There are three children in this picture

Can you see them?

Baby Got Back

Someone (Nico) has got a bubble butt indeed!

Grandma's Pictures

Anyone who knows Grandma Jan knows that SHE ... LOVES ... PICTURES. Her constant refrain whenever I have reported a milestone to her has been, "Do you have a picture of it?". Another common phrase is, "If I didn't take a picture of it, it didn't happen." When I was young and carefree I used to take pictures just to cover my bases with my mother in law, but as the years have passed I am so grateful for her picture pressure. My memory already feels soft and so the glut of pictures I've taken is such a blessing.

When Gma Jan, Natalie & Jackson came last week Grandma brought her big, beautiful camera. It's new and spectacular. Just what this genealogist Grandma needs. We definitely put it through its paces.

Here's a taster of her awesome pics. ('Scuse the runny noses.) (And the fact that NEVER are all three kids smiling at once.) (And if my kids' hair looks too shaggy that's because it was too shaggy. I am sorry. It's been cut and shaped up and will be debuted in an upcoming blog.)













Nicholas is his own man, but I love this picture documenting his observant eye on his big bro.













Jackson's face says, "So this is what it's like to die." Nico's says, "Grandma, don't you see what's happening?" And Jacob's says, "I can show love and inflict pain at the same time! All right!"






























I love pictures of kids looking at each other. It looks like Jacob and Jackson got the joke. All of the adults in this house hate that book. Too many flaps!













Look familiar? (Again, their hair is bad. And Jacob has a crazy, mad dreadlock tuft.)













There are so many cute pictures it's overwhelming and I'm a bit too tired to keep looking...but expect to see more (as I am nowhere near done documenting their great trip) and check out this amazing shot captured by Natalie.

Oh thank you, thank you

Grandma Jan, Natalie & Jackson came for a whirlwind, wonderful visit this week. I am so grateful that they could come. It made my solitary week (while Matt was visiting firms along the eastern seaboard) not only bearable, but truly delightful.

They brought their lovely selves to my home, but they also brought back my enthusiasm for where we live and what we're doing. It's been all too easy to get mired in the inconveniences that abound here. My guests continually acknowledged that while this life is challenging it's also unique and exciting and "so big city"!

They also helped me realize how well I've gotten to know the place. We ventured into town (under the tutelage of my more city savvy friend Luann) one night without the kids and I was amazed to see that (with Luann's sage advice) I really did know where I was going! It was empowering.

That night we shivered our way down the Magnificent Mile to see the river. Exploring together. We thought we looked like this, but we really looked like this.














(By the way, Lorelai would freeze to death if she were really out in the winter dressed like that. You call that bundling up? Please!)

When we got to the river we were stunned (and oddly disgusted) to see that it was full of sheets of ice. Don't...fall...in.














Crazy Chicago.

Just running errands around Hyde Park left Natalie in raptures about city life. The architecture, the produce market, even the somewhat dirty snow! I guess I'm just going to have to believe the Tribune's assessment of my neighborhood:

"When you're bored with the usual...head to Hyde Park, Chicago's multicultural melting pot of cool."

That's us!

Skillz

Nico is doing amazing things lately. You can see his new tricks below.

Please see past my unnaturally high, squeaky voice. (Whenever I'm trying to capture a very specific thing on video my voice jumps octaves pretty fast...something about nerves and begging.) Also, please ignore my grunting in pain and annoyance when Jacob jumps on me. And my pronouncing Jacob as "Jeekbop".

But do see his amazing puzzle abilitays. Also enjoy his round of applause. And lastly, enjoy his new word.



His first time using his new word was when Jacob came out of his room a few days ago.

Brothers!

I'd like to take a moment to say that Nicholas really is delightful. He's a sweet baby (not a toddler yet, so don't even try to call him one). He is smiley and mild. He likes to pat me firmly on the back when I hold him and say, "ma-my". He also is a world class cuddler. Seriously, he would win any cuddle competitions (when he's in a cuddly mood, of course) hand down. I just am really enjoying him. And those cheeks! I'll stop.

To Natalie

As per your comment: I am here. We are here. We are well.

But, in order to walk to the library or the store or the other store or the bus stop or the church pictured below is the minimum effort I have to put out (to say nothing of putting my own coat, hat and scarf on).



Oh, and the boys' gloves (not pictured above) are just about as crazy making as really crazy stuff. They come off just about as fast as I can put them on. Glove on. Glove off. Repeat.

Apparently the creative juices to blog equal the strength to bundle two small children. It seriously feels like "The Christmas Story" every day around here. My struggles are especially disheartening when my friends with a Chicago winter under their belts scoff at this even being that cold. Gulp.

