to pick up some of Shel Silverstein's other works the next time I'm at the bookstore.  He's a huge hit in our house right now, especially with a certain little 3 year old boy I know.

 

The Choreographer

When Gracie isn't lining up her dollies and teaching them "la-nastics", she's sitting on top of our kitchen counter, choreographing routines and building pyramids with spice shakers.  She loves doing this. 

   

Preschool Thank You Cards

 

Dear Mr. Joe,

Thank you for taking me to Drumlin Farm and to the bouncy house to play.  Thank you for singing to me and reading me stories.

Love, Gracie

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Dear Ms. Cindi,

Thank you for being nice, giving me food, and for teaching me how to do crisscross applesauce.

Love, Gracie

Video: Gracie's Back Walkover

Here's another video we took on the Flip, and the first one I've ever edited on my own.  It's soooo easy!  Gracie has been working really hard to get her back walkover, so I'm incredibly proud of this clip.  And I love her self-esteem.  I just want to squeeze her when she says,  "I'm the best!  I always do the best things in the world."  Click on the image to view the video.

Video: Father's Day

For Father's Day, we got Steve a Flip Mino.  It's a handheld video camera that fits in your pocket and plugs right into your computer.  I was most impressed with how easy it is to edit videos and upload them to the internet.  Click on the image below to view the video we made and sent to Steve's dad.  I especially love when Sean says, "Happy Father's Day Papa.  Will you take me fishing?" 

 

  

Gym Show

Gracie had her end-of-year gymnastics show on Saturday.  The show lasted over three hours and was standing room only.  Gracie surprised me by sitting with her team through the entire thing and watching the other kids.  It was evident just how much she loves gymnastics.  And when it was her turn to go, she was absolutely beaming.  They put the medal around her neck, and I'm pretty sure she thought she won the Olympics. 

 

 

Nature vs. Nuture

If there’s one thing I can say since becoming a parent, particularly the mom of a boy and a girl who are about as close in age as you can get without being twins, it’s that I have a greater appreciation for the arguments of 'Team Nature' in the whole nature vs. nurture debate.  It’s interesting to me to see the different things that Gracie and Sean gravitate toward, even though there’s not necessarily a difference in the way we’re raising them. 

I’ve been thinking about the whole nature vs. nurture thing recently because of Sean’s newfound interest in guns.  I can’t think of any particularly violent shows that he watches, or even how he would have learned about them, but he loves to run around shooting things and pretending to “make them dead”.  After a little internet reading, I’ve come to the conclusion that most people seem to agree that it’s a normal, universal interest for a boy his age.  This was confirmed over the weekend when Sean had a friend over for a play date.  At first, it didn’t seem like the two of them were going to have much in common, but once Sean showed his friend his gun, they spent the remainder of the date running around shooting stuffed animals*.  I could tell that Gracie felt a little left out of the action, since she has no interest in guns, but she wasted no time pulling out her medical kit and nursing everyone back to health.

*  I did have to laugh at the fact that Sean would not let his friend shoot any of his favorite stuffed animals.  Only the ones that previously belonged Gracie.

Mail

Sean spent his weekend making pictures for friends and asking me to help him mail them.  It was adorable to see how genuinely interested he was in learning how to address the envelope, where to place the stamp, and how the whole process of getting it delivered worked.  While most of his letters ended up hidden in my pocketbook, I couldn't help but (pretend to) send at least one for him.  I loved seeing the look on his face Sunday morning when he ran outside to check the box and discovered that the letter was gone.  And a secret stop by Isabelle's early Monday morning was all it took to secure an equally excited reaction when he watched her open her mail that afternoon.  When I picked him up, he was so excited to tell me that it had worked.  "The mail worked!"  Love him!  And his adorable little handwriting, which he's getting so good at.

