A Very Brandi Christmas

Merry Christmas!

Christmas week started off a little rocky when Lainey got hit with an intense case of the stomach flu. She was super sick Monday afternoon into Tuesday morning, but then was back to sunshine and smiles. I had a mild case of it on Wednesday, and Mark had the same as me on Christmas day. Nick so far has remained unscathed. Unfortunately, we brought the joy to the extended Brandi family and Mark's brother, Matt, got hit Saturday morning and Amelia that night.  I've been afraid to check in to see if anyone else has been struck down. Talk about the seasoning of giving!

We took the kids for photos with Santa on Christmas Eve morning. I think Santa checked-out a little early this season--he didn't say one word to the kids and barely smiled for the photo. In fact, out of the five they took, he was frowning in three and not looking at the camera in another. His lack of cheer wasn't lost on the kiddos. Lainey played along (at the bribe of an ice cream), but Nick was like, "who is this joker and why do I have to pretend he's Santa?" 

Gee, Santa. Way to bring the Christmas Spirit--No milk and cookies for you!

But, other than a little vomit, and a curmudgeonly Santa, all was merry and bright this Christmas! It's always nice to have time with family and everyone remained healthy for Frank's famous Christmas Eve dinner of homemade manicotti and brigole, served alongside Lonnie's breaded chicken. I live for this meal every year! The kids loved being with their cousins and the adults enjoyed them being old enough to play without constant supervision. Look at these two little angels below...

Cousins

Christmas morning went by in a flurry of wrapping paper. Santa made good on Lainey's cupcake and cake request again this year, and the kids were good about sharing with everyone. Favorite gifts of the morning were a Barbie with her Unicorn for Lainey, and Hulk pajamas and fists for Nick. I thought for a minute we were going to have to take him to Christmas dinner at Rebecca's house in the PJs. Mark starting feeling the icks shortly after we opened presents, so spent much of the day in bed, but he did make it over to Rebecca's with the rest of us where we had a traditional Christmas dinner with all the trimmings and celebrated Amelia's 9th birthday and Oliver's 7th birthday.

Cupcakes for breakfast again...perhaps another tradition has been born.

SMASH!!!

And, just like that, it was Saturday and time to head back to Chicago. We have Christmas Round II this weekend with my family. Chris and Sean arrive on New Year's Eve, and Dad and Sharon come New Year's Day...as a newly married couple (they'll tie the knot on NYE)!!! So, there will be lots more celebrating to come this holiday season...

The Christmas Spirit

Despite hectic schedules and demanding work projects, Mark and I have really dug in and brought the Christmas spirit into our home like an explosion of tinsel and cinnamon sticks.

The house has been full of Christmas cheer with the kids on their best behavior and looking adorable in festive attire. Yesterday, I whipped up some charming cut-out gingerbread cookies, using beets, kale, and blueberries to make all-natural dyes for the decorative frosting. Today, we took a magical Metra ride downtown to take in the wonderment of Chicago at Christmas, then came home to cuddle and talk to the kids about the true meaning of Christmas. Mark and I are now enjoying a quiet evening on the couch with a bottle of Merlot, and I just confirmed the baby unicorn we ordered for Lainey will be weaned from her mother in time for Christmas morning.

OR...because of hectic schedules and demanding work projects (and brutal head colds), Mark and I have been pretty snippy and impatient with the kids and each other. Nick, the originator of the household colds, is still fighting through his, leaving Lainey primed and ready to come down with hers in about 48 hours. No one is sleeping well (three of us because of colds and one because she's Lainey), and we're all exhausted.

The picture below features Nick as of 6pm yesterday. He had been officially wearing his PJs for 24 hours and had gone nearly 72 hours without a bath. But, he is wearing Christmas-themed pajamas, so this is in the Christmas "win" column.

"Mom, are you evening trying any more?"

We did bake and decorate cookies yesterday, but the icing was tinted with straight up Red 40 and the sheen you see may be from Nick's nose (gross, but not far from the truth). Also, I may have done a poor job of rinsing out the bowl before I used it to whip the frosting; this may have created a slight aftertaste of dish soap. Let's just say no one is buying these at the bake sale. But, we had fun, and no one yelled or cried, so another win for the Brandi clan!

Wish I could say they taste better than they look

And today we did take the train downtown to check out the Macy's windows and watch the ice skaters at Millennium Park, which the kids thoroughly enjoyed. The weather was great, the streets amazingly uncrowded, and everything went smoothly. Pretty awesome day! Until we returned home and Lainey threw an epic tantrum prompting me to name her "Best Day Ruiner Ever," and for her to dub me "Meanest Mom Ever," before slamming her bedroom door on me. (Shout out to Maggie--it's not just an "only child" thing.) Despite the at-home antics, I think this trip has officially become our first family holiday tradition. So, again, winning at Christmas!

