Ramblings of a Rambunctious Toddler (and his sister)

Dance/Gymnastics

2012-01-18T16:46:00.002-06:00

Abby started a class today called Dance/Gym which is a half hour of ballet and a half hour of gymnastics. She told me gymnastics was her favorite part, especially hanging on the bars! I didn't look that closely at the age range for the class but it must be 3-6, as some of those girls are really tall! She wore the leotard the whole time, a cute hand me down from Vanessa, and ballet slippers for the dance portion. I didn't get any action shots as it is a class, in a room/gym, without parents :)

Summary At Age 3

2012-01-18T16:05:00.003-06:00

There's no stopping her now! Abby's off riding her bicycle, as fast as she possibly can! She has loads of energy, all day long! No naps for this gal anymore but in bed by 7:30 and sleeps about 12 hours. She continues to attend the Weeping Willows class at the park district for two hours, two days a week and keeps everyone there entertained. Abby is full of personality and loves to dance, sing and act silly. She plays dress up and likes to pack up her things to pretend she's going on "vacation". She can put her shoes on by herself, is potty trained, and is gaining quite the vocabulary. We are working on recognizing letters and numbers but she can say her ABCs and numbers to 20. She knows colors and shapes and we couldn't ask for anything more!

Abby is liking puzzles more and more, enjoys swimming and gymnastics. Did I mention how much she loves to sing and dance around??? Her best friends (imaginary friends) are The Wiggles. Yes, the Australian singing group for children, made up of four grown men, and yes, that's kind of odd. She is friends with all the kids on our street and plays well with all of them. Her new bike seems to be her least favorite toy to share, although last summer she had no trouble borrowing other children's bikes... It is fair to say that pretty much anything her big brother is doing, she wants to be doing.

33lbs (75th percentile)

38" (68th percentile)

Abby Turns 3, The Final Chapter

2012-01-18T15:59:00.002-06:00

Our neighbor, Carter, turns 2 next week so we decided to split the difference and have a party at a local gym in the middle of the month for all the kids on the block. It was great fun! They had an hour to jump, slide, and run around before we headed upstairs for cupcakes and presents. Even some of the adults got in on the jumping action (those foam ball pits are hard to climb out of !). Abby ripped her tutu after about 5 minutes at the gym, but that didn't slow her down any. Her favorite activities were jumping on the trampoline and climbing up the large inflatable slide to slide down face first! No fear for this little girl!

Playing in the Snow!

2012-01-18T15:52:00.003-06:00

Last week's snow wound up being about 6-8" deep so there was plenty to play in and shovel! It was super cold though so a big warm-up was needed once they all came inside. Road crews worked through the night and had things cleaned up well by mid-morning, although it was slow going. There's also the added time of bundling everyone up and packing a change of shoes for all of us whenever we go out!

Abby Turns 3, Part 2

2012-01-18T15:47:00.003-06:00

On January 4, Abby's actual birthday, Alex was still off for winter break. We had a fun playdate with neighbors that included lots of Just Dance 3, playing dress up, arts and crafts, and snacks!

Cub Scout Fun

2012-01-12T21:22:00.002-06:00

Brad and Alex have been working diligently constructing his Pinewood Derby car. They spent some time this weekend sanding it down to look similar to a little Luigi car he found in the toy box and wants to mimic. We have until January 25 to get it finished and make sure it meets the weight limit. The race is January 26 at Pack Night.

Alex's Cub Scout den was also invited to attend a college basketball game at the University of St. Francis in Joliet last weekend. This was the first college basketball game for most of the boys and taught them a positive lesson in teamwork and sportsmanship.

New Year's Eve

2012-01-12T21:04:00.003-06:00

Alex's understanding of New Year's Eve is that we get to "knock cups", eat fun foods for dinner, play games and say "Happy New Year!". He knows that New Year's Eve is December 31 and that January 1 begins the new year. He has never asked to stay up until midnight, but I'm sure someday his friends will clue him in on the whole ball-dropping phenomenon. Brooke came by for the evening and we enjoyed watching the coverage from the safety of our own home.

First Snowfall

2012-01-12T12:00:00.000-06:00

We had to wait until January 12, but we have our first measurable snowstorm rolling through!

The Party Source

2012-01-08T21:28:00.002-06:00

There is a great party/liquor store in Northern Kentucky called The Party Source. We dropped by pre-New Year's Eve to get some decorations and it took several days to get all the glitter out of Alex and Abby's hair! They tried on every pair of funky glasses and every hat in the store!

Assembly Required?

2012-01-08T21:17:00.004-06:00

Santa brought a bike with training wheels for Abby. In a box. Unassembled. Yep, he did, and she waited patiently for Brad to put this together.

He also delivered the Spyro Skylanders Wii set for Alex, which required little assembly and he was able to play immediately. It has interchangeable figures so when he wants to change characters in the game, he just puts a different figure on this little platform near the Wii. He absolutely loves it!

Abby Turns 3, Part 1!

2012-01-08T20:53:00.004-06:00

We had a family, "Wiggles" themed birthday party for Abby on December 26. Abby celebrated with all of her Grandparents, Great-Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, etc. It was a fun afternoon! She was showered with all sorts of beautiful clothes, dress-up attire, Hello Kitty galore, and Wiggles paraphernalia. Gigi even gave her a recordable Princess storybook, which she enjoys listening to very much! This same evening, we celebrated cousin Lauren's 32nd birthday over dinner and needless to say, everyone slept well that night :)

Christmas 2011

2012-01-08T20:29:00.003-06:00

Yikerz, pictured above, may have tied with Bananagrams for most enjoyable game of the holiday!
Abby was particularly excited about Christmas this year! I have to add that both she and Alex are little troopers in the car. While we did make a few more pit stops on the way to Cincinnati than we would have liked, these two do not complain about being in the car and for that we are thankful!