 

Emily's Birthday Party

Last weekend we went to a birthday party for Gracie and Sean's cousin, Emily.  I look forward to this party every year because it's with family, it's very laid back, and the weather is almost always beautiful.  On the way home, Steve and I were commenting that this year's party was particularly nice because, for the most part, we could just let the kids run around and enjoy themselves without much supervision.  They are FINALLY getting to that age where you don't have to watch them every single second.*  Loving that! 

Favorite memories from the day, according to Gracie and Sean:

1.  The outdoor gym set.  I'm amazed at how well Gracie knows how to pump herself into the air.  It's pretty much as high as the swing will go.  She likes getting to the point where her bum will actually lift off the seat.  It scares the bejesus out of me.  (And don't even get me going on her "circus tricks".)

2.  Purple sand.  I didn't even know such a thing existed, but the kids loved it. 

3.  The candy-filled pinata.  Sean TOTALLY scored!

4.  Sauce Pizza, which I'd never heard of before moving to New England.  It's also called "Cold Pizza".  The two names pretty much sum it up.  Cold sauce smeared on bread.  Gracie could eat an entire pie in one sitting.  And there are only two places in her world you can get it:  Emily's house and Nana's house. 

5.  The inflatable bouncer and water slide.  Gracie and Sean must have gone down this a hundred times.  And because my lawn chair was parked right at the end, I have about a hundred pictures to prove it.  But this one is my favorite.

* I swear that every time I say that my kids have finally reached the age where we don't have to (fill in the blank), they go and do something to make me eat my words.  Take this weekend, for example.  Sunday morning I was lying in bed trying to catch a few more minutes of sleep when I was awakened by Gracie's muffled voice yelling for Sean to come get her out.  Figuring she was probably just locked in the closet, but also figuring that I should check it out, I walked into Sean's room to find all of the clothes from his dresser dumped out onto the floor, Gracie sitting in the top drawer, and Sean standing in the bottom drawer.  They were "playing bunk beds".  I could have killed them, but apparently I'm not the only one looking forward to our vacation!

The Quiet Game (and other ways we use competitiveness to our advantage)

Sean has a wicked competitive streak.  He'll do almost anything if there is a winner declared or a prize at stake. Recently, Steve and I have found ways to use this competitiveness to champion our own causes, and I must say, I'm rather proud of our parental ingeniousness.  Take the Quiet Game, for example.  Sean would go days without speaking just to win that game.  He almost never loses.  Even when so much time has passed that I forget we're playing and slip up and talk, he'll remember and be sure to point out to everyone that I'm the "LOSER!"  (Obviously we're still working on the whole sportsmanship thing.)  But this game comes in incredibly handy when the kids are in the back seat of the car bickering.  We've also invented The Pajama Race, The Get in Bed Race, The Get Under the Covers Race, and The Sleeping Race.  As a result, there are no fights or tears at night, just one little boy who is incredibly efficient and happy about going to bed.

Decisions

ACCKKKKK!!!!!  Why does this feel like the month of big decisions?  None of which I want to make.  Tonight after Gracie's gymnastics class, I was pulled aside and informed that the owner of the gym personally selected Gracie to (skip two levels of the Beginner Pre-Team classes and) be on the gym's  "Pre-Team".  Gracie's current coach thinks she's still a little young, and I agree, but apparently the gym owner feels otherwise.  Upon hearing the news, I couldn't help but feel a little like what I imagine the parents of those young Chinese gymnastics must feel like.  (Well, except for the fact that Gracie still gets to live with us and we still have to foot the bills.)  There's an immense feeling of pride in knowing that your child has been recognized for having potential, but also sadness in thinking about what your child (and family) might have to sacrifice in order to realize that potential.  

I know I'm probably waaaay over-analyzing all of this, but I can't help but feel that joining this team could be a first step down the long, expensive, time-consuming path of competitive gymnastics.  And do we really want that for our daughter?  Some of these kids are at the gym 5-6 days a week, for up to 4 hours a day.  The cost can be in excess of $20,000 a year, and the best most can hope for in the end is a strong work ethic and a college scholarship. 