Enjoying the Macy's windows...light crowds,
so I didn't have to toss an elbow to get them up front

After Lainey calmed down, I went in to read her a story before nap and she greeted me with, "Mom, who's God?" My smooth reply, "Uh...well...hmmm...Mark?!"  (More to come on this later.) I choose not to rate this moment.

Finally, the kids are snug as bugs in their rooms right now, but instead of Merlot on the couch, Mark and I are fighting for the last dose of NyQuil and heading straight to bed. Fa la la la la!

Christmas Wishes

'Tis the time of year to write letters to Santa. This year was Nick's first time "writing" a letter and he did not disappoint on the amusement front, as you'll see below. The only prompt he had was "tell Santa want you want" and "anything else?" after each response. He actually gave a great deal of thought to each item on the list with his little chin propped on his hand and his finger tapping the side of his mouth (how do kids understand this as the international sign for thinking?) Anyway, Santa is going to have to give some thought of his own on how to fulfill this list under the tree...

Lainey's list doesn't provide as much comic relief as the last two years, but I am pleased to see she was thoughtful enough to include her brother on her list, giving him both top and bottom billing. And check-out that unicorn with the rainbow mane! I tried to probe for specifics under "toys," but she told me, "let's just see what he brings." I'm hoping this just means that she'll be happy with anything and not that she's already testing the "is Santa real" waters, by dreaming up a gift only Santa knows about. I have it on good authority that Santa does plan to fulfill the bake goods request, but will likely outsource it to the local grocery store.

Merry Christmas and may all your Christmas wishes come true!

I'm Nick!

Way back in March, I asked Nick if he was a big boy or a baby, he simply stated, “I’m Nick,” which I thought was the best answer ever. Fast forward to today and Nick is still steadfast in his declaration of self. No matter what you might call him, he’ll quickly correct you—“No, I’m Nick.” If I call him a pet name or even comment on his appearance, like “you’re so handsome or you’re so messy,” he’ll say, “No, I’m not. I’m Nick. I’m just Nick.” Over Thanksgiving he took it up a notch and now will insist that he’s also made of Nick. I’m not really how the original conversation started, but if you ask him what his foot, belly, etc., are made of he’ll tell you they’re “made of Nick.” (This irritates Lainey to no end. She will roll her eyes, huff, and say, “no they’re NOT! They’re made of skin, blood, and bones!”)

What Lainey finds annoying, I find endearing. This boy knows he is Nick—through and through. I think about how, as he grows up, people will try to stick all kinds of tags and labels on him and how wonderful it will be if he can keep the absolute assurance that, in the end, no matter what anyone says, he is Nick.

But, my sweet boy, I do have to correct you on one thing…you are anything, but “just.”

Ohio Thanksgiving

Two Turkeys

We had a very happy Ohio Thanksgiving last week! Easy drives, great weather, delicious food, and lots of loved ones. The only snag was a vomiting Lainey Wednesday night, but she woke up bright and chipper on Thursday. And thanks to some bad behavior on her part, I had banished her from the air mattress she was supposed to be sharing with Nick, so she tossed her pizza all over our bed instead. Not a fun clean up, but better to clean our comforter than to clean up Nick.

The weather was gorgeous on Thursday, so Mark, Uncle Chris, and Uncle Sean whisked the kids off to the park to run off some energy before our afternoon feast. Chris also made our entire meal, so he really crammed it in that morning. Thanks again for the awesome food, big brother!

After we ate, Mark and Sean took the kids back outside. Sean indulged Miss Elaine with many rounds of tag and hide-and-go seek. I, on the other hand, lingered inside sitting, talking, sipping wine, and being completely lazy—well, I guess I did do most of the dishes. But, no running. Definitely no running. You would have thought that with no naps and all the outdoor play, they kids would have crashed early Thursday night, but alas, they fought sleep until the bitter end. Must have been the excitement of Grandpa’s house!

Friday morning we were able to sneak in a visit with my old roomie, Ashley, and her family, which was a rare treat, but very much enjoyed. We hadn’t seen each other for over two years (she’d never met Nick), but we have one of those relationships where we can pick right up as if we just had coffee last week. That night Mark and I left the kids with Dad, Sharon, and their uncles and enjoyed an adult dinner with my besties Meredith and Katie and their husbands. Seeing those ladies always does my heart good!

When we got home from dinner the kids were still up and raced to the door to tell us that they were getting ice cream! And ice cream they got—bowls as big as their heads. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Nick so happy in his entire short life. It was pretty adorable.

Then before we knew it, Saturday morning arrived, and it was time to pack up and go home. The time always goes so fast on these trips! Luckily we don’t have to wait long until we see everyone again—Dad, Sharon, Chris, and Sean will all be in Chicago for New Year’s. Can’t wait!

