Christmas Cuteness

Helena had her first Christmas program on Thursday. I'm continually impressed with what preschool teachers can get a group of eight two-year-olds to do. Her teacher told me she was so nervous about one or all of the kids melting down that they totally forgot to sing one of their songs.



Here's the full video-- we got great shots of her but weren't able to get the whole group because it was packed in there! Helena's very enthralled with her hat and I think she was lip synching a couple of times. Oh, and she shows off her signature Galbreath dance moves at one point. She's the one in the the pink scarf.

Oh, and here's a little craft Helena made at school this week:

I think she thinks all holidays are Halloween.

Happy Holidays everyone! We leave for Kansas on Tuesday! Yay!

-Emily :)

Mini Break to Laguna Beach

Very last-minute we decided to join Ash on a work trip to California the week before Thanksgiving. Laguna Beach in November sounded stupendous...and it was. Even though Ash ended up having to work longer hours than he had anticipated we still made time for some family fun and seeing my long lost friend Tish!

Speaking of Tish, she's probably secretly mad at me that I haven't blogged about this yet...as she did herself so eloquently right after we were there. Tish & I worked at KU Endowment together for a few years when we were in college and then she moved out to California to pursue THE DREAM -- acting. We've kept in touch via blogging, e-mails and the occasional text and phone call but I haven't seen her for probably about 4 years. That's way too long! It's so nice to have those friends in your life that you can just pick right back up with no matter how long it's been and how many little life details you've missed in each other's lives due to long distance. I got the skinny on everything she doesn't write about on her blog and she laughed at me when I showed up towing a stroller. Helena loved her and told me later that she was 'nice and pretty'. I wish we would have had more time to hang out...but it was really so great to see her.

In Laguna Beach we stayed at a little bed and breakfast two blocks from the beach. Helena liked the beach, her first visit to one, but was a little scared of the crashing waves at first. Eventually she warmed up and was putting her feet in the waves and digging in the sand. It was a little too chilly to actually swim, but a couple of times we got in a little bit too deep, fell down, and got our clothes wet. It was good times.


I also took Helena to the Long Beach Aquarium-- such a neat place. We had a blast. Helena petted sting rays, watched sea lions play fetch and, her favorite part, got the play on this boat. Don't ask me why she thought this was SO FUN but I don't think I've seen her freak out this much ever. She was running back and forth and screaming and having a good old time.

Sheer delight on her face. So hilarious.

Anyway, Laguna Beach in November = awesome. Great mini break. Big thanks to Ash for stubbornly convincing me that it was OK to go.

-Emily :)

Turkey Day!

We had a great, more family-filled Thanksgiving this year. My dad, his wife Teresa, my brother Evan and my Grandma Millie & Grandpa Bill braved the winter driving season to come spend it with us.

We had a really good, relaxing time just chilling with everyone. And I was finally able to show Ash what a Thach thanksgiving is all about-- pie, football and NAPS! His family doesn't really nap at Thanksgiving and it drives me nuts and no one eats more than one piece of pie (love you guys!!). It's way too grown up and sensible. I think by the end of the day every Thach in the house had sampled one of each kind of pie.

Ash made the turkey and it was really fabulous. As a reward, he got to sit at the kids table with Helena.

After dinner, Helena & my dad went round after round of the game my family calls 'One More Time'. Basically my dad has a portfolio of flips that he can do with any kid aged 1 to 10. And when I was little I loved it so much I wouldn't ever let him quit-- hence the 'one more time'. :)

And finally, we got in a group shot thanks to the auto timer on my camera. Not too shabby. Thanks for coming to visit everyone!! :)

-Emily :)

Whirlwind

Hello everyone! I'm alive! Exciting, huh? We've had a busy couple of weeks with Ash working in California, then us going out to California to hang with him while he worked, and then it was Thanksgiving with family visiting and then things got really crazy.

