it was a sunny day and we couldn’t wait to get out! we headed to oakbrook center with my sister to grab some lunch and look around. we beelined for table at crate, as thuy hadn’t eaten there and i really enjoyed my prior experience.
it was such a beautiful day! we sat outside, facing the fountain and enjoyed our meals. as we were finishing up the girls wanted to play by the fountain and i let them, as they were in eyesight from our table.
we basically lounged around, relaxed, walked the mall and the girls had fun wherever we went! i thought jeni’s ice cream was open but i was wrong! it wasn’t open yet and we were a bit bummed because we were looking forward to getting some yummy treats there! instead, we hopped on over to lolli and pops for some sweet treats and decided to walk towards nordstrom on our way out to the car.
uhhhhh, that was a big mistake! we walked by top shop and i couldn’t stop shopping! i found so many good things and we ended up being up there for 45 minutes or so. then, i brilliantly decided to go to the kid’s shoe department and buy the girls some new shoes. the problem here was that i needed to meet hc and grace for dinner!!! we were still shopping for the girl’s shoes when i should have been at the meeting place! LOL terrible! we rushed though our purchase and the worst part about us being late??? we still had to drive thuy home to our house so she could get her car!!! arghhhhhh!
well, the good news and not so good news was the wait for the restaurant that we wanted to eat at had a very long wait, so that was our saving grace! we sped home, dropped thuy off, the girls took a bathroom break, we freshened up, and zoomed back to downtown dg to meet hc and grace for dinner! phew!
all in all, it was a fabulous day and evening! we had such a great afternoon with my sister and topped it off with a lovely dinner with our family. cheers to sunny days off!
[the coolest stairs]
[posin’]
[leave it to my girls to organize the chess board]
it was becky’s birthday and i text her to wish her a happy one when she text me back to say that she was coming into town in a couple weeks! yayyyyyyyy!
honestly, we see each other once a year because i rely heavily on her coming home for christmas. the last two years, though, she’s either gone to cali or nyc for christmas and we were super duper sad about it.
well, they were coming into town {the whole an clan was meeting up!} and we had to see them! it was all last minute and i was hoping i could coordinate a whole get together with my sisters too but that idea wasn’t in the cards. we threw dates around and it was slim pickings. the only day open for the both of us was monday and by george it was going to happen no matter what!
we decided to order food in and relax, catch up and just be. they arrived promptly and the festivities began! oh, it was soooooo damn joyous to see them! they are such good people and we love them so much! ruby and wren joined right in with the girls and disappeared immediately.
we laughed, we drank, we ate, we giggled, we shared story after story. the boys hung out. the girls hung out. we hung out all together. the kids put on several plays for us adults and played dress up to their heart’s content.
the night rolled on and time flew by way too fast. we were having too much fun! we were super bummed we had to wrap things up as this was a regular evening for us with a regular next day. unfortunately, we were not on vacation mode like the carlsons. LOL we wish!
we hesitantly said our goodbyes, gave big hugs, and wished them a fabulous rest of their time here. our evening was perfect. we had so much fun catching up and being together. i love it when longtime friends can get together after years and it feels the same but not the same. ya know what i mean?!
we love you becky, james, ruby, and wren! we hope our time together next is not too long in-between.
i was talking to kt about visiting harper, again, in the hospital. we planned for a wednesday and committed to that but then kt got news that harper was going to go home that sunday!!!! oh my gosh!!! i was sooooo excited.
so that meant we would get to visit them at home!!!! such amazing news and i was so proud of harper for making such great progress! she was 1 lb 15 oz {26 weeks} when she was born and within 2.5 months, shot up to 5 lbs 8 oz! wowza! everything fell into place…so much needs to be checked off before a preemie can go home and harper knocked it all out of the ballpark. well done cutie! well done!
ellie was sick, so i had to drop her off at my dad’s house. i was bummed i couldn’t bring her to meet harper but olive was so stinkin’ excited! she looooooves babies and could not wait to see her! she said the cutest thing to me that day. she asked if the baby was still inside and i said no, she’s outside! you can hold her and olive started screaming, “yay! yay! i’m so excited to see the baby!”. how sweet is she??
