A Very Merry Christmas

We had 3 wonderful Christmas celebrations this year. First, we celebrated at our house a few days before the 25th. Santa was so kind to make an early stop at our house to accommodate our travels! We left him a plate of milk and cookies, along with some carrots and an apple for the hard-working reindeer. All the food was gone in the morning when we woke up! Speaking of waking up the next morning - Cassidy was the first to crack open her bedroom door. I heard her in the hallway, but she was too excited and overwhelmed to peek into the living room on her own. She came into our room, and I told her I'd walk out with her, but I asked her to give me a minute to "get dressed." All I meant was that I wanted to grab some socks and a warm sweatshirt. But she ran out saying, "OK! I'll get dressed too!" A full 10 minutes later, she finally emerged from her room in her "fanciest" clothes (which ended up being her beloved twirly skirt from Grammy and Aunt Belinda, which really should have had a shirt on underneath, along with her ballet slippers and a crown). By this time, Gavin was awake too, so we made our way into the family room to check out the tree together. The gift-opening started right away. Cassidy had been saying for weeks that she desperately wanted a "talking Hiro", which is a special train character from the Thomas the Train movies. She was thrilled that Santa had one with her name on it. Gavin is too young to have a real wish list, but he was very excited to open some new books and a special plush Thomas train that plays bedtime messages when you press a button on top. It was a magical Christmas, and we spent the whole rest of the day immersed in toys!

A couple days later, we made our way to Rockford to celebrate Christmas with the Reders. This year, we arrived to find that Grandpa Reder had set up his old Lionel train set in the basement. It had been a gift to him from his grandfather back in 1950. It needed a little TLC, but it was up and running most of the weekend! The kids were fascinated and spent hours downstairs watching the engines chug along with Grandpa at the controls. So neat! We had fun visiting with the whole family. The kids love seeing their cousins! We all went out together for a wonderful brunch at a local cafe on Christmas Eve, and we spent the rest of the day exchanging gifts and going to church just before dinner. Once the kids were asleep that night, the adults had a gift exchange. This one is always calmer than the daytime kids' exchange! It was a wonderful day all around.


Christmas morning, we woke up and got right in the car to join the Brown family for our next celebration. We always love seeing Grammy and Grandpa Brown, Aunt Mel and Uncle Aaron, and of course Cooper the dog, whom the kids adore (despite Gavin's current hesitation around all canines!). We had a Christmas morning gift exchange, and had a relaxing afternoon spent playing with new toys and catching up with everyone. The kids took their naps on Grandpa's lap after all that playtime! Grammy made a delicious dinner (homemade Swedish meatballs are the tradition!) and Erik and I got to enjoy a night out to see a movie later in the evening. The next day, we went to a morning church service and watched the Bears game together (a win!).

We had such a wonderful visit with all of our family, and we are so thankful for all the Christmas blessings we enjoyed throughout this season.

A Wintry December

It's been a fun and busy December! As expected, it's been snowy and cold - no surprise for Chicago. I brace myself for the frigid temps and try to remember the fun parts, like building snowmen and drinking hot cocoa! Erik was very excited to be heading to a Bears game with 3 of his buddies one Sunday afternoon. However, it happened to be the Sunday that all of Chicagoland went under a blizzard warning. But, the optimists that they are, Erik and the guys bundled up and braved the cold. Unfortunately it was a tough loss for the Bears, but the weather made for a memorable game. And of course Erik had a great time catching up with his buds, as always.

December also brings the annual holiday party with Erik's company. Erik has been with West Monroe since its inception, so this year was our 8th consecutive year in attendance. They always pick a fun, festive venue that gives us the opportunity to get dressed up and head into the city for an evening amongst adults. This year it was held at the Latin restaurant "Carnivale." We had a fantastic time as always! Erik is lucky to work with such a great group of people. He always says they are his favorite part of his job.

We also celebrated the Christmas season all month long. One day while Gavin took a long afternoon nap, Erik and Cassidy made a gingerbread train together. Such fun! It has been part of our kitchen counter's decor all month long. We also had the chance to meet Santa with our playgroup friends. We had seen Santa out and about at various places throughout the past few weeks, never really up close, and the kids seemed pretty hesitant. So I did not have high hopes of getting a photo on Santa's lap at playgroup. But after he read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas aloud to all the kids in a circle, Cassidy and Gavin were the first to pop right into his lap. They were all smiles. So, the photo was snapped afterall. We asked him what the reindeer would like to eat on Christmas Eve, and he answered carrots and apples, so we decided we'd make sure to leave those out alongside Santa's milk and cookies. More to come in my next post about our Christmas celebrations!

