Busy Bees

Well, as you can tell lately, I haven't had much time to post. Last weekend was nuts with me working and Maria being sick. This weekend I was in a massage class for 16 hours and Morrie hung out with the girls. Isabelle had a soccer game, which they won 4-1. Morrie video taped it for me and I am working on how to post little snipits of video for you here. He also took the girls to a Globetrotters game, how much fun is that?? The girls loved it and I think someone thought all the antics just happened to occur, which made it very funny and unbelievably awesome. They even got their picture taken with "Sweet Pea" and loved telling me all the crazy things that happened with audience members.

We have a jam packed week. I get to see the eye doctor tomorrow, who will hopefully fix my broken eye, the girls are supposed to dress up as "Ghoulish Mardi Gras" which none of us can figure out -for tomorrow, we all plan on pigging out as it is FAT Tuesday and we will deprive ourselves of much goodness over the next 40 days, the girls have regular free dress on Thursday - which is always cause for uniform free celebration-, and on Friday they will have "Mathcitement" which is like having math all day. Not everyone is happy about that one, but I am and that's what matters most, we will also throw in a couple of family birthdays, Maria as "Star of the Week" and Isabelle has another play practice and that will round out the craziness in our household. What craziness will you be experiencing today?

Did I forget to tell you?

Morrie and I are going to VEGAS BABY in April. That's how you have to say it. VEGAS BABY. We were invited to go and celebrate a friend's 40th birthday, and well, any excuse to go is a good one! I have never been so I am super excited. Morrie has been a few times, but those previous visits cannot possibly measure up to going with his wife. The kids even invited themselves over to someone's house for us. I think it was meant to be.

We also just got a small video camera, a purchase we have been putting off for a while. My new work schedule will prevent me from going to Isabelle's spring league soccer games, which makes me VERY sad. So, we had to get a video device so Mommy can watch the games when I get home from work. My point is, we will have it wherever we go now, so what happens in Vegas, will actually come home with us and be posted here for all to see. Should be interesting!!

Sicko!

Well, things haven't been too great around here lately. Maria had a bad cold for almost 2 weeks, but it wasn't as severe as Morrie's cold. That one was pretty bad, he was home from work several days and sick over last weekend. It was unfortunate because it was his 3rd cold in 3 months. Don't worry, I have wiped down all the light switches and doorknobs...but perhaps I will do it again.

Maria had a gymnastics meet on Valentine's Day. Unfortunatey, she was awake all night beforehand throwing up. I hear the awful stuff is going around school. She was very sad to be missing it. Isabelle and I are crossing our fingers and reading Taroh cards in hopes of warding off germs.

In greater news, this past weekend was my LAST at the spa in Kirkland. I had 3 clients on Saturday morning and 5 on Sunday. I think that's as many clients as I have had there in the past 6 weeks. Thank goodness for Valentine's Day! Let's all take a moment and say a little prayer that they left really nice tips.

67 days until Vegas!

So accomplished am I!

I feel like I really got a lot done today...crossed off on my to-do list...I even made dinner- some chicken in an awesome marinade, finished a birthday present (a handmade blanket!) and baked cookies.

What? You don't think that's possible? You think Isabelle really made the marinade by herself? You think both girls- plus their 7 year old cousin -really made the blanket? You think the cookies were really a mix from a box???

Well, maybe you might have something there. I think there are some bon-bons calling me.

Gymastics Meet photos

Here Maria (center of the photo) just received the "ok" from the judges to begin her vault.

In this bar sequence, you see the one leg over the bar, this is her just finishing her Mill Circle, the first time she ever did it!! The fuzziness is a lady who just stood up right in front of me. I am leaned over practically in Isabelle's lap just to get this shot. The other bar photo, with her feet on the bar, is her dismount. It has taken 6 months of work for her to manage getting her feet up onto the bar for this trick. They are then supposed to swing around, let go of the bar and land beautifullyMuch harder than it even sounds!

Beam routine, loved it!!

Her team receiving their trophies and gift bags!

Not done braggin'!

Sorry, I wasn't quite done bragging yet. Isabelle tried out for the school play last week. She is a little bit shy about having a on stage role, and her soocer schedule kind of conflicts with those parts anyway, but she still really wanted to be involved. She interviewed to be a part of stage crew. They move the sets in between scenes and manage all the props and stuff like that. I will tell you that there were more kids trying out than there were parts, and parts range from on stage roles, to stage crew, to hair/makeup to scene painters. Not every kid who tried out got something to do. Isabelle and her knack for being organized and perhaps her good memory, got her stage crew wish. She is the only girl on a 5 person team! Go Izzy!

Maria and her fabulous self had her first gymnastics meet this evening. She has some tough routines, and she was really super nervous. She had asked me before hand about what she should do during bar. There are 2 "tricks" that she hasn't quite mastered and she needs help on. I told her not to look around for her coach, but Nancy's hands would be there if Maria needed them. She got up there, and in the middle of her routine - for the FIRST TIME EVER- mastered her Mill Circle. I won't describe it, but she has been working on it for months, twice a week, and hasn't ever done it. This Mom just about cried up there in the stands. It was pretty awesome. Go Maria!!

The dog did nothing to impress me this week, and Morrie is sick, so nothing there either. Sorry.

Job Update!

I do in fact have a new job. My assigment at Nintendo ended, and I have less than 2 weeks left at the Heathman in Kirkland. Today - if there are any clients!- I start at Frenchy's Day Spa in Madison Park and I am really excited. There are so many people that work there, I think it wil take weeks for me to get their names staright. Luckily, they are not massage therapists, they have lots of receptionists, and loads of nail ladies. When I was in yesterday a woman was setting up a party for 20 pedicures and manucures - this place is hoppin'!

On a side note, my kids are amazing, but you probably already knew that. The other day we were looking at someone's doormat - it had a big "M" on it. I told the girls we should have it at our house. Maria then said "I don't think our stoop is big enough Mom". Stoop? This kid has got vocabulary!

Time for Isabelle news: She had a school project where they had to give a speech about the history of something and make a visual aid board thing to go with it. She said some kids were doing popcorn, sugar, chocolate...I then asked her what her topic would be. She says "I am doing the Shirt Waist Movement. I read about it in one of my books!". What? Who? Come to find out the Shirt Wasit Movement (warning: history lesson follows) describes the time between 1909-1911 when young women and girls were working in shirt wasit factories (the type of blouse women wore) in poor working conditions and they formed a union and went on stirke for 14 weeks and improved their jobs! They ended up forming one of the largest workers unions in the U.S. Dude, she should get an "A" just for coming up with that topic!

Now that I have bragged about them as individuals, I will brag about them together. As Morrie took a nap last Saturday the girls went outside and pretty soon asked for some wood. He told them where to find some and a few hours later they had built a frame for a greenhouse and wanted some clear tarp to finish it. It's maybe 5 feet by 4 feet - something they can actually use. We were amazed that the wood lengths are all the same so it's not off kilter, and just the fact that they did it blew me away. Morrie did not help at all - he was determined to let them have this moment for themselves. I hope they are proud of themselves, because we sure are!