Monsons on Ice

What's funner than going ice skating for the first time? You guessed it...going ice skating with a bunch of kindergartners who are also ice skating for the first time! Craig and I got to join Julia and her kindergarten class for a fun-filled field trip to an ice skating rink. Incredibly fun, yes, but also a little bit scary, because not only were we trying to maintain our own balance on the ice, we were also being pushed and pulled by some cute little nuggets who were also depending on us to maintain their balance. Craig is naturally athletic, (as well as being incredibly handsome, I know) so he got the hang of it pretty quickly. By the end I was doing better, but let's just say that all my tween years hanging out at Stardust Roller Rink didn't come back to me as soon as I'd hoped. (Or at all, for that matter.) It is literally a miracle that I didn't fall down.

Silliness on the bus en route to the rink.

Looking like a natural.

Here is one of the adorable friends from our group.
She cried before she got out on the ice because she was

so scared, but after she gave it a shot she was

seriously one of the best ones out there.

No, eye rolling is not reserved for the times we are at home.

Julia and another adorable classmate.

Such a Kodak moment.

My Little Big Girl and I.

Another friend I found along the way.

More silliness on the way back to the school.

Now that we've tried it out, and we didn't die or get maimed, we want to go back sometime and bring Savanna along. Maybe next time we'll see the Zamboni* again. And maybe next time the stiff rental skates won't bruise my ankles for a week. And maybe next time we'll take some pictures of Craig to prove that he was there, too!

*It's impossible for me to mention a Zamboni without referencing one of my favorite movie quotes of all time:

"What? Friends listen to "Endless Love" in the dark!"

You get 10 points if you can identify the movie.

Spring Break Part Deux

Initially, I expected to have as many pictures from the California portion of our trip as we did from the Utah part. Then I remembered that Craig didn't come with us to California, and he is the excellent picture taker, not me. So, here is my measly accounting of the time spent with Aunt Laura and Aunt Amy, which was incredibly amazing, but unfortunately not very well documented.

This happened within probably the first 30 minutes of

our adventure south. Only after we stopped in a few public

places to eat and use the bathroom, did Julia lament,

"I wish I hadn't written on myself."

The big highlight of the trip was our St. Patrick's Day

trip to the beach. Mistakenly, I thought that not letting

 the girls change into their bathing suits would

effectively keep them out of the cold ocean.

After their clothes got soaked, we admitted defeat

and put them in bathing suits anyway.

Lex was a trouper, but not crazy about the wind
or the ocean sounds. I think she might be like her Mommy,
who usually prefers to be indoors.

Beach Bliss.

Sand? Check. Water? Check. Laughter and delight? Check.

This is before the complete soaking of the clothes...

And this is after.

Happy Mermaid, at home in the ocean.

Lexa Boom-Boom, cute as can be.

Well, that's it. Pitiful and paltry, I know. Left undocumented are the trip to the "Ant Store" (the Bug Museum) and the visit to the renowned cupcake place with adorable cupcakes that happen to taste a little bit like barf. Trust me though: good times, every step of the way.

Lest I Forget

First name, Mommy. Middle name, Chopped Liver. We have already established this. But just in case I begin to forget, I have two loving daughters to gently remind me. Julia was close to throwing a fit tonight because it was my turn to tuck her in, and not Craig's. When I jokingly told her that it makes me feel like she doesn't love me when she says things like that, she consoled me with, "I do love you, I just love Daddy better." And why does she love Daddy better? "Because he's the best." And why is he the best? "Because he carries me."

Since when do big muscles win parenting prizes?

I gotta start working out.

Spring Break Pics, At Last!

You may be wondering where on earth I've been all your life. (Go ahead, you can admit it). You see, I've been taking a small break from school, which roughly translates into taking a small break from the blog, since I do my most effective and ingenious blogging when I am putting off doing homework. But alas, school has resumed, so you should be seeing a lot more of me lately as I battle with a conscience that tells me I should be answering a discussion question while my fingers are sneakily clicking the mouse and uploading photos.

Sadly, school has resumed for Julia as well, which means that a lovely spring break has come to an end, but not without lots of memories and pictures of the fun times. Here is a peek at Part One of Spring Break, happily spent in Utah with my sister Cyn and her awesome fam.

Day One: Julia and Savanna have come to the party ready to rock.

They also wasted no time in finding and
getting into their cousin's make-up.

I scream for IHOP. Pancakes? For Dinner?

Please sign me up.

 Little Linc, sharing the love with Lex.

Next stop: Pirate Island Pizza. Good times. Great food...

And that's why we drive an hour to get there.

Pizza? With bacon? Sign Lincoln up.

Lex and I, busy digesting.

Too bad this will be happening for real soon.

Such a dedicated Daddy, playing air hockey while holding a baby.

 This is the amount of candy that $40 worth of tokens will get you.

It's like they're giving it away!

This one is from our last visit, but I figure it needs to be
show-cased. I'm actually thinking of getting it framed. 

This is from our last visit, too, since the elusive Fan

remained unphotographed this trip.

Crazy cousins, splashing it up in St. George.

Here's hoping these girls will always be friends.

Classic Savanna. Love it.

A rare photo op with my brother, Michael.

 The girls adore him, and I do too!

Stay tuned for Spring Break, Part Deux!

A Scary Encounter

Last night, I went in to give the girls some extra smooches right before I went to bed and had a little fright. I bent down to kiss Savanna, and then went to reach through the window of Julia's bunk bed to give her a little good night pat. (Often I do make the climb to the top of the bunk bed for an actual kiss, but last night was not one of those nights). My eyes hadn't adjusted yet to the dark room, and J's little face was pressed right up against the window; when I realized that there was a face staring right back at me, I about screamed and ran out of the room. 3 years with this bunk bed, and she has never slept with her face that close to the window...I always have to reach my arm waaay through the window just to give her a little love pat.

Just goes to show, my children have the capacity to keep me on my toes even when they are dead asleep.

Still to come: Our 2011 Spring Break Adventures. (Bet you can't wait!)