Relaxing under the giant blankie at Grandma Kathy's house.

The wonderful thing about having our families both in Cincinnati is that we get to visit with them all at the holidays. We celebrated on Christmas Eve with Brad's Mom's family, Christmas Day with Brad's Dad's family and on the latter part of Christmas Day with my family. Jackie and Scott were visiting from Washington, D.C. and it was great to catch up with them too! Bananagrams is our new favorite game and I am certain we have yet to get any snow because I finally broke down and asked for snow boots for Christmas. The kids each came home with a castle this year, one more dainty than the other. Brad thoroughly enjoyed his time off work and is looking forward to any work travel that will give him a chance to use his new, grown-up luggage. We had waited until Christmas to tell our kids about an upcoming visit to Disney World, and while they were (and still are) excited, they were more interested in playing with their new toys than anything else!

December Fun!

2012-01-05T14:05:00.003-06:00

Before our trip to Cincinnati to celebrate Christmas Dec 23-29, we spent our weekends in December visiting with friends and extended family here in Illinois. I had fun helping with Alex's class party, we went to see the Chipmunks movie (adorable!), and we opened gifts as a family. We ate lots of delicious treats, put together puzzles and toys, and played oodles of new video games. Life is good.

Family Christmas Party

2011-12-11T16:49:00.004-06:00

Abby refused to go near Santa this year at the family Christmas party with Brad's office. We have a cute shot of Alex and Santa, but Abby is nowhere to be found! Abby did get into the face painting and enjoyed having a snowman on her cheek for the remainder of the day. I am pretty sure she is the first of our kids to want her face painted! The dessert table may have been the biggest hit of all :)

Our First Snowfall

2011-12-09T07:04:00.001-06:00

Gingerbread Houses

2011-12-08T20:59:00.002-06:00

Now that the local bakery has raised their rate to $24.50 per gingerbread house (yikes!), and I needed two this year, we opted to decorate Wilton pre-baked houses with friends. The houses went together well and while we had a little trouble with our second batch of decorating icing, it didn't slow the kids down any. Yes, we have already consumed all of the candy and are working on the gingerbread. These things don't last long in our house.

Christmas Shopping

2011-12-08T20:51:00.003-06:00

On Saturday we did a little Christmas shopping with our two favorite little helpers! Yes, she dressed herself. Abby's a big fan of shopping and running errands in general. Wherever we are going, she wants to tag along. Alex would much rather stay home in his PJs all day on the weekends, playing games and relaxing. Abby, however, overheard Brad say he needed a haircut and she had her rain boots on before he could tell her she should probably stay home. Needless to say, she sat patiently in a chair at Great Clips, eating a lollipop, while Brad got his trim.

Deck the Halls...

2011-12-08T20:48:00.002-06:00

In her defense, she was on her way to swim class!

Friends Forever?

2011-12-08T20:43:00.003-06:00

Cassie and Scooter fight like cats and, well, cats. For some reason we found them both huddled up on the guest bed one night. This is famously the coldest room in the house so I'm not even sure why they'd want to sleep in there, but it was cute.

Portillo's

2011-12-08T19:24:00.003-06:00

In between appointments last week, I took Abby to Portillos for lunch. The man working there thought she needed a paper hat, and she agreed!

Thanksgiving

2011-12-08T12:53:00.004-06:00

We spent Thanksgiving in Cincinnati again this year visiting family, shopping, going to see the Muppets movie, exploring both the Children's Museum, and Totters Otterville. We celebrated Aunt Nicci's birthday, played outside, set up TVs and Christmas trees, ate lots of great food, bought presents and washed lots of clothes. We had a great time and were exhausted when we got home. Good thing we are still "young"! Can't wait to go back at Christmas!

Photo Shoot

2011-12-08T12:23:00.003-06:00

Once the tree was up, it was time to get a good sibling shot for the family Christmas card. Plenty of outtakes, like this one and only a few where they were both looking at the camera at once.

Swim Lessons

2011-12-08T12:13:00.003-06:00

Abby and Jaydon (our neighbor) have been taking swim lessons together on Friday mornings with a college student instructor at our gym. They enjoy spending the time together and playing in the pool. I think they may even be learning a few things too!

Bobcat Badge

2011-12-08T11:42:00.004-06:00

At the last Pack Night for Cub Scouts, Alex was presented with his Bobcat badge. He earned this badge by learning the Cub Scout Promise, the Law of the Pack, what Webelos means, the Cub Scout sign, the handshake, the motto, and the salute. We are very proud of him. He wears the badge upside down until he completes a good deed and we flip it around. They also had each scout throw whipped cream pies at the leaders for every $100 in popcorn sales they made. This was quite a sight, and quite a mess! I have a bit of a badge backlog going on over here and need to make affixing these to his uniform a priority.

Happy Birthday!

2011-11-22T13:32:00.003-06:00

Last Saturday was Suzanne's 31st birthday. We had a fun day of parties and a grown-up date night dinner. Life is good!

Everyone's Happy!

2011-11-22T13:31:00.002-06:00

Brad is done traveling for a while and everyone is happy about that!

Cincinnati Bound

2011-11-22T13:30:00.002-06:00

We are spending Thanksgiving in Cincinnati. Here are the kiddos enjoying the 5-6 hr ride down from Chicago. Alex was playing a little "Cat Paint" app on the phone while Abby napped.

