Red gates, pink tutus

Dear Maya & Emi,

Mommy is always proud of you two, but lately you've really been showing off your skills and smarts.

Maya, you and I went to your school's annual Spring into Learning event and you proudly showed off your project on torii--the red gates in front of many shrines in Japan. It was great to see you in your element and see how much you have learned in just a few short years in school!

Emi, you had your first dance recital!! The other mommies and I weren't sure what to expect when you and your 4 little classmates bumbled around the stage during the dress rehearsal, but during the show you all did really well! No stage fright, no tripping, and most of you remembered a majority of the dance moves to both your tap song "Boogie Woogie Piggy" and your ballet song "Bunny Rabbit Blues." It was truly adorable!

 

 

Well, that was a short post, but we're in a hectic season right now. Mommy and daddy are both very busy with work, and it's the end of the dance and school years so life has been taken up with all that entails. We have a super fun summer coming up, though--mommy's dear friend Sam is coming to visit us from Australia for a few weeks to start it off on the best foot possible. Maya you haven't seen her in person since you were just a few months old so we're really excited! Yay!!

Okay, time to sign off now. Love you both!

Blooming trees, blossoming talents

Dear Maya & Emi, 

The last month feels like it's covered about 4 months, and yet like it's sped by in about 5 minutes, too. Considering we started it off with snowfall and today have humid thunderstorms, hail, and tornado warnings, it really does seem like we're smooshing all the seasons together in one.

Here are some of the things we've been up to:

• Grandpa came to visit for a few days 

• Cousin Gracie and Papa Stan's joint birthday party

• Maya, you and mommy went to the Children's Book Festival, met a few authors you love, and you volunteered to sing and sign with John Farrell, internationally loved children's singer/songwriter (and your teacher's husband, so you know a lot of his songs!)

• Maya, you also did some photo location scouting with me which was lots of fun

 

 

• Emi, you're gearing up for your dance recital and got to take photos in your costume last week

• Since dance photos were quicker than expected and since you were dressed up Emi, we stopped by some blossoming trees for a pre-Mother's Day selfie. Over the weekend we visited Nanny and Poppy, Grandma and Papa Stan, and had a relatively relaxing holiday of it!

• Other than that we've been playing outside, inside, and online :)

Well, mommy's going to go read with you before bed. Love you both!

Bunnies, butterflies, bad flu!

Dear Maya & Emi,

I have a lot to share from the last month so I'll just get straight to it!

Maya, you had a concert at school and we all went to see you--even Grandma and Papa Stan. You did such a great job singing and doing the hand motions to "Baby Beluga," "What a Wonderful World," and a song about habitats. Emi, you were singing and dancing along in the audience, too!

A couple days later, Maya, you came home from school feeling sick. We took you to urgent care and it turns out you had the flu. The very next day mommy was scheduled for minor surgery, which I had to recover from with a touch of the flu myself. And then the worst part was that Emi, you got it so bad you had a seizure and had to go to the emergency room. Luckily you were better within a couple days and didn't have another one. Then, of course, Baba got sick to top it all off. Ugh!

After we were all feeling better, we had some fun times awaiting us, though. First you guys colored eggs and made sweet Easter treats at grandma's house on Good Friday. Then on Saturday you got dressed up and we brought a flower to Nanny and Poppy's house for a pre-Easter visit and feast.

 

On Easter morning, you woke up to some toys and crafts and new hats from the Easter Bunny, plus hidden eggs full of cookies and graham cracker bears. In the afternoon we went to Grandma and Papa Stan's house for a big meal with the whole family, plus a fun outdoor egg hunt. There were well over a hundred eggs for you two and Gracie and William to find, and Emi, you found the one big monster egg with a whole large bag of candy in it. We had such a fun day with our family.

 

The week after Easter was your spring break, Maya. Mommy had big plans of spending time outside every day but the weather was awful all week. Especially on Monday--we got a few inches of snow! Baba had that day off so we decided to go to the butterfly conservatory. This time you two were calmer than the last time we went, so more butterflies landed on you. Plus, you both got to hold a big, fat, walking stick bug as well. It was a fun day trip.

Spring break ended with a birthday party for one of your friends, Maya. And since the party was held at the indoor play place, mommy brought you along, too, Emi. I expected you to stick by my side or need my help, but you went off and out and up on your own without much of a glance in my direction. I was so proud of you, Emi, and excited to see you with your sweet friends, Maya. And this coming weekend is another party at the same place for another one of those friends. Yay!

 Well, mommy really needs to get some sleep now. Love you both!