October 2019

Happy 15th birthday, Alexa Lynn!! We woke her up early and surprised her with her gifts before Lilli left for school. We got her a Loons sweatshirt and Air Pods and Lilli got her some Starbucks's cups and a gift card. She was super happy!! She had a great day. School, she said, was same old same old. She went to pointe and then Adam and I took her to Chipotle for dinner and to Sams to pick up some treats for her to bring to dance.It was fun to have that special time with her. She loved being at dance with her besties on her birthday. They finished with production so she got to share treats with lots of the dancers at the studio. She studied for her drivers permit test when she got home and we kissed her goodnight right when she turned 15 at 10:02pm.

Alexa and Adam got up bright an early to head to Eagan for Alexa to take her driver's permit test. I got a text from Adam saying she gave him a smile and a thumbs up from behind the testing window, so he figured it was good news. Sure enough, she only got 4 wrong and passed!! She was so happy and so relieved. I am so proud of her. Scared to death, but oh so proud! Adam got her back to school within an hour. Both girls went to hip hop and then home quick to eat dinner before bringing Lilli to church. While Lilli was there I took Alexa out driving for a bit. She drove around the Riverview/Dodge school parking lots and a small neighborhood in that area. She did so well. She's obviously learning the feeling of the gas and the brakes, the steering wheel and her speed, but all things considered and this basically being her first time, she did really well. I even let her drive on Akin and 195th home. Then she had church until 8:30. When she got home, we took Adam and Lilli with us and she drove around the same place again and then drove us home. You can tell she's getting the hang of it even more since the first time. I'm so proud of her.

The girls were supposed to have their wellness check ups and flu shots this afternoon, but Dr. Dotson went home sick. We'll have to reschedule wellness checks, but went in for the flu shots still. Both girls had a modified dance schedule due to a few of the teachers being gone. Lilli brought cookies for her class for her birthday. They all sang to her really loudly. It was cute. I love witnessing her friends love on her on her special day. Benny, Amanda and Sophia came for the night so Adam could bring them to the airport in the morning. They're off to NY to watch the Vikings game. Adam had bags. Benny went to watch. And I drove the dance carpool back and forth. We played with Sophia a bit and then I put the girls to bed. We kissed our little Cruzer for the last time as an 11 year old.

Happy Birthday Lilli Cruz. We woke her from her cozy bed to open her presents before school. Alexa got her some facial stuff and spa items with a Starbucks cup and gift card. Adam and I got her a Loons shirt, a necklace, a lacrosse stick, goggles and some balls. She was so happy! Since she was born at 9:14am, I rately get to see her on the minute she was born. So, I took a screenshot of the time and sent it to her letting her know I was thinking about her and that she was offically 12 years old. The girls' birthdays being so close together is cause for celebrations all week and my favorite, remeniscing about the days they were born. I loooove recalling every minute of those special days with the girls and especially my mom who was there with me for both experiences. Lilli had a great day at school. Jack, Ellie, Katelyn and Kenz decorated her locker and gave her fun treats and birthday cards. Adam picked her and her friends up after school. They came home and played on the trampoline, danced in the dance room and hung out a bit until I got home. Adam also picked up Alexa and her friend Amanda from the HS. The girls all got ready for "Pink Out" in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month for the football game. We had pizza and cookies and then Adam took Amanda and Alexa to the game so they could get their spot in the student section. I brought Lilli and her crew (Sophia, Ellie, Grace, Tabitha, Natalie, Kamryn) closer to the start of the game. It was pretty chilly. Adam and I sat by Stacey and Bryson for the first 2 quarters and then took the girls to the car for the 3rd and 4th so they could warm up. The ran back out after the game so they could get pictures on the field. Lilli opened presents when we got home and they had ice-cream with fun toppings for a treat. They played games and finally settled down to watch Aladdin around midnight.

We all slept in, which felt really nice. Adam and I made the girls a big breakfast and then they hung out and danced downstairs. I told parents I would have the kids back by 10:30, but it got closer to 1 before they were all ready to head home. Lilli had a blast! Adam and Alexa went to the MOA to get a new screen protector on her phone and picked up a gift for Katelyn for her birthday. Both girls went to Katelyn's party at 6:30 until 11. Adam and I met up with the Beissel's and the Sharp's for a drink until the girls came home.

Adam woke up to find out Homie had chewed his flip flop - his only pair for Punta Cana, so he ran out in search of another pair. He didn't have any luck, but came home with quite a few new shirts from Kohl's. I took Alexa to her first Nutcracker practice of the season. She got to see some of the girls that were in it last year and some new faces this year. Lilli studied for a science test and did her other homework. We watched the Vikings then took the girls to pick out some pumpkins. We get them from an old roadside farm near us. They look so pretty on our front porch. Then we watched the Loons lose to Seattle. Such a bummer. They played terrible. We had a quick dinner, then met up with the PC and FL crew at the Sharp's for a send off happy hour. We gave the FL crew their care packages and new travel cups.

