That's the way the cookie crumbles...

For those of you playing a very Brandi Christmas from home, we checked off tradition #3 this past weekend--making Christmas cookies! I decided to get adventurous and try a gingerbread house this year. That was an ill-fated decision for many reasons. First, the kids are nowhere near patient enough for such a project. Second, while the pattern was easy enough to follow, I didn't use a "gingerbread house" gingerbread recipe, but rather my tried and true recipe for cookies. What's the problem, you ask? Well, I like soft cookies, so my recipe produces cookies with a chew versus a snap--not the ideal building material. Third, while I was making Martha Stewart's "caramel glue" I decided I could multi-task and fold some laundry, answer a visitor at the door, and help Lainey spell words for her 1,237,895 Christmas card. I was wrong. I let it overheat and it turned from edible glue into a crystallized mess in my saucepan. Fine--who needs Stewart's caramel glue? We'll use tried and true royal icing. Now, the icing turned out just fine, but there really was nothing strong enough to reinforce the crumbling walls and roof. Womp, womp. I told the kids they could still eat the pieces, so they were cool with it. I even cut several squares out of the remnants for decorating. 

Maybe next year...

So, glad I salvaged some cookies from the ginger bread debris, because...

...about three cookies into decorating, I bumped the container with my elbow and sent three dozen sugar cookie cut-outs crashing to the floor. 

As Lainey is fond of saying, "oh, nuts!"

As you see in the faces above, they didn't take this mishap as well as the gingerbread house. But, they did eventually forgive me and we still had plenty of cookies to have fun decorating. It's just as well over half the cookies were destroyed, because Nick ate most of the frosting along the way. So much so that when we were done, and they were allowed to eat a cookie, he didn't even want one.

Our masterpieces

It's hard to believe we're just a few days away from Christmas Eve...and even harder to believe we're only a week-and-a-half away from 2017!!!

It's Christmastime in the City

Well, we got one looking at the camera...

...and two faces, but no eye contact.

This past Saturday we made our traditional trip (does three consecutive years count as tradition?) downtown to see the Macy's Christmas windows and enjoy the general hustle and bustle of the city. The windows were a little lackluster this year, but per usual, the kids were more fascinated by the street bucket drummers anyway. And because we moved through the windows so quickly, we had plenty of time to fit in our other annual tradition of shopping for Christmas ornaments at Macy's. Usually we do this at the Old Orchard location, because it's less crowded, but now that we are free of strollers and our kids have some semblance of how to behave in public, we decided to go for it. I'm so glad we did, because a) this now frees up a day next weekend and b) the selection was 10 times the size! The kids loved it and I only had two panic attacks as they jostled merrily around the dozens of trees adorned top to bottom with delicate glass ornaments. We did witness a breakage by a very careless woman, who completely ignored the situation, but Lainey helpfully drew her attention back by quite loudly saying, "What? Is she not going to even try to clean it up? What's wrong with people?" (I just don't know where the girl picks up these phrases! Hmmmm....)

We grabbed some quick lunch at Latinicity before heading back to Union Station to catch the train. The kids were really into the Latin music playing. Lainey popped up in the window sill at one point and started busting a move and raising her eyebrows up and down. Mark said, "Lainey you are making me very concerned for 15 years from now." (I just don't know where the girl picks up these behaviors! Hmmmm...) 

Part of the tradition is the kids get to have cookies on the train ride home, so we popped into Au Bon Pain. While I was reaching the top shelf to grab two cookies, Nick was helping himself to the frosting on a cinnamon roll on the bottom shelf. Sooooo, we got that too.

A fun trip downtown for the kids earned Mark and I a grown-up dinner out. We traversed the snow to have dinner at Sink/Swim in our old stomping grounds, Logan Square. It was soooo good! We devoured everything (and we ordered A LOT). Simple seafood dishes, but done really well. 

We capped off the weekend by rising early on Sunday and getting to the sledding hill before anyone else. It was awesome having the space all to ourselves! So much fun (although Mark and I were both sore today). Back at the house it was hot cocoa (and the accidental cinnamon roll) and a Christmas music dance party.

So fun! Let's keep the Christmas cheer going...

Ready to hit the hill

Catching air off the ramp...

Cutest sledder EVER!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving in Moline with lots of food and family and more food! Look at this fine crew...

