Sleep over survival

Well, Ms. Bailee had a friend spend the night on Sunday since there was no school on Monday. I know as a mother of 2 girls, the sleep over thing is inevitable so when Bailee asked if she could have a friend over, I said yes. It turned out to be really good. Here are the highlights:
1. MC showed up and we had a good visit with her parents. She brought 2 bags of webkinz, a sleeping bag, a pillow, a bag of traditional sleep over stuff, an alarm clock, a robe, a flashlight, and her allergy medicine!
2. All 3 girls played outside at the play set and I remembered the bug spray.
3. The girls came in and played in the front room. They had important discussions that included favorite colors and Junie B Jones books. This segued into MC singing while B played piano.
4. Dinner was hotdogs. MC ate the chips... that's it and my girls wolfed down their food while they watched Tinkerbell on the Disney Channel. We had ice cream at 8:30 or so.
5. We got out every blanket we own at about 10:30ish and laid them on the floor for the big girls to sleep. They giggled out there until about 11:30 and then went and slept in B's bed.
6. UP at 6:30 to watch TV. My girls wolfed down eggs and sausage while MC ate... nothing. We managed to lose and find MC's allergy meds and they somehow managed to tear the curtain rod from the window in the process.
7. They had a great time playing until lunch and at lunch I convinced MC that she needed to eat a whole hot dog! Her dad came and took them to see NIght at the Musuem which B told me was really good... but probably Leah would be scared.

It was a really great day and we managed to survive just fine. Bailee had a blast and she had NO trouble falling asleep last night!

Hope you are well,
K

A Nice Weekend

I love the little window of free time amongst the walls of busy schedules that this weekend brought. We had a rare relaxing weekend for the month of May and it was really nice.

Friday I took the girls to the Maifest parade. We managed to find a nice bit of shade and watched Daddy's band and the other floats and stuff in our local 119 yearish old celebration. After that, we grabbed Sonic and headed towards Houston. (No school on Friday in Brenham for Maifest!) Last year we started a nice tradition of getting out of town and doing something fun. Last year was the Zoo and this year we decided to try the bug and butterfly exhibits at the Houston Musuem of Natrual Science. It's really nice because we get there in the afternoon when the school groups have headed back and there are no crowds! The bug exhibits were all eye level to the kids. They saw all kinds of creepy bugs and crawly creatures. There's even this place where you can stick your head in this plastic tunnel and see the roaches right at eye level! We then headed into the "Rain Forest" and saw hundreds of butterflies! It was so much fun. They kind of dive bombed all around you and for a while we just sat on a bench and watched them. THe girls loved it. I suggest the trip. Eric then dropped me off to see my friend Jonni. She is in the hospital on bed rest about to give birth to twins. It was great to see her. We topped off the night with Free Birds and my parents watched the girls while we saw Star Trek on IMAX. A good movie and a great day!

Saturday, my sweet husband helped rebuild my parent's table and helped my dad get ready for a good ol' crawfish broil. We pretty much hung out and the girls had a great time playing with my neice and nephew. Saturday night we had the whole works: stuffed grilled jalapenos, crawfish, sausage, corn, potatoes!! It was good and both girls loved crawfish. Bailee even got to where she would peel her own. The 4 kids had a blast playing in the back yard and they ran hard! They were asleep in the car before we even left my parents' street.

Sunday was Mother's Day and it started with breakfast in bed. (eggs, hashbrowns, a muffin, and a diet coke!) Such a nice start! Bailee and I went to see Earth. It was a good movie, but I am glad we didnt' take Leah. The cheetah eating the gazelle thing probably would have done her in. The lions atacking the elephant would have sent her into hysterics! NO blood, but still.... Bailee and I had a big talk about the circle of life! THe scenes were gorgeous though and we had fun watching the animals... espicially the baby ducks learning to fly. Frozen pizza for dinner that night made easy clean up!

We also have had the same morning dove come nest in our plant for the past 3 years. ON Mothers Day we noticed that her babies had hatched... twins! Fun times. Pics coming someday... maybe... argh
HOpe you are well,
K

Updating

Well, things at the Rettig house are going right along. Our May calender has quickly filled up with concerts, recitals (dance and piano), field trips, school carnivals, and picnics. It seems like there is something every night, but not too stressful.

Eric is winding up the school year. Concerts, music camp, leadership and drum major try outs are all in his agenda. He is really happy with how things are going with the band. He has 2 more concerts for his honor band taping session and a former student just got his doctorate and is coming to play with the band. (Daniel Loudenbeck)

I am finished with Karussell for this year. (My k/1 music group) They were a lot of fun. Grace Lutheran is winding up too. My main job right now is driver and project manager! :)

Bailee has a lot of htings planned. She has 3 days of swimming and water safety at school next week. She has Piano Guild, Piano recital, 2nd grade awards program, a field trip and skating party, a trip to Horeshoe Junction (putt putt golf, laser tag, etc) , water day at school, and today is their Cinco de Mayo celebration!

Leah has 2 weeks of school, her school carnival, and her dance recital. She tried on her costume yesterday. She told me it is a beautiful rainbow tutu with a hair ribbon and her tap outfit has a shakey skirt and is like a hula girl.

Ok, that's it. Boring today, but... that's ok, right?

Hope you are well!
K

True...

