35 and holding...

35 snuck up on me this year!  I've never been one to care about my age.  I still feel like I am 20 years old.  My students often remind me of my age when I mention Vanilla Ice, roller skating parties or ET and they've never heard of any of them.  That's when I realize that I am not, in fact, 20 years old anymore.  I had a great birthday.  We did lots of celebrating and it was fun.  35 was a fun birthday and I look forward to a lifetime of more celebrations...

Family birthday party with 4 of my favorite people in the world!

Birthday date night with Daren at Paggi House did not disappoint.  AMAZING!  Thanks to Erin and Evan for such a wonderful gift.  :-)

We met the Gisslers post-dinner for some drinks.  We had a lot of fun with them!

Daren gave me a birthday party at Pinot's Palette.  It was a blast!  We painted and drank wine.  For someone as unartistic as I am, this was really a BLAST because I walked away with a decent painting. 

The painting crew ready to paint!

Our masterpieces!

A semester in Kindergarten

So far, Kindergarten has been an incredible experience for the Claire Bear.  I really can't believe she has completed an entire semester.  She has done very well both academically and behaviorally, earning greens almost every day for her behavior and 4s on her report card.  Her teacher is AMAZING!  She truly loves children and has each kid's best interest in mind.  We feel so blessed.  She sends a newsletter every Tuesday to the parents.  In it, she includes what she calls "outtakes," or pictures of our kiddos while they are in class.  I love that she does this.  It makes me feel included in Claire's classroom and in her learning.  Below are some of my favorite Kindergarten "outtakes" :

Taken in September: This is Claire and Katherine, one of her best gal pals, holding hands walking into school one morning. 

Halloween time: Claire's teacher sent us a picture of the class's green hands after a project they completed in art class.  Claire is on the right.

November: One of Claire's classmates speaks Italian at home.  Her mother came and read a book to them in Italian.  Claire is in awe. 

Claire making patterns during circle time

Claire and a friend learning to put numbers in order all the way to 100!!

Thanksgiving turkeys!!

The Kindergarten Winter Party - no parents allowed!  Claire's amazing Kindergarten teacher sent us all pictures of the event.  :-) 

Eddie Vedder

Over the last three months, Daren and I have probably had 3 dates total.  It's definitely something we need to work on, making time out of the house for one another.  With two young kids, it's hard to find the time.  We have realized lately, though, that the girls are at an age where they are both fine if we aren't home.  We are trying to become more accustomed to getting out of the house without them.  It's not that we don't want to.  It's not that we don't have a blast when we go out without them.  Guess what, we have a blast together without our kids.  Is that so wrong?  We both strongly believe that this is the key to a healthy marriage, making time for one another in situations that do not involve the children.  We look around us and definitely see couples who have lost their way.  They have lost what they loved in one another before they had children.  They are just co-parenting and there is not much romance left.  We are bound and determined not to allow that to happen to us.  So, below is a recent date night.  We went to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants and then headed to Eddie Vedder, one of our favorite singers (lead singer of Pearl Jam).  It was a blast and Eddie did not disappoint.  We went out, had a great time, came home and the girls had a blast too.  Life is good!

Date night to see Eddie Vedder

Birthday parties without sister

Last weekend, each of my sweet girls had a birthday party of her own to attend.  Personally, I really love it for them when this happens.  Don't get me wrong.  I love, for me and for them, when they both are invited to a birthday party.  But when each gets to be at an event alone,  I LOVE watching how each interacts at a party among all of her friends without sister around at all.  They are different when they aren't looking out for each other or being followed around by each other.

Harper's little friend had her birthday party at a local park.  A children's musician came to play songs.  Harper FLIPPED!  Little sunshine bear had so much fun!  I laughed for the entire two hours watching Harper at this party.  She had the BEST time.

When we first got to the park, Harper wanted to climb this contraption.  She stopped every step to do a ballet move or two.  Cracked me up!  You can see the joy in her little face.

