Conversation with a 3 year old

Ben has been very into caretaking lately. He frequently sets out food for his stuffed animals and comes up with an elaborate plan to wrap them up in blankets. The other day, he set two rubbermaid containers of water on our back step "so the birds could have water." The next morning, Steven almost landed right on his tush from the ice that formed on the steps. Oops!

This morning Ben said (about his little stuffed bird).
"Mommy, I think I need to grab the baby bird and nurse her, because she really needs to get nursed."
ME: "But, Ben, you're a boy, you can't nurse!"
BEN: "I know, I'm just pretending."

And something else he said today:
BEN: "Mommy, do I look good with this chapstick on?" (clear chapstick)

Sometimes I wish I could just freeze this age.

Why this will not be our Christmas picture

This is an example of trying to get a Christmas photo of the kids:

Thanksgiving 2008

We had a fun Thanksgiving, full of children and chaos, and great food. The cousins were literally running in circles around the house, laughing and chasing one another.
It was so wonderful to see the kids enjoying one another so much. Here are some photos of our day.

The kiddie table

Chowing down

The beautiful Thanksgiving table

Da' boyz...

Cousin Zachary

All of the cousins

Being Silly!

Grandma and Grandpa

Trying on some headbands made by Jenn's neighbor (sold on Etsy)

Our family vacation time

We have so enjoyed the last 3 weeks, settling in and acclimating to our new surroundings. Steven starts his new job on Monday, so we're gearing up for another adjustment period. Here are a few photos of what we've been up to lately...

Our local children's museum, great for little hands!

The "sperm whale" life-size model in front of the museum. Ben was a

little tentative about sitting on the teeth, despite my assurances that it

was pretend!

Ben and one of his contraptions

Hiking at a local nature center...

Dinner with Steven's sister and her family

Our BIG news

The outside of our home


Our living room looking into sunroom/playroom

We couldn't have been more excited to see this sign!

A much-needed rest stop somewhere in PA

1-80 was oh-so-long with fussy children

visiting dear friends Ken and Irene in Ohio

In September, Steven accepted a job at Wellpoint, an insurance company in Connecticut. It is an excellent career move for him and places him closer to the hub of the insurance industry. After a whirlwind of listing and selling our home, packing and moving, we have taken a collective sigh of relief as we are beginning to settle into our new (rental) home. We decided to rent for 6 months to learn the area and to decide where to settle more long-term. Steven starts his new job December 1st, so we are enjoying this unique time to enjoy our family and explore the area. Here are some photos of our road-trip and our home. I'll try to be better about posting more regularly from here on out. If you did not receive it and want our new address, please contact us directly.

Tourists for a day (night)

Here is our brave son climing a rope bridge, 3 stories up. He didn't even flinch, we were amazed!



Today was a gorgeous fall day, crisp and clear and just the slightest bit chilly. For months, every time we drove downtown and went by the ferris wheel, Ben asked to ride it. So, we finally drove down and picked up Steven from work and headed to the most popular tourist spot in Chicago, Navy Pier. We had a BLAST! It was a beautiful evening, we ate Subway sandwiches outside, rode the ferris wheel, and went to the Children's Museum (free on Thursday evenings). I remember now why we don't go more often, it is EXPENSIVE. $20 to park, $24 for all four of us to ride the ferris wheel, $8 for Subway sandwiches...definitely a splurge. The kids loved it all...even the ferris wheel. The view from on top was stunning! Ben's favorite part was that the lights turned on while we were riding. A great family memory!

Is it possible to be T.P.'eed by a toddler?

Fun with stickers

Little siblings get the brunt of everything, yes?!? Who knew promotional address labels could be so much fun???

Happy Bday Kim!

We had a great time celebrating Kim's 30th by going on a boat cruise on Lake Michigan. The weather and skyline was gorgeous, the company delightful, all in all a lovely evening. Thanks for allowing us to celebrate you, dear Kim!

Conversation with a 3 year old

(In response to me closing the garage with the opener instead of offering it to him)

BEN: "Mama, I think we should sell you."

ME: "Hmmm, why do you think you should sell me?"

BEN: "Because you keep doing things that I want to do."

Finished bathroom

Here it is, our new bathroom. It is really stunning. Steven worked so hard and it paid off. We can't wait to use it! Ben inaugurated the tub tonight by taking the first bath and loved it. Its hard to really see it in photos as the space is small and difficult to photograph. Come visit us to check it out in person....

VIDEO: Abigail Walking

Fun in a box

We just installed a new bathtub which came in a very large box...a perfect plaything, better than any toy money can buy. Here is the result, a HUGE hit with both our children. Abigail was belly-laughing she loves it so much. Ben said the address should be "20 Brewster Magic."