Closets

I mentioned Presley's closet being super sad.....here is Piper's closet. This does include clothes from sized 4-6 (basically I take them out of Presley's closet and put in hers) however, I think there might be a tote or two in the basement that I need to go thru also. Seriously it's out of control (many of these things were hand me downs from cousin Mary, so that is nice!)

And poor Presley. The sad closet, the empty closet just begging to be filled! This is all short sleeve, long sleeve, tanks and dresses....we don't pack up our off-season clothes like many people do.

We were able to get her some more things when we went shopping, that surely won't fill the closet like Piper's but now she can at least wear pants that don't have holes in the knees!

Weekend Update

Friday night we stayed in, it was rainy and gloomy and the perfect night to not to anything! We had another slumberparty in the basement, which I am completely over now b/c our kids are usually grouchy the next day.

Saturday morning we did sleep in until 8:45, I got up and worked out and then took Piper to the neighbors house for a playdate. Xander is in her class at Generation Next and lives a couple blocks over, they always get along so well and I love his mother April! Piper has been begging for a play date at their house, so I sent her a message and basically invited us over. It worked out that she was having a Cabi party that morning so I looked at clothes and they played.....for a very short while. Piper was scared of their big dog and was kind of grouchy, so we stayed for a little bit and then headed home.

After that Presley and I had a date to go shopping! The girls' closet is just sad these days and all her pants had holes in the knees, We headed to the mall and hit up Children's Place, Justice and Target and surprisingly Target was the only place that didn't have clothes on sale! :) She was hungry and grouchy when we left, so that made me unhappy and pissy but we got home and started getting ready for Sam, Scott and Boston to come over to hang out.

We had a great dinner, ate and drank and I got to hold baby Jordan some! Then Sam and I decided to head up to The Boathouse for a drink. A neighbor was having her 40th surprise birthday party there, so we joined for a couple hours then headed home and Steve and Scott headed up for an hour or so to say Happy Birthday too. When you don't have a babysitter, you compromise! :) It worked. They left way later than expected and the kids didn't get to sleep until after 11.

Sunday we did all sleep in until almost 9:30! And then I took Piper to a birthday party at Pump It Up!
There were only tears 3 times, once when she feel down in one of the bouncy things, I just don't think she knew what to expect but she had quick recovery and kept on playing.

 A lot of them did the 'tornado', which is basically just really high winds in this tiny little booth. I was hesitant to let her do it, but didn't want to discourage her. She did it with a smile......

 and then started crying....and b/c I'm a good mother, I took a picture of her misery.

But she recovered and went back to playing again. Even posed for pictures with her bff Paige, another Paige in her class and Ayla!

 The whole gang!

 It was a Troll party and the birthday girl's mom made this adorable Poppy headbands! (so full of glitter that I want to scream!)

After the party we went home and just did our normal weekend stuff, laundry, cleaning, grocery store. I worked out, the kids played, we painted nails and did baths and we all tried to get to bed early, which didn't work since they slept in so late that morning! :)

Okay.

'Okay' is rarely an answer I get from Presley when I tell Presley I'm signing her up for a sport (which a majority of the time I don't end up doing). Sunday afternoon we were out kicking the soccer ball around and she was doing really well! They play in school and I know she likes it but will never admit that she 'wants' to play. So I told her I was going to sign her up and she said 'Okay'. Not an excited okay but not a pissed off okay either! So I ran with it!
Monday morning I looked at the registration online but didn't pull the trigger, it's a lot of money to spend if she was going to back out later. So Monday after work I told her I HAD signed her up and she just shrugged her shoulders! I know this doesn't sound like much, but this is NOT refusal from her! This is a gigantic step!!!

Yesterday I registered her, paid the late fee, ordered her jerseys, everything. I was excited!
A couple hours later I get an email that says 'Sorry, spring soccer is full I'm not sure why the website allowed you to register' ARE YOU KIDDING ME??????????? I was SO bummed.

We have one last chance by trying the Grimes soccer league, the season is only 6 weeks and it's a little cheaper but she probably won't know any of the other girls. They only have a couple openings left, so right now we are just waiting to hear back.
If not, I told her I would sign her up for fall soccer in hopes she doesn't change her mind before then!

Weekend fun

I took Friday off of work to spend a day with Presley since she was on spring break, I really should try to take more time off during this week to do fun things with her (or both of them) so maybe next year.

We got up and headed our to get her hair cut. It hadn't been cut in about a year and she needed. The girl who does my hair, Josie, washed, trimmed, blew dry and curled Presley's hair. I think she liked the pampering! Then we headed to Flix Brewhouse to met my mom to see Beauty and the Beast! I think my mom and I were more excited than Presley but we all really liked it!