Thankful

My children--safe, warm, and fed. Their biggest disappointment is a "no TV night." Their biggest worry is over whether they'll get an after dinner treat. They are young, loved, and still very much sheltered from all the scary, confusing, ugliness that exists in our world. Their worlds are giggles and kisses and cupcakes and rainbows. And for that I am thankful.  

Recent events both here and abroad make me disheartened and angry. May we learn that fighting hate with hate is never the answer. May we find room in our hearts for those who are suffering. May we drop our defensiveness and reach out with open minds to try to understand another's life perspective and experiences. 

May the world our children grow up in know more empathy than apathy and more respect for humanity in general. 

Today was a Good Day

Today was a good day. Nothing extraordinary happened. There were no celebrations. I  didn't achieve anything  special. The chores were left untouched. The "to do" list still needs to be done. But...

I had precious one-on-one time with Nick in the first snowfall of the season.

I had brunch with a group of women, whom I admire and respect. I don't see them often, but every time I do, I leave feeling better.

I built a snowman with my three favorite people in the world and warmed up with hot chocolate afterward.

I had alone time with Mark while the kids napped and instead of running over things we need to fix or buy or do, we just hung out and laughed and connected.

I napped.

I had my favorite pizza for dinner with my favorite beer.

Mark and I introduced the kids to The Lion King for movie  night.

We let the kids have ice cream AND popcorn.

I stayed in bed with Lainey until she fell asleep; there is nothing more comforting to me than one of my children cuddled next to me, sleeping soundly.

And now I'm back on the couch with a few moments to myself while Mark finishes putting Nick to bed.

Today was a good day.

The Greatest Show on Earth

Last Saturday, we decided to take the kids away from our every day circus to go see the real deal! We were accompanied by an extra guest, Mr. Roosevelt, the teddy bear from Lainey's preschool class. It was Lainey's turn to take him home for a weekend adventure. Great timing!

The kids really enjoyed the circus, but it was a bit too long for Nick to hang in his seat, so there was a lot of in-and-out with him during the second half. The biggest hits were the tigers, dancing dogs, and the guys on the trampolines. Personally, I'd say Ringling Bros. has some work to do, if they want to keep claiming "The Greatest Show on Earth," but it was definitely entertaining. Lainey's only disappointment was when a few clowns came right by our seats and sat down in front of us. Her reaction: (arms crossed, lip out)-- "Aaaaaw!!! They're just people dressed up as clowns!" (So, uh, yeah...Disney World should be really magical for her in March.)

She was impressed with the cotton candy, however. Nick didn't really care for it, much to Lainey's disbelief--"How can you not like this, Nicky?!" She ate 90% of the enormous bag herself (and then muscled in on Nick's consolation Dippin' Dots.) No surprise that she complained of a tummy ache towards the end.

All-in-all I'd say the outing was a grand success! It was my first time at Allstate Arena, and I think it will be our venue of choice for future events with the kids. Free parking and sooooo easy to get in and out. Sorry, United Center, you're far-and-away a better venue, but not as long as these kiddos are under 10. Allstate, we'll see you again on January 23 for Diney on Ice!!!

The best pic we could get...

Mr. Roosevelt liked the cotton candy
(Mark has on the camel hat that came with the cotton candy, if you're wondering what that thing is!)

Happy Halloween, Mateys!

We had some fine looking pirates at our house this Halloween. Once again, we Trick or Treated in less than desirable weather conditions. It was a particular bummer this year, because the weather was gorgeous on Friday and Sunday. But, whatcha’ gonna’ do? First world problems for sure. And at least the rain stopped while the kids were out begging our neighbors for candy.

We got off to a rocky start. Nick demanded I carry him as we were leaving the house. I obliged, but then forced him down to walk up to the first house. He got is candy turned around and reached for me again. I carried him a few steps and then told him, he was a big boy and needed to walk and put him down again. He walked almost all the way to the next house before reaching up for me again. I told him, “no,” and looked up at me with his big eyes and said, “But, Mommy my feet are wet.” I scooped him up and discovered that Mark had never put his shoes on under his boot pull-overs (which have no bottom). So, I was forcing the poor boy to walk on wet pavement in his socks. I should have laughed it off, but for some reason it got me really annoyed and Mark and I got into a “whose fault was it” exchange. In hindsight it’s funny, but it just wasn’t to me in the moment. However, in a happy ending, as soon as Nick had dry feet, he was all about the candy trail. He loved it! Mark said he probably would have walked the whole neighborhood, if he’d let him.