our morning was a bit nuts with us trying to get ready and out of the house. since ellie was sick…it was so hard doing anything in a timely manner. the moment we woke up, ellie needed care almost every minute. poor babe! her nose was running NONstop and she was coughing, tired, sneezing, and just miserable. i did our usual morning routine and while ellie was on the couch watching t.v. and drinking her milk, i was getting olive up, i heard her coughing and coughing. then i heard her crying and screaming. i ran out to the living room to see what was the matter and she had thrown up on the couch! ughhhhhhhh!
that just snowballed into us getting ready at 10 am to us not walking out of the house until 1 pm. yes…it took us 3 hours to get out of the house. i think that was a record. i had to strip the couch, do laundry, clean up ellie, get olive up, pack a lunch for olive, pack a lunch for ellie, get both girls ready, wipe ellie’s nose 1 million times, feed them breakfast, pack their bags, grab the laundry, put it away, reset the couch, get myself ready on top of attending to ellie every minute. i would be in the bathroom getting ready, run out, wipe her nose, and repeat that 100 times. i can usually get ready in 20 minutes or less but that day, it took me 45 minutes. yikes! i packed the girls stuff up, got them in the car, drove to my dad’s house, dropped off ellie, and of course i had to grab a coffee, THEN olive and i were finally on our way. oh em geeeeeeeee. what a debacle of a morning.
we finally made it to kt and bobby’s place. kt’s mom and sister colleen were already there, and a couple hours later, bobby came home from work. baby harper was soooooo darn tiny and oh so cute! olive was so happy to see her! a few minutes after we arrived, francie and olive snuck away and sat together on the couch. francie got olive to hold the baby and it was precious to see those two together!
i offered to bring lunch but kt said they were good! this bad ass mama cooked up some mac n cheese for the kiddos and then proceeded to make us shrimp tacos and rice! whaaaaaa?? so good!
we all just sat and chatted and had a great relaxing time while we all took turns to hold miss harper. i also gave kt and bobby the baby shower gift early. i’m going to the shower this week but since harper came home early…i knew they would need some of this stuff! i was so excited to give them our ergo 360, the boon lawn drying rack, drying branch, humidifier, crib sheet, bath towels, wash cloths, whale rinser, thermometer, nose frida, and burp cloths. she started using most of it right away! yay!
time literally flew by! before i knew it, it was 3 hours later and we needed to go! i had to get ellie from my dad’s and head home. olive and i had such a wonderful time visiting kt, bobby, and miss harper!
we are so happy you are home baby girl, where you belong. you are a tower of strength and so very, very loved. may your journey ahead be filled with joy, health, love, and growth. we love you so much!
[olive and sweet harper]
[grammy francie, olive, and harper]
[sisters! kt and colleen]
[i looooooove this picture! look how adoring everyone is to miss harper]
[harper’s faces crack me up! she’s so darn noisy too! all so cute!]
so last year, we decided to get the girls into swim lessons. yes, maybe to some, a bit late in the game but i think it’s never too late! you just gotta do what is right for you and the kiddos. {olive was 4 and ellie was 2} well, last year, ellie and swim lessons were like oil and water and we totally caved in and didn’t make her do it because she didn’t like it. olive didn’t love it but she did it. we did private lessons at our private pool and it was alright. i felt that it was hard to schedule lessons that worked for both parties and sometimes the weather wasn’t on our side, so that stymied her progress.
well this year, we enrolled the girls into goldfish swim school and we recently had their first lesson there. hc and i were both nervous over ellie because of the run for our money she gave us last year. i touch based with the general manager about ellie and even talked to the deck supervisor about her having a possible meltdown during her lesson.
they were both so reassuring and understanding. they told me to not worry and to keep ellie at it. they said they deal with crying children all the time. obviously, not their first rodeo but it was so nice to hear those supportive words, it’s exactly what anxious parents need to hear!
