Bathtime at Grandma Barb's

Baby Morgan

It was a moment like this that I completely appreciate the flexibility of my life right now. We were supposed to head home today. However, due to the unexpected arrival of baby Morgan we prolonged our trip a day. This morning Charley and I ventured down to Illinois to meet Morgan. My first niece and Charley's first cousin. New mama and new papa looked great, running on the adrenaline of this monumental event. Morgan didn't open her eyes while we were there. She was bundled up like a burrito. Love that! Her little lips were priceless. She has a beautiful head full of dark hair. Just the right amount! Loved it! Her color was gorgeous and her little head was shaped so beautiful! How lucky for them to have such a gorgeous young lady right off the bat! I wish them rest tonight and peaceful times these next couple days and weeks while they figure this little miracle out! Welcome to the world Morgan! You are loved by many - near and far!

I'm an Aunt!

I realized recently that I am not an Aunt. And today I am gifted the role of Aunt Sarah! I am so excited. Baby Morgan Mary arrived today at 6:02 pm. She is 6 ounces 11 ounces and 19 1/2 inches long. She is the daughter of Ed's brother Mike and his wife Becca. Their life has changed this evening and I am so excited for them I can hardly stand it. We are lucky to be in the area and will extend our trip a day and stay to meet her. Charley and I will venture down in the morning. Henry will hang out with Grandma Barb and Grandpa Bob.

Welcome baby Morgan! May the spoiling begin!

And we wait....

I got a call from Aunt Becca this morning. Her water broke! She is in the hospital! Baby will be here today!

A new little person will enter our world today! She will change the lives of her mama and daddy!

Becca will be a mom and her life will forever change! Mike will be a dad and he will think about everything differently!

And Charley and Henry will have their first FIRST cousin!
Ed gets the title of UNCLE!

AND I GET TO BE AN AUNT!

Stay tuned!

Spring Break Saturday : All Aboard!

This morning we boarded the Chicago Metra in Harvard, IL and took the train to Des Plaines, IL. I grew up in Des Plaines, IL and lived there until I was in third grade. I have many fond memories of the people and places. Today I got to experience a little of both and share it with my boys. We got off the train and were greeted by a good friend of my mom's...and ours...Kathy. She got there early, even in the cold weather, to meet us off the train. Whoops of celebration and hugs were given by Kathy and my mom. Then we all walked to one of my favorite restaurants as a child...The Choo Choo. It is a famous diner. My memories are of the two waitresses (one with black hair which she wore in a bun and the other with white hair). They weren't the most friendly ladies but they were always there ready to deliver a great grilled cheese and tator tots. The food is delivered via a small electric train. It wraps around the counter and goes back into the kitchen. The Train announces it's upcoming arrival by letting out a whoo! whoo!

Today, my four year old son, sat at the counter on the same stools and ordered a grilled cheese, chocolate shake that was bigger than he was, and some fries (no more tator tots). He sat sandwiched between his god-parents (Uncle Mike and Aunt Raina). He sat there and enjoyed every second. He loved the train. He devoured his food, and enjoyed some deep conversation with those around him. I sat in the booth behind him with Henry, my mom, and our Des Plaines friends Kathy and her daughter Colleen. What a treat! Always good to giggle with them.

The Choo Choo no longer has the horse that you could ride for a dime but now they have a little bus. It was a cold day but once we were inside the Choo Choo our hearts warmed with the spirit of the place. This restaurant is located blocks from the train station. It is worth the five dollar trip to experience the train ride and restaurant.

The boys loved the train. Henry was quiet and happy sitting on my lap. Charley took a turn sitting by everyone. At one point he was content sitting on my mom's lap, watching the world zoom by, while chanting chugga chugga chugga!

This day was my favorite of all of our days at my mom and dads this spring break. It was anticipated, it was shared with good friends and family, and it once again proved what fantastic boys I have. They were great listeners, patient, polite, and calm.

