Two mini models

A couple weeks ago, Cory and I sat together in a dark auditorium while tears filled our eyes. But, no worries. It was in a good way. And, if you know Cory, you know how very, very rare it is that there would be tears anywhere near his eyeballs. 

But, see, for the third year in a row, Molly was participating in the JCCC student fashion show. (Other shows are here and here. You can see how much she's grown, and you'll probably start crying, too. Ok, maybe that's just me.)

Cory's mom is the head of the fashion merchandising department, so we've kind of got an inside track to the modeling world. The past two years, Molly's walked in the "Little Dresses for Africa" segment of the fashion show, donning dresses made by students for the charity that sends dresses to African girls.

This year, as she is the ripe old age of 5, Molly got to model in two different segments. One of the student designers was designing a bridal collection. And, who better to be a flower girl than Molly? (Seriously, she would be an adorable flower girl, but this might be her only shot. She's getting older and no one is getting married! Hint, hint.)

Molly was very excited to be in the fashion show, especially when she learned that she got to miss school for the noon show. (I was a little hesitant about letting her miss school because I am anal that way, but, because it was her first time of missing any school, Cory convinced me that it was probably ok.)

At the rehearsal the week before, Cory's mom asked if Charlotte would like to walk in the "Little Dresses for Africa" segment. I was sure there would be no way she would agree. And, she proved me right. At first. Then, Mommmom pulled out the dress she would wear. And, it had puppies on it (some of the 101 dalmations as a matter of fact). From that moment on, she was sold. I still wasn't certain she would actually walk on the stage, but we figured we'd let her try. 

Unfortunately, we'd already agreed to go to a fundraiser dinner that took place at the same exact time as the evening show, but Cory and I were still going to be able to make it to the noon show. No way was I missing my babies walk across the stage.

At rehearsal. Practicing their waves.

Charlotte and Molly with Mommom before the show.

Charlotte sat with Cory and I in the audience for most of the show. Then, Cory's mom came and got her to take her backstage for the Africa dresses. Molly stayed backstage the whole time and even managed a costume change. She's getting to be such a big girl.

Cross training at the bar

Ok guys, I have a confession to make. Despite what every single fitness blog, magazine, book and article tells me, I have never been an avid cross-trainer. I mean, I know that I'm supposed to do "stuff" to make me stronger, faster, less injured, blah, blah, blah. I know this in my head. I've even told other people that same advice. But, it was with a "do as I say, not as I do" caveat. I knew all the information. I knew the benefits. I knew the danger of injury if I didn't strengthen my muscles and core.

But ... and there's the word you knew was coming. But, I didn't do it.

I had been running for 15 years, and had never found anything I liked remotely as much as I loved running. So, if anything was going to be pushed out of my workout schedule, it was going to be any form of cross training.

I'm not saying I didn't try. I did. I gave lots of things the good ol' college try. Ok, well, honestly, probably more like the surly middle-schooler try. If I wasn't engaged and loving it, well, I quit. Yup, there's my confession. I was a cross-training quitter.

I quit jazzercise. I quit weight training. I quit Jillian Michaels. I quit yoga. Now, this isn't saying that I didn't like any of these. I actually do enjoy yoga, but I just never seem to find a way to fit it in regularly to my workout/life schedule. And, I did see some improvement when I was faithfully doing Jillian Michaels DVDs. But, then I would miss one day, or I would want to run long so I would skip the DVD that day, then I was short on time one day, then another, and well, the next thing I knew, the DVD was simultaneously gathering dust and taunting me.

Stop pointing at me, Jillian! I know I should cross train more. 

(Oops, there's another confession. I really am horrible at dusting. Seriously, don't come to my house with a white glove or you're leaving with a greyish fuzzy one. Isn't there some study about dust helping to prevent kids from developing allergies? I'm sure I read something like that once. Yeah, that's totally why I don't dust that often. It's for the good of the children. I'm very altruistic that way.)

Anyway, I would listen to my friends talking about their boot camps or swimming or circuit training or bike riding, and I would think, "Good for them. That's awesome."  But, I just couldn't find anything for which I wanted to carve out time. I mean, I'd do a couple crunches and maybe some push-ups at the end of a run, but nothing even remotely resembling a cross-training regimen.

Then, back in November, I got a message on FB from a running friend telling me about a Living Social deal for an exercise studio called The Bar Method. She had tried this class before and had really loved it. And, because I know that cross training is good for me, and I know that I'm supposed to do it, I bought the deal.

But, I didn't want to start right before Thanksgiving, because who knows when I would get time to go. And, I didn't really want to start during December because, well, the holidays make everything crazy. And, I didn't want to start at the beginning of January because we were having such good weather, and I was able to run outside.

Snow day lessons

I'm behind on blogging. I know. We've been under snow piles for weeks now, and despite all my great intentions of getting all sorts of things done in the house, I actually was quite lazy.

Ok, I take that back. Since I knew we were going to be trapped inside for days, I doubled-down on Charlotte's potty training. So, I spent many an hour of our snow-imposed hibernation in the bathroom or doing laundry.

Therefore, I did not get all the blogging done that I had planned.

I'll just do a quick update on our snow day adventures.

This is how we spent many an hour inside during the blizzard. Apparently, Charlotte was the queen, sitting on her throne.

When they got outside, Cory jerry-rigged a sled to pull up and down the middle of our unplowed street. Charlotte seemed to enjoy this.

Molly liked our mini snow hill to slide down.

Charlotte with Ella, but not happy.

Charlotte, not happy, after falling and not being able to get up from the foot of snow on the ground. I, the ever-vigilant mother, took her picture.

I tried to get a cute picture of the girls together. Didn't happen. Charlotte wanted in. the. house.

A second attempt the next day, Charlotte was a teeny bit happier.