Hello! I hope your summer went well. I have to admit that it went by pretty fast for us. The kids have been in school for a week now. We are one of the few remaining school districts that start school after Labor Day. The girls are now in 2nd grade and I think they’re happy to be back because of their friends and a reason to get dressed up. I’m not so certain they’re in love with the education part of school 🤣. The good news is that our town has a Primary School which is grades k-2, so the girls are at the top of the pecking order. They’re still quite shy and reserved but are slowly coming out of their shells.

Part of the reason summer flew by is because they did quite a few camps this year. Taya asked to do a pottery camp and I was able to get them in a 2 week art course at the beginning of summer. They did a lot of work with clay but Taya was peeved because she wanted to do the pottery wheel. I tried to explain to her that nowhere offered this for kids her age because the wheel can actually be dangerous but she did not care. The do make a child’s toy version of a pottery wheel and she will be getting that for Christmas.

The next camp the did was a Girl Scout Camp. It was not a sleep away camp but was all day and was more like an old school kind of camp, with arts and crafts, swimming, archery, kayaking etc. The girls loved it and asked if they could do sleep away camp next year. I’m not sure if they are ready for it yet. I don’t think I am.

Their brother, Tas, goes away for a week in the summer for camp and when he does, we do what I have secretly named Camp Kill Me. For that week we let the girls decide what we are doing every day. It’s their opportunity to run the show (to a degree). By the end of it I’m exhausted. We went to the public pool, Water Country which is a huge water park, Busch Gardens Amusement park, roller skating, the beach, and had a home spa day that included a fashion shoot.

The last camp of the summer is the one I was most unsure about. It was a musical theater camp where they put on a show of the Aristocats. The girls have always been pretty obsessed with cats and pretend to be them a lot. They love music and singing at home but they also have that super shy aspect. It could have gone either way but I thought it might help with the shyness and if they didn’t want to do the shows in front of an audience I wasn’t going to make them. Turns out I didn’t need to worry about any of that because they both loved it! They were part of the chorus and played alley cats. They were part of several song and dance routines. It was the cutest thing and I was surprised by how good the shows were with only one week of camp. It’s been a month since camp ended and I still get one or two songs daily and sometimes they’ll put on the whole show by themselves just for fun. They took to it so we’ll that I have signed them up for weekly classes at the performing arts center.

We did also visit Iowa for a couple of weeks in August. We had our roof and siding redone on our house and it was better if the kids and I were not around. It was abnormally cool during our visit so we didn’t do many of the usual summer activities. We did go to the Maquoketa Caves and really enjoyed it. I had never been even when I was a kid so it was pretty fun for me too. We tried to campout ina tent in the backyard but the girls lasted about 10 minutes. They are not fans of crickets or spiders and the idea of them being right outside the tent freaked them out. I’m gonna admit that I was more than happy with the decision to go back inside and sleep in a real bed. I’m too old to sleep on the ground. We’re going to have to stick with cabin rentals while camping and I’m ok with it.

So that was our summer in a nutshell. We’re still getting adjusted to being back at school and having a routine but I think this is going to be a big year of personal growth for the girls. Hope you all are well. I’ll post again in January. The very top photo is Taya in flowers and Emi in gold.

Hello! Happy spring, although it doesn’t really seem like spring here. We have been stuck in a storm for the past 4 days. when the winds blow a certain way, the tide can’t get out and the roads flood. This usually happens once or twice in the fall/winter but is really rare for the spring. Even though we live on the water, our road is higher than many in our town. Our road has gets covered for a few hours a day at high tide, but our yard stays fairly dry. Unfortunately, the busses aren’t running, so we have had virtual school the past 3 days. I suppose it’s better than nothing but I truly hate virtual school. The kids don’t love it either and we’re all going a little stir crazy being cooped up together.

School is going well and they’ve both been able to make friends outside of each other. Of course once they get home they completely ignore me until they’ve caught up. I think they are starting to enjoy having their own activities and spending some time apart. It has actually strengthened their bond.

We have been pretty busy though. Most of the Covid restrictions are over and activities are starting. Emi is playing spring soccer and Taya is playing girls lacrosse. When we add their brother’s schedule to the mix, we have 2 or 3 practices every night and everybody has games on Saturday. The girls are enjoying themselves and I’m proud of the progress they’ve made. Neither one of them is aggressive and I think the games can be a little overwhelming. They are also a bit like baby giraffes. All arms and legs that are difficult to control and coordinate. Biking is easier for them and they have gotten really good at it. A few weeks ago we did a 10 mile mountainbike trail and picnic and then they did a terrain park with obstacles that I couldn’t do.