Girls' Weekend at the Beach

Earlier this year, my 3 best friends from college and I started talking about how fun it would be to hit the beach for a long weekend together. Now that we're all stay-at-home moms to 2 young kids, all living in different states, we don't have a lot of time to catch up. We decided a weekend in South Florida would do our souls some good. So we left our wonderful husbands in charge for 3 days and flew down to the beach for the weekend. The moment the idea arose, we decided we'd try to do something like this every year, knowing each year that any one of us might have to sit a year out due to life circumstances - new babies, family obligations, etc. So, this year, we really missed Tara, who needed to stay close to home to prepare for her lengthy holiday travels (among many other things!). Jamie, Meg and I had the most wonderful time - we slept in until 9am (3 hours past normal), collected seashells along the beach in the warm sunshine, and enjoyed some great local seafood at a couple fun restaurants. We stumbled upon a live band on our first night in town, and they were so great that we ended up staying out much later than I have in months just to enjoy the scene! It was such a refreshing trip, and I am so grateful to have such wonderful friends in my life. I really hope we can make it an annual getaway!
Meanwhile, back at home...the kids had SO much fun with daddy! Erik really did well - 3 days on your own with 2 small kids can be a challenge. He kept them very occupied and very happy. While I was gone, Chicago got its first snowfall of the season. So, Erik was fighting the crowds at Target for new snowpants and helped the kids create our new snowman, "Carroty." I am so thankful to him for allowing me this time away. I'm grateful to have such a wonderful husband!

Our Tiny Ballerina

Cassidy has started taking a ballet class through our local park district. It's called "Princess Ballet" for 3 and 4 year olds. Every week, this group of 7 tiny ballerinas arrive in little leotards, tutus, and ballet slippers to dance with Miss Wendy, their instructor. They start the class with a warm-up welcome song, which the parents are allowed to watch, and then they wave good-bye to the grown-ups and turn into magical princesses for the remaining 30 minutes. Gavin tags along with me, and during the first few weeks he threw some of his best tantrums when I tried to explain that the dance floor was only for the ballerinas. I'd have to chase him around the mirrored room and carry him out flailing while the girls began their class. Poor little guy, it does look fun! But now he has found the silver lining, since he gets to run wild through the halls of the rec center with my undivided attention as we play hide-and-seek, color in coloring books and crash tiny matchbox cars together while we wait for class to end. The ballet class has been a big hit with Cassidy - so much so that not a day goes by anymore that I don't find her tip-toeing around the house in her tutu and ballet slippers. In fact, it's often the outfit she greets us in when she bursts through her door first in the morning.

Thankful for Family

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday surrounded by family. We started out with Grammy and Grandpa Brown, and enjoyed a turkey feast along with Aunt Mel, Uncle Aaron and Cooper. We watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV (and the annual dog show!) and had fun relaxing and playing the day away. Cassidy and Gavin discovered how much fun it is to crawl around under the table when it's full of people (and a dog) - they were squealing with delight.

At Grandma and Grandpa Reder's house, we celebrated Thanksgiving #2! It was another wonderful meal, complete with 5 homemade pies to choose from for dessert. With 15 people, we figured we'd make a good dent in that (although there were actually plenty of leftovers!). The kids vanished into the basement with all the cousins and only seemed to reappear for an occasional snack or hug. It gave Erik and I a welcomed break from our parenting duties!

We have much to be thankful for this year. Happy Thanksgiving!

Funny Moments

Today, a song came on the radio as we were driving home from picking Cassidy up at school. I don't know exactly who sings it (Tao Cruz?), but it's a current chart topper with the lyrics "I'm only gonna break break your, break break your heart." Anyway, as Cassidy hears it, she says "Mommy, how could someone break your heart? 'Cuz it's on the inside of your body. You would need to get magical powers to reach it. And then if you got magical powers, you could break your heart, and then you could use some sticky tape to fix it. Then you could just put it back inside and it's good as new! Like magic!" Ahhh, I love that she can't even fathom the idea of a broken heart! They're just so literal - I bet so many phrases we use each day don't seem to make much sense. I can already see myself telling her this story when she's 16. It's so funny to hear them voice all the thoughts going through their busy little minds.

And Gavin had us cracking up last weekend as he tried to survive the daylight savings switch. Enjoy the video!

Happy Halloween!

We had a fun Halloween weekend! Yesterday morning, we hosted a Halloween party with 10 of our toddler friends and their parents. What fun! We did some Halloween crafts and had a backyard treasure hunt. We tried to march in a costume parade around the yard, but the concept was a little lost on our munchkins (they were each wandering around aimlessly) so it became a fun game of chase Mr. Erik! The weather was beautiful, in the mid 60s, and we all enjoyed being out in the sunshine.