Harper with the birthday girl

The musician was playing and the toddler mosh pit was getting warmed up.  Again, look at Harper.  Pure joy!

Serious faces during story time.  This picture cracked me up because they all went from bouncing around to spellbound in an instant.  The musician was really good, huh!?

 Mommy then spent the afternoon at a local entertainment park with Claire and some of her friends.  Claire was so excited and we experienced several firsts - first teacups, first go carts, first laser tag.  Claire Bear was petrified to go in laser tag without me.  I didn't want her to miss out and I know Claire well enough to know that if I got her in there, she would have a blast.  So, Mommy strapped on the laser tag gear and headed in the room with Claire.  In a few short minutes, she was off and having a blast.  Mommy snuck out and she didn't even notice.  Way to go, Claire.

Ready to go!  She was one of only two girls with about 10 boys.  This was a time where the gender difference definitely shined.  The boys kicked some rear in laser tag!

Ready to go for a drive!

F1, here she comes!  She put the pedal to the medal and took off! 

Time for teacups.  They begged me to turn the wheel so I climbed in and off we went.  I was dizzy for hours.

Post teacups - Dax and Claire taking a breather

Claire and her little friend Katherine on the roller coaster

Delta Delta Delta, Can I Help Ya, Help Ya, Help Ya?

The University of Texas Tri Delta chapter celebrated our 100th anniversary a few weekends ago.  There were many events that occurred all weekend long.  I attended the Friday night get together with pledge class 1995, 1996 and 1997.  We had so much fun catching up!

Stephanie, me, Emily and Kallie - three of my closest friends from college.  We met at Hotel San Jose for a drink or two before we went to the event.  We laughed so hard recollecting stories from our glory days. 

Pledge Class 1996 - we are missing many but it was a fun group!

The whole crew!

Kindergarten big girl growing up

Sweet Claire has started off Kindergarten with a bang!  She has earned the highest marks since the beginning of the year with little to no complaining from the teacher about her behavior.  We had a small incident that had something to do with "manning the light switches and scaring several children who are afraid of the dark," but otherwise we have been really proud of Claire and her accomplishments.  Her teacher raves about her leadership skills, her sweet nature and her curiosity to learn.  She is reading, adding, creating patterns, writing words by herself with no help from Mommy and Daddy by sounding them out, gaining independence, learning to use her all-important voice to stand up for herself, and defining her likes and dislikes (She does NOT like music class!).  She has a fantastic teacher who is the perfect combination of strict and loving.  We are really blessed.

I have gone to her school for lunch a couple of times. She is ecstatic to eat with me; she lights up when I show up. She wants me to talk to all of her friends. We sit at a special table reserved for kids when their parents show up for lunch dates.  There is no embarrassment of Mommy in any of our time together.  However as soon as it is time to line up on the wall and head back to class, Claire looks at me and sweetly says, "Mommy, I can do this part all by myself."  I wasn't sure I understood, so I said to her "You mean, you don't want me to walk you back to your class?"  She very assuredly then told me, "Mommy, I want to do this part by myself."  I'm not going to lie and say it didn't hurt my feelings just a bit.  But, I was so proud of my girl for using her words to let me know what she needed to both enjoy her Mommy and take care of herself.  Off she toodled to class...  Mommy wiped away a tear or two and walked back to my car feeling very proud of my big girl who is growing up so quickly.

Trick or Treat 2012

Halloween was a blast this year!  Harper was ecstatic to be Annie.  Claire picked Dorothy.  Even though both choices were totally unprompted by me, we had a movie theme going that would work well for coordinating the Nix family.  Claire wanted me to be the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz; Daddy agreed to be Daddy Warbucks from Annie.  Well, Mommy obliged and my outfit, while very cool and realistic, scared the heck out of all four of the littles in my life.  Claire was okay with it because she painted me green, but Harper would not get near me until all the green was off my face.  Chris and Charlie were weary, as well.  Guess that idea was a bust...  Daddy decided his costume wasn't cool and backed out on Halloween night.  Another bust.  Oh well, we had fun.

