Easter Bunny!!!

The girls enjoyed visiting the Easter Bunny today at Hartig Drug!

Friday with FRIENDS!!!

Today was a NO SCHOOL day for Kelly as it was conferences week!  Kelly has been bugging me for about two months to go to Jumpin Janes!!! (Ever since her sister had a friends birthday party there while she was in school).  I had a buy one get one free admission (and it WAS a school day in Dubuque - so it wouldn't be busy) so today seemed like a great day to go!

Kelly was able to bring her friend Cambrie....and Molly's best 3 year old friend, Alaina, (and her Mom) met us there.  Both my girls had one great friend to play with and it was 4.5 hours of FUN!!!

 Cambrie & Kelly

 Alaina & Molly

 Kelly & Cambrie RACING down the HUGE boat slide!

(They did this AT LEAST 50 times throughout the day!!!)

 Kelly and her SUPER FAST technique!

 Molly loves the slides too.....but not the super big boat one!

 Molly & Alaina enjoyed playing in the kitchen/littler kids room for awhile too!

Kelly & Cambrie played one game of air hockey  before we left.  They both LOVED it!!!

Alaina & Molly gave each other a hug (on their own) when it was time to go!  TOO CUTE!!!!

**What a fun day with friends!!!**

Spring Swim Lessons - Session 1

Today was the last day of the first session of spring swim lessons.  Both girls LOVED it and can't wait for the second session to start in TWO WEEKS!

Molly PASSED her splash group and is moving on to tadpole in a couple weeks.

Here is how the lessons go...

*Splash

*Tadpole

*Minnow

*Jellyfish

*Seal

*Shark

*Hurricane

Kelly just moved up to JELLYFISH this session and will stay in jellyfish for probably a couple more rounds.

They both HAD FUN....which is so fun to see!!!

 Molly with her teacher, Taylor Topping

(one of my WCHS swimmers) 

 Molly LOVED swimming on her own with a belt on

 Molly and Taylor playing a game together

Molly and Ethan kicking together....the entire length of the pool! 

 Molly & Ethan both passed SPLASH!!!

Kelly with her teacher, Emily Schroeder

(one of my WCHS swimmers)

Kelly kicking with a kick board

 Kelly LOVES backstroke....here she is streamlining on her back

 Kelly really worked on her freestyle....it definitely improved....but she still needs to work on her breathing and not losing her kick when she focuses on her arms.  She is doing AMAZING....and she isn't even 6 years old yet.

 Kelly's freestyle

 Kelly leading the two boys in her class swimming backstroke

 Kelly LOVES to dive....and mastered diving with a JUMP!!!!

Of course Kelly enjoyed FREE TIME....she loved jumping off the blocks!

**The girls are excited for ROUND 2 of lessons in a couple weeks!

I am SO PROUD of my TWO little fish!!!

Spring Conferences

We had Kelly's Spring Kindergarten Parent/Teacher Conferences tonight.  She is doing wonderful and learning SO MUCH! We are very proud of her!  She was quick to show us that she had something displayed in the spring art show!!!  She was SO EXCITED!!!!

 Kelly next to her CLAY necklace she made!  She is VERY proud of it!!!

A close up!

Picture in Dyersville Commercial

Kelly's picture was in the paper (online) in this weeks edition of the Dyersville Commercial.

I LOVE the determination on her face while she is running during the Lepreuchaun Leap!!!

Papa Michael's Birthday

We celebrated Papa Michael's birthday after the parade (his birthday is 3/14).  We even were able to GRILL OUT for dinner!  After the girls went to bed, the adults were able to play a game of cards too.  It was a nice afternoon/evening!

 The girls giving Papa the cards they made for him.

 Kelly wanted to read a book to Papa!

Sidenote...they are reading books by Mo Williams...and Kelly LOVES that she can read the entire book!

 The girls helped make the cake...Kelly really wanted a shamrock on it since we were celebrating his birthday on St.Patrick's Day!

 Papa Michael with his two grand-daughters

 The girls singing to Papa!

Blowing out the candles!

Happy Birthday Papa Michael!!!

St. Patrick's Day Parade

What a difference a year makes!!!  Last years parade was FREEZING AND VERY WINDY!  Molly didn't really even get out of the stroller!  The kids were in winter coats, hats, scarves, blankets around them, and had a hard time picking up candy with gloves on!

This year - 80 degrees and SUNNY and we even got a little red from the sun!  

The girls had a great time watching the parade and filling their green bags with goodies!

Kelly was all excited for the parade to start!!!

 Molly (in her normal self) was a little more hesitant with all the people around....

 ...so she snuggled with Papa Michael

 Logan & Shawn Burchard (Ryan's twin brother and Dad) were the Grand Marshalls of the parade!

(They were there for RYAN - as he is in his 3rd round of chemo at U of I hospitals right now) 

 The girls watching the parade!!!

 Watching the Beckman Band

 Kermit the Frog!!!

 The Girl Scouts 100th anniversary BIRTHDAY CAKE float!

(Kelly could have walked with the girl scouts in the parade, but choose to watch it with us instead)

The big birthday cake with a "100" on top!

Says "We Make the World a Better Place"

It was a fun afternoon....my favorite St. Patrick's Day Parade to date.....the weather was a BIG part of that!  I could get used to this early March weather!!!

Leprechaun Leap 2012

We started off our St. Patrick's Day Celebration with the girls running in the 31st annual Leprechaun Leap!  It was moved to a new location in Dyersville this year as it has grown SO  BIG over the years!  

This was Kelly's 3rd Leprechaun Leap Fun Run....and Molly's 1st!!!  They were both in the 3-6 age group.

 Before the race....the girls are ready to run!

 Kelly with one of her best friends Sophia - they have run this together for 3 years!

 Molly enjoying the swings before the race!

 Love her smile!!!  She recently learned how to pump her legs while swinging!!! :)

 Kelly is excited to race!  She is in between Sophia and Isaac (her younger brother and one of Molly's friends).  Molly was very hesitant and didn't want to be in the middle of the pack with the rest of the kids.....

 ...so she stood towards the outside and looked very scared!  When the race started...she didn't run!  I took a couple pictures of Kelly starting....and then I RAN with Molly to the finish line!

 GO KELLY!

 Kelly was very excited and did a GREAT job!

One of Kelly's friends Moms sent me this picture!  You can see Kelly, Maria, Isabel, and Sophia in the picture....and they are all Kindergartners together at Xavier.

It was a perfect day to start with a Leprechaun Leap FUN RUN!!!