And I relay Nick’s experience from Mark’s account, because Elaine went to two houses and then refused to continue. Not sure what happened exactly. It could be our neighbor scared her when he came to the door in a black hood or maybe she let her shyness get to her and didn’t want to keep going up to houses…or most likely she just wanted to be difficult. She also refused to go visit our good friends a few blocks over and when they ended up coming to our house, she wouldn’t speak to them until the last three minutes of the visit.

We did end the night with some fun at our neighbor’s house, however. A few families got together and the adults had cocktails, while the kids ran around and played. I was worried Lainey wasn’t going to cooperate given her attitude to that point, but she had a great time and we had to force her to leave. 

As incentive to leave peacefully without causing a scene, we let her stay up extra late and watch a movie at home. (Bribery works and I embrace it wholly!) Letting her stay up until 10pm had the bonus effect of keeping her IN bed until 6am the next morning and avoiding the dreaded daylight savings sleep routine havoc. Nick still got up at 4:15am…doh!

Hope you all had a very Happy Halloween! Now on to Thanksgiving…

Didier Farms Does It Again!

The first time we headed out to Didier Farms, I was a little overwhelmed--I thought we were just going to a pumpkin farm, not a mini carnival. I wanted something simpler and all the rides kind of turned me off, but each year I love it a little more...and so do the kids. Of course, more things for them to do means more cash to shell out. Thank goodness Grandpa was along for the ride!

Sunday was perfect weather--warm and sunny. We got there on the early side, just before 10am, but it really never got busy, so there were no waits and plenty of room to move around. I'm happy to report that Lainey was all over the rides! After her fear of the carousel at the zoo and the dinky little rides at Chuck E. Cheese, I was worried Disney in March would be a bust. But, she tackled everything with gusto and even went down the giant slide by herself! She was a little out of control and freaked out the first time down, but she still ended with a smile. I wish I had taken a video, but this slide show captures it pretty well...

The second time, Mark asked if she wanted him to walk her up. She said, "no, I can do it myself," tucked the blanket under her arm and climbed the stairs like a woman on a mission. I got a little misty in the eyes over that--she looked so big and in charge of herself.

While I got a little choked up over my baby growing up, I damn near bawled over Nick's ride on the mini roller coaster. I was pretty clear in voicing my doubts that he was ready for this ride, but was told to "stop acting like that crazy woman," who was demanding her husband get their daughter, who looked a little OLDER than Nick, off the ride immediately. So, I caved to the peer (ahem, Mark)  pressure and let Nick ride with Lainey. Here's how that worked out...

Let's just say, sometimes a mom knows what's best. It was an excruciating minute watching him scream and cry as he went round and round again. It took everything in my power, not to charge the operator and demand he stop the ride. After what felt like an hour, the ride finally stopped and I rushed to scoop Nick up. He was sobbing and saying, "No dragon, no dragon! Don't like the dragon!"

Not shocker that Nick was done with the rides after that, so Dad and Sharon took the kids to the petting zoo, before it was time for lunch and donuts. We offered pony rides, but no takers, so Lainey hit the roller coaster one more time. She enjoyed it much more than her brother...

After that it was pumpkin picking time and then off to home! Another year, another success!!!

Happier times on the AGE APPROPRIATE dragon

Donuts are always a hit!

STRONG!!

Don't Forget the "I Love You"

Three generations of love

If there is only one life lesson I keep from my mom, it will be to never say goodbye without saying "I love you." Of course this only applies to people you actually love...it could be awkward to part ways with the 7/11 clerk this way. But, joking aside, be it your parent, child, partner, or good friend, if you love them, tell them and make it the last thing you say when you part. Sometimes it will be hard...you may be angry or tired or annoyed or just in a rush, but say it anyway. Because the thing is, you never know when it's going to be the last thing you say forever. 

Four years ago, "I love you," were the last three words I said to my mom. She and Dad were on their way to Chicago to visit, and she'd called to check-in. To be honest, I wasn't overly excited about the visit. I was newly back at work from maternity leave in a new position with a raging head cold and a three-month-old who was NOT sleeping through the night. All I wanted to do was curl up in bed for the weekend and sleep.  So, I was a little testy and a little curt in my exchange with her, but the conversation still ended with "I love you."  It wasn't the warmest delivery, but I said it. And knowing that those were the last words she heard me say has been immeasurably comforting to me.

So, say it, show it, make sure they know! None of us is promised a tomorrow or even a next five minutes, so don't assume you'll get another chance.

New Hair, New Skill, Old Love

Nick had quite the weekend. He got a new haircut and—drumroll please—he started using the potty! That’s right folks, our diaper days are numbered. Nick is off to a great start! I wasn’t sure how it was going to go at daycare yesterday, because he needed to wear pull-ups, and we had been let him run around bottoms-free or in his big boy undies all weekend. He didn’t have a perfect day, but he did pretty well. Lainey is keeping a close tally on his successes, so I can confidently update you that as of last night, he has peed in the potty 11 times. He’s been dry through the night for weeks now, so fingers crossed this whole thing is going to go fairly smoothly.

