Piano!

So we have been telling the kids that men were coming in a big truck to move something into our house. The kids have been excited guessing what it could be. Caleb thought it must be a rocking chair. Kendall figured it was her real pony...a late Christmas present. So, the kids waited and waited all morning.

Caleb figured it out right when the movers got there. Kendall on the other hand, was holding out for her pony. When the chair, and wood tops were moved in, she got even more excited squealing that it must be a pony and a sleigh. When the piano was finally brought it, she loved it, and was not at all disappointed. We were very fortunate and found someone giving a piano away for free less than a mile from our house. We just had to pay movers to move it. Caleb has been wanting piano lessons. His cousin Rachael has been playing for about 10 years, and said she would give him weekly lessons. It will be nice for them to have extra time to spend with each other, and it should be a fun activity for him as well. I think Kendall is also going to want lessons too!

Sick Kendall

So, we did a few errands today. One of our main goals was to get new containers for Caleb's room. We are trying drawers, in hopes he won't be able to dump his toys, thus having a cleaner room. Kendall was not acting like herself while we were out and about. She kept falling asleep during the car rides, and had a glassy eyed look. I figured she was tired after so many busy, no nap days. So, when we got home she went to sleep. She slept for 3 hours, but that is fairly typical of her. She then woke up and laid on top of me and fell back asleep. I immediately noticed how warm she was. Her temp was 102. She also then started complaining of a headache. Well,. the bright side is, this is Kendall, and should probably be a 24 hour ordeal unlike Caleb. We also made it 6 days with no fevers in our house. These germs need to get out and stay out! We have had more than our fair share!

On the Eight Night of Hanukkah

 Well, I had a huge headache on Christmas, and didn't take any pictures at all. :( Oh well, the kids had a blast opening their presents. Kendall's favorite toy was a stuffed pony. Caleb's favorite toy was an ax, helmet, and shield dress up set. Caleb thought that he must have been on Santa's naughty list because his magic wand was pretend, not real like he asked.

 I have to laugh at this picture. Caleb is trying to be a sweet brother, and Kendall wants NOTHING to do with it. Too funny!

 On the last night of Hanukkah, Caleb got another trio batman set. This time it was the Penguin. It shoots a penguin dart thing, so it was a big hit.

 Kendall got a Little Mermaid puzzle. She really wanted to do it by herself. I ended up doing it with her the first time, then she did the puzzle over and over by herself.

She was so proud of herself each time she completed the puzzle. I might need to buy her a few more. Caleb was never a puzzle kid. it is amazing how different the two of the are!

On the Fifth Night of Hanukkah

My Uncle Andy and family came to town for a few days. They were not able to make it to our Thanksgiving like normal, so it was great to see them. It was also nice to get all of the cousins together two weeks in a row. Caleb had fun playing with the Thomas Train with Isaac. Isaac LOVES trains! The second he gets to Grandma's house he screams choo choo and runs to the train table.

  Kendall was so excited to see Amy. They were all smiles. For kids who only see each other once a year, they love each other and are so excited to play together!

 My mom pulled out the IPAD and all of the grandkids (minus Tessa and Ira) gathered around it to listen to a book. I have to say, that the IPAD is such an engaging toy for the kids.

We got home VERY late. I had assumed we would just do Hanukkah in the morning because the kids fell asleep in the car. Nope, neither wanted any part of that! The second we got home, they woke up and excitedly shouted let's get the Menorah.We bought new candles from Crate and Barrel. Kendall chose a pattern of purple and blue candles, her favorite colors! 

 Tonight Kendall got Hello Kitty jammies. She stripped down in the kitchen and immediately put them on. I bought her a size 4/5, and it barely fits. I really should have gotten her a 6/6x. Too late now though!

Caleb got the action figure Thor to add to his guys. One of his favorite movies is Percy Jackson, so this sort of went along with it. He seemed to really like it as well. Somehow, we made it through the day without painting the volcano. We will need to paint it in the morning! I cannot believe I didn't have a riot on my hands.

On the Fourth Night of Hanukkah

 It was Kendall's turn to light the candles. Taking pictures each day ended up being very helpful. The kids were arguing whose turn it was to light the candles. I was able to show them last night's picture. Disagreement solved!

 Today Kendall got a princess activity book and Caleb received a build your own volcano. The princess activity book was quickly set aside because both kids wanted to jump in and build the volcano.

After we put the base together, Caleb and Kendall had to sit and watch as I threaded the volcano frame. Caleb of course had already tried to help with the thread, so it was a tangled mess. After a bit of frustration the frame came together nicely.

Then the messy fun began. We paper machied  the volcano. Both kids had so much fun dipping the fabric pieces into water and sticking them onto the frame. It took a bunch of modeling on my part, so that there pieces didn't become a ball that I had to unwad. But, we did it! I am pretty proud of the three of us! Now we have to wait for it to dry, so we can paint the volcano. This is a fun project!