Tim and I have also enjoyed spending time with them individually. We haven’t been able to do much of that until now. I even took them on individual trips to visit family in March. It was great because Tim took time off and one stayed home with him doing daddy daughter activities, while I took one on an adventure with me. They had their first airplane ride and were able to be spoiled by family with all the attention on them. I tried to do some of the things that are difficult to do with both of them or that they fight over. They each helped make dinner and dessert. They got to have a day they planned. Taya picked horseback riding and painting pottery. Emi picked shopping and getting a pedicure. They both also wanted to visit the castle at Eagle Point and have a photo shoot. It was amazing how different they are when alone. Sometimes they can be exhausting when they are together. It was really nice to be able to relax and just have fun without worrying about siblings. We are going to work on doing this a little more often.

I hope all is going well with you and you have a wonderful summer!

Here we are in September and I feel like summer has flown by. I’m not sure if it’s because Covid restrictions eased up and we were able to do more things or that the school year last year felt like a miserable marathon and time started flying when we started having fun. Hopefully, we wont go back to the restrictions we had last year because if I’d rather swim in shark infested water, than homeschool again. I’m pretty sure the kids feel the same way.

The girls were old enough this year for me to put them in summer camps and I let them pick what they wanted. Emi picked dance camp so they did that first. At the end of it they put on a little recital that was really cute but I think they enjoyed the costumes and face glitter more than the dancing. Emi really likes ballet shoes and wants to wear them as part of her regular wardrobe, because she thinks they are fancy. They are the next best thing to high heels in her mind. They both have become very fashion focused recently, particularly Emi, and she has strong ideas of what she likes. Unfortunately, many of her ideas are not quite age appropriate. she likes V necks, spaghetti straps, tube tops and crop tops. i told her she has to wait until she’s 20 to wear tube tops or show her belly button. I know that’s ridiculous but so is 6. She also would really like a bra – not happening. Taya likes those things too, but is more focused on hoop earrings, high heel shoes and fancy jackets. I have no idea where all this is coming from because I’m not walking around like some supermodel on the runway. My daily uniform is a tshirt and shorts, flip flops and a baseball hat.

Taya, Emi

Taya chose art camp, so that was next. They are both very creative and are constantly drawing with sidewalk chalk outside or markers inside. Oddly enough they don’t like coloring in coloring books. They prefer to draw and color their own stuff. The art camp even took pictures and displayed a couple of their projects on their website. They did different techniques each day, like paper-mache, layered painting, and clay molding. It was a big hit.

They also did skate camp. I just signed them up for it because we are at skateparks a lot with my son and I wanted them to learn the rules of dropping in and watching out for people. i also hoped it would give them a little confidence. I was very surprised that this became a hit. They liked it so much that they asked me to sign them up again. The camp did different activities and games and I think they preferred them to the actual scooter part of camp. I didn’t really notice an improvement in scooter skills but they are pretty ruthless in dodgeball.

Emi, Taya

They did swim lessons for 2 weeks this summer and are little fish. we went to the public pool quite a bit and they were able to pass the swim test and can now go off the diving board and be in the deep end without a life vest or parent. I’m thinking of signing them up for the little local swim team next summer. I’m not sure how much Emi will like it though because she’s so competitive. Tas races bmx and the girls love to ride the track, but Emi told me she doesn’t want to do a race because if she doesn’t win she’ll “get really mad and never ride my bike again, and I love to ride my bike”. I’m trying to teach her about trying and that practice and hard-work will help you achieve goals, but she’s not feeling that. 😂 She also told me that she is “not a fan of being sweaty” but that shouldn’t be a problem in the pool. Taya is more willing to try things and said she wants to try a race. She also said she wants me to sign her up for lacrosse in the spring.

