chicago

we took a very last minute one-night trip to chicago a few days ago. jimmy had to go there for work, so the girls and i decided to tag along! it was ellie's and addison's first trip there and actually my first time back there in like a few years.... which seems odd since we don't live too far away and jimmy goes there so often for work. and also odd since we have such ties to this city. jimmy and i used to live there and spent most of our 20's there. we have such fond memories. we know it inside and out. it's like home to us. so it felt very strange going back there as a visitor.... staying at a hotel, seeing the sites through visitor's eyes.... AND bringing our kids there with us! jimmy and i basically met and started dating there... we lived in the city, worked in the city and used to roam this place like a couple of carefree kids with our posse of friends being up to no good. :) so now to research hotels and restaurants that are child-friendly and to find activities to do with kids was a change. but a nice one!

since we were only there a very short time, we only had time to do a couple of things. one was going to American Girl Place for addison. and as i figured she enjoyed it thoroughly! this place is a crazy cash cow. doll $100; outfit for doll $24; dog for doll $20; and finally getting doll's hair styled in the beauty salon there $15. ugh, i can not believe i paid for my daughter's doll's hair to get done. well, it's all for the experience, right?? :) well, she loved her doll and took her everywhere with us. and when i asked her what her name is going to be. addison replied, "jennifer!" that happens to be her aunt's (my sister) name... so i thought that was so cute and funny.


addison and jennifer at breakfast



addison and jennifer watching a dvd in the car



no jennifer in this photo, but ellie at breakfast :)

and the other activity that we had just enough time for was going to Shedd Aquarium. i know i've been there a few times in my life, but i couldn't for the life of me remember anything inside. yes, my memory is horrible. but this time around, though we were rushed, i had a great time! i really enjoyed it! it was so neat... saw giant crabs, turtles, an anaconda, a dolphin show, etc.


took this right before went to the aquarium. what a great city. i forgot how much i loved it here.



ellie's excited too! can you tell?! she's making her best piranha face. :)


















addison shouts, "NEMO!!!!!"



bye bye, chicago! it's been too long. we'll definitely be back soon! :)

you know, i'm always quick to take notice of all the wonders that my kids do. all the cute faces they make... all the silly gestures they do... all the innocent things they say. they're kids, of course! so naturally, they're animated and fun. and let's not forget, they're my offspring! so of course my attention is always on them. but you know this morning, as addison is in school and ellie is taking her morning nap, i am checking my email and looking out the window at this beautiful day. i turn back to my computer and at the corner of my eye, i notice this....


henry. my beloved "first child". we've had him since he was about 8 weeks old. we've learned to live with each others' ways. been through potty training, 2 births, a move, etc. he's a bit hyper and annoys me when he starts barking at every moving object outside (especially when it's naptime!). but he is a great dog. though sadly, he is sometimes my forgotten child. lately, i spend my days tending to the needs of addison and ellie so much that i sometimes go a whole day with barely giving him a pet on the head. how terrible is that?! he's always around. even when i get mad at him, he always comes back to me eager to please. he's so great with the kids. he doesn't touch any of their toys. he lets both girls pet him, pull his hair, pull on his tags. he takes it like a real man! :) and he's a mama's boy... he somehow favors me over everyone else. he follows me everywhere i go... yes, even to the bathroom. he's so completely loyal.

so, you know what? this is a tribute to henry... my boy!





with his favorite petsmart toy.









i love you, henry... my silent (well, when he's not barking at squirrels), loyal, faithful friend.

crawling

so ellie has finally learned how to crawl! we discovered it this past sunday.... so at 8 1/2 months, she finally did it! AND she is sprouting her two bottom teeth as well! i can tell she is a happier baby now that she has some mobility... no longer frustrated with not being able to move from her one spot. yay!


look at this action shot!!! and her little chubby leg flying in the air! haha!! must get phone AND remote control!!

we did a little spring cleaning yesterday. well, jimmy did at least! the garage was a mess. i don't think we've cleaned it once since we've moved into this house 3 years ago. spider webs, old leaves, dust, dirt, random misc junk that needed to be tossed, etc... yuck. all of us were out there moving things and helping, but when it came time to sweep, jimmy told us ladies to move on out and stay away. he put on his sunglasses and mask and went to work... making a big dust cloud and moving it on out.

hmmm, what were we to do then? well... guess it's picture time then, i say! hehe :)


i love this girl.



"look, mommy, i found you a 4-leaf clover! it's lucky!"



with what's left of her easter manicure...i say, "thanks, addison, but hmmm, i don't think that's a clover."



"it's not a clover???"



"oh well!"



addison: "hi, ellie, how's it going?!"



ellie: "i love you, addison. i want to touch your face!"



oh look, i caught a lovely sisterly moment!



"whachoo lookin' at willis???"






my little ray of light










i realized that i somehow managed to get up, close and personal of the girls, but failed to snap our clean garage! oops, i'll get that soon!

i took addison to her very first mani/pedi. heehee. yeahhh, i know she's young. but she didn't have school on friday and she always wants to have her nails painted (i mean, what little girl doesn't love that?!) and the only cheap-o nail polish we have around here at home washes off the second you wash your hands. that's no fun! and also, it was easter weekend. i thought why not get her gussied up for the holiday along with her new easter outfit?! :) plus, i had our nanny at home watching ellie on this day... so i thought it would be great to have a little "mommy/1st daughter" bonding time... a little breakfast outing followed by a mani/pedi. this is the stuff i live for!... special moments with my girls! i mentioned that i would take her a week ago. and ever since then, she has been so super excited every single day. i didn't really tell her what all goes into getting your nails done. so she was over the moon during the whole thing!....


pure excitement! i love it! her shorty-short self with cushions behind her and her feet barely skimming the water. :)



"yay, this is awesome!"



and... voila! the final product!! look at the cutie, silly foot! i just want to take a bite out of this chubby foot! haha :)

happy easter

so, the easter bunny and her trusty assistant invaded my home. they made a mess, ate my food, screamed and hollered, drooled all over the place, left poopy diapers, and even gave me 4-year old attitude! hmmm, those little rascals...





"hey, let's you and me tear this place apart! haha"



we're cute now, but wait until we're 13 and 16! tee hee









this bunny in particular was a big mess! let me know if you see her around!