We Heart Chicago

Just before Thanksgiving Chris and I got away to Chicago together. Although we have more than pleased with our move back to Wisconsin, we really miss the Chicago area and everything it has to offer. So when the opportunity came up for me to come with Chris while he had a weekend conference for work, we didn't hesitate.

Dinner adventures with friends

Always lots of shopping and strolling

 My highlight, getting to see my old, nut-bag, co-worker who's joyful, hilarious & sassy attitude always puts me in the best mood!

Gobble Gobble 2015

Nothing more fun and crazy than holidays, and Thanksgiving this year was no different. Every time the Wendorf side of the family gets together now the girls are non-stop. They are finally at an age where they will play WITH each other rather than just next to each other. This is great for their independence from Mom and Dad... horrible for everyones' hearing within a 20 mile radius, as it's non-stop screams, squealing and giggling!! I can't wait to see how AJ holds his own with these ladies...or if he ends up in heels and makeup on, as their own personal dress up doll! Watch out kiddo!

Here is Chris getting things started as usual with a little Gin and Tonic in the last mug anyone thought he would pick out himself. L.O.V.E. this mans humor!

With Blair starting to sit up now, Sloane is a lot more interactive with her. She'll read her books, bring her toys... take away toys, you name it. It is one of the most wonderful things to see how much these two adore each other.

Tony and Jacki hosted Thanksgiving for the first time this year. Jacki's table setup was beautiful and it was perfect to have a whole separate toy room available for the girls to run and play.

Blair got her first taste of turkey and mash potatoes. She was a big fan. We continue to introduce new flavors, textures and thicknesses of foods for her, she's doing a rockstar job!

Here's our little Turkey and her pumpkin pie, Sloane has never been one to skip dessert! I wonder where she gets that from!?!

Lastly, the girls got their own version of a night cap in the form of story time with Jacki's mom, Grandma Strupp. Tearing these girls apart at the end of the day is starting to become quite the chore!

7 Months: Popping Teeth!

Little Miss is popping teeth! Nov 20th, just after she turned 7 months she got her first tooth, and the second didn't wait far behind! The two teeth are her two, front bottom teeth. Now we can actually sing... "All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth!"

Blair has also begun to babble, A LOT! Every day we hear from her school teachers how vocal she is. Yeah, little do they know they are preaching to the choir! We here a lot of Mamamama's and Dadadadada's followed by the most ear piercing screeches you've ever heard. You would never know such a sound could come from such a tiny peanut.

We do love though how she has started to reach out for us when she wants to be held, picked up, or can see us and instantly wants nothing to do with anyone else. Heart = Melted. This goes for Mom, Dad AND Big Sister Sloane, whom Blair adores, really they both adore each other! Please let that continue forever... or maybe at least through the teenage years. Poor Lola... she's got it coming to her as well...

Blair is extremely determined to start crawling. If you set her down she is immediately in a plank or down dog, and has the cutest way of throwing her legs forward underneath herself, only to face plant it (you really can't help but crack up laughing). She has not quite figured out how to get her hands and legs moving together, but is quickly becoming a pro at getting from Point A to Point B in her own unique army crawl/forward lunge/rolling over/sitting up/laying down/sitting up/laying down kind of way. GAH! That little lady.

Halloween 2015

It was visitor week and costume week at dance class, and those crazy little ladies delivered some great Halloween madness. 

 We also got to bring Sloane into school for her class Halloween party. She wanted her sister to wear her costume too, so we took a quick picture before leaving. Blair fell asleep on the way so she stayed in car seat while at the party. 

 How do you wrangle 20 toddlers? Lots of snacks, costumes, balloons, and hopscotch. 

It was absolute chaos. 

Then there was dinner with good friends, more Halloween parties and downtown trick-or-treating to keep the madness going.

And as if we didn't have enough candy already... there was still the real Halloween trick-or-treating!

All the rain stopped just in time, and made for more fun while trick-or-treating.

Some kiddos just can't hang. Warm, Toasty and out cold!

No sleeping for Mom and Dad. The party fun continued for the "Big Kids"

Thankful

Can we stop and take a moment to gush over these little Nuggets we call ours. I know ten years from now I'll be looking back at how sweet and young they look, but today.... today Sloane likes she's 13 going on 30. Uhhh, our babies. Love. Love. Love.

There is also all of the fall fun, leaves, popping up on our knees, birthdays and parties!

 Soooooo... after a long week of being "Passing Ships in the Night", Chris surprised me with a maid to clean the whole house AND... a surprise 30th Birthday Party! What?! It's October! So you can guess I was very surprised!

Five days later it was Daddy's turn! His real birthday, with a real number, really bigger than mine ;P

October was long, and fun, and long. Lots of great memories, but thankful for a new month! Bring it on November!

6 Months: Sitting Pretty

I love this picture in so many ways. That smirk is priceless, it may look like a sweet attempted little smile, but it's all smirk. A 100% tell all, all knowing, I know exactly what I'm doing smirk... 

... and WE LOVE IT! 

Then, it's the tiny squishy fingers on those tiny squishy toes. Blair loves her toes. We can't enough of socks with bows, pom poms, ruffles and curly whirly things on them. Every chance this little lady has her toes are in her mouth. There are no diaper changes without a little toe noshing.  Doesn't matter  if there are socks on either, Blair will find a way!

Oh, and let's state the obvious, someone is sitting pretty!!! Shortly after she started sitting she popped up onto her hands and knees and began rocking. Let the fun begin, not long before we start putting all the gates back up. The joys.

In other developments we've been knocking purees off the list one-by-one. All the colors of the rainbow! We have run into a small road block around the color green, SHOCKER! We started with green beans and it was a very clear dislike, mixed them up with sweet potato.... still not a big fan. Then we tried peas. Also a strong dislike. After mixing them with apples though we got to move peas over to the happy list. Now we're on a broccoli and spinach mix, things are moving slowly, she's not the biggest fan but has been tolerating it. Sloane never gave this kind of trouble over green vegg, at least not until she was much older!

Speaking of Sloane, can we talk about how much she loves helping me take Blair's monthly pictures. She is not happy any longer with the tiny fake toy camera she has that actually doesn't take any pictures. She set her eyes a little bigger. 

Checking her settings...

Setting up the shot... 

Looking at what she captured...

... and here is what she captured... Girl is getting good! I love them, fuzz and all!