A visit with Nana

While on my quick trip to see Michelle, I got to see my Nana and my Aunt Kathy. It had been well over a decade since we saw one another, but it felt so wonderful and comforting. We got to catch up and also reminisce about the times spent together in Florida. My sister and I got to go on a plane by ourselves(right after I started Junior High and April was just about to begin High School). We had the best week with our Nana and Aunt -- swimming in the Ocean, Lakes and our favorite ... the River. We saw fireworks at night, ate lots of yummy treats, and always enjoyed afternoon Tea with Nana... I remember a trip to Alligator Alley and the swamp boat tour, ah if I could just find that picture of April and I ... we were pre-teen twigs with long unstyled hair!

Though it has been along time, our hearts are still very tender and will always be full of love for those memories. Our next visit will be longer and it will be a beautiful celebration of my Big Sister's Wedding!!!! :)

Naples!

Ah vacation!

Emma's Dance Class

Emma's 1st dance recital is about a month away! Here are some of the newest pictures of our little ballerina -- she really loves all of the tutus and dressing up and has learned most of her dance routine too!

Sleeping beauty by Emma

Emma's wonderful coloring skills!

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"Orange, 12"

"Orange" said Julia as she pointed to her orange bowl with her cereal in it. YES! That is orange!!! Wow, did this make Rob and I proud ... we had been wondering over the past two months if Julia could possibly be color blind (I think there is a new more up to date medical term for that but right now I can not think of the smart version, he he). Everything she has pointed to has been "blue?" and more recently "black?". Now she can SAY every color, but point to an object and nope she looks at you and says "blue???" or "black?" This started freaking us out. But low and behold our color quizzing over the past few months may have done the trick ... because today with out ANY prompting she looked at her bowl and told us it was orange! YAY Julia!!!! (And for the partially cynical ... no she does not eat from the same orange bowl everyday, we have a wide variety of colored IKEA bowls that go into rotation ;)

Another new skill of Julia's is ... she is counting! It started with 1-4, then went 1-7 and now 1-12! Yup, she is just rattling off these numbers, must have her Daddy's genes!

Other new Julia tid-bits, she has learned to fake cry and believe me it is quite cute. She's Mommy's little soap opera actress in the making. And finally, at 2 years old she is a skilled painter, for all the "rough and graceless" things she may be, when it comes to coloring and painting this little one is a neat and orderly artist. I often wonder if it is all the lecturing I do before I take out the craft kits "Girls, if I see any paint on the table, floor, or stools then painting is OVER. Julia, if I see you put paint in your mouth, painting is all done." They look at me with the serious eyes and I know they get it -- Mom means business! So, as of right now they are painting with perfect strokes and I have less to wipe up at the end of the day.

Other family tid-bits .... we made it through our 10th tax season! Boy ... a stinking decade!!! And Rob is awaiting a good promotion come July so guess what, it looks as if we will be anticipating another decade of tax seasons. Though, to Rob's credit, he did a great job balancing the pressures and stress of work with the demands of parenthood. Every year we have to try to find different ways to stay connected as a family -- date nights turn into date hour, family dinners on Thursday nights, breakfasts made by Daddy on Saturdays and Sundays , and biking together, are some of the ways we stay connected during the busy season. So, now that it's mid-May I can say with delight, We did it ... Good Bye 10th tax season, Hello Spring and almost the end of the school year!

Another few big things ... in about a week and a half I will take my first flight with out Rob since 2003. I know that must read "OK CRAZY GIRL" to some of you, but over the past decade I acquired a very serious Fear of Flying. I have undergone numerous treatments (therapy, CBT, meditation, journaling, anti-anxiety meds, immersion therapy) and to some degree most of that worked -- while Rob was by my side. But even with him I have also had 3 panic attacks on a plane and believe me when I write ... it is the worst place to have a panic attack!!! You can't leave the situation, it is horrifying to have 100+ people all around you watching as you start hyperventilating, crying, losing control. Absolutely horrifying. Especially for someone who deems herself a pretty good therapist who stinking helps clients face their own fears and anxieties ... so yeah, flying is my Nemesis. But I am doing some work right now to prepare, and bottom line is ... I really miss my best friend, so there you go ... friendship trumps fear! And I have two of the best friends you could ask for (one of which is willing to fly with "little miss fear of flying", I am sure she will have her own tale to share about this experience! Any bets for whether Danielle will ever travel with me again????).

And ... in 74 days I will do my first Triathlon!!!! The training has been going really well. We are actually contemplating signing up for a second triathlon in September!! Why not, we will already be into the grove from our July race!