Potty Trained!

2011-11-16T07:44:00.005-06:00

Much to the delight of her parents and doctors, Abby is potty trained. Hallelujah!! She's been wearing underwear, telling her teachers when she has to go, and last night slept in underwear! Training her was MUCH easier than training Alex, I think because she didn't like being dirty and was so prone to diaper rash. This will make it a lot easier to monitor her urine for infection as she was born with VUR. Hopefully she continues to make positive progress and does not regress! What's funny is she went from wanting to use a potty chair (we had 2), to wanting to use a potty seat that fit over the toilet (we had just bought 2), to wanting to just climb on the toilet herself in a matter of weeks. So, if anyone needs a barely used froggy potty chair, princess potty chair, or Diego/Elmo potty seats, let me know!

Baby Talk

2011-11-16T07:39:00.003-06:00

Alex was smitten by Baby Michael this past weekend when we went to visit Karen and Chris. He played toys with him, sang to him, and entertained him as we all visited and ate lunch. Abby was interested in Michael and certainly gave him some love too, but Alex was definitely his buddy during this visit. Michael is the best little baby and I really don't think we heard him make one peep the whole time we were there!

Police Station Tour

2011-11-14T20:24:00.004-06:00

Last Thursday, Alex's Cub Scout den took a tour of our local police station. One of the dads is an officer and gave the kids a very thorough tour that was informative for the parents as well! I will say, I always wondered who answers the phones when you dial 911 and who sets off the tornado sirens when the need arises.

Painting Fool

2011-11-10T14:22:00.005-06:00

This morning my friend Missy and I took Abby and her friend Kaitlyn to paint pottery at the Joliet Pottery Lounge. There was plenty to choose from and both girls enjoyed making their creations and eating snacks. I can't wait to see how it turns out next week. Abby definitely did not understand why we couldn't take her piece home with us today.

Umbrellas!

2011-11-08T18:09:00.001-06:00

Kids really wanted to use their new umbrellas and while I really wanted to drive to the bus stop, I humored them just this once :)

Towing Service

2011-11-07T22:33:00.001-06:00

She set this up on her own...

Fall Back

2011-11-07T22:31:00.000-06:00

Adding an extra hour of play to their day has them wiped out!

Dress Up!

2011-11-07T05:36:00.001-06:00

Abby has embraced "dressing up" in costumes and fancy dresses. She has a pair of dressy heels too so when she puts the whole outfit together with her purse, it is completely adorable!

Hot Chocolate 5K

2011-11-06T19:39:00.003-06:00

Early Saturday morning, before sunrise, Brooke and I boarded a train from her house to downtown Chicago to run the Hot Chocolate 5K. It was chilly, but we just layered up and hit the pavement. The route was beautifully scenic so there was lots to distract us from the whole running aspect. After the race we enjoyed chocolate fondue inside heated tents, however hot chocolate was noticeably absent. I think we must have missed that tent. What a great time!

Funny Little Sleepers

2011-11-06T19:27:00.002-06:00

I took these pictures on the same night. Funny kids.

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-02T20:44:00.003-05:00

Trick or Treat here starts as soon as the kids get off the bus and change into their costumes, so 3:30-6:30ish. It is one of the most requested days off for parents when it falls on a weekday and most houses have someone there to hand out candy, even at 4pm. A lot of us just leave a bowl on the front doorstep and refill it when we get back. Alex and Abby went strong for about an hour and then wanted to come home to pass out candy. We have lots of leftover candy, per usual.

We trick or treat with all the kids on our street which is about 13 or so. Alex and the other older kids were about 3-4 houses ahead of us the whole time but that was OK. Abby told everyone, at every house, "I a tiger", in case there was any confusion about her costume. Eventually her treat bag got "too hebby" so I helped her out between homes. They were both adorable and I'm so glad it was their choice to come home and not me having to drag them home.

Children's Museum Day

2011-11-02T20:30:00.003-05:00

Abby was in charge of the train tickets.

Abby on the teeter totter as Alex stacked blocks on the other side to try and balance it out.

Alex was really proud of his triangle train.
Ready for the wind tunnel!

Sunday morning Brad left early for a business trip to Virginia so the kids and I drove up to Naperville to see a new train exhibit at the Children's Museum. It was Naperville's Halloween Festival in their downtown area that day so we had the whole museum to ourselves! Both kids enjoyed acting as train passengers and working the ticket booth. The employees were eager to show the kids how things worked and sat right down to play with them. Usually it is so crowded that I never even notice the college-aged workers but the kids enjoyed all of the attention! One gentleman knew how to make more shadow animals with his fingers than I even knew existed. It was impressive! After a few hours of playing we were all ready to get home and warm up as it turned out to be a very chilly, rainy day.

Downtown Plainfield Trick or Treat

2011-11-02T20:25:00.003-05:00

On the Saturday before Halloween, the kids are invited to trick or treat at the shops in Downtown Plainfield. What a mob! I had not idea this was so wickedly popular! We met up with friends and let the kids loose on Lockport St. It was a chilly morning and eventually the crowds were too much to bear. We decided to head home once they'd each digested their weight in candy and popcorn.

Halloween Party Day

2011-10-28T08:14:00.001-05:00

So excited to dress up for school!

Willis Tower Expedition

2011-10-25T22:17:00.005-05:00

Waiting patiently for the train to Chicago.
A bird's eye view

The glass ledge on the Skydeck of Willis Tower.

