Harper’s First Day of Pre-school

Posted on September 15, 2016 by Stefanie

Harpee on her first day of pre-school at VPC!

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She did great! Justin and I both took her and we were scared she would have a meltdown due to her resistance to doing new things on her own especially with kids her own age. But she did great. I kissed her and she went to hang up her Dragonfly bag. Justin didn’t even get a chance to hug or kiss her goodbye. But since she went in, I knew we had to make a run for it before she knew what was about to happen. I picked her up at noon and she was actively participating in circle time and was all smiles when she saw me!

Kindergarten and Ballet – Here We Come

Posted on September 6, 2016 by Stefanie

The long awaited first day of kindergarten finally arrived this morning! We have been talking about the big day off and on since the beginning of the year. Both Avery and Emerson have been pretty excited to start kindergarten and have only been a little nervous. The girls have been prepping for some time…getting their back packs, meeting their teachers, thinking about what they would bring to lunch, and even starting homework this summer!

The first day started with pictures in the backyard! _MG_4092 _MG_4100 _MG_4098 _MG_4094 _MG_4101 _MG_4123 _MG_4110

Followed by a walk to the bus stop for a bust stop breakfast. _MG_4132 _MG_4163

I had actually wanted the girls to eat at home so their bellies were well fed with nutritious food but I did allow them to have something else if they wanted. Avery had a donut and a strawberry. I don’t think Emerson had anything…I think she was a little nervous and didn’t want to eat. _MG_4141

This was all the kids at the bus stop! _MG_4154 _MG_4157

Harper looked on! _MG_4142 _MG_4151

And then before we knew it they were off. _MG_4168 _MG_4169 _MG_4171 _MG_4173 _MG_4179

I thought I would tear up but when that bus took off, I started to tear up more than I thought I would and when Fang rubbed my back, I started to actually cry which was only intensified when another neighbor commented on how sweet it was that I was so emotional.

I really didn’t worry about Avery and Emerson during the day and for good reason. They both came home saying they had a great day, although not sharing too many specifics. _MG_4192 _MG_4202

Meanwhile, today was also Ms. Harper’s first day of ballet. She has been looking forward to this day for close to two years! Even this morning she was dancing around the house…doing plies and tapping her feet. She was READY…. _MG_4180 _MG_4188 _MG_4191

…that is until she got to the dance class and she froze. She didn’t want to go in and while she did for a few minutes with Mila, it didn’t last long. And she spent the majority of the class watching from the outside.

On the way home, she was embarrassed and didn’t want to talk about it.

Poor thing….she finally talked about it that evening. I think she wasn’t expecting their too be too many kids and she froze. After a long discussion, she said she would be ready to dance next week. We shall see! We believe in you Harpee!

Chicago

Posted on August 30, 2016 by Stefanie

This past weekend Justin and I took the older girls to Chicago for a long weekend. We decided to do a trip with just the older girl’s months ago. Initially we were going to visit NY but realizing we wanted to have the girls to have their first plane experience sooner than later, we decided we would go to Chicago. I had never been and felt like it was one of those cities I may never visit if I didn’t make it a priority. So…Chicago it was!

We left on a 12:55 p.m. flight Thursday afternoon. It was perfect as we didn’t have to rush in the morning but with the time difference, we still had most the afternoon to explore Chicago once we got to the hotel. Justin especially had done a lot of talking about the flight to prepare the girls so they wouldn’t be frightened of flying and it paid off. The flight was non-eventful and the girls did great!

We took a cab to our hotel (Springhill Suites in River North Area). It was the girls first time a cab and they were without car seats so they thought they were living it up.

