tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9886140681245659662024-03-12T21:35:50.716-04:00Wand.er.lustJ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15895171514889375501noreply@blogger.comBlogger531125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-988614068124565966.post-63042818020053455282015-08-30T21:19:00.004-04:002015-08-30T21:19:48.152-04:00A Collection of Canada Days<div style="text-align: left;">
For as long as I can remember, I've been celebrating Canada Day with my BFF by joining her family to watch the city's parade in the park. We show up bright and early every year to reserve our spots and to eat the delicious food before the huge crowds form - pierogies, spring rolls, souvlaki - there are booths set up with foods from around the world and it's always so delicious. I look forward to it every year and hope to continue the tradition forever! </div>
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The progression of growth...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2011 - eight months pregnant with Little m!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2012</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVjmVKqvg1y-gJU5BRvkLAByqGiXleijo1Z5-5xlBYSKwwWOmdCdOpQmwjgpdw2QFPidUe8uEhDRXj7o2bidl5Tg3V-0Piv7NT8LYNQ8DMhDhyphenhyphengV7rkXWrDzX6QbKxHwPfwaL10JLM-A/s1600/IMG_5261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVjmVKqvg1y-gJU5BRvkLAByqGiXleijo1Z5-5xlBYSKwwWOmdCdOpQmwjgpdw2QFPidUe8uEhDRXj7o2bidl5Tg3V-0Piv7NT8LYNQ8DMhDhyphenhyphengV7rkXWrDzX6QbKxHwPfwaL10JLM-A/s320/IMG_5261.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2013 </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2014 - spot the tiny baby head!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2015</td></tr>
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Little buddies!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2012</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2013</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2014</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> 2015</td></tr>
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J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15895171514889375501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-988614068124565966.post-88472776924206327782015-08-28T23:45:00.002-04:002015-08-28T23:50:03.704-04:00The First Broken Bone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0_fEerj-uOjdWMpgIY_eyskzlw8t7nE-AVti0Hw4vKOUF3t54OYcpCYQ97CNHT4tHmq-NqtCLZzQmifnR2eHyW4wD35-n540FYf8yiNRLCUC8Hp7yIQuuNQVLnecSZkWhBDQf5SUyeCU/s1600/IMG_1609_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0_fEerj-uOjdWMpgIY_eyskzlw8t7nE-AVti0Hw4vKOUF3t54OYcpCYQ97CNHT4tHmq-NqtCLZzQmifnR2eHyW4wD35-n540FYf8yiNRLCUC8Hp7yIQuuNQVLnecSZkWhBDQf5SUyeCU/s320/IMG_1609_2.jpg" width="240" /></a>My babe took a huge tumble off of the monkey bars this spring and broke two bones in her forearm. It was awful to watch, as I was only a few steps away, but was busy with baby sis and couldn't act fast enough to catch her. I went back and forth debating on whether or not to take Little m to a doctor to get checked out because visually her hand looked fine and she was acting fairly normal. Sadly the major thing holding me back was the cost to see a doctor ($1200 out of pocket in the end) so I waited till the following morning to see how things were (obviously I would have taken her in, no matter the price, if there was something seriously wrong). By morning Little m was cradling her arm and wouldn't put any pressure on it, so I decided we needed to get it checked out, for peace of mind especially, as the hubs and I were heading out of town on vacation a day later. </div>
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Well, am I ever glad I got her checked out - two broken bones in the forearm. My baby! First I went to a nearby walk-in clinic but they told me they couldn't do x-rays on someone so young. Thankfully the doctor there brought us back right away just to take a look and they thought there was nothing wrong because Little m could move her wrist all around. They almost sent us out the door, but near the end of the exam they got a wince out of her while putting pressure on her arm and suggested we go somewhere more child specific.<br />
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I was able to make an appointment at <a href="https://www.luriechildrens.org/en-us/care-services/specialties-services/emergency-medicine/convenient-care/Pages/index.aspx" target="_blank">Lurie's Convenient Care</a> clinic where they took x-rays and found the two broken bones. The doctors there were super nice and sent Little m home with a splint. I was under the impression that she would wear the splint for about a month and would be good to go, but I received a phone call the next day from the fracture clinic asking me to make a follow up appointment, which was fine except when I told them I would be out of the country and that my parents would be taking Little m in to the appointment they gave me a huge hassle. I had to get a letter notarized stating that my parents could make all hospital related decisions, including the possible need for surgery. WTF? Surgery? What happened to just wearing the splint?</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybneyjEQymZkian44eANVOp1SLxmC-VLNe2_u2eY13qu0yoDwCpLtmN_4Jqrz12R2GZ3hDQQrgAB-3rzfh1YqDHHnBl7MonzIyUew7mbLKWr8NpDmbaTTzNdBJ1MqvadqMKIUouTZOuI/s1600/IMG_1704_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybneyjEQymZkian44eANVOp1SLxmC-VLNe2_u2eY13qu0yoDwCpLtmN_4Jqrz12R2GZ3hDQQrgAB-3rzfh1YqDHHnBl7MonzIyUew7mbLKWr8NpDmbaTTzNdBJ1MqvadqMKIUouTZOuI/s400/IMG_1704_2.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Being sassy as ever waiting for the technician to read the x-rays.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clearly, the splint did not slow her down in any way!</td></tr>
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My parents went in to the follow up appointment a week after the injury initially occurred and thankfully I was able to find a decent enough wifi connection in Nicaragua to text my mom throughout the whole thing. The doctors said that a cast would be needed due to Little m's activity level and to be sure that her wrist stayed immobile while the bones healed. On went the cast, in her chosen color of red. We paid $40 extra for a waterproof cast, which was absolutely worth it! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She was so brave!</td></tr>
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The cast stayed on for three weeks and the absolute worst part about it, other than the broken bones of course, was that it had to be "watered" every day. A bath every day? Ain't nobody got time for that! Actually, the bath I could handle, but the cast was supposed to have an hour of drying time before bedtime, and since my kids go to bed around 6pm, this was really difficult to do! Needless to say, I think everyone was happy when the cast was removed. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcfLPYZIH4TVhPqQi-2F1ydeY-mubBVOdupayJxg3mCKhguv_c1ZEFsuUCIQbmJSiTKWCaSRGZeSSY9t0iD6YQrsLgf8zoaalKGmc6nBdOFqD1qI4rWTKZidsTUxxGhsmDh885bsolanY/s1600/IMG_2347_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcfLPYZIH4TVhPqQi-2F1ydeY-mubBVOdupayJxg3mCKhguv_c1ZEFsuUCIQbmJSiTKWCaSRGZeSSY9t0iD6YQrsLgf8zoaalKGmc6nBdOFqD1qI4rWTKZidsTUxxGhsmDh885bsolanY/s400/IMG_2347_2.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last day with the cast - and good thing - it was starting to get grubby!</td></tr>
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So that's the story of Little m's first broken bones. She was such a good sport about the whole thing and the cast hardly phased her. Thankfully the doctors all told me that this would not impact the growth of her bones in the future and I know things could have been a lot worse. The doctor okayed her to go back to being a (more careful) monkey and she was hanging on the playground bars later that day. I hope for her sake she doesn't take after her Grampie and this will be her first and last experience with broken bones!J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15895171514889375501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-988614068124565966.post-46508409382816779432015-08-26T22:14:00.000-04:002015-08-26T22:37:44.339-04:00Chicago's Maggie Daley Park<div style="text-align: center;">
Guys, this might be the best park ever. </div>
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After visiting <a href="http://maggiedaleypark.com/" target="_blank">Maggie Daley Park</a> for the first time last winter, MY MIND WAS BLOWN. It's seriously amazing. To fully enjoy the park though, take my word for it and follow these two rules: 1) Never, and I repeat never, ever, in a million years go to the park on a weekend after 10am, and 2) Don't even think about coming here with more than one child to watch. You can thank me later.</div>
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My secret, that I can now share publicly since I no longer live in Chicago (crying face), is that Maggie Daley at 8am or earlier on a Saturday or Sunday is the shiznit. Pay parking starts at 8am (we always park on E Randolph), so if you can make it in earlier you'll score some free parking, plus the park is empty, as you can see from my pictures. To ease the pain of getting up early, make a stop before or after at <a href="http://doritedonuts.com/" target="_blank">Do-Rite</a> for equally mind blowing donuts and some Dark Matter coffee. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh hello, drab wintry Chicago. </td></tr>
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The slides can be ridiculously fast and I've heard of a few broken leg stories, so be careful, but wow, they're amazing. And big. Little m enjoyed the equipment as a brave 3 1/4 year old but I wouldn't recommend the park for anyone much younger. Yes, there are specific areas for the little ones (the splash pad area is pretty darn cute with little statue animals for the youngsters), but I wouldn't make a special trip out unless your child is a bit older. </div>
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Whether you're visiting Chicago or just playing tourist in your own city, I highly encourage you to spend a morning at the park, followed by a walk over the bridge to Millennium Park to get a picture with the bean, and to top it off, bring a bathing suit for the kids and let them play <strike>in the cesspool</strike> at the Crown Fountains! </div>
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Bravo, Chicago, on creating the most fabulous park I've been to. Your streets may be riddled with pot holes but at least you have beautiful Maggie Daley park. </div>
J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15895171514889375501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-988614068124565966.post-62564636415129807572015-05-25T00:46:00.001-04:002015-05-25T00:47:32.292-04:00First Field Trip! <!-- UrbanSitter: Blog Series / Clever Girls Snippet --><br />
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My stay at home mom dreams came true last week when I accompanied Little m on her first ever field trip with her preschool class. Big yellow bus included! I'm fortunate enough that if I need to be away, M's work schedule is flexible enough that he can stay home with the baby and work while she naps, which was the plan for Friday's field trip... until he was scheduled for an out of town client meeting. Until now we have only really used family or friends to watch the girls, which wasn't possible this time, so may I introduce you to the next best option, <a href="http://clvr.li/1FLh9z4" target="_blank">UrbanSitter</a>!<br />
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<a href="http://clvr.li/1FLh9z4" target="_blank">UrbanSitter</a> is a really cool website and app that makes it, dare I say, effortless to find a babysitter. As soon as I found out that M had to be out of town, I logged into <a href="http://clvr.li/1FLh9z4" target="_blank">UrbanSitter</a> and registered for an account. I used the search function to look for a sitter who was available during the time slot I needed plus had completed a background check. I took a look through a bunch of profiles, read reviews from other parents, and watched a few of the sitters' personal videos. I then sent out some requests to see who could accept the job. I got a quick response and in no time, had a babysitter booked! I didn't schedule an interview with the sitter beforehand because she had over forty 5-star reviews and I felt confident that she would be great. One of the genius features to <a href="http://clvr.li/1FLh9z4" target="_blank">UrbanSitter</a> is that you can link it with your Facebook account and see which sitters your friends have used in the past and how they reviewed them. So, friends, if you need to make your life easier and want to try UrbanSitter, here's a code for free month of membership: FORFREETRIAL<br />
