On the Fast Track

I signed up for the March of Dimes annual walk a while ago, but had actually been on the fence about going. It was the same day as the town Spring Daze festival this year, and the girls didn't seem too excited about the whole thing.

But with the weather in question, we decided to brave the "stroller walk." This year it was out at Imperial Center in RTP as opposed to the former Nortel campus. We got the girls their favorite March of Dimes t-shirts right away, but they only had kids' large. It will be a few years before they can wear them.

The girls got Tarheel tattoos from the NICU staff and made their own sun visors for the trip.

It was sort of unclear where the race started, so we waited a while by the balloon arch. Lots of people were already walking, so we started to follow. Of course after a while it became clear we'd started about 10 minutes early.

It ended up being a blessing in disguise. With some more space, the girls could get out of the stroller some and Madeleine enjoyed running some of the course. On the way back, we passed the pack, and it was so crowded they spanned the whole width of both lanes designated for the race.

On the way back, the girls got out of the stroller and we ran to the finish line together. Then they enjoyed popcorn, snow cones, and Rita's Italian Ice before we headed home.

Go "Team Double Hot" - what they wanted to name our team.

What Happens at Grandmas Stays at Grandmas

Unless of course there's pictures. Grandma and Poppy watched the girls while Eric and I headed to Vermont for some R&R (and hockey of course).

Here comes the bride

Well, we did it. Lily and Madeleine are now two seasoned flower girls. They came through the weekend with flying colors and hopefully love going to weddings as much as I do.

Friday night was the rehearsal at Bass Lake and rehearsal dinner at Bistro 64. They didn’t have a whole lot to do at the rehearsal, and since there were no chairs set up, they had only a vague notion of what an aisle was. We spent most of the time in the rocking chairs set out on the deck.

Dinner was great. They spent most of the time working on drawings and eating snacks out of the cooler I’d brought. Madeleine did order steak but didn’t eat anything but the fries. Lily got chicken fingers and had a few before turning her fries over to the gentleman across the table. Eric and I had the lobster ravioli.


Saturday afternoon Ms. Valerie came over to do our hair. It turned out great and stayed in place all day. The baby’s breath also was a good touch I think.

We got to Bass Lake just after 4 and did a few pre-wedding photos. The ceremony started promptly at 5. The girls kind of froze when it was their turn to go, so I stood up from my seat and waved them on down. Madeleine was very confident, but Lily bent her head down. She recovered and continued to drop petals. When Lily got to the end, she just dumped the rest out in a big clump.

They sat in seats in front of us and walked out behind the bride when the ceremony was over.

Then we did post-ceremony pictures. Luckily we took care of ones with us first so we could head to the reception. The girls snacked on apple sauce, cheese, and crackers while we sampled the hors d’ourves.

When the bride and groom arrived for their first dance, Lily and I went over to watch. She wanted a better view of the dance floor than the one our table provided. As soon as the bride and groom were done, I gave them clearance to hit the dance floor, and they were there much of the night. They danced with me, each other, and their stuffed bears we had brought from home.

We left a little after 9pm, and they fell asleep in the car on the way home. We just put pajamas on them and put them to bed. Lily cried for a little bit, and then she was out. I’m guessing they’ll ask me soon when the next wedding is.

Come Skate Away

We finally took the girls ice skating for the first time. People have been asking us since before they were born when we were going to do it, but I was wary. I didn't want them to fall, get cold, and hate it. Then it would take tons of convincing to get them back out on the ice.

So, since the weather was iffy today, we thought it was a perfect chance to give it a shot.

I was most nervous about the rentals. I was worried about getting the laces right (tight enough to support their ankles, but not tight enough to cut off circulation). Luckily, they had single buckle skates. It made everything a lot easier.

Out on the ice, it was slow going. Madeleine kept trying to move her feet constantly, and she was all over the place at first. But the end of the first lap, my back was killing me. But that lap took close to 15 minutes. After half an hour we took a break, and the girls had cookies. Eric and I took some warm-up laps, and then we went back out again.

This time Eric got the girls to stand up on their own. It made it a lot easier to sort of get them to stand and pull them around. Lily kept telling me she wanted to do it on her own. And by the end, they almost did a few times. We were probably there an hour an a half (with two Scooby Doo breaks in the snack bar), and I was so proud of them both.

Green Eggs and Ham

Lily says "Yum!"

I'll be surprised if Madeleine took a second bite.

Bond Park - March 7 at OneTrueMedia.com

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Too Much to Blog About

Lots went on this weekend. Sports Sampler class. Birthday party at TK's Jungle. Cookie-making. Picnic. Park. Ice cream. General goofing off. Here's the highlights in no particular order.
Sunday night the girls decide they need to practice for their upcoming flower girl gig. Dress-up, make up, and full ballroom dancing ensue.

Lily chows down on her chocolate ice cream after Daddy joked about giving her vanilla.

Madeleine, Daddy, and Lily at the park boat dock.

Madeleine helps with baking chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.

Lily likes the idea of a Star Wars party.