Punch Bowl

I had a wedding shower at my house tonight and I was going to borrow my mom's punch bowl but it was inaccessible this week, so I started searching for my own. After a few google searches and some interesting articles on punch bowls I am shocked that I never had my own before!  I love Southern culture, and flair, and frivolousness and a punch bowl is all of those things!  I mean really, how do you turn an average paper-plated event into a celebration?!  Use a punch bowl, duh!  I'm a firm believer that life should be celebrated and now my celebrations are even fancier.  

The shower was a huge success! 

Dinner

I've been making a huge effort to have sit-down organic family dinners that all three of us can eat together.  Lorelai is an adventurous eater considering her age, I mean really how many six year olds do you know that know their favorite sushi roll, or how to order their filet, and loves lamb meat?!?!  But still, she's six and variety can be a challenge especially when you mix in my lack of cooking skills.... but I'm trying!  And this week we had porter houses broiled in the oven.  

There is another story with the broiler and my new conviction that multi-generational co-habition would benefit everyone... my parents told me my steaks would taste great if I broiled them and I, a 32 years old attorney, responded that I don't have a broiler.... turns out that every oven has one, and the old adage that 'you learn something new every day' really is true!!

Anyway here is our delicious meal, I didn't get an after picture because it was so good it was gone in record time! 

Level 2

My accomplished little gymnast tested out of level 1 tumbling last night. She nailed her back bend kick over and back bend stand up, she was sooooo thrilled and squealed for hours in excitement last night!  Her coach said she should be flipping back handsprings by this summer, stay tuned for videos!  We're so proud of her!!

Spa Party!

Spencer's Magic and Illusion Show

We didn't get sawed in half or anything but Rusty did get to go on stage as an audience volunteer and Lorelai got her picture with Spencer after the show!

 Such a perfect family night!  

My new jewel!

VDay Style

Ballentine Valentine

Today is one of my favorite holidays!

School Valentine's Day

Lorelai's room theme is bumble bees, and my mom found the perfect Bee Mine Valentine's for her teachers!  How cute?!

Chef Lorelai

I took Lorelai to the grocery tonight and together we picked out the menu and cooked it.  We had organic chicken drizzled in olive oil baked in the oven, fresh asparagus pan seared, spinach noodles with lemon oil, salad, fresh baby carrots, and chocolate covered strawberries!  It was delicious!

Now that's a best friend...

Lorelai passed out directly on top of CC for her nap today!

Polar Vortex

All this cold, and the polar vortexes, made for one happy girl and her grandparents this morning. I dropped Lorelai off with my parents while I went to yoga and she had a good long run in the snow, in the sleds, etc. CC went with her, and CC even has a matching purple snow sweater but she's so my dog and hates the cold!  Haha!

Valentine's At Lowe's

This morning we went to Lowe's for their Build and Grow clinic, we used to go all the time and Lorelai asked if we could go again a few weeks ago so we signed her up and today was the Valentine's letter holder, she did a great job!  

Another Ace

It was also "body" week in Kindergarten, and I got to go teach yoga to them!!!  So fun!  

ARF!

http://youtu.be/bfh8qM8LIqU

Lorelai stole the kindergarten show, she was amazing and delivered her lines flawlessly!  We were all so very proud of our little starlet!  

Valentine's Day Mail Box

Lorelai and I worked for the past 3 nights bedazzling her shoe/ mail box for her class Valentine's Party, she's bound to have the shiniest box in the class!

Jackson Sun

We made it in the newspaper for the Boots & Bow Ties event!

On a winning streak!

The third test, and another perfect impressive A+!

Compassion

At my first parent-teacher meeting Lorelai's teacher talked about her various academic strengths, etc. but she blew us away when she said Lorelai was "the most compassionate kid she's had".  I actually teared up, right there sitting in the tiny kindergarten chair I had tears welling in my eyes.  

Because, if I could pick any adjective to describe what I want most in life for her, it would be compassion.  And when I look at her I see an old soul, that gets it, I mean really gets it.. kindness matters.  I was so overwhelmed that her teacher saw that in her too.  

I read this blog today that made me think of Lorelai and her teacher and this story: 

http://momastery.com/blog/2014/01/30/share-schools/

Level 2

And just like that, we moved from the level one books at BAM to level two!  Go, L, go!