Park Snapshots

The Weekend

This weekend my mom and sister arrived to celebrate Christmas with us.  We've been playing games and eating Christmas-y food, like homemade hot chocolate with peppermint marshmallows!

The Weekend

This weekend flew by in a whirl of kanekelon and Christmas decorations.  I put havana twists in Emberly's hair and we went to a party at Damon's co-worker's house, and these people live for Christmas!  This is the second year we've gone and the kids really love all their decorations!

{Santa tried to get fresh with me right in front of my husband & Mrs. Claus!}

{blazer: Target, Shirt: AE, Top/Necklace: F21, Pants: ASOS Maternity, Boot: DV via Nordstrom}

The Weekend

This weekend we celebrated the 94th birthday of one of Damon's grandmother's friends.  Damon, Emberly and I also went to her 90th birthday celebration.  If I can be as cheerful and able as this lady, getting older doesn't seem quite so scary!  And the details she recalls about Damon's mother and grandmother... she makes 94 kind of awesome.

{notice how Bauer is too fascinated with the flames to look up for a picture}

The Weekend

Oh, Chicago

Damon's birthday and my best friend's birthday are barely more than a week apart.  This year we decided to celebrate with a trip to Chicago, long-time resident on each of our must-see domestic lists.
It. was. fantastic.
We were there from Friday to Tuesday over Veterans' Day weekend.  It didn't feel like enough time, however we had a fairly large group so things may have been more easily coordinated with 2-3 couples.  We used City Pass Chicago to visit museums and the John Hancock building.  We stuffed ourselves with the most delicious fare.  We saw the Bears play.  We were there for the first snow of the season (which was the only really cold day we were there!).  We visited extended family.  And we rode public transportation (a lot.  And it was so easy that I almost wish we lived in a more metropolitan area with a better public transportation system) and hopped in taxis and black cars (Uber was helpful when we found ourselves out of the way late at night).
The kids stayed home with my mom and sister and I'm sure they had a grand time and it was nice for us to have adult time, but I definitely want to take them some day and show them soooo many things!  The Art Institute Museum, Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium in particular.

His Birthday

We went on a trip as part of Damon's birthday but we also went out for dinner on the actual day.  Surprise, he picked an Asian restaurant (if my sarcasm isn't obvious, it's the furthest from a surprise, the man never tires of Asian food).  We went to Geisha House and it was really yummy and entertaining.  More about our trip later!

Top: F21, Skirt: Target, Bracelet: H&M

The Weekend

This year might be the most fun we've had with Halloween yet; despite Emberly's return to scaredy-cat-dom.  Last year she was really into "scary" Halloween and we thought she had grown out of it but this year she's back to having nightmares if she sees a fake spider :/
Anyway, we went to our neighborhood Fright Night, a cookie/cupcake decorating party and Treat Street at Tivoli village.  The kids had a lot of fun getting to wear their costumes all weekend.  I enjoyed decorating cookies and cupcakes way more than I probably was supposed to (it was for the kids!).
Last, I went with Damon and a friend to a trio of haunted houses.  The age limit was 7 and up for 2 of the 3, but the website said nothing about pregnant women.  So, we assumed it was like Disneyland and that I would be able to do the ones that younger kids could do.  Nope, we got there and they wouldn't let me into any of them.  Fine!

The Weekend

I used this weekend to get on top of things!
I went through my shoes.  Some of them are tied to some really fun modeling memories or club nights but I let them go!
I cleaned our bathroom.  Just Damon and I use it so it doesn't end up getting the attention the powder room and guest/kid bathroom get.
I finally talked to our babysitter after she'd been gone all summer.  She came and watched the kids while we went on a date to see some friends from out of town.
I watched my profits add up at the consignment sale (I spent it all, but hey!  Bauer's got a mighty fine second-hand winter wardrobe!).
And most fun of all, I had a little photo-shoot with the kids!

{while her smile looks off, you can't really tell she has no front teeth lol}

The Weekend

Our kids had a sleepover with cousins and so we had unheard-of kid-free time on our hands.  We saw movies (plural! yes!) and ate out and went to the driving range (I'm awful.  Way harder than I was expecting).

Improvisational Dance

On weekends when Damon works a lot and afternoon thunderstorms mean we're stuck inside, we watch a lot of music videos and sing and dance.  And it's amazing how much energy and stamina little kids have!  Emberly can dance non-stop to Beyonce songs, one after another, and I finally whipped out the camera.  She insisted on making her top "one shoulder" for her performance.  I hope she never loses her willingness to be silly and dance like she means it!

The Weekend

This weekend Bauer turned THREE!  We celebrated with coffees, bikes, a splash pad, cousins, cupcakes and pancakes for dinner.  Just what he wanted!

The Weekend

This weekend was full of errand running.  Look what we found!

picture/hour

My birthday was Friday!  I documented it with a picture per hour.  And you know I'm old (30!!) because after the kids went to bed, I fell asleep before I had opportunity to take a final picture or two.

The Weekend

We visited a farmers market on the other side of town and got eggs.  It was neat because we'd never been to Tivoli Village before, but, it really was pretty much the same as the farmers markets by us.

I also went to a bachelorette party on Fremont St.  This obscure image of one of the bar signs seemed fitting!

I hope everyone had a nice Father's Day! We had a super laid back one because Damon's wish was to laze about and grill!

The Weekend

It's hot enough for me.

The Weekend

We spent most of the weekend poolside, but we also went to a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese.  My favorite place.
However, any event is brightened by Emberly's enthusiasm for dancing.  She would really love it if we enrolled her in a dance class, but for now, we're just stocking up footage to show boys she invites over when she's a teenager.  The cutest little kid stuff is bound to embarrass any teen!

The Weekend

Someone wants a big-boy bike for his birthday.