A Family Vacation......

We had a busy summer and never really had a chance to have a family vacation.  So, we spent 3 nights in Lake Geneva as a family.  Nothing to do but hang out as a family.  We never made it to town or really did anything special.  Just took rides on the trolley to the park, swam in the pools, rode the water slides, played games in the lobby, rode the lazy river, visited the game room, made homemade dinners, took walks, visited the petting zoo and enjoyed each other.  The girls were so tired by the end of the night - they melted into their pull out couch and snoozed the night away.  Cooper's pack and play fit nicely into a closet - don't worry, there was plenty of space and ventilation!  He's fine!

Weekend Get-Away!!!!!!!

This weekend we planned on going camping. But, it was chilly! At night it is getting into the 40s - and I think that's a little much for the kids (and me!). So, we had to make a plan b. We took the train downtown and had a weekend in the city!

It was the girls first train ride - and they really liked it! They liked looking out the windows and seeing all of the people. It was a fun experience for them!

We stayed downtown for just one night and made the most of our time! Our first adventure was taking a trolley ride to Navy Pier. They loved the trolley! Erin had her arm out the window waving and saying hello to everyone we passed - which was precious!

Navy Pier was pretty chaotic! But, we saw a Omnimax 3-D movie - Under the Sea. Obviously it was all about sea creatures. Erin was next to me and enjoyed much of it. However, when the sea snakes got in her face (due to the 3-D glasses) she was in my arms wigging out! Ev on the other hand, turned to Dave and said "I like those guys." My girls could not be more different!!

Next stop was the pool!! The girls have not been in the pool for a few weeks, so they were thrilled to put on their swimsuits and jump and play in the water! Their favorite is the hot tub which we held off on because I can't enjoy it - boo hoo.

Sunday we walked to Millennium Park and they had fun watching themselves in "The Bean" and playing chase in the park.

All in all, a terrific weekend away!

We're Home!

Well, we're home! We've been home for about a week and it is so nice to be back home. It is always nice to be back home. Nothing beats sleeping in your own bed.

Let me tell you about our delightful flights home!

We had 2 flights. Fort Myers to Atlanta was fabulous - absolutely great! The layover was just fine - we grabbed dinner and stretched our legs. We were off to such a great start!!!

Then - I entered the 5th dimension of hell.

While boarding our flight from Atlanta to Chicago I was walking down 1st class and nearly fell over. Our original flight had changed and we were now in an airplane with only 2 seats on each side of the aisle. I started to get nervous.

The girls jumped in the seats next to each other and started off just fine. The flight attendants came by (the supposedly full flight) and told me the kids could not sit alone, but we would need to switch so I was with one and one took the seat I was in - next to a 30ish man. He piped in that he did not want to sit with "one of those." Okay - so the attendant told me we must sit in the order we were ticketed - which was the girls in A and B and me across the aisle in C. I figured this would be okay because once we got in the air I could move and it would all work out.

Now the girls are very comfy and have figured out just how much fun an airplane ride can be - they figured out how to raise and lower the tray - and the armrest. They were grabbing each others noses and doing everything else possible to have a blast! And, they were getting loud and it was making me crazy! I would tell them "do not touch that!" Erin would mimic back (while touching it) "do not touch that!"

Okay - we're just about to take off, right? Not so fast. We still had to sit on the tarmac for 80 minutes, as the winds were too strong. And, I was not allowed to get out of my seat to switch with one of them or have them on my lap or anything. I just sat about 4 feet away from them (and they knew I was not able to do a darn thing). They had fun doing everything I was trying to tell them not to do - and I was at a totally loss. They were not fussing or crying - just not being good little travelers that sit quietly and don't touch anything - hey, they're not even 3 yet. I bribed them with everyhting I had. They ate a sleeve of Fig Newtons and that didn't seem to make them happy - or calm. I can't imagine why all that sugar didn't help calm them....

Finally, we took off - and the rest of the flight went smoothly. I moved over and they took turns in my lap. Ev also joined the man that did not want to be near her. She sat like an angel. He did not seem happy.

We got home and they were estatic to see Daddy!! They were so happy.

A few stories...

- Erin and Ev were playing while I was working on my computer - we were all in the same room. They were playing with a suitcase - seemed pretty harmless. They were having a blast - hooting and hollering. Then, they ran over to me and one sniff told me what they were up to. Swagger. They got into Dave's deodorant and painted it all over their arms and legs - and they stank!

- Their new favorite game is hide and seek. My mom started playing it with them and it is all they want to do - hide Mr. Monkey. They are not very good at covering their eyes during the hide part! I took a video of this and will post when I get home and have a stronger connection.

-Yesterday Ev skinned her toe on the concrete patio. She was okay with it at the time. It was a little bloody, so we put on a bandage. Once that was on she was no longer able to walk normally, but had to put her weight only on that foots heel. She could not walk unless wearing her purple crocks. Of course, she could run when she got to push the elevator button or it was time for dinner. And, a couple of times she was limping on the wrong foot. But, she was really milking her injury!

