Dannika the Ballerina

Dannika had her first dance class today.

She's taking ballet and tap.

Her school requires the girls to wear their hair in a bun for class.

I was worried all week about how I was going to get her thin, wispy hair into a bun.

But we managed to figure it out with a little TON of hairspray and mousse.

I don't think there is anything quite cuter than a bunch of 4 year olds in leotards, tights, and ballet shoes trying to figure out first and second position.

Can you find my princess?

(She's in the front row on the very end.)

After class, her teacher told me she couldn't believe how flexible she was.

Thank you gymnastics!

 Oh, and the fact that she was born with mild hip dysplasia as an infant MIGHT have had something to do with that.

Her pediatrician always told us that she'd make an excellent gymnast or a ballerina because she'd be so flexible.

Watching her put on her little ballet shoes and little tap shoes totally took me back to my childhood.

I dabbled in a little ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, hip hop and pointe for around 11 years of my life.

Jack of all trades, master of none...lol.

But I do remember how much fun I had doing dance, going to competitions, attending dance camps, and performing in recitals. 

I want Dannika to have those types of good memories when she's older.

I also want her to learn to concept of hard work, discipline, and never quitting even when it gets tough or "boring".

I want her to understand that life is a competition, and you don't get a trophy for participating (well nowadays everyone gets trophies for just showing up....another philosophy I HIGHLY disagree with). 

Someone is always better than you, and if you want to be up there with them, you have to work twice as hard.

I'm not one of those, "Oh, if you don't like it, you can quit whenever" type moms.

I know that goes against a lot of parent's philosophies these days.

Just a little personal story...

I took piano lessons from the time I was 6 until I was 17. 

After fighting and begging with my mom for over a year about wanting to quit piano, she let me quit my senior year of high school.

To this day, I regret that decision, and I refuse to let my daughter live with that sort of regret when she's older.

And of course, a quick little iPhone photo op before heading off to class!

Disney on Ice: Passport to Adventure

Last year for Valentine's Day, Nick got Dannika tickets to Disney on Ice at TD Garden in Boston.

It was a big hit for the whole family, so this year, she got Disney on Ice tickets again as a stocking stuffer.

This year it was at Agannis Arena on campus at Boston University.

If you've never been to a Disney on Ice production, they have several different themes.

Last year, we went the the "Rockin' Ever After" show, and the entire show was based on a select few Disney movies tied together to old school rock and roll type music.

This year, we went the "Passport to Adventure" show, and the show was based on taking a trip around the world based on different Disney movies.

I highly recommend this show if you have children over the age of 4.

Last year, Dannika was only 3, and while she had a great time, the show is fairly long, and by intermission, she was really fidgety and had lost a little bit of interest.

This year, she was completely engaged through the entire show.

Of course she insisted on wearing her princess dress to the show.

Since it was frigid outside, I convinced her to wear a long sleeved and tights underneath her dress.

Thank God that we purchased the overpriced 26 dollar light up wand LAST year, so we just took it with us this year.

Even though she had one, she even asked us to buy her another one.

Uh, no.

If you have young kids and you are going to this show, I HIGHLY recommend spending the extra bucks to get VIP seating.

I think the experience is way better for them to be up close and personal to the ice.

They can clearly see all the characters and what is going on.

Also, you don't have to worry about not being able to see over the person sitting in front of you.

Overpriced, tastless sno cones in a cheap plastic "stein"....check.

We also bought overpriced 12 dollar popcorn and 12 dollar cotton candy.

Hanging out before the show.

We got there super early, so we had some time to grab all our snacks and treats.

 I feel like now that we have gone two years in a row, it's officially a tradition.

It was a ton of fun, and if they come to your area, it's a must see!

Life Through My iPhone

Just randomness from my iPhone this week.

 I've never made snow cream before.

In fact, I've never even heard of it until I moved here to New England!

I made some for Dannika on Sunday when she was playing outside in the snow.

It was a big hit!

I had her bring me a bowl of fresh untouched snow, I added some almond milk, sugar, and vanilla extract.

It was like a milky snow cone.

Delicious!

You can find all kinds of recipes for snow cream on Google.

She insisted that she eat her snow cream outside in the snow so that it wouldn't melt. 

Smart girl.

Mattis loves his jumper.

I love it because I can put him in it, and it gives me roughly 15-20 minutes of time to myself.

The day after Nick left, he figured out how to turn himself around in circles in it to play with the different toys and buttons on it.

Go figure, he does this AFTER daddy leaves.

Isn't that how it always works?

This kid is like his father.

He falls asleep in the most random places in the most random positions.

Notice the foot resting on his Bumbo chair.

I'm scared that he's already starting to be mobile.

They were facing each other when I left the room to go to the bathroom.

I came back, and he had turned himself completely away from his sister.

(Yes, my daughter is wearing her Christmas jammies, Don't judge. They still fit and cost me 20 bucks! Girl will be wearing them until 4th of July if they still fit!)

This is my favorite jacket from Old Navy.

Dannika is officially starting dance this week.

She is taking ballet and tap.

I figured gymnastics and dance compliment each other well.