On our way home we HAD to get shamrock shakes from McDonald's, after all it was St. Patrick's day! (she was insistent that we get these and then she didn't eat half of hers!)

I really had all intentions of working out while Presley played once we got home but I laid down to rest....and 2 hours later, I still hadn't moved. Presley does a great job at playing by herself a lot of times and she loves having that time at home without Piper.
Steve and Piper got home and then neighbor Kyle came over to watch basketball with Steve and we just hung out.

I snapped this picture of my baby girl, who looking more like a teenager here.

That night we had a slumber party in the basement and watched the new Jungle Book while Steve went and watched more basketball with neighbors. We really liked the movie!

Saturday we mostly just hung out! I worked out, Steve went to the store, the cable guy came to hook up some new hardware and then we got out the Easy Bake Oven that Piper got for Christmas. I've never had an easy bake oven and really don't know what the purpose is at this point. You get tiny little servings, you still have to get real dishes dirty, the little oven is hot so it's not really that EASY. Heck, turn on the real oven and make me a 9x13 pan of brownies instead of 12 tiny little cookies. Oh well, the girls liked it and ate them all up in no time at all! (Now if we had that 9x13 pan that would've lasted all weekend and not an hour!)

(don't mind the clock in the background that shows it is almost 2 pm and Piper is still in her pj's)

Saturday afternoon we played outside a lot! Well, they played and I sat and read my book or talked with neighbors. That night Steve made a rock star dinner of steak, shrimp, asparagus and grilled potatoes. O.M.G. Jealous? You should be!

The girls and I had another night in the basement watching The Jungle Books (since we forgot to return it, oops) and Steve went to neighbor Matt's to watch the Iowa State game. Once he got home he slept with the girls in the basement and I went up and had the whole bed to myself.....until about 9 Sunday morning when these two weaseled their way into bed with me (with their ipads in hand). They started fighting over who had more room in the bed so I got up and went to work out!

Yesterday Presley got to see Beauty and the Beast again with cousin Ava and Aunt Christie, Piper and I headed to Target and Steve went to help Kyle with a quick project. When Piper and I got home the weather had warmed up so Piper got on her bike and we went for a walk!
Steve then went back over to Kyle's to watch the Iowa game and took Piper with him! So I had about an hour to get some laundry put away, clean some things up and read my book out front waiting for Presley to get home from the movie!

The night went so fast, we had leftovers from Saturday night while we watched the end of the Iowa game and the girls ate so quickly so they could go back outside and play! They were NOT happy to come back in and NOT happy to have to go to school today. But I can't really blame them!

Thursday night fun

As I have mentioned before we love live music and we have a lot of concerts this year! Thursday night we had tickets to Justin Moore and Lee Brice so my mom came over to watch the girls and we met Samantha and her friend Nancy at Buzzard Billy's which was surprisingly NOT as busy as it usually is before concerts! We had a couple drinks and ate some dinner and then headed to the arena. I was able to get presale floor general admission tickets with all expectations that we would stand in the back and have a good time. We got there and it wasn't that crowded so we made our way up to 2nd row! Why not?

Justin Moore

Lee Brice, one of my FAV's!!!

They played a song and the whole time had Iowa pictures on the big screen, it was pretty awesome that they catered to the city they were in.

During my favorite song - I Don't Dance

It was a late night but it was fun. Overall just a good situation and time!

Weekend Update

Friday night we did alot of nothing, which was alot like most of our weekend. Steve met Scott out for drinks after work, they ended up coming back to our house about 11 pm and then were still in the basement talking and such until 1:30! Who are these men?? 

Steve ran to work Saturday morning, I worked out and then we did a late 'brunch' at Jethros in Ankeny. The girls don't like much of their normal food but they do like their breakfast, which they serve until 2 pm on the weekends (and we got there at 1:30!).

 

At 4:30 we had a birthday party for one of the neighborhood girls, Gianna. It was fun, the girls played so good with the kids there and most of the guys watched the Iowa State bball game while Sarah and I chatted.

That night we hung out in the basement, I started another puzzle and the girls watched movie with popcorn.

 

Sunday the girls were just aching for something messy to do, so they got the playdoh out! :) They can be SO creative and I just love it since I'm not!

Presley made me breakfast!

 and Piper made me toast, purple pizza and spaghetti!

The rest of the day we did the usual weekend cleaning, laundry, shopping.....I worked out, I finished my puzzle, finished my book and didn't leave the house all day and it was awesome!

The girls are on spring break this week so Presley is going to KTC. Monday morning was horrible and it didn't help that it has snowed so it took me an hour to get to work.......Presley cried, screamed and was incredibly mad she had to go to KTC. It was like I was dropping off kindergarten Presley again, took me 15 minutes of trying to convince her, plead her, ask her, telling her she had to go and the staff at the school were very nice and helped basically take her from me so I could leave. It was NOT fun. In her defense, she does have to go to a different elementary school that she is not used to and b/c it's spring break they combine all the 2nd and 3rd graders from all 5 elementary schools and there just aren't as many kids there that she knows.

