Family Party!

There are a LOT of kids in our family...........  This photo is missing many of them, but a good representation of some of us.  A cute crew!

At this family party my brother or cousin brought baseballs and footballs and a helmet - which my girls loved!

 

You probably also know that we hosted an exchange student from France.  She was super nice and we had a lot of fun with her. She got to see so many fun things in the city - beaches, Great America, Shedd Aquarium, Botanical Gardens, zoo, Michigan Ave, the Planetarium, Museum of Photography, Art Institute, Millennium Park, pools and so much more!  Here's a pic of our expanded family!

And, finally, my 2 favorite girls!

Cooper is 9 Months Old!

My how time flies by.  My little guy finally has a tooth!  And, it did not seem to be too painful for him.  That's good news!  Erin always was a pro, meanwhile Ev alerted the press that she was teething - it was bad!  He is officially on the move and crawling all around.  His crawl is kind of silly, but it gets him around just fine.  We try not to push him too much - we know that he'll move at his own pace and there is no big reason to rush.  He is eating up everything in the house and has not yet found anything he really does not care for.  One thing he really enjoys is going on the swing at the park.  The girls enjoy pushing him and are relatively gentle.  He'll just swing and swing...........

The girls are just wonderful with him.  To this day we are amazed at how easily and well Cooper just fit into our family.  Seems to have been destined.

Singing on the Pot

I am not sure when child innocence ends.  I hope it stays forever!  My girls have taken to singing while in the bathroom.  Does not matter if they are at home or a public restaurant.  Apparently, they don't care that stalls do not go floor to ceiling.

Well, the other day Ev had to use the potty - about 10 minutes after the first time she had to use the potty.  I took her and while she was doing her business, she was singing - at the top of her lungs...

Oh, I really like Chipotle.
I think that it tastes super yummy.

But, I love Sweet Tomatoes. 
Yes, I love Sweet Tomatoes.

I am glad to report that we were at Sweet Tomatoes, so the song was only somewhat embarrassing.  There was a woman washing her hands during this serenade - and she laughed.  How could you not?

Maybe we need to stop eating out?

Build a Bear...

Auntie Suzie & Uncle Mike gave the girls gift cards to Build A Bear.  This is a cool place where kids can pick out their new stuffed animal, put a heart in the guy, choose how much stuffing, select clothing, name the "guy" and really bring him to life.  We finally found time to have a lunch date - at Red Robin (yum) and hit Build a Bear.  The girls didn't know what they were in for!  They were a little overwhelmed with the choices, but had a lot of fun selecting their new "guys".  Ev chose a blue peace bear - she named it Abby Kiley (after 2 of her friends).  It has peace signs all over it.  Erin has a panda named Kevin (after her cousin).  Even their little cousin got to make his own bear... I think he chose a dog.

Chocolate Party!

The girls went to a fun birthday party - at a chocolate factory!  They got to make chocolate pizza, chocolate suckers and everything else that can be turned chocolate!  So many cool ways to celebrate a birthday!

Happy Birthday, Sarah & Tristan!

Cooper got a Tooth!!

This morning Dave and I were playing in bed with Cooper.  We felt his mouth and kept saying how he is NEVER going to get a tooth.  The boy is nearly 9 months old - he should have a tooth, right????

Well, fast forward 4 hours and I am giving him watermelon for lunch.  He opens wide for a bite and I see something white......  I feel in ... and it is sharp...........  Little guy got a tooth!!!  He didn't cry, winse or fuss at all!!  Just popped one through.  Let's hope this is how my little guy teethes.  Erin was a champ - Ev ... not so much. 

It's about time!!