Today was also the last time we will see Uncle Mike and Becca before their family of two becomes a family of three. Morgan is expected to enter the world in the next couple of weeks. You can tell they were thankful for a little activity to keep their minds off the upcoming life changing event. They are ready and they are going to be great parents.

Thanks for sharing today with us mom, Raina, Andy, Mike, Becca, Colleen, and Kathy. The only thing that could have made this day any better...warmer temps and of course Daddy!

Spring Break: Friday

Today I started the day out by escaping for an hour to get my haircut..just a little shorter than the last time. It will most likely be pixie by summer! When I got home we packed up and headed out of town to a small town in the area. They have an awesome Children's Museum that we had never been to. It was awesome. The boys were in heaven.

Tonight we went to a local favorite for dinner. Charley learned to drink from a straw with my dad at a local hot spot...Harpoon Willie's. Henry learned to drink from a straw tonight with mom at Daddy Maxwell's.

Early to bed because tomorrow the train leaves at 8:35! All aboard!

When it comes to toothpaste...

Is this how your tube looks? Do you squeeze where you grab it or do you squeeze from the bottom?

I didn't bring toothpaste this weekend. I planned on using my moms. So, who was in awe of this tube of toothpaste...was my mom annoyed that her once nice tube looked so disgruntled...or am I in awe that my mom's toothpaste looks like this? One of us does it one way and one of us does it the other. What kind of toothpaste squeezer are you?

Spring Break: Thursday

A lazy day at Mam-mas (as we think Henry says it).
Out for lunch at Millie's for chocolate chip pancakes.
Playing outside.
A walk and the park.
Shopping at Sentry.
Spaghetti dinner.
A glass of wine and some TV for the moms in the house.

When Henry Wakes

Whether it be from a nap or a long night of rest,
the boy wakes, waiting for me...his mama.

Diaper change....that can wait.

"Don't you dare put me down," says Henry in a grunt.

The boy needs a snuggle.

When Henry wakes up from a nap or in the morning he wants to snuggle. He plops down in bed with me and lays his head on my chest and sleeps for a bit longer. One morning, Ed went and got him and brought him in by us. I had the blanket pulled up to my chin. He of course, crawled right over to me, flipped the cover off me and plopped himself down across my chest. Ed had to snicker. After a nap he sits facing me and rests his head on my chest and wakes up. Charley always gave "Loves". But Henry gives that extra snuggle all on his own. I treasure these cozy moments because I know they will only last for a little longer.

I remember fighting with my brother and sister on who got to sit next to my mom in church. Those two lucky kids got to rest their heads on her shoulders. Nothing beats cuddling up with mom.

Henry I love this little ritual. Let me savor it for a bit longer...pleeeeeease!

Spring Break: Wednesday

So this morning we prayed that the weather would be decent enough to continue on with the plans we had scheduled for our first day of vacation at mom and dads. Today we planned to spend most of the day at the zoo with a high school friend of mine who I haven't seen in close to 15 years. Most of Ed's closest friends (and now I consider them my close friends) are from high school. I have always had a little anxiety about the fact that his are from high school and I don't talk to my high school friends. So today I was a little nervous about seeing her but also so excited. We met at the zoo with the kids. Her kids are 4 and 2. So they matched up nicely. Charley ran the whole zoo with them. They missed half the animals because they were in such a hurry. Henry was a trooper since yesterday he missed his naps. Sarah and I talked about everything and anything. It was so fun to see her and right away it was like I was back in high school. I can't describe it but it just felt good to see someone and talk to them who I knew back then. And Sarah looked the same to me and it just made me Happy to see her. It was so relaxed and comfortable. I am all excited to meet up with other friends now that I see that it is just fun! - why be nervous! We hugged, said good-bye, and pulled out in our mini-vans...which I think matched in style and brand! HA! I told Sarah how fun it was to catch up with all our high school friends and how at first I was surprised that they all had kids similar to mine in age and were married around the same time etc. Well duh, we are all the same age and most likely going through the same stages. But to me, all of those people are frozen in time. I am so glad that today worked out and we got to catch up.