Taya

Emi

We have season passes to the local amusement park and water park. We went several times this summer. The girls are tall enough to do all the rides at the water park and all but 3 of the roller coasters at Busch Gardens. The water park is their favorite and they love the big slides. The faster the better. They really like roller coasters too. Because they’re giants, they can do the adult coasters and I let them do the tamer ones. Taya is more of a thrill seeker and will do them back to back. Emi doesn’t like tunnels and has her limits. We took them there on the last day of summer vacation and let them get their faces painted. Of course they picked cats, and all day long they kept looking in my sunglasses to stare at themselves. They wanted to ride this big ship that swings back and forth really high. I really tried to talk them out of it. Partly because they had done it last year with Tim and were scared, but also because I hate this ride. It makes me sick. They insisted so we did it. 15 seconds after it started, Emi realized that she had made a mistake and was still scared. She started crying and then realized that her tears were ruining her cat makeup, which made her cry harder. I was trying to look straight ahead and concentrating on not vomiting all over, but she kept turning my head to look in my glasses at her face. It was the longest two minutes of my life. We finished the day by having ice cream for dinner.

School started this week. The girls were pretty excited but i think that had more to do with riding the bus and wearing new clothes. I’m pretty sure the excitement will fade when they’ve worn all the new clothes. They seem to enjoy it but won’t talk about it much. After the first day of school I was asking Emi questions and she said she was too tired to talk about it and didn’t know what I wanted her to say. Taya told me that I didn’t pack her the right lunch. That’s about all the feedback I’ve gotten. They are in separate classes, so when they get home they just want to play with each other and can’t be bothered with questions. I love the bond they have with each other, but I think this year is going to really help them grow as individuals.

I hope you are all doing well. I’ll update again in January.

Hello- I hope things are going well for you and that you’re enjoying a nice spring. The weather here has been wonderful and we’ve been spending a lot of time outdoors. Not much has happened since I last posted as February and March were just dreary and rainy. I find them to be the longest months of the year. April gets a little warmer and has some nice days but it drags on too. May is when the rain dies down and the days are consistently warm. I love flowers and have been doing a lot of yard work recently. We took the girls to a nursery a couple of weeks ago and purchased some planters to go over our deck railings. They each got to pick out flowers and design their own planter. They go out everyday and water them and are so excited to see their flowers blooming.

Easter was nice. We dyed eggs and the Easter Bunny hid them inside as well as hiding a bunch of plastic eggs outside. The girls got sunglasses, badminton sets and hula hoops in their baskets. Emi has the moves down and can keep it going for quite a while. I tried doing it and it’s much harder than I remember or maybe I just don’t have the waist for it anymore.

They also finally started going to school four days a week. They do some online assignments on Wednesdays but are in person Mon, Tues, Thurs and Friday. Thank God! It’s been about a month and I can already see a big difference in their reading and math skills. Both of them are excelling in school and are getting top grades. They’ve also done some growing socially and are coming out of their shells at school. They’ve made new friends and are having more play dates. They’ve also started being more social with kids outside of school and are making friends at the bmx track or the lacrosse fields when we go to watch their brother play. I’m really proud of them for that because they used to say they were too scared to meet new people. They are both still in gymnastics and are currently taking field hockey classes too. Right now we still have them separate but I’m hoping that they’ll mature enough to be able to be on the same schedule soon. Taya seems to really enjoy field hockey and has asked us to sign her up again. Emi had her last lesson today and said that she’s done for now. I’m not sure she loves sports. She doesn’t like getting sweaty. She’s also so competitive that she doesn’t like to do things or try new stuff because she won’t be the best. I’ve tried telling her that she has to practice and work to get better or be the best but right now she’s not interested in working hard. Hopefully she’ll outgrow it soon. Right now we have to take a lot of measures to make sure they don’t try new activities together because if Emi senses that Taya is doing better than her at something than she completely shuts down. We had to sign Taya up for field hockey in a different town because they only had one set of classes here and they both wanted to do it. The funny thing is that Emi is more stubborn than Taya and when she focuses on a goal she’s relentless.

They are both looking forward to summer and ask me everyday if it’s summer yet. Taya wants to go ride roller coasters at the amusement park so bad. It’s open and I’d love to take them but Tim injured his neck recently and can’t do that stuff for another month or so. I can’t take them both on a coaster by myself so she’s gonna have to wait a little longer. Emi wants it to be warm out because she’s decided she doesn’t like sleeves anymore and wants to have tank or spaghetti straps on her shirts and dresses. I’m not sure what her grudge is against sleeves but it pisses her off when we have an 80 degree day and then a week in the 60’s. I really hope we don’t get a cold snap because I can only imagine what her reaction would be if I told her she had to wear long sleeves again. 😂.