Brandi Family Thanksgiving 2016

It really was an amazing three days. The kids all got along so well and are finally old enough to go about their business pretty much unattended. Nick and Eleanor, in particular, were thick as thieves. They barely went anywhere without each other and occasionally seemed to speak their own language. I wish I could have bottled up their adorableness to send out as Christmas gifts. 

Eleanor is "reading" Nick a story...cuteness overload!

Being as it's not a holiday until a Brandi child gets a fever and/or pukes, we did spend some time cleaning up after Nick booted at 1:30am on Friday. Not to worry...it didn't take too long since he mostly threw up all over me. Better me than his sister, who was sleeping on the other side of him. In the end, we're pretty sure it was a combo of rich foods and excitement that got to him, because he woke up find Friday morning and didn't have any other issues. 

And now we are back in Chicago and in full-fledged holiday spirit! We decorated the tree and house today, sang Christmas songs, and drank hot chocolate. Bring on all the feelings! 

Drumstick Dash

Lainey participated in her first race this past Sunday at the Lincolnwood Drumstick Dash! It was an adorable event for kids 6 and under. It would have been a lot more adorable if the kids weren’t shivering with snot pouring from their faces in the 25-degree temperature. The warm weather couldn’t hang on for just two more days, could it? For the 5- and 6-year-olds, the dash was 100 yards, and even though the announcer repeated about a dozen times, no pushing and no falling, 20 or so kids trip over each other and landed in a major pile-up about 10 yards in. But, not our Lainey! She zoomed around the carnage and caught up to the pack leaders with a strong finish of—well, who knows, it wasn’t a competitive race. She wasn’t first and she wasn’t last, so we’ll leave it at that.

The really great news behind this story is the whole reason we even participated is the kindergarten girls finally have a Girl Scout troop! While the official meetings don’t start until January, this was a little kick-off event to get the girls together. And even better news...within about two minutes of meeting up with the group, I somehow volunteered to be the Cookie Sales Manager. This role is no joke, my friends. There are training meetings and materials galore, and I get to go to a Cookie Kick-off Rally at Allstate Arena! Mark is not enthused. Perhaps I should have at least asked what the role entailed, but, let’s face it, I would have said “yes” anyway. It’s something I can offer that won’t conflict with my work schedule. So, get your wallets ready, because I mean business and my girls are coming for you in January!

Check out our little Dasher below! 

There's our dasher in the back!

A successful finish!

We can still go high!

Well, my loves, I had hoped to be writing a very different post today. I am sad. So, so, so sad. Today is a hard day. But, we are not defeated. We can still speak loudly and proudly in defense of equality, compassion, empathy, and love. We can still fight to break down walls instead of build them up. We can still teach our children how to be kind, empathetic citizens of this world and that, while sometimes the bully wins, we don’t have to fight back with hate or sink to his level. We can still go high!

Donald Trump is our president-elect and no amount of angry posts on Facebook will change that. But, we are not powerless. We have a lot of work to do. So, take today to cry and pull the covers over your head, if you need to. Work your stages of loss. And then get up and do something to make this world better. It’s doesn’t have to be a grand, sweeping force of change. Buy a homeless person breakfast. Visit a nursing home. Volunteer to clean a park. Give someone a hug. Anything. Just resist continuing the vitriol that we’ve endured for the last several months and put something GOOD out there. We can still go high! And we'll need to now, more than ever!

Trick or Treat...Smell my Feet

"Smile already, so we can get OUT of here and get our candy begging on!"

The sly fox gives in and smiles on his own...

Finally! A beautiful night for trick or treating; no umbrellas or coats required. And both kids were happy and healthy. Thank you, Great Pumpkin for bestowing your good fortune!

No matching costumes this year, but I still think they made a cute pair. Poor Nick's costume was just a tad too snug, so the hood stayed down most of the night, but whatever. We got the photos! The kiddos headed out with our backyard neighbors and had a total blast. They trick or treated for over an hour and came home with the haul to prove it. They were pretty cooperative about only eating a few pieces though. Great Pumpkin, really, you were too good to us this year!

