The rest of the weekend

Cade and Omie are hanging out on the bus ride to Macy's downtown.
The old Marshall Field's (Macy's now) has awesome windows for Christmas. This year the theme was the Nutcracker which is perfect since the whole family is in the Nutcracker this year.
Cade is a gingerbread so he was posing with the gingerbread window scene.
Then we headed over to Millenium Park to see the bean and everything else the park has to offer. This was an attempt at a family photo.
Another attempt at a family photo at the Signature Room for lunch which is on the 95th floor of the Hancock Building.
Cade and Maddi showing off the skyline views from our table.
Santa and a Reindeer made from Legos. We stopped at the Lego store and American Girl for the kids to pick out a gift for each other for Christmas.
Friday while mom and Bob went to the city for an architecture tour and the Art Museum, we did some shopping and decorated the tree.

Thankful for family

Our first adventure with Omie and Bob was to the Children's Museum on Wednesday.
Bob as helping Maddi build a cross in the woodworking area. I helped Cade build a car. It's pretty scary to let kids go with hammers, nails, drills, saws and sandpaper, but we all came out with all of our fingers in tact!
Maddi was having a blast playing in the bubble area trying to make the bubble as tall as her.
Next stop was the Colonial Cafe for a kitchen sink for me, mom and Bob and the kids had colonial clowns. Notice Maddi and Cade are wearing their jackets to eat ice cream indoors.
Our last stop of the day was Cade's gymnastics and Maddi's hip hop dance class. It was a fun day for the kids both young and not so young.

A clip from Maddi's Thanksgiving Play

The Radio City Rockettes

Last weekend Maddi and I had a Girls Night Out with Emily and her mom and grandmother. We went to see the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular and ate a nice Italian dinner after. Maddi and Emily were thrilled to meet a real Rockette after the show and get her autograph.
The theatre was so beautiful and was decked out for Christmas. It really got us in the Christmas spirit. The girls enjoyed the dancing, but their favorite part were the three elves (who were dwarves). Maddi couldn't believe she saw REAL elves.
Future Rockettes all decked out in their Christmas outfits waiting for the show to begin.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Maddi was a little Indian at the Thanksgiving play in her classroom. It was very cute and she did great with reciting her line in a nice loud voice. We were very thankful to have my mom and her husband Bob here with us to celebrate Thanksgiving. We played tour guide and took them around to see all the sights and sounds of Chicago. Pictures to come soon.

We were also thankful that we both the Cowboys and the Aggies won their football games and the Aggies on the basketball tournament (whoop!) and they were even on TV up here so we could watch them. Brett gets so upset when he can't get the games because they have other local games on. Happy Thanksgiving!

Fall to Winter

We have been enjoying fall in the Midwest with the leaves turning colors which is something we never really experienced in the south. The geese have come back from Canada and they are so fun to watch. I love to hear them coming and then look out and see huge groups of them flying in formations. When we drive by the ponds they are filled with geese. I keep wanting to take pictures of them but I never have my camera available. So fall has been nice but I am afraid it's over. It might snow tonight and it's getting colder and colder so we are starting to get in winter mode.

I decided since it's dark so early and it's so cold outside that we need to take advantage of our basement to give the kids somewhere to go when they are couped up all winter. The kids and I were a little freaked out by basements last winter so we didn't use it too much. I'd send them down to ride their bikes and that would last 5 minutes and then they'd run upstairs freaked out by a noise like the sump pump or heater or water in the pipes. Now we are not so afraid and are learning to embrace the basement. This week we got some big rugs, really just carpet made into a rug, and some foamy mats and made the basement child friendly. We moved most of the toys down there (how do toys seem to multiply?) and the kids do gymnastics on the mats and our mirror from our bathroom we re-did is down there in an area that makes it like a dance studio. I got a card table with chairs for the kids to do arts and crafts since there is a sink down there. So far it has been a big hit with the kids. Cade loves it because Brett and I aren't on him to clean up his stuff. He can keep it messy (to a point). We are learning our ways in the north and how to survive winter!

Another change here has been the landscaping. We have plants that I never had in the south. Not to say that they don't grow there but I personally never had any hastas and daylillies, and cat tail or something like that. Apparently they all have to be cut back since they all pretty much turned brown last week after several night of hard freezes and frost. So, I got out there with my sheers and I scalped the heck out of them. I thought it looked weird as I was doing it, but I do things and then ask questions later. I looked back at pictures of the house before we moved in and I cut the cat tail or whatever way too short! I think they'll grow again, but it looks really ugly for now and until spring comes and things grow again. I am so not the gardener.

Anyway, winter is on its way and we are getting ready for it. Weather forecasts show we might have a white Thanksgiving which might be fun since I 've never even had a white Christmas.

Birthday Celebration #4

The final Birthday Celebration was Sunday morning at the Colonial Cafe for breakfast/lunch and ice cream. Maddi is in deep thought here making another Birthday wish. I always wonder what they wish for but they can't tell me or it won't come true.
Aunt Shirley and Grammy experiencing the kitchen sink. Me, Brett, Shirley and Grammy shared it. I'm pretty sure I had the most.
Cade and Maddi enjoying their ice cream. Cade got a colonial clown ice cream. He ate all his and wanted some kitchen sink too. He is my child!

That's the end of the 7th Birthday for Maddi. I hope she has a wonderful year as a 7 year old. (I'm still in denial that my little girl is SEVEN!)