I know this update is short but now that school and sports have opened up and then Tim’s accident we’ve been busy but haven’t got much to report

Hello, here we are in September and not much has changed. It’s been a very slow summer here thanks to Covid -19. We’ve been enjoying the warm weather and have gone to the beach a lot. We spent 3 weeks in Iowa and have gone through so many boxes of sidewalk chalk that I could’ve made a mortgage payment. The girls have also become quite snobby about their chalk and prefer Crayola. Unfortunately they aren’t the only ones, and there have been times when it’s sold out everywhere, including Amazon. One day I went to 5 stores and was only able to find generic chalk – they were less than thrilled. I will say as the summer has progressed they’ve gotten quite good. They are currently into drawing people and monsters. They’ve always been drawn to creepy things and it’s starting to show up in their art. We also rented a water slide to celebrate their adoption anniversary (Family Day) and went to a water adventure park in West Virginia.

The biggest thing we did this summer for the girls is get them kittens. I have never been a cat person and neither has Tim. We already have two dogs and were happy with that. The girls have been obsessed with cats since they first saw them. They have spent many days pretending they were cats themselves. I’ve kinda tried to get them to like dogs more, but it wasn’t happening. So now we have cats. And of course they couldn’t share one- so Emi has Princess Purrl, and Taya has her brother, Disney. They picked them out and named them and love them more than anything but each other. My house has officially become a zoo.

Taya, Emi

We had planned on them starting soccer and field hockey in the spring but that got cancelled. They really wanted to do cheer this fall but that was cancelled as well. I was really excited for them this year because they are old enough to join more and maybe develop some interests apart from one another but while more things are opening, children’s activities are still on hold. Sometimes it really makes me mad because they are missing out on so much but then I realize that they are fine and don’t really notice that the world is in some weird limbo that is leaving kids out. I do think they’re a little bored though.

While they are very similar, they are also different. Taya is determined and wants to do everything by herself. She likes puzzles and swimming and loves Mexican food. She is brave and more eager to try new things. She loves roller coasters and asks me at least once a week if the nearby amusement park is still closed. Her favorite meal is beans and rice and she likes a little bit spicy. Emi also loves to swim and has callouses on her hands from doing the monkey bars on our playset. She is always looking for a laugh and frequently finds it. She is still really shy in new situations. She is a total carnivore and can eat a whole steak by herself. Her favorite meal is sloppy joes made with Manwich and Mac and cheese.

Taya, Emi

They both love clothes, and nails and accessories. They have strong opinions on what they wear (dresses- the fancier the better) and how they have their hair. They’ve also started doing poses and asking me to take pictures. They pretend to be models 🤣 I think they may have been influenced by their teenage cousins and all the selfies.

Emi, Taya

The most exciting thing going on is that the girls started kindergarten!!! We just started school this week and we still have strict social distance guidelines so the girls are in a hybrid system. That means they get to go to school 2 days a week and then have virtual school the other 3 days. They are in school on Tuesdays and Fridays. They have different teachers to help them become independent and they both seemed to really love it. Emi told me “ I had a good day, but it was hard because I don’t know why it had to take SO long” 🤣. The thing that sucks is they have to get their temperatures taken before they can get out of the car, they have to wear a mask, and eat lunch in their classrooms. It makes me sad to know all the stuff they’re missing, which is basically all the social stuff. Virtual days are ridiculous and torture. Having 24, 5&6 year olds on a group meeting while a teacher tries to keep them focused is impossible. Hopefully we will go back to full time, in person schooling soon. I’m not terribly worried about the learning that they’re missing because they’re both smart and know more than many because of preschool. My main concern for them is that they know who they are as individuals and are confident in themselves as Emi and as Taya, not as a unit Emi-Taya, which is how they sometimes refer to themselves. I love the bond they have but I don’t want them to be so codependent that it stunts their individual growth. They need to open their world up to other people and won’t do that as long as they are together. I know it will come but I hope it’s sooner rather than later.

So that’s all I’ve got for the summer. I hope yours was good and that everyone is healthy.

Hi!  I hope you’re well – so much has changed since my last entry.   I’m not sure how things are where you’re at, but we are still under stay at home orders here in Virginia. They closed down schools and went to online learning as soon as places started shutting down.  In the beginning they had a hard time with school closing so suddenly.  They missed their teachers and their friends but ultimately it really hasn’t bothered them because they have each other to play with and we’ve been trying to keep busy at home.  They know that a lot of places are closed because of the “germs” but that’s the extent of it.