If we do decide to let Gracie join the Pre-Team, we are going to have to do some serious shuffling of our schedules to make everything work.  I'm not ready to have to choose between cheerleading and gymnastics, especially when Gracie is so young and still isn't old enough to decide for herself.  If you ask her, she'll tell you she wants to do both.  Of course!  If Gracie didn't absolutely looooove gymnastics, then I wouldn't hesitate to pass up this opportunity, keep her in recreational gymnastics, and let her decide later on.  But she does love it, and we're fortunate enough to live close to one of the best gymnastics programs in the Northeast.  

For what it's worth, Steve HATES gymnastics!  He thinks the girls look miserable.  He's definitely pushing for cheerleading, but I'm just not ready to make the decision yet.  Cheerleading would certainly be easier (and cheaper), and of course it's what *I* love, but I still can't help but feel that deep-down, gymnastics is really where Gracie's heart is at. 

Ugh!  Decisions.

The Latest: Sean

Not so much a 'latest thing', as just a 'Sean thing', but I'm continually amazed at his ability to break things.  Steve and I are always saying that he has the anti-Midas touch.  I'm honestly at a loss for words when it comes to describing how quickly and effectively he can destroy the most unlikely objects.  I need to start making a list so I can remember everything we've had to fix, throw away, or replace.  It's literally almost anything Sean touches.  I'm just hoping that one day this unfortunate ability will be redirected and we can look back and say it was just the early signs of a great engineering mind at work.  Dear Lord, please let me be able to say that.

The Latest: Gracie

Gracie's latest thing involves taking on a new personality and making people address her by a different name.  We've gone entire days calling her Jackie, Emily, Courtney, Julie, or Tiffany.  Today I actually overheard her telling a complete stranger that her name was Gabriella and her brother's name was Troy.  LOL!  What I find interesting is that, most of the time, Gracie's alter ego is able to do something she's afraid of, or not able to do.  And she's almost always older.  I've been trying to prepare Gracie for an upcoming cheerleading camp where I won't be able to stay in the parents room or help her use the restroom (she's still DEATHLY afraid of public toilets).  So yesterday she told me her name was Julie, she's eight, she has a baby sister named Lauren, and her mom doesn't go to cheerleading practices.  Obviously she's working through some fears and inhibitions, but Steve and I are just hoping we don't get a call from her preschool teacher, cheer coach, or god forbid school counselor asking if there's something wrong with our daughter Jackie, Emily, Courtney, Julie, Tiffany, Sybil, Gracie.

Number 6

Just as I predicted, it's nearly the end of Tball season and Gracie is pretty much over it all.  She likes to bat - and is surprisingly REALLY good at it - but spends her entire time in the outfield doing cartwheels and handstands.  And Sean, who missed the cutoff and was not age-eligible to be on the team, is now a regular member of the roster.  Everyone cheers his name when he gets up to bat, and he even has his own hat and jersey.  The day his coach dropped his shirt off at Isabelle's, he came running to the door screaming, "Mama, I'm number 6!  I'M NUMBER SIX!"  He loves baseball, and his excitement about being on a "real" team is just too cute for words.

 

Dollies

Gracie has never been one of those kids to sit and play with a toy for any length of time.  Other than gymnastics and jumping on her trampoline, there's not much that holds her attention for more than a few minutes.  However, recently she's been spending a lot of time playing with her dollies.  Or her "la-team", as she calls them.  I'm amazed at how long she will sit in her room lining them up, naming them, posing them, and teaching them (gymnastics, of course). 

