What have we been up to these days?

I'm knitting.

I first learned over a year ago. My best friend Becca (click on her name to see her blog) taught me while I was visiting her in Omaha for her b-day. I came home from the trip and knit a bit more, then I lost the drive. I didn't pick it up again until a good year later. I was rummaging through my closet and found my bag of yarn, needles and scarf (the first knitting project). Anyhow, I finished the scarf and was very happy with the outcome. Then I started dreaming about knitting a hat for Mikey. I was so afraid that it was just too big of a project for someone who has only ever knit a single scarf. Well, I started knitting another scarf (for Mikey of course). The spur of the moment packed up (literally) and decided to take a drive to Becca's new house in Chicago. Mike had been working really long hours and I'd been dying to get down there since they moved. Anyhow, while visiting Becca again I watched her knit. Becca is great. I'm very envious of her knitting skills. While I was there she was in the process of knitting her daughter a doll for her first b-day. If I'm ever lucky enough to have a little girl Becca is going to have to teach me that one. Anyhow, I took a deep breath and started knitting a hat. I have now knit 3 of them and I'm in the process of making Smoochie a hat of his own.

These are my first 2 hats
(Can you believe they are from the same ball of yarn)?

Mikey proudly wears that hat he watched his Mama make for him.
He's the best son ever!

A few pictures from my Chicago trip.

We decided the second night I was there to pack the kids up and go out for some Mexican food and Margaritas. Yummy!

Smile beautiful.
Becca is probably the only other person in the World, besides my hubby of course, that really and truly understands me.

Princess Georgia.
Mikey and Georgia have had this connection since the first time they met.They hug and give each other kisses. It is really cute... and as Becca has said before 'If arranged marriages were legal in this country it would be a done deal'. Although I don't think our little love birds need any help from us in that department.

Becca and I decided to take the kids to the Shedd Aquarium while I was there. Man was that a bad idea. We went on a Tuesday and I'm pretty sure that every school in the area was there that day as well for school field trips. Man was it packed. Shesh! It ended up being way more stress than either of us had bargained for. Trying to keep up with Mikey and Jacob, both running in opposite directions, was nothing short of exhausting. If I remember correctly we both had a very large glass of wine to settle our nerves once we returned from our trip.

This one's for you Becca... the obligatory bath picture. ;-)


Baseball anyone?

Mike and I took Mikey to the mall this past weekend to let him run around a bit. We always make a stop into Dicks so Mike can look at the latest and greatest soccer cleats. On our way over to the shoe department Mikey discovered a rack of baseball helmets. It was love at first sight. He tried several on and then when he found one that was just right. He wore it through the entire store.

He checked out the baseball bats.

He checked out the softballs.

He wandered through the isles.

He reluctantly stopped to pose for Mommy.

He got some coaching from Daddy.

Red...

or blue?
In case you are wondering, red was the favorite.
I wonder if that has anything to do with the fact that red is the color of Daddy's favorite soccer team, or is it just a coincidence?

I had to put this picture up.
I can't believe how much he looks like his father.