Happy Birthday Grandma Norris!

Biking

Teach Me How To Dougie

I had nooooooooooo idea she even knew this until she broke out into song in car on Sunday. And now, I can't stop laughing about it. Click here "Teach me how to Dougie" if you want the correct hand motions and gestures.

playing in the dogbed?

They kids have been obsessed with the dog bed lately. Not sure what the attraction is but they love playing in it. Kinda gross but kids will be kids!

dancing at the table (2 videos)

hello dance (2 videos)

May 25 (four videos)

Sorry if you are getting annoying with the drive-home-from-school video series. She seems be to very talky talky after school and I love listening to her chat about the goings on at school.

short and cute!

Missing Amelia...

driving home

Wagon Walking (2 videos)

Reading stories

Dancing to Justin B

Justin B. You can't deny that his song is catchy and the kids love him. Millie's classroom is slightly obsessed with Justin and it's hilarious when I can see them boogy down. However, Millie (and Amelia) really need to work on their dancing skills. The rhythm and dancing skills that her classmates display is quite impressive! Millie's buddy Bailey is the light blue pants, white flower on her shirt.

Mothers intutions

A mothers intuition is more correct than wrong.

I can't tell you how many times I think something in my head...That chair is in a dangerous spot, I should move it. Milo might put that in his mouth, I should pick it up. Sometimes I listen. Sometimes I don't. I knew the day before that he was sick. I was expecting the call. I wasn't expecting me not to listen to my inner self and go pick the boy up and take him home.

He was sick and I knew it. It's like I have a switch that I can't call off work. I HAVE to be at work. They "need" me. I guess this feeling is the same feeling that has allowed me to only call off one day in the last 10 (almost 11) years at CNN because I was sick.

Side note: I got sick, probably 7 years ago, on a Turkey burger that I made myself on my George Foreman. I have yet to eat a turkey burger or used a George Foreman since.

So he was sick and I knew it. Mat and the kids are most important, not work. I made a promise to myself to listen to my inner voice from now on.

Since Mat was gone, I had to rely on my fabulous friends to help. Jackie watched Millie while Milo and I went to the doctors. He has a virus and needed meds. We picked up the drugs, picked up Millie (thank you Jackie!) and headed home. What a day. Milo was feeling better by the next morning. Lesson Learned.

Not many words

I think these videos were taken when Mat was away on a trip. Milo eating quietly. Millie getting to watch Diego because she was on good behavior. We don't record Dora or Diego on the TV but we do have them on Netflix. Millie's special treat is to watch one of these programs on the computer. These videos were taken during dinner and before bedtime.

However, her typical morning routine is to wake up. walk upstairs. Grab Mat's iPhone from the charger. Climb up on my side of the bed (I have already left for work). Find the Netflix app on the iPhone. Click on the episode of Dora or Diego that she wants to watch. All while Mat sleeps peacefully beside her. Sometimes the sound of Dora's theme song is what wakes him up in the mornings.

Milo's Surgery

Milo had his tube put in his ears today. When he woke that morning, he didn't look fabulous but I thought that was because I was waking him at the crack of dawn. Mat was on a trip so I took him in solo. He really did great although there was alot of screaming when he woke. Probably because he was starving and wanted his carbs. Yes, Milo is a bit of a carbo-holic. Wonder where he gets that from?? Anyway, we headed home and enjoyed the relaxing afternoon. But buy the evening, I could tell that he wasn't himself.

This surgery worked great on Millie and we are helping that it will cure Milo of his constant ear infections since Feb 1. Cheers to a happy healthy boy!

drawing daddy

Millie was impressing Mat with her fabulous artistic skills. She comes from a long line of wonderfully artistic people in her family. Lucky girl!

Amelia's Birthday

Amelia is one of Millie’s besties. When we first joined Sheltering Arms, Amelia and Millie were arc enemies. Millie would come home from school telling me everything that Amelia did wrong. They would fight. Take each others toys. Amelia would bite Millie.



As hard as Amelia’s mom and I tried, we could not get them to get along. Then, something happened. Not sure what it was but something happened. And now? They are the bestest of friends. Millie has been talking about Amelia’s birthday for months now. She couldn’t wait to go and neither could we! Amelia’s mom put on an amazing party and no detail was left out. Amelia’s mom threw the kind of party that kids would dream about. It was nothing but Princess Perfection.



Click here to see the pictures

voices

She is a girl with many voices. And she likes to use them all. Enjoy the videos!

Gymnastics

Millie has been in gymnastics since Jan 1. We have done two sessions now, back to back. To be honest, when we started out, I thought she might be our next Mary Lou Retton. In the beginning, it was really fun. She really enjoyed participating and seeing her bestie Meagan every week. However as the weeks went on and Millie showed her true 2 year old self, gymnastics became something I almost dreaded. Since Milo was too young to participate, you had to have two people there. One for Millie. One for Milo. For Mat and I, it was tough for both of us to be there every week. So we relied on friends and babysitters to help us out. Being her 2 year old self, it was sometimes a real struggle to get Millie to follow directions. They didn't think she was ready to move up to the older class, where (I thought) she might really flourish. All of this combined with, what we think, is the most disorganized gymnastics program. I know Atlanta is a big city, but to find a gymnastics class, on the weekend for working parents (and kids) to go to was NOT easy to find. I was so excited when we found one and got a spot. However I was so disappointed that it was so disorganized, which if you know me, drives me NUTS!

All that being said, Millie really truly seemed to enjoy each week. This alone made it all worth it. Throughout the week, she would ask if it was Saturday? And if we could "go to gymnastics today?" She would be so excited to see Meagan's car in the parking lot. She really did love swinging from the bars. She was fabulous at the balance beam. She and Meagan would get lost in the foam pit and they would crack up laughing. Katie and I would laugh at each other trying to grab the girls' flailing arms as we reach into the foam pit to try and retrieve our kids while trying not to fall in ourselves (knowing that we would probably not be able to get out!). She became an expert on the trampoline and could jump for hours if allowed. All and all, I think she loved it.


In the end, I am glad we did it. And we might do it again if the opportunity presents itself. But in the mean time, here are some pictures from her last class (that I attended). Click here to see all the pictures and videos.

Suitcase

We got a great present from the Tainows the other day. An Amtrak suitcase and a little green guy for Milo! Millie was pumped and so excited to use it! Maybe we can use it when the kids head to NJ for Grandparent Camp. Personally, the blinky light-up wheels are my favorite part.

ENT

Milo had his appointment with the ENT today. We did a hearing test and they were able to really look in his ear. Basically, the decision is ours. He is a little young for tubes but they can and will do them. We go back for a follow up at the end of April. Here is Milo all super happy about being at the doctor's office.

So I wrote this post back in April but forgot to post it. The update is, he is going in for surgery on Monday. Tubes: in. Ear infection: out. Milo is none too pleased.

Teeth

There was a special request to see Milo’s teeth. They are finally slowly starting to appear. First a top tooth. Then one on the bottom. A second on the top and now a second on the bottom. Millie had teeth around 6 months so getting teeth this late has been a real pain in the eating department. But Milo is getting better with the gnawing and not gagging concept. Much to our chagrin, he is still a very pick eater. Don’t know where he gets that from! Click here to see more pictures.

Happy Birthday Great Grandma Fran (GG!)

Merengue Monday