I’m getting bionic eyes!

I’m having Lasik done! After ten years of dealing with contacts and glasses, I’ve decided I deserve to have working eyes. I’m going to a place that is well reviewed and hopefully by Easter I’ll be seeing with great vision! I’m having it done on April 12th, so I’ll be done with contacts and everything before my trip to Phoenix for Gracie’s bachelorette weekend, and Molly’s graduation in May, and our big summer trip back home in July! Joe is a little nervous about it, but I’ve heard so many great things about the doctor who is doing it that I’m just excited!

Virginia and I saw Beauty and the Beast at the theatre the weekend it came out. We saw it at an Imax theatre, and I was so surprised that it was mostly empty! It was great because I wasn’t worried when Virginia talked to me or sang along. The movie was way better than I was expecting! Everything about it was beautiful, and they added some really neat scenes that gave more background on both Belle and the Beast! I was so glad that Virginia and I got to see it together! After the movie we went to Lot 3 and had lunch. She was so sweet!

The weather is getting nicer, so we are trying to get outside more. The other day Virginia asked to ride her bike (she has a balance bike) so we went out to the sidewalk. She insisted on wearing her helmet, even though her speed is barely a crawl on the bike! She hasn’t really gotten the hang of it, she is supposed to push with her feet and the hold her feet up. She is too afraid to put her feet up unless Joe is holding the bike up for her. I think we may be looking at getting her a regular tricycle soon! Luke even tried to get on the bike, but he is still a little small for it.

Lately, Luke has been trying to jump out of his highchair at dinner. We decided he’d be happier in a booster chair like Virginia! We bought him one over the weekend, and the first time we had dinner with both kids sitting in booster seats Joe and I just looked at each other and smiled! They are so big!

Yesterday it was kind of drizzly, so we went to the arcade in Lincoln Square. We played a bunch of games, and Virginia asked if we could take pictures in a photo booth! We won a ton of tickets, and Virginia played the claw game and actually won a stuffed unicorn completely on her own! Joe and I were so surprised that she did it! Afterwards we went to lunch at Tavern Hall. We’re so lucky that the kids like going out to restaurants! I have friends who cannot take their kids to sit down restaurants, but Joe and I love it and would be so bummed if we couldn’t go out!

 

 

Almost Spring!

Callie and Lillian left earlier this week, we had a great visit! The weather did not cooperate as I’d hoped, it rained pretty much the whole time. There was one afternoon that was nice enough for us to go to our favorite playground, but it was cold and muddy. The kids didn’t mind and had a good time! We went to Wiggle Works in Crossroads Mall, met Joe for lunch in Bellevue, went to the new Children’s Museum in Bellevue, went to Seattle to the Children’s Museum, and went to Snoqualmie Falls!

The Seattle Children’s Museum was awesome, and even though we went on a rainy Saturday morning it wasn’t too busy. The kids ran free and had a great time! Snoqualmie Falls was also really neat, Joe hadn’t been before and when the kids and I went with Gracie and Matt back in August it hadn’t rained much, so it was much more powerful now! The kids all played really well together, and slept pretty good for us at night. Lillian didn’t want to nap while she was here, but Virginia and Luke weren’t bothered by that and still took their naps.

Lillian definitely has more energy than my kids, she doesn’t ever sit still! I take it for granted that my kids like to cuddle on the couch and watch movies with me! I was afraid our neighbors would come yell at us because Lillian jumps around and makes a lot more noise than Virginia and Luke. She’s definitely used to living in a big house! She said the cutest thing though, she was looking out the kids window and said, “No cows?” Most kids don’t grow up with cows out their bedroom window! Ha. I was really impressed with how well spoken she was, it was great because Virginia loves having someone else to talk to!

I was so proud of Callie for bringing Lillian out here alone. I know it isn’t fun traveling with little kids, but Lillian did pretty well on both legs of the trip, even with layovers. I think the sooner you get kids out and traveling, the easier it gets. Callie and I were able to go out one night after the kids had gone to bed to do some shopping, and another night Joe made us margarita’s after the kids went down. It was really great to be able to visit and hang out!

