We celebrated a little early.....our Happy New Year celebration took place at 7:30pm - before Jake had to go to bed. Jake, Megan & I had our own little party with pizza and dancing. We played a little "freeze dance", which they both loved. Megan was practicing counting down from 5. We must have done it 10 times.... You know - 5, 4, 3, 2, 1....Happy New Year!!! She said, "I like Happy New Year!" Darin is in California getting ready to attend the Rose Bowl tomorrow. Go Illinois!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Winter Wonderfest
Well, I've been a bad blogger. Especially since I sent out Christmas cards that said "Keep up with our family's happenings on our blog". This photo is one of maybe five total family photos that we have. We went to the Preview Night for the Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier a few weeks ago and actually got a photo of all four of us looking at the camera. Amazing.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Fun with Photoshop
Here is Megan's school picture:
This is what happens when you work in an office with a graphic designer and ask him to scan your photo....
You gotta love the typical "fake smile" in the school photo. I didn't think it would start so early, though. She really seems to like school. Last Thursday, Santa paid a visit to her classroom and surprisingly, she was the first kid up and in his lap. Everyone was shocked since she's usually one to hang back. She's super excited for Christmas and I've been able to keep the peace by threatening to call Santa if she's bad. I don't know what I'm gonna do two weeks from now. Jake obviously doesn't get it yet, but he's excited about whatever Megan is excited about. So, I'm sure he'll have a blast on Christmas too!
This is what happens when you work in an office with a graphic designer and ask him to scan your photo....
You gotta love the typical "fake smile" in the school photo. I didn't think it would start so early, though. She really seems to like school. Last Thursday, Santa paid a visit to her classroom and surprisingly, she was the first kid up and in his lap. Everyone was shocked since she's usually one to hang back. She's super excited for Christmas and I've been able to keep the peace by threatening to call Santa if she's bad. I don't know what I'm gonna do two weeks from now. Jake obviously doesn't get it yet, but he's excited about whatever Megan is excited about. So, I'm sure he'll have a blast on Christmas too!
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Santa!
We just got about 6 inches of snow on Tuesday night and I was home with the kids yesterday. So, we went out to play in the snow in the morning and they LOVED it! Jake had a bit of a hard time moving around in his boots and snow pants and at one point Megan pushed him down -- flat on his back -- and it was just like Ralphy's little brother on A Christmas Story, he couldn't move at all. Jake got her back though....she was making snow angels and he walked over to her and threw snow in her face and then fell on top of her. Amazingly, she laughed it off (not the norm for her). That's how much she loved the snow. Unfortunately, it was 22 degrees and I couldn't take it for much more than an hour. So, we came in and put on dry clothes and headed to the mall to take a picture with Santa.
When we first got there, Megan was a little shy. I said "Say hi". She turned her head and Jake started waving at him like crazy. Then I put Megan on his lap and she warmed up to him. Jake was a little less enthusiastic once he got that close. We tried for a while to get him to smile for the picture, but alas, this was the best we could do. When I put him on the floor again, he smiled like crazy and babbled away to Santa. I guess he works better from afar. Megan told Santa that she wanted a camera. He said, "What kind of camera?" And she said, "the kind that takes pictures". Duh, Santa. She also told him she wanted a vacuum. Again, he said "Oh, any special kind of vacuum...maybe a Dyson?" I said, "Sure Santa, we'd love a Dyson" and Megan said, "a vacuum that picks up fuzz". How old is this kid? A camera and a vacuum? It sounds more like my wish list!
When we first got there, Megan was a little shy. I said "Say hi". She turned her head and Jake started waving at him like crazy. Then I put Megan on his lap and she warmed up to him. Jake was a little less enthusiastic once he got that close. We tried for a while to get him to smile for the picture, but alas, this was the best we could do. When I put him on the floor again, he smiled like crazy and babbled away to Santa. I guess he works better from afar. Megan told Santa that she wanted a camera. He said, "What kind of camera?" And she said, "the kind that takes pictures". Duh, Santa. She also told him she wanted a vacuum. Again, he said "Oh, any special kind of vacuum...maybe a Dyson?" I said, "Sure Santa, we'd love a Dyson" and Megan said, "a vacuum that picks up fuzz". How old is this kid? A camera and a vacuum? It sounds more like my wish list!
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Boy, oh boy.....
So, my last post about Jake talked about how sweet he is. Well, he's also turned into such a little boy. The other day he was sitting at the counter eating lunch. He finished his food and was kind of playing with Megan and then he leaned over and spit on the floor. Not food....just spit. What's up with that?
And every time Megan announces that she has to go potty, Jake takes off into the bathroom to beat her there. Well, the last few times that he's gone in there, he walks right up to the bathtub, leans over and spits in there. I can't imagine where he would have learned to do that. It must simply be a "boy thing". Hmmm.
And every time Megan announces that she has to go potty, Jake takes off into the bathroom to beat her there. Well, the last few times that he's gone in there, he walks right up to the bathtub, leans over and spits in there. I can't imagine where he would have learned to do that. It must simply be a "boy thing". Hmmm.
Miss Megan
Megan has been quite entertaining lately. She went through a phase about a week ago where she only wanted to watch episodes of Pee Wee's Playhouse. Fortunately (or unfortunately) we have a DVD box set, courtesy of my brother. I must admit, it is really funny.
She was looking through my jewelry box last week and as she was pulling out necklaces, etc...she said, "oh, this is fabulous". Where does a 3 year old pick up those lines? And then, she was sitting at the counter all dressed for school and said, "my clothes are amazing". The funny thing is, this is the only time she's said that. It's not a regular thing that she says at all.
