The big day came! Mia and Allison have graduated from their early intervention program. On Teresa's last day she planned to have the girls make some caps appropriate for the big occasion. 
So many thanks to Teresa for teaching the girls such fun and practical things, and also for reassuring Shawn and I about the miracle of their healthy development!
It is unfortunate that resistance to napping can't coincide with no longer needing to nap. As it is now, the girls normally hit the wall when Shawn and I are trying to move on with our day. This particular day we biked over to the flower gardens to listen to a concert and have root beer floats. 
When I looked into the croozer and saw these little girls, who just moments before were fighting, crying, squealing, laughing, trashing their room, I marveled for a second at how this parenting gig can be such a roller coaster. In less than 2 hours I had run the gamut of emotions from "oh, they sound like they're having fun in there" to "NO! You may not bite your sister" to "For the LOVE, just NAP ALREADY!!!!!!" to "awww, look at those sleepy little bunnies!". 
It ended up being a peaceful moment for Shawn and I at the gardens!
When Shawn and I were first looking for someone to care for the girls, we hoped we would be able to find a person that would love the girls as much as we do. On the day that Jenn got teary eyed as she told us of the first time Alli said her name, or when she defended Mia when she felt a therapist was being overly critical, and every time she came to work with a surprise toy, outfit, or even a Curious George costume that she knew they would love, it was obvious to us that we found the perfect person for the job.
Jenn, our girls will never have such fancy nails, such gourmet meals, or such big smiles in pictures as they did with you. Likewise, dog Zoe will never be as spoiled, and I will always be unsure of my wardrobe choices without having you here to advise me. That being said, we hope we get to still see you often as you will always be a part of our family! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! 
Ken and Monica reported that the girls enjoyed their breakfast, were unexpectedly timid around the animals, and had fun digging in the dirt with their cars (on loan from Bryn and Henry- They LOVE these little VW Beetles!!!!)
They were also drawn to a model farm display featuring grim farm accidents? Monica said the man by the display was pointing out all of the potential ways to do yourself in on the farm. While I'm sure his message will save lives, I'm going to go ahead and assume Mia and Alli weren't his target audience.
Thanks, Grandpa and Monica, for a fun morning!! I know Shawn and I were glad to have an eerily quiet and productive time getting caught up on things at home! The best part of the experience was when the girls charged in to tell us all about the "school bus- really big"!! They loved their trip to the farm!
Mia and Alli love pointing out the letters that spell out each of their names on their license plates. Thanks, Uncle Jay, for the thoughtful, personal touch!
It was kind of a nostalgic trip back to Madison this Memorial Day. Grandma and Grandpa Affeldt hosted us and a yummy dinner at their house for our last time. The next time we are back in Madison the house will belong to a different owner, which is at times hard to wrap my head around. We made the most of our time though. Mia and Alli ran up and down the hall and chased around the backyard with cousins Bryn and Henry. I think what I will miss most about the house is the huge maple tree in the backyard. I remember when it was small enough that I could put my arms around it! 
More nostalgia came in as we got to spend time with dear friend Krissy and (not so) baby Kate. It was fun watching our kiddos play at the Old Lady in the Shoe, just like I did when I was a little girl. The old lady's boot is definitely sporting a fancier paint job than I remember. We hit the Vilas Zoo, too, just in time for goat feeding! 
We thank Grandma and Grandpa for a very nice weekend and wish them a smooth transition come moving day! I'll remember that our family memories are carried with us and are not rooted in a house or material things. 5725 Kroncke Drive and the neighborhood made a great backdrop for a wonderful childhood!!!
For the past two years, Mia and Alli have built quite a fondness for their teacher, Teresa. She has come out at least twice a month to play with the girls and track their development. They love seeing her car pulling up to the house and know they'll be in for an hour of fun toys, projects, and songs. Teresa normally comes in the morning while we're at work, so we were so glad Nanny Jenn caught some fun moments on the camera.
Teresa recently completed an assessment for both Mia and Alli and determined that neither of them will qualify for services after they turn three (now just a month away!!!). While we're ecstatic that they're doing so well, it will be sad to see our time with Teresa come to an end as the girls 'graduate'. 
Somewhere there is a picture of me as a little girl covered in mud after a failed attempt at camping. When I went to get the girls out of the cruiser I had a flashback to that very image. Mia and Alli had been playing in the yard and then ate a 'nola bah' on the bike ride to the park. They managed to become filthy from ear to ear and head to toe!
Here's our patient little buddy, Rudy. Just moments after this photo the poor thing endured a bike crash. I forgot to tell him we were turning and he got a little tripped up. I stopped but couldn't get my foot out of the peddle and fell over on him. When I turned around the girls were sitting fine in the cruiser, looking puzzled, and just said, "Mommy tip over!" -My most witnessed crash to date! 
Nap time has become a bit of a challenge on weekends lately. The girls will either just give in and nap or spend the "quiet time" clearing their shelves of books and tickling each other to squeals. A couple of times they've tried to convince me that a change in venue might help them settle down and sleep. The most popular alternative is Zoe's dog bed. But no, they didn't actually nap there either!
