In Italy

We made it safely to Rome. Staying right across from the Spanish Steps....I feel a little like Audrey Hepburn ;-)
Here's a good one. Our apartment has a bidet. Norah walks into the bathroom and says in a very satisfied way "Hey look, there's a sink that's just the right size for me!"

Tooth Fairy

By the way, the tooth fairy almost got busted last night/this morning. I had no idea the difficulty involved in the tooth fairy's job. The tooth started out under Lolo's pillow. I searched and searched but couldn't find it. Even got the flashlight out. No go. Gave up and just left money under her pillow. Turns out, the tooth was in her hand and then mixed up in the comforter. Found it when I was cleaning up round 1 of the tummy flu (lucky break). Lolo said to me this morning, "I know when the tooth fairy came. It was when I was getting sick in the bathroom. I had to leave it in the comforter. When I came back the tooth was gone and money was under my pillow."
Amazing. Sick as a dog, but still has the diligent mind to keep track of her tooth.

Sweating it

Norah's really sweating Santa's visit. When asked if she had been good enough all year to get a present from Santa, she grinned impishly and hesitantly replied "Probably?" She did note as she was climbing into bed that she had been very very good today and didn't end up on the naughty step once. When I asked her about her time on the naughty step yesterday, she just grinned.
In other news, Lolo battled the stomach flu today. Started in the wee hours of the morning and lasted throughout the day...about 6pm, she decided her tummy could handle some food and afterwards perked up for the evening. And, for the record, she's pretty confident that she's been good throughout the year.
Lastly, instead of cookies (which we didn't have time to bake due to tummy troubles), we left oranges and water for Santa. I told the girls that Santa would probably be relieved to get a healthy snack every once in a while, after all the cookies that the other kids leave for him.

Tooth #5

We were hoping for the Italian tooth fairy, but tooth #5 couldn't wait. Looks like the Minnesota tooth fairy will pay us a visit tonight.

Waiting on a storm

After a bout with the "tummy bug" that has been going around our neighborhood, the girls and I have been outside to get some fresh air. The girls built their very first igloo....all by themselves. A very nice igloo, if I do say so. True Minnesota girls. We're so proud.

Now, we're just waiting on this Christmas storm that is supposed to hit us....predictions of over 2 feet of snow. Woo hoo. Exciting.

We're (hopefully) heading to Rome on Saturday (clearly, this is weather dependant). Will try to post from there.

Santa

I think kids at school have been having discussions about Santa. Lolo came home talking about how she knew the elves couldn't possibly make ALL the toys in the world for kids...people had to help the elves. But Santa is still real. Right, mom?

Gearing up for Christmas

Christmas is sneaking up fast. Instead of shopping tonight, I'm blogging. That's how bad it's gotten. I feel like I'm so far in the hole that it's hopeless.

However, we did finally manage to get our gingerbread houses built this week. (Norah ate more candy than she managed to put on the house...and her house has gotten progressively more bare as the days go by...I caught our little mouse climbing up on the table and nibbling this afternoon).

Perhaps the greatest miracle of all...the girls and I went to the tree lot by ourselves after church today and somehow managed to wrestle a tree home for the very first time without Jim (who has been on call since we came home from Montana and will be on call until the day after christmas). All I can say is praise the Lord that Jim snuck home for lunch today and helped me get the tree in the stand. Whew.

Creekside hot tub

Look at my crazy kids. Running back and forth from the hot tub to make snow balls in their swim suits and bare feet....and, oh, the temperature? Um, single digits excluding wind chill. Mark this under Jim's-genes-at-work.

Also check out the steam rising from Lolo's body in this picture below.

Man, what a great time!

Back from Montana

I'm still having a hard time believing we could sneak in a weekend trip to Montana. Turns out, it's only a 13 hour drive to Red Lodge from St Paul. The girls did great. Sometimes their ability to travel and adaptability to new situations stuns me.

We drove all night Thursday. Pulled into the condo's garage around 5 am. Slept for a few hours, ate breakfast, went skiing, came back and enjoyed the creekside hot tub. Same thing the next day.

The skiing was unbelieveable...especially considering that it's so early in the season. Empty trails. Good coverage. The four of us skied down a long run all by ourselves...with no one in sight. Unbelieveable. This place is tops on our list.

Yesterday morning, as we're packing up, Lolo tries to talk me & Jim into buying the ski condo in Red Lodge. Some kids ask for toys or candy. Our kids ask for ski condos. I'm sensing a problem down the road.

A wild hair

Jim checked nearby snow conditions on monday. Got a wild hair and decided to take a quick road trip. We're leaving tomorrow afternoon....picking up Lolo from school and then heading straight out. Back on sunday. Supposed to be packing right now. Procrastinating instead.
Will let you know how snow conditions are at Red Lodge.....supposed to be the best early skiing they have had in years.

Mountain Boarding

A video not really related to the girls....it's Sam mountain boarding down the hill over the weekend.

Norah & Jim rocking out

Thanksgiving photos

Milestone

We've hit another milestone here. A big one.
Yesterday, Jim and I are in the kitchen. Norah gets an orange, walks over to the sink, matter of factly undoes the child lock under the sink, pulls out the trash can, and starts to deposit her peel into the trash. Needless to say, we're done with child locks.

Busy busy day

Lolo's at school today. Norah and I are madly trying to get our house in order for the holidays. Big long to-do list for today. Norah has helped baked pumpkin bread already. Lolo helped bake a pecan pie (or as she calls it "nut pie") last night. Norah and I will be brining our turkey later today after my morning meeting.