And, before I forget this one.....a couple of weeks ago, I got a call from her school that said she wasn't feeling well. So, I went to pick her up and as we're driving away she was telling me about it. Here's her story:
"I was going to gym class and then I started crying and 'Jim' said to me, are you sick? And I said yes. Then I went to the office and they called you"
The funny part is, her teacher is a woman and she thinks her name is Jim - because it's "gym" class.
Most recently, she was watching Dancing With the Stars last night and insisted upon dancing while the stars were dancing. So, I danced with her and then she told Darin to be the judge. He gave her a "7" and noted that she seemed like she didn't practice enough and she was very happy with her score. Then, we went to the kitchen and practiced a few steps. She came back in to perform them and scored a "9" - you would have thought that she won the lottery with her level of excitement.
She was looking through my jewelry box last week and as she was pulling out necklaces, etc...she said, "oh, this is fabulous". Where does a 3 year old pick up those lines? And then, she was sitting at the counter all dressed for school and said, "my clothes are amazing". The funny thing is, this is the only time she's said that. It's not a regular thing that she says at all.
And, before I forget this one.....a couple of weeks ago, I got a call from her school that said she wasn't feeling well. So, I went to pick her up and as we're driving away she was telling me about it. Here's her story:
"I was going to gym class and then I started crying and 'Jim' said to me, are you sick? And I said yes. Then I went to the office and they called you"
The funny part is, her teacher is a woman and she thinks her name is Jim - because it's "gym" class.
Most recently, she was watching Dancing With the Stars last night and insisted upon dancing while the stars were dancing. So, I danced with her and then she told Darin to be the judge. He gave her a "7" and noted that she seemed like she didn't practice enough and she was very happy with her score. Then, we went to the kitchen and practiced a few steps. She came back in to perform them and scored a "9" - you would have thought that she won the lottery with her level of excitement.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Such a sweet kid.....
Jake is such an easygoing little guy. He doesn't hold a grudge when Megan hits him for coming within 2 feet of her and he recently started giving lots of hugs and kisses. As a matter of fact, when he passes any mirror that he can see himself in, he stops for a kiss. He also learned how to play ring around the rosie this past week. This kid will hold my hands and walk around in cirlces for 30 minutes if I'd let him. He loves to fall down and usually doesn't make it through the whole song before he's cracking himself up by falling on his butt. Good times.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Happy Halloween
Here's a photo of the kids when we first hit the road for trick-or-treating. Jake went to 2 houses and then Darin came home and hung out with him. Megan made it all around the neighborhood, came in for a little while, ate a taffy apple that Papa brought over and wanted to go back out again. She loves this holiday.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Boo Bash
Megan and I went to her school's "Boo Bash" on Friday night. She was a little shy at first (of course) but once she warmed up all she wanted to do was dance. They had a DJ and a light show and she jammed out on the dance floor for at least an hour and a half. I danced with her for about the first 40 minutes or so and at one point she said to me, "Mom, this is just like Dancing with the Stars!". I went to get some water and she stayed on the floor until the last song (which was close to 9:30pm).
You'll also notice from the photo that she decided to be the same witch that she was last year. Fortunately, the costume still fits. More Halloween to come on Wednesday........
You'll also notice from the photo that she decided to be the same witch that she was last year. Fortunately, the costume still fits. More Halloween to come on Wednesday........
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Jake's Updates
Jake learned how to frown a couple of weeks ago - now instead of his big happy smile, he greets people with a frown first.
Jake's communication is getting pretty good. He uses sign language for "milk" and "more". And we understand him when he says ball or car, and his favorite lately -- pump pump (pumpkin). He's also really good at saying "cooka" and requests cookies without even seeing any. Megan used to call them cookas too. He actually began calling me mama in the past month or so. Before that, everytime we'd say "mama" to him, he'd say "dada" back. Megan would laugh and laugh and then it became a game to him and he used that every time to get a reaction out of us.
On Sunday, Megan, Jake and I went for a walk in our neighborhood. Megan was pushing her baby in the stroller and Jake was pushing his teddy bear in the shopping cart. He almost made it around the entire block before he requested to be picked up. He was also wearing his baseball cap - which he took a liking to that day. It was kind of windy out, so he kept checking his hat to make sure it wasn't coming off. It was pretty funny. I have some video of that and if I ever learn how to post video footage, I'll put it up here. Don't hold your breath.
Jake's communication is getting pretty good. He uses sign language for "milk" and "more". And we understand him when he says ball or car, and his favorite lately -- pump pump (pumpkin). He's also really good at saying "cooka" and requests cookies without even seeing any. Megan used to call them cookas too. He actually began calling me mama in the past month or so. Before that, everytime we'd say "mama" to him, he'd say "dada" back. Megan would laugh and laugh and then it became a game to him and he used that every time to get a reaction out of us.
On Sunday, Megan, Jake and I went for a walk in our neighborhood. Megan was pushing her baby in the stroller and Jake was pushing his teddy bear in the shopping cart. He almost made it around the entire block before he requested to be picked up. He was also wearing his baseball cap - which he took a liking to that day. It was kind of windy out, so he kept checking his hat to make sure it wasn't coming off. It was pretty funny. I have some video of that and if I ever learn how to post video footage, I'll put it up here. Don't hold your breath.
Megan's Updates
I haven't updated any kid stories lately.....we've been kind of busy! So here are a few of Megan's updates:
She likes talking on her phone - the other day she was walking around with it and talking to "someone" when I heard her say, "Wait, you're breaking up a little bit". I thought that was so funny - she picks up everything.....even when I don't think she hears me. Like last night she dropped a toy and said "Damn it". Yikes. I better watch my mouth.
Then, on Saturday, I was in the kitchen with Jake and Jimmy and she was in the family room. When I looked over she was swinging her arms (like a golfer). I said, "what are you doing" And she said, "I'm practicing my golf swing". She and Darin went to go hit some balls when he got home from work, but the clubs are still a bit too heavy for her, so they didn't last too long. Maybe we'll have to get her set up with a set that fits her. You know, work toward that golf scholarship.
