A swimmer

We've got a swimmer again...almost...he's learning again anyhow.  We took the winter off for a lot of reasons (ability to listen to teachers primarily) but he earned lessons back and he's doing pretty well.  Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30pm make schedules tight but help leave weekends open other fun stuff.  Man he's getting tall!!  They've got them hanging on the side for dear life during class which I love because he has to focus on self preservation over getting into other kiddo's personal space!  He's almost got the back float thing and then he'll earn his way up to the next class!  Oh, and I have to note here too for the future.  He met a little guy just as...full of life...as Dev. His name is Tyler.  They are the same age, will go to the same school and they are so similar that I'm sure they will be best buds!!

Tova's Two (part 3)

This is the final installment of posts describing Tova's birthday celebrations.  Yes this post just happens to be documentation of her two-year wellness check up but I'm calling it a celebration because I'm fairly certain that this is the first time Tova has visited the doctor without crying.  Tova is not a fan of the doctor's office.  But we talked it out and I told her exactly what was going to happen and when.  And...it worked.  She was not ok with the measuring, weighing and poking but she let it be done...in the name of a lolly pop. 

The results made these parents super happy.  She is steady in her growth and even jumped up in percentile of weight.  She may have been wearing all her clothes and needed a diaper change but the doc was cool with it!

P.S., Tova pretty much picks her own cloths now.

Congrats Jaymie!!

We couldn't be there today but I wanted to write and post how incredibly proud I am of my sister Jaymie.  Holy moley I can't imagine all the great things you are going to do and lives you are going to better in your career.  There are too few people who are brave enough to become teachers in this world and I'm so excited to be related to one.  I brag about my baby sisters and their accomplishments to anyone who will listen and this is just one more item to add to my list of things to note.  Congrats on your Master of Arts in Education Jay.  Watch out world!!

Tova's Two!! (part two)

The actual party on Saturday 4/5 had a stars and moon theme.  Though deco was light I think she was sufficiently wow'd.  I got those glow in the dark stickers and spattered the ceiling with them.  We blacked out the room and they glowed just enough for them to say..."oohhhhhhh!". Success!

Where there was a color there was purple as this is her favorite, since before birth. :)

For food I made dates stuffed with goat cheese, wrapped in bacon broiled.  It may sound odd but just do it, your life will be just that much better with this recipe in your life.  Then we had macaroni, bow tie and strait pasta...maybe wacky Mac too.  Nick made a roasted tomato sauce, a creamy prochuto red sauce and a basic basil pesto sauce.  I think I had some sort of salad but I can't remember now...good thing I'm writting this all down now.

As I said in the prior post I over compensated in the cake area (nick in the pasta sauce area).  The cake was a banana lemon cake.  I made strawberry compote for the filling and the frosting was blue berry lemon butter cream so it would be purple.  Banana chips on top to bring it all together.  It was a hit. Left overs went to work the next day and apparently I'm required to make this and especially the frosting at our next pot luck.  Over compensation success!!

Next stop two year check up.  Will Tova make the "healthy" weight cut?? Stay tuned.

Tova's Two!! (part one)

So.  Oh my goodness.  Tova is two!!  I think I have three posts regarding this miraculous event so stick with me.  I say miraculous because I think I may still be recovering from the year long sleeplessness, another 6 month's of waking up at least twice a night and then another 2 - 4 month's of at least once.  We are solid now though.  Knock on wood but I had to wake this chick up at 8:30 this morning.  Shocking.

4/4 was a Friday this year so I took that day off of work to prepare.  Aka, sleep in, hit the gym early, grocery shopping and do as much cleaning of the house as necessary to not make us look like slobs.

I also started on the cake.  We decided to take it easy and just do a pasta dinner so the cake I decided was where I would over compensate and help wittle down the fossilized mama guilt.

That evening we took the kiddos to Snohomish to try a new pizza place and for some frozen yogurt.  Tova had her very first cone all to her self.  It was...messy but hilarious.

We got some really great pics with both kiddos.  Walking down town Snohomish is easily one of our favorite things to do.  I know she had great night and I hope she loves looking back on this post and blog to see her sweet firery little self.  As you can see deven may be the talker in this family but Tova steers the ship for sure.

Mick mouse

Speaking of Aunt Jessica, here is a teaser for the birthday posts going down...er...up tomorrow (with luck and fortitude). We've got a Mick mouse/min mouse die hard in the house.  Brace yourself for adorableness over load.  Thanks aunt Jessica for the stylish dress and thanks Aunt Jaymie for ensuring it ended up in her tiny little hands on her birthday party day!!

P.S. it appears we were getting tacos again...maybe we go more than once a week...maybe.

Brother and sister

I posted this to facebook when I took it but it warrants a post.  We go out for tacos at least once a week at the famed 'Papa's and Beer.' You can imagine the approving looks we get when Deven tells strangers that his mama and daddo take him there.  No worries though, it's just a restraunt with a terrible name...a.k.a lake Stevens.  I digress.  Any how Dev wanted me to take a picture of him to send to Aunt Jessica who's currently in South Africa saving the world. :). So I gladly did and Tova of course got in on the action.  Cutness.