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And now, back to the field trip! If you have little kids and have never heard of <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?series_id=524907" target="_blank">Elephant and Piggie</a>, you are truly missing out. It's an amazingly funny book series by Mo Willems that I love as much, or maybe more, than Little m. Her preschool class has been reading these books all year, so of course they couldn't miss <a href="http://emeraldcitytheatre.com/shows_1415_elephantandpiggie.php" target="_blank">Emerald City Theatre</a>'s Elephant and Piggie show.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGITuUnQBP4r-CKB5mZjSBGRGm308HreTdYaHK-wxjdBdGbCmwb5jPOltTI3z58F54wMs-WZ0wdTLfzI_vzPjy_9e53cMwyA8ucb3zB3JhSX0Bu3Fs1L00dBcp8vMTGFrmC3Hi6NhlfM/s1600/mowillemsdoodles.b+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGITuUnQBP4r-CKB5mZjSBGRGm308HreTdYaHK-wxjdBdGbCmwb5jPOltTI3z58F54wMs-WZ0wdTLfzI_vzPjy_9e53cMwyA8ucb3zB3JhSX0Bu3Fs1L00dBcp8vMTGFrmC3Hi6NhlfM/s320/mowillemsdoodles.b+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=elephant+and+piggie+pictures&espv=2&biw=1132&bih=658&tbm=isch&imgil=zb9Qvsk0pjLzBM%253A%253ByG5E5HJ1zAUz-M%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.strollermama.com%25252Fbooks-elephant-piggie.htm&source=iu&pf=m&fir=zb9Qvsk0pjLzBM%253A%252CyG5E5HJ1zAUz-M%252C_&usg=__qRsQj4R5GF8sKPE5BnEMoLSFnO4%3D&ved=0CDcQyjc&ei=zqRiVbOxFMPwsAXY9IDYBg#imgrc=zb9Qvsk0pjLzBM%253A%3ByG5E5HJ1zAUz-M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.strollermama.com%252Fimages%252Fyottoy%252Fmowillemsdoodles.b%252520copy.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.strollermama.com%252Fbooks-elephant-piggie.htm%3B324%3B275" target="_blank">source</a>)</td></tr>
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We all boarded the school bus and I had the best time watching all of the little kids enjoying their first ride. One of the best things about being a parent is seeing the joy in the little things. Look at how excited Little m looks!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giddy with excitement!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">School bus selfie!</td></tr>
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The play itself was really cute, full of singing and dancing. We had to wait a looooong time for it to begin because some classes were running late, which in turn made it hard for the little kids to sit for such a long period of time. Overall, I'd totally recommend the show for kids aged 4+.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTvEnMM0bzOQ9QN0VtcCOjUCWmKAg1A3UnWAUApGx9CNQQMy90Qh8_X3v59hrI6nl83r86y-S-P7CZUyKFiLgx_gMk6P4nZDxArMaK-me_8oeOS5iFencWDJt7TyGe-xLWRnGRYWSMB4/s1600/IMG_2475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTvEnMM0bzOQ9QN0VtcCOjUCWmKAg1A3UnWAUApGx9CNQQMy90Qh8_X3v59hrI6nl83r86y-S-P7CZUyKFiLgx_gMk6P4nZDxArMaK-me_8oeOS5iFencWDJt7TyGe-xLWRnGRYWSMB4/s400/IMG_2475.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Halfway through, Little m crawled onto my lap, which to me was the icing on the cake. I loved being able to spend some quality time with her, knowing my other baby was being well taken care of as well. After the play, we boarded the bus and it was a happy ride home, me squeezed into a bus seat with two squealing preschoolers who talked nonstop about ice cream! Oh and one last perk about<span style="text-align: center;"> </span><a href="http://clvr.li/1FLh9z4" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">UrbanSitter</a>? I took the option to<span style="text-align: center;"> pay the sitter by credit card so I didn't have to worry about stopping for cash on the way home. So convenient! </span><br />
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<i>I was selected for this opportunity as a member of <a href="http://clvr.li/OHjC82" target="_blank">Clever Girls</a> and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.</i>J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15895171514889375501noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-988614068124565966.post-30535830165632448022015-02-12T11:01:00.002-05:002015-02-12T11:01:14.331-05:00Snow Days 2015We got a good dumping of snow a couple of weeks ago and I had an absolute blast playing in it with Little m. We headed outside around 7:30am, just the two of us in the whole neighbourhood it seemed, and played in the soft, perfect for building a snowman, snow. It was magical. This is the only reason that snow should exist.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">M took a picture of us playing from inside the warm house. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost finished! Just eyes and mouth to be added.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ta da!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMYU3tGe-MeBePR4e-dvQELsaDYpPfN1VlC1HtIGjo-qFD6s44jbrmgMJCR7H7WyjuUw527c9S7vEjNf1f3689kyhi1ZW9QNPY7XEXTUKrOSvnbMPTYj3aBFdEoMm8_citfRQbr3GBcEU/s1600/IMG_0712_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMYU3tGe-MeBePR4e-dvQELsaDYpPfN1VlC1HtIGjo-qFD6s44jbrmgMJCR7H7WyjuUw527c9S7vEjNf1f3689kyhi1ZW9QNPY7XEXTUKrOSvnbMPTYj3aBFdEoMm8_citfRQbr3GBcEU/s1600/IMG_0712_2.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">24 hours and 20 inches later. Poor snowman lost his bottom!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZDbEqchbnvnRP3oHgpDHD2PFGOYiublkrt-IM9sdTaPOAjSHRScd1JoCmoiIXy46fFDaulNUad6hPmEuFmXSPEKwptq02EvBalbu_1chNInUwk8BGqG96gGG5e8yP3vISN3ICDM_ksM/s1600/IMG_0723_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZDbEqchbnvnRP3oHgpDHD2PFGOYiublkrt-IM9sdTaPOAjSHRScd1JoCmoiIXy46fFDaulNUad6hPmEuFmXSPEKwptq02EvBalbu_1chNInUwk8BGqG96gGG5e8yP3vISN3ICDM_ksM/s1600/IMG_0723_2.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The next day I tried to take Little m sledding. Fail! Too much snow, the usual <br />hill had been totally covered and the snow was too deep! </td></tr>
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What a great memory with my gal!</div>
J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15895171514889375501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-988614068124565966.post-11674326047897938742015-02-04T10:48:00.003-05:002015-02-04T10:48:51.592-05:00Pinterest Recipe WinsFor a variety of reasons, M and I started eliminating gluten and dairy from our diets. It's not nearly as difficult as one would imagine, although if you have an allergy versus just a preference, that's a different story.<br />
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Finding meals to prepare was challenging in the beginning but there are so many resources out there, it's easy to find meal ideas and substitutions. I thought I'd share my recent favourites. All of these recipes are on my pinterest board "Recipes I've Made and Loved", but I linked to the original sources for your viewing pleasure.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSGe3rByhHmOma3I-E_SUBl8ZS_bOaHMKFDZUM_MldOb0esliKh8FrxBUgeYrqlM39V2qaUn2vV0yL5FVCRZBmC5XocHS8lGqgkdoQqFjlGnVSCqvLBSbZLOgWdW1FEud4nW1KVHGJsM/s1600/The-Best-Pulled-Pork-in-a-Crock-Pot.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSGe3rByhHmOma3I-E_SUBl8ZS_bOaHMKFDZUM_MldOb0esliKh8FrxBUgeYrqlM39V2qaUn2vV0yL5FVCRZBmC5XocHS8lGqgkdoQqFjlGnVSCqvLBSbZLOgWdW1FEud4nW1KVHGJsM/s1600/The-Best-Pulled-Pork-in-a-Crock-Pot.jpg.jpg" height="400" width="263" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Find recipe <a href="http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/12/03/recipe-best-pulled-pork-crock-pot/" target="_blank">here</a>.</td></tr>
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Yes, really, this is the best pulled pork I've ever made! It doesn't use any barbeque sauce, which is nice since that's often filled with high fructose corn syrup. The meat turns out tender and has great flavour. Usually I use a pork tenderloin from Costco because I have it on hand the most. If you have a kitchen aid mixer, remember that you can shred any type of meat in it in a matter of 30 seconds. So easy! And if you like pickles, these <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2014/07/easiest-fridge-dill-pickles/#more-12364" target="_blank">easy fridge dills</a> are incredible paired with the pulled pork.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUQVBVmpsgP-9caP6n3fz9mCRlp9xGAQV1mIM6ZRzLWSO2jjv5uq2ysrrNzT6qVDGrFpLJQYshCvbJPWD7zC-HO2LSNI9gBCuRUbBOXg6vyepWfPaRdF-JqnF9EJDQxrJZtyuwW671wk8/s1600/squash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUQVBVmpsgP-9caP6n3fz9mCRlp9xGAQV1mIM6ZRzLWSO2jjv5uq2ysrrNzT6qVDGrFpLJQYshCvbJPWD7zC-HO2LSNI9gBCuRUbBOXg6vyepWfPaRdF-JqnF9EJDQxrJZtyuwW671wk8/s1600/squash.jpg" height="196" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Find recipe <a href="http://paleomg.com/almost-5-ingredient-pizza-spaghetti-pie/" target="_blank">here</a>.</td></tr>
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Pizza Spaghetti Pie. Me likee. So simple, so tasty. It uses a spaghetti squash as it's base, which I love, because the more veggies, the better. This is an easy dinner to prepare early in the day and then pop it in the oven an hour before you want to eat. I find it's even better if you add your favourite pizza toppings - mushrooms, peppers, etc.<br /><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGI5hdyE2KbdUv5AcVTwDJsyYf0N0Ev95ZS_djC5aLCuWQkzgjRwEwWg9UOb1Zjpn7eKBzKeTCzGw9lMPTNakBSTOw93Xx9_ggqhFDkY2inRPVo4v8Y_mahUWWNhQOJcKCX94W005axao/s1600/avocadoquinoasaladpng.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGI5hdyE2KbdUv5AcVTwDJsyYf0N0Ev95ZS_djC5aLCuWQkzgjRwEwWg9UOb1Zjpn7eKBzKeTCzGw9lMPTNakBSTOw93Xx9_ggqhFDkY2inRPVo4v8Y_mahUWWNhQOJcKCX94W005axao/s1600/avocadoquinoasaladpng.png" height="320" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Find recipe <a href="http://www.thegardengrazer.com/2014/04/quinoa-avocado-spinach-power-salad.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</td></tr>
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What is it about avocado that makes the world a better place? This is such a delicious lunch choice or side dish. I was gifted some flavoured olive oils and balsamic vinegars for Christmas, so I use those as the dressing over quinoa, spinach, avocado and tomato - and it's amazing, every single time.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEs_cprOjlh40YBqMyI6YC3TWnV35NknzyuUFZ6jVxB19DbZg64WiEaY0btBFOuOx1s6GH3gpKcqFD_9Hl4szl3sWo0KWmdqUJbQDNrlYZkyEIuvxL5gxaQS5u9Kw4Hk3AO-cXppYxAto/s1600/BrusselsSprouts-e1400519747357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEs_cprOjlh40YBqMyI6YC3TWnV35NknzyuUFZ6jVxB19DbZg64WiEaY0btBFOuOx1s6GH3gpKcqFD_9Hl4szl3sWo0KWmdqUJbQDNrlYZkyEIuvxL5gxaQS5u9Kw4Hk3AO-cXppYxAto/s1600/BrusselsSprouts-e1400519747357.jpg" height="286" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Find recipe <a href="http://heartbeetkitchen.com/2013/recipes/orange-glazed-brussels-sprouts-butternut-squash/" target="_blank">here</a>.</td></tr>
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Pair this orange glazed brussels sprouts and butternut squash dish with a protein and it makes a perfect dinner. I can't wait to make this again. Make extras because you won't want to share.<br />
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Enjoy!</div>
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J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15895171514889375501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-988614068124565966.post-74532026583299586352015-01-30T10:49:00.002-05:002015-01-30T10:50:16.844-05:00My Baby's a PreschoolerLittle m started preschool last fall. Half days every day. I have to admit I was very nervous for her leading up to this time because she had been at home with me since birth and was going to be the youngest in her class. Really, I should have known better. She is thriving at school and learning so many new things. She is absolutely benefiting from a more stimulating environment. Being a former teacher myself, I knew I could give her proper instruction but oh hell no, that child doesn't listen to me, and with a new baby in tow, it was impossible to even think about schooling at home. Her class seems like a nice group of children and she's in love with her teachers. She comes home with cute songs and stories and who knows what else because every day when I ask her what she did at school she tells me, "It's a long story mama." When I ask her what her favourite part of the day is she tells me, "Jumping." Every day it's the same, so apparently they do lots of physical activity in her classroom. Oh and did I mention that she's learning Mandarin? Ha, I have yet to hear Mandarin sounding words come out of her mouth but she often makes up her own languages, so well, there's that.<br />
