Future Plans

Our latest "project" is a big one--we want to start a kitchen and laundry room remodel.   Actually it is more than just a remodel, it is also an addition.  Our master plan is to turn our current galley kitchen/laundry area into a big open kitchen with an island!!  We have spent lots of time planning out the space, thinking about layout and looking at pictures.  Pretty much our  evenings, if Jason and I are both home, are spent in the office pouring over ideas.  Thank goodness for the website houzz, which has provided us with a lot of inspiration.   Our preliminary draft came back last week....we made some changes and are now waiting for draft #2.   The next step will be permitting (which we have heard can take a LONG time).  Then we will get to do the fun stuff--picking out cabinets, tile and appliances.  I am thinking it is highly unlikely we will break ground before the new year, but we will see how it goes.   I know that will be the un-fun part--dust, drafts, and nowhere to prepare meals or do laundry.   But, it will be all worth it (I think) when we get our new kitchen!

Push Ups

My dad does 100 push-ups every day to stay in shape.   Now I think he has some competition--Alaina is beginning to push up on all fours.  She hasn't figured out how to crawl forward yet--but I am sure it wont be long.  For now, by pushing up and then plopping down, she has leaned how to inch backwards.  We are going to have to baby proof soon....In other developments this week she has also learned how to clap.  

(bad resolution photo, sorry!)

First day of School and 8 months old!

Two weeks ago, when we returned from Chicago, Ethan had his first day of school.   It will be the last year in his preschool and this year he is in a special pre-K class, the "Llama" room.
He is pretty excited about being the oldest in the school and we are hoping that this year will prepare him well for kindergarten...

.

Meanwhile earlier this week, Alaina celebrated 8 months.   Now that she is 8 months we have finally "finished" her nursery--we had gotten a carpet while we were in Chicago at the Land of Nod outlet--and her name sticker came in the mail this week.

I think she likes it!

Chicago--Hot, hot hot!

We had a lovely visit to Chicago during the last week of August.  Except it was 90+ degrees each day with high humidity.  Wow...hard to even breathe outside.   Ethan loved it as he went swimming everyday--grandpa had a big backyard pool, and we took him to two community pools during the week.

Other highlights included a visit to "big James'" house, great-grandma's house, a visit from the Milwaykee cousins, and a trip to the Legoland Discovery Center in Schamburg.

  

I thought that Legoland was highly overrated and not really worth the admission rate, but it did provide some cool entertainment for the afternoon.

When we returned from Chicago, Jason and I celebrated our 6th anniversary!  We didn't get to go out as our babysitter was out of town, but we have a date next week.

Pissed-off Pear

To celebrate the end of the preschool year in the Cow class, Ethan and his classmates performed a dramatic  interpretation of the book "The Very Hungry Caterpillar".   Students were selected randomly for their parts, and Ethan was selected to be a pear.   He was not happy about this as he wanted to be the caterpillar, and announced that he was not going to participate.   I found this entirely unacceptable, and told him so.  After many tears, bribery etc, he finally agreed to be a pear.   But he wasn't happy about it.  Grandma and Grandpa Greenberg, Aunt Marcy and I headed to the play, and though his "did his part" he didn't do anything extra.  We nicknamed him the pissed-off pear, which was quite fitting.   Of course we never told him this, and instead lauded his participation.   Ah, parenting!