We settled on Springhill Suites as the hotel room was a little bigger and breakfast was included in the rate. The hotel room was ready early so after quickly unpacking we set out towards Navy Pier. While we traveled with the double stroller, we decided the girls would walk. They complained some, especially Emerson, but overall they did pretty well walking. First stop was the beach. Seriously, how cool to just go to the beach surrounded by city buildings. The girls put their feet in the cold water. _mg_3794 _mg_3800 _mg_3801 _mg_3797

Next stop was Navy Pier. The girls rode the carousal by themselves. Emerson wanted to go on the Ferris Wheel…Avery didn’t. It would have been ridiculously expensive to ride so we managed to divert our attention elsewhere and somehow never made it back to the Ferris Wheel. _mg_3807

The Children’s Museum was on the Pier and it was just our luck that the high admission prices are waived every Thursday from 5:00 to 8:00…we arrived at 4:45! The girls had fun playing in the fire department area, climbing, and exploring a few other exhibits. _mg_3816

We didn’t stay as long as we probably would have had we paid to get in but without having dinner reservations, wanting to get into a good restaurant, and knowing time was against us with regards to the girls behavior being that we had gained an hour, we decided an hour would have to do.

I had done a bunch of research on restaurants prior to the trip and I identified several top rated in each of the areas I thought we might visit. That led us to Volares, which was excellent Italian food. Great find…we were very happy with our choice! Justin and I shared a kale salad that was excellent. I had salmon for dinner. Justin had the chicken parm. Avery had plain pasta and salami. And Emerson shared a little bit of all of our dinners. Yum…my mouth is watering just writing about it now. And the service was excellent!

We strolled back to our hotel, gave the girls a bath, and were all in bed at 9:58! Since we were all in the same room we all went to bed at the same time. We all slept great and for over 9 hours…probably not great for the girls, but awesome for me and Justin!

Friday morning we woke, ate breakfast in the hotel, and then headed out for our next adventure. Again, we had the girls walk. We headed to the river as we were planning on taking a 11:00 boat tour; however, when we got there the tour we were planning on taking wasn’t recommended for children. We decided to take the 4:15 boat tour recommended for children (the price was half as much as well). So we decided to head towards Millennium Park. We saw the Bean. _mg_3851 _mg_3858 _mg_3860 _mg_3861

Emerson wanted to take some pictures as well. She went finger happy and probably took at least 20 of the same shot. _mg_4034 _mg_4030

We just walked and explored more including walking past the Museum of Art, which Justin would have LOVED to go to had we had the time to fully devote to it and Avery and Emerson appreciate it.

We then made our way to the Crown Fountain. I had packed bathing suits so the girls stripped down and let loose. At one point they ran into each other and fell and Justin managed to capture it on video. I managed to capture it on camera. _mg_3880 _mg_3881 _mg_3886 _mg_3887 _mg_3889 _mg_3890 _mg_3891 _mg_3892 _mg_3894 _mg_3895 _mg_3897 _mg_3896 _mg_3898 _mg_3900

While the girls were playing some twenty something workers were doing a random act of kindness for their company and started giving away ice-cream. _mg_3902 _mg_3905

We then made our way to The Gage for lunch. It was excellent. I had an heirloom tomato salad and Justin had the NY Strip sandwich special. Emerson was thrilled because she got to have her own mac and cheese and Avery ordered (but didn’t eat) chicken tenders and fries.

After lunch we headed back to the hotel and rested for about an hour before we went back out again. Again, Emerson took about 30 pictures of Justin and me.

We left the hotel a little after 3:00 so we could get to the boat tour early. We decided to bring the stroller since we knew we could store it on the boat and the girls had already done a lot of walking that day. The boat ride was great….it was 90 minutes but went by really quickly. _mg_3911 _mg_3914 _mg_3965

Chicago is just a really cool city and it was neat to hear about the history of the city. Avery fell asleep about halfway into the trip.

We didn’t get off the boat until 6:00 and we knew the girls were tired and hungry so we decided to go to Portfillos, which was a well-known “fast food” restaurant in Chicago. Based on the reviews I knew it was an order at the window type place. I anticipated it to be small; however, the place was huge and a little overwhelming. We got hotdogs, burgers, and chili. It was okay…definitely cheap and I’m glad we tried it out, but that type of food always leaves me feeling blah. For dessert Emerson had a smoothie (she barely ate her dinner as I think she was saving up for the smoothie) and Avery had a chocolate cone. Justin and I shared the vanilla and chocolate custard…it was cheap and delicious!