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And whoever invented the school uniform is genius. Not having to fight about clothing in the morning is the best. How cute is she on her first day of preschool?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2O0xhsWDWYCByk9j8IHCAGBYl3Sya56OP6ViEHtS-HInOKMqoq2Ym_2Uk7N65hdH_Rh4_cHIc8-R5MrQ_QQwUtlf_2BVHlOUaVZ5NcA9VZS4x93y-cXGreExAMtGJMPW2tGNv3pzYiew/s1600/IMG_9024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2O0xhsWDWYCByk9j8IHCAGBYl3Sya56OP6ViEHtS-HInOKMqoq2Ym_2Uk7N65hdH_Rh4_cHIc8-R5MrQ_QQwUtlf_2BVHlOUaVZ5NcA9VZS4x93y-cXGreExAMtGJMPW2tGNv3pzYiew/s1600/IMG_9024.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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Not a single tear has been shed over school and never once have I heard a complaint about going. I am happy she's happy. Plus, they feed her breakfast every morning which is a win in my books. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp4AYjPj12ihbR-MPeQxD7tZLnEtXfpJCoYKyO6v2J5WmJkNFOONLFk26WbE5ynAnvelQE5Nv-dgB-quZB7Ms6kat56-DiyFAtF8hl1xr8Ga_OIcysqjc-aOiVfaOd6P7zEmZ6_4KXzWY/s1600/IMG_9018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp4AYjPj12ihbR-MPeQxD7tZLnEtXfpJCoYKyO6v2J5WmJkNFOONLFk26WbE5ynAnvelQE5Nv-dgB-quZB7Ms6kat56-DiyFAtF8hl1xr8Ga_OIcysqjc-aOiVfaOd6P7zEmZ6_4KXzWY/s1600/IMG_9018.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Oh my heart, she is so dear. She loves carrying her backpack like a big girl and looks forward to the nicer weather when daddy can start walking her to school again.. or wait, is that me? Her school is in the direction of M's work, so they walk together a few times a week when it's warm enough, which gives me an extra 45 minutes of peace. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFlbMMbAgcGC8afZyRZdrGaP0e5RINhyD_Dnm0lkTBTh4KtT3pbB2ZATCIskeTPNU4Yhpbok5lZ8FS_AKwu0zp55mYp2zV1ngEY9VKgBP02Ofg6z-P7lxdYs3FhcQjpoVBv9_0NS7WBWY/s1600/IMG_9017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFlbMMbAgcGC8afZyRZdrGaP0e5RINhyD_Dnm0lkTBTh4KtT3pbB2ZATCIskeTPNU4Yhpbok5lZ8FS_AKwu0zp55mYp2zV1ngEY9VKgBP02Ofg6z-P7lxdYs3FhcQjpoVBv9_0NS7WBWY/s1600/IMG_9017.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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She's growing up!</div>
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J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15895171514889375501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-988614068124565966.post-88375035698438901262015-01-29T11:42:00.002-05:002015-01-29T11:42:57.754-05:00The Littlest Hockey Player<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp37vD60YB8la0YVPGbrd93aVXZKqDky_tXOQYvirHquqMwaWUq2eW26YIoTvcF3tBKnaY8AQkr3JQVMUV4McJMSSYnAT_TIaYlPdDY15KzsW-mt3sZTXhFAjD9WQEP1W4NGKlH-Qmixo/s1600/IMG_9786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp37vD60YB8la0YVPGbrd93aVXZKqDky_tXOQYvirHquqMwaWUq2eW26YIoTvcF3tBKnaY8AQkr3JQVMUV4McJMSSYnAT_TIaYlPdDY15KzsW-mt3sZTXhFAjD9WQEP1W4NGKlH-Qmixo/s1600/IMG_9786.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a>With a hockey playing dad, you better believe little M was signed up for hockey lessons as soon as she was old enough.<br />
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Her nanny and grampie gifted the lucky gal every possible piece of hockey equipment for her 3rd birthday and she started a program through Chicago parks last fall.<br />
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I wasn't able to go to the first class since it was during the baby's nap time (oh yeah, surprise, that's what I was doing during my year long blogging break) and she flat out refused to get on the ice. Womp womp. <br />
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The second class we bribed her with gummy bears and she got on the ice, but not without a few tears. Every class got better and better, so her dad tells me, and by the end of the fall session she was able to skate without holding onto anything.<br />
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For the winter session we've switched to an arena in the suburbs where there is better instruction. I went to see her a couple of weeks ago and there were a few tears near the end of class when she didn't get to win the race, but that's a whole other story. I'm so proud of my brave girl! <br />
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Last week she tried holding a stick for the first time and now M of course has been talked into buying one for her, plus purple, white, blue, and green hockey tape to <strike>decorate</strike> wrap it. I love that daddy and daughter have a special activity to do together.<br />
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And speaking of skating, I got out of the ice myself recently for the first time in 3 years. I am not holding onto to M's hand to be romantic in the picture below, I'm holding on for dear life! We tried the skating ribbon at the new Maggie Daley Park and I have to say, it was pretty great! M kept commenting on how cool the views of the downtown buildings were, and I just had to believe him, as I couldn't life my eyes off the ice in fear of falling. With a little more practice, maybe I'll be as good as my 3 year old!</div>
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J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15895171514889375501noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-988614068124565966.post-46370072088781196892015-01-28T20:09:00.000-05:002015-01-28T20:09:33.855-05:00What Makes Me Happy #9I'm making a list of 101 things that make me happy. Go here to read rounds #<a href="http://ramblingsofawanderlust.blogspot.com/2010/01/what-makes-me-happy.html" target="_blank">1</a>, #<a href="http://ramblingsofawanderlust.blogspot.com/2010/01/what-makes-me-happy-2.html" target="_blank">2</a>, #<a href="http://ramblingsofawanderlust.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-makes-me-happy-3.html" target="_blank">3</a>, #<a href="http://ramblingsofawanderlust.blogspot.com/2010/04/what-makes-me-happy-4.html" target="_blank">4</a>, #<a href="http://ramblingsofawanderlust.blogspot.com/2011/03/what-makes-me-happy-5.html" target="_blank">5</a>, #<a href="http://ramblingsofawanderlust.blogspot.com/2011/09/what-makes-me-happy-6.html" target="_blank">6</a>, #<a href="http://ramblingsofawanderlust.blogspot.com/2012/02/what-makes-me-happy-7.html" target="_blank">7</a>, and #<a href="http://ramblingsofawanderlust.blogspot.com/2013/09/what-makes-me-happy-8.html" target="_blank">8</a>).<br />
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A while ago during my mom book club, we were talking about fun events or traditions that we remember from our childhood. It took me a few minutes, but once I got my brain working, so many happy things popped up in my memory. More and more I'm finding that it's truly the little things that make lasting memories and I hope that M and I can create family traditions of our own that our children will look back on fondly.<br />
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Adding to the happy list...<br />
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38. Every Saturday night my parents brought us to church and then oftentimes when we got home my mom would pop popcorn on the stove and <strike>sprinkle on</strike> douse it with butter and salt (it is my mom, the butter lover we're talking about here). The whole family would gather in the basement and turn COPS on. Yes, church and then bad boys, bad boys. Such a random memory, but it makes me smile. My mom still makes good popcorn, albeit with less butter now.<br />
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39. My grandma used to make my dad and his sisters crepes when they were growing up, so my dad also made crepes for us. Come to think of it, this is one of the few things I've ever seen him cook, other than his beloved green beans and asparagus, oh and rice pudding as well. Anyway, on Sunday mornings, every once in a while, my dad would make crepes plus the delicious brown sugar filling that gets slathered inside. It's a time consuming process, but oh, every bite is a taste sensation. My dad made some a couple of Christmases ago and Little m was of course a fan. I must remember to get the recipe.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkT-XuHcUJ8Td68ANwUr5QJm_QszBeYoHDdokhsnFewZHhukfz1hCSm7KpnWbagt_b3qi7e4SjjVFa5gqaJX9ZK4UZ5nEOPs18VWNsQZP6s6qVZX5w8lEhLRVnwdCMyQ0GKzNuhrdRjs0/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkT-XuHcUJ8Td68ANwUr5QJm_QszBeYoHDdokhsnFewZHhukfz1hCSm7KpnWbagt_b3qi7e4SjjVFa5gqaJX9ZK4UZ5nEOPs18VWNsQZP6s6qVZX5w8lEhLRVnwdCMyQ0GKzNuhrdRjs0/s1600/photo.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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40. This memory is still so vivid in my mind and I think it's hilarious. My poor mother. We would all be driving somewhere in our childhood van and one of us kids would slide our foot up and sneakily lift the lever to recline my mom's seat. She would fly back in her seat, screaming in shock. Much laughter from children ensued. HA. We'd let a few months pass by before each attack, just to make sure she was off guard. What rotten kids we were! One of my all time favourite memories.<br />
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41. "Is there a little girl in here who wants to wa-ake up so dear?" I will never forget that tune of that dreaded song my mom would sing to wake me up in the mornings. I seriously hated that song but love the memory of it now!<br />
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<br />J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15895171514889375501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-988614068124565966.post-37565451845539895382015-01-27T11:11:00.001-05:002015-07-09T14:39:04.600-04:0036 in 365: 2015 Edition<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Well hello! Long time no see! </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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I've missed this spot and am sad a whole year of unrecorded memories has passed because what I value most about this place is that it provides a way to look back and see what life was like at whatever moment in time. One reason I stopped blogging was because I had SO much to catch up on and was overwhelmed. I've decided to let it go, let it go and not worry about all of the things that I missed blogging about, just focus on what's happening now.<br />
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As a list lover, I couldn't pass up my traditional 36 in 365 list of goals for the year. This year, my overall resolution is to laugh more. I thought about what makes me laugh and of course the most laughter happens when I am happy. I thought about what makes me happy and narrowed it down to when I'm doing these things: eating amazing food, spending time outdoors, reading can't put you down books, exploring new places, and being with people I like. So, drumroll please....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtd5_JpJfqMRI5W1T4malkVBwcebhbhkyroZot1NozI7lwLQgS-ov0aLDOYLqwAVp2OsNWgKdnuzE_qMGQ8U5psHSshZgkt1CuVhyphenhyphenwfh57drSH47z_zFs4o-9V4ew9cAV1guethNBgOes/s1600/IMG_0573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtd5_JpJfqMRI5W1T4malkVBwcebhbhkyroZot1NozI7lwLQgS-ov0aLDOYLqwAVp2OsNWgKdnuzE_qMGQ8U5psHSshZgkt1CuVhyphenhyphenwfh57drSH47z_zFs4o-9V4ew9cAV1guethNBgOes/s1600/IMG_0573.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<b>36 in 365 (Round 7): </b><br />
<br /></div>
<b><u>Eat:</u></b><br />
<div>
<b>1. Bari</b></div>
<div>
<b>2. Firecakes</b><br />
3. Au Cheval<br />
4. Bongo Room</div>
<div>
<b>5. Bang Bang Pie</b></div>
<div>
6. Umami Burger<br />
<b>7. Sultan's Market</b></div>
<div>
<b>8. Do-Rite Donuts</b><br />
<b>9. Longman & Eagle</b></div>
<div>
<b>10. Dove's Luncheonette</b></div>
<div>
<b>11. Mindy's Hot Chocolate</b><br />
12. Grandma J's Local Kitchen<br />
<br />
Go Outside:<br />
13. Graue Mill<br />
14. Wagner Farm<br />
15. Humboldt Park<br />
16. Lakeshore Trail</div>
<div>
17. Caldwell Woods<br />
<b>18. Maggie Daley Park</b></div>
<div>
19. Apple orchard in autumn<br />
20. North Shore Channel Trail<br />
21. Explore 5 new Chicago parks (1/5): Elston Park<br />
22. Spitting fountains at Millenium Park<br />
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Read:<br />
23. Middlesex<br />
24. The Seamstress<br />
<b>25. All the Light We Cannot See</b><br />
26. Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman</div>
<div>
27. The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World<br />
28. The Good Girl's Guide to Getting Lost: A Memoir of Three Continents, Two Friends, and One Unexpected Adventure<br />
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Travel:<br />
29. St. Louis</div>
<div>
<b>30. Milwaukee</b></div>
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31. Indiana Dunes</div>
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32. Starved Rock State Park</div>
<div>
<b>33. Somewhere in Central America</b><br />
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Socialize:</div>
<div>
34. Call BFF once per month<br />
35. Continue monthly brunch with mom friends<br />
<b>36. Host one neighborhood play date or moms night per month</b></div>
J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15895171514889375501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-988614068124565966.post-11821842540290833102014-01-13T20:27:00.000-05:002015-01-27T11:14:16.566-05:0036 in 365: 2014 Edition<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg390wOaPDcFD30CXNjLOidTgZqk_tgTJ6Gao0vzT8oa5gFl1oP9_xSm-47WHJyvgNLjZF8LWFG8uNWL9M2HlxHoXUpYYrt7nXbzUuN81cWzz5FofGvlhjcVXQ_p7Yczp3WyAgQp3diMz4/s1600/13dee53ec020e243900398d1e099a0ee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg390wOaPDcFD30CXNjLOidTgZqk_tgTJ6Gao0vzT8oa5gFl1oP9_xSm-47WHJyvgNLjZF8LWFG8uNWL9M2HlxHoXUpYYrt7nXbzUuN81cWzz5FofGvlhjcVXQ_p7Yczp3WyAgQp3diMz4/s1600/13dee53ec020e243900398d1e099a0ee.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(<a href="http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/originals/13/de/e5/13dee53ec020e243900398d1e099a0ee.jpg" target="_blank">picture source</a>)</td></tr>
