Bear Down, Chicago Bears!!

For the Bears Packer playoff game, we went to a really fun restaurant/bar!  They advertised "kids eat free" so we knew it would be okay to bring the kids!  While the outcome of the game may not have been what we hoped for, the experience was great!  They had free wings and a free pig roast at halftime.  And when the Bears were losing, they gave free jello shots to get the crowd going!  Daddy won some betting game and a tshirt too!  It was so much fun...it was like being back in the city before we had kids.  We had a great time...and the girls behaved wonderful!  Nana and Papa were with us...so that helped!  :) 

Check out my new big girl car seat!  (Backwards of course)

Cheering on the Bears!  The next best thing to being at the game (like lucky Grandma and Grandpa)!

A picture of the crowd...the restaurant did a GREAT job! 

How Miss Abigail enjoyed the game!  I think she colored for 4 hours!

Although the Bears lost, it was a really fun 4th quarter and we are so happy we went out to experience the excitement!

(Sorry about picture quality, I only had my phone camera)

It's a Date

Last night was Daddy's Night at school.  Just another (of many, many) reason why I love Abigail's preschool.

Daddy and Abigail were both excited.  Of course, I couldn't let her leave without her new "Daddy's Princess" shirt we picked out for the day.  While getting dressed, Abigail said "Mommy, Do you know I'm going on a date?"  I said, "You are?"  "Yep," she said, "It's a date with Daddy!"  It was so cute!  Don't know where she got the idea of a date, but it was so priceless!

And of course, they couldn't leave without some pictures!

They made a cardboard tie for daddy to wear to work (which he took with him today proudly), a picture frame, and had an ice cream social!  All in all, a great night!

Mommy and Caitlin got to stay home and have some quality time together.  We sang A LOT of "Monkeys jumping on the bed" which is a favorite...I'll have to videotape Caitlin's motions to the song.  She continues to love music more than any  kid I know!

Happy Friday to You!

Beach Day

Lots of little posts to come...

Last week as we started to get a little stir crazy, we thought of creative things to entertain ourselves.  One morning, we had a beach party in the bathtub!  The kids thought it was a lot of fun...only thing missing was the "tan" at the end! 

Caitlin had been in her bathtub "seat" until this day, so this was her first time in the bathtub without restrictions.  She loved it.  She also got her big girl car seat this weekend...what happened to my baby????

This is FUN!

Hazel eyes

Painting in the tub.  Best clean-up ever!!!

Abigail's adorable bathing suit she got as a bday gift from Luca!  (Caitlin has a matching bikini like it...I can't WAIT for the summer and our days at the park district pool).

Moms out there....what other creative things have you done to help with the winter blues?????

Lots more to come...Bears game, Professional Pictures, and Big Girl Car Seat!

A beautiful story of love and faith

I wanted to take this chance to share a really great story!

I used to teach kindergarten with Noah.  I  learned SO MUCH from him about how to respect my students and how to teach in fun and creative ways!  His kindergarten class made CDs about the things we were learning.  Their art projects were amazing!  I respected him so much as a teacher!

Around the same time we were both trying to start families.  With help of modern medicine, we were able to have Abigail, and then Caitlin.  However, his path to his family took a little longer, and with more bumps in the road.

A few months ago him and his wife received the beautiful gift of parenthood through adoption, only to have the birth mother change her mind.  They had an hour to say goodbye to their child.  He writes about it beautifully....

Most would be bitter and mad, but they were inspiring and optimistic.

And yesterday he shared that 2 weeks ago he received "the call" again and today, him and his wife have a beautiful daughter!

I am so inspired by adoption!  I think it is the most selfless gift a birth mother and adoptive parents can give each other, and the child.  And I am even more inspired by his story of hope and love!

With his permission, I share his blog with you!  http://noahphipps.blogspot.com/

I should mention...as I said earlier...Noah is very creative!  So his story of his 1st adoption is told in the stories in October...you may say "I only see stories of a wolf"....read deeper!!!

Piggie Tails

Today Caitlin wore piggies for the first time...and I may be biased but I think you'd be hard-pressed to find another kid who wears pigtails as well as Miss Caitlin Bug does!  ;)

And just for fun...here's a picture of Abigail's first time wearing pigtails.  She was about the same age, but if you adjust her age she was about 2 months longer.  She always had longer hair, as you can see by her LONG bangs in this picture!  I think you could tell their sisters, but I don't think they look that much alike.  Abigail has those big, brown round eyes (Caitlin's are still hazel)....and Caitlin has the cutest baby cheeks ever!!!!

We had some pictures taken today for Abigail's 3rd bday (a little behind) and we got a couple really cute ones!!!!  Will post them soon!

72 hours of....

There hasn't been much to blog about because

we have been STUCK

in the house

since Wednesday

(really Tuesday)

 because of this:

Abigail has had a cough and fever. 

Caitlin a fever.

At first, it was GREAT! 

