{ground breaking}

The highlight of the week was the fact that they broke ground on our new house. The permits were finally approved by the city, Duke Energy got over to disconnect the gas from the old house 2 whole days before their deadline, the excavator showed up, and the old house came down a day earlier than planned ... and the girls napped through the whole thing.  They had been so excited to watch the old house "get knocked over."  I had asked our builder to let us know when it was going to take place and he said Thursday.  On Wednesday afternoon at 2:30pm I got an email and voicemail from our builder, "He started knocking it down.  Can you get here quick?"  I let Sara know, but by the time she took the girls pver after their nap he was already done.  They were still excited, but it was a bit anti-climactic for them.  When I got home from work they told me, "Mom, they knocked down the old house, but they didn't build our new house."  Wouldn't it be nice if it could go up as quickly as it came down?  Even though the tear down was a bit ant-climactic, the girls love going to the building site and insist on doing it at least once a day.  The site has become the local playground for the boys on the street and we have already met many nice neighbors.On Saturday night the builder (who lives on the street) had a bonfire on the lot - I have a feeling we are really going to like our new street and neighbors.  GiGi sent the girls a book called "Building a House" which we have read no less than 100 times already.  It is so cute to see how interested and excited the girls are about the buidling process.  Let's hope they maintain this excitement for the next 8 months.  Tobi has been staying with a friend/coworker the past few weeks and when he came home this weekend the girls were insistent about taking him to the lot because "Tobi hasn't seen our new house yet!"

In other ground breaking news from this past week, the girls had their first dentist appointment last Wednesday.  They were both pretty excited about it in the days leading up to the appointment because we had been talking about it and Sara checked out some books from the library about going to the dentist.  However, the morning of Kenzie started to get nervous as she does in any new situation and said she didn't want to go.  So Lexi volunteered to go first.  She was very brave and confident, until she actually laid flat on the exam table and the dentist put her hands in her mouth - then she lost it and said she wanted to go home NOW!  I managed to calm her down and she finished the exam and even let them take an x-ray of her front tooth without any issues.  Kenzie followed and was very brave - no tears.  No cavities and Lexi's tooth which has turned gray still has the nerve intact so the dentist is not concerned.  It probably got "bruised" this summer when she tripped and fell in our neighbors driveway and hit her mouth.  She said the bruise may actually fade and the tooth could turn white again, or it may stay discolored.  Happy that at least it doesn't pose any bigger problems. 

{sickies & sunshine}

Thankfully Lexi's stomach bug truly lasted for only 24 hours (too bad those 24 hours fell precisely on her birthday).  She woke up on Monday morning feeling fine and wanted to go to school.  We said goodbye to Aunt Inken & cousin Grady and Omi K accompanied them to drop-off at school.  They were excited to celebrate their birthday at preschool on Tuesday.  I came in for cupcakes and read a story to the class. It was fun to watch them in their element.

GiGi stayed in Cincinnati all week because on Wednesday morning I had to fly to Minneapolis and Randall was in China all week.  The girls were good for Sara and GiGi while I was in "Mini Apple" - as they called it.  On Friday when I was back we took the girls to Nordstrom Cafe upon their request.  We left with 4 pairs of new shoes and 2 new dresses for the girls - quite an expensive dinner :)  The girls love the new light up "twinkle toes" shoes that GiGi bought them!

Saturday was a beautiful day filled with sunshine.  Unfortunately GiGi came down with the stomach bug in the middle of the night so she was pretty much out of commission.  I took the girls to Target to exchange a birthday gift, and Kenzie decided on a scooter while Lexi picked a Belle baby doll and Minnie Mouse dress up dress (she swore she did NOT want a scooter, but as soon as we got home and she saw Kenzie using it she changed her mind and also wanted a scooter - of course... should have seen that one coming.)  The girls and I spent the rest of the day outside.  We met up with friends at the park, played soccer in the back yard and Kenzie and George went for a spin in the Mini Cooper. 

After nap it was time to go pick up Daddy at the airport.  To say the girls were excited is an understatement.  They built quite the fan club as we waited for Daddy to arrive and watching them reunite was priceless.  We decided to stop in Over the Rhine for an early dinner on our way home from the airport.  Even at 5:15pm it was packed and we ended up waiting for a table at A Tavola.  The food was yummy as always and it was so nice for the 4 of us to be together again.

GiGi woke up feeling better - or at least good enough to venture out for brunch - so we headed to The Echo.  We stopped at Target on the way there to pick up a scooter for Lexi - yes, we caved - and the girls rode their new scooters in Hyde Park Square while we waited for a table.  It was a glorious day - we scootered all the way up to Ault Park - which was filled to the brim with everyone who had been hibernating all winter and was now anxious to soak up some Vitamin D.  On the way home the girls ran into a preschool classmate and then the Krause's who were playing baseball in their front yard so it was a nice leisurely trip home from the park.

We topped off the weekend by grilling burgers and asparagus and eating dinner outside.  Hard to believe that we got 4 inches of snow on Wednesday and were eating dinner outside in short sleeves on Sunday.  Too bad the sunshine and warm temps didn't last long.  We were back down to the 20's and snow flurries a couple of days later ... and with that blast of cold Kenzie inherited the stomach sickies ... which thankfully once again were short lived.  We are ready for spring ... for consistently warmer temps, sunshine and no sickies!