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'Tis that time of the year again for another list of goals. Last year I had a 55% success rate, which isn't so great, but better than nothing! This year I tried to make my list more specific and straightforward, so hopefully that will help me achieve more throughout the year. Here goes nothing:<br />
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<b><u>36 in 365 (Round Six):</u></b><br />
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<b><u>Get Busy:</u></b><br />
<b>1. Grow more strawberries this summer.</b><br />
2. Hit publish on my New Zealand recaps.<br />
3. Write blog posts about Machu Picchu.<br />
<b>4. Keep hosting neighbourhood play dates.</b><br />
<b>5. Start writing in my One Line a Day journal.</b><br />
6. Get professional family of four photos taken.<br />
<b>7. Watch Happiest Toddler on the Block with M.</b><br />
<b>8. Learn more about essential oils - eucalyptus? thieves?</b><br />
<b>9. Listen to and whittle down my This American Life podcast folder till it reaches 75 files.</b><br />
<b>10. Read these books before they hit theatres: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6261961-labor-day?from_search=true" target="_blank">Labor Day</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10073.A_Long_Way_Down?from_search=true" target="_blank">A Long Way Down</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13335037-divergent?from_search=true" target="_blank">Divergent</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5886881-dark-places?from_search=true" target="_blank">Dark Places</a>, and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6224935-this-is-where-i-leave-you?from_search=true" target="_blank">This is Where I Leave You</a> (5/5).</b><br />
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<b><u>Get Organized:</u></b><br />
<b>11. Back up iPhone on a monthly basis (12/12).</b><br />
<b>12. Keep car info binder updated throughout the year.</b><br />
<b>13. Clean up iPhoto pictures and delete duplicates when uploading.</b><br />
<br />
<b><u>Get Crafty:</u></b><br />
<b>14. Send Christmas cards.</b><br />
<b>15. Decorate a cute nursery for baby 2.0.</b><br />
<b>16. Decorate a cute big girl room for Little m.</b><br />
17. Print out my blog in book form at the end of the year.<br />
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<b><u>Get Places:</u></b><br />
Try the following six Chicago eateries:<br />
<b>18. Eataly</b><br />
19. Hot Doug's<br />
<b>20. Kasia's Deli</b><br />
<b>21. Ann's Bakery (not impressed - stale bread, bad customer service)</b><br />
22. d'Amatos Bakery<br />
<b>23. Hoosier Mama Pie (oh yes)</b><br />
<b>24. Plan a kickass family vacation.</b><br />
<b>25. Bring Little m skating on a regular basis.</b><br />
26. Visit the spitting fountains in Millennium Park this summer.<br />
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<b><u>Get Healthy:</u></b><br />
27. Call my bff more.<br />
28. Unplug one day a week.<br />
29. Give Bama more attention.<br />
30. Plan a date night once a month.<br />
31. Win dietbets until I reach my pre-pregnancy weight.<br />
32. Continue to win dietbets until I reach my goal weight for this year. <br />
<b>33. Keep doing my 20 pushups x 2 on my toes at Bar Method, even with a big baby belly.</b><br />
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<b><u>Get Giving:</u></b><br />
<b>34. Host another new mom's group once baby 2.0 is here.</b><br />
35. Get Little m involved in sponsoring a child at Christmastime.<br />
36. Volunteer at the Soup Kitchen at least every other month (0/6).<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Anything you're working towards this year? </div>
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<br />
Edited to add on Jan 1, 2015:<br />
Well, 21/36 goals completed on this year's list of goals. 58%, that's a pass!<br />
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<br />J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15895171514889375501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-988614068124565966.post-33430334426154909622013-12-22T21:46:00.000-05:002013-12-22T21:46:14.444-05:00The Big 3-2Wow, I actually titled this post "The Big 3-1" until I thought for a moment and realized I'm older than I knew. Hmmm. So yes, at the beginning of December I turned 32 big ones. I had a super busy week leading up to my birthday and hadn't really made plans until I opened my front door and my parents were standing there! They came to help celebrate and best of all, they came bearing pie, the one request I had mentioned to my husband this year!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh6dyobVMvDGbGkIyA9fHyAkHg-kVU2kh2M1VVhyphenhyphenG6v2FSXSBB6lRuSoOTzm1zaXe3blH8RfWvYm41mx5qvE5xImzEAAWq7vCq53uXTps-lQlB_mtNhqZHc7L6s63jF-5FNYbaegE-W3k/s1600/DSCN0124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh6dyobVMvDGbGkIyA9fHyAkHg-kVU2kh2M1VVhyphenhyphenG6v2FSXSBB6lRuSoOTzm1zaXe3blH8RfWvYm41mx5qvE5xImzEAAWq7vCq53uXTps-lQlB_mtNhqZHc7L6s63jF-5FNYbaegE-W3k/s400/DSCN0124.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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We had pie the night before my birthday because who in their right mind can resist my mom's homemade cherry pie, certainly not me! On my actual birthday, the hubs took me out for a lovely dinner at <a href="http://mkchicago.com/" target="_blank">MK</a> where we indulged in the tasting menu, a real treat.<br />
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But first, a photo of us getting ready to go out.. always a photo when my ma's around! </div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
And now, cue the crappy iPhone food pics!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwlKDe3Qbtu57nIQzu639bLT1V5lj91J7FVJ_A5ZjIvQ5hJWlG1DKsQwqaAHe_O-imKb6yHANyozygmZcl6dzyMBIjOyIgVGFhBP7Oxpu6zoWqGV78lOIhjSKcZNFS6aLjjJZTrYoPFM/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwlKDe3Qbtu57nIQzu639bLT1V5lj91J7FVJ_A5ZjIvQ5hJWlG1DKsQwqaAHe_O-imKb6yHANyozygmZcl6dzyMBIjOyIgVGFhBP7Oxpu6zoWqGV78lOIhjSKcZNFS6aLjjJZTrYoPFM/s400/photo+2.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amuse-Bouche: Ceviche</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFg1HbvULyy4Vly1VknnGZLiLB9ds1oe75n7tDrTmAZAxOWKvFcRpI2fGMKZ7Fk07fJ7N7lgtiMC_t5Oy51nx54qiFTjPctzK1x08_5dNtOHVoD9cxHzeYJynj75Ml5ZDRxax3Y5AF10/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFg1HbvULyy4Vly1VknnGZLiLB9ds1oe75n7tDrTmAZAxOWKvFcRpI2fGMKZ7Fk07fJ7N7lgtiMC_t5Oy51nx54qiFTjPctzK1x08_5dNtOHVoD9cxHzeYJynj75Ml5ZDRxax3Y5AF10/s400/photo+3.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Course 1: Chicken consomme with black truffle dumplings</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTKg1PxjdwDxvnAG54gfInaD9t0o3J6WOxaR-TuVbQUacAuIlam2dSNzAruBRiUj_0PfybqrO7UWVE3xbr6qqCgfpVigisDp4ZOlOZ_R8LrU-0soOGeccAxSeEoQr1t2tTVVusrP3dy64/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTKg1PxjdwDxvnAG54gfInaD9t0o3J6WOxaR-TuVbQUacAuIlam2dSNzAruBRiUj_0PfybqrO7UWVE3xbr6qqCgfpVigisDp4ZOlOZ_R8LrU-0soOGeccAxSeEoQr1t2tTVVusrP3dy64/s400/photo+4.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Course 2: Scallops. The best I've ever had. Melt in your mouth.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyEkTNAvaf3kxS2Wd1PU5G3iyDWuzColDMNTOiBZpjYAmR9ItiiyEdSzsiNfXILGrhFww3zbVrew6djcHHcWKDO-Tc214R-w_yCM0MuWvilRDUvwodpO4fVz8jJo_hXbaoWPZ1cDzvyqs/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyEkTNAvaf3kxS2Wd1PU5G3iyDWuzColDMNTOiBZpjYAmR9ItiiyEdSzsiNfXILGrhFww3zbVrew6djcHHcWKDO-Tc214R-w_yCM0MuWvilRDUvwodpO4fVz8jJo_hXbaoWPZ1cDzvyqs/s400/photo+5.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Course 3: Bass with roasted parsnips</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUHPgQJ32cMLy8ZXS6evypyNlQG-dhWFhH6IbYShmsPuU7rahBkeMhKDpe2l5WFzuBILgdauAwr8WiUmjO5_W52GzvY8PTwUqSQ_kD2bsoRckbpm25H-gVGNAQamTANZkKNK-ciNp4Rg/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUHPgQJ32cMLy8ZXS6evypyNlQG-dhWFhH6IbYShmsPuU7rahBkeMhKDpe2l5WFzuBILgdauAwr8WiUmjO5_W52GzvY8PTwUqSQ_kD2bsoRckbpm25H-gVGNAQamTANZkKNK-ciNp4Rg/s400/photo+1.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Course 4: Squab, foie gras, and MK's famous truffle fries</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPVNv4UjSMcnTT8Bhrq6P8f9urhMF7WyyhjJDjoKJvTqlpnNU3CsXVRvdOwoEAe644-3-wScIDBH3j4al5ZFcVEARrSXzrL4SLFtZiLjyg9Hgxtrv79To2pgZ_uVk_zfDnMEAaLeu82I/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPVNv4UjSMcnTT8Bhrq6P8f9urhMF7WyyhjJDjoKJvTqlpnNU3CsXVRvdOwoEAe644-3-wScIDBH3j4al5ZFcVEARrSXzrL4SLFtZiLjyg9Hgxtrv79To2pgZ_uVk_zfDnMEAaLeu82I/s400/photo+2.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Course 5: Goat cheese</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDk7Y-YyefE7TEYiV5kGPBtsgoF2tWt-3CMvmOTlSKiaVnqr4p8QpTAiaAbIYtNvdvPJU64ixUPA94KPH34rGxt1UEFP5qMfVv91cIr2R3v5OYhYLnnUo2gOflqcFrqA276-SkcZ5CTI/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDk7Y-YyefE7TEYiV5kGPBtsgoF2tWt-3CMvmOTlSKiaVnqr4p8QpTAiaAbIYtNvdvPJU64ixUPA94KPH34rGxt1UEFP5qMfVv91cIr2R3v5OYhYLnnUo2gOflqcFrqA276-SkcZ5CTI/s400/photo+3.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Course 6: Dark chocolate tart</td></tr>
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The meal was fantastic and it was so nice spending a night out with M, in non stretchy waist band pants. Thanks to my parents for making that possible with their surprise visit! I'm looking forward to a great year ahead. The best is yet to come.<br />
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J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15895171514889375501noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-988614068124565966.post-2441821143656489392013-12-21T23:36:00.000-05:002013-12-22T00:31:08.344-05:00O Christmas Tree<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I just realized that last year I did not write a Christmas post! How sad, our first Christmas in our own home and everything. So this year you get two for the price of one, how's that for luck? </div>
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For the past two years we've gone the cheapo route and bought trees from Home Depot. Last year our tree was great quality and lasted forever but this year I feel as though it's drying out quicker. Either way, I got a kick out of comparing pictures - taken exactly one year apart. How the time flies! </div>
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Picking out the perfect tree! Look at how M looks exactly the same but Little m is so different.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_ecHRuvw9nh4RZ6_qQiQ-ZOqpunYs9Ba2-CVjEo21U6A7BeMYHJ7NagsiQo_h7zkSsrZdp7WBD493JHhGW-dJmE2mvJpKaQCqxoXo-coKbRuQdlrlRZLJoDFKTMLUKxpZXb85QX2Kps/s1600/IMG_4093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_ecHRuvw9nh4RZ6_qQiQ-ZOqpunYs9Ba2-CVjEo21U6A7BeMYHJ7NagsiQo_h7zkSsrZdp7WBD493JHhGW-dJmE2mvJpKaQCqxoXo-coKbRuQdlrlRZLJoDFKTMLUKxpZXb85QX2Kps/s320/IMG_4093.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjitL2eZPdvgJgyTWCvH5r-JuNu0EM4TGXhv5Ykc5A-EDKyWspz9kOQEdmeyKeuRQCBalujpSjOmdevKqkafTnNQKQyG3DoCek2yP2uFxULEEqQURRImlAalpj8rwWCixtOh_xtCOAvCAU/s1600/photo+(6).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjitL2eZPdvgJgyTWCvH5r-JuNu0EM4TGXhv5Ykc5A-EDKyWspz9kOQEdmeyKeuRQCBalujpSjOmdevKqkafTnNQKQyG3DoCek2yP2uFxULEEqQURRImlAalpj8rwWCixtOh_xtCOAvCAU/s320/photo+(6).JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Securing it onto the car.</div>
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And the best part, decorating.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHJ7yckUEK8gWdwV_vkLwkZNZwe7g4u-2U408Ucg4Wehq83gjec_m_TvlOM5DtbhtNhKVIUNxUn3aWfpE8CYpjAUV2NHMx9TlCNIDE-V3oLPqgci8i2DtlJLkd6iZA39_LbbMKr61gk0/s1600/DSC_0148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHJ7yckUEK8gWdwV_vkLwkZNZwe7g4u-2U408Ucg4Wehq83gjec_m_TvlOM5DtbhtNhKVIUNxUn3aWfpE8CYpjAUV2NHMx9TlCNIDE-V3oLPqgci8i2DtlJLkd6iZA39_LbbMKr61gk0/s320/DSC_0148.jpg" width="213" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwi1IYz34nuB9tkQQ-feEUeeQ2Ai6pUd5NOWlp7Z0gaHEMz8UKNi9kMhsCnju0bvE0crM6nSV65tbFEdLcwKfu-zv924da2wDr1fFcpIUVoiocJzjwsH1u7PxndvfJ_s2iA2S35VJka4/s1600/DSC_0116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwi1IYz34nuB9tkQQ-feEUeeQ2Ai6pUd5NOWlp7Z0gaHEMz8UKNi9kMhsCnju0bvE0crM6nSV65tbFEdLcwKfu-zv924da2wDr1fFcpIUVoiocJzjwsH1u7PxndvfJ_s2iA2S35VJka4/s320/DSC_0116.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This year Little m was SO extremely excited to help her daddy with the star. Days later she would tell anyone who was visiting how she put the star on "all my self". She also loved placing the ornaments on the tree, every single one onto the same branch, of course! She's also a great water girl, reminding and helping me fill up the stand every morning. Even now, 21 days since it's been up, as we come down the stairs every morning, she is awed by the glowing Christmas lights. "Wowwww, yights!"</div>
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Oh I just love this girl and Christmas is a million times better with her around. </div>
J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15895171514889375501noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-988614068124565966.post-32025187717126218292013-12-21T22:40:00.000-05:002013-12-21T22:40:20.506-05:00Bucket List, Complete! I previously posted about our <a href="http://ramblingsofawanderlust.blogspot.com/2013/10/fall-bucket-list.html" target="_blank">fall bucket list</a> and for once in my life, I can boastfully announce that we completed it! Here are a few highlights:<br />
