St. Pat's with Friends

Earlier in the month, we got together with friends to have a do St. Pat's crafts.  Yes, we REALLY like St. Pat's.

St. Patrick's Day Dinner - 2011

Every year we have corned beef and cabbage with Gramma and Papa.  We dress up in all our St. Patrick's Day finery, drink green beer and green wine, have green rice krispie treats, green corn bread, and generally celebrate our Irish heritage.  After the Irish festivities, we did science experiments and made a volcano!

St. Patrick's Day Parade - 2011

St. Patrick's Day was during Brynn's spring break this year.  Since we had the day off, the girls and I decided to go to the St. Patrick's Day Parade in St. Paul.  Papa agreed to join us.  We thought it was going to be a short little parade.  We could not have been more wrong!  The parade was fabulous.  The parade started at noon.  We got there at 12:10 and could not find parking.  Papa dropped us off and the girls and I ran up to the start.  Papa texted at 12:30 saying that he would have to park too far away so would just wait for us.  I was talking to the people around us at the parade and they said that the parade would go on for a good hour and a half.  So I texted Papa back and told him to park and come to us.  He got there at about 12:45. 

I hadn't quite finished getting the girls ready so had a large ziplock bag with a brush and hair binders.  Brynn happened to bring a small purse.  It was lucky that we had these.  The girls received dozens of necklaces and both bags were OVERFLOWING with candy.  It was great.  We were going to go to an Irish pub for lunch but the lines were AROUND the block so we went to the Wild Onion in St. Paul.  All in all, we had a great time.

Brynn turned SIX!! Birthday party extraordinaire.

A birthday party for a six-year old girl.  Twenty girl invitees, one boy invitee.  What theme?  Reptiles of course!  Brynn wanted to have The Reptile Experience come to the party.  The brought a small snake, a medium snake, and an ENORMOUS snake.  They also brought two lizards - including a blue-tongued kissing lizard - and a tortoise.  With twenty little girls, there was A LOT of screaming.  In fact, the man in charge of The Reptile Experience remarked that it was the loudest party he had been to in a long time.

The girls were a little scared at first but gained confidence as they saw their friends being brave with the reptiles.

 

Belly Dancers Extraordinaire!

Brynn and Bria were fascinated with the belly dancers at the Renaissance Festival last September.  So Gramma and Papa got the girls belly dancing apparel for Christmas.  The girls like dressing up, playing belly dancing music on the computer, and dancing around the kitchen.

TCM FieldHouse Race at the UofMN

On February 5, the girls ran in a 0.5 mile race at the University of Minnesota FieldHouse that was sponsored by Twin Cities Marathon.  Brynn was a little bit sick so was happy to finish the race and relax.  Bria wanted to keep running and running.

February Mommy-Daughter Dates

Historically, Art has taken the girls to daddy-daughter dances in February (put on by various school districts).  This year he took each of the girls separately to a daddy-daughter dance and I took the other girl on a mommy-daughter date.

The first mommy-daughter date was on February 4 and was with Brynn.  She requested a fancy dinner and a visit to the Science Museum.  We went to Nicollet Island Inn, took a horse carriage ride, and then went to the Science Museum.  It was a very sweet night.

The following Friday, February 11, was my mommy-daughter date with Bria.  We also went to Nicollet Island Inn and took a horse carriage ride.  We then went to Build-a-Bear at Mall of America and made bears for both Bria and Brynn.

Ski bunnies!

The girls started taking ski lessons last year.  In January, they each took two more lessons.  They are starting to get the hang of it.  Bria is a little braver than Brynn.  Brynn, however, gets very jealous if Bria goes up on a bigger hill than her so insists that she should be able to do it too.  We didn't get a chance to ski in February because it was just excessively cold.  Hopefully we can fit in one more time this year!

Rice Lake Sock Hop

Brynn's school, Rice Lake, had mentioned in its newsletter that there would be a Sock Hop at the end of January.  I didn't think much of it and was not intending to go.  One night when I was tucking Brynn into bed, she said that there was a sock thing in the gym and it was really important that she go.  After she indicated an interest, I of course agreed to take her.  Gramma, Papa, Brynn, Bria and I all went.  I dressed the girls in what I thought was sock hop appropriate apparel. 

I was SHOCKED when I got there at just what a big deal the sock hop is.  Apparently it is THE premiere event at Rice Lake Elementary school  75% of the girls had full on poodle skirt outfits.  Clearly I know what I need to be purchasing next Halloween!  We had a great time and the girls danced the night away.