Charley and Henry were both sleeping 5 minutes into the ride home!


We left mom and dads this morning earlier than expected so we did a drop in to see Aunt Raina in her white coat at work. She works in the Cancer Clinic and she showed us her office, walked us through all the areas and then had a bagel with us. It was a fun addition to our day. She works in an amazing complex of medical buildings. She walks those halls, racing to see people who have had life changing issues that have forever changed their lives. She admitted that being there daily has probably diminished some of the emotional feelings that I had immediately when seeing a room full of beautiful women with scarf covered heads. She has a hard job and I give her credit for doing what she does.

Grandma should be home any minutes with a yummy pizza! Then a little playtime, bath, and bedtime! It was a great day!

Grandma will be so exprised that we are here!

exprised (ex-prized) : verb the feeling of being excited and surprised all at once.

Dear Charley and Henry,

Today we left home for Grandma Barb's and Grandpa Bob's house. We left at 8:42 and arrive around 3:15. I want you to note that I took you, on my own, on this long journey to grandmas. You were excellent travellers. We have trained you well, by travelling with you since you were wee little. I want you to note that I did this on my own so that some day when I am destination "Grandma's house" you don't hesitate to make a drive to visit me.

How did I do it...well this time it went super. We left and you, Charley, knew you couldn't watch any movies until we were in Wisconsin ( and really you don't know when we hit Wisconsin so I drag it out as long as possible). Charley was extremely content listening to some fun kid music that I got from the library. Henry knows now when we get in the car he is going somewhere fun. After about an hour and a half it was time to watch some cartoons and both of you watched quietly and ate some fish crackers. yum! That lasted an hour and then we looked for a stop to eat. We stopped at a Perkins that was connected to a hotel. This gave us a chance to run the hallways and eat ( the lunch left much to be desired). Back on the road after an hour. Charley, you and I made a deal that we would put on some quiet music when we got back in the car and see if we could get Henry to fall asleep. After an hour...no such luck, note Henry, you have not slept yet! So we put on the movie Wall-E and finally Henry conked out...for 30 minutes. Then he was all smiles again. The movie ended and we were within 20 minutes of Grandma's so we watched for landmarks and Wah-Lah! I see Grandma's house!

Grandma isn't home yet. And so you both have pulled out every toy, spread them through out the house, and are very busy. Alas, this is when you announced, "Mama, Grandma will be so exprised that we are here!"

Before we left this morning Daddy talked to both of you and reminded you to listen to mama, be kind, and to appreciate that you get to go to Grandmas for a week because not all kids get to do this. This is so true. I appreciate that I can pick up and take my boys on a vacation to mom and dads for a week without needing help making the 6 hour trip. I appreciate that I have the time to do this, especially since we live so far and to come for just a weekend is really tough. Both grandparents live farther away than my grandparents lived to me when I grew up. I do not take for granted that my boys ride in the car for 6 hours with very little whining. When I grew up we made a 6 hour trip once a year to the cottage and that was a huge deal. To you boys, this is just the norm. Thank you for realizing, at such a young age, that going to grandmas is worth the entire day in the car.

Can't wait for mom to get home so I can say "Cheers!", give you both a bath, and getcha in bed. Then I can put my feet up and just "BE" with my mom and the TV of course (can't forget that American Idol is on tonight). And tomorrow our week of adventures begin!

Oh, and I can not forget to point out that I would have a really hard time letting the boys go for a week and I appreciate that Ed encourages and is okay with me taking them for 6 nights. I know he misses them...and me.....and gets a little lonely. Enjoy the time to concentrate on work or whatever you want to do in the evening. That is a gift too!

Love,
Mama

Facing forward like a big boy!