 

Interview with Gracie & Sean

1. What is something your mom always says to you?    I love you.
2. What makes your mom happy?    When I clean my room.
3. What makes your mom sad?    Not giving kisses.
4. How does your mom make you laugh?    Farts.  And silly faces.
5. What was your mom like as a child?    Like me.
6. How old is your mom?    More than 5.
7. How tall is your mom?    Medium.
8. What is your mom's favorite thing to do?    Go to work.
9. What does your mom do when you're not around?    Party.
10. What is your mom really good at?    Cleaning.
11. What is your mom not very good at?    Fixing things.
12. What does your mom do for her job?    Checks her computer. 
13. What do you and your mom do together?    Play toys.
14. How are you and your mom the same?    We're family.
15. How are you and your mom different?    We're small, she's medium.
16. How do you know your mom loves you?    She sleeps with us.

Day Trippin': Hampton Beach, NH

Going to the beach today was entirely Gracie and Sean's idea.  Even though the water was absolutely freeeeeeezing, they didn't seem to mind.  Everyone was just happy to be outside enjoying the beautiful weather.

 

 

 

 

Memorial Day Weekend

Most of our Memorial Day Weekend was spent at home just relaxing, soaking up the beautiful weather, and finishing the last bit of spring cleaning we had on our list.  We did manage to sneak away on Saturday to renew our Six Flags season passes and spend the afternoon riding rides and watching shows.  And even though I decided to leave my camera at home so I could enjoy the rides, I couldn't help but pull out my phone for a few pictures to remember our day.

 

 

The Rope

Gracie recently informed us that she wants a rope to hang from the ceiling in her room.  I'm almost inclined to give in since I'm tired of screaming at her for climbing up the sides of the doors.  She's been working really hard to become a member of "The Monkey Club" - the group of kids who can climb to the top of the rope at gymnastics.  And she's almost able to do it - she only has about 2 feet to go.  Just so you can see how high the rope is that I'm talking about, here's a picture I took on my phone from the parent's room.  It's no joke.

 

Bittersweet

For Gracie's end-of-year cheer party, I decided to make another wall magnet to give to her teammates.  Last year's magnet hangs in our kitchen and Gracie STILL likes to look at it and talk about all of the girls. 

 

However, making this year's picture was somewhat bittersweet since Steve and I recently made the decision to leave East Elite and have Gracie cheer for another All-Star program.  It might not seem like a big deal, but when you spend so much time at a gym and get to know the families of the other girls on the team, it's hard not to feel attached.  I will definitely miss the friends we've made, but it's something we've been thinking about for awhile, and our decision ultimately came down to doing what we feel is best for Gracie, and our family. 

The new gym is an equal distance from our house, just located in the opposite direction.  So far, everyone has been extremely welcoming, and Gracie (who can be very shy in new surroundings) has already made lots of new friends.  Although one mom informed me that her daughter cried the entire way home last week because "she wasn't the littlest anymore" and "everyone loved Gracie more than her".  I told her that "Littlest" is a title Gracie would gladly give up.  She HATES that everyone keeps calling her little.  I try to tell her it's not a bad thing, but when you're 4 going on 14, apparently it is.

So lots of new changes for us next year.  A new gym.  A new division - Gracie tried out and made the Minis.  New friends.  New uniforms (Red, Black,Gold).  And a new cheer:  "Five years and counting, we're still in the game.  Sparks All-Stars.  Remember the name.  SPARKS!!!"

Blessed

You only have to scroll through a few posts on this blog to realize how incredibly proud I am of my kids.  You get pretty quickly that I think they're beautiful, smart, and talented.  I saw this picture and was reminded that I'm also incredibly blessed.  Above all else, my kids are healthy and happy. 

Video: Gracie Practicing on the Trampoline

We've only had our trampoline a few weeks, but Gracie is already doing front and back flips.  My favorite line from the video: "Next, I'm going to land on my feets."  And of course hearing her say her full name. 

Click on the image to view the video.

Fishing

I learned something about my little city-slickers this past weekend.  They like looooooove fishing.  Who knew?  I think it was Sean who found the Barbie and Spiderman fishing poles at the sporting goods store and convinced Steve that they HAD to have them.  After a quick lesson off our back deck, it was over to the town pond to try the real thing. (Well, sort of.  We decided to have them use casting plugs, rather than a hook.  But it didn't take them long to figure out that they weren't going to catch much more than seaweed without bait.)  I was amazed at how quickly they got the hang of casting and reeling.  And at how long they wanted to stand there and do it.

