Hip-Hop-O-Potomas

Starstruck Showcase is a program that goes to some lucky elementary schools and promotes dance (and physical exercise in general).  TBE was happy to have them, and this was our cute kindergarten class's dance.  I was so thrilled seeing Hannah so confident up there.  The auditorium was packed, and part of me really expected her to come on stage, freeze, possibly burst into tears.  (She has that tendency when she's the center of attention.)  I think she must have felt safe with the rest of her classmates up there.  She was fist-pumping and hip-hopping like a pro!  So FUN!  (She's pretty much in the middle of the screen most of the time... blonde ponytail, second row)

http://vimeo.com/20267763

Bedtime cuties

I am very thankful that Hannah and Oliver LOVE to spend time together.  Don't get me wrong... there are times where they can't be in the same room without arguing, but those times are the exception, and not the norm.  One of the things they love to do, and get to do on weekends or holidays, is to have sleepovers in each others rooms.  This past President's Day weekend we set up Oliver's bed on Hannah's floor and he slept two nights in a row in Hannah's room.  The one night we got interrupted in the bedtime routine by our landlord coming to check up on a water leak we had, and so I told them to sit and read til I got back.

I got back and found this:


and overheard Hannah reading to Oliver:

Very cute.

02-02-02 to 02-02-11

Happy 9th Anniversary to us!  At the last minute, Glen decided to take the actual anniversary day off work.  It fell on a Wednesday, and my mom doesn't work on Wednesdays, so we thought it would be a good day for us to get out of town.  And then we thought about it and thought if we had the whole day, why not take off after Glen left work on Tuesday night.  We couldn't decide between Tahoe and San Francisco, but in the end the cold snowy mountains beckoned and off we went.

It was such a treat.  I found THE MOST AMAZING deal on a hotel in South Lake Tahoe right across from the Heavenly Gondola (and, more importantly, right across from the Starbucks).  We checked in, and then went to a fancy restaurant for our anniversary meal.  Kalani's.  Big treat.  Overpriced for the who's who in the skiing crowd, I suppose, but for our anniversary we decided to splurge. 

We slept in, and then made our first stop at Starbucks for breakfast before wandering around the little galleries and stores window-shopping ski gear and art!  It was that kind of day... lazy, unscheduled.  We ate when we felt hungry, and walked down to the water (FREEZING), and sat chatting to people from all over the world that were there to ski.  For a while on the Tuesday we'd considered skiing, and we'd brought all the gear for it, but decided to rather just relax and spend the time together.  Good choice!!

Ended the evening with appetizers and drinks at Fire and Ice before finally heading home. 

What a great getaway.  Thanks to my folks for watching the kids!!

Anniversaries

I like to make a big deal about anniversaries. Even as poor newlyweds Glen and I decided that we would try to get away for our anniversary each year.  And we've done a good job of that.  I think we might have skipped 2009 due to economic times, but I'm not sure.... I'll have to check back!

2003 - First - camping in the Pilansberg
2004 - Second - The Feathered Nest - a bed and breakfast in the Magaliesberg
2005 - Third - The Hill House Inn - Mendocino  (enormously pregnant)
2006 - Fourth - Kingvale Lodge - skiing
2007 - Fifth - Cypress Inn on Miramar Beach in Half Moon Bay    (enormously pregnant)
2008 - Sixth - rented a ski condo in Incline Village, North Tahoe
2009 - Seventh -??
2010 - Eighth - our impromptu business-not-pleasure trip to Calgary might have to classify... we were in different countries for our actual anniversary.  But it was SUCH a treat to be just the two of us after being in Canada out of our element for 2 months.
2011 - Ninth - Park Tahoe Inn in Heavenly

It's always fun to get away just us.   I love the undivided attention that I can give Glen.  I love the loooong chats about our dreams and where we've come and where we hope to go. 

I love Glen.