So, yay for Nick and his new achievement, but the biggest news of all is that Mommy is back in his good graces!!! He’s been all kisses, hugs, and snuggles and has even asked for me over Mark a few times. My heart is melting and my face hurts from smiling. Whatever I did to grievance Nick three months ago has finally been forgiven. Right now, this kid could get absolutely anything he wants from me—and I think he knows it. So glad to have my Little Buddy back!

Looking handsome with his new 'do

Taking his big boy undies for a sping and getting some support from big sis

Little Buddy is Getting Bigger!

Little Buddy -  2 1/2

Nick had his 2-1/2-year check-up last Thursday. All is well with our growing boy--and boy is he growing! He's at 38.5 inches and almost 34 pounds, putting him in the 90-95% of height and 75-90% of weight. I was particularly excited about the heightt, because several rides at Disney World require you to be 38 inches, and my sloppy measurement had him closer to 37 inches. Now, I think we have a shot at the 40-inch rides!

What can I say about the Buddy? He's definitely living up to the Terrible Twos moniker, and I do believe he may throw worse tantrums than Lainey did at this age. His are less frequent than hers were, but once he digs in, he doesn't let go. We're talking over an hour of screaming and about 50% of the time we have no idea why he's upset. So, that's fun. But, when he's in a good mood, he's the funniest, sweetest kid and full of personality. And he's a great eater!!! He'll try anything and so far, ends up liking most of what we put in front of him. We're going through some sleep difficulties right now where he wakes up and wants to go sleep on the couch. But, at least when he's down there he usually just wants to be left alone to sleep--"Go away. I don't want you!"--not the nicest words, but it does allow me to go back to bed without any guilt.

Speaking of not nice words...one thing that I am anxiously waiting for him to outgrow is his attachment to Mark during the first and last hour of the day. It's not that he just pefers Mark during these two time periods, it's that he HATES me! I'm not exaggerating. If I try to put him to bed, he'll scream, cry, hit, throw things at me, and yell "No! Not you! I don't like you!" I try to be tough about it, but it's definitely broken my heart a few times. I'd probably be more distraught if he weren't so cuddly with me outside these hours. He'll give me hug upon hug and kiss upon kiss and tell me he loves me all day long (something he doesn't do with Mark). But, once 7:30pm hits, something flips his switch and I become the enemy. Same deal when he wakes up the next morning. But, this past week we've seen  some improvment. He was fine with me getting him up in the morning, and I even got to put him to bed twice! Fingers crossed that we continue to progress.

Even with his toddler antics, I still loves this age! It's just so full of discovery, humor, and fun. I need to soak up all the sweetness before he picks up too much of his sister's attitude and sass. Hopefully, that is one area where he is NOT a fast learner...

Lessons from Unicorns

Over the last week or so, Lainey has started picking out her own clothes every morning. For the most part, I've been happy with her selections, but we hit a bump last Tuesday when Lainey enthusiastically pulled out her purple unicorn shirt. I. Can't. Stand. This. Shirt. From my grown-up eyes it looks cheap and garish with its swirling mane of hot pink, bright teal, and neon green. And there's glitter--so much glitter. But, she loves it. And because she loves it, I have not allowed it to mysteriously get destroyed in the wash. Yet, I still encourage her not to wear it every time she pulls it out. Tuesday was no exception. "Really? You want to wear that?" Without even looking at me, she said, "I'm wearing the shirt, Mom." I sighed. So, the shirt was happening. But, then she whips out a pair of red leggings to go with it. Oh, no, no, no. It's one thing to wear a heinous shirt, it's another thing to pair it with super tight clashing pants. I selected three pairs of neutral colored pants for her to choose from and tried to explain that the red ones didn't match. She was unmoved. "No, Mom. Those are boring! These are colorful!" Then she carefully spread the shirt and the leggings out on her bed and took a step back. With arms crossed she said, "Look, Mom. How does that not look cool?" I was getting ready to make one last plea, when she said, "This is soooo me!" And that shut me up. This was sooooo her. My colorful girl. So, instead I said, "You're right, Lainey. That is a really cool outfit!" And she beamed.

I thought about the exchange entire way to work. What if Lainey hadn't specifically mentioned that it was "so her"? She still would have been thinking it, right? And if I had continued to push for her to pick something else or had made more snotty comments, what would that say to her? And why did I care so much in the first place? I had to fess up with myself, I don't like her to  to wear the shirt, because I don't want people to think I like the shirt. Shame spiral!!!