Needless to say, getting them to leave didn't go very well.  Gracie informed us that we were "breaking her heart", and it was "the most horrible day ever".

 So back we went for Day 2.

 

Which ended pretty much the same way as Day 1. 

Boston Public Garden

Saturday's weather was beautiful, so we decided to take Gracie and Sean to the Boston Public Garden for a ride on the swan boats.

Here's Sean, and the duck that bit him.  Fortunately, he thought it was funny.

Gracie, on the other hand, preferred the non-living version. 

White Belt

This past Saturday Sean tested for his first karate belt.  And while I'm pretty certain that eligibility is only determined by a parent's willingness to pull out a checkbook, I'm still incredibly proud of him.  He's doing so well in his class.  He pays attention, he listens, he does all the moves, and he tries soooooooo hard.  Karate seems to have just the right mix of nerdiness and athleticism for Sean.  He loves it!  Here are some pictures I snapped a couple of weeks ago on my phone while watching from the viewing area.  The picture of him lying on the ground was taken during their "Stranger Danger" lesson.  I love that Sean's teacher takes time every week to teach the kids about what to do if they are approached or grabbed by someone they don't know.  Congratulations Sean on your white belt.  We're very proud of you!

Generation i

I bet most people would be surprised to learn that today's 4 year old is probably better at figuring out technology than most Generation Xers.  At 4 1/2 Gracie knows how to operate my iPhone without any assistance.  I found this out when I caught her posting status updates on my Facebook account.  And today, I couldn't help but laugh when I saw her playing with another little girl who had also gained control of her mother's iPhone.  Gracie and the little girl were taking turns playing their favorite songs* and showing their favorite dance moves.  It was really cute, but also very humbling.  I realized that what took me weeks to get the hang of, was second nature to these kids.

*  On the top of Gracie's playlist these days:  Hoedown Throwdown by Miley Cyrus, If U Seek Amy by Britney Spears, When I Grow Up by The Pussycat Dolls, and Spotlight by Jennifer Hudson.

Love These Kids!

Gracie (4 yrs, 9 mos)


Sean (3 yrs, 8 mos)
 

Field Trip

I took the day off from work to chaperone Gracie's preschool field trip to Drumlin Farm.  The things I'll remember most about our day together are the beautiful weather, Gracie's pride in having her mom there with all the other mommies, both of us curling our noses at the smelly animals (Gracie did not want to touch any of them), and watching her board the school bus.  Her teacher said she smiled the entire way to/from the farm. 

 

   

Ridin'

Until this weekend, I'd forgotten what it's like to be a kid and to enjoy riding your bike in endless circles.  I love that Gracie needed to stop to fill her bike up with gas.  And of course love the green gloves and credit card.

 

Drivin'

One of the best things about our house is the giant paved lot at the end of our driveway.  We didn't originally see it as such, but as the kids get older, it's a great place for them to drive their cars and ride bikes.  This weekend they spent a lot of time doing both. 

The car they're driving is the one we bought Sean for Christmas.  Not because he needed another one - our garage could be on an episode of Kiddie Cribs - but we happened to be in the right place at the right time and found it on clearance for $100 (it's regularly priced around $400 and was on sale because it was missing a battery charger).  However, when we tried pass it off as a Christmas gift and tell Sean that Santa brought it, he looked at us like we were crazy.  "Santa didn't bring it.  That's the car you bought me at Toys R Us."  Whoops.  How's that for underestimating your 3 year old? 

Mothers Day Flowers

I had a wonderful Mother's Day Weekend.  Steve and the kids bought me flowers to trim our flower beds, and even planted them.  And if that wasn't enough, they took me to lunch at my favorite restaurant and then cleaned out and organized the basement while I took a long Sunday afternoon nap.  It was quite possibly the best mother's day gift I've ever received. 