On Sunday, Darin brought her these little Disney dolls - Cinderella and Ariel. She has been playing with them non-stop. She got all set up with the Fisher-Price Pirate Ship and she used a Prince Eric doll from another little mermaid set and makes them all talk to each other like they're at a party. She doesn't call Prince Eric by his name - she calls him Jonas. Don't ask me why. And she says that Cinderella and Ariel are really, really good friends.
She likes talking on her phone - the other day she was walking around with it and talking to "someone" when I heard her say, "Wait, you're breaking up a little bit". I thought that was so funny - she picks up everything.....even when I don't think she hears me. Like last night she dropped a toy and said "Damn it". Yikes. I better watch my mouth.
Then, on Saturday, I was in the kitchen with Jake and Jimmy and she was in the family room. When I looked over she was swinging her arms (like a golfer). I said, "what are you doing" And she said, "I'm practicing my golf swing". She and Darin went to go hit some balls when he got home from work, but the clubs are still a bit too heavy for her, so they didn't last too long. Maybe we'll have to get her set up with a set that fits her. You know, work toward that golf scholarship.
On Sunday, Darin brought her these little Disney dolls - Cinderella and Ariel. She has been playing with them non-stop. She got all set up with the Fisher-Price Pirate Ship and she used a Prince Eric doll from another little mermaid set and makes them all talk to each other like they're at a party. She doesn't call Prince Eric by his name - she calls him Jonas. Don't ask me why. And she says that Cinderella and Ariel are really, really good friends.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Race Recap
Yesterday, I ran the Chicago Marathon. If you've watched the news at all, then you know that it was 90 degrees and humid. It felt much more like a July day than an October day. It was 70 degrees when I got up in the morning, so I knew there wouldn't be much relief. I met up with some of the guys in my training group and made our way to the start. We had a plan that we were gonna try to stay close to our 8:30 pace and maybe modify it a bit if it was too warm -- but definitely not faster than that for the first few miles. I knew that goal of 3:45 might be unattainable when I was standing there at the start and sweating before we even started running. I modified my goal to 4 hours or under. I started the race with 3 guys. After mile one, Bill left us to try to run a bit faster. At mile 4, Mike decided that the pace was a little too fast and told us to go ahead. It was just Ted and I and Ted got cramps at mile 6 and slowed down to stretch (I found out later he was hospitalized overnight). So, it was just little old me for the next 20 miles. I walked a bit through each of the water stations to make sure I got enough fluid in me and not on me. The first half was fine...I was hot but not spent at that point. By mile 18, I was really seeking out shade or friendly neighborhood folks who had come out with hoses. By mile 20, it was really hard to start running again after taking those walking water breaks. At the 22 mile water station, I must have walked about the equivalent of a city block. Now, that took a monumental effort to start running after that. It felt so good to just walk. But, I had my goal and I wasn't gonna throw it away after going that far. I didn't even stop at the last water station. I was only a mile away at that point and I had ingested so much water and gatorade that my body probably stopped processing it. I also knew that it might be a walk to the finish if I stopped one more time.
The final quarter mile was tough but easy. Tough, because my body was totally spent but easy because I was so close to the finish and the crowd support was awesome. I finished in 3:56.
I did get to see quite a few people that I knew along the course. First, I saw Nancy, Jeff, Liz and Maddie at mile 6. Then, I saw Ona (my neighbor) in boystown. Then, Darin, Jenny and Megan were at mile 17 (see photo - I am in there...I'm behind the girl in the center who looks kind of like she's not wearing a shirt. You can just see my head and part of my blue shirt). My uncle Scott was out near the 25 mile mark. And, then Darin, Megan & Jenny were in the finish line bleachers (and I actually did see them among the crowd).
I know that my experience at the race was quite different than that of the folks that were behind me. I was fortunate enough to have plenty of water and gatorade. And, I made sure to run my first half at a pretty easy pace so as not to blow up in the second half.
It's a bit of a bummer because I had a great season of training and I'm probably in my best running shape ever. Looks like I'll have to choose my next race to see what I've really got in me.
The final quarter mile was tough but easy. Tough, because my body was totally spent but easy because I was so close to the finish and the crowd support was awesome. I finished in 3:56.
I did get to see quite a few people that I knew along the course. First, I saw Nancy, Jeff, Liz and Maddie at mile 6. Then, I saw Ona (my neighbor) in boystown. Then, Darin, Jenny and Megan were at mile 17 (see photo - I am in there...I'm behind the girl in the center who looks kind of like she's not wearing a shirt. You can just see my head and part of my blue shirt). My uncle Scott was out near the 25 mile mark. And, then Darin, Megan & Jenny were in the finish line bleachers (and I actually did see them among the crowd).
I know that my experience at the race was quite different than that of the folks that were behind me. I was fortunate enough to have plenty of water and gatorade. And, I made sure to run my first half at a pretty easy pace so as not to blow up in the second half.
It's a bit of a bummer because I had a great season of training and I'm probably in my best running shape ever. Looks like I'll have to choose my next race to see what I've really got in me.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Jake Update
Just a quick update....I took Jake for his 15 month Dr. appt. today. He weighed in at 25 lbs (55th percentile) & his height was 32-1/2" (83%). He is officially one pound heavier than his sister......And only 4 inches shorter.
Ballet Class
Megan had her first day of ballet class today. It was the cutest thing I've ever seen.....a bunch of 3 year-olds dressed in their dance gear and practicing their moves. Megan had a good time. Jake was a handful...he just wanted to get down and play on the mats at the gymnastics center. I'm sure it was quite tempting for him. Poor guy.