We did have to do some coaching on the old "Trick or Treat, smell my feet song..." First, contrary to Lainey's insistence otherwise, the words are not "if you don't, I don't care, I'll go down your underwear." She wanted to know why she couldn't say that and I said it's inappropriate, which only prompted another "why" and I knew I was going to spiral down one of my incoherent, be honest without being too honest, explanations, so I just went with the tried and true, "because I said so." Second, Mark explained you shouldn't actually sing it when you're going up to a house (although Nick was so damn adorable, I think it would have gotten him more candy.)

Prior to the big night out, both kids were treated to fun parties at school. I did have a mom fail with Lainey. We got a note that kids were allowed to bring goodie bags to pass out to their friends, but Lainey's got shut down, because I had M&Ms in them--they were the plain ones, but made in the same factory as the peanut ones.* Face palm! It just never crossed my mind. But, considering she has 25 kids in her class and only came home with six goodie bags, I have a feeling I wasn't the only one to screw that one up. Then she told me parents could come to the party and asked why I didn't come. Well, I didn't know parents would come (let's just say there is room for improvement in the communication from school to home), or I probably could have made it this time. Between not being able to give out her goodie bags and having her mom stand her up for the party, I became irrationally heartbroken for her and started down a shame spiral. But, I talked to my neighbor who did go to the party, and she told me how incredible it was and I realized Lainey probably didn't really care much I wasn't there. Evidently, we have some pretty awesome room moms who created almost a carnival in the classroom with different activity stations and Pinterest-worthy treats. So, instead of feeling guilty for what I didn't do, I choose to be grateful that we're lucky enough to have these amazing women with the time, energy, and creativity to pull off an awesome Halloween party!

Later as I was putting Nick to bed he said, "Mommy, there weren't enough juice boxes." Fear seized my heart. What?! I signed up for juice boxes and, as instructed, I brought 11. I asked, "So, you didn't get a juice box?" To which he replied, "I got a juice pouch." Relief! I had sent Honest Apple Juice, which comes in pouches. I did it! I provided juice to preschoolers! Gold star for me!

So, another festive holidays in the books! Now on to my favorite holiday...Thanksgiving!

*Before you roll your eyes about the peanut-free thing, I am a huge proponent of being respectful of food allergies. They can be a matter of life and death for some kids, so I'm willing to be hit with a little inconvenience on my end to make sure these kids have a safe environment. 

Momming without Mom

Today is the five-year anniversary of my mom's death. This past year, I’ve finally been able to talk about her without choking up and I’ve stopped crying in the shower every week thinking about her. I’m almost accepting of her absence in my life. Almost. It’s good timing, because Nick has recently become very curious about death and, in his three-year-old bluntness, frequently reminds me, "Your mom's dead. She died. She’s gone. We can't see her anymore." Okay, okay, kid--I get it. Geesh!

So, it’s getting easier. But, it’s still tough as hell parenting without her. I often wonder if and how things might be different if she were still here. What would she think of me as a mom? What would she think about my kids? What would they have thought of her? I know there’s no point in “what ifs,” but I can’t help it.

I want to see her laugh with joy at the antics of her grandchildren. I want her to step in a lay down the law when their antics are too much for me. I want to hear her tell me “pay backs are hell” when they are acting exactly as I did as a child. If there is an afterlife, I know she is slapping her knee and laughing with her head thrown back watching the things these kids are throwing at me. I want to laugh with her. I want to hear stories from my childhood told only the way she could tell them. I want to tell her stories about my children.

On the days when I’m so exhausted it physically hurts, I want to lean against her soft body and have her tell me it’s okay. Or when I’m feeling overwhelmed and like a failure, I want to hear her say, “oh Kylie, suck it up.” I want to ask her questions about what I was like at a certain age or how did she handle this or that. (Which is strange, because I rarely agreed with her advice, but I want it anyway.) I want to apologize for being such a horrible brat—1995 was not my finest year—or ’96. Sorry, Mom.

While I have a devoted husband, loving family, and many wonderful friends, my mom understood me like no one else. Our relationship was not perfect and tensions and frustrations often ran high, but she was always my first phone call. My number one supporter. And I want that lifeline back as I navigate this crazy thing call parenting. I would give up a year of my life to have one hour with her to hear what she thinks of her grandchildren and of me as a mother. (And I can hear her voice now, “Oh Kylie, that’s just stupid.”)