{kenzie & lexi's carnival birthday bash}

The day didn't start off (or go) quite as planned.  Lexi woke up at 6am screaming, "Mommy, I got sick.  Mommy, I threw up in my bed!"  Not the way anyone wants to wake up on their birthday.  My poor baby was so sad to be sick on her birthday.  "But mommy, today is my party and I need to eat cake," she said.

She got sick a couple more times.  I called the doctor and debated what we should do.  In the end I decided there was no way I would be able to contact everyone to postpone the party on such short notice and there was no way that I could deny Lexi her party which she had been talking about for 2 months leading up to this day. 

So Inken, Sara and I went to Ozo Play Cafe and set up Kenzie & Lexi Carnival Birthday Bash and I prayed that my little Lexi would feel better and be able to enjoy it.

The girls were so excited when they showed up at their party.  Kenzie was running around, greeting her friends with big hugs, beaming.  And while Lexi certainly was not quite herself she was a trooper and I am glad that she was able to experience her 3rd birthday party.  While I knew she wasn't feeling good and refused to eat any lunch or snacks, she insisted on chocolate cake.  We sang happy birthday and they both had their cake.  It was official, they were now three! 

The cake did come back up in our driveway when we got home, but that's not what she remembers.  She remembers who was at her party.  They both talk about who was there and the cake and the games.  So I think it is safe to say that they enjoyed it. 

More details on the "not quite ideal but still lots of fun" carnival birthday bash in another post.

{3 on 3.3.13}

Kenzie & Lexi turned three on 3.3.2013! I love this picture from their birthday eve breakfast (we celebrated early since Randall had to leave to go on a business trip to China on Saturday). It captures them perfectly. Equal parts princess and tomboy. Oh how I love my little three year olds!


And I love that everyone who was here to welcome them into the world three years ago was here again to celebrate their 3rd birthday. GiGi and PopPop drove up from New Orleans and Omi K, Inken and Grady flew in from San Francisco. My little ladies were surrounded by love on their birth day and on this birthday weekend. They are such lucky girls and I am such a lucky mommy.

Birthdays are a big deal to me. I want my girls to feel special on their special day. And I tend to get a bit nostalgic on their special day. Their birthday is more important to me than my own, because it is the day I became a momma to not one, but two magical girls. It was a day that changed my life forever and I love celebrating the anniversary of that day. I realized that I have succeeded in making K&L realize that their birthday is a big deal, when on the Tuesday before their birthday they were running circles in their bedroom at bedtime chanting, “I’m excited for my birthday! I’m excited for my birthday!”

We had such a fun weekend.  Everyone arrived by Thursday evening so the festivities started on Friday.  On Friday morning we all accompanied the girls to soccer.  They were very excited to show off their skills and Grady enjoyed running around the soccer field with them.  Then the girls went to see Mark for their birthday haircuts.  On Friday evening we celebrated with Daddy at El Jinete (which has become somewhat of a birthday tradition).

On Saturday morning we had french toast with candles.  The girls then got to open their gifts from mommy & daddy and some of the other family gifts.  The cousin got right to play in their new kitchen and grocery store.  Their last birthday surprise right before daddy left for the airport was a little Mini Cooper electric car.  Their reaction when we brought it out in the snow was priceless.  They both sprinted to the car and hopped right in.  Kenzie was in the driver seat and had no fear, but Lexi was a bit unsure when the car started moving.  Grady thought it was pretty cool :)

When daddy left for the airport, the girls and I went to celebrate Skylar's 1st birthday.  It was a wonderful party to celebrate a beautiful little girl whom the girls both love.  They had such a great time celebrating with "baby Skylar!"

The fun continued on Saturday afternoon as the cousins played and later that evening with dinner at Nordstrom Cafe.  The girls went to bed happy on Saturday night.  As I was tucking them in Lexi asked me, "Mom, am I three now?"  With so much celebration it certainly felt like her birthday had been going on for 2 days already. "No honey, not yet.  You will be three tomorrow."  I reassured her.  "Oh good.  Cause I didn't have my cake," she responded.  "I love you to the moon & back.  Tomorrow we will have cake and you will be three,"  I smiled as I kissed them goodnight.

{february fun}

We packed a lot of fun into a short month.  I can't believe how quickly February flew by. 

We celebrated Huey's 3rd birthday, went for walks to the park in the crisp winter air, warmed up indoors at Ozo Play Cafe, and even squeezed in a date night.

We said farewell to really great friends.  It wasn't goodbye, but rather "see you real soon on the West Coast."  Miss them already so it won't be too long before we are anxious to visit them in their new home.  We went out to eat with our babies (& they with their babies).  They are quite the little mommies these days and their babies (plus carseat, plus diaper bag, plus blanket) accompany them everywhere... up to bed, down for breakfast, out to lunch, up for nap ... you get the idea.

The girls also had their first tennis lesson, with friends George & Skylar.  Their Uncle Mario was a fabulous (& very patient) instructor and the girls loved it!  They actually followed instructions very well.  They have been talking about playing tennis ever since!

GiGi & PopPop arrived in town on February 27th in advance of the big 3rd birthday festivities and we wrapped February up with PopPop's 70th birthday celebration on February 28th!  The girls were very excited to be able to celebrate with PopPop!