So, I have had lots I've wanted to blog about. But when the ideas enter my head I am either getting ready to go out, I am out, or I've just gotten back. And honey, my mind is pretty lax around those times.

The thought of you, Jackson and Grandma Jan coming is warming the cockles of my heart. We can hit the museums, hit the Magnificent Mile or just sit around, talk and eat fudge and candied pecans. You'll be warm, you'll be happy. And I can't wait!

Thank you for caring. Thank you to you both for coming. It's the best Christmas present ever.

Here's the new view from our window.


















Oh, and for the uninitiated I give you the Bundle me.

Here's to a great December!

Dear Winter:

We are no longer friends.

You give me a cough that lasts a month and you give my kids multitudinous infectious diseases. These sicknesses seem to never overlap (ex. Jacob just finished a cold, so Nicholas spiked a 102 fever tonight -- which really happened). This never happens in summer. Explain that, would you please?

This means that our general enjoyment is diminished through sickness and by the fact that WE CAN NEVER LEAVE THE HOUSE!

You'd better shape up sir.

Oh, and you came 2 months early.


















Thank you.

And if you think Maddie and Jacob dig each other

Check out Grandpa and Nicholas.














Their connection runs deep. Grandpa was his favorite person in Utah. Fay-vo-right. Whenever Grandpa came home Nico was hot on his trail. They just get each other.














We, especially Nicholas, love you Grandpa!

Jacob and Maddie

Perhaps it's their place as the oldest grandkids. Perhaps they have a cosmic connection. Or perhaps it's because they're the only two grandkids who don't nap anymore. Whatever it is, these two really hit it off. I think Jacob loved having an older sibling to follow and I think Maddie loved having a little sibling to follow her who wasn't holding a train.

Enjoy some of my favorite pictures of the their shenanigans.

Cutting apples (lookee those faces):





























Making sugar cookies:





























Nico joined in at the end (he's the shorter napper between him and Giddie goo).















And, you saw the leaves:



















We didn't catch it on film, but my favorite thing they did was chase each other. Jacob usually put his hands up in front of himself and yelled "I'm a giant" as Maddie ran away squealing. And Maddie taught Jacob so much and really invited him into a big kid world.

I have a feeling that in a few years Jacob and Gideon will "get" each other and barricade themselves somewhere playing G.I. Joes or Tranformers (or newer, hipper toys) -- but for now Maddie is Jacob's girl. We love you Maddie!

And, thank you to Jana for doing the apples and cookies with the kids. Mom and Jana were so kind to let me try to rest out the lung prob...it's still a problem, but I finally cracked the University of Chicago healthcare labyrinth and got to see a doc. I'm hopefully on the mend.

Red Cheeked

The weekend before we left for Utah Matt took the boys and me to a pumpkin patch. But oh, it was so much more than that. It was a little moment of perfection. I've been sick this weekend and so the memory of this little trip needs to be documented...to perfection!

It was a cold (and by the looks of my hair windy) day. The weather drove away the faint-hearted so we were the only ones on our tractor ride to the apple picking spot.














The driver of the tractor upon dropping us off gave us suggestions of some yummy varieties and said, with a kindly wink, to just rub them on our shirts and try a few. Between our cold cheeks and the blushing apples it was a red-cheeked day (hence the title).

So we picked.














































And we tasted.




































We picked some more.














































And we tasted.






















































Mmm mmmm mmmmm.

We appreciated the little signs at the end of the rows indicating the variety. We were intrigued by a sign for some "Honey Crisp" apples but found that those trees were stripped bare. When we bought our apples the clerk told us that the honey crisp apples are pretty much gone the first weekend of the picking season because they're so good. Subsequently Jacob told everyone for a few weeks afterward that "at the apple picking place the honey crisp were all gone" with a look of concern and sincerity. Seriously, what a yummy, cereal-ey sounding name. Has anyone had one?














The boys spent some time working on the farm too.














Those plastic cows needed lots of hay.


















The scattered bits of hay in the barn needed raking.


















And the fields needed plowing.














Jacob also had a sincere wish to pet every single goat in this pen. He got just about all of them and had to be torn away from the two that remained out of reach.










































Matt got the boys lost in the hay bale maze, but Jacob kept his wits about him and found the exit eventually. (Matt was totally crying and freaking out even though I kept saying, "I'm right here!" So dramatic.)




























We rode on the "moo choo".




























And totally secondary to all of the above activities, to say nothing of the dozen pumpkin and cinnamon doughnuts we bought...there were pumpkins.














I'd like to say a big Bravo for Matt. He took time out of his school schedule to take us on this outing and we're just not outing people, so it was big. Thanks baby.