Alex and Brooke, no doubt playing "I Spy"as they take in the beautiful views!

Saturday was a beautiful, sunny, fall day here in Chicago. We took the kids to lunch at Brooke's place in Oak Park then ventured out for a fun field trip. Brooke lives right off the blue line train so we rode the train to Chicago then walked a few blocks over to the Willis Tower. Ever since Alex saw pictures of the glass ledge that juts out from the Skydeck on the 103rd floor, he has been asking us to take him there. We wanted to wait for a perfectly clear day (there is actually a sign at the ticket counter that says something to the affect of no refunds for changes in visibility) and apparently so did the rest of Chicago! The wait was one hour and a half from the building's entrance but we shrugged that off as a probable over-estimate.

One line for the elevator to security. One line for security check. One line for tickets. One line for movie screening prior to elevator ride up to 103rd floor. One line for elevator ride. One line once on 103rd floor to stand on glass ledge. One line to take elevator downstairs. One line for snacks. One line for elevator ride up to street level exit. Phew! We were exhausted. The kids did remarkably well as the suspense held Alex's attention and Abby was just along for the ride.

What a view! The time commitment convinced me to bite the bullet and set foot on the ledge. I didn't last long. Alex, Abby, Brooke, and Brad on the other hand, ran right out there. The kids even laid out on the floor to look at the view down the side of the building. No fear.

We asked the kids what they liked the most and Alex said the glass floor, while Abby insisted it was the ICEE at the bottom. I think the train ride ranked up there as well. What a great Chicago day!

First Grade Photo

2011-10-25T22:07:00.003-05:00

Alex's school pictures are back and cute as can be. He is taking first grade in stride and has adjusted quickly to the routine of things. Cub Scouts continues to entertain Alex and he enjoys those outings. They have a Halloween pack meeting coming up on Thursday night and he is particularly excited about that. Abby continues to greet Alex with a big hug every day when he gets off the school bus. She is so happy to see him after school, it is a sweet thing.

Abby's Favorite Apron

2011-10-15T14:07:00.001-05:00

My friend Sarah Mikkelsen made this adorable apron for me a few years back...but in order to use it now, I'd have to wrestle it off the cutest 2 year old ever :)

Outdoor Explorers

2011-10-14T14:12:00.001-05:00

The kids found lots of goodies to play with outside at Grandma Kathy's! Most of these items were Brad or Jackie's growing up :)

Fall Break In Cincinnati

2011-10-13T07:11:00.004-05:00

The kids had a four day weekend so we took a road trip to Cincinnati. Friday the kids enjoyed visiting with Grandpa and playing outside at his house. Brad played in an annual golf tournament with his buddies on Saturday while we hit up Burger Farm for some pumpkin fun with Grandma Eileen, Aunt Nicci and Uncle Andrew and visited with Great Grandma.

Sunday we had lunch with college friends the Zimmerly's and their children Andrew, Anna and Baby Leah. Our kids all play so well together, must be that all their names start with an A! Dinner was spent with Gigi and Grandma Kathy. The unseasonably warm temperatures allowed the kids one more round of shorts-wearing, but we know cooler temps are right around the corner. The kids are eager for snow! We all love that first snowfall, but by the twentieth we'll be ready for Spring again!

We left Cincinnati Monday morning as Brad hopped in a rental car and headed to Columbus, OH for a week of recruiting for work at Ohio State. After several hours of excellent car behavior, I pulled off at Fair Oaks Farms for some jumpy fun on their giant air pillow. Once the kids got all their wiggles out, it was awfully quiet in the car for the remainder of the drive!

Weekend Warriors

2011-10-06T13:05:00.003-05:00

Before

After

Last weekend, Brad and I went all "weekend warriors" on the front of our house, while the kids ran wild inside and outside. Our shutters were quite faded and the door was still builders white, so we gave it a little facelift. Not sure why the only picture I can find of the front of our house is from 2007 when we purchased it, but it will have to do for now.

In Three Months...

2011-10-06T12:43:00.003-05:00

In three months, our sweet baby girl will be three years old. Goodness! She's making a bit of progress using the potty, especially at home, not so much in public yet. She has already finished her first potty sticker chart and picked out a small Dora doll as her prize. Abby has been riding her little pink bike and using the pedals more and more. She has a daredevilish streak in her as she starts at the top of the driveway and sails to the bottom of the hill as fast as she can. She is really interested in the bikes with training wheels that the other preschoolers on our block have been riding, so she may be ready for a bike promotion shortly. Abby is learning to use glue sticks and paints in her little "Weeping Willows" class on Mondays and Tuesdays. She is moving away from afternoon naps, despite our busy mornings but sleeps well at night! She also calls Brad, "Brad Ross" sometimes, which I think is really funny.

Baby Michael!

2011-10-01T08:06:00.003-05:00

No one was more excited about Karen and Michael's visit last weekend than little Miss Abby. She kept Baby Michael entertained by rocking him, hugging him, touching him, getting his paci and toys, etc. He is just adorable and extremely well-mannered. Brooke came to visit as well, so it was a really fun dinner!

Fall Preparations

2011-10-01T07:55:00.003-05:00

Abby pulled this nightgown out of the bag from the resale shop. I bought it for next fall but she insisted on wearing it now.
Alex's Phineas and Ferb holiday flannel PJs. He's happy as can be!

Helping Mom set up the Halloween decorations.

Pulling front door paint and dirt with dad at Home Depot.