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A hayride! A hayride through the city streets, but it still counts, right? </div>
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<a href="http://ramblingsofawanderlust.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-day-at-orchard.html" target="_blank">Apple picking and pumpkin patch</a>. We had so much fun at County Line Orchard this year and were able to cross two things off our list in this one outing! Oh, plus we bought apple cider here, so make that three things to check off!<br />
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Apple pie. With our freshly picked apples I made a pie to celebrate our Canadian Thanksgiving. I think this is the best thing my mom ever taught me to make. It is just so good and Little m approves as well. I also made a pumpkin pie for American Thanksgiving, so that crosses two delicious things off the list. </div>
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Pumpkin carving. Well, this is a given, along with roasting pumpkin seeds, attending the park's Boopalooza and <a href="http://ramblingsofawanderlust.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-spooktacular-halloween_20.html" target="_blank">trick or treating</a>. What would Halloween be without these fun activities? </div>
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Jumping and crunching in the leaves. This is one of Little m's favourite things to do while we walk the dog. Every day, crunch crunch crunch! So cute to watch.<br />
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And a couple of things that were on the list but not huge successes - leaf rubbings (no interest) and watching "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." Wow, that is the worst movie EVER. Will not be making a repeat appearance on a future must-do fall list. </div>
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And with that, we can now move on to our Winter Bucket List. What perfect timing, as today is the first day of winter, and look at that, we've actually already completed half of the list! </div>
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Stay warm, my friends.</div>
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J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15895171514889375501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-988614068124565966.post-32474525227642756492013-12-21T06:00:00.000-05:002013-12-21T06:00:03.988-05:00Lake Geneva GetawayThis past Thanksgiving (American rather than Canadian), our little family and another little family rented a house together near Lake Geneva, Wisconsin for a week away. Oh, it was just what I needed. An entire week of wearing yoga pants, sleeping in, watching tv, playing board games, and little else - heaven!<br />
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The weather was so cold we went outside only a few times the entire week, which is unheard of considering dog walks at the very least are a part of our daily life. But, holy crap, winter appeared out of nowhere and even bundled in layers, we were numb within minutes! One day we bravely ventured out for a nature walk in a nearby park and enjoyed the first real snow of the season.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcfrt0py_MtgWdpy71ldN4azZr6YWMXy6gT4JA80LPDPGBx7e36BT_7Avl9IjJur-ungiwEkvUUvQyP3jZ8v3FZvQ06Ck3_Hw6MQOfFF-Jt7VhNSIwiBYFMBK5aiBEb0BbjVoIgGhOxPw/s1600/DSC_0123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcfrt0py_MtgWdpy71ldN4azZr6YWMXy6gT4JA80LPDPGBx7e36BT_7Avl9IjJur-ungiwEkvUUvQyP3jZ8v3FZvQ06Ck3_Hw6MQOfFF-Jt7VhNSIwiBYFMBK5aiBEb0BbjVoIgGhOxPw/s640/DSC_0123.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duct tape is required to keep mittens on. </td></tr>
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Although M had to work a few hours most days, it was just so great having an extra pair of hands around to help with Little m and keep her entertained. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4TQHT9jOMK9Kkk5fn-hnOehIN6Mmjny-xl9567PdV846U7blLaoA8DsVHeNT-zxfO5vFwwPT3llVF515bRwIF07K-JYaPaFYGjXScAYXkrYqTaaBDg8yW4EAZUlCdZIE82bZRThSago/s1600/DSC_0134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4TQHT9jOMK9Kkk5fn-hnOehIN6Mmjny-xl9567PdV846U7blLaoA8DsVHeNT-zxfO5vFwwPT3llVF515bRwIF07K-JYaPaFYGjXScAYXkrYqTaaBDg8yW4EAZUlCdZIE82bZRThSago/s640/DSC_0134.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to fix daddy's nose. Good luck! ;)<br /><div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-size: small;">At the last minute I decided to cook Thanksgiving dinner and since I wasn't making everything from scratch like I usually do, the meal came together so quickly and easily. And it was good! Much better than the hot turkey sandwiches we were going to get an a local dive. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOFlG-8rJD5oO7ePys3LUGb67_n0ihmKGijnbDmLPASrr_dFrvXqNv-WtmAKQXDIs3awWseM2yL76pVRltfrf3SAuUTCBGkBdRntkXM27CKxYVyPkLRyIvlaFGHOWjgxeFuQAoUBcj3qU/s1600/DSC_0133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOFlG-8rJD5oO7ePys3LUGb67_n0ihmKGijnbDmLPASrr_dFrvXqNv-WtmAKQXDIs3awWseM2yL76pVRltfrf3SAuUTCBGkBdRntkXM27CKxYVyPkLRyIvlaFGHOWjgxeFuQAoUBcj3qU/s400/DSC_0133.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yum! </td></tr>
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We celebrated the other mama's birthday while we were there, which included cake at 10am, but what are vacations for if not precisely this?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvMZ1TxLOjXQLALEqPpAHTBOx96uVgFJY2pofZjTu0ORziNeOyGT7vTwBjN_GqmlndYjjQJPf3oTTFxnX1-hp5ZEP8oK97o-0F38Az7lRPJZUtelsCKo-AApI-bnhDSnYO59p94Nf5jA/s1600/DSC_0139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvMZ1TxLOjXQLALEqPpAHTBOx96uVgFJY2pofZjTu0ORziNeOyGT7vTwBjN_GqmlndYjjQJPf3oTTFxnX1-hp5ZEP8oK97o-0F38Az7lRPJZUtelsCKo-AApI-bnhDSnYO59p94Nf5jA/s400/DSC_0139.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday celebration!</td></tr>
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Little m had too much fun playing with her little friend and they ran around like maniacs all day long, just like kids should.<br />
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It was a wonderful week away and a nice break from reality, plus I was able to finish my Christmas shopping online and take advantage of all the Black Friday sales. Score!<br />
J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15895171514889375501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-988614068124565966.post-5118662073835161602013-12-20T22:27:00.000-05:002013-12-20T22:27:11.110-05:00A Spooktacular Halloween<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
As I sit here five days before Christmas, with Home Alone playing in the background of course, I figured it's time to post about Little m's Halloween fun. And my, what fun it was. Chicago really knows how to celebrate! We attended so many great activities this year and it was absolutely adorable watching the excitement in my little gal's eyes.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVzYJ8CfDaMXBw9XMzy1uACdX7IdXoIKdLPt1tJXdLZxheEouRvhr7XT5lzp8vCp8l_BHsFUPImVMoj_o_n9kvPSQ5Lb95_193yybwTZCW4Cn1hXtp_IIgn4DvBqtjSNE31AoUH750wiw/s1600/pumpkin.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVzYJ8CfDaMXBw9XMzy1uACdX7IdXoIKdLPt1tJXdLZxheEouRvhr7XT5lzp8vCp8l_BHsFUPImVMoj_o_n9kvPSQ5Lb95_193yybwTZCW4Cn1hXtp_IIgn4DvBqtjSNE31AoUH750wiw/s400/pumpkin.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carving pumpkins at Whole Foods Market<br />
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<tr><td><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbndbb1aBEJri431_d_jIynBiwujwgrmYn_loKd3GaHlaBelUrjsTLhDqGRuVLSXbXgqI_dHbT5akFfsEICVQ97WcynJy1cVjT8AHyMNlLEd_ME5kvOc3Zno0LIeGUShz9EhqYSQifCoo/s400/photo+(1).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Crafting!<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhED5lpvh_T377zfyTS1ds5rijZ9CKM6G3n0ujijqVYDikEEMHmGY04b0An9ywfKazqEHaW1UBT31-7AiPrKYuvosqXbEcG6JQVTkwKsT_G5GC__TJHZuJ7XaEAeu3VoJI8lyogFpv9d6U/s1600/DSC_0207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhED5lpvh_T377zfyTS1ds5rijZ9CKM6G3n0ujijqVYDikEEMHmGY04b0An9ywfKazqEHaW1UBT31-7AiPrKYuvosqXbEcG6JQVTkwKsT_G5GC__TJHZuJ7XaEAeu3VoJI8lyogFpv9d6U/s400/DSC_0207.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">PJ pumpkin carving party!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkpUa3f9SdvLLYzlVv-qSA5tsWlROnMkbysg28wFIpb2YlWrSguRBAFTbDkf_1FQg1nkBb9jzT55wpNwzA483DNN4x6Ax8Ic9jHtEnDT1rD3HyLhibSfRZB0Q3x32rw2p3UTevD0ZFYg/s1600/DSC_0114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkpUa3f9SdvLLYzlVv-qSA5tsWlROnMkbysg28wFIpb2YlWrSguRBAFTbDkf_1FQg1nkBb9jzT55wpNwzA483DNN4x6Ax8Ic9jHtEnDT1rD3HyLhibSfRZB0Q3x32rw2p3UTevD0ZFYg/s400/DSC_0114.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So great seeing all our toddler friends dressed up!</td></tr>
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Last year I randomly stopped at a garage sale and found two cozy costumes for 50 cents each, hence why I bought them both. Little m chose to dress up as a spider for a party at her daddy's work and my mom's group annual Halloween lunch - both on the same day, what an exciting time that was!<br />
For the Halloween festival at our local park plus for the real deal, Halloween night, she chose the butterfly costume. Plenty of room for a coat underneath, which sadly, was a necessity this year.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-nymEnRUIio8aO1qr3e-HBNT03Bq0h7RKECNyDcfb6DohMHOH3hNjE-TJH2TWXSSOijcIeMxGUBziCveyv0QIsbO2mWHXNUXssP-H3P4KEoWYOEPT2HVkfesZR12NkZaBW72IcnTKEjY/s1600/IMG_5733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-nymEnRUIio8aO1qr3e-HBNT03Bq0h7RKECNyDcfb6DohMHOH3hNjE-TJH2TWXSSOijcIeMxGUBziCveyv0QIsbO2mWHXNUXssP-H3P4KEoWYOEPT2HVkfesZR12NkZaBW72IcnTKEjY/s400/IMG_5733.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Decorating pumpkins at Wicker Park Boopalooza</td></tr>
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Actually, it was more like umbrellas and rain coats were a necessity this year, but thankfully after the first 20 minutes of trick or treating, the rain let up. Trick or treating was so much fun but I can't even count how many sets of stairs I walked up and down. I was one tired mama by the end of the night! Little m became a pro at saying trick or treat and she especially loved when people let her choose her own candies! My little trooper spent close to two hours trick or treating on a couple of nearby streets that go all out every year.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndAGixMbULPYbTFkGSnobH68bZzTGeBYNOmYl9LbGT2CU50_7RXkdRdfGmiRKDpDZztb9RzpZieNyesqKmeUp8le8vkC-jwvnsjYuRgd_NDqkXHQBmrvNe4u8KZjw_59TKAHACknP5kY/s1600/IMG_5766.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndAGixMbULPYbTFkGSnobH68bZzTGeBYNOmYl9LbGT2CU50_7RXkdRdfGmiRKDpDZztb9RzpZieNyesqKmeUp8le8vkC-jwvnsjYuRgd_NDqkXHQBmrvNe4u8KZjw_59TKAHACknP5kY/s400/IMG_5766.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Halloween!</td></tr>
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My parents visited over Halloween this year, which was a lot of fun, and they brought this cool light saber with them for Little m to carry around. So cute. Little m loved helping her granny fill up treat bags to pass out. To wait the rain out we practiced playing hide and seek by hiding treats up granny's pant legs and having Little M find them. Too funny.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNYfvQukhj4UxyLUGjvMPp9Syh2PpCC9t2VIWBSZZtP29UPQ2hMbpaSZQoAzeLt0X2_3o9t0Dr-9_gwuugOdPHgRsynoLPG5H8F8xQu8MhwbhKVvFxQ0VgYt1MG5diNWT5DTffrGR7M0/s1600/IMG_5754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNYfvQukhj4UxyLUGjvMPp9Syh2PpCC9t2VIWBSZZtP29UPQ2hMbpaSZQoAzeLt0X2_3o9t0Dr-9_gwuugOdPHgRsynoLPG5H8F8xQu8MhwbhKVvFxQ0VgYt1MG5diNWT5DTffrGR7M0/s320/IMG_5754.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Counting out treats</td></tr>
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The lead up to Halloween night was just as much fun as everything else, I must say. This year Little m painted a pumpkin and then we stuck Mrs. Potato Head eyes, mouth, and arms in it. It turned out really cute and lasted SO much longer than the pumpkins we carved.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0neyg8_KE1Ad0YEead95b3xWX0NYiM9ggeu0DVVxcX9WSdR2ga3W6kj4Ld002hwZuaajlx0EOPhp8lCit-AfrsHZCvLu6dgxcQxCAEpIVI3djWqZs1EIPqjU_whKg5VmKvJMdIe9GT-A/s1600/DSC_0194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0neyg8_KE1Ad0YEead95b3xWX0NYiM9ggeu0DVVxcX9WSdR2ga3W6kj4Ld002hwZuaajlx0EOPhp8lCit-AfrsHZCvLu6dgxcQxCAEpIVI3djWqZs1EIPqjU_whKg5VmKvJMdIe9GT-A/s400/DSC_0194.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painting her very own pumpkin</td></tr>
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Actually, to be honest, I will tell you that I threw our pumpkins out just a week ago after digging them out from underneath a pile of snow. Two holidays collided at our house this year as our pumpkins sat for a couple of weeks in the glow of the Christmas lights!<br />
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I can't wait to see what next year brings! </div>
