09.01, Part Two: Cirque Du Soleil's Totem

Finally!!

The countdown to this was over today, when Rob and I set out from Mt. Vernon to Columbus for our first big show together.. and Rob's first Cirque du Soleil experience. A few weeks back, I indulged a bit on some tickets for the Totem show, which is in Columbus for a couple of weeks. It worked perfectly into the existing schedule of us being up there for the weekend, so I figured it would be the perfect end to a north-central Ohio run.

hello from the grand chapiteau! | ohio expo center | columbus, oh

It was totally worth it.
And I mean totally. worth. it.

Bad news: I didn't take any of the following pictures.
Good news: We were in the 4th row, so had I been allowed to, I could've captured the exact same angles from our seats. Needless to say, we did have these views, and they were.. incredible.

This is what we saw but weren't allowed to photograph for ourselves...

opening sequence!

comedic relief: the "clowns" pippo & bubba

the "tracker" & his devil sticks act [ante ursic]
 the "scientist" & his LED tunnel juggling act [greg kennedy]

ring trio act: yann arnaud, olli torkel & alya titarenko
fixed trapeze act "lovebirds": sarah tessier & guilhem cauchois

the "amerindian" hoop dancers
shandien larance & eric hernandez [who replaced shandien's brother nakotah!]

pavel saprykin : the hand balancer

the "wedding ceremony" [roller skates]
[real life married couple!]: massimiliano medini & denise garcia-sorta

unicycles & bowls
... probably my 2nd favorite act.. be sure to youtube this!

the "crystal ladies," aka girls who can spin rugs on their hands & feet
twin sisters marina & svetlana tsodikova

my forever favorite cirque act.. the russian bars

some of the totem cast .. look at the costumes!!

Rob & I agreed that we would absolutely see another one of these together if the chance comes along. I was so happy I could be a part of his first Cirque show, and really, I had no complaints, either! We even met a great couple from New Albany who sat next to us.

After the show, we made the quick hop over to Easton to do lunch with my parents and Sydni at the ever-trusty CPK [California Pizza Kitchen], tour the new American Doll Store [.... whoa.] and even cross random paths with the Feasels [so great to see you, Megan!] before Rob, Syd and I loaded up for the trip back to Cincinnati.

.. And that's where we are now. I just got dinner ready and we're in for a night watching Brave [thanks to Maricor & co. for the gift!] with Sydni and relaxing for the rest of the evening.

I feel a cold coming on, too, but I'm telling myself it'll pass... we'll see.

G'Nite!  

xo | cmd

The Return of SYDMAD

My favorite part of waking up on weekends with this girl:

ninja mornings!

Is it Saturday night already? Whoa.

Highlight reel from today: Ikea was our first stop on the way up to Columbus. Maricor needed some specific bowls, and so I agreed to get them. I was leary at first, since Saturday is probably the worst day to do an Ikea run if you only need one thing, but I was pleasantly surprised at the short 15 minutes between entrance and checkout. What took the longest was this [& I didn't mind, at all!]:

cinnamon rolls.. the first reason you go to ikea.. duhh..

Post-Ikea, it was off on the road to Maricor's, which I realized today is actually under two hours away. That.. is... awesome. I was beyond excited for this, since it was the first time Syd & Mad have seen each other since they were babies. I was amazed that they jumped right back in with each other, like they hadn't missed a single day. [L-o-v-e!!]

nov2009 | jun2010 | aug2013
... & many more to come!!

We relaxed for a little while before loading back up and heading over to Easton to eat and get some fresh air for the girls.  

cousins!

The girls [aka, SydMad] were quite rambunctious today, but aside from that, I couldn't have asked for a better afternoon. At least little Sophie provided some chill relief from her sister and cousin's exhausting conduct while we were out. Haha.

1. response to, "please don't play in the rocks."
2. response to, "please make nice faces at people passing by."
3. sophie, entirely unamused.

.... Ornery or not, they're still adorable.. I can't deny that.

holding hands like good little sidewalk buddies!

