AHHHH! Vacation!

I have the most fantastic news and I can't keep it in anymore. Gary and I are going to have 18 uninterrupted meals and six mornings to rest in together (if we so choose). We are planning an escape and I'm convinced this simple getaway will be the vacation of our dreams. Even if it rains everyday that we are away--it will still be a treasure for us. In case you haven't noticed, we are the parents of a 2 1/2 year old and an 8 month old-- and we, dear friends, could use a little rest and relaxation. :)

I'm not going to post the exact dates of our excursion because I don't want the entire world wide web to find out. However, I will try to attach a picture to this post of the location that we will be visiting.

Also want to thank my family and babysitter for offering to watch our little jewels for us while we're gone. We will miss the girls dearly but know they'll be in good hands.

Let the countdown begin!

Sisters

The girls are so sweet together. I'll list a few examples:

1. Bathtime is always a highlight! They lay on their bellies while pretending to swim. I love it when they suddenly stop--turn to glance over at each other--briefly giggle--and then simultaneously start to swim again. Usually, I regret ending things because they are having so much fun!

2. Maura insists on giving Sophia a kiss and a hug before she goes to bed at night. It's so cute because Sophia always smiles as she approaches her. Little sister has learned to anticipate the hug and kiss and seems to look forward to it every night. 3. And lastly at mealtime, the girls keep each other entertained. Sophia is usually the one doing most of the work. She's always bound and determined to grab Maura's plate, cup, utensils which Maura thinks is funny. I'm constantly trying to protect everything so we avoid a major mess. I could go on and on but would now like to update you on their individual achievements.

As of 2 weeks ago Miss Maura .......(drum roll please) is potty trained. Yes, you read it right...I said potty trained!

We celebrate everyday with high fives, words of encouragement, and I've personally done back flips across the floor. I will confess, I was beginning to feel like she would NEVER tackle this essential milestone, but once she was ready it was like *poof* (magic) and now it's no longer a big deal. Maura is elated and says, "I can do it all by myself." And Gary and I don't know how to feel with just one bottom to change.

Speaking of the other bottom here's Miss Sophia. She also has exciting news....(2nd drum roll). As of one week ago, she has mastered crawling (the right way). She'd been scooting, but now her efforts are more efficient and coordinated.
There's a whole new world to explore and is fascinated everyday.

Below is our cave trip. Sorry it took so long.

Off to the bat cave!

Let's all think back to this past Saturday....to say the least, it wasn't the typical spring day. After some contemplation, we got a hair brained idea to visit Fantastic Caverns. I can remember back in my elementary days going there on a field trip. It's relatively close and convenient for small children because of the ride-thru tram. It also helped that Gary has always wanted to go there and the fact that it was something new for the kids.

So we decided to prepare the necessities and leave for a day-trip.

Little Red Wagon

Bumpin' up and down in the little red wagon.....Bumpin' up and down in the little red wagon.....Bumpin' up and down in the little red wagon.
Won't you be my darling?

We sang this song on our wagon ride today. We just travel the length of our driveway, but I try to make it eventful...we go through the mud puddles, watch out for birds and jets, dodge big rock and sticks, etc. They had so much fun! Just look at Sophia's face!

Afterwards Maura practiced her tricycle. She pedals it one footed-- kind of awkward but it works.

And here's a precious example of how much Maura loves her cats. She isn't one to be idle, but today I looked outside and found her laying beside Shadow. The cats are incredibly patient with her and seem to adore all of the attention she offers them.

Scroll down for entire post. Now..... off to the bat cave!

Catering Gig

Toadsuck catered a gig for Duck's Unlimited this past Saturday. We'd like to share some photos of the event.

Here is a snapshot of the table setting. My sister Elizabeth has a degree in Hotel and Rest Administration and is very absolute about how everything goes (salad fork, reg fork, 2:00 lemons, 4:00 coffee cup handle, etc, etc). I hope everyone appreciated the details.

Mom couldn't stay away...even with a bad shoulder, she insisted on coming. Here she is making the dressing for the salad.

Dad preparing the vegetable medley at the catering site. He has perfected many recipies and is the head chef.
Charlie and John tossing the salad. We had a small family debate in regards to how much dressing was needed. Nothing major..but we all tend to offer our opinion. That's what family's do...right???

Brothers organizing corn bread while discussing their favorite episodes of Lost.

Oh yeah and Posh Spice made an appearance too. Oh no....wait a minute...that's my hot sister!

This pic shows just how goofy things can get. We definitely aren't boring!

Gary and I cutting strawberries (he looks pretty handsome, huh?)

Here's a shot of the food. I do want to preface that the plates going out looked much better than this. As usual, we didn't have time to stop and take a picture of the nice ones. Please picture another slice of tenderloin and a cornbread muffin. Yum! Yum!
By the end of the serve, the desserts were melting and appearing a bit shlumpy. Quick sister...go.....go...go!
Sure glad everyone was able to make it up/down for the annual gig. We definitely rocked it out and had some fun!

(Gary wasn't in this shot b/c he was at home putting the girls to bed. Thanks love).

Words and Thank you!

I will admit....I'm exhausted tonight. I'm not sure why I'm blogging but it probably has something to do with those reappearing Easter baskets and the fact that my mind is still racing. I'm sure many of you have been thinking, come on Anna, get the blog updated already. No pics tonight, just commentary. Here are my thoughts....

The girls were incredibly hard to "bed down" tonight. It didn't help that Gary, Uncle Wayne, and Bob were downstairs screwing sheetrock to the walls. I must have soothed Sophia three times and gave up after the fourth. I decided to just bring her downstairs until the ruckus was over. I'm don't mean to complain, we are super excited to have the help, but Yikes, my kids need their sleep.

In other news, Sophia is busy saying "da da da da" and she is so close to crawling that it could be any day now. She also loves to keep us entertained with her tongue clicks. Maura is making gains in the area of toileting. We're so proud of her!! She is super sensitive with clothes these days. She is bothered by tags in her shirts, pants, and complains of her diaper "hurting her" (scratching and making her uncomfortable). This has led to Maura wanting to wear her tagless underware and attempting to use the potty, but rather than use normal measures, we are using a bread loaf pan that she selected from the cabinet. Sounds bizarre...I know, but trust me this is a huge step and I can honestly say that My DAUGHTER IS FINALLY READY! Oh and the m&ms are helping things along too! :)

Something else of note.. please refer to post labeled Metro Amish. I expressed that all of us left the wagon scene without injury. Well I need to amend this information. I think you'll remember my reference to my mom's shoulder being "very sore". Well my dear stubborn mother who refuses to go to the doctor (mind you, she's a nurse) found out today that she's been walking around for the last two weeks with a broken clavicle and dislocated shoulder. I'm sure most of you are wondering....what exactly happened to Grandma Marla?? Well let me just briefly offer that my mom protected and saved Maura that day and injured herself in doing so. Maura walked away from the scene without a scratch, but my mom has been in excruciating pain since the incident. Mom, if you are reading this.... I want you to know that words can not express my gratitude, but I want to publicly thank you and tell you I love you.
Okay.... now I feel better......I feel like the mind has stopped racing and the baskets will be gone. Sometimes, I'm grateful to have this blog because it serves as an outlet for my thoughts and it's a great way to wind down before bedtime. Goodnight everyone and have a great Thursday!