The chilly weather is upon us! The kids were happy to pull out their warmer pajamas and help us get the house ready for fall! It is in the 40s this morning so it might be a chilly day to have the front door propped open. I see a visit to the pumpkin patch in our future!

Cub Scouts

2011-09-23T06:47:00.003-05:00

Alex recently signed up to be a Cub Scout and since he's in first grade, that means he is a Tiger Cub. His friend, Brendan, also signed up so they can buddy up at events and such. Last night was the first Pack Night, which they have monthly, and Alex was amazed at all the badges older boys had already earned. We are hoping he maintains enthusiasm for this and think it is a good way to make friends, learn new skills, and build self-esteem.

Weeping Willows

2011-09-19T17:40:00.002-05:00

Abby started "baby preschool" today, which is formally called Weeping Willows class through the park district. The class is all 2-3 year olds who are potty training so I have nothing but the utmost respect for these fabulous ladies! Abby threw her backpack in her cubby and ran right into the classroom this afternoon, all smiles. She was thrilled to show me her stamp at the end of the two hours and tell me all about her time at "baby preschool". Her favorite part was learning the Itsy Bitsy Spider song and we have been singing it ever since!

Trip to Napa, CA

2011-09-18T09:32:00.005-05:00

Atop Sterling Vineyards after the gondola ride, beautiful views!
How can you NOT like traveling with this wild and crazy couple?

Muir Woods National Monument

When Dave and Becca Talley, our former neighbors in Houston and dear friends, invited us to Napa, CA for their 15th wedding anniversary, we jumped at the opportunity. This was their 3rd third trip to the region which meant they already knew their way around and where all the great wineries and restaurants were. What a great way to travel!

We rented a beautiful house together in Napa and enjoyed being able to eat breakfast at home and grill out if we liked. We stayed up late playing cards and haven't laughed that hard in a really long time! The first day we spent touring wineries in Napa, enjoyed lunch at Taylor's Refresher, and celebrated our anniversaries at Michael Chiarello's restaurant, Bottega. Taking the gondola ride up the mountain side to taste at Sterling Vineyards was memorable to say the least!

The second day we toured wineries in Sonoma, CA, lunched at Basque, and grilled on the patio at home. The third day we ventured out to Muir Woods National Monument to hike through the tall Redwood trees. It was beautiful, like everything we visited, and the views from the winding mountain road we took to get there were spectacular! I kept my motion sickness under control, much to the appreciation of all in the car. We flew in and out of San Francisco so it was a pretty drive between the two cities on the way home Saturday morning versus the extreme fog when we landed Tuesday night!

Many thanks to Grandma Eileen, Aunt Nicci and Uncle Andrew for traveling to Illinois and holding down the fort in our absence!

Where Is Abby??

2011-09-10T20:22:00.000-05:00

When Abby gets out of the tub she likes to play the "where did Abby go?" game! It is just about adorable as they go through all the places they've been all day where she could possibly still be.

Quiet House

2011-09-08T14:32:00.001-05:00

The routine of going to school is good for everyone, but boy is this a quiet house while he is gone! Abby can't wait to get "Aquiss" off the bus each afternoon!

Playing Babies

2011-09-07T14:02:00.001-05:00

Abby has started playing with her babies more and is a good little Mommy!

Fall Weather

2011-09-07T14:01:00.001-05:00

Who doesn't love playing at the park on a brisk 60 degree September morning?

Too Soon?

2011-09-03T18:50:00.000-05:00

Too Big?

2011-08-31T12:00:00.000-05:00

Farmers Market

2011-08-31T11:59:00.001-05:00

Sporting their new crowns, handmade by Grandma Kathy. Alex wore his to school Friday for hat day and all the kids asked him if it was his birthday :)

8 Years of Marriage

2011-08-31T11:57:00.000-05:00

What a fun ride we are on together! Love and laughter go a long way!

Potty Training Progress...

2011-08-30T17:47:00.001-05:00

First Day of First Grade

2011-08-24T14:28:00.002-05:00

Actually the best shot from that morning.
How Abby spent the rest of her day, when she wasn't sleeping...

Alex started school on Monday and is loving the fact that more of his friends are joining him at the bus stop this year! His teacher is very sweet and he is in class with a few of his friends from the neighborhood as well. He keeps telling us "First grade is so much different than Kindergarten," and I'm sure he is right about that!

As he was boarding the bus, Abby threw up milk all over the two of us and the sidewalk, luckily missing the schoolchildren! Poor gal spent the rest of the day napping and hanging on the couch with Scooter.

Company Picnic

2011-08-22T11:25:00.003-05:00

Saturday morning started out as a thunderstorming mess, but we tried to wait it out in the van until it passed...
After lunch proved to be a better time of day to attempt the picnic. Abby and Alex both enjoy a good round of mini-golf.

The refinery brought out their ladder truck and let the kids take a look inside. It was a really nice looking vehicle that we pray never sees much use.

Cotton candy snack, yum!

Once his disappointment over the lack of bounce houses subsided, Alex took to climbing this rock wall. He scaled it quickly and confidently while Brad and I watched in awe as he hit the bell at the top :) What a big kid!

Daddy's Helper

2011-08-19T12:35:00.000-05:00

Back To School Haircuts

2011-08-17T14:24:00.002-05:00

This beautiful coiffe needed a little cleaning up on the ends...
2 inches or so later...
Ms. Kathy even gave Abby a fun braid to play with after her haircut. She did surprisingly well!

Alex, ready for 1st grade to start next week!

