On January 1, 2011, I had no idea that I would be so happy to see 2011 end. It was a long, trying, exasperating year (with some fun, light-hearted moments thrown in for good measure). The bright spots are what I am choosing to focus on right now.
In January, Sofia & Eva had their first (and maybe last) Girl Scouts sleepover at the Great Wolf Lodge. And, it snowed. A lot. Eva & Maya LOVE playing outside in the snow, and they think it's
hilarious to "pelt" me with snowballs while I watch them through the door. Mama loves hiding inside making hot chocolate waiting to clean up the snowy footprints. Also in January, I started this blog. And, while it certainly didn't turn out as I had hoped, it is sometimes the only way I have to get words out of my head.
In February, we had a lot of fun. We celebrated "Ice Cream for Breakfast Day". The girls got to go sledding for the first time. This was a HUGE hit! Of course, my fearless Eva went down first. Once she proved she had survived, the other two couldn't wait to try. For the first few rides, I made Maya ride with someone else. Then, when I wasn't looking, she hopped on the sled and went by herself. Once she proved that she (and I) had survived, she was a solo sledder for the remainder of the day. Eva turned seven! She is truly a light for me.
In March, Eva was a mouse in the first grade program. Then, we spent half of spring break in Dallas with family. We went to the Dallas zoo, decorated cupcakes with cousins, explored the Dallas Arboretum & relaxed with some incredibly generous people. Thankfully, the long drive was enough to knock Maya out...for a few minutes. Then, Maya & I went to our first Disney on Ice production. We saw Toy Story 2 (I think) with some friends. Maya LOVED it and still talks about it sometimes.
April was a busy month too. Maya and I went to a restaurant where she could dress up and have a tea party. We went with friends and, while I wouldn't pay the exorbitant cost again, we had a fabulous time. Sofia turned ten. That still sounds crazy to me, and she's almost eleven now! While she is certainly the one I butt heads with the most, she is still my first true love. Spring soccer season started for Eva, so we were back to sitting in the cold to watch her do what she loves. The Easter bunny showed up again. We celebrated "Banana Split Day" with sundaes bigger than their heads (though not as big as their eyes). And, Eva went to her first Daisy Scouts day camp.
In May, Maya turned four years old. There's so much I could say about her, but nothing really sums her up. She and I have a special bond that cannot be explained. She makes absolutely everything a little more vibrant. Also in May, I decided to start very slowly selling some of the things that I bake. After a lot of consideration and excessive prodding, M.E.S.S. of sweets was born. Arturo named it that (his only creative thought in his whole life) because it is our first initials backwards. I am the world's worst salesperson and am still not at all comfortable with the idea, so it's a slow work in progress. We celebrated "National Pizza Party Day". Sofia and Eva had their field day at school. This is the day Eva waits for all year, and the day Sofia would love to skip. Maya and I took our last walk of the school year. Enjoying the sunshine reflecting off of her sparkly shoes was the highlight of most of my days. The spring soccer season came to an end, much to my sadness. This was, by far, my favorite season so far. Eva's team was undefeated, and her love of soccer multiplied by a thousand. Watching her come alive on the soccer field was a magical thing to experience. Then, the school year came to a close. Sofia finished fourth grade with a couple of awards. And, Eva completed first grade with several of her own. On Memorial Day, Eva's Daisy troop helped plant flags at Leavenworth National cemetery. This happens to be where her great-grandfather is buried, so it was special for me to experience that day with her.
June marked the beginning of the monumental task of entertaining the girls through summer "vacation". We celebrated "National Donut Day'. We went swimming with friends. We made s'mores over the grill. Sofia had her candle lighting ceremony to end her first year of Junior Girl Scouts. Eva went to a minor league baseball game to end her last year as a Daisy Scout. I took them miniature golfing for the first time. Maya became particularly adept at picking up her ball, placing it in the hole, and declaring herself the winner. The girls developed their own "secret spy agent" identities complete with disguises. So, if you ever come across something that looks like a cross between a coat rack and a fashion disaster, that's probably Agent M or one of her crew. We also made our own sidewalk chalk for the girls to paint the driveway. This was a big hit until it took WEEKS for it to wear away.