So, it’s hard. But, I’m still lucky. I have my memories and all of her many, many, many stories that I draw on when I need her by my side. I know there are plenty of this people in this world who have never known a mother or, perhaps worse, have a mother they wish they’d never known. So, I am thankful for the 32 years I had with her. But, I still want more. 

Wrong Again

Per Lainey, it seems I'm one of two things: wrong or a liar. Always. I keep saying to Mark that she's going to be insufferable that first time she comes home from college. I mean six weeks of kindergarten already has her thinking she knows more than we do. Give that kid a semester of higher learning and stand back. I'm already rolling my eyes at the superior smugness to come.

Surely, I exaggerate, you say. Well, yesterday evening, I was showering Lainey with hugs and kisses. And then this exchange happened...


L: (giggling) Why are you giving me so many hugs and kisses?

M: I love you soooo much! I have to give you hugs and kisses always! I just can't help myself!

Giggling stops and she gets that look on her face.

L: What about this morning when I was throwing a fit?

M: (silence) (I had refused to hug her until she got her shoes on, because she uses it as a stalling tool--all. the. time.)                             

L: (with hand on hip and eyebrow raised.) So, I guess you're wrong again. You can help yourself.


And off she skipped with a smug smile on her lips...

Well done, Elaine. Well done.

Four Weeks In

She wanted to know what she would look like with glasses, so she drew them

Lainey just finished off her first four weeks of Kindergarten today. Everything seems to be going great! No adjustment issues and she enjoys her before and after school care programs. Getting any details on what happened during her day can be challenging. The information flow is very sporadic--some nights she can't stop talking, other nights we just get an eye roll and silence, and she gets very annoyed if she has to repeat herself. (Gee...what's that like, Lainey?) We get that right now she is super stimulated and it's a lot to take in, so we try not to push, but it's hard. We want to know! I've learned not to ask too many questions at pick-up, because then she won't tell Mark anything (you know, because she'd have to repeat herself, again!) But, sometimes he just has to lose, otherwise I miss the window of enthusiasm for the day and no one hears anything. It's a delicate dance and I'm still learning the steps...

We had Curriculum Night at the school this past week and got to check out her classroom and hear more about the overall International Baccalaureate (IB) program (sounds so fancy!). We also got a run down on all the standardized testing. Ugh! I mean I had some basic knowledge around the pain that No Child Left Behind has inflicted, but to get the real nitty gritty and know your kid has to go through it really bummed me out. But, on a positive note, they're not assigning homework in Kindergarten this year. Hurray, hurrah!

Mark and I snagged a one-on-one conference with her Spanish teacher, because no one else showed up to that time slot. So, even though you're not supposed to talk about your child's individual performance at this thing, we got an earful about how wonderful and enthusiastic Lainey is in the classroom. And so, I am now obligated to brag about how wonderful and enthusiastic she is in the classroom! The teacher asked if she'd had Spanish before, because she already knows quite a few of the basics. She did--when she was two! She's a smart one, that Lainey. I'm beyond happy that she gets a second language class starting in Kindergarten. Even if the primary year grades only have it twice a week, I think it's wonderful!

While Lainey's intro into real school seems to be smooth sailing, it's been an adjustment for me (hence the lack of posts--I'm busy and exhausted). Mark and I now juggle two drop-offs and pick-ups and I seem to have a face that just screams--"ask me to volunteer, ask me to volunteer!!!" Those PTA moms mean business! You can find me this Sunday volunteering at the Barnes & Noble Book Bash--it's one of the few volunteer events that don't take place during work hours, so I jumped on it. I narrowly dodged being the K-1 Girl Scout leader--I agreed, but then found out meetings are at 3:45pm. Not that I don't want to do it, but I already had to drop the bomb that I need to leave the office 30 minutes early every day to make the pick-up cut-offs at day care and the YMCA.

all of this chaos was kind of expected. New schedule, new people... What I didn't expect was the overdose of working mom guilt. I really never had it during the day care years...maybe once or twice when the kids had a sick day, but generally I was fine with my choices. But, at daycare, all of Lainey's friends had parents in the exact same boat as us, so there were no after school playdates or programs to miss out on. Most of Lainey's new friends get to go play on the playground right after school, while she's bused off to the Y. And there is a cooking class she wants to take, but it's over at 5pm; with my train schedule, I'd have to leave work at 3:30pm to get her in time. Whenever she wants to do something that doesn't fit with my work schedule she asks, "Mom, do you think maybe you could work a little faster, and then you could come home early?" Knife. In. My. Heart!!! Stab! Stab! Stab! The saving grace is she has two good friends that go to the Y with her, and I just signed her up to start taking gymnastics at the Y at the end of October. So, it's not like she's deprived, but, still...it stings.

