Arizona Country Music Festival

 Skylar and I got to attend out first music festival.  It was a quick mother/daughter trip to AZ to listen to some county music.  I knew all of one song the whole night but it was still a great time.  It was also Skylar first live music concert and being able to experience with her best friends was the best.

Nicole's 41st Birthday

 My amazing friend were so sweet and for my birthday took me to the roller skating rink.  I had the best time and didn't leave the rink for the whole 2 hours we were skating.  I think I want to do this every year for my birthday.

That night we kept it mellow with the family and had bacon pizza and a confetti bundt cake.  Just how I wanted to celebrate.

Monday Night RAW

I got to live out a life long dream by attending a LIVE, TELEVISED WWE Event.  About a year ago I got the kids into wrestling.  I really don't remember how it happened, I just know immediately they were hooked.  We watch it and DVR all the show each week and I even recently got the WWE Network so we can watch the monthly PPV events (I know, I'm crazy please don't judge..haha).  Madden really got into it and he is constantly watching it on YouTube and is learning more they any of us from it.  On Christmas Eve I was chatting with George about wrestling and how much the kids and I love it.  We then starting looking up when the next live event was and BOOM, there it was February 10th in Riverside.  We ordered tickets that moment and the countdown was on.

 

Word started getting out among all of Madden's buddies and parents were texting me on the details of the event.  That day we all skipped school and head up to Riverside for the event.  I love that Skylar was the only girl, she didn't care one bit.

The boys of course wanted all the swag we were allow them to get.  

Our seats were in perfect view of the ring.  Even better we knew from our seats you would be able to see us on TV.

I can't tell you how much fun we had.  We were up on our feet screaming, booing, cheering, the whole night.  One of the dads who joined us told his wife "The boys had a blast, but I think Nicole had the most fun." Which was so true!!

Here we are on TV. 

Catalina Swim

After last years Catalina Swim I told myself I was never going to do that again, but of course that was a lie.  Once all the master swimmers start talking about it and telling me how much fun I'll have I can't say "no."  This year was a bit different because Jake and the kids couldn't join me which was a little bit of a bummer, but also kind of nice having a little weekend to myself.  I did really well in the swim, I came in 4th place out of all us who swam the entire three miles and I even improved on my time from last year by swimming it in 1 hour and 22 minutes.  Three minutes faster than last year.  The water was a great temp, but it was a lot more choppy than the year before.  Once I hit the last .5 miles I put the pedal to the metal and swam as fast as I could to get it over with, leaving behind my swim partner.  Everyone did a great job and it was fun watching everyone else come back in have finishing.  We had a wonderful gathering on the rooftop of my hotel and enjoy each others company.  As of now I'm telling myself I'm taking next year off, but we all know how much I stick to my word when it comes to swimming.  

Catalina Saltwater Swim

OMG!! I can't believe I did want I did in Catalina Island.  So several months back a group of my swim friends mentioned putting together a fun ocean swim in Catalina.  Once I heard it I was totally in.  I love swimming and I wanted to do something to challenge myself.  I swim 3 to 4 days a week so I knew the physical part of the swim I could handle, for me it was all going to be a mental challenge.  With the swim coming up within months/weeks I started getting really nervous and wanted to back out so bad.  I kept trying to come up with excuses, but Jake wouldn't listen.  He told me I was doing it and he and the kids were going to be there to cheer me on.  Jake was so supportive and leading up to it he keep telling me how I had to swim in the ocean at least one before the swim.  Yes I have never really swam in the ocean besides jumping in the waves for fun.  Finally 5 days before the big swim in Catalina one of my friends got me down to La Jolla cove and I did my first ocean swim.  I finished that two mile swim hating it!! I was so scared, the waves were rough that day, and the water was so dark and murky I didn't see any enjoyment in it.  But I told myself I survived this, I can survive Catalina and I never have to go into the ocean again after that.

The day of Catalina I was full of nerves.  I honestly hadn't felt that much anxiety in a lot time, but once I got on the boat to head over I started to relax...thank goodness.  I think being around the amazing positive energy that my swim friends have helped.  The kids were so excited to be on a boat.  They loved ever minute of the ride over and we even saw a whale, which was extra exciting.

Once we got to Catalina we dropped our bags of in the room and all headed to a nice dinner together.