We took a few selfies on the way back and pics by the canal before heading back to the hotel. _mg_3994 _mg_4001 _mg_4003 _mg_4004 _mg_4007

Saturday morning we headed back towards Millennium Park with the girls in the stroller. We hadn’t seen everything we wanted the day prior. We walked past the Art Museum and took a picture with the Lions that was part of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off…I only vaguely remember the famous sight after Justin telling me. _mg_4010

We then headed to Buckingham Fountain. Again, Emerson wanted to take some pictures and probably took about 30…some of me and some of me and Avery. When she was taking one of me and Justin, a man offered to take one of the four of us. _mg_4022 _mg_4024

We then walked along the river and past Cubs Stadium, where a pre-season game was about to start. We headed to Lou Malnati’s for some deep dish pizza, which was pretty good. After lunch we headed in the direction of the Lincoln Park Zoo via a quick stop through the Crown Fountain. _mg_4027

We walked for a bit before deciding that while the trip was walkable, we would waste too much time and energy if we walked there. So we hopped in a cab and saved about an hour of time and energy.

Since the zoo was free, we probably didn’t explore as much of it as we would have had we paid an entrance fee, but we saw a few exhibits and the girls got a kick out of watching the gorillas.

When we exited the zoo, this was the view…just gorgeous. _mg_4045 _mg_4048 _mg_4049 _mg_4050 _mg_4052

We walked back to the hotel from the zoo. We were planning on going to the beach area right across from the zoo, but somehow missed the path to cross the highway and had we turned around, we most definitely would have had to get a cab ride home. We stopped at Portfillos on the way home for custard and a smoothie for Emerson. The day was very hot and we were so sweaty so Justin and I took showers in the hotel while the girls played together and colored. For dinner we went to Frontera Grill. The wait was an hour…we strolled around trying to buy some time…passing by the firehouse. _mg_4057 _mg_4056

Then Avery fell asleep before dinner and Emerson sat at the bar with me complaining that the wait was taking too long.

The food was good quality but not superb….as I expected it would be. Again, Emerson was practicing her photography skills.

Sunday morning we took the girls in the stroller and just started walking. We headed along the canal and the river and just kept walking for about an hour….it was a hot day again….we came upon Maggie Daley Park, which was an awesome outdoor playground. Avery had some trouble and kept crying so we didn’t stay for too long. For lunch we headed back to The Gage since it was so good and we knew we could expect one last good meal in Chicago.

And after a quick walk back to the hotel, our trip in Chicago was coming to an end. Our trip was great. The weather was great. The food was great. Our adventures and the sights were great. The girls were overall well behaved. It was busy but relaxing at the same time. While we sure missed Harper, Harper was having a great time being alone with Papa and Grandma. I don’t know when, but we will go back to Chicago again!

Was It a Sign or Was It the Wine

Posted on August 21, 2016 by Stefanie

This afternoon Justin and I put our normal weekend “chores” behind us and took the girls to Barrel Oak Winery, a kid friendly and pet friendly winery near Middleburg. We decided to stick with our plans despite the major thunderstorm and flood warnings that were in the afternoon forecast. Thirty minutes into the forty five minute car ride, the sky was ominous and it looked like we were riding into a tornado. Ten minutes to go and we were riding in a torrential downpour. The girls had all fallen asleep in the car by this time and were still sleeping by the time we got to winery, so we were able to wait the storm out why the girls finished their naps.

Justin and I did a wine tasting and then I did something that I have actually never done at a winery before surprisingly. I ordered a glass a wine, followed by another….I actually had my college mentality…I had a good buzz and I didn’t want to lose it. What better way not to lose it, then to have another!