Meanwhile over at day care, Nick is living it up! There has been absolutely no problem breaking away from big sister. Already we're seeing him learn so much in the pre-school room and his imagination is just awesome! I adore listening to him play by himself or make up stories and songs. Some days I wish I could just record everything he says. Behavior-wise, he's doing great most days at school, but is still landing on "red" every now and again. Hey, he's three! I'm not on my best behavior every day either. Really the worst news  is that he's starting to give up the nap--at school and at home. Too soon, I say (although I know a lot of parents envy that my kids still nap at all)! And he's been a real pain going to bed at night. Last night it took almost 90 minutes to get him down. The problem is he's super adorable when he creeps out of bed, so it's hard to be stern with him. Man, those hound dog eyes. They just melt me! So, amidst all the other changes, that is staying consistent--I'm still a sap for Nick.

So, we're off and running! Stay tuned for more updates as we settle into our new "norm." I just keep the coffee brewing!

This is how I feel some days...
(These self-portraits were to be inspired by a mural of similar, stick figure drawings
 with wacky expressions. This was Elaine's take on that.)

Our 5-year-old Teenager

School seems to be going great for Lainey. We get basically no information out of her in the evenings, but she's happy at pick-up and doesn't complain about going, so I assume all is going well.

One thing she has learned rather quickly over the past two weeks is a smart mouth. Now, I'm not saying she didn't already have a head start in the sarcasm department (I am her mother, after all), but she has really ramped it up. A few conversations had in the past week:

Nick: Lainey, will you get me a piece of paper?

L: Get it yourself. I'm not your maid.

Mark: Lainey, if you don't stop you have to get off the swings.

L: Like I care.

Me: Well, why didn't you sit with her at lunch?

L: She didn't interest me today.

Me: Do you want to do soccer?

L: No

Me: Why not?

L: It involves running. 

(Again, she really is my daughter. I'd also like to clarify that she does really love to run and is not a five-year-old couch potato.)

When I put in Monsters University, I got this reaction from her: (screaming) "I know why you put this on. It's because you HATE ME!!!" Then she ran to her room and slammed the door. When I had no reaction, because a) I was elbow deep in dish water and b) WTF?, she ran back downstairs and repeated herself, adding a double "you HATE me" for emphasis. I never really got to the bottom of that one, but we did establish that even though I had the audacity to turn on a Pixar movie that she used to love, I do, in fact, still love her very much. 

Finally, she has officially starting saying, "OMG," along with her favorite new phrase, "for real, Mom."

Looks like it's going to be a loooong 13 years ahead of us!

Class of 2029

She's ready!

Today was the big day--Lainey headed off for her first day of kindergarten! Mark and I were able to take off work to walk our girl to school.  All went smoothly with no tears by anyone! Lainey is lucky to have three friends in her class, so she was excited to see them and could have cared less as Mark and I walked out the door. I was happy, because even though our initial introduction to the school has been rather disorganized, things seemed to flow together just fine with minimal confusion. 

Looking up to big sister

Ready to take on the school!

Although Lainey will be attending after-school care at the YMCA, the original plan for today was to pick her up at school and skip the Y. But, because she has to be transported by bus to the program, I thought it better to give it a whirl today when I was just five minutes away in case anything went wrong in the chaos of the first day. But, my fears were unfounded, as everything went smoothly. When I went to pick-up Lainey at 4:30pm, she actually started crying, because "she didn't even get to play much and they were just getting ready for snack!" Oops. Guess, I really didn't have anything to worry about. To make it up to her, I took her and Nick for pre-dinner ice cream (and then the girl had the nerve to ask for a treat after dinner and when I said "no" she threw a fit, because I had "promised her" a treat for the first day. I was not amused.)