 

 

Cookers

My kids LOOOOOOVE to cook, which is funny because they certainly don't get their interest/talent/patience in the kitchen from me.  Even Sean has noticed.  The other day he asked, "Mama you're not a very good cooker, are you?"  No Sean, no I'm not.  Fortunately, they have their dad to help them explore their culinary creativity.  Recently Steve has been buying individual-sized dough and letting them make their own pizzas.  Which they love because it's fun.  I love because it gets them to eat more than spaghettios* (Gracie) and cereal (Sean).  And Steve loves because it reminds him of doing the same thing as a child in his Grandma Helen's pizzeria.

 

* In all fairness, Gracie does mix up her diet with macaroni & cheese from the "Turny Mac & Cheese Store".  (More commonly known as Boston Market.)  We eat there EVERY Tuesday and Wednesday night at the insistence of Gracie for a job well done at gymnastics.  I'm embarrassed to admit it, but the employees actually know her by name.  She's their best customer.

La-Leotards

In case the 10,000 cartwheels shes does a day don't give it away, you just have to look in Gracie's closet to see what she loves most in the entire world. 

BTW, Steve thinks this post should have been titled "La-Ridiculous".  LOL!

Lazy Afternoon

Steve and I taught an aerials workshop in Connecticut this past weekend and, while it was nice to get to spend an afternoon together teaching, boy oh boy am I sore.  Just about every muscle in my body hurts.  On Sunday we decided to opt for doing something with the kids that didn’t require much any physical activity and took them to Chunkys to see the new Hannah Montana movie (which was fabulous).  They loved the giant oversized chairs, getting to eat their lunch while watching the movie, and of course the arcade in the lobby.

By the way, I love that Steve and Sean are wearing matching fleece pullovers and Gracie and I are wearing matching white sweaters.  I didn't even notice until I saw this picture, but they are quite the Mini-Me's. 

 

"But I Love Her!"

When I showed the kids the pictures I’d posted on my blog of our summer vacation destination, I loved getting to see their excitement and hear the things they were most excited about.  Surprisingly, the bunk beds were by far their favorite thing pictured.  When I asked who was going to sleep on the top bunk, Sean immediately yelled, “Me and Taylor!”  And when Steve told Sean that he couldn’t bring his girlfriend on vacation with us, he looked up sadly and replied, “But I love her!”  

Summer Vacation Booked!

Last year we somehow managed to make it through the entire year without a vacation.  I know how it happened.  The prior October was our trip to Disney, and the exhaustion memories from that trip lasted us at least six months.  Then there was our dance event.  My job change.  Our summer dance event.  Birthday parties.  Fall in New England.  A job change for Steve.  And before we knew it, Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

This year Steve and I decided to cancel our summer dance event - mostly because we felt like we never enjoyed our summers with all the planning it requires - and decided to take a proper family vacation.  It was between Disney World and Lake George, NY.  In the end, Lake George won.  Steve and I both agreed that we wanted to find a place we can visit every summer, a place the kids will remember from their childhood, and most importantly a place we can RELAX.  Lord knows we need it!  And while Disney is AWESOME, it's anything but relaxing.  Maybe next year, after Steve is settled in his job, we can do both.  But this year it's just going to be Lake George.  And I'm so excited!!!

After much researching and asking around, I came up with a list of our top five places to stay.  I don't know if it's the economy, or just dumb luck, but we found a vacancy at our first choice, The Lodges at Cresthaven.  It came highly recommended, and met almost every item on our wish list: 

 

1. Freestanding cabins/cottages on the lake  2. Nighttime bonfires and other organized activities  3.  A kids play area  4. Peace, quiet, and RELAXATION  5. A place to cook so we don't have to eat out every meal (the bottle of wine is an added bonus)  6. Separate rooms for the kids (bunkbeds no less.)  7. A swimming pool (there's an indoor pool that connects to a heated outdoor pool AND a hot tub.  8.  Scenic views of the lake and Adirondack Mountains.

