What Losing Streak?!?!

Finally the cubs break their 12 game losing streak...cheers!!!

Micky Mouse Pancakes

Papa & Nana have been taking Gracie for breakfast at The Grove since she was 2 years old. It's been an annual outing every time they visit us.  And she looks forward to each & every visit too.  Josie has been a little bit of a picky eater :) so she hasn't been able to enjoy these special breakfast outings with them until TODAY!!!  But today was her DAY & she enjoyed her first Micky Mouse Pancake with whip cream topping too.  Look at the look on her face :)  Looks like there will be many more breakfast outings at The Grove in the girls future & many more Mickey Mouse pancakes too :)

Look Who's Ready To Garden

The girls were very excited to help during our annual Memorial Weekend gardening day with Nana Marci & Papa Will.  They were all set with their gardening tools, gloves, seeds & of course lots of watering cans!!!  After helping us for a little while they found it much more fascinating to look for worms.  Papa helped them get started & then they began to dig in the dirt to look for some on their own.  They ended up with a whole bucket of worms & they loved it!!!  Ohhh my little girly girls getting dirty...love it!!! Super fun day :)

Home Depot'n

Today we went Home Depot'n.  And 3 Home Depots later & we are all set to plant flowers this weekend.  Josie was in charge of our cart & she was sure happy about pushing it all around :)

Teacher For The Day

At Gracie's school benefit in March we bid on & won the "Teacher For The Day" item. This fun experience was made for Gracie as she absolutely loves school & plays school at home all the time.  Today was her BIG DAY.  Ms. Rothleutner was to arrive a half hour early so she could greet her students.  And she was to dress like a teacher too.  She was so excited that she barely ate her breakfast & stood at the door with her backpack on for about 15 minutes waiting to leave for school.  She kept saying "Mommy, are you ready yet as I don't want to be late?!?!" When we arrived they had printed a special teacher badge...it read "Ms Rothleutner" with a picture of her on it.  I snapped a few pictures as they reviewed the lesson plans for the day.  She lead the the class through opening prayer & the weather & got to walk them to library & gym all by herself.  For lunch her teachers took her to McDonald's where they all had hamburgers & fries :)  When they got back she lead the math & science lessons for the day.  When I picked her up, her teachers said that she "knocked it out of the park" & that her calling is to become a teacher. I told Gracie that on the walk home & she said "I know mommy, I dreamt about being a teacher all last night" :)  A BIG thanks to daddy who made sure that no one out bid us at the auction so that Gracie could be teacher for the day!!!  What a memory for her :)

Bounce Bounce Bounce

Josie LOVES to jump in bouncy houses.  If there is a bouncy house at a party, you will find her jumping as high as she can in it :) Today she got to jump with some of her preschool friends.  And as you can see she is having a very good time.  She's the one in the middle of the video with the flowered tutu dress & piggy tails :)   What a fun day at the Spring Festival!!!  Love this little girls personality :)

Spring Festival

Today we went to the Spring Festival at Josie's preschool.  The girls were very excited to see Ms. Joan.  She taught Gracie for 2 years & now teaches Josie.  Gracie even drew her a picture :)  We looked & looked for her & finally found her working the popcorn cart.  Perfect as we had a snack & took a photo with her.  She asked if I would print it off & send to her so she could hang it up :)  She said they are 2 of her favorites & she is definitely ours too!!!

The Lion King

Today Josie dressed up as Simba from The Lion King.  As you'll see, she disappears for a little bit while I was filming to look at herself dancing in the mirror :)  It's neat that they danced to the songs from the movie too!!!

Nature Museum

Gracie's class had their last field trip of the school year today...last stop was the Nature Museum.  Gracie was very excited as I was volunteering so that meant that her & I got to be buddies :)  Joining our group were her friends Sarah & Charlotte.  And we got to walk too which made it even more fun as we played "I Spy" on the way. The girls are always so cute too as they just want to hold your hand & hug you the whole time :)  So I got lots of attention & heard them say "Gracie's Mom" over & over too :)  The highlight of the musuem was the butterfly exhibit where there are over 1000 butterflies in the haven.   The girls made me take a picture of almost every butterfly that we saw too.  What a fun year it's been as I got to go on the first & last field trip of the school year & lots of other outings in between.