Meanwhile, over at Care-A-Lot, Nick did just fine without his big sis. So, again, I worried for nothing. I'm excited to see how he evolves this next year with a little more independence and a structure learning program.

Well, we're off an running...let's see what this next chapter brings!

First day ice cream

Tennis and Beyond

We were very lucky to be included in an incredible weekend in Wisconsin to celebrate our friend Jamie's 40th birthday. Our large crew descended on "Tennis and Beyond," a huge farmhouse situated on a beautiful, secluded two acres of land, for three days of fun and laughs.

I was little nervous going into the weekend, because we were a force of 15 adults and nine kids, ages one to seven. That's  A LOT of people! But, the house really did have an immense amount of room and the grounds allowed us to pretty much let the kids roam free. Everyone pitched in to set-up and clean-up meals, and the kids got along very well, so it ended up being one of the most relaxing weekends I've had in quite awhile. 

I think pictures tell the best story of the fun from the weekend, so scroll on and on below to see all the magic. It really was memorable and I'm so thankful we were able to be a part of it. Thank you so much to Jamie and Nicole, who made it all happen!

The house

The grounds

The crew

The kids

Nick's happiest moment...holding his frog

Milestone Birthdays

Happy 40th to this handsome guy!

We’ve celebrated some major milestone birthdays over the past two weekends.  Last weekend, we tore it up with our friends at the Emporium Logan Square to celebrate Mark’s crossing into his next decade of life. (And by “tore it up,” I mean drank beer, ate pizza, and screamed over music that “was too damn loud!”) It was a low-key affair for a low-key guy—no singing, no speeches, just all our friends in one spot. Mark was very happy and that is all that matters to me! But, I failed miserably at taking any pictures!!! I used to be the one who got all the snapshots to commemorate an event, but in recent years—when it’s easier than ever to have a camera at the ready—I’ve really fallen off my game. Luckily the birthday boy thought to at least get a shot of the two of us. 

The old guy and his much younger wife

Thursday was the official day and we celebrated Mark’s 40^th at home with tacos and rhubarb pie, which I let the kids help prepare—which took a lot of will on my part. I had to shove my hands in my pockets, while I let them have a go at crimping the edges and was beyond tempted to reshape it after they left the kitchen. But, I didn’t. And, yes, I want recognition and congratulations for this accomplishment.

But, it was made with love...

Saturday we loaded in the car and headed to “the heart of it all” (aka Ohio) to celebrate Sharon’s 70^th with a surprise party. We had a hiccup in our travels when, as we entered the Sky Bridge, the car jerked and the engine indicator light popped on. Not knowing what the issue was, we turned around and headed back home to switch cars, putting us almost 2 hours behind schedule. But, we made it to Greenville and, with Chris’s help, managed to get into our hotel room, change clothes, and get over to the party in time for the big surprise. And it was a BIG surprise—she had no clue! 

SURPRISE!

Sunday morning, we had breakfast with some of my cousins, whom we hadn’t seen for ages before jumping back in the car and headed home. Lots of driving, but well worth it for a very special lady!!!

We’ll just about be getting settled in from this weekend, when it will be time to pack again and head to Lake Geneva for our final trip of the summer!

Do you want to draw a snowman?

Yesterday morning, I was greeted at the bottom of the stairs by a bright and perky Lainey, who asked, "Mommy, would you enjoy drawing a snowman with us?" I was a little confused at first, a) by the formal wording of her invitation b) because it's August c) it was 6:30am. But, sure enough, Lainey had set-up four chairs around her art table and placed blank pieces of paper in front of each. And so, the four of us sat together and started our weekend by drawing snowmen. No bouncy houses, no water slides, no sugary treats--just us, our markers, and smiles--a breather and moment to connect amidst the melee of our busy world. For once the time didn't go "whoosh" past us.  It was such a simple activity, but I want to remember it always. Thanks, Lainey! I would enjoy drawing a snowman with you anytime!

The Next Chapter is Upon Us

After our trip the Dells, it was hurry back to Chicago to attend an informal gathering at the school's playground for incoming Kindergartners. We weren't sure how it was going to go, because Lainey was overly tired and was feeling super shy. Mark held her outside the gate, while she looked in on the bustle of children running and jumping. And then magic happened...little Lucas from her daycare ran over, threw his arms wide, and yelled, "Lainey! Come give me a hug!" Lainey beamed and scrambled from her dad's arms into Lucas's. With the confidence of a friend by her side, Lainey joined the fray and eventually allowed me to walk her over and introduce her to her teacher, Ms. Stankus (who Lucas also has--YAY!).