Bedtime Books

2011-08-15T19:49:00.000-05:00

August in Cincinnati

2011-08-14T09:35:00.003-05:00

August has flown by! We travelled to Cincinnati earlier this month when Great-Grandma wasn't feeling well and stayed for an extended visit since Brad was travelling for work anyway. The kids enjoyed seeing lots of family and the change of scenery for a while. We swam in Grandma's pool, played at the Splashground at Woodland Mound Park, shopped for back to school things, played outside, ate sno-cones, went bowling, visited Grandma's office, and sifted through Brad and Jackie's toys from the 80s (great fun!). Great-Grandma is home now and getting stronger each day which makes us all happy, especially her! Many thanks to Grandma Kathy for letting us turn her house upside-down indefinitely! Brad was certainly happy to see us when we returned home on Thursday.

Visit with Grandma Eileen

2011-08-14T09:24:00.003-05:00

Grandma Eileen came to visit at the end of July (yikes, I am behind!) and we had fun taking the kids to see Winnie the Pooh at the movie theater. This was Abby's first movie and Alex's second. Alex really enjoyed it and Abby made it through with enough popcorn. We may wait a little while longer before we take her back again. I had a Groupon for Space Golf which is miniature golf under blacklights and the kids especially thought this was great fun. I am glad we did not even attempt to keep score! We also made our last visit to the zoo for the summer. School starts in just one week!

End of T-Ball Season

2011-08-14T09:19:00.003-05:00

After Alex's last t-ball game there was a little ceremony at the YMCA where each team paraded in and the children each received a "medal" for participating. All in all, a good season. Alex enjoyed this sport more so than soccer but was not in any rush to sign up for fall ball. We may lay low until the Spring, picking up some indoor activities between now and then.

Heat Wave

2011-07-22T14:45:00.004-05:00

There was ample sun-screening to be done yesterday given the temps and bright sunshine. Alex sat right up front with Brad to have the best views of Lake Michigan.

Abby and Vanessa enjoying the breeze on the boat. The life jacket consumed Abby and she looked so cute with her cheeks all scrunched up. Much like Alex did his first time on Uncle Jim's boat at age 2, she fought the life jacket til she realized how much fun the boat was and then she gave in.

Such true weather extremes we have here throughout the year! This week has been topping out near 100 each day so all we can do is stay inside or stay in the water. Abby has decided that the water slides aren't half bad in the baby pool and Alex is hard to drag away from the big water slide.

All of us enjoyed a mid-week break as we visited with friends Mark and Sherri in New Buffalo, MI (on their family vacation) at the beach yesterday. I only took two photos all day as we were wet or sandy for much of the time. They took everyone on a boat ride over to the beach (which saved us from burning our toes in the hot sand) and we stayed wet or in the shade for most of the day. Mark's brother was kind enough to share his jet ski again so Alex and Brad had fun bouncing around on the waves. We even did a little back to school shopping at the outlet mall on the way home. All in all, a fun week! Grandma Eileen is coming in for a visit this weekend so I'm sure more pictures are soon to follow!

Abby the Fish!

2011-07-19T12:41:00.000-05:00

Abby finally got her hair wet on a water slide today and now I can't get her off of it!

Plainfield Fest

2011-07-17T20:14:00.004-05:00

This weekend was the annual festival in downtown Plainfield so of course we invited Chicago newbie, Brooke, to enjoy the fun with us! Alex took Abby for a spin on the "Dragon Wagon" coaster and after about two rounds of that Abby was ready to jump ship. The shady operator let her down, then continued the ride for everyone else. They burned up their tickets on other fun rides like the rocket ships and cars that run in a circle. Abby thoroughly enjoyed those rides, as did Alex. We ate our fill of carnival food for quite some time and had lots of laughs!

Picnic Snack

2011-07-14T12:21:00.001-05:00

Beautiful weather this morning led us to take a nice bike ride followed by a picnic snack (and a little bit of garage organizing). We love summer!

Baby Pool

2011-07-13T13:13:00.001-05:00

Daddy's Back!

2011-07-12T08:19:00.003-05:00

Brad returned from two back to back weeks of business travel and we had two fun weekends in a row to celebrate. Abby enjoyed showing him all her new tricks in the swimming pool and Alex was happy to have a buddy on the water slides again. We are really trying to take advantage of these nice, warm temperatures as there is such a stretch of cold, miserable weather here the rest of the year! Being outside is the name of the game right now :)

Sibling Love

2011-07-12T08:17:00.003-05:00

This will surely go down as the summer that the kids were inseparable. They have been playing so well together and enjoy "camping" in Abby's room with tents and sleeping bags. Alex is very happy to have a built-in playmate, even allowing her in his Lego room upstairs from time to time.

July 3 Fireworks

2011-07-12T08:04:00.005-05:00

Clearly we don't have enough red, white and blue in our wardrobes!
Andrew and Nicci were bursting with excitement!

Nice smile Abby.

The Village of Plainfield puts on a pretty impressive little fireworks show at a local park each year on the Sunday of the holiday weekend. Our kids love fireworks and have yet to be the grab-their-ears-and-scream type. Abby was all smiles that night, easily impressed, and Alex enjoyed the big, noisy ones the best.

New Buffalo, MI

2011-07-11T14:01:00.003-05:00

Now that we know how close New Buffalo Beach is to our home, we decided to make a day trip of it this year. Nicci and Andrew trekked out there with us and everyone enjoyed cooling off in the lake and playing in the sand. Alex had his first adventure on a jet ski when we bumped into friends that day, and he loved it! We brought home a bucket of shells and pretty rocks that Alex collected throughout the day.

