Thanks Phone

Our summer from the perspective of my phone. Thanks phone.

  That's all folks

Winding Down

Evenings can be chaotic with three needing dinner, baths, bedtime snacks, snuggles, homework approval, milk, books, more snuggles, etc... Thankfully the added hours of daylight hasn't affected our 7:00 bedtime. One of the ways we wind down is by watching a show with the kids. Miles is all about PBS's Curious George. There's the occasional Wallykazam, but George is the front runner. I try not to abuse screen time, but I have to say I am extremely grateful that my [big] kids can relax and focus on a show. Jeb, being too small for such distractions spends his time roaming around the house, looking for our vacuum. I have to put it away quickly after each use because he will chew on the chord or pull it over on himself. Crawling and pulling up has come too soon and unfortunately the injuries have begun. When the vacuum is out of site, he will settle for a piece of paper to chew on. Jeb, Jeb, Jeb... Piper is finishing up her kindergarten year and we couldn't be happier with her success and our overall experience. Now she can be my little helper all summer long. Yes!

Chicago

A few weeks ago we took advantage of correlating spring breaks and had a little family getaway. Chicago is always a fun city to visit, from the sites to the pizza and then there's the shopping of course. We stayed in a quaint little rental home downtown and hopped on public transit to get to and from. Looking back, I am surprised at how many places we were able to visit. We made it to the American Girl Doll store (well, the girls did), the Willis Tower (the boys did), the children's museum at Navy Pier, the Field Museum, the Shedd Aquarium and the Lincoln Park Zoo. We did all this in a long weekend. While Piper hung in there with the big kids, poor Miles and Jeb were just pooped out and as a result so were we. Such is life with wee ones. Poop aside, we had a great time making memories with family and living it up in Chicago!

Daddy Daughter Dance

These two went to the Daddy Daughter Dance tonight. Piper was SO excited, she even asked me to curl her hair for such a glamorous occasion. She also wore real pearls passed down by my Mom. It's in these moments that I think, "We have a five year old! When did she grow up? Wait, when did I grow up?" Well, I suppose these things happen. Grown or not, Broc spent an evening with many little girls to make this little Piper smile. He's pretty good to us. After the Dance Piper, Broc and I watched WALL-E for the first time. It was a late evening of popcorn and some serious robot giggles.
 

"Hey Jeb Jeb" -Miles

 Jeb is growing and changing so quickly. He is almost 6 months old and reaching for utensils and cups whenever possible, so we decided to begin rice cereal. He's a big fan. He is also sleeping in his crib and taking regular naps now. Jeb delights in diaper changes because it means his feet come out to play. In our cold weather, it's not often that his feet are bare, so when they are he's a pretty happy dude. This guy has become so low maintenance, maybe because there are all kinds of kids around to entertain him. Miles has a buddy across the street who comes over a couple days a week and she too likes to mother Jeb. He is the favorite playmate these days. We have been taking bets on hair color, but it is finally starting to come in and it looks to be auburn. We shall see...
This baby brings so much joy to our household and we thank God for our happy, healthy children!

Snow Fun

While the weather is cold and the driving is rough, there is still fun to be had. As a child I played in the snow well into the darkness and wouldn't come inside until my fingers were frozen together. I remember thawing out at the dinner table, my cheeks being the last body part to warm up, having been exposed the longest. A warm meal and a cup of steamy cocoa was the perfect comfort after a wintry play day.

Though the polar vortex has made it difficult to be outside for any period of time, we got out there and made a tunnel in a mountainous snow pile. We also made a snow friend with the traditional carrot nose and leftover Christmas chocolates. He has already mostly melted, but I'm sure he'll be back again some day.

Wake up, it's Christmas!

We hope your Christmas was as joyful as ours!