Breakfast of champions before moms big swim.  

Surprisingly the morning of the swim I felt good.  I had been telling myself I was only going to do the two miles loop, but that morning I felt like I could do three no problem.  Having the kids and Jake also made me less nervous and when the whistle blew I was ready to go.  The water temperature couldn't of been better and the water was so clear that I could see everything underneath me.  

I swam in a group with my friends Nicole and Mike.  We stopped for a could minutes at each mile marker.  Got a couple jelly fish stings, but kept swimming on.  In the end I swam 3.3 miles in 1 hour and 25 minutes and surprisingly I enjoyed it the whole time.  When I was swimming in the kids were in the water cheering me on. 

I was pretty proud of myself in the end!

After the swim we hung out on Descano Beach for a while and then took the kids to the jumpy in the middle of the bay. 

That evening we had a wonderful potluck dinner at the host of the swims house to celebrate everyone's hard swim.  We are already planning on making it a yearly event and I plan on beating my time.

Side note:  Madden won a couple mustaches at the local arcade that he had to wear during the trip...haha!

Father/Daughter Dance 2018

Having both the kids at the same school, I didn't have any more excuses not to get more involved with the PTA.  Then when a good friend took over as PTA President this year, I knew I couldn't hide anymore.  So I told my friend, that I would love to help and I wanted to chair the Father/Daughter Dance, which she had no problem handing over to myself and Lisa.

In the Fall when we met with the previous chair of the event, she was explaining how they put together the Winter Wonderland theme when out of know where, I cut her off and said..."A GLOW PARTY!"  It probably was pretty rude, but this vision just came to me an I couldn't keep it in.

After months of planning and ideas running through my head the week of the dance was here.  We asked that everyone wear white or neon colors with glow accessories so they could light up the night.  We set a record number of tickets sales and decked out the schools MPR in all neon colors.

Last year I set up a dinner for Skylar and all her friends at a restaurant, but this year I had a better idea.  I wanted a pre-party (because we all know that sometimes the pre-party is better than the actual party), and at the pre-party I wanted a face painter to do glow paint on the girls.  Since I wasn't able to host the pre-party, I shared my idea with a friend who loved it and offered to host.  The dads and daughters had pizza and drinks and the girls had a blast.

Skylar and her 2nd grade girls!

The MPR all Neoned out!

Our girls rocked it with their glow paint.

Lucy, Maggie and Skylar

Probably the best decor of the dance was the awesome backdrop that Jake painted for me, which was a huge hit.  Jake not only did the backdrop, he was the #1 Dad of the night because he had been in Wisconsin for work all week and flew home that Friday night to attend the dance with Skylar and then woke up at 4:00 AM the next day to fly back to Wisconsin.  #Bestdadever

Last year Jake and Casey (Lucy's Dad), were the big winners of the dads dance off and I was putting some major pressure on them to take the title again.  It was just stupid of me to assume that they would just do the soul train line with the rest of the dads, because Jake and Casey decide to put on their own dance routine.  They asked the DJ to introduce them as the "Winners from last year" and had their own song requests.  Needless to say, Lisa and I were a bit mortified and during their second song, which I didn't video because I was in shock, I told the DJ he had to cut them off.  They didn't take top honors this year, so maybe next year they will tone it down a bit...haha!  

The normal dads doing the dance off.  

The biggest hit of the night was the LED photo booth.

Casey and Jake took their two little dates out for a cookie after the dance to top off the night. 

Skylar and Jake had a great night together.

In the end of it all the dance was a massive success.  We raised a record amount of money.  Dads, daughters, moms, school staff gave us a ton of praise and we couldn't of been happier with how it turned out.  Now I have to figure out a way make next years even better!

Moms & Muffins

I love starting my Mother's Day weekend off by celebrating Moms & Muffins at preschool.  This one was extra special/hard seeing that it is my last one ever.  

Madden made me a beautiful flower on a stem, a corsage and a painted picture frame.  

During breakfast all the kids sang this adorable "Mommy" song that brought tears to my eyes.  Since then Madden has been singing it to me ever night.  

The kids also had a little trick up their sleeves as they made all the mom gets up and do their favorite dance.....the chicken dance.  

Madden, Carter, Zachary, and Cruz.

Us Moms are really lucky to have these kiddos love us the way they do.