Thanksgiving 2017

It has been a crazy few weeks, so I’m a few days late getting in a Thanksgiving post. Luckily, it’s my blog and I have a readership of 10, so I get to make the deadlines and the rules for publishing.

The Sunday before Thanksgiving, both kids participated in the Lincolnwood Drumstick Dash. It’s a fun little run divided by age groups, where they pile the kids at the start line and let them loose. Nick wasn’t sure he wanted to race, because he was afraid he would fall down, but in the end, he rose to the occasion. He didn’t do so bad either—definitely a leader of the bunch! Of course, he thinks he won, because he got a medal. Elaine was more than happy to rain on his parade and very dryly point out that everyone gets a medal. But, Nick just ignored her. He won damn it!

Our Thanksgiving was lovely and came and went without any drama or illness (except for Chris, who was pretty sick, but he’s Sean’s problem, not mine.) Sean gets “Uncle of the Year” awards for swimming with the kids at the FREEZING hotel indoor pool—Lainey was the only one who didn’t seem bothered by the frigid water and air temps. It definitely snapped the adults out of our Turkey day food and drink comas!

The weather was great and the travel to and from Ohio really could not have been any smoother. Nick said it best… “You know why I like Ohio? I just love the view!” So, there you have it, Ohio Tourism Bureau, your next marketing slogan. I really do get a laugh out of how geeked-out the kids get seeing all the farm fields, barns, and animals. Seeing the landscape through their eyes gives me a new appreciation for what was just the ordinary growing up.

We traveled back home on Friday, so we had the weekend to deck the halls and start infusing the Christmas spirit! Christmas decorations are up, cards have been ordered, shopping is 95% done, and the calendar is filled with an aspirational schedule of holiday events! Bring on December!

Leading the pack (via creative editing)

And she's off!

 

Happy racers!

 

Two Little Fishies

When the YMCA closed the pool this past June, we were really bummed out. It turned out to be the best thing that could have happened, as far as swim lessons go. Right as the Y pool closed, a new swim school, Big Blue, opened up just five minutes from our house. I took the kids for a free trial lesson and was hooked! Being a new facility, of course it was spotless, but what sold me was the amazing staff and teachers! Everyone has so much energy and seems really excited to be there versus the Y instructors, who barely cracked a smile. Seriously, sometimes walking into Big Blue is the best part of my week, because everyone there just seems to love what they are doing and greet you with such enthusiasm.

All of the above is nice and all, but the place isn't cheap, so I wanted to see results. Well, I've got them tenfold. I really cannot believe how much Lainey and Nick have progressed in just three months. Nick has gone from hiding under the bleachers at the Y to avoid the pool to swimming without any flotation devices and doing some actual swim strokes. He's moved up two levels in the past month. And, oh man, Lainey! She can now swim freestyle and does a mean backstroke. We could drop the lessons right now and she'd be fine for water safety. But, she really enjoys them and is learning better technique (and the other strokes) to prep her to join a swim team. Even if swim team's not her thing, she gets a great workout in at class--they work these kids hard! (Which also means sleeping little ones at bedtime--an added bonus.)

I love seeing how proud the kids are when they reach a new level. I seriously got emotional when Lainey moved up from Dolphins to Junior Team. She flew through the lower levels pretty quickly, so it took her awhile to achieve the next level. The pure joy on her face when she saw that ribbon and new she'd made it made me almost burst into tears. I don't think I'd ever seen her so proud or happy about something.

So glad we found this gem of a place! Can't wait to see how the kiddos keep progressing!

From Guppy 2 to Guppy 3!

Miss Junior Team 1

No more Guppies...Dolphin 1!!!

Tricks and Treats

Halloween was a monster success! The kids partied at school and came home ready to hit the streets and get those treats! The cold temperature did nothing to chill their enthusiasm--they begged for candy for almost two hours! Afterwards, our neighbor hosted a group of us for pizza, so bedtime definitely got pushed and pushed a little more. Can't say this morning was much fun, but seeing their joy last night made up for it (or at least it will when I have those memories years from now; thankfully it's the really good ones that seem to stick!)

The one blight on the evening was some prankster took our bowl of candy we left out on the step. And I mean the actual bowl!!! I know it's always a risk that some older kids are going to take all the candy in one fell swoop, but do they have to be total jerks and take the bowl too? Perhaps it was someone's trick when they happened upon a treatless bowl. Sigh...

In other unfortunate news, Nick got a trick played on him in the form of a nasty stomach bug. He's been throwing up since three o'clock this afternoon. I'm just glad he didn't get hit with this bug yesterday! That would have crushed him!

Hope everyone had a fun-filled Halloween!

The water is dangerous, but the streets are safe!

Check-out that tail!

The crew!