Still here

Both girls went down hard today. Went to get haircuts and then to the Children's Theatre to see Cinderella this morning. Spent the afternoon outside looking for bugs. (None found). Both asleep by 7:15 tonight.
Lolo asked me the other day how much longer she has to go to school. The first day of school was exciting, she said. It's not so exciting anymore.

One more trip photo...

As we're packing to come home...

Lolo declares she doesn't want to come home. She wants to live on a ski mountain. Yeah. Me too.

The zippy zebra and her posse

Norah's ski birthday

And yet another birthday cake for Norah...

This time at Copper Mountain for a ski birthday.

And one more Norah birthday video

Norah's pretty intent on getting these candles out...you can tell the wheels are turning and she's plotting her strategy throughout the song. In the end, a little help from Lolo (who couldn't stand to be left out).

One more

Norah's Birthday Part 2

Happy Birthday Norah

My baby girl is 4 today. Hard to believe. Jim and I went to her preschool to celebrate today. Last week when we were talking about her birthday, Norah picked oranges for a snack to share with her class. This morning as we're walking into school carrying 4 bags of clementines, Norah says "How about fruit cups?" Uh sorry Norah.

Lolo stat update

FYI - when I took Lolo in to the doctor's for her ruptured sty...I forgot to update her stats...
53 lbs and 47.75 inches. At this rate, I'm guessing she's going to out grow me by the time she is 8.

Happy Fall!

A little sun and a big pile of leaves...

Almost back to normal

We're on the upswing. (Knock on wood). The worst of the colds are over. Both girls still have a lingering cough and runny nose, but nothing to keep them out of school. Norah's coming home extremely tired after school, so I know she's not 100% yet, but it's certainly better.
Norah has decided (with help from Mom) that she wants a ski birthday. (Hooray! Birthday cake on the slopes!). We're heading out to Colorado for a quick 3 day weekend next week. The goal this year is to teach Norah how to stop by herself and get her off the leash.
Go El Nino!

Gym

On our way home from school yesterday, I was asking Lolo about her day. Since it was so nice in the morning, I asked Lolo if she had gym class outside. Lolo, in her all-knowing-duh-mom voice, replied "No, mom. We always have gym class in the gym....that's why they call it gym."

Norah update

I'm hopeful that Norah is on the mend. Rough night of coughing and a perpetually runny nose. But no fever today. Still very tired though.
It was a Norah & Mom day today. She ran errands with me all morning. Didn't feel right about taking her to swim school with the cough and runny nose.
Went to pick up my skis this morning. When we pulled into the ski shop parking lot, Norah was insistent about going to see the fish. I told her, there's no fish in the ski shop. Oh, but I was wrong. She HAD to show me. The ski shop also has a fishing section. We had to spend time oooohing and ahhhhing by the bait.

Happy Halloween!

Norah's helping me at home tonight. She's been running a fever since tuesday afternoon. Crazy. Thought she was better on friday. Picked her up from school and she was running a fever. Today after lunch, I found her laying down in the living room because she was so tired. Poor kid. Has yet to really go trick-or-treating. Maybe next year.

Lolo is out with the neighborhood gang for dinner and then trick or treating.

Lolo's class photo

Lolo's kindergarten class. She's one of the tallest in her class. Hard to believe she is my child. I don't think I ever moved out of the first row.

One more chinese video

I can't help myself....had to do one more chinese video. Last one for today.

Another chinese song

So here's the poem the girls at Lolo's party recited...but Lolo decided to sing it for us at home. She hasn't learned all of it yet, but I still can't get over what she has learned. Stuff like this makes the drive to Minneapolis bearable.

Happy Birthday Lolo

About half of the kids at Lolo's party were from her school....so, here's the amazing thing about her party. These girls just start speaking chinese and reciting a poem in unison. And then when the cake comes out, they all sing happy birthday - in chinese. WOW. I was so impressed - especially considering that most of these children started out with ZERO background in chinese. I'm so tickled with Lolo. Her chinese has really come a long ways.

When Popo was here, sometimes we'll say something in chinese - especially if it's not something for children's ears....can't do that anymore. Lolo comprehends almost everything now. Jim's listening to chinese cds to catch up.

Birthday photos

It's been a tough week. The girls have been sick. Lolo was out monday and tuesday with a fever. Norah was out wednesday and thursday. Both are back in school today and I'm supposed to be catching up on work....but, I just got a new card reader....procrastinating as usual....

So here are some photos from the party at the children's museum. The group went through the "Spooky Woods" first and then came into the party room for science experiments and then cake. The girls really enjoyed it and I was just thankful it wasn't at home.

Now I feel bad

When Norah tells us about her day, we hear about the kids in her class...you know, "Buffalo Hair", "Nobody", "The boy who lost his hat"....Then recently, she starts talking about her friend "Lucky". Jim and I both assumed this was another made up name for a kid in her class....I just checked the class list. There really is a girl named "Lucky" in her class.

Picture day

Can you believe this is my baby girl?

A concert by Lolo

Hopefully the sound works this time...So far, she's working on "Hot Cross Buns", "Twinkle Twinkle" and "Mary Had a Little Lamb".

Norah day...

A big day for Norah....no preschool. Swim school. Hanging out with mom & dad. And then, the biggest treat? Taking a spin on Lolo's tagalong. She can't really reach the pedals yet (can't pedal all the way down), but it was a very good time. She didn't really want to get off...despite the white knuckles ;-)

Lolo's birthday

A simple birthday for Lolo. A day off from school. Went on a bike ride around the neighborhood. A pizza dinner with friends. And of course, birthday cake. Big party next saturday....