The class started at 11:45, but she was dressed with her hair done by 9am. I was talking to her about it last night and said, "are you excited to go to ballet class?" She said, "Yes, I've been waiting so long." Getting her going in the morning is usually a big challenge, so this was a nice change. Let's hope the excitement lasts.
The class started at 11:45, but she was dressed with her hair done by 9am. I was talking to her about it last night and said, "are you excited to go to ballet class?" She said, "Yes, I've been waiting so long." Getting her going in the morning is usually a big challenge, so this was a nice change. Let's hope the excitement lasts.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Playing Together
We've reached a point where they like to play together! Yay! They like to dance and scream -- yes, I know -- but at least they're happy screams. And, as long as they're happy and not hanging on my leg - I'm happy.
This photo represents a moment of joy when they were running circles around our family room. They met up face to face and thought it was so funny. The screaming turned to laughter and then Megan knocked Jake down and layed on top of him. Fortunately, he can fend for himself -- he can usually get out of any pin. The laughter doesn't last long enough, especially when they're wrestling - but I'll take it when I can get it.
This photo represents a moment of joy when they were running circles around our family room. They met up face to face and thought it was so funny. The screaming turned to laughter and then Megan knocked Jake down and layed on top of him. Fortunately, he can fend for himself -- he can usually get out of any pin. The laughter doesn't last long enough, especially when they're wrestling - but I'll take it when I can get it.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Getting Caught Up
Well - I haven't been very good about regular updates lately, have I? It's been kind of busy around our house. I'm 3 weeks away from the marathon, so my mileage is around 45 miles/week. As you saw in the previous post, Megan started school -- and loves it. Jake is walking all over the place now and Darin's swamped with work.
I'll start from the beginning. We went on a family vacation the week before Labor Day to Myrtle Beach. We stayed in a great house on the beach with Jenny & Flip, Lisa, Will & kids, Jen, Rewdy & Sadie and Jean, Currin and kids. Jake was pretty much officially walking during that week (the photo is from the trip). Everyone had a great time swimming in the pool, going to the beach and riding amusement park rides. We ate like royalty, too.
Update on Megan's school -- after her first day, she talked about it for at least 2 days. She kept coming up with new little stories -- ie. she said "when we had story time, some kids were talking and I had to say shhh because I couldn't hear it." (She also does this to us when she can't hear the TV). She learned the song - Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes. She painted a picture and was so upset that she left it at school. Apparently it was a pink and blue duck. She loves school.
Jake is turning into a little boy. He's pretty funny to watch -- we were out in the front yard with some neighbors the other day and he just walked around and picked up sticks. He ran away from me when I said it was time to go inside. I guess he could tell I was coming at him to pick him up. He's got a temper too - when something doesn't go his way, either someone or something is getting whacked or he throws himself down to the ground in protest. Fun stuff.
I'll start from the beginning. We went on a family vacation the week before Labor Day to Myrtle Beach. We stayed in a great house on the beach with Jenny & Flip, Lisa, Will & kids, Jen, Rewdy & Sadie and Jean, Currin and kids. Jake was pretty much officially walking during that week (the photo is from the trip). Everyone had a great time swimming in the pool, going to the beach and riding amusement park rides. We ate like royalty, too.
Update on Megan's school -- after her first day, she talked about it for at least 2 days. She kept coming up with new little stories -- ie. she said "when we had story time, some kids were talking and I had to say shhh because I couldn't hear it." (She also does this to us when she can't hear the TV). She learned the song - Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes. She painted a picture and was so upset that she left it at school. Apparently it was a pink and blue duck. She loves school.
Jake is turning into a little boy. He's pretty funny to watch -- we were out in the front yard with some neighbors the other day and he just walked around and picked up sticks. He ran away from me when I said it was time to go inside. I guess he could tell I was coming at him to pick him up. He's got a temper too - when something doesn't go his way, either someone or something is getting whacked or he throws himself down to the ground in protest. Fun stuff.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Megan's First Day of Preschool
I just dropped Megan off for her first day of 3 year-old preschool at St. Cornelius. She will be going on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 - 2pm. She was a little nervous -- if you look close at the photo you might be able to see that she's biting her lip. There were lots of parents in the hallway taking photos like paparazzi, and she didn't really want to go into the room. I think it was a little overwhelming. Her teacher, Miss Riley, suggested that we wait until the crowd dissipated. Once many of the parents cleared, we had a little chat about her being big and that Jake couldn't go to school yet. That made her smile and she said, "ok, I'm ready now". Aw... such a big kid. She walked into the room without a single tear. I, on the other hand, had to hold back my tears! I'm going to pick her up at 2pm and I'm sure I'll have another post later.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
At the Park.....
Yesterday, we met some friends at the park. It was a good way to get some fresh air and tire everyone out before lunch and nap time! We met our neighbors who have a daughter that is Megan's age, a daughter that is Jake's age and a 2 month old daughter. Well, Megan ditched Jake immediately when the girls showed up. Poor Jake was left to fend for himself. I did, however, get him to take 4 steps yesterday. Then, he got so mad (because I kept backing up and not giving him my hand) that he threw himself to the ground. Very dramatic. I'm sure he'll be running soon.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Busy Body
Ah, Jake. This guy really keeps me on my toes. One day, I got home from work and went upstairs to change my clothes. Megan and Jake were with me and they both went in to their bathroom. Usually Jake just likes to throw the bath toys into the tub. Well, on this particular day, Megan was climbing into the tub (no water) and saying, "c'mon Jake". He climbed over and landed on his head.
Prior to that, he was riding this little scooter through the house and his back wheel caught the rug. He toppled over on to his face, but luckily missed the corner of the fireplace by a hair. I picked him up to hug him (he was crying pretty hard) and when I looked down, I had blood on my shoulder. He had split his lip and gum and had a slight bloody nose. He bounced back quickly.
