Giving Thanks!

Fall 2013:

Giving Thanks!

I'll start off with "Happy Thanksgiving" to everyone!  Today is a great reminder to pause and think about the many blessings - love, health, family, friendship.  More than anything, I want to give thanks for the joy that our beautiful little lady has brought to our life!  We couldn't be happier and more proud of what a wonderful, intelligent, beautiful, creative, friendly little girl she's becoming!!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all as well!

Catch up to the New Year

Happy New Year!

And continuation of Christmas

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year... We are now halfway through January and I realized that I have so many great holiday pictures that I meant to share and blog about!  Oh well!  Here is one.

This is one of my favorites!  Santa brought Evey a kitchen set and she spent all of Christmas morning playing with the kitchen.  Every package she opened (or didn't open, for that matter) was dropped down the hatch!  I like to think that in this picture, Evelyn is giving baby a bath in the sink rather than throwing baby out with the bath water.

Rant alert!

Did I mention that Evelyn is enthralled with Dora?  I don't really know how it happened.  

• The backpack is her version of a Dora backpack and she walks around filling it up with favorite objects and sings the backpack jingle from the tv show.  
• The only thing she asked Santa for Christmas was a pair of Dora socks.  
• She demands to only wear "Dora Ummywear" (Dora pull-ups) 

Like I said, not sure how it happened that she has been pulled in to the world of commercialization/disneyfication/nickelodeon.  On the other hand, Dora is a decently educational show.  Case in point: Last night, Evelyn wanted me to peel an orange for her. She handed me the orange and said "abre" which is "Open!" in spanish.  Other foreign words she knows and uses are: "de nada", "merci" and "ciao".

Christmas 2.0: Holiday Spirit

Merry Christmas Eve!  

Wishing you a holiday that is Merry and Bright!

We have enjoyed the holiday season - watching how Evelyn has gotten in to the holiday spirit!

1. She loves Santa and has asked "Want Dora Socks Santa".  
2. Loves everything sweet... Candy Canes, cookies, frosting, Chocolate milk
3. She's a busy baker, making cookie cut outs and frosting her cookies and delicately placing red decoration balls on her tree cookies!
4. Sings Jingle Bells: "Shingle Bells, shingle bells, shingle bells, shingle bells... Hey!"
5. A true Minnesotan... she loves Santa's "Moose" (reindeer)

Thanksgiving 2.0, Volume 2

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Sightseeing: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Since we were only in Pittsburgh for a few days aside from Thanksgiving Day, we decided to focus our sightseeing - exploring the area near Siobhan and Pete's work!  We met Pete for lunch and walked around the Bloomfield neighborhood near his work.  Good lunch at Lot 17, Yuengling Beer and a pit stop at Paddy Cakes bakery for thumbprint cookies and cookie sandwiches!

Next Stop: Carnegie Mellon and University of Pittsburgh Campus

We drove through the hills and valleys and took in the sights of Pittsburgh - each neighborhood and borough different from the next!  After lunch in Bloomfield, we drove through the Carnegie Mellon Campus and University of Pittsburgh Campus.  Our destination was the Cathedral of Learning - a fantastic example of gothic architecture and a true testament to learning and knowledge!  While admiring the magnificence of the 42-story tower of knowledge, we couldn't help but be equally impressed with the Carnegie Library and museum.  On a cool fall day, Evelyn had fun kicking her feet through the leaves in front of the library and running around with daddy looking for the dinosaur statue!

Dinosaur Statue outside Carnegie Library

Cathedral of Learning

University of Pittsburgh Campus

We were completely unprepared for the amazing interior of the Cathedral of Learning and of the Nationality Room classrooms!  The first few floors of the building contain classrooms that are designed, decorated and furnished in historic splendor, dedicated to a particular nationality.  Again, I have to say that this is an awesome way to be immersed in the seeking out of knowledge, wisdom and education!  We were especially fortunate to visit while the rooms were decorated for the holidays - also culturally traditional decorations!

Czechoslovak Heritage Room

Italian Heritage Room

Evelyn taking in her first studies
in the Swedish Heritage Room

Commons Room

Thursday, November 25, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving!!

Senan and Evelyn play trains

The epitome of sharing and
cuteness!

Thanksgiving 2.0, Volume 1

Thanksgiving 2010

Auntie "Shani" Siobhan!

I begin writing about our adventurous cross-country trek while enjoying a bit of our holiday leftovers and contemplating venturing into a mini pumpkin pie cooking frenzy.  Mmmm!

We had a week long adventure to visit Siobhan and Pete out in Pittsburgh for Thanksgiving - to celebrate the holiday's with family in their new house!  It was great fun seeing a little piece of their life in Pittsburgh and spending late nights chit chatting over sweet lassi's as we prepped the holiday side dishes of our childhood memories.

Here are a few snap shots of our trip from Minnesota to Pittsburgh.  Lucky us, the weather cooperated with our travel itineraries the entire route!