It's hard sometimes to separate ourselves from our kids. Especially, when they are very young and we have so much power over their choices. It's natural to want our kids to be like us and share our interests and our sense of style. But the thing is, our kids aren't extensions of ourselves. They are their own beings with their own interests, likes, and dislikes. And the sooner we make peace with that, the happier and healthier our relationships will be. As tempting as it might be for me to shove Lainey in a tutu and take her to ballet (because that's what I did for 15 years), unless she's into it, it's a waste of every one's time. Or conversely, I can't force her to play every sport under the sun, just because I always wanted to be an athlete (but, had NO skills in that arena). It's not her job to live my unfulfilled dreams.

I also thought about it in a different way. There was a viral blog post about a dad who let his son wear a dress, which I mentioned in my post about Nick's love of dolls. I remember having several conversations about this and everyone, including myself, was so supportive and on-board with this parenting approach. And I truly believe that all those parents, including me, would 100% support their son wearing a dress. And yet...how many of those same people would have had my same reaction to their daughter wearing a tacky shirt. Hmmmm...I would challenge that in both cases, it has very little to do with the kid's choice; it's about how we look. We're "cool" parents in one case; we have bad taste in another. I'm not trying to diminish the awesomeness that most of us would be okay with our sons wearing dresses (yay, us!). But, if I'm going to claim I'm an accepting, supportive parent, I can't just cherry pick what I want to get behind. I have to embrace it all...including the glitter unicorns.

I know some of you are thinking I've gone totally off the tracks here. I mean it was just an outfit and there is a good chance Lainey thought nothing of my curled lip and heavy sights. But, as a parent, I want to constantly be thinking about how my words and reactions affect my kids.

And just for further proof that I should keep my comments on Lainey's clothing choices to myself, when we walked into daycare the first thing her bestie said was, "Lainey, I love your clothes. They're so cool!" So, clearly I don't know good style anyway.

"How does this not look cool?" But, seriously, red leggings with it?

Pure Michigan

We made a quick getaway this weekend and joined our friends the Mackies at their Michigan house. We were gone just barely over 24 hours, but it was just the break we needed away from all the crazy of our day-to-day grind.

The weather was cool, but beautiful. Saturday had quite a bit of wind, which was perfect for flying kites on the beach. The water was really rocky, so not ideal for swimming with tykes, but the crashing waves were so relaxing to watch and listen to. After beach time, Brett made a delicious dinner and then we headed back to the sand for a evening bonfire, where the kids had their first smores. The sand was cool, the fire was warm, and the stars were bright and plentiful above. Bliss!

Sunday morning, Lezlie and I enjoyed a quiet bike ride to the farmer's market and back, giving us a little break from the mayhem of five kids under one roof. Truth be told, as much as I loved hanging with the whole gang, that one-hour slice of heaven, may have been my favorite part of the trip. Riding the bike down those quiet, country roads gave me a much needed release from the tension in my back and shoulders. (Although the seat was a bit too high, so it also gave me a sore butt. Eh, trade offs!)

When we returned, we had time to hit the beach for a few more hours before Chicago and the real world started calling our names. <Sigh> Thankfully, I have these great photos to remember the weekend by! Until next time, Michigan shore...

Family Fall Festival

Yesterday morning, we hit up the Family Fall Festival at the Kohl’s Children’s Museum. When we first got there, I was a little underwhelmed, but it ending up being perfect. There were just the right amount of special attractions, and they didn’t oversell the event, so everyone was able to enjoy the train rides, petting zoo, and wagon rides without too much wait. Because we’re early birds, we were there right at 9am and able to do all the “festival” activities before the larger crowds arrived and then duck into the virtually empty museum, where the kids had unlimited access to all the exhibits and stations.

The petting zoo was the big hit! Lainey took some cajoling and had to be half-wrapped around me the entire time, but Nick was all about it, going from the goats to the pig to the sheep and chasing after the ducks (who were NOT all about it). The only animals neither one would pet were the rabbits—the most docile creatures in the place. My kids are strange sometimes. I have to say, Mark and I thoroughly enjoyed it ourselves, and I thought to myself, “This is one of the perks of having kids.” Imagine if I just sauntered solo into a petting zoo? I’d probably get some strange looks. If Mark did it, they’d probably call the police. But, really, why should the petting of baby farm animals be restricted to small children or those with small children in tow. Couldn’t we all use a little nuzzle from a baby goat now and again?

Nick was too impatient to wait for the wagon ride, but Lainey and I rode and got prime seats up front. Lainey was very impressed with the horses braided tail. After the ride, we hit up the little carnival games and then enjoyed the replica Whole Foods and Potbelly inside the museum. Those two stations are usually PACKED, but there were only two or three kids this time, allowing Mark and I to just sit and relax instead of playing referee over toy shopping carts and sandwich parts.

