new baby, school and new words

I should have Easter pictures to post, but I don't...maybe my sister will have some. I was too busy hiding eggs one day or keeping the kids from fighting for the same egg. Story of my life these days. That's what in store for you - Ben and Jenny!! They had their baby last week. No worries, I think it'll take a year to get there, so enjoy the months ahead. Xavi is already saying he wants to visit Sarai to meet her brother. I shouldn't complain, as bad as the fights are the playing and giggling together is about 10 times better. Here is a picture fighting over Xavi's bike...below is a happy moment. Xavi has already informed me that we have to buy Carolina her own bike.

Here are some updates on the kids. First the school update, Xavi didn't get into Lab....oh well. Now Caro and Xavi can go to the same school next year, when she turns 2. It'll be nice for them to be together (same building and outdoor playground, different classrooms) and easy for me to do pick and drop off at one place - not to mention the lower cost and better schedule! We'll have to figure out schools but not until much later, I hope. Xavi can stay there another two years at least (before K) since he's just past the Sept 1 deadline. Maybe we can even move them at the same time??? We'll see.

Ms. Lola decided this was the week to start talking and boy did she fire it up. Below is a list of first words she started using this week. Kitty, waffle, mine, bobo, agua, jugo. Before that she had been saying no, wow, and uh-oh, which I'm not sure I would have counted as first words. I tried to record waffle because it's the cutest. I think there is too much background noise to hear it but I'll review all recordings later today.

Cinci Weekend

So I experienced another mami milestone last week. We had decided to meet the Sax family half way, in Cincinnati, over the weekend and at the last minute Daniel had something come up - so I decided to drive by myself! It's a five hour drive! Six for the Saxes so thanks for taking that extra hour! He would meet me there, as would Ben, Jenny and Sarai, but it was scary when we ventured out on the skyway on Friday morning. I have to say that I, and the kids, did ok on this little adventure. It took us 8 hours but we got there. We stopped for a long lunch about an hour into the drive and then again for almost two hours in Indianapolis at their new Children's Museum. If you're ever driving in that direction with kids and need somewhere to stop, I highly recomment the museum. The kids loved it and Xavi is still talking about this stop-over. There are more pictures below.

Here are some pictures of our and the Sax family arrival at the hotel.

The plans for Cinci included their Zoo and Botanical Gardens, which we've visited before and loved. The weather, however was not as cooperative as we had hoped, though it was a good 10-15 degrees warmer and spring had already landed there, proven by flowers and budding trees. We went instead to a really touristy Newport, KY. There is an aquarium, an expensive aquarium, there. We paid up and waited in a long line and then were herded through, in a similar line as the one outside, like...hmmm...sheep. There were lots of complaints from the parents, none from the kids. I have to admit it was a tight fit so you had to move through in a line, but (don't hate me) I liked it very much in the end. I enjoyed it and thought it was worth close to the amount we paid...not the entire $50+ our family paid but close. It's not the Shedd, but I loved the tunnels and the gators at our feet (under a plexiglass floor). The penguins looked sad (think Happy Feet) but the kids loved the tropical birds that drank nectar from little cups in their hands. Xavi is still talking about the bird that took his cup. Wouldn't go there often if I lived nearby but I'd go again, in many years when my husband has forgotten how expesive it was and the kids are old enough to help me bully him into it.