Did I mention that Lake George is also where Mr. Hot Pants lives?  So I don't know who's more excited about our "La-cation" - Me or Gracie.

Glorious Weekend

The weather this weekend was incredible.  Temperatures were in the 80s, which is almost of unheard of in Boston in April.  We spent our weekend on the baseball field, at a carnival, the circus, and on the trampoline in our back yard.  It was a fabulous weekend!  The kids especially loved the circus.  Well, Gracie loved the circus.  Sean loved the food at the circus.  While his sister sat on the edge of her seat in awe of all the acrobatics and death defying stunts, Sean kept commenting (between bites of popcorn and cotton candy) that he "didn't think that was a good idea".  LOL!

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the weekend.  I think you can definitely tell it was sunny, warm, and fun!

 

Gracie loved riding the rollercoaters at the carnival.  She is such a thrill-seeker.

 

Sean was only interested in driving these cars, eating, and play carni games. But he came home with a new stuffed animal (a dolphin), so he was happy.

I'm generally a pretty laid back parent, but this slide was way too dangerous.  Gracie and I both ended up with burns on our elbows.  It was fast, and it hurt!  Notice the Croc shoes.  My kids LOVE them - the brighter the better - and while I'm not a fan, I've learned to pick my battles.

Boy Crazy

Gracie had her first T-Ball game last weekend and the picture below does a pretty good job of summing up what she liked best about it. 

 

She definitely has a thing for older boys.  At the birthday party we attended a couple of weeks ago for her best frenemy, Ava, Gracie wanted nothing to do with the kids her own age, especially the girls.  Instead she spent her time cartwheeling around, trying to catch the attention of the older boys.  And when that didn't work, she went on the offensive.  She's only four, but this child is completely and utterly (6 year old) boy crazy! 

R.I.P. Frankie Manning

I was sad to learn that renowned Lindy Hop dancer Frankie Manning passed away today.  He was just one month shy of his 95th birthday.  Frankie was one of the original Savoy Ballroom dancers of the 1930's, and helped introduce Lindy Hop to the world via the silver screens of Hollywood in the 1940's.  After being rediscovered in the mid-80's, he spent the last years of his life traveling around the world teaching Lindy Hop to a new generation of swing dancers.  Steve and I had the honor of performing at Frankie's 87th birthday celebration, and also met him again at a history presentation a few years later.  I don't know what made me think to get this picture of Gracie with Frankie - I'm not one to usually throw my baby at celebrities for a photo op - but I'm really glad to have it now. Thank you Frankie for your gift to dance.  Your spirit will live on through generations of dancers to come.  May you rest in peace.

Gracie (5 months) with Frankie Manning (90).

 

Take Your Kids to Work Day

Yesterday was National 'Take Your Kids to Work' Day.  Steve decided to take Gracie and Sean with him since (A) he's a lot braver than I am, and (B) he works for a company that is way cooler than mine (at least from a kid's perspective).  Robots vs. Mutual Funds.  Not much of a competition.

 

Here's Gracie posing with one of the government/industry robots. Surprisingly, the kids weren't as interested in these as they were the home robots.

 

Sean particularly liked the gutter cleaning robots and was even allowed to operate one.  He thought that was pretty cool.

In fact, he thought the whole experience was pretty cool.  He loved going to his dad's work, loved learning about the robots, and loved wearing this sticker. 

Gracie was less impressed by it all.  If she wasn't eating La-Cheetios* and listening to her iPod, she was doing cartwheels for the CEO and asking when she could go home.  I think it's safe to say that she probably won't be offered a summer internship anytime soon. LOL!

* I'm convinced Gracie is part French.  Or maybe it's that her daycare provider is French and speaks it around the house.  But everything that comes out of her mouth has "La" before it.  La-Cheetios (Cheetos), La-Nastics (Gymnastics), La-Donalds (McDonalds).  It drives me La-Bananas.