Harper and Miss Brittany - Harper would not wear Annie any time except to trick or treat on Halloween night.  For the Mommies out there who are familiar with Tinkerbell, Harper wanted to be Vidia at school.

Daddy picked the girls up from school and they did their annual pumpkin carving.

Annie, Dorothy, The Wicked Witch of the West, the Zombie Hunter and the Power Ranger

Mommy and my sweet girls

Dorothy & Toto ready to Trick or Treat!

Off they go!

Annie carried her Hello Kitty Easter basket.  Yes, it makes perfect sense if you know Harper!

Home from trick or treating and hoping to pass out a little candy.

Cousin love

There are two sayings about cousins that I love.  I'm not exactly sure of the correct wording, but it is something like "Your first best friends are your cousins,"  and the other that I love goes something like "a cousin sees the first tear, catches the second, and stops the third."  In the case of my nephews and my girls, they are glue.  They love each other so much.  I often witness really sweet, tender moments.  Some I catch on film; some I don't.  Most of all, I love knowing that they will grow up as best friends, and I love knowing that they are sincerely and truly best friends.  They love to be together.  They are patient with one another.  They help one another learn.  They play well together.  They fight well too.  But most of all, they really love each other a lot.

We know that the girls will also have the same love and friendship with Lilliann, and that is something I am so excited to watch.  I feel so blessed that my kids will grow up with two sweet boys to call their best friends, and one really sweet girl too.

Cousin fun at the Austin High School football game

I peeked in the backseat to find Claire and Charlie holding hands.

Cousin slumber party at Grandma and Pops' house.

Loving Lilliann - even Daisy feels the love!

Fall is here!

I love the fall!  I love the energy, the weather, the activities.  I love Halloween!  I love Thanksgiving.  I love UT football (despite a not so great season this year).  I love soccer.  I love school starting up again.  It makes me happy.  Here are some fall moments that I love...

The boys came over at the beginning of October to help me make my house decorations scarier.  They said they were not scary enough!  So after much help and direction, my zombie nephews turned my house a wee bit scarier. 

We went to the Hill Halloween carnival.  Pops and Claire got their hair dyed.

Claire enjoying the bouncy slide at the carnival.

In line for the petting zoo

Harper fell in love with this sweet bunny.  I was not too sure we were going to be able to peel the bunny out of her hands.

Claire with one of her new Hill besties, Katherine, at the Hill carnival

Claire in her Dorothy costume on the day it FINALLY arrived in the mail.

Claire and Harper in the pumpkins.  Claire wore her Halloween costume.  Harper wore a very old Strawberry Shortcake costume, because she insisted that "Annie is only for Halloween."  Now we are really confused, because she is now insisting that Tinkerbell is for Halloween.  Uh oh...

My sweet pumpkin and my silly scarecrow

Pops turned 65!

Pops turned 65!  We had a big family celebration at the house.  The kids made him a special plate, a photo collage, they drew him pictures, and more.  His favorite were the questionnaires that Christi wrote for each kid to complete.  We asked them questions "all about Pops" and the answers were priceless.  I wish I had taken a picture of them to post here.  I will have to do that the next time I am at my parents' house.  He laughed and cried reading them.  It was priceless.  Pops is a gift to all of us.  Although Pops faces enormous amounts of pain and suffering daily, he never lets his grandkids or his family suffer because of it.  He continues to exercise, to play with the kids, to show up at every event we all have, to be present in all of our lives.  He is a source of strength and a constant inspiration.  As we turn the chapter of Pops' 65th year of life, we all praise God for him.  Thank you, God, for Pops' resilience, unconditional love for his family, and for his zest for life.  We are all forever grateful.

One of several hundred attempts...this is the best one!  Not bad, huh?!  The kids were such good sports, and yes, I bribed them with Star Wars light sabers and candy.

Pops and the Claire Bear

D, Pops and I

Blowing out the candles

Best pic of Pops with the grandkids.  After the family shots, they weren't too excited about more pictures.