There was a cover band playing and Emerson and Harper were enjoying being center stage. The forth song into their set, the lead singer says they are going to do a Beatles cover. The girls all know and LOVE Black Bird. So I’m thinking to myself how cool would it be if they sang Black Bird while at the same time thinking that the Beatles had so many songs that there is no way that the song they were about to cover would be Black Bird. Seconds later….Black Bird….seriously, what were the odds! I even got Avery, who was being pretty moody and only wanting to sit in the stroller, and Justin to come sing with us. Then a few songs later the Lead singer proceeds to tell the crowd that he has four daughters, the oldest two of which turned 29 last week. Oldest two…twins and four girls…I told Justin it was another sign! I truly probably think about having a forth every day and most days I’m able to realize that four at this point would totally change the game. But there are times (like today) where the signs are in full force that I wonder…was it a sign or was it the wine?!?!

Backyard Birthday Party

Posted on August 19, 2016 by Stefanie

This year we celebrated the girls 5^th and 3^rd birthdays with a big backyard party complete with moon bounce, swings, ball pit, food, drinks, family, friends, and a heat index of 107 degrees! I was so worried about rain in the forecast…I didn’t think I had to be worried about excessive heat. It was HOT! Our outdoor party turned into an indoor and outdoor party, but I was totally okay with that as it was hot…too hot for some folks. We had 59 people…25 kids and 29 adults….family, family friends, neighbors, and school friends. With the size of our backyard and the various rooms indoors people were hanging out, it really didn’t seem like that many people. I took some pictures for documentary purposes but it wasn’t my priority as I was trying to play hostess and socialize at the same time.

Avery and Emerson had a great time hanging out with their friends. Harper was content hanging out with Ludmila and Karolin.

Karolin made each girl a cake and Ludmila made the chocolate balls! Both were delicious! We sang Happy Birthday to each birthday girl! Harper did not like the attention.

Karolin and Lumdila also made sugar cookies (cupcakes and trains) for favors that were decorated and plated so beautifully and I completely forgot to take a “before” picture of them. By the time I remembered, there were only a few left and this picture hardly does their art work justice.

Many escaped the heat inside. While they may look like they aren’t having a good time (I mean just sitting at a party), I think everyone who went inside was actually enjoying the cool air condition and not moving.

Despite the excessive heat, we all had a great time! Happy 5th and 3rd Birthdays Avery, Emerson, and Harper!

Who’s The Mama :)

Posted on August 19, 2016 by Stefanie

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I am just going to pretend that it isn’t totally obvious:)!!

Harper Turns 3

Posted on August 12, 2016 by Stefanie

Happy 3rd Birthday Harpee! Playing with the big kids now!

Harper 3rd B-DAy

Note: Random kid that the girls befriended at Meadowlane.

Also, on a side note, you stopped sucking your thumb cold turkey last week. You really are growing up!

5 Years Later

Posted on August 6, 2016 by Stefanie

Then….

AandE - Baby2

AandE - Baby1

Now…..

Happy 5th Birthday to my first born little ladies! I seriously still can’t believe that you are five! It really seems like just yesterday we were bringing you girls home from the hospital. I hope that you’re relationship together continues to grow strong with each passing day and that you always remain the best of friends. I hope that you always have a passion for life. Reach for the stars my “baby” girls!