So, the girls were in the bath tub and of course the imagination wheels were spinning! The girls were playing some sort of game where they lived "way back in the old times". The conversation went something like this:
(Please do your best to imagine my very dramatic Bailee and my very serious Leah)

Me: Ok girls, let's get your hair rinsed. Bailee, I'll do yours first.
Bailee: And pretend that it is the olden days and I don't even have a cup because they didn't have cups.

Leah: Didn't have a cup, Bai Bai??? Wow! That is very old... even Jesus had a cup!
Bailee: Oh yeah... true...
I just rinsed their hair.

ugh

I know I know... I said pics are coming soon, but I can't get my camera to work on my computer so I have to wait until Eric comes home with his computer to make it work, and I just can't seem to get my act together well enough to do that. So soon might not be soon but they will come.

I survived last week... a week that included 3 instrument drives, a community fitness walk, a piano ensemble concert, a rehearsal for the children's chorus orchestra, and a children's chorus concert on Sunday. It also included Mamas in Pajamas girl scout sleep over. Whew. This week is better... baby shower for a friend having twins and the band banquet. :)


Everything is really good. Bailee and I had a blast at the sleep over and Leah and Eric spent the night "wrestling" and watching Dora movies until "Very late" (10:30!!!)

So, what do you think about the new header that Shelby did for me?

Hope you are well,
Karla

What color was Oscar the Grouch in the first season of Sesame Street??

That was the question that Eric and I asked on a radio trivia contest the first week of Spring Break. We stumped the panel and won 4 free all-access tickets to moody gardens in galveston! We also had enough Best Western Rewards Card for a free nights stay in Galveston. So... we decided to make use of our mini free vacation on Thursday night/Friday. We also went to Houston for the rest of Easter. Here are the higlights from the weekend.

1. Went to the hotel and bought sandwiches and sat on the steps on the seawall for dinner. (Leah was a bit freaked out by the waves at first!)
2. Free breakfast at the hotel with Texas Shaped Waffles! (A Bailee high light!)
3. Moody Gardens Aquarium with hardly any people in the place. We had a blast looking at the fish and seals and penguins. The girls are becoming quite the aquarium experts... Las Vegas, New Orleans, Galveston... This one was really cool.
4. The 4D movie about being in the sea. A 4D movie is a 3D movie where they add things like water spraying you in the face, air shooting out at you, things poking you in the back, etc. It was really cool. (NOt so much for Leah... probably should have warned her what was going to happen!)
5. Lunch at Shrimp and More with the Lewis family! (The only thing we paid for that whole day) It was so much fun to see them and Aleesa had the scoop on a great place to eat. It was awesome.
6. The movie ride, 3D movie, boat ride, and bone discovery room at Moody Gardens. (All fun and all free thinks to our tix)
7. Time with Gam, PawPaw, Jim, Jenny, Emily, and Elliot. Eric pulled Emily's front tooth! We ate lots of great food and Eric and Jim took the girls to see Hannah Montana movie so my mom and I could go piddle and shop a bit. The Easter Bunny came and hid eggs at the house and the girls had a really good day!

Overall it was a great weekend. WE really do have a wonderful family and are blessed! :)

Oh, and the answer to the trivia question is ORANGE!

Pics coming very soon! :) :)

Bailee

I know, I know... it's been way to long since I blogged. I had some computer issues and I got busy and all that... SO I am jumping back in and hoping to do better.

Yesterday, Bailee turned 8! She woke up and informed her father that she is halfway to driving. She had a skating party on Sunday. It seemed very "old school" to me. Guess because I used to be at the skating rink a lot at her age! It was a nice party. Bailee has some really neat friends. It makes me proud that she seems to be such a good judge of character and it also makes me proud that she is the kind of girl that such neat people want to hang out with. Is that strange? It's hard to believe that 8 years ago I was sitting at home wondering what you do with a little 5 pound ball that sleeps all of the time. Now she's a bundle of energy! Here are some of my favorite Bailee memories: (there are too many to list but if you want to add your favorite... I'd love it)

• Taking her home from the hospital and feeling like a real family
• Making cookies with her in a snugglie with Aleesa and then shaking all of the flour off of her head. (There are too many "Aunt Yes" memories to list... Aleesa, thanks for helping Bailee be who she is today. We are so blessed to have you. The distance may have changed how often you see us, but it has not changed the values that you continue to help instill in my little girl)
• Her first camping trip which involved a major poop blow out on a hike where she ended up wearing Eric's sleeve from his sweatshirt for the rest of the time. (Another Lewis memory!) She was 3 months old.
• Dirt...Bailee has never been afraid to get dirty and play hard.
• Her laugh... Bailee has a contagious laugh. Even when she was tiny, it was always a big belly giggle.
• Learning piano... I can remember when she would come home so excited because she could play "Up and down the slide" and knew where the lows and highs were. Now she is playing songs and learning theory!
• Camping memories with Bailee are too many to list. She loves it all... the biking around, the time with family, going to the land and wading in the river... all of it. I am so glad that she loves to go up to Colorado and just hang out with family and explore. She meets her days with passion, fun, and energy!
• Listening to my kindergarden baby read just a few years ago.
• Board games, Mancala, Uno... that kid can play games!
• Becoming a big sister to her "Curly" and embracing our new family member from the word go. It's not always perfect, but they love each other so much!
  

I could go on and on and on. Bailee and I can really bump heads sometimes... her stubborness is going to make her a great grown up someday. I just hope that the next 8 years will slow down just a little.