so, ellie’s first lesson went something like this. screaming, crying, shrieking, clawing, desperation, terror…just a few descriptive words of her thirty minute session. total props to her swim instructor for being so patient and sweet with her. we waved to ellie from behind the glass wall, feeling a little helpless and knowing that she needed to go through the ‘lesson’ and get comfortable with this. i didn’t take one photo of her during the this, as i tried to stay as far away as possible to not interfere or cause her to become more upset.
olive, on the other hand, did soooo well! she loved it! she was so excited and loved every second of her lesson. she’s become so comfortable in the water and i love that she is learning so much!
that was their first week! scroll down to see the second week of lessons!!!
[she’s ready for swim lessons!]
[ellie – not so ready]
[just keep swimming, just keep swimming]
[my sweet girl]
[floating like a starfish ~ her favorite part of the lesson]
[way to go girl!]
[ellie after her lesson]
[that face!]
*****
{week 2}
well, we had no worries with olive and her lesson but we were both anxious over miss ellie. what was it going to be like? was she going to scream for thirty minutes again? what if she really, really doesn’t like it? it’s so torturous to watch her be so upset for so long!
well, well, well…her second lesson turned out AMAZING!!!!! she was game and ready. she listened to the instructor, didn’t scream for dada, and she was all smiles!!! she even let the swim teacher dunk her head underwater twice!!!! wow…i am so proud of you miss ellie! we {kinda} knew you would get there! ok, we had doubts but we WANTED you to and you did!
she loved wearing her goggles, did such a great job with her classmates and her teacher. she was even waving to hc while she was in the water! what a champ! oh ellie, you are full of surprises and we love you for all your might, stalwart ways.
thank you, thank you to goldfish swim school! you guys are so wonderful. you have made this ‘first’ time experience so fabulous. from the first instructor who was so sweet to ellie, although she screamed the entire time and to the entire staff who have been so friendly and encouraging through this process. thank you so much!
i highly recommend anyone going to a goldfish school near them! you won’t be disappointed!
it was a very long, long awaited playdate with kim and famille. like way too long! let’s be clear…it was one year since i had seen them last! whaaaaaaaa? kim and i planned 5 different times to see each other but each time, unfortunately, something always came up for kim and we had to cancel every time.
well, the waiting was over and we secured a date and boom! it happened! olive was so excited to see brady! when she woke up in the morning, she said to me she needed to hurry up and brush her teeth cause she wanted to go see brady! hahaha! too damn cute!
we could have left on time but i am at fault for wanting to do one million more things before we walked out the door, then once we did…we literally turned back around cause i forget to get the girls to the bathroom and we had a long car ride ahead of us! arghhhhh. we finally hit the road one hour after we were suppose to leave. like wtf. i am usually not this late but this was probably a record tardy start for me!
we arrived in no time, quite surprisingly and the girls couldn’t not wait to get inside! once they stepped foot inside…i didn’t see them for an hour. just kidding but they literally ran away from me and were outta sight. LOL i hugged kim and we started chatting. as i have said in the past…the girlfriends i have {kim is no different}, we have this tendency to talk and talk and talk and talk and talk. no joke…time literally flies by when i am with kim. we can gab about anything and everything!
it was super nice cause the kids are at an age where they are very low maintenance and they all play so well together. so, mikey {kim’s hubby} kept the kids entertained as they ate their lunch and kim and i ate our lunch in another room. that was awesome.
before i knew it, three hours flew by and we needed to go! olive had gymnastics and i knew traffic back home was going to be a nightmare. we quickly said our goodbyes {sadly…no one wanted to leave, including me!} and headed back home.
it was such a fun afternoon and a much needed catch up time with kim! i told her, we cannot have another year go by where we don’t see each other! i don’t think that has ever happened in the 10 years that we’ve known each other! crossing our fingers we can squeeze in a zoo date before school starts.
a couple years ago, hc and i bought a year membership to the arboretum and we probably went a couple times but then it expired and we never renewed.
