Love a girl who looks good in a hard hat :)

Oh October...

Oh October... how I enjoyed thee.  So much birthday/visitor/leafstomping fun!  Too many highlights to name them all so I just picked a few shots the seemed to turn out...

Like this one.. of Miles enjoying his cake.


And calisthenetics at the Arboretum.

Grandma in her element.

Grandma... with the peanut gallery.

Perfect day at the Arb.

Our Iz... why does she keep growing so?

Just waiting for that first snowfall...

Mama and her Swaggerwagon.

Ok so its not the perfect shot but look at those leaves!

Aww...

Enough relaxing... time to get down to work.

Do you remember your first pumpkin?

 

 

Abbie, 7 going on 13?  We heart you girl.

Possibly the best candid of the month.

And props to Katie for the photo of the month.  Actually there is an even better one but Liv's smile isn't quite as wide.

Here's to my favorite month... oh but I enjoyed you October.

Happy halloween!!!

Our little one year old....who still loooves to swing!!

happy birthday!!

happy birthday to the newest little 1 year old on the block!! Olivia- we love your enthusiasm and zest for life. We can't imagine life without you and enjoy watching your fascination as you discover new things everyday! we cannot wait for each new day with you...we love you!!

Sent from my LG phone

Dinner Conversation

Tonight around our dinner table:

Abbie:  But Maaaaaama, I REALLY want to be a TEACHER when I grow up but I REALLY want to be a MAMA and be with my kids ALLLLL day.  I just don't know HOW I will do both!!

I kid you not.  Tears start to roll down the cheeks. I mentally calculate - what time is it? Is she overtired? Did she have a super busy day?  Did she mention something upsetting happened today?  No, No, No and No.  She's just genuinely upset.  Are we 30 in a (almost) 7 year old body??!!

Mama: But Abbie, you CAN do both, Honey.  You can live near ME and I can help to watch your kids. They can go to daycare.  You can have a spouse who stays home sometimes during the day.  You can have summers off.

Abbie:  No, No, No. Daycare? What's that?

Mama:  (explains daycare)

Abbie:  (facial grimace) No, I just really want to be with them all the time.

Mama:  Well, maybe you be a teacher for a bit then take a break and have kids and then when your kids are in school all day you can go back to being a teacher while they are at school.  Yes? You all can go to school together, at the same time, and then meet back up at home when school is over. (Mama trying to make this sound fun; like a great alternative and to smooth this issue over before it gets too complex! Of course, having daughters in this world...it's ALREADY too complex!)

Abbie: Yeah, that MIGHT work. (wipes tears away)

Did I seriously just have this conversation with a FIRST GRADER?!!  Impeccable timing since I just read this week's issue of Newsweek and an excellent piece by a female professor who was musing over the dilemmas working mothers face; many of which I identify with even though I'm working part-time, not 60+ hours a week out of the home.

Should I start passing the Newsweeks to Abbie?  Ahh. My girls.  I wish I could promise this world would be an easier, more supportive and friendly place for working mothers in 30 years.  Don't know...but I CAN promise to support you in your decisions and give aid as I can....

Hopefully tomorrow she will be worried about something like what the choices were for the colored paper in art ..or something....:)

Katie

first dance class!!!

Sent from my LG phone

preschooler and lovin it!!

Sent from my LG phone

Tri

Happy to announce that 3 elite racers from our family completed the Waupaca, WI triathalon this weekend!  And here are the brave swim/bike/runners:

Abbie and Izzie raced Friday evening.  Its was a perfect day for a race and everyone is already excited for the next tri!

Katie raced bright and early Sat morn (still 49 degrees at the beach!) .... with her biggest fan club in tow.

Lots of action shots to be posted soon but lets get to the hardware.  Is that our momma at the top of the women's short-course age group podium!?!!  Nice work Katie!

-Alex

Can it really be August?

Hi everyone. I haven't blogged in forever - we've been in and out this summer (pretty much OUT every weekend thus far!) and so much has happened! These Girlies have experienced so much this summer and there's so much to share..but for now, since Alex is out of town and lots of the pictures are on his laptop, I leave you with these.

Our last little baby has started walking - kind of!  She takes 8+ steps in a row and then gets down to crawl because it's so much faster.  At 9.5 months, Olivia is quite the little trouble maker. She LOVES to eat anything and everything that she shouldn't -dirt, paper, toys, etc. and is so active she gets into everything. I love it! She's so curious :)  Here we are with the vacuum cord..oh THAT'S so safe.  Chewing, getting tangled....Oh Child.  I really can't turn my back :)  But look how much fun we are having!

I love this picture and had to chuckle. Emelia. What a grin - was she causing mischief two seconds before I took the picture? and Izzie was in her own little world with that book only glancing up because I asked, and there's Abbie trying to entertain Olivia, she loves to 'mother' the baby...and Olivia perpetually has that "what's goin' on?!" look....ah. Always so much action. :)

June

What a great month and what a fast month.  A few pics before June 2012 is gone!

The local forest preserve.  The "falls" were pitiful given our lack of precip this month.

Actually she's not bluffing.  There really was a snake down there!

Look no hands!  And for my next trick... chewing computer cords.

Nothing like a nice evening ride on a hot summer's day.

Ain't summer grand?  Abbie wants to narrate to: "It feels good to eat something juicy and get all messy"  And Iz: "Baby it likes it too much... and baby making funny face"

Ok so a few heads didn't make in this pic but I think we got at least feet for everyone!  I think this was the only meal we attempted around the table given the size of this crew!

Happy June (while it lasts) and here's to even more fabulous July!

Alex

Sweet ride

Olivia ridin along in the swival carts at ikea...she figured out that this place echos like crazy...u can hear her shouting 'eh-eh!!' From a mile away ;)
Sent from my LG phone

Ok here we go...

It's been far too long so here we go.  It was an outstanding April in the Chi and here's a few highlights.

Abbie = joy.

Reba came to roll with us for a few days!

Oh our Iz... we love you so!

That... is a lot of ladies.

Nana Anne, these are some of our favorite.

Uncle D getting some Easter Day love.

Some festive looking folk....

Katie I think you're missing something...

Looks like the uncles have some catching up to do...

Fam.

"What a strange world in which I live... "

Happy Spring ya'll.

Alex