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!!!