this year, we fully went in and purchased a two year membership because we totally feel like the girls are at an age where they play well together and they are so active! so it made sense and we know we will go more than twice a year!
the day we went was beautiful. sunny, warm, but not too hot. after we signed up for our membership and grabbed drinks at the cafe, we headed out to the children’s area and the girls were so excited! they immediately became involved with everything that catered to their curious minds. it was great. hc and i just sat back, conversed, drank and the girls kept themselves super busy with their surroundings.
we slowly made our way around the area, stopping at each section so the girls could throughly explore. we made our way through the pond/water area and the girls became excited at the idea of taking off their shoes and wading through the creek, in which they did. i had to help ellie walk through it back and forth while olive independently jumped around.
in one section of the creek, olive became a bit too zealous and slipped and fell on her behind! oh, poor olive! she soaked her entire bottom! no matter, i reassured her it was ok and i knew, with the warm temps, she would dry up quickly.
once that was over, we slowly made our way back to the entrance. i assumed the girls were hungry and i was right, so we stopped for some yummy snacks. as we headed out, the girls also spotted some very large lego creations along the way. they were so cool!
it was a great day. the temps were perfect, the sun was shining, and the girls had a wonderful time exploring the playgrounds! we can’t wait to go back, it’s such a huge area and there’s so much to see and experience there!
we were invited to preview the newest exhibit at the field museum! and it did not disappoint!
i was super excited to have the girls experience something different and fun. the whole collaboration was well thought out and the field museum did such an excellent job welcoming us!
traveling to the museum took a pinch and we were given complimentary parking – sweet! we quickly parked and walked right into the very close entrance. we were greeted by a few staff members, asked to sign in, and given visitor passes to wear. then a kind lady led us through the building up to where the exhibit was.
we were then greeted again by staff members at the entrance and given additional information on event and were told to enjoy and have fun!
the entrance was so cool! video screens lined the walk way and it felt like we were walking through an enchanted forrest with butterflies fluttering all around us!
once inside, the rooms were outstanding! everything was informative, interactive, and so beautifully designed! the girls immediately gravitated towards everything in there! olive was obsessed with the immersive chambers and they both were so delighted and intrigued by all the different displays of bugs!
i was pleasantly surprised by ellie! i was nervous she wouldn’t have great time because she is terrified of bugs! i was reassured by a field affiliate that she would indeed have a good time and not be scared and she was right! the whole space is so colorful, bright, and fun…ellie was not bothered by the bugs and didn’t seem to care. what i loved most was i knew she felt safe, so therefor she wasn’t scared! she was so brave the entire time and i can’t believe she came so close to the live bugs at the bug zoo! she was closer to the live bugs than olive cared to get!
we explored the whole exhibit and loved all the rooms. olive loved the praying mantis chamber, all the games, and i think her favorite bug was the swimming/diving beetles! i loved how wonderfully designed it all was. the details, the thought process behind each area, and how creative the space was for the children.
i have to add that the gift bag was bugtastic! they were so thoughtful and generous in giving us such a wonderful treat when we left the exhibit! it was filled with sooooooo many goodies for the girls {lots of toys} and mama {pampering products}!
we even ran into a few other blogger friends at the event! the afternoon turned out so fun for us! after our visit at the fantastic bug encounter, we headed down to south michigan ave to find a place to eat. it was so sunny and warm but once we parked the car, it became dark and the sky opened up! the rain poured down as we waited outside the building under an awning by the el. the girls had a blast standing outside while it rained all around us. watching them giggle, be silly, and laugh endlessly filled my heart with so much joy.
after dinner, we stopped by another eatery and purchased ice cream shakes for the girls. they sipped their sweet treats while we walked back to the car. while on route, as were about to cross the street, i think i knocked ellie’s shake out of her hand trying to guide her and it fell to the ground! ughhhhh! i quickly picked it up and salvaged it! LOL the straw never touched the ground and the shake was still in tact although half of it spilt out. yes, i was that mom who pulled the 5 second rule, even on the dirty streets of chicago. hahahahaha!
our afternoon was beautiful. i thoroughly enjoyed our day together as a family. it’s been awhile where we have spent it in the city on our terms…not just running from one event to the next, driving in traffic just to get somewhere but it was more so a slow moving day, where we enjoyed our time and we weren’t strapped to a timeline or an outside agenda!
thank you field museum for being such a consummate host. the whole experience was top notch and we had the most lovely day!