Baltimore: A Girl, A Boy, and Three Little Ladies

Posted on July 31, 2016 by Stefanie

We spent this past weekend in Baltimore where we stayed at Mike and Susan’s condo. Ludmila was off for a few days so my original plan since we didn’t have childcare Wednesday through Thursday last week was to go to Baltimore mid-week and stay through the entire weekend. But I had previously signed Avery and Emerson up for dance camp that week and I chose not to reschedule it. That meant we couldn’t leave for Baltimore until Friday afternoon. Friday evening we went to Federal Hill for dinner and ate at a Mexican Restaurant called Blue Agave. We actually went there three years ago and the girls loved the salsa and rice and beans the first time. It wasn’t so great that I felt we needed to go back, but many of the other options were bar type food and I prefer a fish taco over a burger and fries any day. Anyway, the girls ate…it was reasonably priced and we were in and out of there quickly…so a win in my book. We walked for a while and since we couldn’t find an ice-cream place for dessert, we ended up going into a restaurant and sitting at the bar Mother’s (a restaurant that Justin and I went to once pre-kids) and the girls ordered a scoop of ice-cream. Vanilla ice-cream for Avery, chocolate for Harper, and lemon sorbet (fancy, fancy) for Emerson. Emerson also told her famous joke to the waitress: “What did the pencil say to the other pencil? You are looking sharp today.” That caused Avery and Harper to attempt to tell a joke, which wasn’t funny, but they were cute. The waitress in turn told the girls a joke: “Why did the banana go to the doctor? Because it wasn’t peeling well.” Justin and I were both super proud of Eme for her courage to tell the joke to the waitress. After dinner and dessert, it was bath time for these girls at the condo. All three girls took a bath in the master jetted Jacuzzi tub where they were all giggles. Yes, that is a glass tan on Avery’s face! And YES that face is SO Harper. Isn’t she so stinkin adorable? This is seriously how she looks 75% of the time making me just want to constantly eat her up and making it so easy for her to get away with everything!!! She knows she is that cute!

Saturday morning we woke up early and made our way to Port Discovery. We debated walking with the strollers, but the forecast was calling for rain so we decided not to chance it. We arrived at 10:30, took a lunch break at The Shake Shake (our first time with the girls). Harper slept through lunch so we stopped in Panera for a coffee and to buy a little more time for Harper to finish her nap. While we were in Panera, it started storming….the rain was literally blowing sideways. We awaited the storm to pass (Harper had woken up in the meanwhile and eaten her hot dog and fries) and then headed back to Port Discovery where we stayed until closing time!

We ALL had an awesome time playing on the three story urban treehouse (a.k.a. massive indoor playground), making art, role playing in the gas station/convenience store, cooking and serving food in the diner, exploring the temporary Korean exhibit, playing on the train, reading, exploring, and playing all the random other games. I didn’t know how long the girls would last…I was thrilled we made it to closing time! The girls were exhausted by the end of the day!

Sunday morning we decided to go for a walk….the destination was a coffee shop but Justin and I wanted to walk long enough to get a “workout” in. With both strollers, we headed towards the inner harbor. I’m so glad we walked as we saw so much more walking the harbor from the condo. We realized that some more trips to Baltimore were in our future as there was so much more to do (paddle boating on dragon boats, touring submarines and ships, the science museum, and more!) We took a break from the heat for a few minutes.

And we rode the carousel. We were the only ones on it and the girls were all loving life. Justin and I both rode it with them….I swear every time I am on a carousel with my girls for a few minutes in time, my mind forgets everything and the only thing on my mind is pure joy. Seeing and hearing the excitement in my girls faces and voices when they are on a carousel is so amazingly innocent and beautiful. It really was a great weekend. I love getting away because while at home, I always have the best of intentions to stop and smell the roses, I get caught up so easily in the never ending list of things that need to get done. In Baltimore, there was no list…we didn’t have a set agenda or a schedule we were trying to meet…it was just a girl and a boy and their three little ladies.

Don’t Talk To Me

Posted on July 20, 2016 by Stefanie

Another vacation in the books. We got back from a week in Nags Head, NC with the Brophys and the Nidays. The girls had a great time and it is so awesome watching all the kids play together. The girls don’t have cousins (at least ones their age and ones that they see) so it is really neat to have such great friends that are our extended family. Avery and Emerson are the oldest kids by almost a year and a half so we told them they had important jobs to do in helping with the other kids and being the sharers of the bunch. They really are growing up before my eyes…and I just watch in awe of these precious little human beings that they are becoming and I am so blessed to call mine.

We spent a total of four mornings at that beach.

None of the girls truly love the ocean but Harper and Emerson did make good strides this year and even waded in the water a few times with an adult on one of the calmer ocean days. Avery is fearful of the ocean…the sounds of the waves crashing send her heart racing if she thinks she is close to the water and she runs away from the ocean. She does enjoy playing in the sand, building sand castles, and being buried as a mermaid. One day I got her to go for a 20 minute walk with me on the beach…I was trying to get her close to the shore….she wasn’t having that but at least I got her to go for a walk.

