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...

Girlie Girl

Recently I've been catching myself saying "Julian was right... this is it. It's started." First there was the day last week when I put Aurora in a little t-shirt with cap sleeves and she said "This is my princess shirt! I'm daddy's princess!" The next day a dress she's worn dozens of times suddenly became her ballerina dress, making her need to twirl around. Then, the moment of truth... we were walking through the mall and she saw some kid's suitcases in a store. "Those suitcases are for me!" she said. I asked which one was her favorite and she didn't hesitate. "That one - the pink one with princesses." What!? 

She still loves dinosaurs, frogs, airplanes and legos. She still won't wear bows in her hair and doesn't seem to care if she wears pink, gray or blue - but, just a few months shy of her 3rd birthday - Aurora is becoming girlie. This morning she forced me to have a tea party with her at 7am. Her favorite toys right now are her mini whinnies.

I don't remember being particularly girlie when I was little - but then again, when I was a kid the Disney Princess phenomenon did not exist. I do have my girlie moments - I like shopping and I love hanging out with my girlfriends. This weekend Aurora and I had a chance to do both... we had brunch at Mona's house before heading to the mall. 

We also spent plenty of time listening to music in the car, and Aurora's favorite artist has to be Lady Gaga. She's started singing along, and it's kind of hilarious to hear her in the back seat going "ma ma ma poka face ma ma poka face." Yup, that's my girl. Mona has a piano and Aurora always has fun making music. 

I'd prefer she love piano over princesses and ballet, but whether she decides she wants to dance and play dress up, or do something else entirely... I'll support it.

Staying Healthy

It seems like everybody at Aurora's school has been sick this week. I've been getting notices about pink eye and the flu, and Ms. Ella told me that kids have been getting so many ear infections that two of her classmates are getting tubes! On Thursday when Aurora came home with a low grade fever, I suspected the worst and made an appointment to see her doctor Friday afternoon. Being the awesome mom that I am, I drugged her with ibuprofen Friday morning hoping it would keep the symptoms at bay at least until after nap - which should give me until about 2 pm. I got the call at 2:05 and by the time I picked her up, she was a miserable mess. I took her to the doctor and we were very relieved to find that her ears look good, her lungs are clear, and it's not the flu - just a cold. Phew!

So, on with our weekend plans. This morning we headed out to One World Theatre for a performance by the Berenstain Bears. Interestingly, the focus of the play was resting when you're sick, exercising, and eating well to stay healthy. Just what we needed.

We've been in Austin for almost 5 years, so it's hard to believe we'd never been here before. One World is less than 3 miles from our house and it's a gorgeous venue. The architecture and view are so pretty, and the stage and seating area so intimate - seeing an actual concert here would be amazing. We'll have to come back for a date night...

So far Aurora is doing much better today. I've been on allergy medication so I wouldn't be surprised if the cedar or mold levels have been getting to her. They say after about 3-years most people in Austin develop allergies. That's how long it took for me, and well - that's about how long she's been here! More likely, it's just hard staying healthy in a school full of sick kids.

Weekends with Aurora

Chuck & I have both been pretty busy lately, so I've been taking Aurora on weekends to let him draw, then switching off here and there to spend time with my girlfriends and go to work functions. Friday night Chuck went to happy hour with his co-workers while Aurora and I had a girl's night. Saturday we went to another 3rd birthday party (Aurora has a lot of friends), played at the park and went to the bookstore. 

This morning I asked Aurora what she wanted to do, and she said "go to the gym!" so, we did. Afterwards we had plans to dig up dino bones with friends at the Austin Nature Center, and I was sure it would be just us girls - but Chuck had finished all the work he needed to do and came along! 

While I love family time, I'm really lucky to have girl time with Aurora every weekend - and even luckier that Chuck will switch off with me pretty much anytime I ask.

I want...