- Evie also had a major face plant accident at the beach. She was running toward the water to rinse her hands and tripped on her knees then the force crashed her right on her forehead. She has a nice purple egg on her head.

-

Just One More Day...

until the weather gets nice again!! The last few days have been chilly. But, tomorrow the skies open and we hit the 70s again - can't come soon enough.

We did manage to hit the hot tub yesterday and the girls had a lot of fun splashing in there. Today, we are off to a nature conservancy which will be fun. They are very excited to see the animals. I am sure we'll have some good photos to share with you all. We might also have time for a quick dip in the hot tub - we'll see.

Both girls miss Dave. Erin seems to miss him a bit more than Ev. She was asking him to come home last night - I think she forgot this is not home. She was happy that he sees Buddy (the dog). She also asks about Buddy a lot.

Well, we're off!! Hope you have a good day!! Any special plans???

Pinkie Pie gets a bath...

Many of you have seen Pinkie Pie. She is Evie's baby - the love of her life. And, she is nasty! We think she has hepatitis A. She is really just the grossest thing ever. Although you can see how icky she has gotten, I'll leave her precious smell up to your imagination. Despite her being completely smelly and nasty, Ev loves her. After 6 months, she needs a bath. I fear giving her a bath because she might not be able to sing anymore. But, the germ factor has gotten too strong. So, I am taking a risk, and she is going in the wash.

When I asked Ev this morning if the pony should have a bath Ev said "no". I pressed the issue and she held her stance. But, as I ran the washing machine, she was finally okay tossing her in. Erin threw in Rainbow Dash and I tossed in their monkies.

Survey says...
Well, she is looking pinkalicious!! She is smelling like Tide and Bounce - and I'd even be fine giving her a kiss - if Ev would let me. Ev seems quite pleased with the new and improved Pinkie Pie - and won't let my mom touch her.

She is not 100% dry - but mainly dry. We have not yet heard her sing - she might be quite for a while - a long while. But, pretty as a My Little Pony can be.

Note: No photos of Rainbow Dash are provided because she (or he - depending on the day) was not nearly as dirty as Pinkie Pie.

Day One Without Daddy...

Day One without daddy went pretty well. We started out the morning the same as every other morning - with breakfast! The girls can put back a lot of cereal and raisins!!!

Then, off to visit my friend Eileen from college - and her husband Brian and daughter Josie. We rarely get to see them, so it was a very special treat. The girls just loved playing with Josie's toys and tearing apart their condo. They had a blast and keep talking about going back to Josie's house.

Since the girls did not nap at Josie's place they were off to sleep on the early end. We had a tough time getting a hold of Dave to sing to them before bed, so we called Grandma and she was the pinch hitter - did a very good job! She does a good job singing Teapot and Itsy Bitsy Spider. Thankfully, we did manage to also hear from Dave. Erin had a really good conversation with him over the phone - better than any in the past. It was really cute to listen to. She is definitely missing Daddy. We all do!

Daddy's Out of Here...

Well, the day has come to say goodbye to Dave. He flew home this afternoon to return back to work. I am still in FL with the girls another week and a half.

Erin & Evelyn handled Dave leaving pretty darn well. I think the trip to the park, chicken nuggets and apple slices helped ease the pain of losing daddy. But, all in all we did not have too much whining or moaning about where is daddy.

We'll see what tomorrow brings. But, we have a play date with a friend of mine from Xavier who is in the area visiting her parents, so that will be a lot of fun - and a nice distraction.

Good night for now!!!

Dave - we miss you already!!!

Photos from Vacation...

Click on the photo below to see some pics...

Marco - 2009

Florida 2009 Update

My time at Marco Island is half way over but Nancy and the girls still have a while to go. We have had fabulous weather and 4 consecutive beautiful sunsets. All of the cousins have enjoyed playing with each other every minute they can.

Erin and Evelyn have been waking up every morning and the first thing they mention is either playing with their cousins or going to the beach.

Erin likes going down to the beach and making "sand soup" which is just sand and water in a bucket. But she makes sure to make a lot of beeping noises as it "cooks" in an invisible microwave. Nancy might want to cut down on TV dinners as Erin thinks this is the only way to cook.

Other memorable things:
-Nancy told Erin that an outfit she had on made her look very pretty. When Nancy told her to show me how pretty she was, Erin told her "no, I don't need to. I'm pretty". We're glad she's developing a healthy self-image.

-Evie woke up in the middle of the night and because of the way the beds are set up in the room she could not see Erin. Ev started to shout out "Where Yaya?" When I went into the room to calm her down, I just needed to pick Ev up and show her that Erin was in the bed next to her and she went right back to sleep.

-We went to the 25th Annual Buzzard Festival. Lots of crazy people doing the Buzzard-lope which is a dance we can't quite explain. Lots of drunk people and even a boat of women who flashed the crowd.

-The girls really enjoy the hot tub and pretty much refuse to go into the regular pool, although Ev has taken to jumping into my arms from the side of the pool. Erin pretty much panics at the thought of going more than ankle deep in the "big pool".

