Catching up...

It's been a busy couple of weeks and it seems iOS is no longer supporting the Blogger app (booo Apple and Google--work it out!), so I haven't been able to post on the go.

So here's a quick round-up of the fun happenings in our world...

Lainey's first sleepover!

Lainey had her first sleepover with her buddy Molly a few weeks back. We were at the O'Grady's for dinner and some hang time, and Maggie invited Lainey for an impromptu sleepover. I was a little worried (mostly that Lainey would rise at an ungodly hour), but my fears were for not! She slept through the night and played quietly the next morning waiting for Molly to wake up (I suggested she could also take this approach at home, but that message seems to have been forgotten). She didn't miss us at all and didn't want to leave when I came to pick here up. Thanks for having her, O'Grady's! Another big milestone in the books!

Girl Party!

I got a new job!
My dream job turned out to be a nightmare and I decided there was no reason to continue the pain. So, after two years, I've decided to move on. But, I learned a lot and made a new best friend, so I have no regrets. However, I also have no reservations about getting the hell out of there. My last day is February 10 and I start the new gig on February 15, allowing me a few days off in between. This job is in the suburbs, so that is going to be a major transition. I will miss being downtown, but the commute will give me so much more flexibility and that will be a tremendous help with two little ones.

We had Christmas the Sequel!
We finally had Brandi Christmas the weekend of January 21 and celebrated Amelia, Oliver, and Jacob's birthdays. I CANNOT BELIEVE JACOB IS 16!!! (Well, almost, he still has two more days to go!) The weekend was super short this time, but we still crammed in the fun and the love! I am a very lucky lady to have such an amazing group of in-laws. I'm proud to say that I'm one of those people who wishes her in-laws lived CLOSER to her. I owe you all an email to figure out March...

Fun with bows

34 candles!

Troop Beverly Hills, What a Thrill!
I successfully closed out the initial Girl Scout Cookies sales and assisted with the first troop meeting. There are 18 girls in our troop. EIGHTEEN! After our first meeting, I felt relieved that I only signed on as Cookie Manager and don't have to deal with THAT craziness every month. And I found a whole new respect for those kindergarten teachers who have 25 kids ALL DAY, not just 90-minutes. Yikes!

Disney on Ice
We hit up Allstate Arena this past Saturday for Disney on Ice and Mark proclaimed for the second year in a row..."this is the last year we're doing this." Famous last words, Mark. We all know you're full of it and will be sending me the email promo for tickets eight months from now. It really wasn't that bad...there was just a moment when everything went awry with two kids crying, popcorn all over the people behind us, and our coats on the floor being trampled. And we just happened to be sitting among some of the most well behaved children I've ever seen, so our kids minor transgressions seemed amplified. But, there were plenty of children in the concourse after the show that made us feel not quite so ashamed of our children's spoiled behavior over not getting snow cones.

And for the January finale...
I found time to relax...bring on February!