Aurora has officially reached the "I want" phase, which I'm afraid is less of a phase and more just a fact of life. "Mommy, I want to go to the mall. I want to buy something." I probably taught her this, but still. After at least a dozen "I wants" one day last week, I replied "Do you want to know what mommy wants? Mommy wants you to stop saying I want." That didn't go over well.

This weekend I actually got what I wanted! Not only did she lay off the "I want" a little, we got a nice relaxing 3-day weekend. After catching up on errands and cleaning the house, Sunday night we got a sitter and went out to sushi and a movie. We saw Black Swan, which was pretty intense. Monday morning when Aurora woke up, I went into her room and she had to do a double-take. "Mommy, are you here?" Yes. "Is my daddy here too?!" Yes. Apparently she thought we weren't coming back? 

Monday I took her out all day. We had breakfast, went to a bouncy house with friends, took a walk and had ice cream. Then I dropped her off with Chuck and went shopping all by myself. I got to go to the mall, and I got to buy things! Okay yeah, she learned that from me. But I have to say it's nearly impossible to actually try on clothes or shoes with a toddler in tow, so the time alone was pretty great. Afterwards I met up with girlfriends to watch The Bachelor. It was a good night.

Well, until sometime in the middle of the night when I guess two evenings without mommy must've caught up with her, and she decided that she was afraid to sleep in her own bed and quite specifically needed to sleep in my arms for the rest of the night. It was really sweet. It might've been sweeter if I'd actually been able to fall back asleep, but as hard as it is to be sleep deprived, I kind of just wanted to stay snuggled up like that.

The truth is, we want for nothing. Aurora and I are both lucky girls and I'm trying to raise her without spoiling her (too much)!

The Gym

Last week we went to the gym for the first time in a long time, and Aurora did great in the kid's club. There were just a few other kids there, so I think she got a lot of attention from the employees. Here's a picture I took before dropping her off:

Today we went back to the same gym - same day, same time - and it was PACKED! They have a rule about only allowing 30 kids at a time, and we actually had to wait in line until 4 kids were picked up before Aurora could even get in. As busy as it was, the employees actually remembered her name! I couldn't believe it.

Not only did she enjoy herself at my gym, we got to go to another gym for her friend Alex's birthday party. It was a lot of fun. In fact, I may have gotten more exercise running around with her and playing at the party!

All in all, a fun and active weekend. We should all sleep well tonight...

Hugs

Nancy emailed this picture to us after we returned from Arizona, and I think it's too cute not to post.

We spent over half the week with Zeland before Andrew and Julia had to go back to Phoenix, and when we saw him again a couple days later, he and Aurora were so happy to see each other. It really was the sweetest thing. It made me wish we could see him (and all the Arizona Wadeys) more often. While we probably won't actually see them more often, that got me thinking about New Years resolutions.

Last year I resolved to drink more water, and I pretty much failed miserably with that one. This year I decided that I should start going to the gym again, mostly because I think Aurora's old enough to enjoy the kid's club now. This weekend we tried it out and she did great! Before I even had her signed in, she'd checked out just about every toy and play area, and when I left she was coloring with the other kids. They did have to come get me after 35 minutes because she wanted to go potty and was asking for my help, but that's fine. On the way home I asked what she did while I was working out, and she said "I just waited for you." I asked if she wanted to do it again, and she replied "No, I just want to go home." I clarified that I meant NEXT WEEKEND, and she said yes! 

Chuck also wants to exercise more, and he's already been jogging on his treadmill almost daily since we returned from Arizona. Looking at this photo, I think my REAL New Years resolution should be to give more hugs. 

Photo Re-creation

My mom hasn't blogged in a long time, and I must say, I miss her photo re-creations.  I was looking through old emails yesterday and came across this photo that she sent me awhile back:

It struck me that, while I was a little younger in this photo than Aurora is now, little Aurora looks an awful lot like little Amber did!  The hair, the eyes... our re-creation may not do it justice, but on a whim we thought we'd give it a try...

Mom, I hope that 2011 is a better year for you and you're feeling better and blogging again soon.  We love you!