[ready to explore!]
[these girls have my whole heart]
[i post multiple pics because ellie’s faces are too cute!]
[sweet kisses for ellie]
[she’s so kind and sweet. i can’t say it enough how she’s so much better than anyone i know]
[praying mantis]
[the very cool immersive chambers were outstanding!]
[everything was so interactive! so hands on]
[checking out the bug zoo…the girls did not hold the bugs but they were much closer to them than what i expected!]
[millipede]
[she was so mesmerized by the associate who was feeding the ‘swimming beetles’]
[origami a bird and watch it fly!]
[oh my sweet babes! they had such a great time at the museum]
we celebrated father’s day at hc’s parent’s house.
on mother’s day…we do what i prefer and on father’s day, we do what hc prefers and it all is fair and square. we got up and got ready at a very slow pace {ahem…if it’s a day off for me…i can never get out of bed quick}.
i had the girls give hc his gift in the morning…flowers, a bag of man treats, and a six pack of unique beers. they were so cute trying to carry it all to him!
once we were at his parent’s house, we all just sat around chatting. his sister missy, his aunt wendy, grace, his parents, his cousin kevin and kevin’s kids, mila and nolan were all there. it was so good to catch up and just relax.
it’s been awhile since we have seen kevin and the kids and it was super nice to have him there! it reminded us that it had been too long since we’ve hung out and we need to see them more often!
after an hour or so of being there, lunch was ready! jane had made chicken, burgers, and salad. we all gathered around and had a really good time conversing while we ate.
father’s day was very low key but filled with a lot of love. sometimes all you need is to be with the ones you love and that’s it.
happy father’s day hc. you are an amazing dad to the girls and they absolutely adore you. thank you for always doing your best and going above and beyond every day to provide us the best life possible. we love you to infinity and beyond!
[our gang]
[handmade gifts]
[my favorite girls]
[my sweet babe]
[dada and his girl]
[oh that face…she melts our hearts]
[mama and son]
[hc, jane, and kevin]
[his favorite uncle]
[so sweet]
[desserts are always welcomed]
[father and daughter]
[grilling kind of cake]
[daddy and daughter]
[olive was so excited to give dada her gift]
[as close as ellie would get to aunt wendy]
[homemade frames for dad]
[ellie was upset and screamed for grace to console her! it was so darn cute!]
olive’s first formal recital was last year and it was so special and oh so sweet but this year felt even better! why? we were seasoned, we felt more confident, and i was less anxious. LOL
i think the most stressful part about the recital is reserving all the seats for our invited guests. most people wouldn’t care, worry, or think it’s a big deal to nab good seats but it’s my purpose. haha! i find it important to be front and center for my girl and that her family can see her clearly! my problem is that i invite 15-20 people each time and i semi-feel like an ass blocking off that many seats! but not enough to not do it, so it’s an endless mind battle in my head. i’m filled with anticipation until i do so and then once it’s done, i can relax. phew!
our family trickled in and everyone was situated in their seats and ready to watch our baby girl perform! olive’s group was first to perform. she danced her ballet routine to ‘somewhere over the rainbow’ and then her group was fourth in line to perform and they tapped their way to the song ‘rainbow’.
watching the little kiddos dance is so darn sweet and cute! they are usually all over the place with their moves, never in sync, and so darling in their costumes. when it came time for them to end their routine with a final pose, it was like a comical show with them not knowing what they were doing or arguing with each other on how they were suppose to pose and end the act….hahaha! ahhhhh, their innocence is so heartwarming!
olive did such a great job! she practiced at home {a few times} and was so focused during her performance! i am so blown away she doesn’t get stage fright or even appear to be nervous. she just goes with it and i love her for it!