Two days we switched up the order and went to the beach in the afternoon instead.

Two mornings were pool days. This year we had a pool at the house and while the kids still can’t go in the pool by themselves, it made a big difference and allowed for more time to be spent at the pool without too much schlepping. The girls have been taking swim lessons weekly for a few months now. Emerson is doing great and is officially a swimmer. Avery is making great strides as is Harper. Both do great in the water with their floaties.

One afternoon we took the girls miniature golfing for the first time. We went at 4:00 so it was still crazy hot outside but it also meant that crowds were small which was perfect because I didn’t want to feel rushed. We made it to the 13^th hole before we were in complete meltdown mode. Overall, it was a lot of fun. We talked about going miniature golfing last year…in fact, we were on our way and then it started to rain so we ended up not going…so I’m glad we finally went with the girls and also think it was worth waiting the extra year for the girls to have their first mini golf experience.

One afternoon we went with the Erin, Hannah, and Quinn to the Nags Head Pier. Avery was scared off the pier. I think a lot of it had to do with the visual and sound component of it. Sounds are intensified for Avery and I think she fears we are in danger by walking on the pier as she feels we are so close to the water.

One afternoon we went to Jockey’s Ridge, which are sand dunes. We had gone two years ago and Justin and Karolin had taken the older girls on the dunes while I walked around in the stroller with Harper. They were not big fans two years ago, so my expectations this year were low. We were going right around snack time so I wanted their bellies to be full and happy so that hunger wasn’t the cause of their dismay. So….we before going to the dunes we surprised the girls with ice cream at Booty Treats. They were pleasantly surprised!

To my surprise, we climbed almost to the very top of the dunes and the girls overall were fairly good troopers. We got more complaints on the way down but by then we had already reached the half way point and were headed home. I am actually still shocked at how well they did…in a great way!

One morning Justin woke up early to watch the sunrise….and what a beautiful sunrise it was!

One afternoon the entire crew went to Jeanette’s Pier. We attempted some family photos, some group photos, and some obligatory photos of the kids…it always seems there is one kid who won’t cooperate each time…this time it was Harper…she refused to get in the picture. I even tried to bribe her…nothing worked. _MG_3364 _MG_3368 _MG_3371 _MG_3380 _MG_3382 _MG_3384 _MG_3398 _MG_3417 _MG_3443 _MG_3444 _MG_3448 _MG_3451

That same evening Justin and I went out to dinner just the two of us to Blue Moon Café. That is our one spot that we must visit each trip. We were supposed to go the night before but Justin had some 24 hour bug and wasn’t feeling well so we put it off a night so that he could thoroughly enjoy. We got there around 6:45 and the wait time was 1 hour and 45 minutes. Luckily there were two seats open at the bar so we took them. I have never ordered a full meal at a bar but everyone at this bar was doing the same so it was actually kind of a cool experience. We started off with a mozzarella and heirloom tomato appetizer. It was good but not to die for. Justin got the shrimp and grits and like always it was mouthwatering pure deliciousness. I got the bronzed corvina special. It tasted and looked very much like sea bass and it was served over butter beans, sweet corn, Idaho potatoes, grilled andouille sausage, sweet onions, heirloom grape tomatoes, and garlic and fresh herbs and it was mouthwatering. I savored each bite and had my don’t talk to me face on as I took in each bite of pure goodness. Seriously, the food was amazing and I look forward to this experience each year. The food is so good that it doesn’t even warrant conversation with each bite because that would just take away from the total mind body experience.

After dinner Justin and I went back to Jeanette’s Pier since our tickets were good for all day. We leisurely strolled the pier three times since I was so close to hitting 15,000 steps again for the 5^th day in a row.

In between all the outings, there was time spent hanging out….kids playing puzzles, pretending to be superheroes, reading books, relaxing, dance parties, and simply enjoying time off from work and making life long memories with our family and friends.

And to top it off my step count and activity minutes for the week was insane!!