The school was unlocked to allow bathroom access, so as the play winded down outside, we decided to take Lainey in for a mini tour. Watching her walk down that wide, shiny hall, lined with lockers, I got a huge lump in the throat--which surprised me. I didn't expect to get overly emotional about the start of school. After all, Lainey has gone to all-day daycare since she was 12 weeks old. We're used to the separation. No big deal, right? But, daycare is small; the school is big. There's less than 40 kids total at daycare; Lainey will have 25 kids just in her classroom this year and the school has grades K-8. Watching her skip down the hall, the girl, who is usually "so big for her age," seemed so very tiny to me. Certainly not old enough to navigate the busy and choppy waters of this school! But, the time has come--and it is both exciting and terrifying to think of what this next year will bring. A new teacher, new environment, new rules, new things to learn, and new friends, which will bring all new social drama (and trauma) and joy and heartbreak and pride and embarrassment and success and failure. That's a lot for a parent 5-year-old to navigate!

Thank goodness we have such a brave girl, because I'm going to need her to hold my hand and tell me everything will be alright...

Let's do this, kid!

Elaine Rae Brandi - Age 5
photo credit: Ford Photography

Splash!!!

Well, hey there, Thursday--why'd you go and steal Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday?  I know I sound like a broken record talking about how fast the days are flying by, but time feels like it's simply disappearing right now. I could swear we just got home from the Wisconsin Dells a few hours ago...

Speaking of...we had a blast with our great pals the O'Gradys this past weekend during a quick getaway to the Dells.  Nick took a bit to warm up to things at the water park, but managed to amuse himself for quite sometime by just rolling himself up in one of the mats meant for a water slide. The kids ended up finding their groove in the wave pool and that's where we spent the majority of the afternoon, before hitting some of the amusement park rides. Lainey refused to ride the roller coaster, which was a bummer because she loved them so much at Disney before she got over-confident and rode Expedition Everest. But, while coasters may no longer be her thing, she totally rocked the go-carts! I gotta' say, I was pretty impressed watching her zoom around the track. We had some yummy pizza and video games that evening before plopping the kids in front of a movie, so the grown-ups could drink a few beers and catch-up. After a yummy breakfast Sunday morning it was back to Chicago! Super fast...super fun!

Thanks for making some great memories with us, O'Gradys!

Zoom

Summer Nights, Summer Days

This weekend kicked-off our party-until-you-drop then get-back-up-and-party-more August. Saturday whizzed by in a flurry of morning errands to service the Toyota, buy school supplies, and get the kids’ haircuts and then be back home before the babysitter arrived, so Mark and I could head to an appointment with a kitchen designer (YAY—new kitchen is in the works!)—all before the start of our annual block party! Whoosh! In all the hustle and bustle, Nick managed to escape the house to go on an adventure of his own. As we were shouting his name and scanning the immediate area, Lainey yelled, “there he is!” His little face was pressed to the window of the hatchback of the CR-V, which was sitting in the direct sun on an 80-plus degree day, and he was wielding a pair of scissors in his hand. I aged about 10 years in five minutes…and then it was time for the block party (and a drink)!

The block party gets better every year as we all get to know each other better and our kids get older and less dependent on us for supervision and entertainment. I got some good intel on what to expect this coming school year and met a few new parents in the neighborhood. Nick won a raffle prize the second year in a row, and Lainey allowed her disappointment at NOT winning for the second year in a row to be soothed with a cupcake versus a having a meltdown. The kids managed to stay up for movie time and watching all the little ones huddled on the driveway with their popcorn made me fall in love with our small town in the big city all over again!

Better than a drive-in

The late night out bought us an extra hour of sleep from the kids Sunday morning, and we decided to ditch the chores and opt for a long excursion to the beach. The weather was perfect, the kids were well behaved, and Mark and I actually found ourselves relaxing. Aaah! A nice refresher that we both needed.