-Ev started to call Erin by her name instead of "ya-ya" or "sissy". It sound more like Onion than Erin but it's a start.

-Potty training (although Nancy denies we are potty training) is going well. Erin will do anything for an M&M and we are trying to use this to our advantage. She thinks she gets an M&M for tooting, but we draw the line there. Something of substance has to come out or else we'll just be re-enforcing a behavior we'd rather not smell.

More later...

We're in Florida...

Yippie!! Yesterday we arrived in Florida. Marco Island to be exact. My parents have a timeshare that we have used since I was about 6 years old. So, we know most of the people and it is our "home away from home". My brothers and their kids and my parents are also here - so, it is a loud crazy group - 17 people.

Our flights went surprisingly well. Erin - who did not like take-offs and landings on our last trip was a real champ and did just great! She slept (and drooled) on my arm the entire 2nd leg of the trip. That's right, second leg. We had a layover in Atlanta. That actually made things pretty easy - 2 short flights and stretching legs in the middle.

Unfortunately, the airline broke our double stroller. One more reason to never ever gate check your good stroller! Thankfully, we don't use it much - but its days are severely numbered now. It is also unfortunate that Delta does not compensate for damaged items - unless they are packaged in their original box. What's the point in that??? Whatever.

A lesson learned... Don't buy give your child a brand new pair of shoes that light up on the day of travel. That will only make them want to kick the chair in front of them the entire flight - so they can see the lights! I am an idiot - and Ev loves her new shoes.

Erin & Evelyn just love it here! We've already gone swimming a bunch of times and they just hang on the steps and do their own thing. When they wake from their naps we're going to head to the beach. We'll start taking photos soon.

They love playing with their cousins! First thing this morning when they woke was a request to see their cousins. We told them they were still sleeping - so they wanted to wake up their cousins.

Their little knees are already all scuffed up with bumps and bruises from falling on all the stone out here. But, very few tears. Who has time to cry when there are so many fun things to do?

On our way to lunch Erin stubbed her toe. I told her I'd kiss it to make it better and she asked me to hold off and kiss it after lunch. God forbid my kiss interrupts her hot dog time.

Tonight we're going to a "party" at my brother Dan's "house". Should be fun!!

Birthday Weekend Getaway

In celebration of Nancy's thirty-(censored) birthday, we shipped the girls off to their grandparents and headed off to a weekend in Lake Geneva Wisconsin.

We stayed two nights at Roses, a B&B in town. One of the strange things about this place was that the bed in our room was really really high. There were literally step stools to climb into bed. Perhaps this was a sign of high society in Victorian times, but we were just a bit nervous about falling out of the bed.

One really great thing we did was take a Mail boat tour. Once a day a boat goes all around the lake and delivers the mail to the houses on the water front. The boat now sells tickets and talks about the houses and their histories as we go around the lake. As the boat goes up to a pier, someone jumps out of the boat runs onto the pier where homeowners put up mailboxes. They put in the mail and then jump back onto the boat without it ever stopping. It was so neat to watch this and learn about the 140 years of Lake Geneva history.

Nancy and I had a dinner at a great old fashioned fish fry on Friday night at a place called Mars. It was right on the water of Lake Como. Good food and a fantastic atmosphere at an old time Wisconsin joint (complete with lots of cigarette smoke, dark wood paneling on the walls, sticky floors and two illegal video poker machines in the corner). What a great time.

One of our goals on the weekend was to sleep in, but that really didn't happen because we kept waking up at about 7:00 AM all by ourselves and just couldn't go back to sleep. We did manage to take a nice nap on Saturday afternoon (who gets to take a nap anymore?).

It was a slow, relaxing, and sometimes even boring weekend where Nancy and I just got to hang out with each other and enjoy each other's company. It was something we'll remember for a very very long time.

Day One in Lake Geneva

Every year for the past many many years my mom and I have gone to Lake Geneva, WI for a night. We took the girls last summer and are here again - girls only. We're having a great time and the girls are being very good sports.

We left pretty early this morning - before 9. Once we got here we went shopping in most of the main street shops (which is pretty tricky with a double stroller). We then had lunch at Popeye's. The girls were super good, but the concept of a high-chair on wheels really does not work. They had a blast rolling all over the place!!

Thankfully, we got an early check-in, so they took naps in our room at the Cove. Once they woke, we hit the pool!! Of course the kid pool closed about a minute after we got there - a kid pooped in the pool - yuck. So, we went to the big pool and they had a blast playing on the stairs and jumping in like Humpty Dumpty and Jack be Nimble.

After the pool, we went to dinner at a cute place. My mom was recently there with her friends and thought it was great. It was great - the food was excellent. But, I am not sure they get many 2 year olds. No high chairs and no plastic cups - I swear to god, they drank from wine glasses with straws. Can you imagine!! Thye were great - especially considering they ate way later than usual - and went to bed super late!!

Tomorrow will be lots more pool time - hopefully I'll get cute pics...