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| Click here for December photos |
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| It took a while, but somewhere in the middle of December we were finally frozen out of going outside. The Children's Museum at Navy Pier became Jack, Ben and I's new hot spot and I ate way more happy meals then I should have. They certainly didn't make me happy anymore, but Jack never seemed to tire of them or the Avatar toys that came with them. Speaking of Avatar, we also saw the movie this month in 3D and it was absolutely incredible. My mom told me after her showing in Florida the audiences stood up and applauded. Here in Chicago no one got up, there was a stunned silence, or perhaps a want to linger and not return to the real world just yet.
My father was in town and even though Ben still wakes me anywhere from 3 to 6 times a night, we still took full advantage of the free babysitting. I think we managed to get out 5 times in one week. We took him to Wisconsin Dells with us, a huge waterpark destination in Wisconsin and every night he put the kids to bed and we went and rode the adults slides, played at the arcade, enjoyed Wisconsin cheese on our buffalo burgers and drank Spotted Cow beers. When in Rome...
Dad was also a huge help around the house, when we weren't asking him to help with the kids, he was cooking, fixing shelves and Jack's push car and so much more. He always seemed to be there, waiting in the wings and offering help at just the right time. We were very sorry to see him go.
Hope everyone's holidays and New Year was good. My new years resolution this year was not to disappoint myself again so I didn't make a new years resolution, but if you did I wish you lots of luck with yours!
Nikki
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| Click here for December videos |
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| When looking back at the November pictures and videos, it seems like the beginning of this month was years ago. Someone with kids once told me that when you have kids, the days are long but the years are short. So true. Even though the video and pictures seem to have happened a long time ago, it shocks me to see little Ben already able to manipulate toys with his hands. Hmmm, just reread this and not sure I've proven my point about long days and short years but maybe if I wake you up every two or three hours a night for four months it will make sense to you too.
November has one of my favorite holidays of the year, Thanksgiving and this year I was very thankful that my sister and her entire family drove an insane 12 hours to be with us. It was so much fun having them here, they are such a tight knit group. They tease with easy familiarity and without any resentment. They all have a quick wit and a fun energy that is a joy to be around. On Thanksgiving day I was given all the compliments of hosting the party, but in fact it was probably the most relaxing day of the year for me. My mom and sister were cooking and/or holding Ben. Jack was so busy with cousins Brandy and Clay that I never say him once, but I could tell he was fine from the peals of laughter coming from the basement. I wish Thanksgiving was every day!
We were a little saddened by the fact that Great Grandma Ethel was unable to join us. At 96 she recently moved in with her daughter in California. Also we missed Grandpa Bill, Sherry's (Adam's mom) husband who was out sick. Hope you get well soon Bill!
Nikki
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| Click here for November photos |
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| Click here for November video |
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| Click here for October photos |
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| October was one of those months that flew by, but when you look back at the pictures you realize just how long a month it is. We went from t-shirts to down jackets in a short 31 days. Jack went through another growth spurt, both physically and mentally. Ben lived a third of his life.
I bought the halloween candy too early this year and ate so much I look pregnant again. The rule in the house is that I can buy it whenever I want but I can not tell Adam I bought it and have to hide it until Halloween so he doesn't go crazy and eat it all. The candy became the other man in my life for about a week. I found myself sneaking around Adam's back but I was not very good at it. By Thursday Adam came and told me I didn't buy enough candy and we would need more for Halloween. I did buy enough, I just ate it all! In the end we bought 5 Costco size bags and then Adam went and bought another 4 regular size bags. After the 31st, we only had 1 Costco size bag and one regular size bag. Our neighborhood is insane for trick or treating. People drive up in vans, the doors open and kids pile out and disperse everywhere. We found 4 houses in the neighborhood who gave out full size bars. Next year if your looking for a place to go, come our way.
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| Click here for October video |
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| September was a lovely month. Adam and I managed to make our way to London with a 2 month old and a 2 and 1/2 year old. It was the first time Adam took time off in over 2 years, not including the birth of Ben ( which didn't count because staying at home with us at that hectic time was so busy for him that I think he needed to go back to work just to get some rest). It was so nice to have the whole family together for so many days that I couldn't help dreaming about winning the lottery and being able to spend every day together like that. And, it was surprisingly easy to travel that far. We loaded Jack up with new toys and videos and Ben, well Ben could have been anywhere for all he knew. For people living in Chicago with young kids, London is great for kids and the jet lag is perfect. They go to bed at midnight and wake up midday! We also saw the weather change here in Chicago. Our early picture see us sporting shorts and tee shirts and by the end of the month we are in down vests. Hope you enjoy the photos and pictures...
Nikki
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| Click here for September photos |
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| Click here for London photos |
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| Click here for September video |
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| August
For those of you who follow our website, you may have noticed that the monthly news has been missing lately. Network Solutions, the company that runs our website, ran a new script that wiped out all my content. After about a month of trying to find it they gave up. As a result I've had to start over again from scratch. But I'm back online, and ready to chat about August.
August was a lovely month in Chicago. The birth of Ben brought many of my relatives in town to help. Shortly after my mom left at the end of July we were lucky to have both my father and my aunt in. I think we tired them out plenty. I remember my father looking at the calender and saying, "It's only Wednesday?", to which I replied, "It's already Wednesday!"
We spent lots of time out and about this month, including trips to the beach, the nature museum, the botanical gardens, the children's museum, the playgrounds, and we even scored an invite to the Boeing private tent for the air show from our friends the Cameron's. Plenty of pictures to peruse with the link to the right.
Nikki
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| Click here for our August Photos |
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| Click here for August Video of our active toddler |
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