gymnnnnastics!

so we started "gymnastics" tonight. it was so fun (i am a dork!)! olivia did great, only one major meltdown. she seemed to have a great time. todd took some great pictures and helped olivia at times, too. i think her favorite part was the backward roll and jumping on the blue mat. she was completely fearless (shocker!) and really did seem to have fun and boy was she tired! it is 45 mins....45 mins. well spent. i cannot wait to go back next week. i hope she'll cooperate the way she did tonight. it was kind of surreal b/c i took gymnastics for so long when i was younger until a back injury and i cannot describe what it was like to be there in that environment again, but with my daughter (sorry, a little sentiment). i love when her face lights up with a smile! there is something so genuine and innocent about children. they smile when they truly are happy b/c they don't know how to fake it - at least not yet any way and they laugh when something is truly funny, again b/c they don't know how to fake it...if it isn't funny, they don't laugh. : ) olivia was smiling a lot tonight and laughing a lot tonight which lets me know she enjoyed herself, as did her mommy and even daddy! todd found it quite humorous watching a bunch of 2 year olds, and our 17 mos. old, running around in "tards" (as i call the leotards) and diapers, playing and having so much fun. what a fun night and memory.

V-Day - way overrated

I have never been a fan of Valentine's Day - didn't matter if I had a boyfriend, fiance, or husband - never liked it. It is the most overrated "holiday" during the year. Talk about making those that are single feel like crap! Restaurants are way too crowded so we always just do dinner at home. A few years ago, I started a Valentine's Dinner of singles and couples. It was so much fun! We haven't done it in a while though because V-Day always seems to come during the week (and my fellow working moms out there can understand not wanting to cook a huge meal and entertaining during the week). This year was different though, of course because of Olivia. I expect (hope) that Todd shows (and tells) me every day, not just one day, of the year how much he loves me. With Olivia, it was so fun to buy her things with hearts on them. She got new rainboots (which are still too big) and a red and pink apron. I have a tradition (well, for the few holidays she has been around for) to bake, and I felt in necessary for her to have an apron. She looks so cute in it (pics. to come soon). So, I have changed my perspective on V-Day, for Olivia's sake. It is way overrated for couples, but not for kids!

rain, rain go away, come back as snow so we can play!

Olivia had a blast playing in the snow when we went to visit Susan and Kalib the other weekend! To our surprise, last week, we got even more snow! We had so much fun playing outside, even though it was a snow/rain mix. We are ready for the sun to shine!

what's new?

I haven't updated in a LONG time, so here goes! I cannot believe it is already March. Olivia is 17 months old and growing like a weed. She amazes us every day with what she learns. The latest is holding her hands up and "saying" I don't know (I tried to get a picture and she seems to put her hands down AS SOON as I take the picture....nothing post-worthy!

For Christmakah Uncle Andy gave Olivia a ball pit...these were actually her first two word combo....ball pit. She loves it (see below) to say the least! The ball pit gives mommy some down time...who knew it would be so hard to fold laundry, let alone get it folded AND put away, but thanks to the ball pit, it gets done! Olivia likes to "help" fold the laundry, or just sit in the basket.

The weather has been so nice the past few days, thank goodness. We are actually going to try to take a family picnic this afternoon, so we'll see if that happens (pics. to come later today - I promise). Todd and I are still training for the 1/2 marathon, 2 weeks from today. I have hurt my back (figures) and haven't been able to run in about a week - which isn't good for my mental state - but Todd is doing his longest run today, thanks to Carr for going with him since I can't, and then we start tapering it off from here on out. I cannot wait. I really haven't mentally challenged myself (other than being a mom) physically in a long time, and by God, I am doing this 1/2 marathon, even if I have to walk a little (my goal is to run the entire thing). The next 2 weeks could be the longest of my life, I am ready for it to be here already. We have some great friends doing it with us, well, with Todd, but that is helping to keep us going.