Music Lovers

Our family LOVES music!  We love to dance, sing, be silly and just listen to music.  Usually during family dinners (which have been very very seldom lately due to our very hectic, crazy schedule), we have the TV off and the music on. 

The other day, Rowe found Delaney or Katie's old headphones and we hooked them up to my iPod Shuffle.  How cute is this???

 

And, if there is ever music on, keep your eyes on Charlie, who is just the cutest tiny dancer ever!  I think he'll be joining us in Just Dance Wii dancing in no time!

 

More Snow Fun...Sledding!

Our first snow fall came on a Thursday and it was all gone by Tuesday.  Then, we had another big snow fall a few days later on Friday and again, it was gone within days.  This winter is crazy and unusual.  We have had thunderstorms and rain, and temps in the 50's--which is truly unheard of in the Chicagoland area.  I'm the type who loves the snow and cold.  I would take -10* and 10" of snow any day over 105* and 100% humidity.  However, we're fortunate enough to get all the weather--hot/cold, wet/dry, snow/rain, sun/clouds, etc.  I love the diversity in the seasons.

Anyway...with the last snow we took advantage and went out to play.  Sadly, we only lasted about an hour, but we did have fun!


Isn't this view and all this white just beautiful!?!?!

 It's not always easy to walk in though--especially if your clothes don't allow your knees to bend

 Our very small, but workable hill behind the house

 Delaney was great about sharing the sled with Rowe (I just love this picture)

 Kate wiped out a couple times and just laughed

 What a good big sister...pushing Rowe down the hill

 Rowe attempted to make snowballs and threw them at Julia (our neighbor), who, as always, was a great sport!

 Our AWESOME neighbors, the Ruch Family

 Kate was mad about the mittens she had to wear since she forgot her good snow gloves at school.  Darn mittens are the kind that snow just clings to.  Grr!

 Oh, look at that--Delaney's being a puppy.

 Kate was proud of her stick she found

 RoweBoat getting a little cold, I think.  I love this coat, hat, mittens, snowpants combo, and super sad it's the last year a Henderson will be wearing it.  I think Isabel will look super cute in it in two years!

Now our snowman that the girls made with Peter is a sad lonely large-sized snowball that has hint of yellow from Riggs letting the snowman know he is intruding on Riggs' territory.

SNOW!!!

Last Thursday we got our first snow fall of the year (of 2012) and technically, our first snow fall for the winter.  We've had flurries a couple times, but no real accumulation.  I love snow.  I love winter.  I love the cold and the beauty of everything drapped in white. 

Thursday was bad for driving.  It too me over 90 minutes to get to work, when it usually takes only 45 minutes.  Bad for driving=Fun for play.  I think we got about 6"+.  Sadly, it's just about gone now, thanks to a bit warmer weather and some rain...but the big plowed piles still exist.

On Monday, when we still had some snow, and it was a bit wetter, Peter took the kids out for some fun.  Wet snow makes GREAT packing snow, which means fun for making snowmen or having snowball fights.  Rowe refused to stand by the snowman for a picture, as she kept wanting to pack more snow on.  They had a lot of fun while I drove to work and Charlie napped.

Rowe is in Ballet

Grammie and Poppy gave the girls ballet classes/lessons and their recital this year for Christmas.  The session began today and all three girls have dance on Tuesdays.  I will pretty much live at DanceQuest for the next six months on Tuesdays.  I'm hoping to get a lot of reading and paperwork done there.  Right now it's great because Peter usually has Tuesdays off, so I can just take the girl in class and not all four kids for 4 hours.

So, today was Rowena's very first ballet class ever.  It was also her first time without me in a class.  She's actually only taken one class, which was gymnastics and that was with me, but that was also a year ago.  It's been almost a year since she's been in a class, let alone without a parent.  I thought she would be fine, not caring that I didn't go in.  And, she was.  She was very excited!

However, Delaney watched through the door for the first 25 minutes or so, and when she stopped watching, Rowe fell apart.  She started crying for me.  I tried to just let it go, as I didn't want to interrupt Miss Emily's class and don't want to give Rowe the idea that she can leave class.  After about 5 minutes, Miss Emily opened the door and I went over and Rowe was quickly calmed just knowing we hadn't left her.  I felt terrible for not going over earlier to reassure her we were there.  I know she can handle class and handle it without me in there.  After that, I watched the remainder of her class.  She did great following directions and listening to Miss Emily.