Now, in this photo, he's decided to open up the drawer and take everything out. I didn't mind too much - he was having fun and not getting into much trouble (other than the occasional pinching of the fingers in the drawer).
These days, I have to close the door to the basement and gate the stairs that lead upstairs. He just learned how to go down a couple of stairs backwards, but I don't trust a whole staircase in front of him. This boy is gonna give me a heart attack with all of his stunts.
Prior to that, he was riding this little scooter through the house and his back wheel caught the rug. He toppled over on to his face, but luckily missed the corner of the fireplace by a hair. I picked him up to hug him (he was crying pretty hard) and when I looked down, I had blood on my shoulder. He had split his lip and gum and had a slight bloody nose. He bounced back quickly.
Now, in this photo, he's decided to open up the drawer and take everything out. I didn't mind too much - he was having fun and not getting into much trouble (other than the occasional pinching of the fingers in the drawer).
These days, I have to close the door to the basement and gate the stairs that lead upstairs. He just learned how to go down a couple of stairs backwards, but I don't trust a whole staircase in front of him. This boy is gonna give me a heart attack with all of his stunts.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Birthday fun!
Megan's 3rd birthday was last Saturday. We had a pizza party for our family. Here's Megan with her cousins Lili and Madison. Megan chose pizza because that's her favorite -- well, either that or peanut butter and jelly. She's eaten pb&j for lunch and dinner for the last two days.
She had a great time playing with her cousins and she got lots of nice gifts -- art supplies, a Barbie car, cool clothes (she is a fashionista, you know), dress up supplies (a necessity for a fancy girl), a play grill, and a keyboard and a fishing rod. Darin taught her how to cast the fishing pole after everyone left and she is a natural. After her second try, she caught right on and could cast and reel with the best of 'em. Looks like she's got a future of fishing at the lake with her dad!!
Tonight, I read her "Kitten's First Full Moon" at bedtime and she said "Can we get a kitten when it's my birthday again?" Oh boy....if she only knew how allergic I was - I'd have to move out!!
She had a great time playing with her cousins and she got lots of nice gifts -- art supplies, a Barbie car, cool clothes (she is a fashionista, you know), dress up supplies (a necessity for a fancy girl), a play grill, and a keyboard and a fishing rod. Darin taught her how to cast the fishing pole after everyone left and she is a natural. After her second try, she caught right on and could cast and reel with the best of 'em. Looks like she's got a future of fishing at the lake with her dad!!
Tonight, I read her "Kitten's First Full Moon" at bedtime and she said "Can we get a kitten when it's my birthday again?" Oh boy....if she only knew how allergic I was - I'd have to move out!!
Monday, July 30, 2007
I've Been Practicing....
I've got a couple of funny Megan stories....
Last week, Darin was playing "I got your nose" with Megan. You know, the one where you hold your thumb in between your fingers and trick the kid. He did it to her about 3 or 4 times and then they started doing something else and never mentioned it again. Three days later, he had put her in a time out. When he went to get her, she said, "I've been practicing" And he said, "practicing what?" Then, she did her little trick and said "I got your nose". Funny how that little mind is working all the time.
The other night I was putting Megan to bed and when I was leaving her room I said, "Good night....sleep tight" and she said, "Don't get any mosquito bites". I loved that one.
On Saturday, Darin and I were going to dinner with some friends and he came down the stairs wearing sandals. Before he made it to the bottom, Megan said "I don't like those".
He said, "What?"
She said, "Your shoes. Are those flip flops?"
He said, "Yeah, they're kind of like flip flops" (they weren't)
She said, "Those are for girls"
Last week, Darin was playing "I got your nose" with Megan. You know, the one where you hold your thumb in between your fingers and trick the kid. He did it to her about 3 or 4 times and then they started doing something else and never mentioned it again. Three days later, he had put her in a time out. When he went to get her, she said, "I've been practicing" And he said, "practicing what?" Then, she did her little trick and said "I got your nose". Funny how that little mind is working all the time.
The other night I was putting Megan to bed and when I was leaving her room I said, "Good night....sleep tight" and she said, "Don't get any mosquito bites". I loved that one.
On Saturday, Darin and I were going to dinner with some friends and he came down the stairs wearing sandals. Before he made it to the bottom, Megan said "I don't like those".
He said, "What?"
She said, "Your shoes. Are those flip flops?"
He said, "Yeah, they're kind of like flip flops" (they weren't)
She said, "Those are for girls"
Thursday, July 26, 2007
A Day at the Beach
Here's a photo from last weekend. We went up to the cottage in Wisconsin and hung out at the beach for the afternoon. Megan didn't want to be photographed on this day, so this time around it's just Jake. He was happy to work the camera. If you look closely, you'll notice he's got a fine layer of sand over his entire body. Fortunately, he doesn't eat it anymore. Gotta love that belly, huh?
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Monkey Boy
Gosh, can this kid climb. You turn around for a second and he's up the stairs. Or up on a chair (see photo). We have this small chair that's currently set up next to our couch and he crawls over to the chair, pulls himself up, then climbs over the arm of the couch to get onto the couch. I think I'm gonna have to move that one soon.
He's also the one that crawls over any box or pillow or cushion if it's on the floor. It's not like it's in his way and he's trying to get through......no, he will go out of his way to climb over said object. Must be a boy thing.
He's also the one that crawls over any box or pillow or cushion if it's on the floor. It's not like it's in his way and he's trying to get through......no, he will go out of his way to climb over said object. Must be a boy thing.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Big Fun at the Sox Game!!
Megan went to her first baseball game on Tuesday, July 5th. Aunt Jenny sent tickets, so the two of us went and met up with Kara and her family. We were forunate enough to have a high scoring game -- the Sox hit 3 homeruns, which meant fireworks each time!!