Of course, playing at fake Potbelly led to a craving for the REAL Potbelly, and also provided a great incentive to get the kids off to lunch with no tantrums—MILKSHAKES!!! The shakes may have been the highlight of the entire morning. I wish I had captured the look of pure bliss on Nick’s face after his first slurp. It was almost like we’d just hit him with a dose of morphine. He just sank back in his chair with a happy sigh, his eyes half-closed, and a big smile on his face. I feel you, Nick; those shakes are the best!

Good stuff for a Sunday morning! Enjoy the pictures!

Train ride fun!

Hanging with the other "kids" 

Oooo! Sheep!

Her first animal contact!
Not a great picture--had to take a selfie, because Lainey wouldn't let go of my neck.

Getting braver for the baby goats

Trying for the ducks

Get your shake on!

Asshole Parent

I'm following this hilarious feed on Instagram called #assholeparents. It's pictures of kids throwing huge tantrums over injustices such as a broken cookie, a pre-peeled banana, or the worst atrocity--being given EXACTLY what they asked for. The feed makes me laugh and I can relate, because based on Nick's throw downs of late, he seems to think I'm one huge asshole of a parent (seriously, everything I do makes this kid angry). But, as it turns out, he may be right....

Lainey has been pulling the sick card lately when she wants to get out of something or thinks it will help her score more TV time. She was really working the "sore throat" story on Saturday before nap. So, I gave her some ice water and told her a nap would help her feel better. She thought TV would make it feel better. After much debating, whining, and tantruming I did get her asleep. About 20 minutes later, Mark came down the stairs carrying her and said, "she says her throat and tummy hurt." I rolled my eyes at his naivete, but didn't force them back upstairs. I stuck with my ice water and rest approach and said she could be on the couch instead of in bed--but, NO television! I did offer to play a game with her and she perked up right away, allowing me to give Mark my smuggest, "I told you so" look. We played a few rounds of Spot It and then she started in with the whining again, at which point I got a little snappy with her and told her she didn't need TV, she needed a nap. In her fit of injustice, she threw herself off the couch and landed on a toy, hurting herself. I reached down to scoop her up and picked up a huge helping of guilt along with her. She was on fire! Her temperature came in at 102.5 and now it was Mark's turn to be Mr. McSmug Face.

I still didn't let her watch any TV, but I did let her have a popsicle and the whole thing was a good "The Girl Who Cried Wolf" lesson for her. But, even so...what an asshole parent moment!

World Cup 2031

Lainey had her first day of soccer this past Tuesday. I missed out on most of the the fun, because I was at an orientation for her Pre-K class.  I only caught the last few minutes, which mostly consisted of the kids getting their team shirts, but Mark filled me in on the details of the rest of the hour.

It was a pretty low-key start--just a chance to meet the coach and the other kids and run a few drills. Of course, at this age it's all pretty low-key. The group is made up of 12 kids (9 girls; 3 boys) and they all learn/practice together during the first half of the hour and then try to play a game the second half.

As you can see in the photos below, we had Lainey a little  over-prepared in her cleats, shin guards, and soccer socks, but the coach is asking everyone get the shin guards (I had taken the iniative to reach out on this before day one.) As you can also see in the photos below, Nick did not want to be left out of the fun!

Per Mark, Lainey continues to show her competitive spirit. The coach had the kids jogging in a circle and Lainey kept lapping the group. When she overheard Mark telling me about it she said, "I didn't want anyone to be in front of me. I wanted to be the leader." Well, okay then.

But, while she may be in it to win it, my girl still knows what's important at heart. When the lesson ended, she came running over to me and the first thing she said was, "Mommy! I made all these new friends!"

I'm looking forward to watching Lainey and her new friends this week!

A Little Warm-up

Time for Drills

Look at that form!

Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner...But, When Can Baby Walk to the Corner Alone?

Last Friday I saw the stage production of Dirty Dancing. It. Was. SPECTACULAR! For that two hours, I was completely having the time of my life. They kept it very true to the movie, right down to the inflections in the actors' dialogue and the nuances of the dance choreography. It's such a nostalgic movie for me that I couldn't help but feel all warm and fuzzy inside, even as Dr. Houseman was tending to Penny's botched abortion.

It was at that point, however, that I thought, "Huh. I watched this movie when I was 8-years-old." ALL of my friends did--it was the hot sleepover hit of the year. Granted, much of the adult themes went right over our heads. For instance, I clearly remember explaining the movie to my parents and telling them that Penny got "knocked up" and watching their jaws drop. I had no clue what I was talking about. Mom explained it meant she was pregnant, but that wasn't a nice way to say it. But even with my new found lingo, they didn't forbid me from watching it and I am sure it made a showing at my own birthday party that year. Even so, I have to wonder, "will I let Lainey watch this in four years?"

