Vegas in Video Format

We just got back from our weekend in Las Vegas. I am still downloading and choosing pictures from the trip, but in the meantime thought I would share some of the videos we took.

The two videos of the girls at the fountains are hilarious - they really show off their different personalities. In each of them, I was pretending to take their photo, and this was the result!

Also check out this insane sunset from our first night there.

Enjoy!

Catching Up!

We are so excited to be heading out on a mini vacation this weekend. We are packing up the kids and car, and heading to Vegas to celebrate our 8 year anniversary, even staying in the same hotel! We are so excited to enjoy some new surroundings, a super huge bath tub, pool side lunches, and of course hanging out with the Arcaris (with their son Nicholas who is just a bit older than the girls, and their 8 month old twin girls!). And maybe I am crazy, but I think taking the girls out on the strip will be fun. Ask me again in a few days! 

Its the longest drive we will have ever taken the girls on, and I am definitely nervous. I think they like being in the car enough that they will be ok, and we are planning on driving during nap times, but the memory of car sickness in the not too distant past haunts me. We haven't had an incident since February, when we turned car seats forward, but its not something easily forgotten. 

I have a ton of cute pictures of the girls - Alex is her regular super model self, and Josie is finally occasionally allowing us to take a picture of her. ;) 

Here are some from our second visit to the farm to go strawberry picking. They would not stop asking to go again, so we obliged, this time with dad. The girls had a lot of fun visiting all of the stuff they remembered - especially the chickens for some reason. There were fewer strawberries to pick this time, but we ended up bringing quite a few quarts home and freezing them for smoothies. 

It was so nice to have a 3 day weekend over Memorial Day with not a whole lot planned. We took the opportunity offered by a leisurely weekend to take the girls for a "hold hands" walk around the neighborhood. So California in their flip flops and yoga pants! 

We all went to our friends' baby shower, where the girls marveled at cupcakes that had pacifiers in them (pretend babies ha ha) and made every attempt to fall into the pool trying to play with some decorative plastic balls. They were very cute in their tutus though. 

Josie is more of an "icing" girl.

Happy Friday!

The girls were being so cute this morning, very nice to each other and just fun. This week has been a bit off with having Monday off for Memorial Day, Josie was sick, and now Alex and I are taking a turn. Its not a bad cold, just sniffles and a bit of sore throat, but there has been some coughing at night and everyone is just a bit tired.

We've been having some rough patches too. The girls have a hard time understanding that when they pull hair or pinch, it hurts the other one. And beyond that, I have a feeling that some feelings are hurt when it happens. I've seen how long they cry when they fall (not long), but when sister pulls hair or pinches, the cry lasts a lot longer and they need a lot of comforting.

The girls had a fun day on Wednesday - they went to a free art class down the street, and then out for McDonald's with Brittany. They really love doing art, and are so proud of their creations. They are really into singing and dancing, recently, too, to the point that I am thinking some sort of music lessons are on the horizon. And of course summer swim class is starting in a few weeks as well.

I feel like I am cheating on the girls tonight - I am heading to a live performance of The Little Mermaid at the Hollywood Bowl :) Well it starts way after their bed time, and I'll make it up to them with some Disney on Ice in December. Hopefully they can't read yet and don't hold me to that ;)

The girls had their first Drumsticks on Memorial Day

Alex was a pro. Eating it as if she was auditioning for the commercial.

Josie....well.

I ended up getting her a spoon, and after some resistance, she went with it.

She also went straight from the table and into the tub.

Meanwhile....

Ta da! Well, it tastes the same any way you eat it.

Pretending to sleep when she wasn't feeling too good <3 p="">

Alex was crying her eyes out because she wanted the Bee Cereal. I was trying to save $3 and got store brand. Shockingly, James drawing a bee on the box, right in front of her, no less, was enough to make this little girl happy. Again, another audition shot from Alex. 

At McDonalds (which Alex calls "Donald Duck") with Brittany!

Art class

How CUTE are these aprons?!

Play place antics

Modeling her "flower girl" dress (her words!)

We got the girls some books on how to be a flower girl, in preparation for their roles in my sister Stephanie's wedding in August, so now they like to put flower bows in their hair and wear dresses and pretend to be flower girls! 

Being nice and holding hands. <3 nbsp="" p="">

Misplaced

Work is busy.  One of our clients is a government agency that picks up any claims when their insurer goes insolvent.  After about 6 years, maybe 7, of no insolvencies, there were two within a month of each other. So, my case load went from a humble 9-10 cases, to double that number in two weeks. It sure makes the work day go by fast, but also means less downtime to even think about updating the blog. I enjoy it though, I don't like being slow. And it is nice having the surety of job security. ;) 

Josie trying on her bathing suit. And her sister's bathing suit.

They are both desperately independent. Trying to do everything themselves but not yet skilled enough to succeed. Everyone is frustrated but its ok, we just let them test their limits and we're there for them with a helping hand when its needed. 

I've also been reading. I may have mentioned in a prior post that it occurred to me that while I am keeping watch, I can do more than just scroll through my Facebook feed on my phone or stare blankly into the sky. Reading is bringing back some meaning to my time that checking social media updates was lacking. In fact I think it is helping me find myself again, if that's possible. Between the fulfillment of work, diving back into reading, and finally losing this baby weight, I am definitely feeling more myself again. Confident, fun, and interesting. Its amazing how having to care for a new human life (lives) can cause you to completely forget how to be human yourself. 

The girls were very excited to attend a "Frozen" themed birthday party WITH a bounce house and water slide and cake and mac and cheese. It was like everything they love all in one. 

Outfit change for the water slide!

Very sleepy heavy eyes, getting one last 

activity in before heading home for an epic nap!

We've been having a lot of fun with the girls now that they are getting bigger and have little personalities, likes, and dislikes of their own. They actually ask us to go do stuff, so we have spent a few beautiful Saturday afternoons heading to the "dragon slide" at the indoor park despite the gorgeous weather. They were really taken by strawberry picking and ask to go all of the time, so we may have to head back for another round before the season is over. 

Who doesn't love a trip to Toys r Us followed by some Burger King?

If you aren't aware, Alex's "Guy" is a Giraffe. So this was "Other Guy"

We are getting ready for a few vacations, one quick weekend trip to Vegas to celebrate James and my 8th anniversary and have the girls meet our friends' twins and spend some time in the pool. Then of course my sister's wedding in August. Sadly we can no longer lap sit the girls, and had to buy 4 plane tickets, its the kind of ouch that makes you appreciate that it wasn't triplets. 

I forget how wonderful it was to just run freely in big fields as a child. 

Running as an adult feels awkward and like work. 

The girls just love open space, and we found some at 

the Elementary School they will be attending in a few years. 

Speaking of, three years ago we found out we were going to be parents. Three years is not that long, yet it seems like an eternity. So much has changed since then and we have lived a lot in these last three years. 

Getting some running in at dusk in our front yard.