after the show, i picked up olive and brought her out to her adoring crowd. she was showered with flowers and gifts…what a welcome! our family snapped a few photos of the shining star and we all cruised back to our abode for a late lunch and fun.
once home, our guests slowly arrived while hc and i ran around preparing random things for the party. i snapped pics of olive with all her guests while hc prepped the food. once i was satisfied with all the snaps {olive so patiently obliged to all the photos, although she wanted to play! oh, she’s so sweet and kind!}, i took everyone’s drink order and finally stopped for a moment to visit with them.
it was so sweet that auntie lynne bought flowers for both girls {she didn’t want ellie to feel left out} and gifts for them both. she’s always so good to them! they are so spoiled by their family!
about an hour and half later, kim and reagan stopped by after his baseball game and joined in on our fun! the weather was so amazing! rain was in the forecast but it stayed away and it turned out to be the most perfect day.
the whole afternoon was so good. the food was delicious. the drinks flowed. the girls were super happy and our guests were comfortable. we couldn’t have asked for a better time.
spending time with family is always the best. words can’t describe the joy, content, and happiness we feel to be surrounded by our loved ones. happy recital day miss olive. you did such an amazing job in your dance routines and you are one blessed girl to have such wonderful family around you.
[i love how she chose to pose]
[she danced to ‘somewhere over the rainbow’]
[the final pose]
[ready for her tap routine]
[the girls tapped to the song ‘rainbow’]
[the final bow]
[inundated with flowers and gifts!]
[my sweet girls]
[ellie did not dance but auntie lynne got her flowers to not feel left out! how sweet!]
[of course we had to coordinate olive and ellie]
[auntie missy and olive]
[papa and gramma]
[the heintz family]
[barbara and lynne]
[ba and rimma]
[no cake topper, so i quickly decorated it with flowers]
memorial day weekend weather looked dismal. it was supposed to rain every.single.day and who wants that??? it’s the weekend to kick off summer {and to honor those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom} and rain didn’t fit into outdoor plans.
well, mother nature fooled us. it was beautiful and sunny on both saturday and sunday, which turned out great because we had plans no matter what! on saturday, we took olive to the salon for a haircut, lunch, and came back to our abode to work on things at home. then we headed back out to buy flowers at wannemaker’s, then eat and shop at ikea. it was a busy day and night but we checked things off that needed to be done!
the next day, we hosted our family over for some grub and drinks. it was a good afternoon eating and hanging out with the best people. we cooked seasoned chicken, burgers, corn, vegetable skewers and had many other delicious dishes. it was a fun time and the weather was beautiful for us to be outside!
we decided, last minute, to head to the zoo on monday. now this time, the weather looked ominous but we were confident the rain would hold off until later in the afternoon and we were right! we had the most joyous time at the zoo! the temp was just right, the kids were having so much fun, and the adults were living their best life with beers and just having fun with the kiddos. unfortunately, we didn’t get to explore as much as we wanted of the zoo…our time was cut short by the big storm rolling in.
terry was on weather app radar and informed us of the time we had every hour. LOL. then the temperature dropped and we knew the storm was about to hit. we said our goodbyes and started walking towards our cars. i foolishly asked hc to stop so olive could get her face painted but straightened out my head and said, let’s go…and convinced olive that we would do it next time. well, those five minutes cost us! we were a few minutes from the car when the sky opened up and pouuuuuuuuuured on us. like buckets of rain! darn it!
we left the zoo and headed on our way to a restaurant to meet the fam, again, for a late lunch. it was a monsoon out! just sheets of rain coming down and blowing to the side. i was amazed at how many people were actually coming into the zoo as we were leaving. the rain didn’t pass quickly…it rained heavily for awhile!
of course, after we ate, we then went shopping, like fools. the rain didn’t let up and we all were soaked one way or another but truthfully, we really had the best day with everyone. it was good, fun, relaxing, and full of content.
this past memorial day weekend was one for the books.
