Awesome or Obnoxious?

We dragged ourselves in to the end of this week to be sure.  Tonight on my way home I stopped at Gateway Market to pick up stuff for dinner.  I wandered the aisles, picking up sushi, pizza crust and sauce, some cheese, some wine....  Friday night dinner, right?  It snowed 3-4 inches last night and the girls were itching to do some sledding.  I baked some pizza while the girls played outside with their friends. And we all waited for John to finally wrap up his brutal work week. 

So here's the deal.  Ava absolutely loves sushi.  She had three pieces of tuna roll, four pieces of salmon roll and asked why on Earth we don't eat sushi more often?!  (It was my first sushi since the whole sea sickness episode in August.  Maybe a record for me.)  Look at those rosy cheeks on my outside girl, downing the sushi!

Amelia had one polite bite of a salmon roll and asked to please eat the pizza instead.

Dad's home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Outside Girls

Yesterday it rained all day.  A cold, sloppy rain that turned to snow overnight.  I picked the girls up from school and came home to make soup and cornbread for dinner.  Papa Ray and Grandma Jo were joining us while John worked late.  I was thinking we might all pot in front of the tv with a movie or something....  but these outside girls had other plans.  We got home and Ava constructed a fort made from umbrellas and sleds, with a nice thick blanket.  They played outside until well past dark and I had to call them in....

Only Wednesday?

The perfect storm of work obligations has taken over here at the Waltolach house.  I was gone all last week, John's work schedule is taking it's turn with this week. The weekend feels miles away tonight.

Today Ava had her culminating event on libraries.  She was in charge of the reference section, because she just loves books about facts.  Our dear friend Annie came to see this culminating event and Ava was beside herself with happiness to show all she and her classmates had learned.

It turned out to be another glorious day - far too beautiful for a late February.  The girls took Orbit for a nice long walk, rode bikes (Amelia went flying down the hill tailing Ava, Jessica and Hannah - no helmet - taking years off my life.  She is fearless on that bike.  Don't worry - I gave her a stern reminder about wearing her helmet every.single.time.)  The girls then sat on the porch making invitations for Orbit's birthday, which they have decided is February 24th.

I made an absolutely fantastic (if I do say so myself)  Sausage and Spinach risotto, which the girls ate precisely one bite and announced it was way too spicy (it wasn't). There aren't enough days of leftovers in front of me to polish off the quantity of risotto we now have tucked into our refrigerator.  The girls ate leftover pizza for dinner.

Look What My Big Girl Can Do!

Oh what a week!  I've been on the road for work since last Sunday and look what my sweet Amelia figured out how to do while I was gone.  No training wheels, riding her bike just like a big girl.  She is so proud of herself she's bursting.  I'm so proud of her I'm doing the same....

Look at her accelerating out of the saddle - a future triathlete for sure!

Growing up....

Yesterday morning Ava came to our room, sobbing, at 4:50am.  She'd had a terrible dream.  John stumbled out of bed saying "I'm going to go for a run," while I dealt with the sobbing mess that was our daughter.  It seems she had a dream where our house was filled with bees and spiders.  She was holding Orbit and moved out of the way of a bee only to have it sting the dog.  Then, in her dream, Orbit died from the bee sting.  Ava was inconsolable. After back rubbing and reassurances the only thing that would work was to get up  (around 5:00am) and see that Orbit was ok.  "Mom, it was just such a real dream." She curled up on the couch and watched some tv while Orbit snoozed at her feet. 

Our sweet Ava is growing up so fast.  Orbit is most certainly a member of the family, but Ava is his person. Monday night the girls were outside playing in their snow fort with their friends and Orbit was standing guard over his people, by the door.  

Tonight John had to work late.  I was late picking up the girls and it showed in their tired eyes.  When I got to Ava she was upset.... upset that she had been hit in the face by an errant basketball in the gym at her aftercare. I couldn't quite figure out why she seemed so distraught.... but then she said the boy who threw the basketball didn't even say he was sorry.  And maybe he laughed a little.  Oh, and maybe she had a little crush on him.  At least she giggled when I told her that boys could be real dorks.

At home the girls plugged into their iTouches while I made noodles and peas for dinner.  Not my best show, but it seemed to be what they needed tonight.

Sunday my mom brought over a bag of stuffed toys for Orbit.  He generally makes quick work of the stuffed toys and he is in heaven with the buffet now before him.  The wonderful woman who cleans our house each week sent me a text this afternoon that made me laugh... she said she was changing Orbit's name to "The Orbinator" based on how he tears apart his toys.  Want proof?

Super Sunday

We finally (finally) got some real snow after a Winter that has been blissfully (for the adults in the family) mild.  The girls have maximized every snowy moment, spending hours this weekend outside sledding, building forts and moving snow.  Both last night and tonight the girls have collapsed into bed, asleep almost as soon as their heads hit the pillow....

Amelia, soaked, but not coming inside....

Building the fort!

Outside girls!

Ground Hog Day

Yesterday was Ground Hog Day and Amelia informed me quite emphatically that the ground hog, that looked like a chipmunk, saw his shadow so we only have six more weeks of Winter.  And since her birthday lives on the corner of Winter and Spring that must mean there's only six more weeks until her  birthday. Oh, and that they read a book about the ground hog, Phil, and in that book he had clothes on but she knows that was just for pretend because in real life groundhogs don't wear clothes. 

Usually Ground Hog Day in Iowa doesn't involve swinging outside without a coat....

Or taking after your father and practicing golf swings in the backyard (in your Uggs)....

Six more weeks of this until Spring?  I'll take it!