Final Weeks of Summer

We made the most of the last few weeks of summertime! In early August, Erik and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary by spending a fun weekend in Chicago - we went to Lollapalooza Music Festival! Grammy and Grandpa Brown took wonderful care of Cassidy and Gavin for the weekend so we could get some R & R. We always appreciate having a little break and are always so happy to see the kids again when we return. The next weekend, we took the kids to Chicago's Botanic Garden and enjoyed the miniature railroad exhibit (they added some fun Thomas characters this year - the kids were mesmerized!). We took a nice walk and sat on some concrete steps that lead down to a big pond on the garden grounds. Some cute baby ducklings came swimming up to the edge, and in a matter of seconds Gavin excitedly lunged forward, Erik and I grabbed him back, he kicked his legs in displeasure and our little point-and-shoot camera that was sitting on a step took a dive into the murky pond water. Uh-oh! We gave it our best rescue efforts, but Erik's arm kept getting nibbled by fish and the kind worker with the net couldn't find it after scooping all around. So - we promise the first few weeks of August were lovely, we just don't have any pictures to show for it. :) As we told the kids who were feeling sad about the lost camera - accidents happen! We just need to be thankful for the things that really matter. So, it was a life lesson day!

Next up, we visited Grandma and Grandpa Reder for their August birthdays and for the family get-together over Labor Day. Always a good time! Here are some pictures from the fun:

Family Fun in Florida

We recently joined the rest of the Reder family for a wonderful vacation down in Florida. We started in Pompano Beach and enjoyed the sand and the surf, then made our way northward to The Villages, which is near Orlando, where we got to take in the sights of my parent's new retirement village (which is a very cool place, by the way!). We even took a dash over to Disney World and spent a day in Magic Kingdom, where a little 4-year old girl's dreams came true! Here are some photos of all the fun:

Gavin had a great time in the pool each day. He loves to do a countdown and jump in to mommy or daddy from the side of the pool.

Cassidy worked very hard to master her back float on this trip.
All of the Reder cousins on the 4th of July
Checking out the tiny sea creatures that Grandpa finds in seaweedThe boys and their fresh catch from the Atlantic. Erik takes credit for that big baracuda - wow!

We had a magical lunch at Disney World with some very special princesses!

Getting an early start with golf cart skills

The Reder Family - all 15 of us!

As always, we had so much fun in sunny Florida and made lots of wonderful memories!

Cassidy Turns 4!

We had so much fun celebrating Cassidy's 4th birthday! We can't believe 4 years have gone by since that wonderful day that she was born. We remember it like it was yesterday of course, and I'm certain we always will. But here she is, an official big girl, and we had so much fun celebrating. We had a great group of Cassidy's neighborhood friends and school classmates over for a backyard party. It was a warm, sunny Sunday afternoon and we took full advantage of the beautiful weather. The kids played in the sprinkler and kiddie pools, climbed on the backyard playground equipment, enjoyed some great face painting by 2 of our sweet teenage neighbors, and ate lots of birthday cake. Cassidy always loves a party, and this was no exception. It was a really special day not only for Cassidy, but for her proud Mommy and Daddy too.
We also celebrated Cassidy's birthday with family! On her actual birthday of June 28, which was a Tuesday, Erik took the day off work and we all drove over to Grammy and Grandpa Brown's for a little celebration. Aunt Mel joined us too! We spent the morning at the Morton Arboretum, one of Cassidy's (and Grammy's!) favorite spots, and then went back to G & G's house for lunch and birthday dessert. Cassidy spent the whole morning in a special purple tulle birthday dress from Aunt Mel and Uncle Aaron, and loved every second of it!

We had celebration #3 with the Reder side of the family down in South Florida, where we headed on a trip just a few days after Cassidy's actual birthday. More on that trip in a later post, but it was yet another fun birthday party with all of the Reder aunts, uncles, cousins, and of course Grandma and Grandpa Reder. Emily and Ellie helped to prepare special cookies that spelled out Cassidy's name and we got to jointly celebrate Ellie's 9th birthday, which took place on July 3. Such fun!

So after all these festivities, we're pretty sure Cassidy feels very celebrated, which is lovely. Because we love her so, so, so much! As I have told her nearly every night for the past 4 years, we love her "as much as the whole wide world, forever and ever, no matter what." Happy birthday big girl!

Father's Day 2011

What a wonderful Father's Day we had this year! We woke up and gave Erik his cards and presents (most of them homemade masterpieces from the kids!) and then had a nice morning at church. We went out to brunch afterwards at a place that sits across from our downtown train station, so we took a stroll over there and watched a train stop in the station to pick up passengers as it made its way to downtown Chicago. The kids were SO excited. We came back home for naptime, and then spent the afternoon at the beach. The kids were very content to splash around in the chilly Lake Michigan shoreline - we had some bright sunshine keeping us warm. We grabbed dinner at the beach concession stand, and then went over to Homer's, our local ice cream shop, for dessert. Cassidy and Gavin were worn out - after a warm bath and some books with Daddy, they are now sound asleep. We are grateful to Erik for all he does for us, and to our own dads (Grandpa Reder and Grandpa Brown) as well. Happy Father's Day to each of them!

Summer Camp 2011

Cassidy and Gavin are going to summer camp together 2 mornings a week. It's held at the small pre-school where Cassidy went when she was 2, "Wee Care", and we just love it there. They have 2 little classrooms (Cassidy is in the "Bears" room and Gavin is a "Bunny") and a big fenced in playground with playhouses, sandboxes, and a big grassy area where they set up a sprinkler on hot days. This is Gavin's first time away from Mommy, so he's struggling a little with that, but he's also learning that "mommy always comes back", an important lesson in the life of a toddler! He's got his big sister there at drop-off, his good friend Henry in his class, and some very kind teachers that hold his hand and keep him on their laps when he gets weepy. I know with time he'll grow to love it. Cassidy is beyond any separation anxiety at this point and also remembers this school from her time there before, so she is having a blast. It's the first time in 4 years that I've had weekday hours to myself, without children - I'm getting a lot done and trying to use the time to re-energize myself so I'm ready for playtime when they come home. So far so good!

Bowling!!!

We decided to take the kids bowling for the first time. What a hit! We walked into Wilmette's small family-friendly bowling alley on a Sunday afternoon, having never been in before - and the kids were in awe of the dark lanes and black-lighting that made the whites of their clothes, shoes and teeth shine brighter than they'd ever seen. Then the glitter ball started to turn, and they were sold. Bowling was fantastic. We got our special shoes on and set up the gutter bumpers and ball "slide" that allowed the kids to get plenty of pins down with each attempt. They loved everything - from the special air dryer at the end of the lane for your hands to the magic ball return that somehow delivered your ball back to you in seconds flat. We will be repeat customers!

Fun Times with Grandparents!

We have gotten to spend a lot of quality time with all 4 grandparents this spring! We've had trips to their homes, and they've made trips to ours - we love our time with them! Here are some highlights...

Reading with Grandpa Reder during one of his mid-week overnights.

Gardening with Grandma Reder at their house in Rockford.

Playing trains with Grandpa Reder in their basement - a favorite pastime.

Planting this year's fairy garden with Grammy Brown.

The finished product - Cassidy adores it!

Hanging out with Grandpa Brown by the backyard sandbox.

Enjoying a special day with Grammy Brown at Cassidy's school, where she read a book to the class and prepared a gardening lesson. So exciting!