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J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15895171514889375501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-988614068124565966.post-47797085619423042182013-11-24T22:24:00.002-05:002013-11-24T22:24:57.754-05:00First New Hairdo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kOIVX3AFAGO6_GbmhvRqdNOhifM5mcZK4diOrE2mM1eq-HaU3rvg_ng5lUM_H1GVkNsM0LkT69-S5xGuBvB1g0KxE4-DwEgxEBma7fxiJ8mY_aYXLH4cwYkYdDeEN-lKkn2_99eXPo8/s1600/IMG_5699.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kOIVX3AFAGO6_GbmhvRqdNOhifM5mcZK4diOrE2mM1eq-HaU3rvg_ng5lUM_H1GVkNsM0LkT69-S5xGuBvB1g0KxE4-DwEgxEBma7fxiJ8mY_aYXLH4cwYkYdDeEN-lKkn2_99eXPo8/s400/IMG_5699.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
Little m had her first haircut back in October for no other reason than the fact that I won a mother-daughter haircut and it was about to expire. I probably would have let it keep growing since the ends had the most delicious curls, but I must admit that it does look a bit tamer, especially on the days where I remember to brush it :)<br />
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Watching Diego kept her totally occupied and I'm not sure she even realized what was happening! Oh my big girl, it did not phase her one bit. She is just the cutest.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15895171514889375501noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-988614068124565966.post-80888462190449538022013-11-03T22:48:00.001-05:002013-11-03T22:48:27.766-05:00Good Reads LatelyThis year one of my <a href="http://ramblingsofawanderlust.blogspot.com/2013/02/36-in-365-2013-edition.html" target="_blank">36 in 365 goals</a> was to read 25 books from my <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/" target="_blank">goodreads</a> list. I'm happy to say I've blown this one out of the water and am already on my 30th book with two months still left in the year. And only one of them did I have to listen to on double speed in order to finish in time for my book club meeting! Some are newer and some are older but hopefully this list of my favourites will help you find a book that you can't put down, because isn't that just the best? All of the summaries and images are copied from goodreads.com.<br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpGYCF6vPllfBKZ5lrBjwnJnfLBPM98UglYfp3YUvW2qdkkyf5IyO9C1dTvemhyphenhyphenlF2WBzXYhcuNCd1yET9RjToIUnXYw8P1k1EFD4cEbXCbty4AtxuES8BbO2B34Y0DJYNZv8T1QWT5dM/s1600/hotel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpGYCF6vPllfBKZ5lrBjwnJnfLBPM98UglYfp3YUvW2qdkkyf5IyO9C1dTvemhyphenhyphenlF2WBzXYhcuNCd1yET9RjToIUnXYw8P1k1EFD4cEbXCbty4AtxuES8BbO2B34Y0DJYNZv8T1QWT5dM/s200/hotel.jpg" width="133" /></a><b>Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford</b><br />
Henry Lee comes upon a crowd gathered outside the Panama Hotel, once the gateway to Seattle's Japantown. It has been boarded up for decades, but now the new owner has made an incredible discovery: the belongings of Japanese families, left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World War II. As Henry looks on, the owner opens a Japanese parasol...<br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5eJVh07DHS-dWMhjGFDYhG4OwMHvXlwvVAsbTMf2tlfKmH76NSONxu9iwdr_7GTuOm1QDY1SZKYllkaJ4wXV_68z0TKTovQUuF0q7gs4PGDS9fFvBoigdoEuzrLvgL43P_4HAWl_ITdA/s1600/beside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5eJVh07DHS-dWMhjGFDYhG4OwMHvXlwvVAsbTMf2tlfKmH76NSONxu9iwdr_7GTuOm1QDY1SZKYllkaJ4wXV_68z0TKTovQUuF0q7gs4PGDS9fFvBoigdoEuzrLvgL43P_4HAWl_ITdA/s200/beside.jpg" width="132" /></a><b>We are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler</b><br />
Meet the Cooke family. Our narrator is Rosemary Cooke. As a child, she never stopped talking; as a young woman, she has wrapped herself in silence: the silence of intentional forgetting, of protective cover. Something happened, something so awful she has buried it in the recesses of her mind...<br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNuDkoMTn-uwbW0Zh2BSzo98eMh6jpZJnrNlle5NbVjB9965-3CxF3U8E6GgZ2pkd542VvPO1dFsqPIbwGFfK6Onh6Pc3dTYK9-89YBpX44kVTt_QlbGqiz02ETSFZ5sCo_Sa9NI2-Dx4/s1600/girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNuDkoMTn-uwbW0Zh2BSzo98eMh6jpZJnrNlle5NbVjB9965-3CxF3U8E6GgZ2pkd542VvPO1dFsqPIbwGFfK6Onh6Pc3dTYK9-89YBpX44kVTt_QlbGqiz02ETSFZ5sCo_Sa9NI2-Dx4/s200/girl.jpg" width="132" /></a><b>Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok</b><br />
When Kimberly Chang and her mother emigrate from Hong Kong to Brooklyn squalor, she quickly begins a secret double life: exceptional schoolgirl during the day, Chinatown sweatshop worked int he evenings. Disguising the more difficult truths of her life like the staggering degree of her poverty, the weight of her family's future resting on he shoulders, or her secret love for a factory boy who shares none of her talent or ambition. Kimberly learns to constantly translate not just her language but herself back and forth between the worlds she straddles...<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2oY5RJnRbPtEmM6KpWRl2fBJ4JDNmMDvMA2vsVkM7LvX3Tp0JC42-5pdFCZo6v8ToKlUDXxoZF3Ee3gE8a44PH72Z2hQd9m4xwrF92x1QbmkvEi37IE8VjeqqPqU55w7JMN1w1lgORQ/s1600/fault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2oY5RJnRbPtEmM6KpWRl2fBJ4JDNmMDvMA2vsVkM7LvX3Tp0JC42-5pdFCZo6v8ToKlUDXxoZF3Ee3gE8a44PH72Z2hQd9m4xwrF92x1QbmkvEi37IE8VjeqqPqU55w7JMN1w1lgORQ/s200/fault.jpg" width="129" /></a><b>The Fault in Our Stars by John Green</b><br />
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist names Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten...<br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil44Qv3-yhXuF8s-eSQPvGy5EFlxS4d8CX5-5z54RALqOhd1LPehr7XYZDxUGx4dAEXAE8FGxlBhtSgKbdU2q-rdvNAlJXWsBrfEpvsT7-QNNk7OHgqmWnMLK4Vu25cWHD7KzdBJXd524/s1600/snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil44Qv3-yhXuF8s-eSQPvGy5EFlxS4d8CX5-5z54RALqOhd1LPehr7XYZDxUGx4dAEXAE8FGxlBhtSgKbdU2q-rdvNAlJXWsBrfEpvsT7-QNNk7OHgqmWnMLK4Vu25cWHD7KzdBJXd524/s200/snow.jpg" width="127" /></a><br />
<b>Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See</b><div>
In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, "old same," in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. The laotong, Snow Flower, introduces herself by sending Lily a silk fan on which she's painted a poem in nu shu, a unique language that Chinese women created in order to communicate in secret, away from the influence of men. As the years pass, Lily and Snow Flower send messages on fans, compose stories on handkerchiefs, reaching out of isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments...</div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSOvK2xY-VPkSf1lGVlfoo_I9mzvuhp0iqpevs1aA9GKdQyd9ojzAlFaVwi4E4_99VeYhXrBxodbeC4o0Xxyet7QNAQQ4k0pxwzUkvaM54Q-jYQy1THLhURqlkZKwL63BMewEjQLXeDcU/s1600/wonder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSOvK2xY-VPkSf1lGVlfoo_I9mzvuhp0iqpevs1aA9GKdQyd9ojzAlFaVwi4E4_99VeYhXrBxodbeC4o0Xxyet7QNAQQ4k0pxwzUkvaM54Q-jYQy1THLhURqlkZKwL63BMewEjQLXeDcU/s200/wonder.jpg" width="132" /></a><b>Wonder by R.J. Palacio</b></div>
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August Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school - until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?...</div>
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Have you read any of these titles? If not, give one a try and let me know how you like it! </div>
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J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15895171514889375501noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-988614068124565966.post-78596859617520122762013-10-24T21:36:00.000-04:002013-10-24T21:36:33.397-04:00A Day at the Orchard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I have such fond memories of apple picking during the fall season as a child. We were fortunate to have a big orchard minutes from our house growing up. Here in Chicago, the closest orchards are an hour away, which isn't horrible, but it takes a bit more planning that a five minute drive. A few weekends ago, we packed the car up and headed out to <a href="http://www.countylineorchard.com/" target="_blank">County Line Orchard</a> in Indiana. We got there right for opening at 9am and I'm glad we did because it just got busier and busier throughout the day. </div>
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First up, was the children's farm. Little m is obsessed with animals and she basically ran around like a maniac saying, "More anmals! Real anmals!" This girl has no fear and is more than happy to feed and pet anything that will get close enough to her. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsEybLLnIb0RVkrHhAv0wymppM_0Opyedu1AEt7hX5v0lq6iSOhHQSBOp3aqWjYFix0hxUONVlUrAUZALqvllMlMj4sbuxJfELjJlgcfKYaFPYzdf32GnDHSbtM48F-aok5aA0HIylh9o/s1600/DSC_0114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsEybLLnIb0RVkrHhAv0wymppM_0Opyedu1AEt7hX5v0lq6iSOhHQSBOp3aqWjYFix0hxUONVlUrAUZALqvllMlMj4sbuxJfELjJlgcfKYaFPYzdf32GnDHSbtM48F-aok5aA0HIylh9o/s400/DSC_0114.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlf8Ebnw3OUVJH8oHa1ZDkxkZsJC0jToToqKdMkV-tDaOAAhBeCATI3QTv_VtqrHUj0VEv0Q0NbX91LfJvtbGnaWjkzEnlSWz3sjP_uVtuH5prdVbLg_W_bB346Frh_AUTmuHheLu1nT0/s1600/DSC_0110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlf8Ebnw3OUVJH8oHa1ZDkxkZsJC0jToToqKdMkV-tDaOAAhBeCATI3QTv_VtqrHUj0VEv0Q0NbX91LfJvtbGnaWjkzEnlSWz3sjP_uVtuH5prdVbLg_W_bB346Frh_AUTmuHheLu1nT0/s400/DSC_0110.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Next up we took the "Moo Choo" tractor ride around the farm and orchard. It was a bit of a tight squeeze with the two of us. As we passed the orchard, Little m just kept pointing in amazement that apples were actually growing from trees! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UQ9WmEtqPa9JyyI5WSTnfsqGvNlPVFy4GUo22pV1ohfB4Tr_1-ETFIP0gUy_9gHpvFfN3bMZRtzvSV5-4CYpNW3k9QfrVZNzNxQF3fAJBKXINkeI4HWYPio9NhHP3ByN89i1qKCbe4Q/s1600/DSC_0124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UQ9WmEtqPa9JyyI5WSTnfsqGvNlPVFy4GUo22pV1ohfB4Tr_1-ETFIP0gUy_9gHpvFfN3bMZRtzvSV5-4CYpNW3k9QfrVZNzNxQF3fAJBKXINkeI4HWYPio9NhHP3ByN89i1qKCbe4Q/s400/DSC_0124.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Next up, we hopped onto the tractor to hitch a ride to the corn maze. It was a very exciting ride for the little one!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzjhmKd6qd3mRrPFycvl8p9YrtUyM3nhm9cSwchYspNM9u1NxtnwJbXkah13WnBMwF3xB7BsJEuPKbl4poakCpa-FOCtGFEiAi7uo8zzbEGcQM1wocJus5UYV7Dzy_u8BzVJuyZ-xKhA/s1600/DSC_0132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzjhmKd6qd3mRrPFycvl8p9YrtUyM3nhm9cSwchYspNM9u1NxtnwJbXkah13WnBMwF3xB7BsJEuPKbl4poakCpa-FOCtGFEiAi7uo8zzbEGcQM1wocJus5UYV7Dzy_u8BzVJuyZ-xKhA/s400/DSC_0132.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The pumpkin patch came later, and I was reminded how difficult it is to get a good picture of an active toddler! Here is her pained "cheese" expression!<br />
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And finally, apple picking! We ended up with 13 pounds of a variety of apples, plus our fair share of taste testing while picking. I think Little m ate her weight!<br />
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And after a busy morning, we ended with a picnic lunch where we fought off the bees while eating pb&j plus delicious (still warm!) pumpkin and apple donuts from the orchard's bakery. So good.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-41q12JCL8GrTuXd8__H9Dlj3oUFehDgte_8DcoOfaeKZCgsg4ym6FZLVQE-ABj2xwIFgah-xSU8qf4dFymmuFADO5cY5nXNVMs2J9SFetXIaTSzSyNBWaAbIOFcHYQHTfg8qiSGgFvU/s1600/DSC_0177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-41q12JCL8GrTuXd8__H9Dlj3oUFehDgte_8DcoOfaeKZCgsg4ym6FZLVQE-ABj2xwIFgah-xSU8qf4dFymmuFADO5cY5nXNVMs2J9SFetXIaTSzSyNBWaAbIOFcHYQHTfg8qiSGgFvU/s640/DSC_0177.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Finally, I was able to capture a real smile and I think it shows how much she enjoyed our day at the orchard. This will definitely become a yearly tradition! </div>
J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15895171514889375501noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-988614068124565966.post-67907834594686555422013-10-10T23:24:00.000-04:002013-10-10T23:24:15.716-04:00Eleven Years in the MakingIn the past few years of having this blog I've talked about M's exam writing only a handful of times. In reality, these exams have consumed our lives for the last eleven years. ELEVEN! And I say "our" lives lightly. Of course I am affected by them (especially after having a child and having to be a single parent) but I'm not the one who has to write them, so really, I have no idea.<br />
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But I do think it's important to document this painful! experience because in a few years, the memories will be distant.<br />