She got to have popcorn and part of a pretzel -- and we bought her a Sox hat. She was also a big fan of the mascot -- I'm not really sure what it is. When I asked Megan what she liked best, she said "the green monster".
On Tuesday, she was watching a baseball game with her Uncle Jimmy. As soon as he turned on the game she said (very excitedly) "We goed there" (we're working on her grammar)!! And it was an All-Star game, so she was disappointed that she didn't see the green monster or herself onTV. Jimmy's a die hard Cubs fan, so it was hard for him to accept that her first game was at Comiskey. I guess he'll have to take her to Wrigley one of these days.
She got to have popcorn and part of a pretzel -- and we bought her a Sox hat. She was also a big fan of the mascot -- I'm not really sure what it is. When I asked Megan what she liked best, she said "the green monster".
On Tuesday, she was watching a baseball game with her Uncle Jimmy. As soon as he turned on the game she said (very excitedly) "We goed there" (we're working on her grammar)!! And it was an All-Star game, so she was disappointed that she didn't see the green monster or herself onTV. Jimmy's a die hard Cubs fan, so it was hard for him to accept that her first game was at Comiskey. I guess he'll have to take her to Wrigley one of these days.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Casey 1994 - 2007
We said goodbye to Casey last Tuesday. She had been sick for a while (she was suffering from the primary stages of kidney failure). She was also having a hard time walking on stairs - I had been carrying her down the stairs for a couple of months now - and she was losing weight.
I think I was only keeping her alive so that I wouldn't feel guilty. I finally figured, I'm either gonna feel guilty now or a month from now. Of course it's never easy. The vet said I made a good decision. That made me feel a bit better.
Megan still makes me tell her the story about when I got Casey. a couple of times a week. She was only about 5 weeks old and my mom and I got her from this woman on the Michigan/Indiana border. My mom was driving my car while I held Casey on my lap. She got car sick and puked on me (that's Megan's favorite part) and then crawled into my coat sleeve via my armpit and slept the rest of the way.
She was definitely a great dog and I won't be getting another one for a good long time - none would measure up to this one.
I think I was only keeping her alive so that I wouldn't feel guilty. I finally figured, I'm either gonna feel guilty now or a month from now. Of course it's never easy. The vet said I made a good decision. That made me feel a bit better.
Megan still makes me tell her the story about when I got Casey. a couple of times a week. She was only about 5 weeks old and my mom and I got her from this woman on the Michigan/Indiana border. My mom was driving my car while I held Casey on my lap. She got car sick and puked on me (that's Megan's favorite part) and then crawled into my coat sleeve via my armpit and slept the rest of the way.
She was definitely a great dog and I won't be getting another one for a good long time - none would measure up to this one.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Happy 4th of July!
Wow, what a day. We started out with the annual Forest Glen parade, where all of the kids from the neighborhood decorate bikes, wagons, scooters, etc and work their way through the streets. It's really more of a march, since there are very few spectators -- everyone's in the parade. Megan pedaled her little tricycle the whole way all by herself! And, Jake rode in the wagon, waving flags and charming the folks on the sidewalk.
Our neighbors had a BBQ after the parade and we spent the whole day there. After dragging the troops out of there late in the afternoon, we hosed them all down in the bath*, and put Jake to bed. Megan got to test out sparklers, as you can tell from the photo. I thought she'd be a little scared of it, but she figured out right away, how to light one sparkler from another. We went through a couple of boxes. Unfortunately, the neighbors had their own fireworks shows going on until the wee hours and this morning, I noticed that the open field at the Forest Preserve is covered with debris. Bummer.
*A little sidebar story of the bath -- Megan has a pair of goggles that she just got, so she was wearing them in the tub for fun and "swimming" on her belly. She told me she was the little mermaid. After a bit of playing, I told her it was time to get out. She said "I can't, I don't have legs -- sorry". I wish I could convey her little sing song voice.....but it was so funny - "Sorrrr - ry". So, to get her out of there, I had to be the sea witch and trade her voice for legs. Fun stuff.
Our neighbors had a BBQ after the parade and we spent the whole day there. After dragging the troops out of there late in the afternoon, we hosed them all down in the bath*, and put Jake to bed. Megan got to test out sparklers, as you can tell from the photo. I thought she'd be a little scared of it, but she figured out right away, how to light one sparkler from another. We went through a couple of boxes. Unfortunately, the neighbors had their own fireworks shows going on until the wee hours and this morning, I noticed that the open field at the Forest Preserve is covered with debris. Bummer.
*A little sidebar story of the bath -- Megan has a pair of goggles that she just got, so she was wearing them in the tub for fun and "swimming" on her belly. She told me she was the little mermaid. After a bit of playing, I told her it was time to get out. She said "I can't, I don't have legs -- sorry". I wish I could convey her little sing song voice.....but it was so funny - "Sorrrr - ry". So, to get her out of there, I had to be the sea witch and trade her voice for legs. Fun stuff.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Strawberry Fields
On Saturday, Liz and I brought Megan, Jake and Madison to Bristol, Wisconsin to go strawberry picking. The girls had a good time. You can see from Maddie's outfit that those were some juicy strawberries! Here's the process: pick two, eat one. Jake sat in his stroller at the end of the row and ate way more than the girls did. The weather was much better in Wisconsin than it was in Chicago - we picked the perfect day to head north. After picking, we drove to our cottage and had lunch, then headed over to the beach for about an hour. We headed home once everyone started acting a little "tired" (a nicer word for crabby). All in all, a good day!
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Mmmmm.....Cake
We celebrated Jake's 1st birthday yesterday with a little BBQ at our house. He did a great job on his cake and was kind of upset when we took it away. The weather was a bit steamy, but cousins Maddie and Lili had no problem with that - since they had the slide running into the pool and only slowed down for cake. Megan was a bit of a sideline gal and was a little more adventurous once everyone left. Jake was too hyped up to take his usual afternoon nap, but stayed happy so we didn't mind. All in all it was a good day and all of us slept well last night!!
