Kindergarten Open House

I don't know how the past five years flew by in the blink of an eye...but it did!

I feel like it's the last "in your face" moment pushing me to believe the unbelievable, that my baby is no longer a baby.

She's off to Kindergarten!

Tonight we had her Kindergarten Open House. 

We got to meet her teacher Mrs. Kuipers (rhymes with diapers)

See her class room

Find her cubby, drawer and desk

Drop off school supplies

And try out the playground

(I think the seesaw was her favorite part)

Victoria will start school next Thursday and it's hard to stay sad about the fact my baby is growing up to WAY fast and time to get on her excitement train.  She's been so excited about Kindergarten since her Kindergarten screening a year ago.  When she turned 5, she was ready to go! She didn't understand why she had to wait for the school year to start - she was 5 and 5 year olds go to Kindergarten.  She's more than ready. She's going to do fantastic and I am so excited for her.  Now let's see if I can hold it together next week as I count down the days to having a baby in Kindergarten...

First 5K

I finally did it! My first 5K.

I've been trying to get myself into a regular running routine for what seems like FOREVER!

And well, I've finally done it and it feels great.

I've been running 5-7 days a week since June and while you can't see any change, I feel different.

Healthier and stronger!

I convinced my Mom and my good friend Julia to do the Tiger Track 5k with me at the Minnesota Zoo.

Both, were already strong runners. 

We had a blast running it together and even stuck together the whole race.

I ended up finishing 299 out of 786.

Final time: 30:10

Pace: 9:43

I'm really happy with my time, especially as a new runner and first time 5k runner.

I'm already addiced and looking for our next race :)

My Mom and I with the girls at the finish line

My running buddies :)

Victoria Ann Marie Wirtz

5 years ago today my life was forever changed. 

I was introduced to a love that I had never known... the love a mother has for her child. 

I am so lucky to call Victoria my daughter.  

She has the kindest and most gentle soul of anyone I have ever known.  

She has compassion for everyone and is so sensitive to other people’s feelings and thoughts.  She truly is the smartest, most amazing little girl.  

A few tid bits about my sweet girl:

• She turns 5 today
• She likes to start her mornings out with cartoons, cuddles and strawberry/chocolate milk
• She prefers to dress in skirts and/or dresses and hates jeans
• She helps her sister ALL THE TIME and has quickly earned the Best Big Sister award
• She likes to play dress up, wear high heels, jewelry and make up
• She’s new to dance this year and is very quickly catching on
• She can count to 100 by 5’s
• She can tell time on a clock with hands
• She can write
• She’s silly
• She mastered her bike last summer and is getting even better this year
• She’s extremely imaginative
• She’s a social butterfly like her Daddy
• She loves Barbie movies and princesses
• She’s smart
• She likes to hop around on one foot
• Her best friends at school and dance are Zara, Clara, Addison, Piper and Braelyn
• She has friended our kitties and gives them lots of attention
• She’s super excited about wearing flip flops this summer
• She still sucks her fingers
• She likes to speak Spanisha
• She’s very anxious to start Kindergarten
• She loves to snuggle
• She is well behaved and a great listener
• She likes to sing songs and often makes them up
• She wants to learn guitar and piano and that makes her Momma extremely happy
• She’s very inquisitive and asks lots of questions about how things work and why they are the way they are
• She’s compassionate

She.is.simply.amazing.

My Grandpa passed away a little over a year ago, on February 1st, 2012.  His passing came as a huge surprise and it has been hard to comprehend.  He spent winters in Phoenix, and would normally be coming home during this time of year to spend his summer back in Minnesota.  I miss having him here and meeting him for lunch and having him over for dinner.

Last night, with the help from my Grandma, I started phase 1 of making his shirts into a quilt.  This included taking the shirts I had gathered from his closet and cutting at the seams to makes scraps of fabric.  The hardest part of it all was finding shirts still lingering with his smell, wrinkles from the last time he wore it and 

cuffed sleeves as he always wore them.  

We miss you everyday Grandpa. You were taken way too soon!

Marlee's Birthday Interview

 

What is your name? Mar Mar

How old are you? 3

What is your favorite color? purple and blue

What is your favorite animal? tiger and lion

What is your favorite movie? Princess and the Popstar (Barbie movies are a favorite at our house)

What is your favorite cartoon? Mickey Mouse and Jake (Jake and the Neverland Pirates)

What is your favorite book? Cat in the Hat (they are doing Dr. Seuss theme week at preschool - coincidence???)

What is your favorite toy? my doctor stuff (they have a toy doctors kit they like to play with constantly)

Where is your favorite place to go? The Zoo (glad we went there on her birthday then!!)

What is your favorite thing to do? play horsey (I have NO IDEA what that is)

Who is your best friend? Maddie and Aayla (2 girls from her class)

How old is Mom? 3

How old is Dad? 3

How old is Victoria? 4 So Victoria, is older then Mommy and Daddy? (giggles) Yep!

What makes you happy? sad

What makes you sad? happy (she was giggling...I think she was on to opposites here)

What is something Mom always says to you? Be careful

What is something Dad always says to you? Be careful

What is your favorite joke? Knock Knock

What are you good at? Decorating Easter Eggs (she says this after seeing our decorated Easter Eggs :))

Where does Mom work? Work

What does Dad do for work? Cooking Dinner

What do you and Mom do together? Play

What do you and Dad do together? Horsey (he must know this game - not me)

What is your favorite thing we do as a family? Watch movies

Where do you want to do when you grow up? Paint my fingernails Where do you want to work? In my playroom

Who do you like to play with? Maddie and Aayla

What's your favorite song? Princess and the Popstar

What's your favorite thing to do at the park? Play 

Anything else you want to tell me? Poopie Poopie Poopie (we have to work on potty talk at our house...)