Oh, and did I mention I'm pregnant too. :) Hence the lack of blogs for about a month. I'm exhausted. I try my hardest to make it until 10 each night...and most nights I fail miserably. Other than tiredness and some nausea and being a picky eater (all plagued me last time as well), I'm feeling OK. We're due June 16th and no, we're not finding out what we're having...again (I know, people, I can hear the sighs from here). Come on, it'll be fun! My next doctor's appointment is on the 15th, so here's hoping things continue to go well.

Anyway, when I get my energy up a bit (crossing fingers) I'll blog about our California mini break and Thanksgiving. Other than me growing a placenta and a baby, there's really not a lot going on around here.

-Emily :)

I am not...!

So this afternoon I'm walking Helena out of school and this other lady stops and holds the door open for us and says "Oh, she is so cute." I say thanks, walk a couple of steps and Helena yells "Mom, I am NOT so cute." The other lady heard it and just starts cracking up.

We've entered into the official 2-year-old 'no filter' territory, folks.

The other day she told the rental car guy that she had to poop, too.

-Emily :)

How We Survived a Republican Fundraiser - Part 2

So Ash & I got all dressed up and headed downtown to meet up with his boss and some other co-workers for the Governor's Ball last Friday. I successfully found something to wear...the jewelery ending up being the biggest pain in the ass (thank you, Banana Republic for only making expensive bracelets INFANTS can wear!) But I think we looked pretty snazzy.

Anyway, we got there and found the bar (complete with sparkling apple cider and sprite on full display... silly Utah), found Ash's boss, got our picture taken by a row of flags, and headed to our table.

Ash, his boss and his other boss (who he calls 'the bish')

Unfortunately, I have to admit the night wasn't as craptastic as I had hoped (you know, for the sake of the good old blog). After surviving an annoying, washed up news anchor as the emcee, the Governor basically just got up on stage and kissed all of the corporate sponsor's' asses. Then they gave money to the Utah Food Bank. No political speeches, just thank you's and a hokey story about how the Governor evidently still shops for his own groceries yet still doesn't get recognized correctly at the supermarket ("Man, you sure do look like the Governor!").

The Governor came around to our table and thanked us all for coming. Ash actually fist bumped him. It was funny. After that, I can't really remember what he said to us because I was trying really hard not to laugh too hard about the fist bumping.

After that, we finished up our dinner (it was OK, not the best food I've ever eaten) and then the 'program' began. A slew of Utah-native, former Dancing with the Stars and American Idol contestants did a melange of spooky, scary Broadway tunes that were actually very good and entertaining. Ash couldn't get "Puttin' on the Ritz" out of his head afterwards and I came away really, really wanting to see Wicked.

Oh, I almost forgot....the funniest part was when they performed Michael Jackson's Thriller -- the singing and the dancing -- and the Michael Jackson stand-in kept doing this weird fake crotch grab instead of just going all the way with it. It was like someone was all "Whoa people, we've got sparkling apple cider drinkers in the crowd....definitely don't REALLY grab your crotch."

-Emily :)

Ladybug!

Helena definitely embraced Halloween more this year. Even added the words spooky and pumpkin to her vocabulaly and can convincingly laugh like a witch.

She had a Halloween parade at school on Friday afternoon, where this is the best picture I got of her:

She was the first one in line and took her 'marching orders' very seriously-- stopping briefly to say "hi mom, hi dad" then went about her mission of leading her class in the parade.

She was marching so close to her teacher (the one in the gold cape), that you can't even see her here!!! She had her head down and everything. That's the rest of her class standing at the door. So funny.

She also fully discovered the joys of "kitty kats" and reeses peanut butter cups. There was loud stomach gurgling after her overindulgence, but no puking, thank god.


She did make a pretty cute ladybug. :) We didn't officially take her trick or treating becuase Ash wasn't feeling well...and, she's only 2. She won't remember...until she reads this when she's fifteen.

-Emily :)