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Since I've known M he's been writing two exams a year, an April sitting and a November sitting, with many online modules and assignments thrown in just for extra fun. Each exam required four months of preparation and hundreds of hours of studying. It was pretty much impossible to make weekend plans. Easter holiday was missed every year. Stress stress stress. Tears and heartbreak at bad results. Feelings of failure, inadequacy, and questioning - is it really worth it? Heavy hearted celebration at good results, knowing that studying for the next exam would begin too soon. Not being able to fully relax during the two months it took for results to come out. Thousands of dollars spent on exam fees and books. Anxiety and <a href="http://ramblingsofawanderlust.blogspot.com/2009/04/stressdreamscraziness.html" target="_blank">dreams about bugs</a> in the middle of the night. People comparing these exams to a CPA or CMA - just don't. And still, even after reading this, not fully comprehending this long process unless you've lived it.<br />
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Anyway, all of that is over now.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg2EUfDg4CZjQyTIz49eFkkbST0K9xrRyZtxAqDMJoHBtZXvWCrFjP5M5ZGLTdvipN3OofBg3jPhUIEEP_GeKbt-uQYcCeCgQF1SRzWRmDR3Ud6O2gaSSTb1ekNwn5GNKKrVps4YWFwQ/s1600/soa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg2EUfDg4CZjQyTIz49eFkkbST0K9xrRyZtxAqDMJoHBtZXvWCrFjP5M5ZGLTdvipN3OofBg3jPhUIEEP_GeKbt-uQYcCeCgQF1SRzWRmDR3Ud6O2gaSSTb1ekNwn5GNKKrVps4YWFwQ/s400/soa.jpg" width="225" /></a>On July 12, we found out M passed his very last exam. It was the second happiest day of my life! Usually I am overly eager to check the website for results but this year I just couldn't make myself do it. M signed up to receive a text message, which he received at the 18th hole of a golf game he was playing. A minute later he texted me "OMG!". Instant tears and then it was party time.<br />
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We were at a family cottage during this time and when M got home from his golf game, everyone stood in the doorway, giving him a round of applause and hooting and hollering. Haha, it was quite funny, but even now, just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes.<br />
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I'm so unbelievable proud of my husband for his determination and hard work! And so happy not to have to share him anymore.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8blj4AhcUnOU3ukJv8fAjSXBMahmiesdjRjk6OplTYiVZmsPZxfSh1FYw8oRSYwe_T92AwUOuROWSP9BkAlS9C3SJLubXh4VIgO7ne6HDsngW5n290BWtQcOIM2IEOyxJY8Y0jta2m0/s1600/photo+(16).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8blj4AhcUnOU3ukJv8fAjSXBMahmiesdjRjk6OplTYiVZmsPZxfSh1FYw8oRSYwe_T92AwUOuROWSP9BkAlS9C3SJLubXh4VIgO7ne6HDsngW5n290BWtQcOIM2IEOyxJY8Y0jta2m0/s400/photo+(16).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good riddance. </td></tr>
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<br />J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15895171514889375501noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-988614068124565966.post-75532042036931129532013-10-03T22:21:00.002-04:002013-10-03T22:21:40.069-04:00Fall Bucket ListThis is the first October in many years that M hasn't had to study for an exam. I am thrilled! I love all of the fun fall activities and it's so much better experiencing them as a family as opposed to just me and my gal. I have a love of lists so it made sense to create a "Fall Bucket List".<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwqgFHbOnjQY0mEqPMAx9Ky38miXzq2Qn4v0qVVG_MCuhtNcOu6LSBFglPETcWfXHRUOfs9wGTPgm-CNj5pxlCwfRy-Vo0O6S7w8a2kzRTmlduy6ndnGtYmUVJLLjpfd4N8so5HzC2Z9w/s1600/insta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwqgFHbOnjQY0mEqPMAx9Ky38miXzq2Qn4v0qVVG_MCuhtNcOu6LSBFglPETcWfXHRUOfs9wGTPgm-CNj5pxlCwfRy-Vo0O6S7w8a2kzRTmlduy6ndnGtYmUVJLLjpfd4N8so5HzC2Z9w/s640/insta.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It makes me happy every time I open my cupboard door and see the list. It's also nice to have ideas readily available for weekends or days that I'm not working, plus it gets us out of the house, which is the only way to keep my little one out of trouble.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDryI9zRHKnHInWvPsCn5I4BZsuyxqkP_hSh2PxpaZc2Z6a0Gud_CyFIleHtt9SbxVVAJnAo9GI3ar-BNFySTeQKESLTMIQpdBLfGIcNdnkhZR7fAiCIf6HlghGNazwecM-ovdL0yw_c/s1600/bucketlist+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDryI9zRHKnHInWvPsCn5I4BZsuyxqkP_hSh2PxpaZc2Z6a0Gud_CyFIleHtt9SbxVVAJnAo9GI3ar-BNFySTeQKESLTMIQpdBLfGIcNdnkhZR7fAiCIf6HlghGNazwecM-ovdL0yw_c/s400/bucketlist+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
And doesn't it feel great being able to check things off a list? We're not far into fall and we can already check off hay ride! It was a hay ride through the city streets, but still a hay ride, right?<br />
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What's on your must-do list for this season?J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15895171514889375501noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-988614068124565966.post-16655644494490893552013-10-02T17:05:00.001-04:002013-10-02T17:05:54.164-04:00Ice Cream SocialIt's been a month and a half since Little m turned two but I can't not document the big day! Horror of all horrors! Last year, for her first birthday, I hosted a <a href="http://ramblingsofawanderlust.blogspot.com/2012/10/little-ms-first-birthday-party.html" target="_blank">rainbow themed party</a> at my parents' house back in Canada. It was so much fun, but this year I really wanted to do something in Chicago that included all of her little friends. And obviously, I know this party was more for me than for Little m, but after having a child (and with the invention of Pinterest), party planning has turned enjoyable for me.<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWgBYG7R2lNJ0GdxvcIoM4fqsYGmyrjL_0s7VPnqgMNTAPDQsVUNGqsfTYaQ_w952ghZDQEvZPgBap8t4r1OJIGdA3HGHAWmbpT1OWNrX2I01aa7QmCxIsfzpP3H6HnFKUIhCi7Xb1-s/s1600/DSC_0042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWgBYG7R2lNJ0GdxvcIoM4fqsYGmyrjL_0s7VPnqgMNTAPDQsVUNGqsfTYaQ_w952ghZDQEvZPgBap8t4r1OJIGdA3HGHAWmbpT1OWNrX2I01aa7QmCxIsfzpP3H6HnFKUIhCi7Xb1-s/s400/DSC_0042.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and the birthday girl!</td></tr>
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I wanted something simple, so chose an "Ice Cream Social" theme. It was not simple. Not at all. Actually, planning was simple, but the execution was not. I arrived home the day before the party after a week away in Washington D.C., and had to clean the house, shop for groceries, prepare everything, etc. all the night before and morning of. Thank goodness I had major major help from my parents, or I probably would have spontaneously combusted. My mother-in-law also assisted with some food prep, which was nice. M didn't arrive home until the day of the party, so I couldn't even load him up with jobs. Anyway, everything turned out well - if you enjoy being surrounded by screaming toddlers, that is. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxsqT7wk6LRIH2fS2bK-QPRTuS0ewkG0KF9501VQcSvIpaLE9T61GOb3d8OtmzFViUnW1XqEhxWudFLOqx2_EiO2vqMWM8pqJyxS5iG0Sxv8TJsHdzrYFir0nIkkFU0A5sM15c2PSHu4/s1600/DSCN0219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxsqT7wk6LRIH2fS2bK-QPRTuS0ewkG0KF9501VQcSvIpaLE9T61GOb3d8OtmzFViUnW1XqEhxWudFLOqx2_EiO2vqMWM8pqJyxS5iG0Sxv8TJsHdzrYFir0nIkkFU0A5sM15c2PSHu4/s320/DSCN0219.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Let's get to it. </div>
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The party was at 3:30pm, so I served finger foods that I thought both adults and kids would like: tons of veggies and dip, cheese and crackers, grapes, cherries, and heart shaped watermelon pieces, tortilla chips with chicken salsa dip from Treasure Island grocery store (to die for), and the ever favourite crowd pleaser - bacon wrapped water chestnuts. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6JrT199CvJ2ZFE7J0mNN7BH2AXp0cT5D14xeeZHByhHKT5ElIb7Wx1-78ylrhoyKANszkzdJwJyW4sksST_2IBnhrV8w-SoZWRLZdyokaPVHxbKNYxQExNPMlbERtMLsPl_faQX_YGc/s1600/DSC_0041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6JrT199CvJ2ZFE7J0mNN7BH2AXp0cT5D14xeeZHByhHKT5ElIb7Wx1-78ylrhoyKANszkzdJwJyW4sksST_2IBnhrV8w-SoZWRLZdyokaPVHxbKNYxQExNPMlbERtMLsPl_faQX_YGc/s640/DSC_0041.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I spent WAY too much time and effort filling water balloons and freezing them to create ice cubes and it was an utter Pinterest fail. Water balloons are so thin that they break easily if touched by anything, including juice boxes! It wasn't a big deal since the ice was already frozen but I will not be attempting that again. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifkRpExEBbGx9oVFlFwe9ghIlkDXs-eo-wW0EiLWWX85udqJftqkyNs0dz7OEr2_LaEGD-6oCw-PPMhJ8M9he3eN-515eQC2II8YoBZBEPxXkSwFbWPoTPCyNtqbDiBCX4Lr4OCILmpng/s1600/DSC_0040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifkRpExEBbGx9oVFlFwe9ghIlkDXs-eo-wW0EiLWWX85udqJftqkyNs0dz7OEr2_LaEGD-6oCw-PPMhJ8M9he3eN-515eQC2II8YoBZBEPxXkSwFbWPoTPCyNtqbDiBCX4Lr4OCILmpng/s400/DSC_0040.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjplyUFZWAsBN6bMeTnr7X4fLJ5E3DutRUROXWdRywMwzirGObsGW8T8QBVzE-sV5WXIz0XNBSx5hOufpBjPnItRyaFHhwFF_Fdt4pO2HHDP-Mw79tl7-mPWbJP3_ko2FKE_YkB6e7jWOI/s1600/DSCN0249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjplyUFZWAsBN6bMeTnr7X4fLJ5E3DutRUROXWdRywMwzirGObsGW8T8QBVzE-sV5WXIz0XNBSx5hOufpBjPnItRyaFHhwFF_Fdt4pO2HHDP-Mw79tl7-mPWbJP3_ko2FKE_YkB6e7jWOI/s320/DSCN0249.JPG" width="320" /></a>For dessert I bought a ton of ice cream and frozen yogurt, all types of cones and waffle bowls, plus all the fixings for ice cream sundaes. I cannot find the equivalent to a Bulk Barn in Chicago, so I had my mom pick up a lot of the toppings, which included: blueberries, raspberries, mini marshmallows, gummi bears, chopped up oreos, reece's pieces, homemade brownie crumbles, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, chocolate sprinkles, and maraschino cherries to top it all off. We had lots of leftovers, which I was not too upset over ;).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVxb-1YEMJsUkZeU4qguRY03RCExlRJkz3I2NiiTiI4S-vkXwM-1BumpS5Kf0X5hRkBgnzfdvBGiGn_Te4JgykP75RG6xLGOfqkRZzXQAcFA5QTmUjM-aoPx62IeL70luh6o3m4eEjHSA/s1600/DSCN0255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVxb-1YEMJsUkZeU4qguRY03RCExlRJkz3I2NiiTiI4S-vkXwM-1BumpS5Kf0X5hRkBgnzfdvBGiGn_Te4JgykP75RG6xLGOfqkRZzXQAcFA5QTmUjM-aoPx62IeL70luh6o3m4eEjHSA/s640/DSCN0255.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Instead of a more traditional goodie bag, I sent the kids home with a rice krispie treat in the shape of a sundae, inside of a chocolate sprinkled waffle cone. It turned out less cute than the example I saw on Pinterest, but such is life. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSCxzxiPnGnp_iGdwandqn8cwzldGfqpyaoCl1an40IWxj1vACslZLWaSNe6kj2EMAwa_fNGe6tIbqhiVdgynG-HXeLegqwDZqJk4_KgBuIHQEdJL9lIqYSflcLHRGMVexPRJBzfnwoQ8/s1600/DSCN0253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSCxzxiPnGnp_iGdwandqn8cwzldGfqpyaoCl1an40IWxj1vACslZLWaSNe6kj2EMAwa_fNGe6tIbqhiVdgynG-HXeLegqwDZqJk4_KgBuIHQEdJL9lIqYSflcLHRGMVexPRJBzfnwoQ8/s400/DSCN0253.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This little monkey pretended to be so bashful during the birthday song, but we all know she was enjoying every moment.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivXlX-iY0x6ifSYjzjZlWq2hoTTcnzofYzIiYWsoZ0clS8W8cpa2hD0jqkyUnntZXODlvSzHbu5UGScCelw81zkBHoiPYz3C2DkZ8KEQVpl_8cVP3F2N1utSF6_7UX-tcQYrqdv9rTGCU/s1600/DSCN0259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivXlX-iY0x6ifSYjzjZlWq2hoTTcnzofYzIiYWsoZ0clS8W8cpa2hD0jqkyUnntZXODlvSzHbu5UGScCelw81zkBHoiPYz3C2DkZ8KEQVpl_8cVP3F2N1utSF6_7UX-tcQYrqdv9rTGCU/s400/DSCN0259.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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And now just for fun, let's compare 1st birthday to 2nd. Look at that hair growth! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZfnc4N2FvwLU-o1DHKXxxkVHOBdZn4_shicqkEeSMTSehbIadb1xplwF-p6kvygw59u66LjAQZsIDQExPhj8VTaMQ6N76AiW8X_Vycqmf1X71jVVnTNHfrqjFO7PCorbjUk5y-hfc2w/s1600/IMG_4341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZfnc4N2FvwLU-o1DHKXxxkVHOBdZn4_shicqkEeSMTSehbIadb1xplwF-p6kvygw59u66LjAQZsIDQExPhj8VTaMQ6N76AiW8X_Vycqmf1X71jVVnTNHfrqjFO7PCorbjUk5y-hfc2w/s320/IMG_4341.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpa84GKwW2xDeSoPM2L5cvKUdOUWDpF23z-x-jpzjsn3kfQJdlLRPQopaSMMn0YT_QK08KcF3VlXneBzvwvqTb53QQJDvfE3CAbh-3038_KjgBEj2n3e2UfOb_BJgUM0FxRPhKLZmym3w/s1600/DSCN0263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpa84GKwW2xDeSoPM2L5cvKUdOUWDpF23z-x-jpzjsn3kfQJdlLRPQopaSMMn0YT_QK08KcF3VlXneBzvwvqTb53QQJDvfE3CAbh-3038_KjgBEj2n3e2UfOb_BJgUM0FxRPhKLZmym3w/s320/DSCN0263.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS3kzpQmsUtR0oUsecRpeUCLrtzU4i_IHKQjk9t6bTN-viQSeKPOZ1uG7PUfVf3JNYI4xLKUoJPm3Ty8AJDUelGXgETOB9_BG11j697P65YOkD0PCz0u-KU1lKW1Gugcky_9Yn8wIqzJE/s1600/DSCN0281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS3kzpQmsUtR0oUsecRpeUCLrtzU4i_IHKQjk9t6bTN-viQSeKPOZ1uG7PUfVf3JNYI4xLKUoJPm3Ty8AJDUelGXgETOB9_BG11j697P65YOkD0PCz0u-KU1lKW1Gugcky_9Yn8wIqzJE/s320/DSCN0281.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a>I think the ice cream was a hit! It was the only time during the party that I could hear myself think over the noise of 12 children :)<br /><br />Exactly 15 minutes after dessert, the sugar high hit and Little m was spinning circles in the middle of the room. Hilarious. </div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span><span style="text-align: center;">Oh, this girl. I just love her to pieces.</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Thank you to all of our friends and family from near and far who came or sent their best wishes for Little m. We had a great day. </span></div>