Mike drove the middle school carpool this morning and got donuts for Katelyn's birthday. I sent juice boxes with Lilli to share. Alexa had to go in early today to make eggs for her teacher since she missed the egg lab in her cooking class last week when she got her driver's permit. She had to make him sunny side up and felt really awkward because she was the only one there. Adam worked from home today. He had to pick up his mom and brother from the airport and he carpooled to work the Twin's game with Craig. The girls had regular dance practices. They are getting super anxious knowing they only have one more Monday of dance before our trip. It's feeling so real. I went for a run, picked up a few groceries, stopped at the library and did the laundry. The Twin's lost in their first playoff game against the Yankees.

Both girls have started talking to teachers about getting ahead on homework so they can enjoy their vacation and not have to worry about school. Most people travel during MEA so they take it pretty easy during that week, but they still have some things to do in advance. Luckily, they have a Flex Day on Friday, so they can catch up then. I made a looong overdue chiropractic appointment for myself with my friend Pam. It was the most amazing thing I could have done for myself. I didn't realize how bad I was until I felt so good. I can't wait to go back on Thursday. The girls had regular dance and I was able to ice my neck and shoulders while Adam did his workouts.

Alexa texted me around lunch time and said she wanted to just go home and sleep so it could be 5 days. She's so cute..and has a good point. hehe. We are so excited. Things are getting real for our trip and it's fun to see the kids get super pumped. The girls had hip hop and church. I went for a run and Adam and I took the pups out for a long walk. I also made spaghetti squash for the first time and absolutely loved it.

Lilli woke up so tired this morning. I think her nose sounded a little stuffy, too. I am praying she is not getting sick. The girls have a 2 hour early release from school today due to parent teacher conferences. They did a few chores and started up on their homework. We had Lilli's parent teacher conferences in between dance classes. She's doing amazing and her teachers all had great things to say about her. No concerns, which we are happy to hear. I went and saw Pam again for another adjustment. It felt soo good. Adam had bags. I iced my neck and took a warm bath.

We woke up to a drastic difference in temperature. The high is only 40 today. Brrr. The girls have a Flex Day, so they slept in and then got started on their homework. They've done so well working ahead and prioritizing their work. I'm so proud of both of them. Alexa had some major issues with her iPad for math homework, so her teacher let her log into the teacher account. This triggered my "hate" relationship with the darn iPad's and Flex days. I hate seeing the kids stressed out over an iPad issue they can't control. We took Lilli to get a mouth guard for lacrosse after work, stopped at the Dollar Tree to pick up some birthday stuff to bring to Punta Cana for Jack's birthday (and ran into Mrs. Ley), had dinner at Carbone's and then dropped Alexa off at her friend Amanda's to make cookies and go to the movie IT 2. We made a stop at Target with Lilli and grabbed some stuff for the kids' goodie bags and then home to pack. Alexa didn't get home until after 11. She had a blast and liked the movie.

Alexa and I were up bright and early to babysit the Wheeler kids. We had a fun morning playing with them and then home for lunch. Lilli had a lacrosse clinic at the Boekman middle school with Katelyn in the afternoon. She absolutely loved it. The coaches, a bunch of high school players, said she was really good for a beginner. She learned a bunch of new drills and even scored a goal. Alexa, Adam and I went to the MOA to get Alexa a new screen protector on her phone, then stopped at Kohl's for a little shopping. Adam got a few new pair of pants and Alexa found another dress for the trip. I did a work out when we got home and took a quick bath, then we all got ready for our last PCDR get together with our PC peeps at the Budde's. We all dressed up in our tropical clothes and had a really yummy fish fry. Some of us took off and went to Fright Night at the Dakota County Fairgrounds. It was really scary, which means they did a really good job. I'm glad we went. We had one more drink at the Budde's when we got back and then left for home to get a good night sleep.

We slept in and once we were all up, Alexa made omlets for us for breakfast. She learned this amazing skill that Adam and I both lack in her Let's Cook class in school. They were delicious. And I was so impressed!! The girls had leadership at Synergy at noon and Stacey Jolene and I met up at USA Nails for our pedicures. Jolene and I also decided on a manicure. So fun to do this together and prep for our fun trip. Katelyn, Ellie and Lilli walked over from the studio when they were done and got started on their toes and nails. They all picked such fun cute colors. Lilli and Ellie sat in the massage chairs for a couple hours. They were loving being pampered. Alexa, Taylor and Isabelle walked over after NHSDA and got their nails and toes done, too. Then we decided it would be super fun to surprise the guys with a pedicure. So, after the Vikings game I went to pick them all up at our house (they were all together, of course) and brought them in. They were all a little nervous not knowing what they were getting into, but they all very much enjoyed it. The owners of the place even let us bring beer in for them to drink. What a FUN day! Alexa had Nutcracker practice from 5:30-6:30 and then we came home to snuggle in and watch a few shows together.

The girls are beyond excited for our trip, and so are we, of course. But, it's so fun listening to them get excited. They have everything laid out of what they are going to wear and bring on the plane. Lilli had a little hourly countdown in her head for her entire day. Alexa is already in vacay mode and didn't even put mascera on for school, because who cares. They are both super anxious to go to school today and just 'get it done'. The ride to the middle school with Lilli, Jack and Katelyn was super fun. The kids are excited to talk about every little detail. Adam somewhat worked from home and then spent his time getting the house in order and getting all the little things done and packed. He even got the lawn mowed. Alexa texted me mid-day and was so happy she got all her homework done ahead of time because she was able to flex out of most of her classes. She also said her day was pretty chill. Love her. The girls had dance and then home to finish packing up and get to bed.

