avalanche playoffs

We jumped at the chance to attend an Avalanche playoff game. It was a first for the girls and me. The only seats available by the time we got around to buying ours were WAAAAY up in the rafters. We didn’t care though – we were just happy to be there for the action!

It wasn’t looking good for the Avs. The flames had them outscored until the final period. The Avs managed to tie it up and then win in overtime. The stadium went wild. The noise was unbelievable. It was so fun to be part of the excitement.

I’m so glad our gals didn’t have school the next day because we didn’t roll in until midnight! It was well worth the late night. What a game!

colorado state nursery

What a weekend! Honestly, it’s been an intensely hectic several weeks.
My mom was out to visit and I managed to snap just one picture of her with Gwyneth right before we had to leave for the airport. I’m working like crazy these days and I didn’t get to spend much time with her or the girls this weekend. It has been frustrating, but I’m trying to remember the benefits of these small businesses and that it really ebbs and flows. 
I was able to escape for a bit with Gwyneth and her girl scout troop up to Fort Collins for an afternoon learning about the Colorado State Forest Services. We explored the nurseries, learned about conservation and volunteer opportunities, and about forest fire prevention. 
I found it informative and loved all the greenery. On the ride home Gwyneth casually announced “well, that field trip was not my favorite”. Ha! You win some, you lose some….at least I had some quality time with that little lady. 
Each of the girls was able to pick out a tree to take home and plant. I didn’t get a pic of each one with their tree…some like to pose more than others. 
It’s so lovely to see Gwyneth and Brielle fall into step with each other. They are the only two left from their original troop and although they have made new friends in this troop they tend to still gravitate towards one another. Those kindergarten friendships are keepers!
Our guide was awesome…and truly committed to nature and conservation. He told the girls stories about how he rescues cats and he now has a farm with over 60 cats. 60 cats?!?! 
the whole gang:
The girls had a sleepover the night before with their dear friend, Charity and then Gwyneth and I spent 3 hours in the car today for the field trip. Annabelle went off to work a birthday party at Blue Mountain Kitchen with B. Gwyneth and YaYa set their sites on finishing the Jurrassic World Lego mansion the girls received for Christmas. As soon as B and Annabelle got home from the kitchen we had to leave for the airport. YaYa’s visit went by way too quickly and we are all pretty worn out!

easter eggs

My interviews last weekend went great and I hired lots of new staff. That means these next few weeks will be busy with training. One of the replacements was my Aurora manager. It will be for the best in the long room but it certainly adds more complexity to my current training schedule. 
While I was at the Aurora studio today my mom helped the girls dye Easter eggs. Yaya showed some exceptional patience because those girls spent hours decorating those eggs. They had a lot of fun and we got some really fun eggs!
These girls are so goofy and I love it. 

interview and ice cream

Tis’ the season of crazy work schedules. I have a few really busy times over the year Thanksgiving week, Christmas break, Mother’s Day and spring break. We just survived spring break which was spread over nearly the entire month of March between all the studios. Well, most of us survived. For some of my employees it’s just too much and I always have turnover after the hecticness. I’m happy to report the good ones tend to stick around though.

B had parties galore at the studios and I had lots of interviews scheduled. Annabelle decided to join B at the kitchen and Gwyneth came along for the fun with me. 
That girl sat with her head in that book for nearly 5 hours and we listened for another 2 hours in the car. She was so excited to finish the 5th Harry Potter book today and I was grateful to have her along for the ride. 
That girl loves ice cream so we stopped for a sweet treat on the way home. The Crazy 8 store is closing shop so were able to stock up on summer clothes for her as well. We got over $300 worth of clothes for $57. I’d call that a shopping trip success.

