A-U-R-O-R-A

There are a lot of words I could use to describe Aurora. She's happy, she's getting increasingly independent, and she's a quick learner with a great memory. These days she's pretty obsessed with spelling her name, spelling her friend's names, spelling the words she sees in books, and asking me how to spell things she sees and hears. I'm pretty sure projects like this at school help!

I must say, I agree with all the words they used to represent my girl; she's amazing, unbelievable, rockin', optimistic, rooster, and awesome! She's also goofy, adorable, intelligent, very vocal... and did I mention she likes to spell her name? Yeah.

Giving Back

Aurora may not yet know what it means to work for or support a nonprofit, but that's okay. My hope is that just by living it along with me, she'll grow up knowing how important it is to volunteer and give back. Saturday morning we had breakfast with Daniela, and I made my annual contribution to her YMCA Partner in Youth campaign. She took us to see a newly renovated Y in South Austin, and I'm definitely going to look into swim lessons and sports teams there.

Sunday we took to the streets to cheer on the runners at mile 18 of the LIVESTRONG Austin Marathon. I had so many friends doing the Half Marathon (Go Team LIVESTRONG!!!), and would've loved to see them, but I wanted to go somewhere that wasn't too busy (or early) so Aurora could participate. 

It's pretty cool working for an organization where the staff are so involved and committed that we all participate and support each other. It's even cooler when family and friends get involved. A few weeks ago Robin & John won a $500 donation to the charity of their choice, and they chose the Lance Armstrong Foundation! Julian has participated in the LIVESTRONG Challenge (twice), which unfortunately won't be going back to Seattle this year... but, Team Rooster will be in full force once again this October. I can't wait!

My Sweet Valentine

Aurora's school does a great job preparing her for holidays.  On Friday, this was on the door of her classroom:

Melody's answer has to be my favorite.  During the car ride home that day, Aurora kept telling me that she loves me and she loves daddy too (don't worry - that was clearly just an oversight on the list).  She was thrilled when I bought her a heart-shaped French macaroon over the weekend...

And absolutely beside herself when she figured out Valentine's Day is actually a lot like Halloween.  She keeps telling me that she's 'hungry for candy' and that she loves sugar and butter (who doesn't?).  I had to include the photo above because I think it's so pretty, and I wanted to include the picture below because it reminds me of the one Julian posted of Lillie on his blog. What girl doesn't love to spread out her Valentine's loot the minute she gets home?

I'm a lucky girl too... Chuck brought me flowers, dinner, beer, and chocolate covered strawberries (yum!).  I was never a huge fan of this holiday, but now I think it might be my favorite ♥

VIP

This weekend Aurora got up close and personal with some pretty special characters. On Saturday morning we went to see Goldilocks at the Scottish Rite Theatre and happened to walk out right as Mama Bear appeared in the lobby for autographs.

Then we went to a Mexican restaurant and ended up right next to the live entertainment - a country music singer. Aurora loved it - she clapped and said "play another one!" after each song, which is hilarious because every time Chuck tries to play for her, she yells "put the guitar away!" until he stops. I did take a picture of them, but it didn't come out great - and it was nothing compared to this morning's celebrity sighting. ELMO!!!

Elmo came to the Hill Country Galleria to celebrate Valentine's Day. Once again, we were in the right place at the right time and got our photo op before the long lines and crazy crowds started. And believe me, the place got crowded! What an exciting weekend to be a toddler in Austin.

iPhone

This week I finally joined the world of modern technology and upgraded my old flip-phone (that I never used for anything), for an iPhone. Chuck's had his iPhone for years, and I'm always glad we have it with us when we go out. We can pull up maps, websites, store hours, music, and fun games for Aurora to play in an instant. I was sure these were the reasons I should have a phone like this, but so far I'm definitely most impressed with the camera! It's way faster than my real camera, sharing/uploading is a breeze, and I can crop and add filters with the touch of a button.

I'm sure I'll get used to having facebook, email, and so many other applications at my fingertips, but for now, I'm still trying to figure out the basic features! At least I have the camera functionality under control.

Morning Mohawks

Snow Day!

Okay, so it wasn't EXACTLY Snowmageddon 2011 here in Austin, but we did get just enough snow and ice to close schools (and preschools) all day due to hazardous driving conditions.

I would've loved a day full of flurries like we had last year, but by early afternoon the sun came out, the snow started to melt, and we were kind of just stuck (safe and warm) with Aurora. We worked from home, watched TV, cooked, read books, and uhm... sang songs. You may recall I mentioned a couple posts back that Aurora's becoming quite the little singer. Here's proof:

Words of Wisdom

There are several words of advice my dad has given me that I'll always remember.

1. Treat checks like cash. He told me this when I opened my first bank account in 1988, before credit cards were even an option for me, but it definitely still holds true today. If you can't afford it, don't buy it! 

2. Never take nude photos. I firmly believe that every parent should give this advice to every teenager - especially now that kids all have smart phones with cameras. I'm not sure how my dad learned this lesson, but I for one have taken it to heart.

3. Don't dress for yesterday's weather. Dad just gave me this advice recently, and it's never been more true than this week in Austin, TX. Sunday and Monday we had temps in the 70's and 80's, and now it's below freezing. 

It's so cold that Texas has implemented rolling blackouts to save energy, which caused Aurora's school to close. Not that we're contributing to any energy savings today. Our jobs are both open for business, but we're all home with the heater, TV, and computers on. We did both work today and Aurora got to spend a little time at each of our offices, but it still feels kind of like a snow day. Don't worry dad, I'm not wearing my flip-flops!

I do hope to impart many memorable words of wisdom to Aurora as she grows up. Post a comment with your best advice (or the best advice your parents gave you), so I can add it to my list. Though, I'm not sure you can top my dad...