Fireworks Fun

2011-07-11T13:54:00.002-05:00

Aunt Nicci and Uncle Andrew came to visit and brought a few things to keep the kids entertained in the evenings. All the neighborhood kids enjoyed watching the pretty sparklers and such throughout the weekend. Great fun!

Princess Nails

2011-07-11T13:45:00.003-05:00

I painted Abby's nails for the first time the other day. She went around telling everyone she had "princess nails". Adorable.

Abby Do It!

2011-06-26T16:10:00.003-05:00

Such an independent little thing she is, wanting to carry her own bag chair to Alex's t-ball game yesterday! Abby's also been doing "Abby's school" during the week at the library while Alex does a little summer review with his teacher. Abby's school consists of stickers, coloring, and flashcards :) She also likes to pick out books and movies at the library and talk with the over sized stuffed animals on display.

Field Trip Friday

2011-06-26T16:05:00.002-05:00

Friday the kids and I hit up the Brookfield Zoo, again. We have gotten quite a bit of use out of that membership this year and are grateful to Jackie and Scott for such a useful and clutter-free Christmas gift!

Last week was such a chilly, 60 degree week that we didn't get to swim, instead opting for playing at parks and the zoo. Crowds were surprisingly low and the kids got in to see their favorite animals. Abby's request was to see the monkeys and gorillas while Alex really wanted to hit the underwater dolphin exhibit and penguins. We were home by 1 :)

What We've Been Up To

2011-06-19T07:31:00.004-05:00

Enjoying summer break!

Alex has t-ball practice on Tuesday nights in downtown Plainfield, which happens to coincide with the weekly classic car show. After much pleading by the kids, we took them for a sweet treat after practice. They really enjoyed looking at all the older cars and listening to oldies music :) I fear we've started a Tuesday night trend...

We've spent plenty of nights taking bike rides to the park along the bike trail, plenty of days digging in the oversized sand pit, and plenty of mornings/evenings cheering on Alex at t-ball games.

Swim Lessons

2011-06-19T07:20:00.002-05:00

This summer Alex took swim lessons at the outdoor pool for the first two weeks of the summer, everyday. Now they are over, phew! Typical of Chicago weather, it was super hot the first three days then chilly and in the high 50s/60s other days. So chilly in fact that I let him skip one day and the others Abby and I sat on the side in jackets. Alex did very well jumping in and swimming from side to side in the pool. He improved a lot in these two weeks and is looking forward to practicing all summer long! The last day the instructors took the kids on the "big slide" and caught them at the bottom, encouraging them then to swim to the steps on their own. He definitely has more self-esteem in the water now :)

Swim Club!

2011-06-07T16:27:00.003-05:00

We joined a local swim club for the summer and have been trying to go everyday at least for a little while. There is a large sandbox area, a water playground, and a zero-depth entry pool with water slides. Alex is taking swim lessons this week and next each day as a refresher course and did awesome today at lesson #1. It was great to see him jump in and swim across to the instructor on the other side. He is motivated by the fact that if they can swim across then they can use the largest of the water slides and he can swim in a section other than the baby part with Abby. So far, Abby's favorite part of swim club is the sandbox and Alex's is the water playground. We have to drag Abby out of that sandbox each day and there is sand all over her!!

Last Day Of School

2011-06-07T16:25:00.003-05:00

Who takes a picture in the middle of the street anyway??

Alex's last day of school was on Monday, a two hour make up day from the Blizzard of 2011. Very exciting to go to school and not take a lunch box!

First T-ball Game

2011-06-07T16:06:00.003-05:00

Last Saturday was Alex's first T-ball game and he did great! He had good form hitting off the tee and rounded the bases each time. When he was in the field, he raced to get the ball with enthusiasm and threw it to first without fail. He even scored the first run of the game for his team! This is certainly going better than soccer ever did, but I'm thinking there is a big difference between a 4 year old and a 6 year old when it comes to sports! Abby, Brooke and I cheered him on from the sidelines and after 50 minutes, it was over. Short and sweet on a hot day = perfect!

2011 Corporate Challenge Race

2011-06-07T15:42:00.004-05:00

The Thursday before Memorial Day, Brad and I participated with his company in the Corporate Challenge Race in downtown Chicago. This was the second year that we participated and we were eager to shave a few minutes off our time from last year. It was a chilly, damp night so we were all ready to run, eat, and get home. The mist from Buckingham Fountain would blow over us each time a good gust came in off the lake, and it was really bitter cold. It didn't help that we were lacking hats/gloves for race night, guess I didn't think to pack that for a May 26 race!!

Over 23,000 participants from 635 companies showed up for the 3.5mile race so it was a bit crowded from the start. It is hard to run when you are tripping over everyone in front of you! Clearly we are not "runners" by any means, but we took 3 minutes off our time from last year, finishing within 5 seconds of each other at 34:15 and 34:20...sad considering Brad walked some of the race and I ran the whole thing. My last minute attempt at passing him by failed me again! We were proud of our times though and look forward to running next year!

Kindergarten Graduation

2011-06-07T15:28:00.003-05:00

Alex and his wonderful Kindergarten teacher Ms. Gomez!

Alex's Kindergarten graduation was held last week and the kids did a great job singing songs they had learned and reciting a poem. Each was presented with a certificate and the parents/grandparents were invited back to the children's classrooms for pictures afterwards. We are so impressed with how much Alex has learned in Kindergarten! Learning sight words and practicing word families and phonics early in the year led to reading by Spring! He also does well with addition/subtraction and reading comprehension. By the end of the year he was bringing home papers where he had created a picture and then written the caption to go along with it. He was the model of good behavior at school and followed the pledge to be "respectful, responsible, and peaceful", remaining on green the entire year! We could not be prouder of Alex!