Engineer dads build the best sand castles...complete with running water

Next up on our August party plan…the Wisconsin Dells with the O’Gradys, followed by Lainey’s first official school event to meet all the incoming kindergarteners!

This little beach bum is kindergarten-bound

Red Hot Chili Pepper

Our fiery girl like her food the same way. Tonight she joined dad in loading her pizza with crushed chili peppers then said, "it's not even spicy." Mark's breaking out the Tabasco for her scrambled eggs tomorrow...

8 Years Strong!

Just two crazy kids in love...

Mark and I celebrate our eight-year anniversary today. Well...not much celebrating today, given work and Lainey's ballet class, but with the help of Lonnie and Frank, we did sneak away Saturday to enjoy the Pitchfork Music Festival and a kid-free night downtown at the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel. It was a short break away, but perfect in every way.

The weather couldn't have been any better. The music was just okay. I was really pumped to see Brian Wilson, but the sound was not good during the set. I didn't see any complaints in the reviews, so perhaps it was just where we were in the field. Sufjan Stevens was the headliner, but he was lackluster as well. Mark and I just aren't fans of his Age of Adz album and he mostly played from that. We ended up ditching out before the end. But, on the bright side, because we skipped out a little early, we were able to hop right on the Green Line without waiting and get back to the hotel in time to hit up Shake Shack for some late night grub. Soooo yum!!! I'd love to say we played like the cool kids and hit up Cindy's on the rooftop afterward, but we didn't. We just enjoyed having a quiet room to ourselves. That's what makes us good together...we like comfort and relaxation over being trendy and hip.

We ended our little stay-cation with brunch at The Publican. Good coffee, spicy Blood Mary's (with beer backs), and delicious entrees. All without cutting up someone else's food, taking someone to the bathroom, or whisper-shouting, "Stop that!"

Beverage Spread

It was only 20 hours, but it was just the recharge we needed. Thanks to Lonnie and Frank for making it happen! And a very Happy Anniversary to the love of my life. You're good people, Mark Brandi! I'm glad your mine!

Fourth of July...A Week Later

Continuing my recent trend of posting a full week after events take place, I'm finally getting around to our very busy, very happy 4th of July weekend in the QC. Hoping to turn that trend around as I have FINALLY watched all five seasons of Scandal and now have to wait patiently for the fall debut to get my Olive Pope fix.

Our weekend in Moline was fantastic! We missed the “Other Brandis,” who were on a fabulous summer trip, but still had a ton of fun. Tim and Rebecca hosted us out on the boat on Saturday. The temperature was cool, but that didn’t stop Lainey from swimming almost non-stop. Nick took a few dips in the water and enjoyed tooling around in the kayak, but he was mostly into sand play. And then this happened…

He was shocked, but fine—and, yes, we’ve watched that video about 1,000 times. Sadly, my first thought when he face-plowed through the sand was not necessarily for his overall well-being, but rather “not the face!,” because we our good friend Josh Ford was lined up for a family photo shoot the next morning. Luckily the sand was very soft, so it just moved right along with Nick’s face—no marks! What the video leaves out is Mark’s warnings that this was not going to end well, while the rest of us encouraged him to the top. In fairness, I did call out for him to turn around half-way up (but, then said—eh, let him try it!)

Happier times on the kayak

Saturday night we did the final celebration of Lainey’s birthday—this time with a Hello, Kitty cake. After cake and presents, Grandpa dazzled the crew with some fireworks and sparklers. Nick was not so keen on the noise, so Uncle Tim hooked him up with some ear protectors. The picture does not do justice to how adorable he was.

Sunday we did our photos with Josh. The weather was perfect and the kids cooperated very well, so it was a quick and painless process. Lainey even asked if she could take pictures with Josh forever! (Check out a little of his magic at the very bottom of this post!) That night it was off to the fireworks. Another very cool evening, but we didn’t mind—no bugs! The kids loved all the fun glow necklaces and bracelets that Grandma brought (and all the gummy worms and butterflies that Grandpa brought.) Everyone enjoyed the show and Nick didn’t even ask to wear his ear protectors until the finale.

A fun weekend that, as always, went too fast! And now we prepare to tackle the rest of our very busy summer…we are officially booked every Saturday until September 17!!! YIKES!!! So, perhaps even with my hiatus from Scandal, I’ll still be modeling this blog after John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight.