home is where my family is

Footloose!

Gabriella and I celebrated Nana’s birthday with her with an evening out to Chanhassen Dinner Theater. What a great time! It was my first time there, as well as Gabriella’s. I really enjoyed the singing and dancing, but the best part was watching how much Gab was enjoying it. She was very excited right from the start…

and this was just when the server brought bread to the table.

Mmmmmmm….. yummy chocolate cake for dessert!

In the last number of the show, the actors came out into the audience, singing and dancing, and Gabriella was dancing in her chair right along with them. “Ariel”, the lead character, came right up to Gab and gave her a big high five, and I thought Gab would go through the roof with excitement. “Mom, she was my favorite one, and she came and danced by me!”

And then after the show, we got to have our picture taken with “Ren”.

It did get to be a late night, but Gab was still all fired up when we were leaving…. until the car came out of park.

What a fabulous evening. Happy Birthday, Mom! Thank you for sharing your evening with us. We look forward to doing it again next year!

Precious Words

Found a woodtick on Gabriella’s hairline. The next day she asked, “Mom, can you check my head for tic-tacs?”

Every time I ask Ben if he loves me, he answers “No. Daddy.” Finally one day, he said “Uh huh” with a big smile and gave me a kiss. Then the next day, back to “No. Daddy.” Oh well, someday.

Tucking Gabriella in for bed one night, she looks up at me and declares “Mom, I’m going to marry Jonah.” So I asked, “Why do you say that?” Her answer - “Well, he is my best boy friend mom.”

Benjamin has finally learned to say his own name. And he loves to tell you that he’s not ‘mall. “Me Ben Big”.

Found Gabriella sitting on the bathroom counter, staring into the mirror with her tongue sticking out. So I asked what she was doing. “Looking at my taste buds, mom.” Oh, well, of course.

The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow….

The sun will come out tomorrow... from home is where my family is on Vimeo.

Done with Training Wheels!

Last Monday, Memorial Day, was a big day at the Haddad house. Gab got rid of the training wheels for good!

No training wheels! from home is where my family is on Vimeo.

Every morning since, the second she wakes up she is wanting to get outside and go for a bike ride. She is doing just awesome – she even rode the mile to the park and back the other day, up and down hills with no problem. We are so proud of her!

Preschool Is Coming To An End

Wow – how did we get here already? Gabriella is ready for kindergarten, there’s no doubt. But I am not ready for her to be ready. She is my baby girl and I would like to keep her that way for just a little while longer. But I am excited to see what school will bring, I think she is going to just love all the new adventures – learning to read, tying her shoes, meeting new friends, all of it!

We got to join her class for a Parent Day last week. The kids sang songs and got to show us some of the projects they have been working on.

Preschool Parent Day from home is where my family is on Vimeo.

Gabriella made many wonderful friends in her two years at Mary Queen of Peace Preschool. And Mrs. Simonson was a wonderful first teacher for our baby girl - we will miss her!

A Little Family Fun

We enjoyed a beautiful sunny afternoon with Grandma, Aunt Christina and the cousins. Lots of time splashing in the pool, running through the sprinkler, watching the Twins game… the kiddos threw me in the pool, Kirk threw himself in the pool, and then he threw his sister in the pool. Good times!

mmmm watermelon!

the next American Idol

First little man…

… and then his momma!

Grandma

We Love the Zoo

Another beautiful day at the Minnesota Zoo – this time Daddy got to join us!

Our Little Artist

Her rubber ducks modeled for her

Twins Player

Go Twins!

We took the kids to a game at the new Target Field last week and it was great! It is a beautiful stadium, and we look forward to enjoying many more games there. We went with 2 of Gabriella’s best friends and they had a blast holding up their sign and cheering on the Twins. Benjamin’s favorite part was seeing T.C. Bear. At one point, we had an ESPN camera guy filming all our kids having fun. Wonder if they made it on tv?!

Spring Twin City Twisters Show

Gabriella had her gymnastics show last weekend. We enjoyed watching her on the bars, beams, and floor work. She has gotten really strong and has been moved up again to the next level. So proud of our little gymnast!

Meet Dora!

As in Dora Winifred Read, aka D.W., from the show Arthur. Not to be confused with the Spanish-speaking Dora. Gabriella wants to be sure that’s clear.

In honor of our first family pet, we made a goldfish painting project. The kiddos just love dot painters, so we used them to make our aquarium accessories, and then added a few goldfish.

Gabriella has taken quite well to her responsibilities as a pet owner. She feeds Dora regularly without my prodding, and she reminds me when we need to clean her bowl. We were a little worried at first that Dora might not like her new home. She did not eat for a whole week. But then we moved her into Gabriella’s room, turned the light off, and she chowed! She apparently likes her new surroundings better, and Gabriella loves having her friend in her room. As it turns out, it’s also a great bargaining chip for Mom & Dad! “If you don’t listen, Dora can go back in the kitchen….”

2nd Dance Competition – a Success!

The Jewels did a fabulous job once again – they really enjoy getting up there on the stage and showing the judges what they can do. Took 1st place again for both dances (being the only team in their age group again) – and this time they received a special “Too Cute” award from the judges. And they were definitely Too Cute! See for yourself!

Our New Swingset

Kirk never wanted a swingset. He didn’t want it taking up space in our yard, he said there’s no reason for it when we have a park so close… I had a really hard time talking him into getting the small one we had. Two swings and a tiny deck with a slide. So he really surprised me when a month ago he announced, “I think we should get a bigger swingset.” Really?! Well, then, let’s start shopping!

Kirk and I make decisions a little differently. He sees something he likes and says, “Let’s buy it.” Me – I have to look at all the different options, taking note of all the ones we like, make lists weighing out the pros and cons, and eventually make a decision that I probably question once or twice after it is all said and done.

Well, here you have it. Our new swingset. Decision made in about 3 days. We compromised on our decision-making ways, and we are very happy with the one we chose.

We went from this…

…to this!

And yes, my handy husband put it together - with the help of a handy father-in-law (thanks Papa Dit), two handy friends (thanks Troy and Brian), and a wife who reads directions meticulously.

The best part is the kids are having a blast!