After gymnastics yesterday, we went to the Capezio store in Wellesley Hills to buy leotards, tights, ballet shoes, and tap shoes.

I seriously hope our son chooses to do activities that require little to no equipment, because this stuff gets expensive!

Oh, and in case you couldn't tell by everyone's dashboard photos posted on Instagram and Facebook, it's been cold across the country.

Post pregnancy weight loss update.

I have like 7lbs more to go, and I know the loose skin around my belly will tighten itself back up.

I know that part just takes time.

I'm pretty happy with how I'm looking after just 4 months after giving birth.

I was pretty decent over the holidays about not indulging TOO much.

I took a week off from working out because I was dying sick.

Other than that, I'm hoping to be back to my normal self and bikini ready by the Summer!

Oh, and I'm having massive hair loss.

This is one of my favorite photos taken of Nick and I by Erin Dietrich Photography.

I finally had it blown up on canvas after two years of telling myself I would.

Lastly,

Johnny Football is leaving the Aggies to go the NFL.

As sad as I am, I am thrilled for him.

He put Aggie football back on the map this season.

He gave me two years of the most exciting Aggie football seasons EVER! 

Good Luck, Johnny!

There ya have it.

My life through my iPhone.

If you made it all the way down here, congrats!

You survived a piece of my life on my blog!

Snow Play While Daddy's Away

Instead of feeling sorry for myself all day yesterday, I was determined to try and liven up the mood in my house.

The day that my husband leaves is always the worst day.

The house feels empty just knowing that he won't be back that evening.

After he left, Dannika went upstairs to lay in my bed to watch cartoons.

I got comfortable downstairs with the baby, turned on Netflix, and tried to pray in my head for this feeling to go away. 

I realize that when hubby is gone, my daughter watches way more TV than I would normally allow.

I just need the extra break!

I looked outside our back porch, and saw all the foot prints in the snow that Nick and Dannika made together the day prior while they were playing outside.

Dannika loves playing in the snow, and as much as Nick despises it, he knows how much it makes her happy. 

So he'll happily freeze and play with her outside in it while I watch out the window from the comfort of my heated home with my coffee in hand.

I usually stick my head out the door just to get some pictures, but that's about as far as I'll go out in it. 

After daydreaming about the day before about them playing outside, I decided to get Dannika suited up in her snowsuit, and I sent her outside to play.

No, I didn't go outside.

I don't own "snow clothes", and I still have a mildly sick 4 month old.

But, she was in heaven.

I kept poking my head outside to ask if she was ready to come inside (from the frigid cold temps), and she would wipe the snot off her face with her mitten and give me a stern, "no".

She ended up playing outside by herself for 2 hours before I made her come inside.

I coaxed her with a warm bubble bath, and she happily obliged to come in.

I did manage to poke my head out with my new DSLR to get some cute snow day photos for the memory books :-)

Mattis thought it was the COOLEST thing ever to watch his sister play outside through the window.

His mind was officially blown.

Oh, and watching her play outside and be so happy definitely livened up my mood.

I just think about how REALLY lonely I would be if I didn't have kids to keep me company and drive me insane.

And a child's laughter is by far the best cure for any blues.

And Then There Were Three

Nick leaves today for some training/schooling for 2 months.

It's my first time being alone with both kids, and it terrifies me.

He's not gone for THAT long, but it's long enough for me to hate it.

Being alone with Dannika when he deployed or left for training didn't bother me (as much) because for the majority of the day, I dropped her off at daycare and went to work.

Having to take over parental responsibilities and duties 24/7 alone scares me.

The fact that I don't get a "break" while he's gone this time is scary.

There is no daycare that I can drop my kids off at.

There is no adult job that I go to everyday to regain some of my sanity. 

I'm really a stay at home mom now, and that reality is scary.

Look, I realize there are women in far worse situations than I'm in right now.

I have friends I know personally who have done these separations in the military with 3, 4, and 5 kids.

I have friends who have husbands who are deployed and in combat.

I realize this.

I miss my network of military spouses.

I feel like this complaining and whining I am doing would be well received with a wine night in our PJ's and free babysitting. 

Complete with a night of complaining and whining about how much this life can suck sometimes with no judgment passed.

I don't have that here.

The other day, one of my friends asked me why I couldn't just go with Nick.

She oftentimes went with her husband when he went on extended business trips, and she didn't get why I couldn't just go with him.

I didn't even bother explaining the long explanation of how the military works.

I wasn't in the mood to answer all the "whys" and "how comes".

I just told her it was because Dannika is in school.

So, here I go on an adventure.

That's what I'll call it...an adventure.

My daughter will probably watch A LOT more TV than usual, and I hope the snow stays put for a while. 

And of course, some pics of my crazy (but beautiful) life.

We finally got little man to the ER two nights ago.

He tested negative for pneumonia, and he still just had a bad case of RSV.

And he was all smiles yesterday!

We had ridiculously freezing temperatures yesterday, but after being couped up in the house for a week being sick, we ALL needed to get out.

Since the kids' fevers were under control, I bundled them up, and took them out and about with the hubby while he ran errands.