The condo felt very small with Callie and Lillian here, I can’t wait to be in a house and have more room to spread out! Joe got another raise at his last review, and a really nice bonus, but we’re back to thinking that we need to rent another year before we’re really able to buy a house. I think we’ll be able to find a great rental house with three bedrooms and a back yard (hopefully without going broke!) It’s amazing how much stuff we have accumulated over the past two years here. I’ve been donating old clothes and getting rid of a lot of stuff that we just don’t need anymore. Luke is almost ready to be in a booster seat at the table instead of a high chair, and soon he’ll be ready for a bed instead of his crib.

We mentioned to Virginia that Luke was almost too big for his crib, and she told us, “You can put his big bed next to mine!” It was so sweet. I think they’ll both be a little sad when they aren’t sharing a room anymore, but hopefully they’ll adjust to it quickly! It’s St. Patrick’s Day, and I told Virginia we would do a craft. Time to get covered in green paint!

Getting back in the habit!

I was surprised to find out that it has been almost a year since I last wrote! I miss writing, and if my handwriting wasn’t so horrible I would love to write in a real book. This is pretty convenient though, and will hopefully be easier for Virginia or Luke to read when they are older! I would love to know what my parents were like before they had me and my sisters, what it was like while we were growing up. I’m lucky that my mom took so many pictures, Cindy was also great at keeping photos. Even if Virginia and Luke have no interest in these posts, at least I’ll be able to look back when they are older. Virginia says the funniest things every day, and they both grow so fast. I take pictures and videos, but I want to remember everything.

The other week, Joe was working late one night so I made grilled cheese sandwiches and soup for dinner (the kids and I love it!) I was multitasking and kind of burnt Virginia’s sandwich. I figured she wouldn’t notice, so we all sat down with our food. Virginia picked up a triangle, looked at it for a minute, and said to me, “You didn’t make this very well.” It was the most honest, hilarious thing she’d ever said to me! After that I decided I need to start writing these things down!

Cindy came in last weekend and watched the kids so that Joe and I could go to Vancouver for two nights. We are so lucky that our parents are physically and mentally able to take care of the kids, and that they want to! Cindy has been so busy taking care of Papa Joe and planning the wedding with Gracie, we were so glad she wanted to come spend some time here! Virginia and Luke had a great time with Cindy, and Joe and I were able to get away! We drove to Vancouver on Saturday morning and came back Monday afternoon.

I love Seattle and think it is the prettiest place I have ever lived in (aside from Germany), but Vancouver was amazing. It was beautiful, the food was awesome, and there was so much to do! We walked around downtown, went to Granville Island, drove around Stanley Park, walked across the Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge, saw a movie, and ate a ton of good food. Our hotel was in a great location, and we spent a lot of great time relaxing! It was a perfect 5 year anniversary trip!

Cindy left on Tuesday morning super early, so Monday night at bedtime Cindy said goodbye to Virginia. That poor girl loves her Mimi so much, after we put them to bed I could hear Virginia making noise in their room. I went to check on her, and she was crying and saying “I don’t want Mimi to go!” So we let her sit with Mimi on the couch a little later than usual! When Luke woke up in the morning, he was fussing in his crib. Virginia came up to him and said, “I know you miss Mimi, but I miss her more.” I laughed so hard! She’s a hoot.

Virginia is in her second session of Ballet/Tap/Gymnastics, and Luke is in a gymnastics class for toddlers. Yesterday I snuck upstairs to peek at Virginia and help her get her tap shoes on. There are seven girls in her class, and when they put their tap shoes on and run into the classroom it is deafening! The shoes must be slippery, I just happened to be taking a video and she wiped out! It was so cute, she just bounced right back up and gave me a thumbs up! She’s a trooper.

Luke is so big, I feel like he is much more mobile than Virginia was at his age. He just had his first real hair cut last week and is such a handsome little guy! He had his 15 month check up, he is three pounds heavier and two inches taller than Virginia was at that age! Pretty impressive! He doesn’t say much aside from “Mama” and “Dada”, but he tries to say “Please” when eating! He loves to play with Virginia, loves Sesame Street, loves to dance, and wants to eat all the time. Luckily for me, he still likes to cuddle with me! He’s big on hugs and kisses, and waves at strangers.

I am so grateful for my family. Joe is an amazing husband and father, and having kids has made us love each other more and work together even better. Virginia is very much like me (control freak, has to be clean, but very sweet and thoughtful) and Luke is just like Joe (loves to sleep, super laid back, also very sweet.) All in all, we have it pretty good! I’ll try and update this as funny things happen! Hopefully not in another year from now…