This morning, Halloween day, we met Grammy and Grandpa Brown at the Chicago Botanic Garden to see the outdoor Halloween train exhibit. It was really amazing to see such an intricate model train system! The kids loved it, and the garden staff was spread throughout the pathway handing out treats. Afterwards, we walked through the various gardens for a bit, then enjoyed a nice lunch together in downtown Wilmette.
Tonight, we went trick-or-treating! We met up with some neighborhood friends and made our way down our street. Both kids got a big kick out of the whole thing - ringing doorbells, being greeted with a basket of candy, and most of all, checking out all the decorations. They both get pretty spooked at anything that makes sounds or moves, which happened every few houses. It's pretty funny for the adults to watch! Gavin has fallen in love with Smarties candies, and Cassidy seems to favor the M&Ms.
Tomorrow will be time to pack away our Halloween decorations. Before too long, I guess they'll be replaced with Christmas lights!

Pompano Beach 2010

We made our way down to Pompano Beach, FL for a 10-day visit with the warm sunshine. It was wonderful! Our visit coincided for a couple days with Grandma and Grandpa Reder's trip there, as well as another few days with Aunt Shannon and our cousin Ellie. What fun! We really missed Erik for the 4 days he had to fly back to Chicago for work commitments, but it was so nice to have the company of other family while he was away. And he returned near the end of the trip, so we got to spend the last 3 days back together again! Most days were full of warm, 84-degree sunshine. We spent every morning and afternoon in the pool, at the beach, or in the ocean. The kids are great little shell-seekers, so we came back with a bag full of shell treasures. We built sandcastles, watched airplanes and helicopters patrol the beach, and saw pelicans dive down into the ocean each evening looking for dinner. On the cloudier days, we visited the Palm Beach Zoo and Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, both big hits with the kids. We had some great dinners out and some relaxing nights in. It's always a wonderful break from life's routine!

Fun with Daddy in the pool

Cassie splashes in the surf

Gavin can hardly contain his excitement!

After a day of fun with Grandma and Grandpa Reder

Gavin loves to jump off the side into the pool

We had SO much fun with Ellie!!!
Post-dinner at Aruba's Beach Cafe

Our best sandcastle of the trip

Beautiful sunrises off the balcony!

Until next time, South Florida!

Happy Birthday Daddy

Last week, we celebrated Erik's 33rd birthday! It was on a Thursday, so we had a weeknight celebration as soon as Erik walked in the door. Cassidy ran to the hiding spot to retrieve Daddy's presents, and we surprised him with a yummy cake from our favorite bakery from our old neighborhood (Sweet Mandy B's, for you Chicagoans!). We decided to use just 3 candles rather than all 33 (although Cassidy wasn't completely on board with that decision!). The cake was delicious. There was so much leftover that we decided to freeze half of it for later. We've already been digging in to the frozen portions, so it won't last long! We hope all your birthday wishes come true, daddy!

The Circus Comes to Town

Every other year, our public school district brings the circus to town as a fundraiser for the schools. We decided the kids were a little young to appreciate/sit through the real show, so we opted for the even-better version - arriving at the site that morning at 9am, the circus staff allowed all young children the chance to meet the animals and watch the big top go up! We walked up close to the circus elephants, tiny jumping dogs, spotted horses, camels and even ferocious tigers (a safe distance in their cages!). At the end, we watched as the huge tent went up, thanks to the mighty strength of one of the elephants who pulled the ropes and tall poles into place. Maybe the next time around, we'll take in a real show. But for now, this was perfect!

Since fall has arrived, we also made our way over to Wagner Farm to pick out pumpkins for the front doorstep. This year, we put twinkling orange lights on the front bushes and some ghost/pumpkin stakes along the sidewalk path that leads up to our door. The kids love flipping on the lights each evening! So many people are putting up fun Halloween decorations these days (meaning, I don't really remember that growing up?!?) that we took the kids out for a drive around the neighborhood to check them all out. From the back seat, we heard on repeat from both kids: "I see some! I see some!" Gavin has fun repeating whatever his sister says. We're looking forward to trick-or-treating this year!

Grandparents Rule!

The kids have had some wonderful visits with their grandparents recently. Over Labor Day weekend, we spent some time in Rockford with G&G Reder. The kids baked cookies with Grandma, fed ducks along the Rock River with Grandpa, and swam in the pool with anyone that was willing! They had tons of fun, as always.

We also had a great birthday visit with G&G Brown. It was Grammy's birthday, and Cassidy loved the new fairy house that Grammy opened at her celebration! It will find a special home in her backyard garden. Cassidy also helped Grandpa in the kitchen as he prepared our brunch feast. She loves to join in when anyone is cooking or baking. The weather was pleasant and we spent a lot of time outside. The kids played with outdoor toys and smelled the flowers they discovered throughout the yard. And of course they had fun with their dog-cousin, Cooper!
This past weekend, Erik and I attended a wedding out of town, so Grandma and Grandpa Reder graciously drove in to stay with the kids for the night while we were away. Despite the weather getting a bit cooler, they journeyed out to the park and kept the kids busy! We came home to smiling faces. We are so lucky to have 4 wonderful grandparents who help us out with the kids in their free time. Cassidy and Gavin adore them all so much. XOXO, G&Gs!!!