My Little Dorothy Hamel

Barrett had her second ice skating lesson this week and this time I had the sense to bring my camera. I also had the sense to dress us all a lot warmer! She was so excited to go and it's refreshing to see her really into something. This whole ice skating thing was her idea entirely.

Her first time on skates was our trip to Chicago in December for her 5th birthday. We went to the Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier and there was an indoor ice skating rink among all the other activities. Her dad took her on the ice and she loved it. When we got home we went to Steinberg Ice Rink a time or two spread over a few months. All the while she was skating decently but always holding our hand or the wall. She wanted to be able to do it on her own ( as a matter of fact she aspires to wear the little outfits as well) -- so she asked for lessons. I have to admit, I was reluctant at first considering we've tried soccer and she hated it after one session and dance class didn't last long either. But since those activities she hadn't really shown interest in anything extracurricular, so I figured it was worth a try.

Good choice. At her first lesson she was down on her butt more times that I can count...but she always sprang right back up. Balance-wise, she actually seemed to be ahead of the game in her Snowplow 1 class. But best of all...when it was time for her SECOND class..she wanted to go back. She even invited her dad to come watch. When my little girl was out there on that ice, she had this huge, shiny smile that I had never really seen before plastered across her face and when I looked over at her dad watching proudly ...I know where she got it!

Kid At Heart

Last night I booked our flight to Disneyworld and I think I'm more excited about the trip than my girls. My next step is to book the hotel and park tickets. This trip is our first to Disney that we will be getting the meal plans as well. So having to make reservations for our table service meals, allows me to have even more control over what we are doing each day of the trip (not that I'm a control freak or anything). But I must admit...I can hardly wait to get the trip planned to a "T"!

I have been asking around, and even posted on my mom's group message board for suggestions on must-dos at Disney so that we didn't miss out on anything. So far, we're going to make sure we go to the Bippity-Bobbity Boutique. They make the girls's princesses by doing up their hair, makeup and nails and give them a crown to wear. I will be bringing them princeess dresses to wear from home so that they can be "royalty" all day.

We were also told that we must have dinner in Cindrella's castle at the Round Table where the Fairy Godmother attends along with the mice and such. The girls, I know, will get a kick out of that. I am also going to schedule a few other character breakfasts on our trip. That ought to make dining much more entertaining than it is at home!

I have been to Disneyworld 5 times now -- and I plan for this time to be the best ever. I can't wait to see the joy on Barrett and Peyton's faces as they run through the Magical Kingdom of Mickey Mouse! I'm so excited!

A Week of Single-Parenting

My husband left last Saturday for a business trip to Las Vegas and remains there due to the terrible weather we are having here in St. Louis. His consecutive-day absences are always eye-opening for me. Although I feel like I pretty much do everything around here when it comes to taking care of the girls...when he is gone I feel the FULL weight of parenthood. I think what really gets me is when the long days are over and the evenings come to an end, the girls are tucked into bed and I'm locking up house for the night. It dawns on me that the only thing between them and danger of any kind (burglar, fire, whatever) is me and me alone.

So instead of being just mommy the house cleaner, mommy the cook, mommy the bed tucker...now I also have to be mommy "the protector"! Because my hubby is usually here at night (and usually goes to bed after me) I don't have to give a second thought about whether each door and window is locked and whether each and every appliance is safely turned off (not that he actually does this but when he's here we share the burden of consequence). This may not seem big - but when you're on your own, it FEELS big. I have great respect for the mom's that do this alone on a full-time basis. My own mother being one of them.

Anyway, the girls are really missing daddy and we are ready for him to come home to us. However, I did not miss the snoring from the pillow next to mine and I cherished the sole ownership of the remote control for the last week but I am more than ready to give up my super hero cape and fling it back upon my husband's shoulders. So, honey, maybe you have a bigger role here in taking care of the girls than I realized. Who knew?

Trying to Commit

Okay...let's give this a try. I'm starting this blog because I have been terribly neglectful in recording the activities and milestones of my two daughters. They both have such character and such fun, it would be a terrible injustice not to get some of it documented.

I am an only child of a single mother and I know whenever I come across a piece of information that is reminiscent of my past, I cherish it. I want them to have something to cherish as well.

I'll start by introducing my girls....Barrett is my older daughter, she is five years old and the introvert of the two. Although I would not describe her as shy, she can come off that way in unfamiliar company. I can already tell that she will be very intelligent in school, she is a rule-follower and really cares how she is perceived by others, especially authority figures. When she wants to learn to do something she is persistent in teaching herself to do so. She has recently attended her very first ice-skating lesson (many falls to the bum but just as many successful recoveries), she is anxious to read and she taught herself how to jump rope. She is now up to 13 consecutive jumps! At home, she loves to sing and dance and perform in front of the family, but get her in front of anyone else and she freezes up. This MAY affect her chances of becoming a future American Idol.

Now, my youngest is a different story. Peyton is a tiny, curly-head, two year old, crazy girl who is more that willing to perform the soundtrack of High School Musical at the top of her lungs for all the patrons of Schnucks or Walmart. She wants to do everything her big sister does and picks up on things at bullet speed. However, she is much more of a challenge to do what she is told. If it wasn't for her adorable curls and her fantastic sense of humor she would probably be in trouble most of the time. I am not sure how she will perform in a school-setting, but we shall see in the fall.

As the two of them continue to grow, I am seeing how THEIR talents and interests are truly going to fill MY day and MY life and I'm really excited about that. These two little girls are my everything and my biggest ambition is to do right by them. Documenting their fantastic little lives is a start.