Birthday Celebration #3

Last Saturday after dance 3 of Maddi's dance friends came home with her to change and have a snack before her 3rd Birthday Celebration which was her party at Build a Bear Workshop. Cade was thrilled to have all the girls in the house and was driving them crazy being a boy.
The party started at Build a Bear where they got to choose a bear to stuff and an outfit to dress them in. Everyone is showing off their finished bears. Back row left to right, Abby, Maddi, Bailey B., Mariana, Jane. Front row L to R Julia, Bailey L., Emily and Cade.
Next after Build a Bear we were off to the Food Court for birthday cake. I had ordered an edible image with a Build a Bear for the cake but it never came. Luckily Grammy had bought the cute ice cream cone candles!
After cake it was time for a ride on the carousel. All the kids wanted to go on the spinning part. Half the kids were in one spinner and half were in the other spinner.
Then it was time for presents. Maddi got some American Girl things, Littlest Pet Shop, makeup, and craft sets. It's so fun to watch the kids get so excited about giving friends presents. Then the party was over and it was back to our house to open all the toys and play. Happy Birthday Maddi Girl!

Basketball

The soccer season has ended and basketball has begun. This is Cade's first time to play basketball and he really seems to like it. Saturday was the first game and it was so fun and funny to watch. Cade's showing off his defense moves.
Cade is under the basket trying to get the rebound. Go Green Wave!!

Birthday Celebration #2

Friday the kids were out of school for a teacher workday so we headed to the city for Maddi's 7th Birthday Celebration #2. I can hardly believe my little girl is a SEVEN year old!

Grammy, Maddi and Cade passed time on the train ride in by playing rock, paper, scissors.
The first stop was the Lego store. This stop wasn't for Maddi's b-day but to keep Cade happy and quiet during the next stop which was American Girl Place. The kids and Grammy and Aunt Shirly had fun building at the Lego Store.
I finally thought to ask for a window seat when I made reservations at American Girl. Our view was of Water Tower place on Michigan Avenue. It was so much fun.
This is the dessert course of the lunch with a heart shaped sugar cookie, a heart shaped cake and a chocolate moose flower pot. Maddi's had a candle and she is making a birthday wish.
Grammy wanted a doll to sit next to her too, so she borrowed one from American Girl.
Cade borrowed the high chair for his Lego Bionicle to sit in and he was thrilled. I think he thinks the chair is pretty cool, but he would never let a doll sit next to him.
After eating all three desserts, the kids were hopped up on sugar but we attempted a family photo anyway. We were cracking up when we saw it because Cade and Maddi look like a two headed person.
This is the first time Brett has ventured out with us to Lego and American Girl and it was so handy to have him around to carry bags, coats, etc.
Maddi was sleeping in Cade's trundle bed since we had family visiting. It was a fun and busy day so we told them they could talk for a few minutes before going to bed. An hour later they were still talking so I told them if they weren't asleep when I got out of the shower the were in big trouble. I came back to find them not only asleep, but all smashed up sleeping in the same bed. How sweet is that? The next morning I found out that Cade jumped in with Maddi and she had no idea. As sweet as they looked, I figured neither one of them would get a god nights rest so I moved Cade back in his bed. Looking at my sleeping children melts my heart.

The Circus!!!

Last Thursday Grammy, Brett's mom, came in town for Maddi's birthday which was October 30th. (Birthday pics to come later.) We didn't tell Grammy, Maddi and Cade that we were going to the circus and just said we were going to the Allstate Arena for a surprise. They were so excited to find out we were at the Ringling Brother's Circus. This is a picture of one of our favorite clowns at the pre-circus show. He was an old man clown and he was really funny and very believable as an old man.
Cade pretty much stared at everything in amazement and Maddi was talking a hundred miles an hour and asking a zillion questions. The horses were pretty neat, but the dogs were our favorite. None of the pictures of the dogs turned out that well because they were such small dogs and moved so quickly I couldn't get a good shot. We decided we need to teach Cocoa some tricks. The tigres were really fun to watch too. The tiger trainer is insane. Who in their right mind would get in a cage with those beasts!?!
Grammy and Maddi enjoying the intermission and talking about the events they had seen.
One of the acts was a dance contest with the clowns and Maddi was dancing along showing off some of her "hip hop" moves. Cade was staring in amazement as he did the whole show. The dance contest was a spoof of Dancing with the stars and it was hilarious.


The last picture is of Cade crashed out about halfway through the second act. This is Cade's 3rd circus and it's his 3rd time to fall asleep during it. Look at that sweet sleeping face!

Happy Halloween!

I forgot to rotate the picture and now I can't get it to rotate. Sorry. Our poor dog, Cocoa, was a pumpkin for Halloween. We took her trick or treating with us and she was happy to have her costume on because it kept her warm. It was insanely windy and quite cool on Halloween. We took her on one street and then brought her home and she was happy to sleep in the kennel the rest of the night and didn't bark or anything when the door bell rang over and over.
Trick or treating started right after school at 3:30 and went until 8:00. The kids went for about an hour and then came home for hot cocoa and hot cider and to empty their buckets of candy. Then they gave out candy for about an hour and I think they enjoyed that just as much. They went back out for another hour when it was dark and then we went to a neighbors for pizza and cupcakes. They ended up with way too much candy!
I guess Star Wars wast the theme for the boys and Dorothy for the girls. We had 100s of trick or treaters and ran out of candy after 6:30. It was a fun Halloween!