Hotel Fun

To add a little spice to the winter weekends, we decided to stay in a hotel this past weekend in Cedar Falls.  We were able to combine some awesome family time with a little shopping on Main Street, delicious food, a hockey game, and some SWIMMING!  Swimming, by far, had the greatest appeal for the girls.  It took Audrey a little bit to feel comfortable in the water each of the two times we went, but in the end, she loved it. The girls especially loved when any racing could go on, but poor Kate lost each time she was racing.  Luckily she's too easy-going to get worked up about it!

On the way home, Audrey asked if we could go to the hotel again next weekend since swimming was so much fun. :)  I think I see a summer at the pool in our future!

It was fun to be with Jack during his first swimming experience!  He was his usual calm and smiley self in the water, too!

Snow Fun

Our snow this year has been less than impressive, so the girls were excited to see a few flakes falling from the sky today.  Since the temperatures were fairly warm, the snow was perfect for packing.  We rolled a few giant snowballs around the yard, and then the girls had fun spraying different colors into the snow to make pictures.  Besides being soaked when it was time to go in, it felt pretty great to be out in the fresh air!

This is Kate saying, "Mom, I need a tissue!"

Bike Ride

It's hard to believe we were able to take a nice bike ride/walk at this point in January, but we did!  Both girls were excited to test out their bike skills that continue to strengthen, and we all got some much-needed fresh air.  With how swampy everything is right now, it was nice to be outside and get a little exercise on a hard surface.

It was a success, and Jeremy and I felt we were able to walk at a slightly faster pace than we did in the fall.  We just had to keep an eye on Audrey, who is seriously a crazy woman on her bike.  She is confident enough to just take off quickly and stop suddenly.  At one point Kate started moving her handle bars from side to side quickly, and I told her to stop.  She said, "Why?  That's what Audi does!"  That girl!

More 4-Wheeler Fun!

A beautiful January weekend allowed for some fun outside, including a ride on Dad's 4-wheeler.  It was Audrey's idea initially, but Kate quickly joined in on the fun, too.  It'll be a fun summer getting rides with Dad!

Check Ups

On Tuesday the girls had their five and three-year-old check-ups, which is just hard to believe!  Jeremy and I both glanced at the infant scale there and shook our heads, thinking how quickly time passes.  Both girls are in fine physical shape, and Audrey even survived her round of booster shots.  She is officially ready for kindergarten!

The best moment of the entire visit was when Dr. Barb tried to check Kate's reflexes by tapping her knee.  As soon as Dr. Barb tapped Kate's knee, Kate shot her leg straight up in the air.  It surprised all three adults in the room, and we burst out laughing.  It was hard after that to get an accurate read on Kate's true reflexes because no one could stop laughing.  What a goof!

This was before Dr. Barb even came in.  Kate was a little worried at this time about the reflex check.

Ms. Paulsen

Another gift the girls received this Christmas was a play school set for Audrey, and man, has it been a hit!  Ms. Paulsen has school in session quite often, and her star pupil is definitely Miss Kate!  Kate practices her letters, sings the days of the week, and sometimes messes up Audrey's plans.  It's cute to watch, and it's good practice for both girls.  I did overhear some questionable teaching this evening, though, as Audrey told Kate to "unrase" some of her letters, and then Kate said, "But I can't find the 'unraser'." :)

There is a little crazy hair going on for both girls. A dance party in princess dresses had ended shortly before school began.

Dancing Queens

On our last day before heading back to our routine, the girls decided to test out a few different items from Christmas.  One such adventure involved putting on their new leotards and executing a dance show.  Using steps from a step aerobics program I have, Audrey and Kate danced to Jock Jams and had a blast!  They were both giggling so much and hardly stood still!  It was the perfect way to get a little exercise on a dreary January day.  It also took our minds off the Hawkeye game for awhile...