Fyi...Gracie is in the front row with the white headband on next to one of her teachers :)

Spinning Out Of Control

Gracie, Josie & Taylor spinning round & round on the tire swing with a little help from their friend Ella.  It certainly made me dizzy!?!?!

Happy Mother's Day

Enjoying the day with my two little blessings :)

Our Colorful Little Daisy

Today Gracie came home from school as a colorful daisy. She is definitely the cutest daisy of the bunch :)  And one of our favorite flowers too!!! Her teachers sent a video of all the daisies singing too!!! It was adorable to see them grow from seeds to flowers.

Head Shoulders Knees & Toes

Such a fun song to dance to...love the actions too :)

Picture Perfect

Josie painted me a frame at preschool for Mother's Day.  She came running out of school with a bag in hand with beautiful tissue paper sticking out. And she was so excited for me to open it.  "It's pink, it's pink!!!" she screamed over & over. "And I painted it just for you" she continued on. And the picture her teacher took of her is absolutely priceless. It captured her smile perfectly!!! What a wonderful keepsake for her first year in preschool :)  I already found a special place for it in our living room too :)

Little Ms. Ariel

Sporting her princess swimsuit, princess cover-up, princess flip flogs & new princess swim bag...Gracie started swim lessons today. She has taken group swim lessons the past 3 summers during summer camp but today started one-on-on swim lessons with Ms. Carly.  She was fearless in the water :) Ms. Carly told us after her lesson that in her 12 years of teaching, she has never experienced a more eager swimmer on her first day!!! And she was very impressed with how well she did too. Gracie keeps saying "That was so much fun!!!" & is already looking forward to next weeks lesson. And of course, swimming in the pool all by herself this summer :)

Guest Reader...Surprise!!!

This school year has been wonderful as I have been able to do lots & lots of volunteering in Gracie's Kindergarten class. The only thing I haven't been able to volunteer for has been Library.  Well until today :)  Gracie's has been asking me for weeks when it will be my turn to come & read books to her classmates.  She keeps telling me "Everyone else's mommy has come to Library".  Well Library fills up quickly & it conflicts with getting Josie to preschool.  But being a Room Mom has it's perks & I got myself on the calendar & took Josie to preschool late today :) So we surprised Gracie & the look on her face was priceless!!! I read 3 books to her classmates & helped them pick out books to take home to read with their parents.  What a fun day for all of 3 of us!!!

"Mirror Mirror On The Wall"

"Who is the fairest of them all"  Well of course, we all know the answer, "Snow White is the fairest of them all!!!"  The girls are still enjoying celebrating Snow White!!! Time for bed in Snow White pajama's :) What a fun day :)

Happy Cinco de Mayo

Enjoying dinner & a margarita at our favorite mexican restaurant...Twisted Lizard.  Yummo!?!?! Cheers :)

Snow White

Today we went to the Emerald City Theater to see Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs.  The girls were very excited to see one of their favorite princesses & of course see some funny drama with the seven dwarfs too.  We definitely enjoyed many laughs.  And they got to meet her & get her autograph after the show too.   So what was their favorite part of the show?  You guessed it, Snow White :)

Up Up & Away!!!

We met our friends Elyse & Adele today at the park for a playday.  Gracie & Elyse LOVED the tire swing so much that the swang on it for over a half hour!!!  The looks on their faces & squeals of laughter were priceless :)  It's always a fun time to get together with the Hoffman Girls.

Angelina Ballerina

Today the girls danced to the book Angelina Ballerina...a favorite for them all :)  They practiced their leaps, pirouettes & eschappe's.  Josie was very excited to show off her moves & if you listen closely you can hear her shout out "eschappe" right after her 2 pirourette's while performing the move.  An "eshappe" is a deep plie followed by a jump & it's one of her favorite dance moves.  It's always so fun to watch our little dancer!!!