When we’re at home we have a bit of a routine.  Tas has school, and while he does that the girls will either play or get on their computers and do ABC Mouse. They think it’s fun and it keeps them learning or at least remembering what they’ve already mastered.  They are both so smart and curious.  At this point there also probably more computer savvy than I am.  I bought a butterfly kit off of Amazon that comes with larvae in a cup that turn into caterpillars and then into butterflies.  They are fascinated by it. Right now our caterpillars are just starting to create their cocoons.  I really hope school opens on time in the fall because  I’m not sure that I’m a great teacher. I’m just trying to not let their brains turn to mush until I can pass them on to real educators.  Another activity that they really enjoy are jigsaw puzzles.  Taya in particular really likes to do them.  Emi will do one and then be done, but Taya likes to do more.  She mainly likes to do them by herself, but I’ve bought a few more challenging ones that are 100-150 pieces and she will ask for help on those.

After lunch if it’s nice out we head outside.  The girls ride their bikes and we take the dog for a walk around the neighborhood.  They are still on training wheels and don’t seem to be in a big hurry to ditch them.  I would live for them to get off training wheels because then we could go on trails, or other bike rides that we can’t do now.  We tried them on 2 wheels last week and I think Emi would have had it if she wasn’t distracted by Taya.  Emi has more determination.  They both still get frustrated easily but Emi will want to keep trying.  Taya just throws a tantrum and quits. I think next time we’re going to take Emi by herself and see how she does. If she figures it out then Taya will definitely want to do it too.  Almost everything is a competition with them.  Here’s a prime example:  Taya lost her first tooth yesterday.  We knew it had to happen soon as both of her adult bottom teeth grew in behind her baby teeth so she had 2 rows, like a shark. (The dentist said this was fairly normal). Emi doesn’t have any loose teeth nor does she have her adult teeth coming in.  She was devastated that Taya lost a tooth and she didn’t. We had tears on and off all day because of it.  Then the tooth fairy visited last night and we had a rough morning.   If Taya had been able to go to a store and spend her money, I’m not sure Emi would have been able to handle it.  So maybe this quarantine isn’t all bad.  🤣.  

Part of the reason they’re not terribly interested in riding bikes is because they love their scooters.  Tas is really into scooters and skateboards and that kind of thing so we’ve got enough ramps and grind rails to turn the road into a mini skatepark.  The girls are little dare devils on the scooters and are also very fast on them.  I actually just bought a scooter for myself so we can maybe do some more adventures together, like ride to the ice cream shop or down the boardwalk by the beach, but I’m going to have to do some practice so I can keep up before we go anywhere.

They’ve also been doing a lot of sidewalk chalk.  We’re kind of lucky because they relaxed our road last year so it’s nice and black and smooth.  We live on a cul de sac so don’t get much traffic and the girls will decorate the whole street. Our neighbors think it’s great and frequently bring them new chalk to keep up the artwork.

I realized that we all get a little crazy if we don’t go do something once or twice a week, so we have found new trails to walk and areas to explore.  We’ve gone fossil hunting in old sand dunes, walked the botanical gardens and visited every state park within 2 hours.  Last week we went strawberry picking and then cooked a new dessert every night.  So far that’s their favorite – shocker 🤣.

                                                                           Taya 

We’re looking forward to warmer weather so we can jump off the dock, take the boat out and spend some time on the beach!  Hopefully life will get back to normal soon and we will be back to sports and parties and amusement parks but for now we’re trying to make the most of the situation and stay sane.  Hope you’re doing the same.

 I also just want to acknowledge that today is Mother’s Day and I hope you’re able to celebrate.  I know that this day wouldn’t be as wonderful for me if it wasn’t for you.  Thank you.  Stay safe-

