Turning Three

The kids had an amazing birthday week (plus) between their schools celebrating the holidays, their birthdays, and then we spent a long weekend in the city.  They are really just getting so big.  It seems like a long three (four, six) years, but when you think about it...  They are already a sixth of the way to college and though I will likely return to work, already halfway to not being ours full time.



Making organic sugar snowflake cookies

(thanks Honest Company for the mix and cutter!)

Preschool party #17

Celebrating at home the night before THREE!

Balloon Love!

 

Not everyone gets their b-day gifts under the tree, but we do!

 

 Celebrating the third anni of their arrival (at 5:06 and 5:07pm) at The Rainforest Café.

My goofy girl...

We took the kids to the pedi for their now annual check-up while we were in the city.  Everything is A-OK and they've added the requisite couple inches (pushing 40!) and pounds (now 30+, finally!) since we were there last. 

They've been in 4T clothes for months, so it didn't surprise me that they are actually climbing in the height percentiles (now 91% for A and 87% for M).  Their weights are also on a pretty consistent curve at 45% for him and 44% for her (that's up slightly for her, now if we could just pork him up a bit).  Their BMIs are both at 14 (which is 2% for him and 5% for her).  They are totally my little clones...  Happy Birthday kiddos!! :)

Lots of Firsts and Holiday Fun

I took the kids to the movies recently, since I figured it was time (at nearly three) to brave the theater for the first time.  And they did great!  We went to the premiere of Penguins of Madagascar, and totally lucked out that the earliest nearest showing was at a theater (I'd never been to before) with reserved recliner seating.  I'd booked us three seats (obviously), but since two were together and the other next to them, we just popped up the armrest and called the two a love seat.  I think it helped them that we could all sit cozy together.  We're definitely going back there for future movie outings.

 

Watching previews and having their morning snack

We had a fun weekend at my parents' in northern Wisconsin, and have made the revelation that instead of going straight up and back, shortening the extended family portion and spending the second half of the long weekend as a nuclear family getaway is pure brilliance and will be part of our repertoire moving forward.  Much more relaxing...

We went to my mom's for Thanksgiving.  I may be one of the only people my age who has never hosted a proper Turkey Day as she is old school and does everything herself.  This will likely never change in her lifetime.  The kids had a blast with their cousins...



Here playing with the girls...

At my dad's farm, we went out to the barn and pasture to visit the animals and the kids made their first snowman! (maybe ever? at least of this year, since we have no snow yet)

We spent a night in Madison and ended up on State Street as the WI/MN football game let out...

We went on to the Grand Geneva from there, our first time there during the holidays.  They have lots of great activities (we're headed back to ski later) and fancy light and gingerbread displays that the kids loved.

Marielle wasn't having any of this sleigh...

 

The kids loved the Thomas show.  It was relatively short and interactive (their first live show) and gave me some serious showchoir flashbacks.  I wonder how much these performers have to take before each show... ;)

Dancing!

Snow!

 

The huge lobby tree

We just missed sitting with Santa there, but we did get to go to the waterpark (their first trip!) 

Next up Santa visit and (their first) tree cutting!

35 months old

We are rounding the final month to three, which is crazy...  Even though it has felt like winter for weeks, it's been a busy fall around here. 

Playing in the leaves at the rose garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden

It was 30 degrees (with 50 mph winds) and snowing, but the twins went trick or treating to a few of our neighbors for the first time this year.  They had three Halloween parties in one week, so of course we all came down with some sort of plague, that took a good two weeks to get everyone over and done with. 

We kind of glossed over Halloween prep last year (one of several fall slights due to our India trip prep), so this year we started planning early.  When I asked them over the summer what they wanted to be, they both answered, "ELSA!".  So yeah, that didn't happen (mean mommy), but we settled on Anna and Olaf (after some searching) instead.  But then Halloween week came and Alistair didn't want anything to do with his (admittedly cumbersome) costume.  So I went back to Party City the Tuesday before Halloween and exchanged it for Thomas.  Crisis almost averted...

As the doors to the preschool party open...

Somehow there were no other Frozen characters at any of our parties.  Yay for non-conformity!

Since the kids started school in January, they missed out on school pictures last fall.  Well, now they are in two preschools, so they had two sets of pictures done.  One was decidedly better (and correspondingly more expensive) than the other, but I'm just amazed they were able to get them to cooperate. 

