February 2020

The Chiefs won the Super Bowl! How crazy is that?! It may sound funny for me to be so excited since I am a Raiders fun BUT I am also a Kansas City fan and it makes me so happy to see everyone SO excited and for the world to see how great KC is.  Plus a) I will be the only one that's happy if the Raiders ever win and who wants to celebrate alone and b) Nellie is a HUGE Chiefs fan!  She was crying at the beginning of the game when the 49ers had scored and the Chiefs hadn't, and then she watched practically the whole game with us even though we were at her friends house.  Prior to the game Mila was a self-proclaimed Steelers fan (what??) but after Kansas City won she decided she was a Chiefs fan (#bandwagon).

Robert and I went to a Dashboard Confessional concert which, coincidentally, was the first concert we went to when we started dating.

Nellie got her chance at a Daddy/Daughter dance and was so excited to pick out her outfit for the evening.  She had so much fun at the dance and said that slow dancing with Daddy was her favorite part.

Mila went to one of those wine and painting classes (minus the wine) and she did a great job! She's way better than her mom, let me tell you!

She now has it hanging in her room, across from her bed, so she can "wake up smiling every morning that her panda is looking at her."

We spent President's Day weekend in Indio with Nana and Papa; it was a little cooler than the 100 degree summer temps we are used to but the girls had a blast and we still spent the whole afternoon in the pool! (We also watched the movie Wonder while we were there...it was so good! A perfect family movie).

We ended the month with a visit from my PREGNANT BEST FRIEND and her husband! They decided to come out to California for their babymoon and were so sweet to spend the weekend with us before heading off to Catalina for a few days.  Can't wait to meet this little boy!!!

We're remodeling our bathrooms soon and I am seriously considering putting this tile somewhere in the shower....thoughts?

What we're looking forward to in March: Nellie's school talent show and MARCH MADNESS!!!! Which is the only thing I ever plan in March if you're wondering why this seems like a light month  :) Rock Chalk.

January 2020

January, the month that never ends, is finally over!  We managed to do a lot during the month but it seemed like it was going to last forever!

Nellie started hip hop and, sadly, doesn't love it.  She mostly doesn't like when the parents come in and she has to dance in front of them. We made a deal that if she does it when the parent's AREN'T there then she doesn't have to do it when they are.  Hopefully the more classes they have the more comfortable she will get.

Mila started another session of basketball, this time with a female coach.  She's only had a couple of classes but still loves going.  She also started a running club at school on Monday mornings where they run 25 miles between now and May 2nd; then that Saturday she will run the last mile at the OC Marathon.

Around the middle of February I got a text from David, one of the three boys I was a nanny for for five years in Kansas City (he and his twin brother, Sam, were 7 and their brother, Dan, was 9 when I started); he said he was getting his Navy Pilot Wings and was hoping that I could come to the ceremony.  How special is that!  Robert and I lucked out because my parents were in town so we quickly booked a flight and an Airbnb and we were off!

The girls were in good hands at home and had lots of fun with Nana and Papa.

We were back for a quiet Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend at home and then we were off for a camping trip at Trabuco Canyon. This was a first for us in that it was dry camping (no water, electricity or sewer hookups); I was not interested in going basically until the time we left because I am a "fancy camper" and this was the exact opposite.  BUT I was going to be a good sport and try it out...especially because we were camping with three other families, one of which who lived within walking distance of the campground!

The good news is that I made it through and it wasn't too bad!  We were lucky that we had some seasoned campers with us and they lent us a generator, which made all of the difference.  And we only had to cook breakfast and lunch as we ate out both nights so that made it easier than cooking in the dark.

The area was super pretty and very forest-y; there were lots of camping trails and a stream and playground near by that kept the kids entertained.

I would definitely go back again...who knew I could be rustic?!

What we're looking forward to in February:  Chiefs in the Super Bowl, Palm Springs with Nana & Papa and having the Ordemanns (including Baby O!) in town!

December 2019

What a fun month December was!

We ended November celebrating Charlie's birthday at the beach; it was cold but the kids didn't seem to notice!

We did all kinds of fun things throughout the month of December, including frosting cookies with Mrs. Claus, a couple of work Holiday parties, tamale making with some of my clients, Disney on Ice with our friends from Marie Ln. and a walk around Naples Island to look at Christmas lights.

Mila finished up basketball and celebrated Kira's birthday at an art studio.  Her 1st grade class collected toys for Sparks of Love and then took a walking field trip to the local fire station to drop the gifts off.  We went to Target to pick out a gift a couple weeks before and it sat unopened under the tree and the girls loved telling everyone that "it was for a kid who doesn't get any presents," whch I thought was a good lesson they should learn.  Right before school let our for Winter Break they had a Christmas party at school and ended the last day with Pajama Day.

Nellie went on two field trips in December, one to the church to practice for her Christmas proram and one to a Children's Theater to see The Grinch.  We celebrated her birthday at home with pho (her choice) and a tres leche cake, and then spent an afternoon at Build A Bear with her best friend, Ariah, where she made a unicorn she named Rainbee.  She also had a Christmas party at school and Pajama Day right before her break.

Right after Christmas she was invited to a special birthday party for one of the girls in her class where all the girls went to a princess spa day, complete with cucumbers on their eyes, facials, nail painting and an appearance by Arial (all for the low price of $1500!).

We ended the month with the Browns coming to visit! They arrived the Saturday after Christmas and stayed through New Years.  It was a great time to visit, with work being slow and lots of nice weather and things to do in Southern California.

We spent one day at Knotts Berry Farm, and despite it being a little chilly, the kids had a BLAST.

The three of them spent days at the park, went on walks, played on scooters, had ice cream and a million other treats.  They slept all together in sleeping bags on the floor and woke up before the sun every day they were together.

We celebrated the 9pm Eastern New Year's, Aunt Sissy made special hats and they toasted with Martinelli's and milk;  the adults went to bed shortly after!

What we're looking forward to in January: Robert and Megan taking a trip to Pensacola for David's winging ceremony,  a couple  of birthday parties and a (dry) camping trip in South County