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Oh My.
I don't have a particular story to go with this one. I just thought it was a funny picture. Jake looks totally crazy - and I just had to leave the "red eye" in.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Party at the Zoo
This is Megan and her cousin, Madison. Maddie's 3rd birthday is today and she had a really cool party at Lincoln Park Zoo yesterday. Even Jake (who learned how to point on Saturday) had a great time checking out the animals and hanging out with Ann (and eating pizza, of course). We got there early to try to see the giraffes and polar bears - unfortunately neither were outside. The kids got to feed cows at the party and check out all of the animals in the farm area. They had pizza, ice cream and cake. We were on our way back to the parking lot with her other cousins, Lili and Pierce, and of course had to stop for a ride on the carousel. All in all, a fun day at the zoo -- and both kids fell asleep on the way home. Woo hoo!
Thursday, May 31, 2007
A Visit to the Beach for Megan
We got to the beach, loaded up the wagon, headed down to the sand and got set up. Megan played nicely in the sand with her bucket and shovel, had to shoo Jake away a couple of times when he tried to wreck her sand castle, but otherwise had a good time. She's not too hip on the cold water and was happy just having her feet in as we walked along the edge of the water. She played in the sand for a bit longer, helped me pack up and got into the wagon for her ride back to the car. What an angel.
A Visit to the Beach for Jake
We parked the car, got our gear loaded up, put Jake & Megan in the wagon and headed down to the sand. As you get close to the sand at Montrose Beach, you have to turn off a little ramp (or go down a step). Since I had the wagon, I chose the ramp. As we were making the turn, Jake decided to help me out by leaning in the same direction, while kind of going downhill and almost flipped the whole thing over. We made it to our spot and set up the blanket. He was pretty calm at first -- just checking out the scene. Then, he noticed the water! I walked him over there and he went right in. He was pretty happy sitting down and playing at the water's edge (see photo) until he decided to taste the sand. He gagged a little bit and then I held him over the water and splashed the sand off of his face and out of his mouth.
After rinsing sand out of his mouth 2 more times, I decided we'd go back and try to play with Megan. I put a pacifier in his mouth to try to distract him, but he dropped it a couple of times and put that back in his mouth with sand on it. Ugh. Megan got annoyed with him trying to grab her bucket, so we all went back to the water. I held his hands while he walked up and down the beach for about 25 minutes. Holy backache. Megan walked with us, picked up shells and only threw sand at her brother once.
After that, I was ready to go. So, I rinsed him off, put him in a lawnchair while I packed up the rest of our gear. He only jumped out of it once. I rinsed him off again and put him right into the wagon and back to the car. The entire visit was less than two hours. Felt like the whole day :-) !
After rinsing sand out of his mouth 2 more times, I decided we'd go back and try to play with Megan. I put a pacifier in his mouth to try to distract him, but he dropped it a couple of times and put that back in his mouth with sand on it. Ugh. Megan got annoyed with him trying to grab her bucket, so we all went back to the water. I held his hands while he walked up and down the beach for about 25 minutes. Holy backache. Megan walked with us, picked up shells and only threw sand at her brother once.
After that, I was ready to go. So, I rinsed him off, put him in a lawnchair while I packed up the rest of our gear. He only jumped out of it once. I rinsed him off again and put him right into the wagon and back to the car. The entire visit was less than two hours. Felt like the whole day :-) !
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Is he climbing the stairs?
Last week, I walked into the kitchen to find this scene. Yikes....when did he figure out he could do more than scoot around on his belly. We're all in trouble now. These two have been full of interesting moments lately. Darin, Megan and I were watching some pbs show about snails one evening after Jake went to bed and we were all just hanging out the couch - quiet. Then out of nowhere, Megan says "That's weird". And you know what? It was.
Another funny story.....Darin had a golf ball in his hand and was playing the "which hand is it in game". He did his little magic move right in front of her so that she had a chance to guess correctly -- which she probably got right more than half of the time. She watched him try to trick her about 8 times and then took the ball out of his hand, held it in hers (which didn't even come close to hiding the ball) and said, "which one is it?" After we were done laughing, I showed her how to do it behind her back, but I don't think she liked it as much as the way dad was doing it.
Another funny story.....Darin had a golf ball in his hand and was playing the "which hand is it in game". He did his little magic move right in front of her so that she had a chance to guess correctly -- which she probably got right more than half of the time. She watched him try to trick her about 8 times and then took the ball out of his hand, held it in hers (which didn't even come close to hiding the ball) and said, "which one is it?" After we were done laughing, I showed her how to do it behind her back, but I don't think she liked it as much as the way dad was doing it.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Fishing With Dad
We went to our cottage in Wisconsin this past weekend to get it ready for the season and Megan was asking if she could go fishing with Darin. After all of our chores were done, he took her down to the lake to catch a fish. She's getting set up here.
They got one on the line and she helped reel it in.....
Then, she didn't want to get close to it once it was out of the water!
They got one on the line and she helped reel it in.....
Then, she didn't want to get close to it once it was out of the water!
Splash!
Jake and his cousin, Pierce played at the water table yesterday for about an hour.....even though it was a little chilly and they were soaking wet! I can see this will be a great activity come summer......
Monday, May 7, 2007
Dancin' Slippers
Megan likes to show off her fancy slippers......with even fancier dance moves. Her latest saying is "Did you wanna see this?" Followed by some sort of "move".