The kids legs were too crammed with his shoes on now. We'll see if this makes the trip tomorrow better or worse. I think the boys will miss facing each other....but his car riding experience has just gotten that much more exciting. As you can see from his expression he didn't know what was happening and it did take a while before he gave a smile . Life keeps moving along and my boys keep growing up.

Spring Road Trip

This picture is of Charley in March of 2007...He was about 2 1/2 if I figured that out right. It has become a tradition for me to make a trip to my mom and dads in the spring for a week of fun in their neck of the woods. It is a big trip now with two little boys but hopefully the road trip down will go well tomorrow morning. Mom and dad invited us this year with the intention of taking a day trip by train to the Chicago area for lunch at my old favorite the Choo Choo. We are looking forward to seeing some friends and family for lunch on Saturday. This year I am also meeting an old friend from high school and her two kids at the Milwaukee zoo. We reconnected on Facebook...gotta love it. Other than that we have the usual stuff to look forward to when visiting my mom and dad...lunch out, library trips, parks, walks, shopping at Sentry with the little carts...happy hour with my mom, tired boys who go to bed early. Seeing Aunt Raina and Uncle Andy and just changing up our routine, a new environment, and a break for the day to day life at home. Ed gets to have a few days to himself...which he says is nice the first night but then after that he is lonely and misses us. I get that...but how nice to have the house quiet and to yourself. We'll be back and after an hour with the three of us it will be like we hadn't left. As I pack and get the car ready for our 6 hour journey I realize how much I enjoyed going to my grandma and grandpas houses. I loved the anticipation and remember racing my brother and sister to say "I see Grandma's house." I have those same feelings of anticipation. This trip means spring is here...or right around the corner. Thanks for letting us come and invade your quiet home. Can't wait!

Strep throat, M & Ms, and Barney

So Charley is suffering through his first bout of strep throat. You wouldn't know he has it...although he isn't eating as much as usual. I like to start weekends with a tidy house...notice I didn't say clean...but a picked up house. I think it helps Ed come home and relax and it makes me feel like the weekend ahead can be less about cleaning and more about family. So this afternoon....line up the M&Ms and turn on some Barney music and away we go. Charley gets to do jobs and for each job he gets to go eat an M & M! What fun! Maybe I need to line up the M & Ms more often. Happy Friday to all!

Worth every single penny!

Last fall I insisted that we buy a double jogger. I was itching to walk and this was one way I could do it with both boys. Last fall I loved it and we used it a lot for the one month that we had it before the weather got too cold. This spring we have already used this stroller a ton. Somethings you buy and realize you could have lived without it. But this purchase I have to say is worth every single penny. We have 6 parks we can walk to. The library will be about 30 minutes one way. We have a coffee shop, a subshop, bar and grill, and an excellent place to get margaritas. We can walk to friends and in 40 minutes I can walk to Target. We will be walking a lot this summer. I am happy!

Today we walked to the community park. I got a 40 minute walk in. The boys saw cows! YES COWS! In the middle of the suburbs. One of the many reasons I love where we live.

Henry's Idea of Getting Dressed

Lately when I do laundry he finds a pair of Charley's underwear and he claims them as his and carries them around for a long period of time. Today he was trying to put them on so I helped. Then he found his shoes and wanted those on. Couldn't resist. Then he wanted to head outside....ummmm love ya kiddo...but nope I won't be taking you out like that today...even though that belly button of yours looks cute enough to nibble right off you.


How can I not start my day with a smile when I get to start with this little guy.

"You know I love you!"