The "when is it okay to" is a hot topic among my parent friends right now and something Mark and I have started debating frequently. I do think that, as a society, we've become a little too protective, or just downright paranoid. Every family's situation is different. Kids have different maturity levels and live in different communities, so there is no one age fits all for decisions. But, for the most part, it should be up to the parents to decide when there kid is old enough to do certain things like to walk to the park with friends or stay home for the afternoon alone. There have been so many new stories lately about parents being arrested or brought up on neglect charges simply for giving their kids a little more freedom than what their neighbor was comfortable with. So it freaks me out a little. Right now, I wouldn't let Lainey ride around the block by herself. I would probably let her do it with the eight-year-old who lives behind us. But, I would be worried. Not about Lainey or her safety, but about someone else judging the choice and calling the cops. When did we start making that leap?

Last Saturday, we let a 12-year-old babysit for Nick. I talked to her at our block party and she had just taken her babysitting class through Girl Scouts. We needed a sitter, so game on! It was for about three hours in the middle of the day and her parents were home just down the block. But, a few people I've talked to can't believe we did that. But, I babysat when I was 12. And to tell you the truth, she was probably more prepared and attentive that the teenagers we have sit. When we came home, she and Nick were playing together with his toys--not zoning out in front of the TV--AND she washed, dried, and put away all of the lunch dishes. She WILL be making a return visit to our house.

I guess this parenting thing just stays tough. You trade in one set of struggles and dilemmas for another as they grow. And the rules seem to keep changing as you go along. As always, I'll just try to enjoy the here and now, worry about the future stuff when the time comes, and focus on the really important questions of the present--like do we wait to show Lainey Star Wars until Nick is also old enough to see it? This is going to be a tough one for Mark...I'll just support him the best that I can.

We're Going to Disney World!

We did it! We booked the trip. Come March 6, 2016, we'll be headed to O'Hare to board a flight to sunny Orlando. Mark and I started talking about a trip to Disney World a few months ago. We went back and forth on going next year or waiting another year, but settled on next spring right before Nick turns three--because that's that magic age when we have to buy him a ticket (and that savings isn't chump change).

I have an inside contact at Disney who gave me advice on the hotel room, which was nice and helpful. She also does a lot of the VIP bookings/events and is going to try to get us preferred viewing at the parades. Fingers crossed!

We're splurging a bit on the room with a one-bedroom villa, but a) we got a really great deal and b) the convenience and amenities it's going to offer will be worth it. I don't know how my parents vacationed with us all in one hotel room over the years, but I will go nuts--I need a little space. And no matter how you dice it, a trip to Disney is EXPENSIVE. So, I'd rather pay a little more and have a lot more comfort and reduce my stress level. Plus, the kitchen will allow us to save on meals and the washer and dryer will let us cut-down on packing. We'll also be very close to the Magic Kingdom, so getting back to the room for the kids to nap will be doable (and from what I hear, a nap is the smart thing to do, even if you have to cut out some attractions).

Now the big question...can I keep this mum from the kids for the next six-plus months? Mickey, here we come!!!

Let's Go Fly a Kite

I'm not sure how it's the second week of August already. Summer has been an absolute blur this year. Luckily, it's felt so fast, because we've been having so much fun! The last two weekends have been particularly nice, because instead of having major events, we've had time to just enjoy some family time and do the little things that make summer special...bike rides to the forest preserve, trips to the park, ice creams before dinner, and just hanging out in the backyard.

The big hit last weekend was finally having the perfect day to break out the kite we bought back in April. Lainey owned that thing like a boss. Mark barely had to give her any instruction, she just took the string and went with it. She was much better at keeping it in the air than I was, so rather than be schooled by my four-year-old, I chose to roll around in the grass with Nick. Everyone won!

In other Lainey news, she finally conquered the monkey bars and I caught her new skill on video this past Friday evening. I have to say the kid is pretty coordinated and she seems to dig group games, so we decided to sign her up for soccer. I'm excited to see how she likes it!

Next weekend things start to heat up again on the 'ole Brandi schedule and will stay pretty busy through Labor Day, but I'm determined to drink up every last day of summer we can get.

A quick tutorial from Dad

Testing it out...

She's got this!

So Handsome

Nick got his first real haircut on Saturday. We'd been trying to make the time to do it for about two months, but it was finally time to get some professional help. Our at-home trims were making his sweet mop of hair a chunky, uneven mess and it was not cute. So, we wrangled the first appointment of the day and squeezed in a trim before we hit the beach (hence the swimsuits in the pics below). Now he has a tidy little 'do that's going to grow out nicely--because I'm not cutting short any time soon! I love that big, floppy mess!

He's was excellent in the chair. He munched his goldfish, watched Curious George, and let Flutula do her thing. Easy breezy!

Looking handsome, Little Buddy!

"I did it!"

Before and After