Cinco De Mayo
Dad was golfing in Myrtle Beach this past weekend, so Aunt Jenny came to stay with us. Jake enjoyed his black beans while mom and Aunt Jenny (and Uncle Jimmy) enjoyed a Margarita for the holiday.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Jake & Mom
Megan, our budding photographer, took this one when we were out in the backyard. She's getting better at aiming at her subject(s). This was a rare moment when Jake actually had his hat on -- he typically rips it off of his head as soon as we put it on.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Chores
We were watching a pbs kids show on Wednesday and they were talking about doing chores.....Megan asked me, "What are chores do?" (Don't ask me why she adds 'do' to the end of that sentence :-) Anyway, I explained that they're jobs that kids do to help out around the house. She wanted to do some chores, so I told her that her chores could be picking up her toys and dusting (she likes to dust - woo hoo!). She decided later that picking up toys was no fun at all and that she wanted to set the table like Calliou (the pbs character). She set this table all by herself. I handed her napkins and asked her to put one by everyone's spot. She told me she was giving Jake extra ones because "he's messy". I basically handed her stuff to put out and she set it up on the table wherever she wanted. I think she did a pretty good job!!
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
My shadow
The other day I had both kids in the bathtub and took Jake out first to get lotioned up and dressed across the hall in his bedroom. Once he was dressed, I left him in the mdidle of his floor to play with his toys while I got Megan out of the tub. I went back into the bathroom to get her out and by the time I got her towel out of the closet and turned around, he was already scooting across the hall to join us.
Black Beans
When I go out for lunch at a Mexican restaurant, I bring home the leftover black beans for the little guy. Megan used to eat them like crazy too when she was about his age. They end up all over his hands, face and head. It definitely calls for a bath after a black bean meal. It's soooo messy, but it sure is fun!
Monday, April 9, 2007
Mama's Boy
Time to give Jake a little more face time! I took this photo on Saturday when Darin was working and Megan was sleeping.....(Jake likes to have his mom all to himself). We were hanging out trying to be quiet so as not to wake his sister, so of course, feeding him was the best option!! He's not such a baby anymore. As a matter of fact, this morning I was trying to get Megan dressed, etc. and he army crawled his way from the family room to the kitchen in no time flat. He's getting pretty good at scooting himself around. He then proceeded to open a drawer and pinch his fingers in it when it closed. Never a dull moment :-)
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Parenting - What Not to Do
So, yesterday was an interesting day. In the morning, I was changing Jake's diaper in the family room. He was laying on Megan's sleeping bag (which she likes to lay in while watcing TV) and I apparently left his diaper off too long because he peed on me. I covered him up as quickly as I could with the new diaper, but it was too late and it got all over Megan's sleeping bag. She told me "wash it right now". So, I got Jake cleaned up, put him in the swing and went downstairs to wash the sleeping bag. I came upstairs to find Megan standing in front of Jake, pointing her finger at him and saying "don't pee on mama....only in your diaper, ok?" Her tone was definitely a scolding type -- not friendly.
Later on, I was making Apple Bread and Megan was helping by mixing up the dry ingredients. She was using a bit too much gusto, so I gave her a little bowl of flour to play with. I had my back to her as I was shredding the apples and when I turned around I saw flour all over her, the counter, the barstool and the floor. I must have had a shocked look on my face because she immediately said "Don't look at me!" I said, "Why -- because you're doing something you're not supposed to be doing?" and she said "Don't talk". Nice. Whatever....she had a good time.
Then, at dinner time, Megan had asked for a hot dog. So I gave her one in a bun. Jake was sitting next to her at the counter eating fruit and cheerios. I left the kitchen for a moment to let the dog out and put food in her bowl and when I came back, Jake had Megan's hot dog in his hand and had already eaten about 1-1/2" of the dog. I ran over there to get it from him and said, "Megan! Babies can't have hot dogs" And she said, "Jakie take it from me". Meanwhile Jake started freaking out because I took it away and I had to appease him with pieces of the bun.
So, what have we learned today?
1. Don't dilly dally when diapering a baby
2. Don't expect a 2 year old to be neat with flour
3. Don't leave a hot dog close to a ravenous 9 month old
Later on, I was making Apple Bread and Megan was helping by mixing up the dry ingredients. She was using a bit too much gusto, so I gave her a little bowl of flour to play with. I had my back to her as I was shredding the apples and when I turned around I saw flour all over her, the counter, the barstool and the floor. I must have had a shocked look on my face because she immediately said "Don't look at me!" I said, "Why -- because you're doing something you're not supposed to be doing?" and she said "Don't talk". Nice. Whatever....she had a good time.
Then, at dinner time, Megan had asked for a hot dog. So I gave her one in a bun. Jake was sitting next to her at the counter eating fruit and cheerios. I left the kitchen for a moment to let the dog out and put food in her bowl and when I came back, Jake had Megan's hot dog in his hand and had already eaten about 1-1/2" of the dog. I ran over there to get it from him and said, "Megan! Babies can't have hot dogs" And she said, "Jakie take it from me". Meanwhile Jake started freaking out because I took it away and I had to appease him with pieces of the bun.
So, what have we learned today?
1. Don't dilly dally when diapering a baby
2. Don't expect a 2 year old to be neat with flour
3. Don't leave a hot dog close to a ravenous 9 month old
Monday, March 26, 2007
Digging for Dinosaur Bones
Megan spent about 30 minutes discovering dinosaur bones at the Children's Museum. Unfortunately, I tweaked my back as we were leaving this exhibit by turning the wrong way when I stood up with Jake. It made for a long weekend -- poor Darin had to do everything around the house.
Chicago Children's Museum
We went to the Chicago Children's Museum at Navy Pier on Friday. Jake slept for the first half of our visit and then for the second half, he got his hands on anything he could reach. Here, he's pulling books out of the basket while Megan was drawing with chalk in the art room. He's starting to get some forward movement going....not quite up on his knees yet, but he's getting good at the army crawl.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
2 Megans
Big Megan and little Megan lookin' like a couple of Pink Ladies at the Sock Hop last night.
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