The trip was everything we could have ever imagined it to be!!

The girls were major troopers and got up well for school. We let Lilli sleep in a little bit and she woke up with a little tummy ache, that turned out to be cramps. But, Alexa was up on time and at school like a normal day. Lilli was good to go by about 10:30 and back at school. They both had dance after school. Alexa and Mackenzie started their duet practice with Ms. Kris. Their dance is soo good so far, we love it and can't wait to see it in full. We had a wonderful pizza dinner together and let Lilli skip church as there was no confirmation for Alexa. We watched Goldberg's and got to bed early. Adam and I had the day off and ran errands, unpacked and had Subway lunch together.

Back to work and full day of school for both girls. Wishing we were back in paradise. Adam had bags and Craig and Chuck joined him to watch the Vikings game. I drove the dance carpool and took it easy. I got sea legs again on the trip and my medication makes me sleepy.

I have been exhausted since we got back from our trip. I literally walked in the door after work and laid on the couch and slept for 2 hours. Both girls were gone when I got home. Lilli went to her friend Tabitha's Halloween Party/Sleepover and Alexa had to go to work at Parent's Night out at the studio for NHSDA. Adam took me to Celt's for dinner, but I was still pretty out of it. We came home and watched a movie and I fell asleep half way in.

Alexa and I got up and went shopping for her birthday party. Adam put the bikes and deck furniture in the shed and brought the snow blower out. Getting things ready for winter. Eek! He picked Lilli up at noon. Alexa's friends arrived around 6 for her party. We had a taco bar, they played games and had ice-cream. They laughed the entire time, which tells me the party was a huge success. It was so fun to see my girl so happy and celebrated.

Adam and I picked up a desk for Alexa in Eagan that I found on the marketplace. It's super cute and fits perfectly in her room. Adam aerated the yard in the morning. I brought Alexa to Nutcracker practice. She had her costume fitting. Lilli went to the Sharp's to work on her Halloween costume with Ellie. Alexa and I ran a few errands and picked up groceries. We chilled in the afternoon and watched a few shows before calling it an early night.

Adam was super anxious about going back to work after having 2 weeks off. I reminded him to focus on one task at a time rather than overwhelm himself by looking at the big picture. Alexa woke up with a stuffy nose. Poor girl. Adam ended up having a not too bad of a day and Alexa's nose cleared up by the time she got home. Lilli text me after school and said she didn't know why but she was really happy. Love that girl. The girls had dance and Adam and I had Mike, Stacey and Bryson over for a fall mule and to look through some pictures of our trip.

Alexa had an interesting day of several hybrid classes. She was moved around from the commons area to the media center. She found some stuff to work on but did text me that she wanted to me to come pick her up because she was bored. I wish I could have. I started the first of 5 practice work outs before I start my new program next week. It felt good to move my body and get my heart rate going again. I drove the dance carpool and made the girls some pumpkin bars for a treat.

Something super exciting happened today! We became season ticket holders for the MNUFC. We put our names in at the beginning of this season and were put on a waiting list. Later, we learned we were like #4500 on the list. Not feeling very optimistic, we prepared ourselves to have to wait at least another year, or longer. We got an email stating a check in time to view available seats a few weeks ago. It showed some available, but still, we thought there was a far chance we'd get them by the time our turn came around. Today was our scheduled day to make a selection if there were any left, and lucky us there were. We are the current owners of seats 21-24 in section 114 at Allianz Field. This is a huge surprise and super exciting for our family. As of now it's still a surprise to the girls. They will get to share in our excitement on Christmas morning. It's going to be super hard to keep this a secret, but we know how much of a surprise it will be for them and well worth it to wait. The girls had hip hop and then home quick for dinner and then homework and church. I snuggled with Lilli and watched Hocus Pocus. Washington Nationals won the World Series.

I drove the middle school carpool and gave the kids some Halloween treats. For some reason it doesn't feel quite like Halloween. Maybe it's because of our trip and missing out on a little bit of Fall and the Halloween prep. Either way, the kids are excited. Our agent from Allianz emailed us a certificate to give the girls on Christmas morning stating they are the proud owners of season tickets. It's so cool that they did this for us. Their names are on it and states that it's from Mom & Dad. The CEO signed it even to make it official. Ahh! This is going to be so fun for our family to have this together. The Sharp's came over at 5 and brought Papa Murphey's Pumpkin pizza's, Adam went to The Mug to meet Craig for a birthday drink and then brought Miranda over to hang out with Alexa. The Sharp's and Adam and I took Ellie and Lilli trick or treating in the neighborhood and Alexa and Miranda passed out candy at our house. They counted 106 trick or treaters. We went to Beissel's to celebrate Craig and shared a shot and a drink. It was a fun Halloween. A little on the chilly side. And we were home and snuggled in by 10. Success!