Whatta Week!

MONDAY:

This has been a busy fun filled week and just like old times with the Miller Girls!

Today the girls and I made the trek down to Scottsdale with Monica and Ry to check out The McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park. I was a little concerned at first. As per Monica's and my m.o. we arrived at the park and realized.... It's spring break!  Of course it's spring break!  Why would Monica and I go to a park if there wasn't a million kids on break, out of school, crowding every inch, taking every swing, standing in long long long lines?  

Okay, well at first glance it looked like a zoo, but it wasn't all that bad!  The lines moved, the playground {thankfully} was short lived and the park was a huge hit with the girls! 

I was admittedly a bit concerned when our first stop was the playground that we'd made the long drive to Scottsdale and all the girls were going to do was play on the playground. Admission into the park is FREE, so it wasn't that we had to pay it, was that we made the drive.

In the end the playground only served as a transition area and the kids were excited to ride the train in no time.  What a cute park!  They have a general store where you can get an ice cream cone!  They a few have retired train cars, a kiddie train ride, a Merry-go-round, playground and lots of grassy areas to play on.   

We rode the train twice and thankfully I was able to limit Grace's rides on the Merry-go-round to one!  Although as much as Grace loves a Merry-go-round Lily seemd to enjoy the ride a lot more!

After the park the girls and I drove a few blocks away for dinner at Aunt Dottie and Uncle Buck's. Whit and Josh were home and we were dying to spend some time with them.  It was a GREAT day and a perfect evening, but I was exhausted by the end of the night. Man did it feel good to be out of the house and in the fresh air. 

TUESDAY:

Today was a Puppet Show at Monica and Ry's local Library. Actually it was paid for by the Library, it was actually held in the auditorium of the High School.

I was not sure how the girls would do. I know that Grace and Ry are just about the age where a puppet show would be a fun and appropriate activity, but with those two, you just never know...

The puppet show was performed by The Great Arizona Puppet Theater and was actually very cute.  The woman who was the puppeteer did a great job and expanded on the classic tale of The Little Red Hen with music that the kids could and did sing along to.  I was not sure what to expect going in, but I was impressed and told Brian that we would have to make a plan to see a show at the actual Puppet Theater in downtown Phoenix.

Grace and Ry both had a few moments when then needed to get up and stretch their legs, but they were never loud and paid attention the show the entire time.  In a theater filled with small children that needed to be taken out and the brought back in because of noise or crying or figdgety behavior I was sure we would have to deal with some majorly distracted kids. This was never the case!  I was so proud of the girls, even Lily who sat mesmerized for much of the show and then quietly chewed on her croc and watched when she got too bored to sit still.

I know this was not the most eloquent blog post. And was a poor review of the Arizona Puppet Theater and their performance. But I find myself so very behind in blogging. We have had an amazing and full week thus far and it's only Tuesday. There still are swim lessons and story time and Brian's Birthday to come.  I will say it has been so totally rejuvinating to be so busy and the kids and I are in a much better place mentally for being out the house!

Tomorrow is a new day and St Patrick's Day at that!  I am putting my heritage to shame though, I was able to get a babysitter{the girls' very first babysitter I might add} to come over and watch the girls for a few hours tomorrow night, but I find that all of my girl-friends are either pregnant, out of town or have other plans for St Paddy's Day. Oh, don't get me wrong.... I'm not ashamed to raise a pint by myself, but somehow St Paddy's Day is not the same on the west coast.  We know how to do it right back east! So to all my Irish Brothers and Sisters I'll be in green and I'll raise a pint and say "Sláinte" But I won't be making any pubcrawls or watching the parade I'll be with you in spirit!

WEDNESDAY:

Happy St. Patricks Day! Sláinte ...and... Erin go braugh! The girls were in the most adorable green sundresses today, though try as I might I could not get them to stand or sit still long enough to snap a cute picture.  Don't get me wrong I snapped a few cute pictures but none of them were the girls smiling or looking at the camera.  We did have a blast running around the backyard.

It was of course green eggs for breakfast and green lofthouse cookies for dessert.  Oh, and don't forget the green lolly pops after swim lessons!

Speaking of... The girls had swim lesson for the second time this week. After a make up class last night we were back in the pool this afternoon with... who else???  Rylan and Monica!  Although that was short lived, after our class Monica and Ry switched days and times and are no longer with us.

Grace snuck in her two lessons again today and Lily was my fearless water baby.  She discovered that if she stepped off the platform in the middle of the pook she could float there suspended under water.  I can remember vividly when Grace discovered this sensation. She was excatly Lily's age when she discovered how fun floating under water is.  So proud of my girls!!

Okay now on to the most exciting news of the day!  Awww Hell, of the week!!  Tonight one of the neighborhood girls came over, met my kids and babysat for a few hours!  I have been dying to find a sitter for Grace and Lily since... Well since Lily was born.  Brian and I are in dire need of some adult, alone time. I need to get out of this house like nobody's business. And, NO! Going to the park, grocery store, swimm lessons, or Target does not count, especially since the girls are always in tow.  I am so excited for Saturday night. Saturday night... That's why I needed to find a sitter. Last night I just drove to the gas station, filled my tank, picked up a swim suit for Grace and did a little grocery shopping.  It was meant to be a trial run so that I knew when I walked out the door Saturday night the girls would behave. Saturday night is dinner and a movie with my man!

THURSDAY:
Well, today was supposed to be Story Time for us at the library, but the girls must have needed a break from our week and when it was time to walk out the door... Well, it wasn't happening.

I managed to bake a 'thank you' banana bread for a sweet neighbor who rang my doorbell at 7pm last night bearing a big bag of the most yummy, homegrown oranges I've ever tasted! Did a load of laundry and emptied the dishwasher - Fun huh? The girls ran around the backyard together all morning and my heart melted!  I have been waiting for a year for this moment when Grace and Lily would become little buddies and able to play together like peers.

We ended our evening decorating the loft for Brian's birthay. I though it was a surprise but Grace told Hurl about it right off the bat on the phone this evening.  It was her idea and it was her choice as to what we did, where we put it and how the room looked, so it was her choice to tell.  Okay, so maybe the truth is she's as bad at secrets as I am!

Tomorrow Hurl comes home, it's his birthday and the girls and I cannot wait!  Eggplant is draining in the refridgerator as we speak and somehow, someway I will manage to assemble a large pan of eggplant parm for the birthday boy! {all while playing with the kids, cleaning the house, finishing the laundry and shaving my legs. You're right, there's no way I'm going to have the time or energy to shave - Happy Birthday baby!!}