Monday, November 22, 2010

First stop: Chicago, Illinois (Michael and Alyssa's house)

Due to our late departure (I have learned to add two hours to any estimation of departure when we are taking a long roadtrip) we got on the road as the sun was setting and traveled until 1am when we reached our first destination - Chicago and the house of a college friend.  It was wonderful to break the trip in half and wake up bright and early to realize that we only had eight hours left of driving (10 hours travel time plus a time zone change).  Evey was thrilled to meet a new little baby - Tilly!  She made sure to take care of the baby, handed her toys to play with and picked out little socks to go with her outfit.

Evelyn plays with "Baby" Tilly

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

First stop: University of Notre Dame (South Bend, Indiana)

Evey slept in the car from the time we left Chicago until we pulled off the exit in South Bend, Indiana to visit Notre Dame campus, Mommy's Alma mater.  This was a great place to stop and stretch.  The weather was beautiful (50s) and felt like the fall weather I remembered!  

Future Domer?

 The car ride was fun - I rode in back most of the time with Evelyn and had a bag full of toys and activities to keep her entertained.  We sang songs, counted and said our A, B, Cs, read books, colored, played with "babies" and even had a fashion show - complete with mommy's sunglasses!

Arrival: Pittsburgh, PA (Siobhan and Pete's house) 

We made it to Pittsburgh area by eight-ish... and then missed the exit off the turnpike (I take full responsibility for that mistake... I was expecting a different exit to Monroeville because "the directions don't say anything about getting on ANOTHER highway).  That's okay, we took the next exit and were ready to turn around and head 15 miles back to continue following Pete's directions.  The toll booth guy reassured us and said we were really close.

"All we had to do was head straight for 6 stop lights, turn right at the Dunkin Donuts, left at the T-intersection, right at the Sunoco and look for signs to the 993" (all with a "Pittsburgh Pete" accent).

 Seemed easy enough until we ventured down one wrong path after another and missed the quick left turn onto 993.  Tensions rose until we finally had Pete on the phone to direct us the last five miles to their house.  In the end, Pete jumped in his car to meet us at the Middle school parking lot and guide us the last mile to their house!  

By daylight, I now understand why Pittsburghers give their directions based on Gas stations and convenience stores.  The roads twist and turn until you don't know east from west, the street sign names are virtually non-existent and if there are signs then the road changes names two or three times along the route.

We made it after a day and a half of driving and 873 miles (plus the 10 miles we overshot) to Siobhan's new house - with Auntie Shani, two happy puppies and Pete to greet us!

Siobhan and Pete's House

Halloween 2.0, Volume 1

Before I forget all the cute little stories, I better write them down.  This is the first year we took Evelyn trick-or-treating.  While we did a dry run the weekend before at Como Zoo Boo, she wasn't actually interested in carrying her trick-or-treat bag around herself.  At least we found out how comfortable she was with wearing her lady bug costume!  




Halloween 2.0:
Halloween weekend started off with a costume parade and party at my work on Friday.  In retrospect, I realize that this was a little overwhelming for Evelyn - to be whisked away from daycare after barely waking from a nap and brought to mommy's work to be faced with 20 kids of various ages - dressed as princesses, monkeys, dragons, cowboys and pirates.  


It started innocently enough when she ran to the front of the line and started off the parade around the office - keeping pace with a little boy dressed as a Lion (ROWR).  We managed to get halfway around the office in good spirits!  However, at the moment we reached the halfway point,  when we rounded the corner and saw thirty people (including all of the Principals/Partners) lined up...watching the parade... cameras ready... that she lost it.  She wanted to be picked up in an immense hurry and apparently we weren't quick enough.  She resorted to flopping down on the ground, crying big alligator tears while I pretty much wanted to crawl under a desk and hide at that point.  


We eventually made it beyond the line-up of people/cameras/paparazzi and managed to open up a packet of m&m's as a last ditch effort to restore the balance.  These proved to be an invaluable resource for us... she perked right up and started running around and chit chattering away... she was talking a mile a minute and suddenly wanted more... more... more.  Oh no, a little candy fiend?  We switched to animal crackers and grapes after that.  


She warmed up to the other kids and the rest of the party went swell.  She played really well with Grant, dressed as Puff the Magic Dragon, a little boy who is 3 weeks older.  


On second though, there was one last "incident" before the party ended. A little girl was sucking on a piece of candy (airheads, I think) and Evey decided this looked pretty tasty and enticing.  Evey proceeded to take said candy right out of the girl's mouth and hands and tried to eat it herself.  This wasn't cool and the little girl stared in shock that this just happened.  I tried to intervene and go through the "we ask, we trade, we share... etc" lesson.  No fussing from Evelyn, she was okay giving the airhead back and then picked up a handful of animal crackers to "share" with this same little girl.  However, by this point, the little girl was wary of Evelyn's intentions and kept backing up saying "no, thank you".  What does Evelyn do in response?  THROWS the animal crackers at the little girl.  Oh me, oh my... we have to teach her something about her red-headed temper.

Como Zoo Boo and our Evey Bug-aroo!

We are fully in the throngs of fall and autumn weather.  The leaves have all changed and many have fallen to the earth.  The days are becoming shorter and there is a crispness in the air - a subtle signal of the change of seasons.

Little Lady Bug!

Our activities on the weekend take full advantage of the outdoor harvest activities!