Lots of relaxing

bonding

playing

 cuddling.

  Now we are over 72 hours in the house

starting to go a little stir crazy! 

 Here's what we've been up to the past 72 hours.....

Staying in PJ's

Playing with toys 

LOTS of puzzles

followed by a "yippee" everytime two pieces get connected 

Playing on the cars 

and racing 

which has lead to lots of  

Timeouts!

Lots of TV 

especially Sesame Street

getting excited for our vacation this summer!

Lots of laying around

by all members of our family 

and Mommy spending a lot of time in here 

making breakfast lunch dinner

cleaning up breakfast lunch dinner

repeat....

repeat...

repeat!

And mommy discovering I can get a little break by spending time 

on the other side of the wall!

More playing! 

And lots of time looking in here for our next

game

playdough

coloring activity! 

I have learned my girls are:

talkative

playful

creative

cuddly

sweet

best friends

able to push each other's buttons!

Today, Friday, we are finally healthy

can't wait to get out of the house!!!! 

But then we saw this:

And it looks like another day of playing,

laying around,

watching tv,

LOTS a few of timeouts,

enjoying our time stuck inside together! 

Thinking we need some "sun"...

may have a beach party in our bathtub!

Hope your week has been warm and healthy!!!!!

Are you ready to.....

Bear Down, Chicago Bears!!!!

I have to start this post off with the BIG win on Sunday againt Seattle!  In all my life, I can't imagine a more fun Bears game than the Bears Packer playoff game, with the winner going to the Superbowl!  This is the game that Bears fans have been waiting for YEARS for!  My parents have been season ticket holders since sometime in the 1980's....and I'm so happy they will get to be at this game..it's really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (although I heard today on the news tickets were going for $10,000.....WOW!).

We haven't decided how we are going to watch the game....but I'm thinking we may have to take the kids somewhere to watch it and be in a "group"....maybe a sports restaurant!

We watched the Bears Seattle game at Nana and Papa's house, with a family friend.  He was amazed that I both my girls had Bears gear all the way to their bows...little did he know I have 2 more Bears bows at home!  You can NEVER have enough Bears Bows! 

I have to say, this time of year really makes me miss teaching.  Last time the Bears were in the playoffs (the Superbowl year), I taught my kindergarteners the Bears Fight Song...they were so cute singing it and performing it for the school. The whole school wore Bears gear, it was adorable!  Abigail has been learning the song, but let's face it, she'd rather dance to the song than sing it!  ;)

GO BEARS!!!!

Last week was a fun, busy week.  On Thursday, Abigail had PJ day at school.  She thought it was so cool her teachers have pajamas too!  Caitlin started Baby Bug gymnastics last week...and she LOVES it!  She walked the beam the whole time, it's her favorite.  We sort of have a private class (only one other kid in it)...I really wanted more socializing, but we are starting library class this week so maybe we'll get more kids there.  But Caitlin loves gymnastics so far!

On the way to PJ day at school and gymnastics.

Saturday Abigail had her first tap class.  She loves tap.  She also sort of has private ballet lessons..there are only 2 other kids in the class. Here is a picture of Abigail with her tap shoes.  You can see a bunch of kids/moms in the background.  That's the class that goes into the recital...we are the class that doesn't go to the recital.  I didn't think Abigail (or daddy) was ready for a recital yet..and when I heard my friend just paid $70 for her 2 year old's dance recital outfit, I think I made the right choice!  She loves her private class!

Tap dancing shoes!  Aunt Katie, are you gonna teach her some moves from your days of taking tap dancing at University of Dayton (now that's some expensive tap dancing classess!)?

 A look in the door..I think they were galloping.

Saturday afternoon/evening was the FOUR party day!  We had a 4th birthday party, followed by a 40th bday party!

We started with a 4th bday for a friend from college's son.  It was fun because there were a bunch of friends from college there and it was the first time all the kids were together!  It was at an indoor play place!

Caitlin having a FUN time!  Abigail had a great time too..she was with her BFF Brooke (Fanny's daughter, anytime they are together they are attached at the hip) and I never saw her!

I call this "A Whole Lotta Valpo!"  Kacz, De, Fanny, and my kids all having lunch!  So cute...we are working on a big ole play date...one in which the daddy's come get the kids and the mommies have drinks!  ;)

After the bday, we headed to the city for our friend's 40th bday.  It was a great party at the James Hotel in Chicago.  We were in a private room with a private bar.  There was a "roast" in his honor and it was a lot of fun.  We ended the night dancing away at JBar till MUCH TOO LATE!  But we dont do that very often anymore, so it was worth it!  The girls had a sleepover at Aunt Julie, Uncle Joe, and Lucy's house which they thought was so cool!  In the morning, all the girls (Aunt Julie, Lucy, Abigail, Caitlin, and mommy) laid in bed and talked and drank coffee...it was a great moment!

Well...that's a catch-up on life!  Go Bears!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!