Another week in the life

The girls started gymnastics a couple weeks ago, and they love it!  Evie was anxious when we started, but once she got to start doing all the activities, she was in heaven!  Maggie is working hard to figure out a cartwheel.  Spinning or hanging on the bar is definitely their favorite!

Scoot your booty!

Maggie's spider hang

Maggie took this picture of me helping Evie do the spider hang....
can't totally see it, but she's got some major joy on that face

Doing a reverse spin with teacher's help

Ball stretches

Jamie took the girls to the zoo really quick after school one day, and they got to see their buddies!

Pretend you love each other

I can't "bear" the cuteness

Gaggle of girls

Evie is doing awesome in school!  She has a few sad times here and there, but mornings are no longer the worst part of the day, and I love how happy she is when she comes bouncing in the door every afternoon! 

Arting with Dad after school

Jamie has been trying to get to the Star Wars costume exhibit at the DIA all summer, and we finally made it for the very last week!  It was pretty cool, and they had these little phone gadgets that talked about the various exhibits.  I think Jamie would have enjoyed a little more time to take it all in, but after a long day at school, the girls' patience was limited.  The pictures are pretty rough since every room had special lighting... but you get the idea.

About to enter

Droids!

Chewbacca was perhaps my favorite costume - I can't believe how tall
the actor was!

Evie, I am your father!

The cutest puppet ever 

Here's some other randoms:

Shopping for Halloween costumes

Playing after school

Turtle power

Maggie and Evie's jog-a-thon day!

My father-in-law... that hair....
but wow, I can see so much resemblance to Jamie in this photo!

When they get along

Boo!

Too cool for me

No big, just hanging with my bro

Evie's special gift for getting her smile-chart
filled out with 25 stickers!  I don't like to resort to bribery,
but in this case, it got her through the preschool woes!

Uptown Funk

Our weekend went from mundane to busy on Friday – Jamie got some free tickets to the U of M game on Saturday, and then won tickets for the Bruno Mars concert for Sunday!  It was a weekend of fun!

I like the idea of taking the girls to the Big House for a game each year… Evie is still not impressed.  Maggie had a good time, enjoyed watching the dance team more than anything else.  It was brutally hot, and we were all red-faced and sweaty within 5 minutes.  Between the girls overheating and my sore ankle and interior baby, we decided that leaving at half-time was probably for the best.  Afterward we went to one of my favorite places in Ann Arbor – the Original Cottage Inn (not to be confused with the quick-service pizza shop!).  So many memories walking around… I need to visit campus more often!

I like these colors on my family

Welcome to the Big House!

In between exhaustion meltdowns

Go Blue!

Buds forever

She really wanted a cheek photo to show off our tattoos

Wolverine Storm Trooper (possibly 5 seconds from passing out in that hot costume)

Sunday we went with Amy and her friend Jess to see Bruno Mars.  None of us are huge fans, but free tickets in a fancy suite?  Yes please!  It was my first visit to Little Caesars Arena, and now that I’m spoiled by being in a sweet suite, I think normal tickets will be a letdown!  Really nice stadium though, it was fun to check everything out!

Party time!

The lighting effects were the best part

Hangin with the Wings

Grandma watched baby V and the girls at our house during the show, and I was happy to visit with V for a little while – haven’t seen her since she was born!

Maggie couldn't wait to get her hands on Violet!

Evie has a bit to learn about compassion and
baby-holding in general

Sweet baby girl

Here's some others:

Thrilled to shop with a kid-sized cart

A decadent picnic prepared by the daughters

Surprising me with flowers

Happy Birthday Dad!

We celebrated my Dad’s 73^rd birthday this weekend!  Luke had a soccer game, so Pops’ was surrounded by all his little girls.  Grammer hid a bunch of tissue-wrapped presents for each kid to find, and they had a really fun time searching all over the place!  Poor Pops had no tissue-wrapped presents to find, but he was able to rise above.

For he's a jolly good fellow!

Ring pops were part of their bounty

The highlight of the evening was Grammer and Pops’ new recliners, which push up into a standing position.

Weee!

Amy, Rex and the kids just moved to their new house, and so Jamie went to paint a mural for Will’s new room.  He was pretty stoked!

Big helper

Not sure where his inspiration came from

Happy dino

Evie still continues to struggle at preschool, particularly during morning drop-off.  However, she comes home happy and no longer spends the evenings crying about school the next day – progress!  Poor Jamie does all the drop-off / pick-up of the girls, and I know his mornings have been really rough.  Hopefully Evie continues to get more comfortable with her school.  She did say that she likes preschool better than daycare, so that’s a plus!

Mornings are no fun

Happy after school

Here's some others for the week:

Checking out Ben Folds at Arts, Beats and Eats

I have successfully tricked my kids into eating Sunflower
Butter instead of peanut butter (no PB allowed).  They have
no idea, mwah ha ha!

Maggie asked for a picture with the flowers,
and then insisted, "you always have to pose!"

Daddy's little girl