July was beach month. Well, we were only at the beach for a little over a week, but the time before and after was based solely on the anticipation for and the reliving of our trip. We tried boogie boarding (with little success), climbed to the top of a lighthouse, ate most of the meals outside, and generally enjoyed every moment we were in North Carolina. Words cannot begin to express how much we love going there. We all talk about the Outer Banks all year round. Maya says she's going to live there when she grows up and let me live with her as long as I continue to make all of the food. Sounds reasonable to me!
August was a very bittersweet month. Maya took her first dance class and was instantly hooked. She was made for tutus and pink, so it was really only a matter of time before she begged for dance. Of course, she's convinced she has nothing to learn and everything to teach! Then, my baby started preschool. I will not sugar coat it. I had a nervous breakdown in the parking lot of her school. I was lost without her. For the first time in more than ten years, I was going to be alone for two and a half hours a day, three times a week. I wasn't ready, but she was. Soon after, Sofia and Eva went back to school. Sofia started Middle School - a fact I'm still coming to grips with. Eva began second grade with a teacher that was made for her and her best friend sitting beside her. She has come a very long way since August, and I am eternally grateful for that. To cap off the month, we did what I had promised them all summer. We went to Worlds of Fun. This was Maya's first time, but she took over immediately. She made us ride the log flume ride so many times that Sofia started waiting for us outside and the people recognized us before we even got to the front. All three of them really enjoyed this last little summer experience.
September was spent mostly adjusting back into a school-time routine. The four of us had to learn how to adjust to the three of them being in three different schools. Sofia jumped right into school clubs, and Eva started her fall soccer season. Also, Eva learned to ride her bike without training wheels. This is especially significant because Sofia never accomplished this. That's my Eva...always blazing the trail for the rest of us. Finally, I started running. Two or three times a week, while Maya was in school, I ran to get my mind off of things. It worked, sort of.
In October, I ran my first 5k. I won my division (for whatever that's worth), and I felt pretty accomplished considering I had only ever run nine times before that. Eva got braces on her top front teeth. We're on our way to making the smile of her mouth as beautiful as the one in her eyes. Maya took her first ever field trip to the pumpkin patch. Other than being forced to wear jeans and a tshirt, she enjoyed it. Eva became a Brownie and got to start doing fun stuff with her troop again. We went on our annual trip to the pumpkin patch. This year, I made four patch trips. I shall not do that again! Finally, we ended the month with a ballerina and a skeleton.
November was a thankfully slow month. Other than Thanksgiving (and Eva's favorite part - watching the parade), we were just muddling through our days.
Finally, December was full of holiday celebrations. First, Sofia had her inaugural band concert. Then, she had her Songsters holiday performance. Then, Maya had her preschool Christmas program. Followed by her winter dance recital. I thoroughly enjoyed watching my girls perform. They both did a tremendous job and made every early morning practice, weekly classes, and exorbitant costs worthwhile. Of course, there were also the class parties, the Girl Scouts party, and the endless treats for what felt like every-other-day. We did our annual decorating (and eating) of Christmas cookies. Then, we headed out for Christmas Eve with family. The girls woke up nice and early (though, thankfully, I was able to talk Maya into going back to bed at 2:58 am) on Christmas morning to open their presents. Eva got a new bigger bike, which she couldn't wait to jump on. The weather actually cooperated, and she was able to hop on that day. Once Maya saw that the smaller bike was available, she jumped on and started riding too. And, we ended the year quietly at home, just the way we like it.
I'd like to say that 2011 was as happy and carefree as these pictures suggest. I'd like to say that the girls were always smiling and I was always able to make the sun shine on them. Of course, that's not the way it went. But, if I squint my eyes just right and don't look left or right, I can pretend that last year wasn't one of the hardest we've had. So, that is exactly what I am going to do. At the same time, I'm staring down 2012, holding my breath that this year turns out a little better for us.