Rock Band

A picture of my little family of noise makers rockers enjoying Rock Band for Wii.  The only reason we own this awful video game is because it was the only way I could get Steve to agree to let me buy a trampoline.  (Yep, that's pretty much how things work around here.)

My Brush With Stardom - BEN!!!!!!

If I were to make a list of five three celebrities I'd like to run into on the street, Ben Affleck would definitely be on that list.  I love him.  Love his movies.  In fact, the last movie I saw in a theater was his.  So imagine my excitement when I found out he was filming a new movie across the street from my office today.  As soon as we heard the news, my co-workers and I headed down with our camera phones to check out the scene.  We weren't expecting to be able to get very close or see anything, but surprisingly there weren't a lot of people lingering around.  Apparently Bostonians, especially the corporate types who work downtown, are too busy and important to be bothered with Hollywood.  (Self excluded.) 

He's much taller than I expected, and even more handsome in person.  And because there weren't a lot of other people standing around and we were so close, he actually looked RIGHT at me.  Rather than waving or saying hi, I got embarassed, looked down at my phone, and pretended to be responding to some important email.  (Really I was just admiring the pictures I'd taken.)

  

Number 8

Little League kicked off in our town this past weekend with a parade from the school to the baseball fields.  Gracie is signed up to play for the Red Sox with some of her best friends from daycare.   Although truth be told, I think she was more interested in walking in the parade and having people cheer for her, than she was with the idea of actually playing baseball.

 

  

Poor Sean missed the age cutoff for T-Ball by less than six months.  I feel terrible because he wants to play so bad he can hardly stand it.  I bought an extra jersey and I'm hoping that if (like soccer) Gracie decides she doesn't want to play, the coaches will let Sean sub in.  I just can't imagine him having to sit on the sidelines, or having to wait another whole year to play.

Jumpoline!

The weather was beautiful today, so we decided on a sort-of-whim to buy a trampoline (or a "jumpoline" as Sean calls it) and spend the afternoon jumping.  Soooooo much fun!  We literally had to drag the kids out kicking and screaming.  That being said, they were asleep before their heads hit the pillow.  And in my book, that's the sign of a great investment.  :)

 

Two Movies, Two Thumbs Up!

Steve and I hired a sitter and treated ourselves to a date night at the movies.  The kind where dinner is served inside the movie theater.  (A brilliant concept, in my opinion, for parents who want to kill two birds with one stone and shave at least an hour off the sitter bill.)  We saw State of Play.  A crime drama thriller about a team of investigative reporters who work alongside a police detective to solve the murder of a congressman's mistress.  Loved it!!!  And because crime drama flicks are my favorite, and I was in a movie mood this weekend, we also rented We Own The Night.  A movie about a New York nightclub manager who tries to save his brother and father from Russian mafia hit men.  Another GREAT movie!  I can't believe I hadn't seen it sooner.

 

Easter Puppies

Our Easter weekend included a quick trip to Vermont to see Nana and Papa.  The weather was cooooold, so much to my disappointment our egg hunt had to be held indoors.  (I can't believe that growing up we actually had to be careful about putting chocolate in eggs because it might melt before we got home from church, and my kids have to hunt eggs indoors.  I hate that!  And don't even get me going on cute Easter dresses that have to be covered with sweaters and coats.)  Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures from our egg hunt.  Since it was indoors, I decided to put down my camera and just enjoy chasing behind my kids. 

However, another highlight of our weekend included a stop by Aunt Penny's house to visit Walter & Sophie, and I did have my camera ready for that.  I adore this picture of Sean with the dogs.  He loves them so much and kept lying on the floor so they could lick him and jump all over him.

 

And Aunt Penny was sweet enough to let the kids take Walter and Sophie out for a walk, even though it was freezing and the dogs were less than thrilled to be outdoors. But Gracie and Sean loved getting to be dog walkers for a day, so no doubt this Easter will be remembered more for puppies than bunnies.