Wordless Wednesday

Amazooma Spring Break!

Last year, yes last year, we headed to Arizona for Spring Break 2014. Little Bea, who couldn't quite pronounce the name of this beautiful state, dubbed it "Amazooma" and #AmazoomaSpringBreak was born.

Last year's trip is broken down into three blog posts (that I just finished on the eve of Spring Break 2015) and there's some really cool stuff in each one (originally 900 photos worth of cool stuff, which is probably why it took me a whole year to pare them down to three posts). Enjoy!

Part One: Hanging in PHX (pools & dogs & cacti & easter!)

Part Two: Roadtrippin' (Sedona & bears & beauty & Route 66)

Part Three: The Grand Canyon (The AMAZING GRAND CANYON TRAIN and THE AMAZING GRAND CANYON)

Breaking news: Life change ahead!

We have some big news to share. It's big for so many reasons. Big because it involved hours and hours and hours of weighing pros and cons and talking through a lifetime of scenarios. Big because it involved research and phone calls and meetings. Big because it involved trying to decide what's best for our kids, which is just not ever as easy as it sounds. Big because it's bittersweet. Big because we know it won't be perfect, but we do know it's right. Big because it's going to present a world of new opportunities for our big girl. Big because...

After five years in her Montessori school, Josephine is changing schools next year! She's going to start third grade in the fall at Hyde Park School in Cincinnati Public Schools. We are SOOOO proud of her enthusiastic approach to this amazing opportunity. This smile going into her observation/immersion day in her new classroom says it all.

Lots of things are going to change for Josie. It's a bit like landing on a different planet - going from a very small private Montessori school to a bustling public school with a traditional structure. But she's ready and eager for this exciting new chapter!

These Days, March

The first spring flowers picked by the girls on our first evening walk home from school

March was pretty fantastic and, despite being a long month, went by ridiculously quickly. It was a month full with work travel for Lou and for me, Bea’s birthday month, birthday celebrations of other friends, some late nights making big decisions, school events, spring sunshine, first bike rides of the season, first morning walks to school, annual green traditions, new tricks, new adventures and all that early Spring in Cincinnati has to offer. Here are the highlights. 

Parent/child work day at the girls' Montessori school - 

An afternoon playdate at the zoo - 

The third annual trip to SxSWedu in Austin for Mama -

Reports from home while I was away -

Back home with the Sx swag to prove it -

Sunshiny sisters -

A visit from our favorite neighborhood cat, Button (who had a sleepover in our garage one night this winter and had the whole neighborhood worried when he was missing) -

Sweet Bea, just being Bea -

These girls, they crack me up -

First morning walk to school of the spring (Boy, have we been waiting for this day!!) -

And when we walk home, I get to rock two backpacks (and it takes an hour, instead of the 20 mins it takes in the morning which works out okay because we usually wander home to find dinner on the table) -

Josie moved up to the big kid bike size. Go Josie!  (Someone has her mama's long legs.) 

Shamrock Shakes on St. Patrick's Day, a gooey green tradition, several years running -

Bea is very into the idea of doing homework while her big sister does hers. And we LOVE our new kitchen island!

Cousin hand-me-downs for the win!

Josie and I have both been working on our bridge pose!

A fun night out with friends while Papa Lou was out of town -

A bike ride turned nature hike in our neighborhood nature preserve one sunshiny afternoon -

Our first front yard picnic of the spring -

A fun night out with friends for our school fundraiser and auction -

A long-held tradition, the Cincinnati Ballet Toybox -

The freckles are here! The freckles are here! :)

Sharing a snack and some art work -

Our fairybirds - 

A favorite landmark that we were happy to still see intact -

A little sister play date while the big sisters were having a sleepover.

A little break to cheer for baseball on the way home from school -

A BIG backyard discovery, a full deer skull, that had these adventurous girls going wild over their cool find!