We all met up as a family that evening quite exhausted! We had plans to go to a movie but everyone decided it was for the best if we just throw on pjs and watch Harry Potter at home. Best idea yet!

women of rock

We had an amazing night of music at the Colorado Symphony! 
We started with dinner at Pizza Republica which was a big hit for everyone.  It had been a while and it didn’t disappoint. 
The Women of Rock concert was amazing. One of the very best I’ve seen at the Symphony. We all had a wonderful time rocking out….well, I probably rocked out a little more than the rest of my family much to my girls’ embarrassment. 
Here’s the song line up:
DOLLY PARTON “9 to 5”
BIG MOMMA THORTON “Houndog”
JOAN JETT “I Love Rock and Roll”
WHITNEY HOUSTON “I Wanna Dance with Somebody”
STEVIE NICKS “The Chain”
ANNIE LENNOX “Walking on Broken Glass”
MELISSA ETHERIDGE “I’m the Only One”
TINA TURNER “Proud Mary”
THE PRETENDERS “Middle of the Road”
GLADYS NIGHT “Midnight Train to Georgia”
PAT BENATAR “Hit Me with your Best Shot”
ARETHA FRANKLIN “You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman”
ADELE “Rolling in the Deep”
EURYTHMICS “Would I Lie to You”
P!NK “Try”
DONNA SUMMERS “Hot Stuff”
BONNIE RAITT “Something to Talk About”
MADONNA “Holiday”
TINA TURNER “A Fool in Love”
JANIS JOPLIN “Piece of My Heart”
LADY GAGA “Shallow”
TRACKSUIT WEDDING “Coming Home”

crumbl

While Annabelle was at dance class Gwyneth and I were out running errands. We stumbled past Crumbl which friends had delivered to us when Gwyneth was recovering from her surgery. We had to stop in and check it out. 
The shop was super crowded and the line was a bit too long of my liking, but the cookies were delicious. We brought home a variety pack to share with Annabelle and B. 
This week’s selections: 
oatmeal chocolate chip, salted caramel cheesecake, chocolate chip, and coconut lime sugar cookie
We all had a different favorite. Yum!

disenchanted

The girls stayed with a sitter this afternoon so B and I could go to show. I went to see Disenchanted with friends a few years ago and thought it was so funny. When I saw it was coming back I had to take B. The girls were envious but this show is not at all kid-friendly.

We had a great afternoon and enjoyed the show…although I have to admit it wasn’t as funny as I remembered. I’m not sure if it’s because it lost the surprise factor or because I was with a bunch of moms the last time who could probably relate a little more to vulgar princesses. It’s never a complaint when you get an afternoon away though!

avs vs coyotes

Our week was jam-packed and we were thrilled when Friday finally rolled around and we could have a little fun together. We got some last minute tickets to the Avalanche game and oh boy, that was a blast! The Avs tied up the game in the last few minutes and won it in a shoot out. It was awesome! The crowd was so loud and we had a blast cheering for our home team.

That Annabelle is going through an anti-picture phase. I told her I don’t care if she smiles or not, I’m still taking picture of her and I’m still going to post them on here. She gives me some very silly faces and honestly, they crack me up and I love it. (I’m fairly certain she is just trying to get my goat by being sassy in pictures, so it will be sad for her when she realizes that I actually like it… ha!)

gala

The girls’ school hosted a scholarship gala and we were pleased to donate to the event. B provided the food and we both provided items for the silent auction. I’m not much of a gala kind of gal but I sure do love their school. Annabelle is a student ambassador and along with her friends she helped serve the meal while Gwyneth and her friends played their violins. It was a fabulous night and all the better because we could all be together to support this wonderful school. 
I didn’t take any pictures, but managed to snag a few from the school’s website. 

hello dolly

Gwyneth’s first request for the night was for a picture with the big blue bear bottom. 
Butt, of course. 🙂 
We kicked off our girls night with dinner at Corrine’s.  This restaurant is so hit or miss for me. My first few visits were great, but it hasn’t quite lived up to those expectations since. They do offer a complimentary pre-theater drink which is lovely…
We made it over to the theater with plenty of time to spare. 
I asked for one picture and got a whole lot of silly…
We had box seats which are always a hit with these girls! Gwyneth loved the costumes and songs, but Annabelle just thought the show was ok. It was a bit too “old-timey” for them…their words exactly.