So this morning everything went smooth and happy at our house. Charley woke up dry and on his own. Henry ate breakfast and went down for a nap at 8:30 without a fuss. Mama got a 30 minute workout in. Yipee! Still going strong. Then we got packed up and headed to a short playdate. After the playdate we decided to park our car at our friends and walk to a nearby park. The sun was out and it was 50 degrees. Gorgeous. All was good there too. On the walk back to the car Charley lost it...he wasn't hungry, he was hungry, he wanted to go home, he didn't want to go home, he wanted to play with Elly etc. It went on and on. Then he pinched his finger in the stroller and could not get himself together. In the driveway he refused to get in the car. Still crying....I was now close to losing it myself...Henry was also crying. It was noon and they were obviously hungry. Lynelle and I had a talk with the two on the way home that they do not decide who comes over to play and eat lunch. I explained to Charley that it is rude to invite yourself over. But he was in a breakdown state of mind so he wasn't getting it. He is four. I got them in the car and drove home. He entered the laundry room and let out an ear piercing scream. I quickly exited with Henry and let the kid have at it. I knew he needed to get it out....whatever it was. I made them lunch and then when Charley had quieted I told him his lunch was ready...praying that I had picked a couple things that would be okay because I could imagine him flinging his plate at me if what he saw was not what he wanted. He sat down, didn't say a peep and ate it all up. He then told me he had a headache. Well of course he did, I get headaches when I cry like that too. He was still hungry so I gave him a granola bar and while he ate he looked at me and got a jittery lip and I said,"Charley, you know I love you." He just stared at me. I said, "Charley are you okay?" He started to cry. I asked, "Do you need a hug?" He climbed into my lap and we snuggled. I then took a chance and asked, "Do you remember when you used to lay in your bed with your eyes closed and I would read you a whole bunch of books?" He did...and he was up for it. So we did that...and the boy sleeps. He sleeps hard...and I don't care if he is up later tonight...he obviously needed a nap. The last few days have been gorgeous out and we have spent a lot of time outside. He has had swimming and preschool. The kid might need to curl up and rest! And maybe, he just needs to hear those three words, "I love you!"

Happy St. Patrick's Day

In keeping with the my family tradition....yes, mom, I served green milk and green eggs for breakfast. Growing up my mom always added green food coloring to our food on St. Patrick's day. Charley also got to pick out a donut yesterday at the grocery store to have for breakfast...notice he only had a small piece...I wonder who ate the rest? It is a busy day here but it will be fun. I will look forward to a green beer and some American Idol when this day is done.

Henry's Favorite

Charley got these two little fish for Christmas from his scuba diving Aunt Sara. They are about the size of a ping pong ball. They have become Henry's favorite thing to carry around. For how small they are, it is amazing that they aren't lost more often but often times if you say, "Henry, where are your fish?" He will be able to waddle over and find them. They find themselves shoved in odd places. Today it seems to be fun to drop them into the ball popper tube.

I love that he seems to have attached himself to these two little fish.

A priceless package

Quick Uncle Andy! Seal this baby up and ship me home to Milwaukee with you!

Spring is here....knock on wood.

Spring has sprung today in Minnesota! Snow is melting...time to make a paper boat and sail it along the gutter of melting snow. Spring jackets to dig out. Henry finds himself in his first pair of real shoes. We walked to the park today after Uncle Andy and Aunt Raina left. It was a great visit and I will post pictures when I get a few from Raina. I didn't take too many. But here are a few from the park. Gosh, did it feel so healthy to be out letting the sunshine hit our faces.

Brother-In-Laws enjoy a cocktail

We played a little Hearts after the boys went to bed. We won't talk about who won or lost but we all had a good time...especially the boys and their 'dirty martinis'.

Anticipating...

the arrival of my pregnant sister and her hubby. They arrive tonight. This will be the last time they visit our home as just two! So exciting. They are insisting Ed and I go on a date - so kind. It will be a great weekend. I can't wait!

Exploring the Children's Museum

Today we went to the Children's Museum. It was a fun day. Henry was a very busy fellow. Big Brother Charley buzzed around. Henry doesn't venture far from mama but he loves taking in all the busy people and things to look at. He is walking more steady and holds mama's finger as he goes from place to place. The sun is shining and we are all looking forward to more spring like weather!