Dancing and Watching Miss Emily

Ribbon Time!

She looks so proud!

Time to go. Taking off her tap shoes

This was my fave part...watching her put her shoes away all by herself.  So super cute!

Getting stamps from Miss Emily

I think her favorite part was getting stamps. Delaney and Katie always loved that part too, as well as the ribbon dancing. 

I have to admit I LOVE watching the Itty Bitties on stage for the recital.  They are so tiny and cute and look out in awe into the blackness that is the theater.  I'm also amazing at how well they remember all their moves.  I am so excited for June to have all three girls on stage!  Hopefully soon I will blog with their costumes and song selection.

Happy First Birthday, December 2010 Babies!

When I found out I was pregnant with Charlie, I joined an online community.  Within this community, there are so many different boards in which to join: cloth diapering, moms of boys, moms of girls, moms of multiples, breast is best, bottle for baby, etc.  I joined a few of the boards--cloth diaper and one of those also expecting a baby in December 2010.  I connected with some amazing people, some near (Chicagoland) and some far--my two closest--Connie is in Ohio and Priscilla is in North Carolina.  It was a great community to discuss what was going on with you, ask questions, and get support.  Sadly there was a lot of bullying that went on too, which saddens me because we are all adults.  Anyway...through this website I found some pretty good friends (Connie and Priscilla especially).  After Charlie was born, I didn't go on the website as much, and thankfully, the moms that live in the area started a Facebook group.  We ask questions, get support, and just chit-chat.  As of right now, there are 25 women in the group.  Many only have the one child, some more.  We've had a couple get-togethers--the zoo, a Mom's Night Out, etc.  Sadly, due to our crazy schedules, I hadn't attended anything. 

We decided to celebrate the babies first birthday together.  On January 14th, several of the moms brought their babies together to have a HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAYS PARTY.  It was a lot of fun.  Everyone brought a dish to pass, so there was a ton of great food.  The moms are awesome, and again, I have lucked out in the friends I have made.  (Of course, I guess if I didn't like them, I wouldn't consider them friends, right?  Good point).

So, here are pictures of the party

Charlie testing out the grounds...

 Brooklyn and Noelle (I think there were only three December 2010 Female Babies at the party)

 I think Noelle wanted to take down Solo

 This guy's such a cutie!  Say "Hi", Jake!

 Julianna, Maria, Noelle, Stephanie, and Brooklyn

 Charlie and Carson...it was a showdown for the toy.  Actually, Carson didn't like Charlie having a paci.  Whenever Carson was near, he pulled that thing out!

 Ebony with Solo, Sarah with Brooklyn, Me with Charlie, Maria with Julianna, Stephanie with Noelle, Stephanie with Brycen, Amanda with Carson, Ashlie with Tyler, and Nicole with Jake

 I'm so in love with this cute little boy, Solo!  And, come to find out, his Great Aunt lives down the street from us!  I hear fun playdates to the park this spring!

 Ashlie's mom was there, and was a WONDERFUL help!  She would hold any and every baby so mom's could eat.  She also helped with cleaning, setting up, etc.  She looks so familar to me, and I just cannot place where I may know her!  There were also a couple dads there--

 The kids had a grab bag gift exchange.

 And, then, ingenious Ashlie put down a huge tarp for all the babies to sit and eat their BIRTHDAY CUPCAKES!  We all sang Happy Birthday to the Babies.  Here are Tyler and Carson

 CUPCAKE TIME, Kids!

 It took Charlie a while to get into his cupcake.  He had fun crumbling it and making a mess, and, then, finally eating it.

 

 

 What are you doing, Noelle???  This cutie-patootie kept stealing my cupcake's frosting.

 The gang again, but this time Heather and Andy were there.
Sarah and Brooklyn, Amanda and Carson, Stephanie and Noelle, Maria and Juliana, Ashlie and Tyler, Heather and Andy, Ebony and Solo, Me and Charlie, and Nicole and Jake.

It was WONDERFUL to finally meet all these ladies in person.  We're planning a Mom's Night Out for March in Chicago, so that should be a blast.  Next, I need to meet Connie and Priscilla!