Science!!!!!!!!

With the weather being so nice this weekend, I thought it would be fun to go somewhere and do something since we've been cooped up sick most of the winter. I asked the girls if they'd like to go to the zoo. The answer was no. They'd rather hit up the science museum.

Of course we hadn't been since last June and I'd let our membership lapse, so we got there at the public opening time at 10. This was the first time the girls played with the Keva blocks, and I think they could have stayed there the whole time.

Here we are playing with the screen.

After taking lessons, climbing the wall in the preschool play area didn't seem that challenging.

Madeleine and Lily always try to get a butterfly to land on them in the butterfly house. This time one not only landed on Madeleine, but she got to hold one. It looks like a leaf folded up but was beautiful on the inside when it opened its wings. While trying to hand it back to the volunteer, she screamed as it flew off.

The other big hit was the origami display. Madeleine was easily able to make the paper cup and waited her turn in front of the computer for instructions to make the cicada and butterfly as well.

Happy Valentines Day

I'm kind of a dork. Since the girls were old enough to distribute valentines, we've always made them ourselves. The first year, when they were 2, I think we did just one valentine from the both of them. I made hearts and put their picture inside of them "coloring" their valentines. Then the next few years we did something similar.

This year their teacher at their new school asked that they create "blank" valentines with only their names on them to distribute on Monday so that things go quicker. It took a while for the girls to get this into their heads. Both Lily and Madeleine wanted to know who each one was for. Plus, with the number of kids in their class this year, we had to make 40.

So I bought some cardstock and used the Creative Memories tools to create some hearts. They raided my stickers and the glitter glue, and voila, two hours later we had some snazzy creations.

(Note the lack of glitter that will fall off - I still have at least a pound in the car from the last project)

Practice makes perfect

The girls were sitting like this in the bathtub tonight when I thought I just had to capture it. I didn't want to lose the moment, so I left the zoom lens in. I had to bump up the ISO higher than I would have liked, so I've learned my lesson. But look at those piggies!

The color's not off. The water is green.

And when everyone was done I broke out the speedlite for some practice. The pictures Lily wanted me to take for her "boyfriend" came out all over-exposed. Hopefully she'll get over it.

And another one bites the dust

Madeleine lost her second tooth on Monday, this time at daycare. She was apparently eating Beanie Weenies when it came out and was pretty distressed. Not so much because it hurt, but because she was worried about swallowing it. Her teachers gave her a certificate for "first tooth lost at school," and she felt much better about it.

I'd had plenty of warning. I've been watching how the new teeth coming in have been shifting her bottom teeth all around. This tooth had been loose a few weeks, but got considerably more loose after jumping around at Monkey Joes on Sunday.

Neighborhood parents will be happy to note that this time the tooth fairy left $1, and Lily was not too disappointed to find that the tooth fairy didn't bring her money this time as well. She's anxiously pulling at her bottom teeth and telling me they'll come out soon, but they're still in there pretty tight.

All-Stars

Unless you've been living under a rock in Raleigh this past week, you're aware that this weekend was the NHL All-Star game here in Raleigh. Promised by the NHL many moons ago, it finally happened, and we were lucky enough to participate in some of the activities. Eric and I wore our 2000 All-Star jerseys to both the skills competition Saturday and the game on Sunday, and got lots of comments. We even posed for pictures with a bunch of drunk Canadians.

Madeleine had been feeling under the weather, but I wanted them to get a chance to participate somewhat in the weekend since odds are it won't happen again in their lifetime. Sunday morning we went down to the convention center for the NHL Fan Fair. We didn't stay too long and only checked out a few things as it was getting warm in there, and they were getting bored.

As you can see below, the girls LOVE sticking their heads through picture-taking things.

And we stood in line for well over an hour to try some of the hockey drills. Lily actually gets one here.

But, the girls' most favorite part is always the mascots and characters. Here they are stalking Ronald McDonald on the way out.

Shoe Fetish

I took the girls shoe shopping on Saturday at Stride Rite. I usually wait for their Buy One, Get One half off sale. But this year they came up with a 25% off coupon. Since that's essentially the same thing, we headed out. I am not a shoe person, so it amuses me that the girls actually get excited about going shoe shopping and suggested it.

Madeleine's always had feet a half size bigger than Lily. When they were little, it was easy to just buy shoes in the larget size and pass them down. But now they're actually wearing them out and smooth on the bottom. So when we go shopping, everyone picks them. I'm lucky they only go up maybe a size per year.

We always go to Stride Rite and get measured. The guy who works at our local one is super-nice and good with the girls. He's been fitting them since they could walk and has been really good with suggesting styles and sizes. The second toe on both girls' feet sticks up a bit, so I want to make sure the shoes aren't pinching them.

Madeleine picked the pink pair above.
Madeleine was IN LOVE with this purple pair. She was so disappointed when they didn't have her size. I did manage to find it online and order it when we got home though.

And I got them both these blue ones. Lily also got a non-glitter pink pair, but they've both enjoyed the compliments they've gotten on their new glitter shoes.

Winterfest

Outdoor ice skating is something I'd been wanting to try for years and hadn't gotten around to it. For some reason, I always assumed it would be crazy-crowded. This year the rink in downtown Raleigh is open past New Year's for the NHL All Star game next weekend, so I thought this would be a good opportunity since it has been so cold lately.

Now I know why it's never really crowded. Outdoor ice in Raleigh really sucks. Granted the outdoor ice I skated on growing up was only frozen puddles in the backyard, this was still pretty tough to skate on. Lots of ruts, and they couldn't even flood it because of a frozen hose. No worries though. Only about 5% of the actually rink attendees could actually skate.

But the girls had a great time, and we managed to stay about an hour. Madeleine was most interested in skating by herself.

Lily wanted me to hold her and see how fast she could go. She fell a lot more this time than last year, so she complained of a sore bottom because she "doesn't have enough tushie."

Madeleine passing a boy on the boards.

Lily and Daddy.

What a way to end the trip downtown - first trip to the Krispy Kreme at Peace and Person. Too many choices, but the best-tasting doughnuts in town.

(And Laura C - I did not intentionally copy your outing this week - it just worked out that way :))