Just a proof, but this pic is like seeing a unicorn...

 Yes, they look like an ad for Old Navy

At least one is smiling...

On that note, we had our very first parent/teacher conference recently and of course (as is typical) they are a dream at school.  Great at listening, helping, sharing...(ha ha!)  Still trying to figure out how to make that the norm at home...  It was interesting to see them interact at their one preschool Halloween party that was mom led/run.  They don't really interact with each other that much at school, which the teacher confirmed is kind of their norm.  They are all over each other at home, so I guess another of the many benefits of school is it gives them a well earned break from each other.

Somehow Thanksgiving is next week, so we're headed north to spend a few days with the family and another few lounging (and seeing Thomas) at the Grand Geneva.  DH is turning 39 (for the first time), and I'd hoped to squeeze in a birthday/Christmas beach trip this year, but right now we're just staying over in Chicago for a few nights and trying to plan something for spring. 

I'm trying to get our kitchen done by the end of the year (new buffet and FR built-ins are nearly done, kitchen is part way there).  When I couldn't find a new house I liked, I figured we might as well keep making this one what we want.  Happy Thanksgiving!

New Sarah Jane Be/Virtue Prints and Enjoying Fall

Remember the adorable be/virtue prints I got for the Twins' nursery way back in the day (almost exactly three yrs ago)?  Well Sarah Jane has added two more to the line (be patient and be friendly) and they are so sweet!  You can see/buy them here. (She also has amazing new wallpaper.)

I know I've been scarce around these parts.  With the kids in school four mornings/12 hrs a week, I've been busy doing everything but blogging.

We are enjoying fall so much this year, the kids are getting big.  Last weekend was ponies and pumpkins et al at Goebberts.

Early last month, we went back up to Harvard for apple picking (train rides, animals, etc.)

In the barn

On the train

Back home, watching the apple crisp baking

And the week before that, we went back to school, which they are rocking

Happy Fall! :)

Accidental decor project

A few weeks ago while the kids were at school, I went to our local Goodwill store to raid their kids' shoes.  A colleague of DH's is traveling to Honduras for Engineers without Borders (yes, that's a thing) and she said the kids there are always in need of shoes, and I found exactly what I was looking for.  Coincidentally the kids' shoes were right next to the athletic equipment, and some vintage wooden tennis racquets caught my eye. 

I had previous pinned this pic (from Lonny, design by J+G Design) as a cute, but not a planned, idea for a kid's room (though this is a SoHo "bachelor pad").

So I decided to pick up the racquets ($10 for all four, which is nuts given what I've found they go for on CL and eBay) and did a mini 1/4 installation in Alistair's room.  Mine is offset to accommodate the top one with a shorter handle.  He walked in the first time he saw them he said "WOW!".  I guess that is all you can ask for, right? ;)

Last week was spring break and as it goes around here, the kids both fell sick.  Some weird on again off again week long puking virus, that hopefully has left for good.  My kids are awesome in their own bed sleepers, but somehow the floor looked better to him last week.  Poor little guy.

We went to Lake Geneva last weekend and upon leaving the Grand Geneva, Marielle threw what amounts to a tantrum for her.  She wouldn't get off the lobby floor.  Might as well take a pic then.

Work is underway on their big kid rooms, I can't believe how big they are getting.  I'm buying 3Ts (to wear now!?), they are all signed up for summer camp, preschools for fall, and we're already looking at three year old programs.  Slow down kiddos...

Spring is Coming

It's been awhile, but thankfully the weather has finally turned and we've been enjoying spending more time outside.  Unfortunately, Alistair took a spill on the sidewalk and scraped up his nose, but it's almost completely healed now.

We made our annual trip to the Sugar Bush Fair, which thankfully was notably warmer than last year.  We all had a great time, and we are looking forward to making a tradition of it.

Checking out the teepees...

Shoveling the last bits of snow...

Happy Spring and St. Pattie's Day! :)

Let's pretend, shall we?

That we're not merely halfway through one of the coldest, snowiest winters ever, and that it is June. Last June.

Our peonies and other flowers are all in bloom.  Easily my favorite (and shortest) weeks of the year.

We're picking strawberries...

 

And up at Lake Geneva...

 

 

And Ravinia...

 

And The Botanic Garden...

Hope you are faring well this winter. Spring (and Summer, of course) can't come soon enough! :)