Lori

Happy New Year!  I hope the holidays were good for you.  We’ve had a busy few months here. School is going well for both girls.  Taya can already read 20 sight words and Emi has about 15. I’m not sure if I mentioned it before, but when they were under 3 the therapists were concerned that they may have some difficulty learning to read, and that school in general could be hard for them. I’m starting to believe that may not be the case. It was never a concern of intelligence, but of the way they learn.  Taya’s teacher is a retired kindergarten teacher of 26 years. She told me that Taya would be fine in kindergarten right now. Even though Emi has a different teacher I believe the same could be said for her. Another great thing that the school is doing is allowing me to do aftercare one day a week, alternating the girls. The change that this has brought about is amazing. Every Thursday one of the girls stays the afternoon at school playing with other children, while I get to have a play day with the other one. We go out to lunch and then do an activity.  Sometimes we stay home and bake cookies or do artwork but usually we go somewhere. I’ve been letting them pick the lunch spot but I’m going to start taking a little more control of that. Emi does not love trying new things and only wants to go to the local pizza place. I really don’t care for pizza and would be fine if I never ate it again. I think I need to nudge her a bit into trying new things.  Taya is more adventurous and will let me pick more often. Her favorite place is Red Robin. Their favorite activity is going to the spca because they have a small petting zoo and they love to look at the cats. They are also big fans of the aquarium and have taken a real liking to getting pedicures.  The best part of this for me is that I’m getting to know them as individuals.  Emi is sensitive and loves to crack jokes. Taya is inquisitive and is always asking me a million questions.  She’s currently interested in road signs and wants to know what each one means. Thursday is my favorite day of the week.  It’s theirs too, but they like the staying after school part the best and hanging out with me is considered the booby prize. 😂. Tim is starting to take Thursday afternoons off every now and then so he can spend some one on one time with them as well.  They’ve also opened up much more socially because of Thursdays.  They’re still pretty shy but are getting better about making friends and talking to non family members.

Emi                                                           Taya
The girls were spiders for Halloween.   Both of them are drawn to kind of creepy stuff.  (They love the snake exhibit at the zoo.) They  They are also super into dresses and girly things and couldn’t decide between spiders or princesses so I tried to combine the two.  I love that they like to be a little unique.  They got a ton of candy and have realized there’s more to life than suckers. Emi discovered a love for Kit Kat’s while Taya gravitated towards Twix.

Emi, me, Tas, Tim, Taya
Christmas was a lot of fun. They are both fully engaged in Santa and presents. So much so that when they would hear a commercial come on, they would run to the tv to see if it was a toy they wanted.  They were also aware of the naughty or nice list.  Emi told me one morning that she didn’t want to be on the nice list that day and then she proceeded to be naughty all day long. It was infuriating, but at least she’s honest and it’s pretty funny in retrospect.  The main thing they both wanted this year was Barbie and LOL dolls. It wasn’t just a Barbie doll, no they wanted ALL the Barbies. They got Barbie’s Dreamhouse last year and that thing looks more like the projects than a Dreamhouse. They play with it all the time but they are not gentle and they love to strip all the decorations off of it so now it looks like an abandoned building with vagrants living in it. This year they each got a suitcase full of Barbies and accessories, as well as her planes and cars. The toy room looks like a Barbie bomb exploded in it.  They love it.  We went to Iowa as usual for the holiday and it was a lot of family fun. Tim heads up a gingerbread house day for all the kids and we played lots of games.  My sister has a cat and they spent hours watching her.  She’s not very nice and bites everyone, but she lets the girls worship her and even pet her once in a while.  They were obsessed with her.  They got spoiled and doted on because their next closest cousins are 17 and everybody wants to play with them. It makes coming home a little difficult because I’m not serving ice cream for breakfast like your Aunt did and I definitely can’t braid as tight or as well as their cousin.  Welcome back to the world of pancakes and plain old pigtails. 😂

Taya top,   Emi bottom

We went to the water park again for their birthday. It’s a nice break after all the Christmas hoopla and they love it.  We also decided to let them pick out their own birthday presents this year. For Christmas they got the exact same thing because otherwise they fight. When they start fighting over a toy our rule is that no one gets it and I didn’t want that to happen with all their Christmas presents. So we let them pick out their birthday gift and that way it could be different and if a fight breaks out I know who’s toy it is.  So far they haven’t fought about it.  I can’t believe they’re already 5!  I’m not gonna lie, 4 is not my favorite age. My son was difficult at that age too.  Now that they are 5 there is so much more they can do. We start a parent child basketball class next week. Hopefully they’ll like that better than ball, which was awful.  They still do dance and I’m going to sign at least Taya up for soccer in the spring. I’m not sure if Emi wants to but Taya has asked about it.  I don’t care what they do, or if they’re any good at it, but I think extra curricular activities are important. Plus it burns off some of the crazy of the day.

Emi in the pink top and Taya in the yellow top

I hope your holidays were wonderful and that the new year brings good things for all of you who read this. Take care and I’ll post again in May.