Enjoying the City

I must admit, I was quite nervous about what I was going to do to entertain a 14-month old for the 5-month-long Chicago winter. We have had double the amount of average snowfall this year, and temperatures have rarely been above freezing. However, despite these conditions, Addie and I have been able to do a lot together and keep ourselves quite busy!

On Mondays, I am working on starting a play group with other Moms in the area. We figure we can just rotate homes and let the children visit together. We're also trying out various Chicago locations. At the suggestion of my friend Maureen, we met at the Children's Museum one day. You can see the attached picture there of Addie "driving a CTA bus." She loved it!

This week, Maureen and I also took the girls shopping. The two other pictures below are from J. Crew at 900 N. Michigan. Despite only being about 38 degrees, Addie didn't mind shopping along Michigan, but she really loved this moment when I let her out of the stroller, and allowed her to explore. She liked seeing all the cars race down Michigan Avenue. Quite a view!

Tuesday and Thursdays, Addie normally comes with me to cheerleading practice and one of my former students Mary Colleen plays with her. Addie loves running all around Loyola - exploring the big hallways, watching the cheerleaders get thrown into the air, and meeting new people every week. On Thursdays we have also been going to the Lincoln Park Library for story hour. This has given me some useful tips on encouraging reading at home, as well as information on letter recognition, repetitive sounds, etc. All in all, time well spent.

And then of course Fridays are still Miss Addie's favorite - GYMNASTICS! Today she walked right up to the beam, climbed up the stairs, and asked for my help so she could walk across. She also laughed excitedly as we did "log rolls." I hold her to my chest and roll across the floor, protecting her with my elbows. It is supposed to help with their spacial awareness, but I don't think Addie knows - she just loves the movement!

So you can see, despite not being able to go on walks, go to the park, or simply hang out on our deck, we are keeping busy. Thank goodness it's almost March though - we are on the downhill towards Spring and Summer!

$100 well spent???

Just when I think Miss Addie is a direct replica of her father - she shows a little "second-child" - aka getting into trouble and acting a bit mischevious.

We bought these wonderful retractable gates for our townhome, because with three flights of stairs, and a quick-moving toddler, we realized we could be in for trouble. The gates can be easily moved from one set of stairs to the next, and they roll up to get out of the way when we have company or simply do not need them.

But of course, we didn't realize just how bright Addison is. The gate which separates the foyer floor from the main living floor had to be mounted about 6 inches above the ground due to the base boards. Well, on Sunday Addison figured out how to crawl underneath that gate. Dan was sweeping the stairs, and she wanted to get to her "Da Da." So under the gate she went.

On her third attempt, we caught the ordeal on video. My favorite part is her sly smile at the end - I guess she does have a little of her Mom in her! At least her Mom when I was in middle school!

On Sunday evening we celebrated Dan's birthday with his family and Elizabeth. Addie enjoyed blowing out the candles with her Dad. And eating some of his cake and ice cream! All in all, a fun day.

We're going to STATE!

I vividly remember leaving Addie last year, when she was a mere six weeks old, for an entire 6 and 1/2 hours. I had to go with my cheerleaders to their biggest competition of the year - Sectionals - but my heart was at home with Addison and Dan.

A very quick year later, Addie was able to come to Sectionals and cheer on the girls. I must admit, in her Santa Clara cheer outfit, and big white bow, she fit right in. She behaved flawlessly, of course, hanging out with her Grampa and Aunt Elizabeth.

And she must be good luck - for the first time ever Loyola placed in the Top 5 and qualified for the State tournament next weekend in Bloomington. Approximately 100 teams competed yesterday throughout Illinois, and the girls will be one of 25 teams heading to ISU for the State Competition. I'm so excited and proud of the girls!

This week Addie and I also went to the library story hour for the second time. While I think she likes running around and socializing more than she likes sitting for stories, it is another fun (and free!) outing for us each week. The librarian leads the children in songs, tells them stories, and reads book. It is a very nice program.

Tonight Addie gets to play with her friend Evie at a Superbowl Party. Should be fun!

Her Newest Tricks

This weekend I had the chance to catch some of Addie's newest tricks on video. Below you can see her imitation of animal noises, her response to "How old are you?" and her successful completion of her ball/hammer toy. Not that her first year of life was boring, but she is so much fun now. Dan and I constantly find ourselves laughing with her.

The final video is of her giving kisses to everyone. I hope you enjoy!

Addie's First Medal

Addison had her final gymnastics class of the semester this morning. Dan was able to go in to work late and join in as a witness of the fun. From jumping around on the tumble track to flipping on the beam, I think "Da Da" was impressed with Miss Addie's talents. (Check out the videos below!)

There was a cute little medal ceremony at the end where each child's name was called and they were given a small gold medal. While Addison went up readily to her teacher Ms. Liz to receive the medal, she looked less than thrilled when she had to sit next to her friends. At first Dan and I laughed because she seemed angry. Then she seemed like she was going to cry. Then back to angry. She sat there not moving as the other kids were honored, and yet, did not seem pleased with the situation. Maybe she's a fierce competitor like her parents - and thought she got silver or something!

All in all though, gymnastics has been a wonderful experience for her. She loves the other kids, and is fearless in her exploration of the gym and its various pieces of equipment. I have loved going with her too, meeting other moms and watching her development from a baby who barely crawled to a running toddler.

I'm excited the new semester starts next Friday!

First Sledding Trip

Minus my Freshmen year winter at Notre Dame, this weekend in Chicago was the snowiest two-day period I've ever seen!

Literally the snow started Friday morning and continued almost non-stop through Saturday night. All in all, I'd say we got well over a foot, and this led to perfect conditions to take out Addie's Christmas present - a sled from Grammy and Grampa!

As you can see, we bundled her up well, and ventured out. The park district building right east of our townhome has a large field, and as it turns out, a handicap ramp, that were perfect places to take Addie. She didn't seem to mind the cold - especially when Dan or I would run with her so she could go fast in the sled. Even the snow hitting her face didn't phase her - in fact a couple times, she opened her mouth in attempts to catch a snowflake. It was a beautiful afternoon - and while I'd be ok if the weather warmed up, it was fun to spend a family day outside in the brisk, cold air!

Quality Time with the Godfather

Over Christmas Break, Addison was able to spend a lot of time with her Godfather, Anthony. Anthony was in for a week from California and had recently proposed to his girlfriend Kit. As you can see from the photos, Addie enjoyed partying in their honor at Grammy and Grampa's.

However, I think her favorite time with her uncle was meeting Tommy, the Blackhawks' mascot. We went walking around Wrigley on New Year's Day when the Winter Classic was being held. There were thousands of people out, and it was fun to be part of the excitement. Upon spotting Tommy, Anthony took charge and carried Addison over for a photo opt. We had a great time milling about, and it wore Miss Addie out, as she promptly fell asleep on the walk home!