Alex's 6th Birthday Party

2011-06-07T14:45:00.003-05:00

Alex was born on Memorial Day, 2005, meaning his birthday always seems to fall over the holiday weekend. Some years, only a few friends have been in town, and some, like this year, all of his friends from school and the neighborhood were available to share in the fun! We enjoyed visits from Grandma Eileen, Grandpa, Grandma Kathy, and a very pregnant Aunt Karen and Uncle Chris. While rain prevailed over the weekend (and thunderstorms kept us inside for the party), Monday was warm and sunny. I think swimming on your birthday is a great way to spend the day, and so did Alex! Alex's teacher had given him a birthday crown on the Friday before and he insisted on wearing it most of the weekend.

Can You Spell "Calm"?

2011-06-06T13:13:00.002-05:00

Alex: "Mom, I know how to spell "calm"."

Me: "Oh yeah, how?"

Alex: "C-O-M"

Me: "You mean "C-A-L-M"? Like when I tell you and Abby to calm down?"

Alex: "No, like in "dot com" Mom!"

Party Prep

2011-06-05T21:18:00.007-05:00

Let the crayon peeling begin!
Melting and stirring...

I was determined to be organized and start prepping for Alex's birthday party a few weeks early this year. I'm sure our friend Brooke was thrilled to find out we'd be melting down crayons to mold rockets and astronauts one Sunday afternoon. Here she'd planned on a nice lunch with the family...

We used the tips we found online regarding crayon recycling and got to work sorting, soaking, peeling, melting, pouring and waiting. The hardest part is definitely peeling the crayons, but after a good soak in ice water, the paper usually comes off in long bits.

While I do think the results were adorable, I'm not entirely sure how useful these crayons will be. Parts of the crayons were very delicate and thin making them brittle when squished into little hands for coloring. This project, though, definitely turned out better than my attempt at chocolate rocket ships, which later became Rice Krispie Treat Shuttles! Alex and Grandma Eileen also had fun tearing up a foam mattress pad to make "moon rocks" for the moon rock relay.

T-Ball!!

2011-06-05T20:46:00.003-05:00

Alex has been playing T-ball this spring and is really enjoying it so far. He has practice one day a week and games on Saturdays. Brad has been helping him toss the ball in the evenings which has helped his form tremendously. It is a co-ed team and I would venture a guess that Alex is one of the oldest in the group. He didn't really want to play a sport that required a helmet, but since he only has to wear one when he is at bat, I think he is OK with it. Most practices have been pretty chilly so to be able to wear short sleeves with no jacket is a treat!

Touch A Truck

2011-05-17T22:40:00.003-05:00

Time to get out of here, Mom!

Last week was the annual "Touch A Truck" event sponsored by the Joliet Park District. It was hot, hot, hot outside, but Abby and I gave it a quick look. She was mildly amused until the horns and whistles began going off and then she was ready to bolt out of there! I did get a few cute photos and some free bread from our local bakery, which was delicious!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T18:20:00.004-05:00

May 2005

January 2009

Happy Mother's Day to all you Moms and Moms-to-be out there!

I had a perfectly enjoyable Mother's Day here at home with the two kiddos and Brad. We had 70 degree temps, sun, and spent the day just playing outside. I opened gifts from the kids at breakfast, we took a bike ride (or two), went to the park, and enjoyed the pleasant weather. These babies are growing so super fast, I better not blink or I'll be outside teaching Alex how to drive! Looking forward to chaperoning my first field trip (as a parent) this week as we head off to the park to learn about frogs! Life is good!

Mother/Son Barn Dance

2011-05-08T09:26:00.004-05:00

Wednesday night was the Mother/Son Barn Dance at Alex's school. He was pretty stoked to use his cowboy hat, cowboy boots, and belt from his "Woody" costume again and I realized just how little cowgirl attire I presently own. We had fun getting our picture taken, eating cookies and punch, and of course, line dancing! I think the little boys had more fun running around the dance floor with their buddies than anything else.

Karen's Baby Shower

2011-05-08T09:21:00.003-05:00

Last Sunday I attended a baby shower for my dear friend Karen. Karen and I have been friends since middle school and she and her husband Chris are expecting their first child in early June. As her Godson, Alex thinks it would be pretty cool if he and the baby shared a birthday so we'll see what happens. It was great to catch up with Karen's Mom and sisters and watch her open all the fun baby gear :)

No Training Wheels!

2011-05-03T08:37:00.003-05:00

Several of Alex's neighborhood friends have learned to ride their bikes without training wheels and that was just the encouragement he needed to learn for himself. Saturday, Alex picked up Josh's bike and took off on two wheels, determined to try it out. First thing Sunday morning, he had Brad in the garage, removing his own training wheels. Brad helped him balance to get started and he'd ride all the way to the end of the street. We are still working on turning the corners, but he can certainly check riding in a straight line without assistance off his list!!

Take Your Child To Work Day

2011-05-03T08:33:00.003-05:00

This was the only picture I took last Thursday for "Take Your Child To Work Day". Alex went into work with Brad for about two hours before boredom set in, along with a lack of productivity for Dad :) He got a look around Dad's office building, watched a safety video, used the white board, had a snack, and met a few co-workers. I picked him up by 10 to go back to school. It made Alex happy and I'm sure Brad was proud to introduce him to his friends.