1st Day of School

Ms ladybug is so excited for school. We are all set and ready to meet our teacher and our new friends in our class.

 

 

already playing with the kitchen in the classroom. So very proud of her. She was genuinely happy to be there. There were a few kids that cried and didnt want to be there at all and am so glad that we weren't one of them.

And when sister's away, we play. Not really. Emilie got stuck running a bunch of errands with mommy. But she did love the fountains by the parking garage :)



So excited for you C Bear

C starts ballet

Ms ladybug before her first ballet class. She left the class with the biggest smile on her face and says she wants to go back. Yay!

Waiting for sister to get out of her first ballet class. This is the standard camera face for Emilie. Cracks me up!
 

And down it goes..

watching the action

We had a massive pine tree in our yard. It was beautiful and reminded me of the most beautiful christmas tree (if we could ever climb it to put lights on). And today they came to cut it down. We are in the process of getting a pool and the tree had to go for lots of reasons. Made for good entertainment for the kids.

First party C was invited to that parents weren't expected to be there. A little nervous but it was fun for her. It was at the farm and she loved it! Poney rides, petting zoo, cows and info on milk etc.. Storing this idea for a future birthday party for our kids :)

homemade popscicles...you think she liked it? :)



2 extra years of popscicle practice. much cleaner (thankfully)

Happiness is.....

Hanging the laundry

We redid our entry from the garage, garage and laundry room. And for a little while we had no dryer. Peek a boo

Dublin with the kiddies

Mini vacation in Dublin for myself and the ladies. I have never been anywhere where the people are so genuinely nice and helpful. Maybe because I was a woman traveling alone with two kids, I don't know, but it was fabulous. I didn't want to come back home as I knew that noone here is half as helpful with me and the kids. (not that I expect it, especially when traveling, but it is sooo nice to have helpful friendly people around)
And I didn't notice how little diversity there was until I got back on the bus in Geneva. Completely different here.
Overall, the girls did great! And a big thank you to my friend Penni who loaned us her double stroller for the trip. Worked fabulously!! I just buckled the two in and we walked everywhere. We were able to do the hop on hop off bus tour of Dublin, the zoo, the beach, discovered the little town we stayed in, etc..
On another note though, I think I am done with city tours. They are nice and all, but really just dont interest me at this point. I want to see beaches and oceans, and the kids enjoy those things more as well. 
Here are a few pics from our trip.

arriving to Dublin. 2 excited little girls

cuddles for mommy

headed to the beach

big smile after a mouthful of sand

C's first sand castle that she made all by herself

okay Mommy, we're on the bus with our map, where are we going now?

Dublin zoo fun

Trinity College

church

houses near where we stayed. lots of pretty colored doors

Bye Dublin. It's been fun, but we're ready to see Daddy now

Emilie after the bath insisting on wearing her sisters panties. She wants to do everything like her big sister. Charlotte likes it right now, we'll see when she starts getting annoyed with it :)

Dress up! Chef and sous chef

Head chef C Bear

staycation without the kids

Last week we decided to stay at home and finish renovating the inside of our house and have the kids stay with their Mamichele and Papy. I wasn't too worried about Charlotte as we left her for 3 days last year at their house with no problems and she would be there with her cousin that is the same age. But I was so nervous to leave Emilie. We had left E and C once for 48 hours when we went to Venice but it was here in our home with all of their toys and beds, etc.. but I had never left Emilie for a week straight with 3 other kids (cousins) at someone else's house. Charlotte had a great time and thankfully Michele sent me pictures or videos every day of what was going on.

We were so busy getting things done around here that the week flew by and it sounded like E was having a great time. So then they drive here with the kids on Sunday and right away Charlotte is so excited, giving me hugs and really happy to see us. But Emilie would not even look at me, wouldnt come into my arms at all and wouldnt give me kisses. All this, when before she left I was always the person that she wanted and she would always switch to be in my arms instead of others. I was so hurt. And then I was scared that I had damaged our child and that she would need to have therapy later on in life and it would all come back to the time her mother left her at her grandparents house for a week. Alex said I was being a little crazy. Just a little.

Anyway, she is getting better with things, but still cries when I go downstairs in the house or if she cant find me. And every afternoon she has to be in my arms. She has stopped the crying before her sleeps, thankfully. As she was never the kid that cried before sleeping. You would ask if she wants to go to sleep and she shakes her head yes and that is. Slowly we are getting back to normal. Hopefully it will be better next year when she understands more and can talk more as Alex and I thought this would be a great vacation for them. Pool, grandparents, parks, not as many rules, etc..

All this and then Charlotte asks me yesterday if we can go back to Mamichele's house as she likes it better there.

Killing me here kids!! :)

The three youngest grandkids enjoying a color session

Love this picture. Can you see the joy on this child's face? Beautiful!

A big thank you to Michele and Robert. The girls did have a great time and we really appreciated the time we had to work on the house.

Un grand merci a Michele et Robert. C'etait vraiment chouette et amusant pour les filles et c'etait aussi bien pour nous avec la renovation de la maison.

"are you taking my picture? i better smile big"

CHEESE!!!!

hi mommy, i love that i can climb stairs when you aren't looking and at the playground i try to do everything that the big kids do. so much fun.

very excited girls when they fit themselves inside the hat boxes.

Little Ms Ladybug

Unfortunately, this picture is blurry, but you see a little girl that LOVES her papa!

Relaxin'

My two favorite girls!!

Oh C and E, mommy loves you girls soooooo much! I hope you always know that. Thank you for making me laugh (and testing my patience) every single day. You are the best!

Ms. E

peek-a-boo

such a big girl! today was our first park experience now that we are walking. so much fun. we got to walk everywhere and ride the see saw with sister. play peek a boo under the slide.ride a pac man. fun times!

I want to be a supermodel..........

Today at the parc Charlotte insisted on posing for the photos. Where does she get this from? Alex, haha :)