We had one final little meltdown on our way out, which was easily cured by Tita Corin agreeing to carry both girls. It took a couple attempts to find a feasible way to get from one side of Easton back to the garage on the other, but we figured it out and aside from the awkward glances, it was a fuss-free exit and for that, we were grateful.

attempt #1 ... and the successful re-arrangement that made it across the plaza!
... i am.. a human stroller. #dowhatchagottado

Back at home, the night continued on much like the day: Sydni and Madison tore the place apart, Sophie sat resigned to her movie with teddy bear in hand, and the mama's... well, we added some pleasantry of our own in the form of some pink moscato. How's that for a reward?

mad+syd. sophie. mama's

+ Dinner!

i'll pretend i'm not obsessed with cbay biscuits.. haha.. (:

+ FINALLY............... :

WIN!! haha.. two tuckered out little girls

Day 1 of Mad's birthday weekend has been a success so far. Tomorrow's the party, so until then, goodnight! (:

xo | cmd

Cousins, Babies, Best Friends

Oh My GOODNESS.

So basically, today was incredible.

I woke up to my baby girl asleep next to me in the bed I had growing up, in the room that was mine. It was so surreal in just that moment to look around and realize that everything had come "full circle" in its own way: I was back in my childhood home, in that "little back bedroom, where I did my homework and I learned to play guitar" - YES, that's a Miranda Lambert song, but it fits beyond perfectly, since my family did in fact build that house and regardless of where I go in this world, that place.. that single place, is always going to be HOME. To have Syd there with me all morning was more than I could've asked for. It was perfect.

left: me, 1986 || right: sydni, 2013.



So once I'd put myself together, I opted for a mid-morning start on the road and called my cousin, Maricor, who I haven't seen in almost two years now. No excuse is good enough to justify that, but I had every intention on catching up with her, Madison, and now little Sophie, who I hadn't even had the chance to meet yet... until today. To say I was EXCITED was a bit...of.. an understatement.

It's been WAY. TOO. LONG.

cousins | left: pre-kiddos | right: today! (:

& today....... I got to say......
Hi, SOPHIE!!!!

adore. her. a whoooole bunch ♥♥♥

Love at first sight. She's so stinkin' cute. So off we were to CPK in Easton [because I'm still not fancy enough to eat anywhere other than that in Easton, hahh], for some lunch and short jaunt around Easton before the girls grew tired of the whole experience.

Some cuteness overload for you.. meet Sophie and her lemon:
 

I can't even take it.. this child is too cute for her own chunky-monkey-cheeked good.

BUUUT, this is definitely not to discredit her older sister Madison, at all. That girl is equally as adorable, in her own sassy way that I love to pieces.


♥ my silly madison girl! ♥

Silly little lunch buddies:

madison & sophie girls ... love my nieces!

fountain fun | easton towne centre | columbus, oh

Anyone who has children will totally understand this next picture:

we tried. that's all we can say... we... tried. hahaha..

Duh. Madison making silly faces, Sophie on the phone.. and the two adults coaxing between gritted smiles for the kids to look at the camera ;). Whatever. It's perfect. Hahh...

P.S. - It wouldn't have been a visit with my cousin without raiding her arsenal of Sephora product; since she works there and we're of the same complexion composition, this has always been way more fun for me than I need to tell you. Haha. Today was super-special, because I got the VIP hair treatment: a personalized salon-de-Madison styling, complete with spare socks and all. I. Love. It.

oh, i'm a lucky tita [auntie]!

We spent the rest of the day at Maricor's, hanging out with the girls and watching movies, catching up on our lives and realizing that we'll be seeing so much more of each other. I can't wait to get the girls together [Sydni's back with Nana & Pappy for swim lessons this upcoming week, sad face that she couldn't come with us today!].

[pre-courser of what we can all expect when that does happen......:]

cousins! [exactly 1 week apart (: ] | 2010 ... sydni & madison

Anyway, today made my heart so happy I can't even explain it. Not only did I get to see my cousin, her beautiful kiddos and spend nearly the entire day with the three of them, but my amazing and talented friend Laney made it to town for one last visit for a while... since she's moving to Oklahoma for a job at the end of this week. I've known this girl since like, 7th grade, and can't believe she's moving so far away! We've made it a point to stay integrated in each other's lives, and I know we'll continue to do so. GOOD LUCK Laney, on your next adventures... you deserve every bit of this!

myself & laney!
left : skyview ranch, 1999 | center : vrooman wedding, 2008 | right : easton, 2013.
love you, my friend!

Laney and I grabbed some dinner at Easton before I finally got on the road back to Cincinnati. I'm home now, and admittedly feeling a little disoriented. The drive home is obviously shortened in a significant way now that I'm back in Cincinnati, which means my family is so much closer. It was amazing to have this time today and I'm looking forward so much so to more of it.

I'm one happy, thoroughly exhausted girl.

Goooooood night (:

xo | cmd