This weekend we visited Como Zoo for their annual fundraiser Zoo Boo!  It was the perfect atmosphere for Evelyn to trick-or-treat; all the volunteers were dressed as various animals and there were cute and clever scenes set up throughout the zoo grounds.  I think that Alice in Wonderland's Tea party was the most interactive and a big hit with Evey.  She fell in love with butterfly and flower scene and kept climbing the little fence to run up and touch the flowers!  Oh, what a little rebel!

We had the debut of Evey-lou the lady bug-aroo!  She cooperated with wearing her costume and was enthralled by all the other kids in costumes too!  A strawberry blow pop was by far her favorite candy (the only candy we let her have).  We even ran in to our friends from ECFE - Thalia the buzzing bee!  Quelle chance!

I would recommend Como Zoo Boo to people, especially with younger children.  Though there were people of all ages, I think 2-6 years old is the perfect age for the awe and activities.

Tips, tricks and notes to others:

• Purchase tickets ahead of time - the lines are long to get in; 
• Either Park and Ride the shuttle or plan to park a ways a way and walk;
• Come early when it opens - we spent close to 90 minutes at Zoo Boo and had a great time!
• The food vendors are all open during Zoo Boo - you can grab a snack or dinner; some of the treats handed out suffice for nourishment 
• Attend the event and bring your friends!  It's a great fundraiser for the Como Zoo!!!

Luck o' the Irish

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Easter

We created our first holiday tradition... Easter morning at home! Saturday evening was the Easter Vigil mass - a beautiful mass that starts out in candlelight and transforms in to the full "allelulia and gloria" of Easter mass. We were well prepared to handle Evey during a the 2 1/2 hour mass occuring at her bed time. She was wide awake for most of it and only fussy a few times!!

Sunday morning we woke up at our leisure (or at her leisure). Ian picked up bagels and coffee for breakfast. The Easter Bunny delivered baskets for mom, dad and Evey. She had a grand time playing with her new Pink Piggy (sucking on the ear and hugging it) as well as trying to tip over daddy's Easter basket. She thought the colored plastic eggs were pretty cool... especially since they sound like her rattle!!

We took an Easter morning walk with Evey and Keya - walked up to Newell Park for the first time! It was beautiful weather.

The rest of the afternoon we spent at Aunt Peg, Barb and Mary's house with all the Sullivan's. It was a relaxing afternoon - introducing Evelyn to everyone (who hadn't met her), socializing, watching the Golf Masters, playing croquet... enjoying a fabulous brunch!

We ended the evening by visiting Bob in the hospital... hope he gets home soon!

Spring Dresses

We are patiently waiting for the Spring Weather to arrive... unfortunately the overcast and snowy April days have left us still feeling like winter! I can't wait to take Evey out to the park and on walks around the neighborhood. We frequently have gone to the Como Conservatory so "she can at least see some green... especially since she was born in December, she doesn't know green yet"!

I went shopping on Saturday to look for an Easter dress for Evelyn. I ended up finding four! So now we have a cute collection of spring dresses (with the requisite long sleeve onesie and leggings) that should take her in to the warmer spring and summer months! She wore the cute Green Dress with Sunflowers for Palm Sunday. I found that dress to go with the yellow sweater and booties that Grandma brought back from Ecuador! I'll need feedback to decide which dress she should wear for Easter! Leave your comments!

Now I know it's too early for Evelyn to "talk"... but she continues to make great strides with her babbling and she works really hard at forming new vowels and sounds with her mouth. I work with her a little each day and exaggerate my words and make different sound sequences. She watches intently at how my mouth forms the words and sounds. So we hear a lot of Aaa, Iiii, EEE, Oooo.... and she mimics the intonations of our voice. She might say "i eeee oo" and it sounds similar to "I love you". Same thing with "good morning" etc. On Saturday Ian and I were playing with Evelyn in our bed and she was babbling away ... pause... pause... "Hi"... pause, pause babble babble. She said her first recognizable word!

Nursery is Ready!

Ian and I were very busy today - getting everything ready for baby's arrival! Ian finished the last details in the Nursery - installing the carpet and moving all the furniture into place. Meanwhile, I was sewing cradle sheets and decorating the house for the holidays. I didn't quite get to baking Christmas Cookies... that will have to wait until later in the week or next weekend!

Here's a picture of the Nursery all set up! All we need now is baby!

And here's a picture of the light fixture that Ian installed last night (after getting home from Mike and Megan's wedding).

If you remember the room before... this is an amazing transformation! I have to admit that I wasn't sure Ian would finish before the baby's arrival... Alas... C'est fini!

Waiting for a December Baby

I've decided that it is really exciting to be expecting a December baby!

First: There are the adorable holiday dresses like this one! I'll have to find something to wear myself - to coordinate.

Second: The magic of the the Christmas Season is in the air... downtown Saint Paul looks fantastic and driving down Summit Avenue tonight with snow beginning to fall... feels like you are in one of those Victorian Christmas Villages.

Third: What better Christmas present than the beautiful addition to the McKiel family!

Just waiting patiently for her arrival - it could be anyday from now until December 17th!