Family Dinner Night

This is why I just can't let myself get behind....I've missed a month and can't really even remember what happened!  Let's start with our new house/Easter gathering with family.  We finally got a new dining table big enough to fit the whole crew and invited everyone over to dinner.  Mom did some egg decorating with kids, we rode bikes in the cul-de-sac, and the kids played (LOUDLY.)  

 Uncle Andy, the Easter Bunny, hopping around with Fielder and Samara!

Growing up...

Most days Rob and I agree that we'd like Claire to slow down on the "growing up" and Fielder to hurry up and be 4 already.  Or maybe 6.
Today was a big day for Claire - she lost her first tooth!  We've been expecting this for so long - she's had loose ones for months now.  She already has her permanant teeth coming through so she really has a snaggle-tooth grin right now.  She's got it all set up for the tooth fairy so let's hope the tooth fairy doesn't accidentally fall asleep and forget to come!

I took Fielder to get a haircut yesterday which he desperately needed.  It was the first time he sat in the little police car chair and I didn't have to hold him.  But he hated every last second of it.  He sat there screaming with a hair-covered-lollipop in each hand and begged me to get him down.  He kept saying that it hurt, Mommy save me, all done, no thank you....and then when she's done, he says "that didn't hurt." Like it was just no big deal.
I had to take him home without a shirt on because he was so covered in hair, but he looked so darn cute and so grown up.  In the car he said "haircut fun, lollipops goooood."  It's hard to get a picture of the boy, but here's the new do...

Lunch Date

I've been wanting to have lunch with Claire at her school and just hadn't done it yet.  She asked me to come last week so I figured I better do it while she actually wants me to!  (When does that happen that I will become way too embarrassing to be seen with?  I'm hoping not for a couple more years...)
Fielder and I picked up Happy Meals and went to the school.  When parents come, we sit on the stage to eat.  Claire sat up there beaming and trying to catch her friends to wave to them.  Fielder even sat nicely in his chair and ate his lunch...except then when he was done he wanted DOWN and wanted to run all over the place.
It was a really fun thing to do with her and I promised her I'd come back one day when I could get a babysitter for Fielder.

Girls Night Out

I was so excited to get an email from Alison that they were coming to town for a short time to apartment hunt....YES, that's right, they're moving back!!  (At least temporarily.)  Anyway, of course I wanted a chance to see them and meet baby Jenna!!  I can't believe I didn't get a picture of me holding her.  Fielder actually let me hold Jenna for quite a while, but mostly because Aunt Alison accomdated him with letting him see her feet.  I don't know what it is with this kid, but he loves feet.  Anyway, we had fun catching up, having a tea party, and a pizza dinner.  It happened to be Claire's "half birthday" which I had used as a reason to take her out that night - she just didn't know that Katie was going to come too now! 

 Fielder was not happy when we all left him behind with Daddy, but the girls were super excited!

 We went to Build A Bear and the girls made matching bears.  I think they are making the bears smart by holding the hearts to their foreheads.  Or something like that?

We also had ice cream and threw pennies in the fountain.  I had a blast taking the girls out on the town!  I loved hearing them giggle and make jokes in the back seat.  Katie kept saying "that is so gem" - I don't know what it means and I don't think she really does either, but it was meant to be a good thing!  :-)
When we got back to the hotel, I realized my cell phone was dead and I didn't want the front desk to call the room in case Jenna was asleep.  We had a few silly minutes of trying to figure out how to get in touch with Alison - I called Rob, he called Matt, Matt called Alison and meanwhile both girls all of a sudden have to go potty immediately.  It was pretty funny and luckily Alison found us in the lobby.
We can't WAIT to have Katie and Jenna back in town!!!

March Madness

 March was madness indeed.  We finally OFFICIALLY moved into our house on Feb 28, but we are still in the process of getting settled (and it's already mid April!)  Obviously I'm behind on the blog.  March brought even more cold weather (OVER.  IT.) and of course for Rob, basketball!

Let's start with St. Patrick's day.  Not my favorite of all the holidays, but I tried to make it a little fun.  Claire came downstairs in the morning and immediately blamed the decorations on "the leprechaun."  Then she found the leprechaun had also turned our pancakes and milk green!

I loved Claire's St. Patrick's day outfit.....EXCEPT for the fact that it was also school picture day. Awesome.   

To say Rob was excited about UVA's basketball season is quite the understatement.  He went to Greensboro for the tournament and of course came home a very happy man.  I believe he and his brother said something along the lines of "besides getting married and the birth of our children, this was the best day ever."  (Can you hear my eyes rolling?)  Uncle Jake even made the newspaper!  Even though they didn't win the sweet 16 game, all the Barnes boys were super excited to be UVA fans!

March also brought a surprise visit from cousin Katie and our FIRST time meeting cousin Jenna!!  (A separate post for that.)  

Adventures with Hopscotch

Hopscotch, the class bunny, came home with Claire this weekend.  She had been looking forward to this since the day she started at this school!  As soon as we got home, she wanted to feed him a snack.

 She introduced Hopscotch to Fielder (he likes to borrow the pink bunny ears.)

 Friday night was float night at the Y so we brought Hopscotch along.  He had to hang out in my book bag to stay dry.

 Saturday was a rainy day so we mostly hung out around the house.  Rob took the kids to the Y to play, but insisted (much to Claire's dismay) that the bunny stay safe and snug in the van.

 Popa came over to see the house and help me with a few projects around the house.  (I had a honey-do list for him!)  We had fun with Popa and he even stayed for dinner with us.

Sunday was our "girls day out."  Claire and I had a tea party in Northern VA, with a "quick" stop at Ikea first.  Note to myself...Ikea is crazy and overwhelming and DO NOT go back with kids or a strict time schedule.  I hustled through the store to get the main thing I had gone there for, but pretty much ran out of time for anything else.  Claire was patient, but I can't even imagine bringing Fielder.
We arrived at Wren's first birthday tea party and Claire was so excited to find dress-ups to try on.  She got jewelry, a headband, a hat, and gloves.  Hopscotch tried on a necklace, but changed his mind for a tie.

Hopscotch looks pooped from our long drive (and I was too) but we had a fun day and especially enjoyed celebrating with Wren!

Claire will miss you Hopscotch - thanks for coming to spend the week with us!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I have been slacking on the blog once again....just a little busy around here!!

Valentine's Day was extra exciting for us this year because we closed on our house!!!  Claire was excited to take off the last link of our house-count-down chain.

 Mom and Dad took the kids while Rob and I signed a million papers and made it official.  Then we all had a pizza dinner at their house.

 After dinner, even though it was getting late, we stopped by the house just to see it and officially be inside it on our closing day.  The slight let-down of it all was that we still had to wait 2 weeks to actually move in.  Of course, those 2 weeks flew by with so much to do and get ready for the moving day.

On moving day, my parents took the kids in the afternoon and let them spend the night so that we could get everything settled.  I was so tired that night, I'm pretty sure I was asleep before 9.  We were excited for the kids to come and see their new rooms - Claire wanted hers to be like her old room so I had painted it yellow.  I hope for many years of happy memories in this house.  And also I hope that we don't have to move again ANY TIME SOON.  Twice in 4 months is enough for me, thank you very much.