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J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15895171514889375501noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-988614068124565966.post-59145049313704237852013-09-30T22:33:00.001-04:002013-09-30T22:33:21.575-04:00What Makes Me Happy #8<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(I'm making a list of 101 things that make me happy. Go here to read rounds #<a href="http://ramblingsofawanderlust.blogspot.com/2010/01/what-makes-me-happy.html" target="_blank">1</a>, #<a href="http://ramblingsofawanderlust.blogspot.com/2010/01/what-makes-me-happy-2.html" target="_blank">2</a>, #<a href="http://ramblingsofawanderlust.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-makes-me-happy-3.html" target="_blank">3</a>, #<a href="http://ramblingsofawanderlust.blogspot.com/2010/04/what-makes-me-happy-4.html" target="_blank">4</a>, #<a href="http://ramblingsofawanderlust.blogspot.com/2011/03/what-makes-me-happy-5.html" target="_blank">5</a>, #<a href="http://ramblingsofawanderlust.blogspot.com/2011/09/what-makes-me-happy-6.html" target="_blank">6</a>, and #<a href="http://ramblingsofawanderlust.blogspot.com/2012/02/what-makes-me-happy-7.html" target="_blank">7</a>)</span></div>
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Every day my girl surprises me in some way and makes me laugh. I promise myself I'll remember what she said or did that made me burst out laughing, but too many times it's gone, long gone before I've written it down or shared it with the hubs. Here's my attempt to remember some of those, perhaps, not so unforgettable moments! You know, the times where immediate cleanup is usually necessary, but a picture first is more important? </div>
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33. I was simply trying to put Little m's clothes away after finishing the laundry. Little did I know she had found my makeup bag and decided to have eye shadow for breakfast! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0j19t-9i6dAwNtxtQtqs9kao42eqs8ONDoVedrgHxzAlf8Lx5U-FsIomgdju6DIhyAMCJYjQyjWpxCjxCr-La0PNIC4_NtMFBRpStBphFYOQ2SIBSdvRR9VW1FJXXe2BT6kvBrP-kXJk/s1600/IMG_4506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0j19t-9i6dAwNtxtQtqs9kao42eqs8ONDoVedrgHxzAlf8Lx5U-FsIomgdju6DIhyAMCJYjQyjWpxCjxCr-La0PNIC4_NtMFBRpStBphFYOQ2SIBSdvRR9VW1FJXXe2BT6kvBrP-kXJk/s400/IMG_4506.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">20 month old eye shadow eater</td></tr>
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34. Little m loved going into the cupboards and taking everything out. It kept her happy and busy. This was right around the time we were moving so I probably sat her down there to keep her occupied while I was packing. I didn't realize she also liked opening containers and I found her munching on Earl Grey tea leaves one afternoon. She was a bit hyped up after that little snack! Parenting fail.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjznD8FkNObPMuY3Dq7Y-iphLEs0B00cSIUIi5DB8XpywNUrsSkf0bxfoflNJywh39C4-BNfXLVhY00xAy7Wm-P63WMYFx0Y_sG8TM1FxH-adbYaGzMzFuquL88GAFeReJoAwuB-rfgcYs/s1600/IMG_2897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjznD8FkNObPMuY3Dq7Y-iphLEs0B00cSIUIi5DB8XpywNUrsSkf0bxfoflNJywh39C4-BNfXLVhY00xAy7Wm-P63WMYFx0Y_sG8TM1FxH-adbYaGzMzFuquL88GAFeReJoAwuB-rfgcYs/s400/IMG_2897.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">11 month old tea taster</td></tr>
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35. I guess I didn't learn my lesson and disaster struck again at the new house after playtime in the cupboards. There <i>were</i> elastics around the split peas and beans but apparently she figured out how to remove them. She and the dog kept trying to eat everything off the floor as I was cleaning up, and actually, she's probably nibbling on a piece in the picture below. I'm still finding split peas under my fridge over a year later! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9JIw3B1rVbDmj9Lse9WG3Zar62eQjhMhik6xM6EHK3zgTh47XTARg9K_VaGXAYoJMLBZx6rrcTHLzyVFFinLJfZCC3-7C_dkiQx_cdk6rnOnnhOj148sPXJ3sIUeBUFC7hqOKTiA65I/s1600/IMG_3429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9JIw3B1rVbDmj9Lse9WG3Zar62eQjhMhik6xM6EHK3zgTh47XTARg9K_VaGXAYoJMLBZx6rrcTHLzyVFFinLJfZCC3-7C_dkiQx_cdk6rnOnnhOj148sPXJ3sIUeBUFC7hqOKTiA65I/s400/IMG_3429.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">14 month old legume lover</td></tr>
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36. Dog food. 'Nuff said. This still disgusts me but perhaps one day I will think it's funny. Even today I saw Little m licking her hand after helping feed Bama. Yuck! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu_-vCFe64TFqhdOkKDomj11nZ3VdNEg0GkxhiXjyR0FM-4_pQ_B0nlw7kUSMz9gDmJ68fIubv5Xu1uaCmC0cmxLGUoLjzz6o0ZgKbMNU_AcwiM_Qa7VG7q0dEtmNDYn6agArhmX1Lp5A/s1600/IMG_4241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu_-vCFe64TFqhdOkKDomj11nZ3VdNEg0GkxhiXjyR0FM-4_pQ_B0nlw7kUSMz9gDmJ68fIubv5Xu1uaCmC0cmxLGUoLjzz6o0ZgKbMNU_AcwiM_Qa7VG7q0dEtmNDYn6agArhmX1Lp5A/s400/IMG_4241.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">17 month old kibble and bits biter</td></tr>
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37. That month or two when we began potty training and Little m was obsessed with being nekkid during naps and bedtime, yeah, that was <i>so</i> much fun. Did you notice I said when we "began" potty training, not "after". There were only two huge stinky messes, but clearly I'm trying to remove those incidents from my memory. Anyway, it started when Little m learned how to undo her sleepsack. We began putting it on backwards and she quickly figured out how to unzip it that way too. Next, she learned how to remove all pieces of clothing, especially her diaper. We started putting her diaper on backwards and that stumped her for a few days. I was ready to get the duct tape out but we learned to embrace the nakedness and would sneak into her room an hour after she fell asleep to put a diaper on! What a gal. </div>
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If you have a kid have you had to deal with better or worse? </div>
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J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15895171514889375501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-988614068124565966.post-32140131198880167842013-09-29T21:44:00.000-04:002013-09-29T21:44:37.388-04:00Oh, hi. It's been so long since I sat down to write a post that it actually took me a couple of minutes to figure out how to open a new page. Wow. For four months and one day my mother clicked on my blog and saw the same old post about my horrible child. I must say, she is much less horrible now - that post was clearly written in a moment of weakness and despair and dare I say that age two is the best yet?<br />
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This summer was spectacular. Between May through August the hubs and I did a lot of traveling without Little m, so we decided to end the summer off right with a family trip, just the three of us.<br />
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We headed up to Wisconsin Dells last weekend and for those of you who have never heard of the place, it's basically a tourist trap of a town that has a million waterpark resorts. We stayed at Kalahari Resorts and took full advantage of everything it had to offer, which meant a few firsts for Little m.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfs9lxXMNorACptmwICCK96hUgZNOj1lzcsczKnfY66lAmeKSJeOFxiypVy-dlyqm9luDCcsCp6FAvmQlc_rSUonI3HmRvbjhQzvSfi4W8gtIz3aoOF6StZ-FX54NPEmGEVSBce-wZnuM/s1600/IMG_5567.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfs9lxXMNorACptmwICCK96hUgZNOj1lzcsczKnfY66lAmeKSJeOFxiypVy-dlyqm9luDCcsCp6FAvmQlc_rSUonI3HmRvbjhQzvSfi4W8gtIz3aoOF6StZ-FX54NPEmGEVSBce-wZnuM/s320/IMG_5567.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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First time bowling! And did you see that bowling shoes actually look cute on a toddler?<br />
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She loved bowling but also loved cheering us on "Go, Daddy, Go!" and "Yay, Mama!"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVAM5KmagIc_PwMXvY-RJRp-GWaSaDoKd7vGHHOP4pZf5mUqxDxNwxH-vQfQo_sxh7p32B3cUtciT6SCkPj8KRyjqb16jXqvBopGeFAGnjrI81Z6WNpfnLXQ6h-A34HKm-m7ILzuQ3H9g/s1600/IMG_5579.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVAM5KmagIc_PwMXvY-RJRp-GWaSaDoKd7vGHHOP4pZf5mUqxDxNwxH-vQfQo_sxh7p32B3cUtciT6SCkPj8KRyjqb16jXqvBopGeFAGnjrI81Z6WNpfnLXQ6h-A34HKm-m7ILzuQ3H9g/s320/IMG_5579.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Little m also experienced her first arcade, which she went nuts for. She played this whac-a-mole game no less than five times and became quite good at it!<br />
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Her other favourite game was passing the balls to M for the skee ball. She really got into it.<br />
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I know Little m won't remember this trip but we certainly had a great time and I'm sure she'll enjoy looking back at the pictures one day!<br />
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It was the perfect end to our summer!<br />
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<br />J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15895171514889375501noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-988614068124565966.post-64363229013289408632013-05-28T22:13:00.000-04:002013-05-28T22:13:21.166-04:00The No Good, Very Bad Day I'm feeling a bit like Alexander today. Well, hopefully it's just for today. Only time will tell I suppose.<br />
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Just when you think things are going great. You think you have things under control. A terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day occurs.<br />
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We're no stranger to the occasional temper tantrum in our household but usually Little m gets over things quickly and is on to the next best thing in no time. Not today. No, no, no, not at all. I can <i>almost</i> find humour in it.<br />
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Three huge temper tantrums, each lasting 30-45 minutes each. I'm not even sure what caused them. Something about not wanting to play at the park for the first one. Who is this child? Picture a flailing girl, who when carried, attacks her mother - kicking, hitting, pinching, biting, screaming, crying, the whole works. When set down, she jumps up and down then throws herself to the ground. Bashes her nose on the sidewalk. Blood everywhere. Only a piece of paper to wipe up with. Nothing consoles her. I tried it all.<br />
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Two of the tantrums occurred in public places. I was so embarrassed. I could feel the stares. At one point I wanted to cry myself. The other happened at home, which resulted in me learning that the child can now climb out of her crib. She is powered by the rage!<br />
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It's so frustrating not knowing why this behaviour is occurring. I've come up with many possible excuses:<br />
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1) Teething? I think she's getting her top incisors, which I've heard can be brutal.<br />
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2) Weaning? Little m was weaned a week or two ago and ever since, she's been super clingy. Sitting side by side is not acceptable. She must be in my lap.<br />
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3) Homesickness? We've had a lot of visitors over the past two weeks. Does she miss her grandparents?<br />
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4) Terrible Twos? Is this what I'm in for? Please, no.<br />
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I am really hoping that these fits are over and done with once her teeth pop through. We are traveling this weekend and if this happens on the plane I might lock myself in the bathroom until landing.<br />
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Any thoughts? Could all of this really be caused by teething? A mixture of all of the above? I'm so confused. By the way, wasn't that such a good book?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXncszPgWU2T0gX-n302ADPvHwgaNQ0uOrIYM6jPzCTrcwSBhgDphpQnNOODa8PPhjtnJoGUMTIgNb7tnv7H34zPvZHKQihldJIrELCZIqE3qVGFNM0SKgsC4E-ptQo9kq3ksM4MO3wsQ/s1600/alex.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXncszPgWU2T0gX-n302ADPvHwgaNQ0uOrIYM6jPzCTrcwSBhgDphpQnNOODa8PPhjtnJoGUMTIgNb7tnv7H34zPvZHKQihldJIrELCZIqE3qVGFNM0SKgsC4E-ptQo9kq3ksM4MO3wsQ/s320/alex.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=alexander+and+the+terrible,+horrible&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=QmOlUdDTHsKfyQGozIGIBw&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAQ&biw=987&bih=617" target="_blank">source</a></td></tr>
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<br />J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15895171514889375501noreply@blogger.com2