On the Third Night of Hanukkah

 We had a blast all day. The kids had a play date in the morning at jump zone. Kendall met her buddy Wylder there and Caleb met Aria there. They were all smiles. Wylder was adorable and followed Kendall around while trying to propose to her. Caleb and Aria ran and ran!

 My kids do crack me up though, because they still love the baby area at jump zone. We were there for about 2.5 hours and at least 1 hour of it was spent in that little house in the background or on the plane. They are so goofy!

 Caleb did have fun flying down the big slides as well. He was not happy that I said no to head first.

Later we celebrated Hanukkah. It was Caleb's turn to light the menorah. He loves this part of the evening. 

 Today Caleb got a trio batman toy. He had fun building the car then playing with it. Caleb's room is officially bursting with toys. We are very fortunate!

Kendall loved her toy as well. She got a puppy spa. It was VERY cute. She got to decorate the spa by coloring stickers and applying them. She also go to put rhinestones on the bed. The puppy came with quite a few accessories as well. I think my favorite part of Hanukkah is having time to enjoy the presents each night.

On the Second Night of Hanukkah...

 The second the sun set, the kids had the candles out and were ready to celebrate Hanukkah again. Kendall was very excited that it was her turn to light the candles. I think they feel very 'big' being able to light the candles themselves. We are still working on lighting them right to left though!

 Kendall chose one of her biggest presents. No surprises there. She raced back into the kitchen with it, and started unwrapping it. She was thrilled to find a princess pop-up tent. She is at such a cute stage of loving everything princess.

 Caleb found a great present as well. He ended up getting some sort of car/spaceship thing that shoots weapons. Yup a 5 year old's dream present. They both had a lot of fun playing with their new toys in Kendall's new tent. I love how appreciative they were about their presents. Kendall's quote was, "That is what I always wanted!"

On the First Night of Hanukkah

The kids were so excited about celebrating Hanukkah this year. I love that when I asked Caleb to get the candles, he remembered that he needed 2. One for the first night and the helper candle. Caleb got to light the candles tonight. We then opened presents. Kendall got a barbie, that apparently she already had. Oops! She decided that 2 was better than one though. Caleb received dinosaur jammies. He stripped right down and put them on. I love how appreciative he is. 

Today I also got to spend the day with my sister, mom, and my two adorable nieces. Caroline and Caleb have Scooby Doo in common. Caroline lugged her toy Scooby Doo everywhere we went. So cute! We had a low key and fun day. I am enjoying spending all of this extra time with my kids over break!

Pneumonia AGAIN

Caleb had a pretty nasty allergic reaction last Friday. He has had some tummy troubles ever since. So, I made a doctor's appointment and took a half day on Wednesday. When he woke up Wednesday morning he complained that his belly hurt. He also told me he was too sick to go to school. As a teacher, it is hard to take off. You have to go in and do sub plans. Knowing that I was pulling him out of school, I had a 'bad mom' moment and told him to call me at school if he gets worse, but to give school a try.

Well, the nurse called at 11:30 saying that he needed to be picked up. His stomach was hurting so much that he refused to eat. He didn't have a temp, but she was worried he was going to get sick. So, I left work slightly earlier than anticipated and picked him up. He promptly fell asleep, and I had to wake him up for the doctor's appointment. That was when I realized that he had spiked a high fever. It ended up being pneumonia again. Wednesday night and all day Thursday was very rough for him. Caleb woke up feeling much better on Friday, but his fever returned that afternoon. I felt bad, because he ended up missing our Hanukkah celebration with my side of the family on Saturday. Caleb had a good attitude about it though. Poor boy, pneumonia and allergy issues at the same time. I hope we stay germ free for awhile now!!!

DInner with Aunt Chris

 Chris needed a ride home from the airport last Monday. So, we went after school and picked her up. The kids were so excited to see her. We had a late dinner at Steak and Shake. Kendall was hilarious when I tried to put the hat on her. She gave me an appalled look like she wouldn't be caught dead wearing it.

Caleb, on the other hand, was super excited to put his hat on. He was also all smiles with his car. I love that both kids chose apple sauce over french fries. I think it was a ploy to get ice cream...which worked.

Errands

Caleb and I went and did lots and lots of errands on Dec. 10. We had a ton of returns to do, and he stuck with me and went to 6 stores. We had so much fun, and he was such a good boy and a great helper. It is wonderful spending one-on one time. It is funny that shopping can be so tough with both kids, and yet so much fun with just one.

As a treat, I told Caleb we could go out to lunch. I told him he could choose any restaurant besides McDonalds. Caleb now has a new favorite restaurant...Chipotle! He loves the taco kit with a side of guacamole. I love that it is overall pretty healthy and it is free of wheat. Plus, NO french fries! 