I had asked mom to watch the girls overnight on Monday since she was watching Presley on Tuesday anyways so we picked them up, packed up their things and took them over for their night with Grandma! Steve and I decided to do dinner at Blu Toro, http://www.blutorocantina.com/, it was really good and I would definitely go back again! Then we headed out to a new brewery on that side of town, Barn Town Brewery, http://barntownbrewing.com/ , we really liked that too. Cool atmosphere, good beer, the bartender was nice....I wish we had a place like this closer to our house!

Last night my neighbor Sarah convinced me to do the canvas painting class that so many people have done. I'm not creative or artsy so I had never done one, but I sucked it up and did it!

Sarah's friend Stacy, Sarah and me

I think they turned out pretty good! Perfect for St. Patty's day on Friday!

Photo Dump

Back when the weather was nice and we wanted to be outside.....

 Piper before her cartwheel clinic

 Very seldom does Presley want to be in pictures anymore!

 And after the clinic...in her leotard, on her bike with her helmet on of course! Safety first!

A little sassy.....

 a little sweet!

Random

- Piper spelled zipper the other day...why would any 4 yr old know how to spell this?

- Piper is now calling me her 'lovely mommy'...she is just so funny and comes up with the funniest and sweetest things to say sometimes.

- This Is Us....if you aren't watching this show. Shame on you! You should start watching it, you won't regret it!

- If you want a couple good books to read.....The Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio, The Marriage Lie by Kimberly Belle, The Night Bird by Brian Freeman and Sister Sister by Sue Fortin

- I got my last birthday present from Steve (a month late) but I LOVE IT!
 
 

This week

Presley had her 8 year check up at the doctor on Monday.....basically she is healthy and normal.
She is 57 lbs which is 50% and  4'1" (which I think is a little off) which is 26%. I don't think she is THAT short but oh well.
She does have perfect eyesight which is awesome b/c we figure both of our kids will need glasses at some point, so I was very happy to hear that she can see with 20/15 vision right now!

Then yesterday we had Piper's conferences. The teachers keep saying she should be going to kindergarten next year but we know she isn't. She knows almost everything she needs to go to kindergarten plus some. Her teachers love her and think she is so funny and smart. She just loves learning! She really love practicing her sight words (which is all the basic words and include days of the week, months and colors), she is doing simple math, can draw and use scissors better than most of her class. We are proud and anxious for what the next year holds in store for her before she actually does go into kindergarten!

Of course, both girls had gymnastics this week, we are looking forward to getting their classes to be on the same night this summer....hopefully.

Tonight Piper and I are meeting my family at the Olive Garden for dinner to say goodbye to my daddy who leaves for Singapore on Sunday! World traveler! Not sure it would be my first choice of places to go but he is going with two of my aunts to visit my cousin and his family, who have been living there since July. It will be such a good experience for them!

Catch up!

I'm a week behind and I don't like it...but I've been doing puzzles and reading books like a crazy woman!
Last Tuesday night I met Lyndsi and Lisa out for dinner/drinks to celebrate our February birthdays! It is always nice to have those nights to catch up with my girls!

Thursday we had Presley's conferences, she is doing well! Her teacher loves her and only has positive things to say...the one thing we all know that she needs to work on is SLOWING DOWN! She does so much better when she stops and thinks! Of course, then they turn around and give them timed math tests, so that is just slightly contradictory! Her reading score when down two points from her winter conference which is just Presley going thru the test too fast, she is still above where they want her to be though.

Friday I had plans to go to the Blackhawk concert with my sisters! I LOVED this band back in the 90's and was SO excited to see they were going to play at Wooly's! So we met for dinner and then headed to the show. It was PACKED but it was awesome b/c the whole crowd was singing along and they still sounded great even though they are like 60 years old now. :)

 

Saturday morning Steve headed to work for a little while and then headed over to our friend Kyle's to help him with a small home improvement project. The girls and I hung out and played (I did my puzzle) and then we took Piper to a cartwheel clinic at Sapphire, where she takes gymnastics. It was only for 3-5 yr olds so I thought she would like it and learn a little!

 

She did good for about a 1/2 hour, then she was over it. Oh well, we left and met Steve at Target and he took Piper home since she had a crappy attitude and Presley and I did our shopping. Like always, we spent too much money. We got home and the girls played outside with the neighbors and Steve made dinner and I worked on laundry (and my puzzle, do you see a theme here?).

 

Sunday we did more of the same! Presley had a birthday party at Urbandale swimming pool but other than that we didn't really leave the house for much which was nice!