Making Great-Grandma Dot Proud!

The kids sport their handmade hats with pride! Thanks Great-Grandma!

Such a Big Girl Now!

Ready to play at Jaydon's workbench!

Eating one of her new favorites...cheese cubes.

Taking a step or two on her own.

She likes to sit up on her knees like this. It makes her look like such a big kid when she does it, I can't help but laugh! Abby has made some serious "big girl" strides over this past week. She does not want much to do with baby food and prefers finger foods from whatever we are having. She still only has the one tooth, although the one right next to it is ready to break through the gum any day now. Having only one tooth does not slow her down and she's tried lots of grown up foods lately.

Saturday, Abby started holding her own bottle (note to self, must get photo). It's as if she just flipped a switch and now she holds it herself at every feeding. Not sure exactly what took her so long, but I believe this was a learned helplessness. Abby is standing well on her own and even tries to take a step or two between 2 people when she has the chance!

Superhero Party

Alex did not have school on Veteran's Day but they offered a Superhero class/party that morning so we signed him up for that. He has never seen the Batman or Spiderman shows/movies, but recognizes the characters and really enjoyed the class. He wanted to wear a "Superhero" shirt to the party but all we had were some slightly small Batman pajamas. Oh well, that worked! He got a kick out of telling his teacher that he was wearing PJs to school!

**Note, I have since purchased a legitimate shirt.

It's Rough Out There

Preschool is rough for 4 year olds. When I picked Alex up today he had a fat lip and blood down his shirt :( Teacher said they were in the gymnastics room and a little girl stood up right under Alex's face and they had a minor collision. He was a little upset but still managed to eat a large lunch so I don't think it hurts too bad. The blood probably freaked him out more than anything else!

Funny Rambling

"I wanted to be a Mom, but look, I'm getting fur on my legs so that means I'm going to be a Dad!"

--Alex, age 4

The Elf is Here!

Last week Santa answered Alex's letter requesting an elf for the holiday season. Our magical elf is quite mischievous overnight and gets into all sorts of trouble! He is here until Christmas Eve when Santa will pick him up and take him back to the North Pole. Most importantly, he is here to keep an eye on us and help Santa decide if we've been "naughty" or "nice" this year.

Each night we leave "Elfie" on the counter with some water (to remind him of melting snowflakes), crackers (sounds like the crunching snow) and magical snowflakes and once we are all asleep he comes to life! One morning he was in the freezer, another he had climbed into Alex's school bag (we think because he wanted to go to show and tell) and this morning Alex found him on his pillow! I think we are going to have lots of fun with Elfie as we prepare for Christmas!

Happy 29th Birthday Mommy!

Miss Abby was not really into the photo shoot!

Yesterday was my 29th birthday. We all went out to a nice dinner at Biaggi's in Naperville and then came home to open presents. The kids were most helpful with tearing into the paper and cards--I think Abby will have a ball at Christmas this year! We should probably just give her bags of tissue paper! Thanks to everyone for their well-wishes!

Alex with Brown Hair

Many days, I think Abby is simply Alex disguised with brown hair (and minus the dimples!). See photos above...can you tell the resemblance?

What Month Is It?

Our neighbor, Jim, suggested this would make a cool photo. He was right, it would make a great shot, if both kids were willing. Don't worry, Abby was only in the leaves for 5 seconds or so...just long enough to snap this one, sad, picture.

Brad said this portion of the staining would take about 6 hours. I think he was done in 2. Is he efficient or what? Must have been his little helper who made all the difference!

Today it was in the low 70s, wild. It is November 8. It was a beautiful day to be outside so we tried to take advantage and finished up a few things outside before it gets cold again. Brad and Alex sealed the enclosure around the bottom of the deck while I raked leaves and Abby napped. I pressed to put up the Christmas lights and just not turn them on yet, but was overruled on this one. I have a feeling that when we have highs in the 30s, no one will feel like going outside to decorate!

Dancing on the Ceiling!

"Don't you dare put me back down Daddy!"

Shake it Alex!

Bouncing to the music

It's that time of the year again--time for the after dinner dance parties! Since it is dark so early, we have to get creative to burn off the kids' end of the day bursts of energy! One of us does the dishes while the other cranks up the tunes and gets moving. We run around the downstairs and do lots of crazy dance moves with Alex.

Well, Abby has started bouncing to the music (so incredibly cute, yet so hard to photograph!) and tonight she begged to be involved! Anytime Brad tried to put her down and take a break, she fussed to get back in his arms and dance with Alex. I will say it is much more fun to do the dishes while singing along!

Let the Games Begin!

Abby's still working hard on learning to walk. She is becoming a pretty speedy crawler though whereas Alex was always a faster walker.
Playtime with Grandma!

Alex with his new "Frank" the combine (from the movie CARS). His little stash of cash was burning a hole in his pocket!

We had beautiful 70 degree weather here today and were able to get out and start a little Christmas shopping (along with the rest of the Chicago area). It was so nice to walk around outside without jackets and enjoy the fresh air! We enjoyed a visit from my Mom at the end of last week and hope she is feeling better soon! These temperature changes have also thrown Alex and Brad into a bit of chest congestion. I hope when the temps drop again next week they will all be back to their normal, healthy selves!

Can't Turn My Back For A Minute!

Abby turned 10 months old yesterday and is trying her best to be very independent. I appreciate her determination, but boy is it messy! When I turned my back to prepare Alex's plate at dinner the other night, Abby helped herself to an entire container of yogurt. This was a smelly mess, but she seemed pleased with herself! I guess she has a longer reach than I had previously thought!

At 10 months old she is standing on her own and eating more and more of what we are having at mealtime. She does not let the fact that she only has one little tooth slow her down!

Happy Halloween 2009!

Alex, Abby, and "Rico Suave" the pirate

Jake, Josh, Alex, Vanessa, Emily, Tommy, and Abby (minus Jaydon)
We take a photo like this each year and the kids get so much taller and seem to multiply :)

Yes, it was a little chilly, but she did not fuss the whole time we were out. Little Piglet just sat and ate her Cheerios, taking in all the sights along the way.

One in the bag, one in the mouth.

Our annual dinner potluck after trick-or-treating. I wish Halloween was on a Saturday every year! The kids had fun chasing balloons, bashing the cat pinata (mom and dad took out their "Scooter" aggression on the pinata too), and relishing in their sugar highs.

Once we warmed up and dried off from the early morning soccer game, we prepped the house for the Halloween party and got our costumes on. In our part of town trick-or-treat started at 3:30 in the afternoon which is great for the little ones! Alex and Abby had so much fun going from house to house and then playing with their friends afterwards. Abby was exceptionally well-behaved and slept in this morning, followed by a 2 1/2 hour nap. I think she's recovered now!

Last Soccer Game, Brrrr!

Miserable, muddy conditions.

Abby, snug as a bug in a rug.

Alex, warming his cold, wet hands in my fleece pockets. His gloves were all muddy by this point.

Game over, Go Sharks!

Great season! Now, let's go home and warm up!

It was so cold, just so cold. Those poor kids ran and kicked in the mud, wind, and cool temps yesterday morning for their last game of the season. The mud puddles led to wet knees, wet gloves, then muddy hands and cold legs. I think by the end of the game most were crying to go home, correction, most boys were crying to go home. The girls seemed to take it more in stride. I don't know why that was.

I have no idea what their team's record was because they don't really talk much about scoring or the final score. If they could get the kids running the right direction down the field, towards the right goal, then it was a successful game. We are proud of Alex for sticking with it and learning how to play soccer, even if the conditions were less than favorable most weeks!