To Claire...

Well, it's here. You're finally five! I constantly have to remind myself that when you act like a five year old, you're acting your age.
Well do I remember the long nights when you were just a baby, walking laps in the family room, whistling the Notre Dame fight song, or Utah Man. You cried even harder if it was anything else.
And my how you've grown! And my how smart you are! I still think back with amazement on you saying your first word; phalanges.

Sweetheart, there is so much ahead of you. I hope you enjoy the next five years (and beyond) as much as you've enjoyed the first five! I love you. You make me very proud everyday. I love watching you learn and grow. You will always be my little Claire-bear!

Joyeux anniversaire, Claire-ours!

Adventures In Bedroom Swapping...

Now that Audrey is in 6th grade, and owing to the fact that side-drop cribs are parent-from-hell deathtraps, we have had a shuffle in the sleeping arrangements for the girls. See if you can follow along:

Audrey has moved from her and Claire's room to Bridget's room. Bridget has moved to Claire's room, but not on bunk beds as we don't want either to plummet to an untimely demise from the top bunk. Audrey got a new bed, but not the daybed that she and Jen were hoping for. It has under the frame drawers, but only one set of four, not the two sets of four that are on the showroom at the furniture store we bought it from. And now Audrey and I are sharing a bathroom. Bridget's half of the no-longer-bunk-beds only has one rail, but "Big Pillow" is on the floor in case she tumbles the two feet to the floor.

So everyone is now "happy", except for me as I realize that my girls are growing up.

The Latest Earworms (a.k.a. The Songs That Get Stuck In Your Head) At Our House...

Earlier this month we went on a family camping trip (which, by itself, is a whole other post!) and Jen made a CD for Claire and Bridget to listen to on the way to the mountains. Not realizing the extent of the explicit lyrics to I Love It (radio edit provided) we popped in the CD and down the road we went.
Then, last week, Jen's brother sent a text regarding the best app ever. Dumb Ways To Die is now a game. It is a pretty funny video, and the game itself appears to be quite entertaining.

I gotta tell ya, hearing I Love It immediately followed by Dumb Ways To Die is bad enough. It's worse when the get stuck in my head ALL. DAY. LONG. Its to the point now that I'm doing an internal mashup in my head.
However, its rather hysterical to watch Bridget dance to and scream along with I! DON'T! CARE! - I LOVE IT, then mimic some of the dead dancers (my personal favorite is the super glue eater!).

And now that you're doing your own internal mashup, here's the surefire cure for getting songs unstuck from your head!

For Want Of A Leotard...

For those of you who are new, or may not be aware, Audrey belongs to a dance studio located by our house. Wednesday she received her costume for her Jazz Dance class, and was told what time to be at the studio for pictures (whoa, wait...PICTURE time? Already???) on Saturday. As soon as we get home, she tells Jen the news/time and goes about her evening.

And Estrogen Hell has ensued ever since! All because we cannot find Audrey's nude colored leotard. Each night since, and all this morning has been a cry/fit/yell fest, for which the only remedy has been the promise of a new leotard.

Perhaps its because I'm a guy, or maybe because I'm inherently lazy, but for want of a leotard...