The Holiday Season Has Begun!

Caleb and Kendall are so excited about the holidays. We put out our decorations. These include a Hanukkah Bush. Okay, it is really a 9+ foot tree as everyone is quick to tell me, but it is decorated in silver and blue with lots of snowmen, dreidels, and menorahs. We put all of our Hanukkah presents underneath it. I wrapped the presents ahead of time, but the kids helped me add ribbons and bows. I have to say it looks pretty nice!
Caleb also wrote his first letter to Santa. We celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah to teach our kids about both my husband's traditions and mine. So, my kids are all about Santa this year. Caleb asked for just one thing...a magic wand that will change people into animals. Haha. He might be a tad bit disappointed on this request. I was so proud of Caleb that he actually wrote the letter. He did this on his own, without it being requested of him. He grabbed a piece of paper, decided on a sentence, drew the lines, and wrote. He did ask for help with the spelling. I was so excited a few months ago when we wrote mom. I am so proud of his progress and hard work!
Tonight we went and looked at a few of the bigger light displays in our area. Last year we waited until the week before Christmas, and we waited in line for over an hour to see the house pictured below. This worked out MUCH better We only waited in line for about 15 minutes. The kids had fallen asleep on the ride over. Caleb woke up and was wide eyed when he saw the lights! Kendall slept through most of it. She woke up and watched about 5 minutes before we left though. She was a sleepy girl!
This house is amazing. It has over 200,000 lights and a few lasers as well. The lights are choreographed to songs that are broadcast on the radio. I would guess there are 15-20 songs. We stayed for about 7 or so.
We are so lucky to have this amazing house nearby. I am also VERY thankful that I do not live on their street! What a fun time of year.

Puss In Boots

We went to see Puss In Boots. This was a show that was a long time coming. We had told the kids we would take them, and that was about when they got sick. Then we had some big behavior issues...We have a rule, if you are not behaving at home, we are not going to take you out in public.
Finally, we had a day of good behavior and clean rooms. Yeah! So, off we went. The kids were so excited to go. They loved it! As kid movies go, it was pretty funny as well
I also made the realization at the movies, that Kendall's coat was becoming too small. I really had thought it was a size 4. Nope, it was a 3T. Oops! The next coat that I bought her was a 5/6. Kendall's hands just poke through the arm holes, so I say it works. It does make her look beefy because it is so puffy. Thankfully she loves it!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had such a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. It was great to have two new additions to our dinner...although they were too little to eat! Here is a picture of Rachel holding Ira. He is such a happy baby and was all smiles.
My mom is such a baby person and loves to role of Grandma. I have to admit that I am also a baby person and spent much of my Thanksgiving snuggling with my niece and nephew.
Tessa wasn't all smiles, but who can blame her! Caleb and Kendall both wanted to hold her. If I was in her position I would probably cry too! Caleb is so proud of his little cousins. He thinks the world of them and talks about them daily.
We had to get a picture of all of the girls. I guess striped tights must be in style, because all three of them happened to be wearing brown dresses and striped tights. Too cute! Caleb said that he wished we could have Thanksgiving everyday. We both agree that it is our favorite holiday!

Cantigny Park

It was beautiful out this November morning. We decided to take full advantage of our day off and headed out to the Cantigny Park with Michelle and her crew. This was my first trip to Cantigny and it was a wonderful place!
The kids all concluded that by far, their favorite part of the park was the tanks. They were very fascinating and the kids were allowed to crawl all over them.

We also took the hour tour of McCormick's mansion. It was very interesting to hear the history of the estate. We saw a letter from Abraham Lincoln, appliances from the 1920s, lots of antique furniture, and even a hidden bar from the time of probation.
Kendall did an excellent job asking questions in each area. The kids saw their first dumbwaiter. The tour guide let us go down to the kitchen in the basement to see where the food came from. It was so interesting to see all of the old appliances. Amazing!

On the tour we learned that Robert and Amy McCormick were buried on the estate. The kids were excited to fin the spot afterwards. I think they mostly enjoyed the fox statues by the graves.

We then saw the war museum. This really didn't interest the kids too much. So, we raced through it.
Finally, we enjoyed the tanks.
At some point, Caleb hit his head and ended up with a bruise and goose egg. He drives me crazy, because he just keeps going. By the time I see notice it, he has totally forgotten what happened. So frustrating! At the end of our trip he ended up getting VERY crabby. He threw a full fledged temper tantrum, and threw himself back. Boom, a second bump on the back of his head. I am at the point, that I am now getting worried that the ER will be in our future soon. He is bigger and when he falls, he has the potential to really get hurt. I wish he would just slow down!
The other highlight of our trip was a map in the visitors center. It was actually a model of the entire block underneath pains of glass. The kids loved this as well.

It was a great morning on our day off. I am so thankful for these days to spend with Caleb and Kendall.