Halloween Party Day

So excited to dress up for school!

Willis Tower Expedition

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

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

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

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

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

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...

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!

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

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!