Surprise! March of Dimes!

Tia flew home early Thursday morning and she surprised the girls at preschool. Maddie was SO JAZZED. 

On Friday we did a girls-only family Breakout. We had been talking to my grandma about it and decided we needed to have her come experience one with us. She brought her sister, my great aunt Barb. Barb had NO IDEA what a breakout room was but she was a good sport and tagged along. She showed up with a huge set of keys and it was hysterical.

The keys didn't help but we still broke out pretty speedy. 

Not that anyone is keeping track, but I have 100% success rate in these rooms. I digress...

While we were breaking out, Maddie spent the afternoon with nana. Sydney goes to nana and grandpa's house every Monday while Maddie is at preschool so this was a special afternoon just for Mads. (Syd went to school for a few hours).

Maddie dressed up with her purse and was all set.

She came home with a belly full of ice cream and a few more bags. :)

We enjoyed an afternoon in the sun with our neighbors in their new hammock.

Friday night Chris and I took our parents to Corbett's for dinner for Mother's Day and Father's Day. 

 SO GOOD.

Saturday morning we were up early, headed downtown for March of Dimes. It was a little cool, but we still had a great time walking, supporting Kensley Hays. This was our second year to walk for this little gal, born at just one pound!

Look at how big Kensley is! 

 #photobomb

After the 2 mile walk we played in the Kid Zone for a bit. Maddie and Dave danced and smacked each other with inflatable sticks.

Sydney ate colored kettle corn.

We came home and headed to All About Kids for Lizzy's birthday party.

On Friday, babysitter Rachel had braided the girls hair. Maddie slept in hers and loved that she had curly hair.

We stopped by my parents that evening.

Sydney did some flash cards with grandpa. She LOVES flash cards.

And we said goodbye to tia. 

 

She'll be home for good in a few weeks and we are so excited!

Derby! And Mother's Day!

What a great weekend!

Chris was gone camping so I had the little lovelies Fri and Sat. 

Friday, we got out for a walk with our neighbors.

The little girls rode in the Radio Flyer while Maddie and Lizzy took their bikes around block.

Friday night we to grandma and grandpa's. They just got home from Florida and, of course, brought some goodies.

The girls rode their bikes around the garage FOREVER. It's time to get my little speed demon Syd a helmet. 

WE decided, last minute, to go to a neighbor's Derby party. I needed to bring a dish but didn't have all the ingredients so I went to Kroger. And since I had the two monkeys a 10 minute trip took 35.

Because, car cart.

The girls were pretty good until check-out when they both went bananas. Sydney likes to pull magazines and gift cards off the wall and Maddie likes to ask if she can buy EVERY SINGLE CANDY BAR.

Fortunately, Kroger had these chairs at the check-out so I made the girls sit in them while I paid.

 They weren't too put out.

The Auffrey's have such a fun Derby party each year. The best part about the party is that if your horse comes in last place, you have to jump in the very cool just-opened pool with all your clothes on.

Sydney was not into watching the horses until they actually raced. Daddy made it home just in time to see the horses run!

Mads was cheering for Danzing Candy.

Fortunately, my horse (Mohaymen) came in fourth so I was safe. However, one horse got a DNF and one technically came in last so we had 2 pool victims.

All the Derby girls!

Sunday was Mother's Day. The kids let me sleep in and Chris got the house cleaned. Dawne Gee spoke at church and she was awesome. We had brunch with my parents and then I took a 2 hour dance class for some "me" time. We ended with dinner with his parents. It was a pretty great Mother's Day!

Nana and grandma loved their present from the girls.

My cup runneth over with these 2!

Love you mom!

Star Academy Derby Parade!

Wednesday was the annual Star Academy Derby Parade! Usually the parade is outside and the kids march around the school, but since it was pouring it was moved inside. Each classroom dresses up as a different derby event...

Sydney's two year old class kicked off the parade. Here come the jockeys!

I barely recognized Sydney with her racing goggles on! Jockey 3, squeezed in between three boys!

 Showing mommy and daddy her horse.

I'm not sure who this boy was but he never dropped her hand. 

Maddie's class was the parade closer - they were all the past Derby winners!

And, in between we had...

Millionaire's Row!

The marathoners! (with their bib, scarf and bottles of water)

The hot air balloon race!

The bed-racers!

 

There were a few more but I didn't get pictures of all of them. It is such a cute little event their pre-school does every year. 

Let's see...what else have we been up to??

As always, lots of dress-up.

Since daddy was sick I slept with Maddie one night in the guest room. She always asks me to have a sleepover with her so I like to do this every few months or so. Then she wanted a picture of it. :)

I took the girls to church on Saturday and they enjoyed watching one of their favorite friends, Dave, baptize people.

Maddie spent an afternoon with grandma and grandpa. After watering all of their flowers she played with an old Lite Brite. She LOVES that thing.

We had dinner with Hudson where NO CHILD cooperated for a picture.

Unless it was a "silly" one.

After bath, the girls pretended they were asleep. Except Sydney laughs so hard we can always tell they are faking. HA.

The girls were jazzed that Costco had quesadilla samples one night.

Chris has recovered and miraculously, neither Maddie or I got taken down. Sydney was back at the ped this week because she woke up Tuesday with croup. It's super easy to diagnose with her but a little oral steroid and she's good as new. The ped seems to think she just has narrower than normal airways so any type of allergy inflammation or cold can cause her to sound croup-y. This morning it was back but after a long hot shower she sounded good as new. And, in typical, Sydney fashion she was acting like nothing was wrong.

Sigh. This girl. I think her bump count is up to 6 right now. She busted her chin underneath last week planking while eating. (Yes, you read that right.) Then, the next day, she busted her chin open on the front at the YMCA. Evidently she built a really tall tower. And then tried to stand on it. She's got some weird cut under her foot (don't even KNOW where that came from) and numerous bruises on her shins and knees. She is SO WILD. I'm not sure what her future holds but I think she may be a Ninja Warrior. We had a new doctor this week who said, "Goodness, it takes A LOT to bring this child down."  Ha!

Happy Derby weekend!