Weekend Recap

OH Monday, we meet again…

This weekend had its ups and downs.  I mentioned that Friday was our anniversary.  Our 10^th anniversary!!  We didn’t plan an evening out because kids.  But we decided to meet at one of our favorite pizza places.  A texted me to let me know that W was coughing nonstop all of a sudden.  Great.  Other than that, he seemed fine.  When we got to the restaurant, I decided I was definitely going to order dessert since it was a special day.  Throughout dinner, every now and then, S would mimic W’s cough or make a weird throat clearing noise.  Not sure if he was trying to copy W?  I decided I’d better not order dessert since W was still coughing and S was making his noises.  Boo.  As we were getting ready to leave, S made the noise and proceeded to puke.  In the restaurant.  So so embarrassing.  We cleaned up what we could, A let the waitress know, and I hurried one puke covered boy out of the restaurant.  As soon as W was buckled into my car, he puked all over.  WTF.  Seriously?  It was a disappointing anniversary to say the least.  Maybe our 20^th will be better… K

The following day (and my only day to sleep in), S decided it would be fun to wake up at 5:45am.  Because why not?  We laid in bed for awhile and watched tv.  I had a headache.  S and A ended up going downstairs and I laid in bed until 8, which was really nice, but it would’ve been nicer to actually sleep past 6am.  Sigh.  And the boys seemed totally fine.  W coughed here and there, but no signs of being sick??  I’m not complaining.  Well, maybe I am… I still don’t understand the pukefest after pizza.  Definitely could’ve done without that, though I’m glad the boys aren’t super sick.  It was a really cold, windy day.  A and I had talked about outdoor fall activities, but the weather was not cooperating.  The boys got their hair cut and we ran a couple errands, but spent the rest of the day inside.

Sunday, after church and Starbucks, we started our trick-or-treating at Grandma’s house.  I had plans of stopping briefly and heading back home, but the boys had other ideas.  They stayed to play for a bit and had some lunch.  They even brushed Meiko, the cat.  I have no idea why they’re sooo much nicer to the cat than our dog??  We visited my mom’s next door neighbor, Joan, who loves seeing the boys and then finally headed home.  I left a bowl of candy outside while A and I took the boys trick-or-treating around our neighborhood.  It was chilly, but sunny and not too windy – I’ll take it.  The boys were awesome little trick-or-treaters!!  They had a blast.  Every Sunday night before bed, we each take a turn talking about our favorite parts of the weekend.  We all really enjoy it.  W always goes first and last night, he said he LOVED trick-or-treating… he doesn’t use the term ‘love’ often so I know he meant it and it made my mom heart happy.  Oh, and when I checked our candy bowl, someone had left a note that said something like… “thanks for being cooler than your neighbors”.  Bahahaha.  Smart ass teenagers – I guess they weren’t happy that our neighbors don’t participate in trick-or-treating.  I also had made a huge pot of chili so I got to enjoy that when we got home and ate way way too much Halloween candy.  I can’t stop, guys!!  Happy we had a great (early) Halloween!!

Happy Halloween from your neighborhood recycle man and fireman!!

Friday Thoughts

Well, it went from 70 degrees to 40 degrees.  Typical Chicago.  But I do love an excuse to wear cozy fall sweaters and scarves.  When I picked up the boys from school yesterday, one of W’s teachers approached me and said, “I always have to check out what you’re wearing.  I really love your style.”  How sweet is that?!?  These [terrible] photos basically sum up my fall wardrobe… sweaters, scarves, cardigans, plaid, vests, army green, booties, and good to go.

The boys aren’t really into movies (unless you count garbage truck videos, which I don’t).  However, they love Charlie Brown.  I loved that they were into something different and nostalgic and clever, until S started quoting Lucy.  Now I occasionally hear, “I’ll pound you”, “I’ll slug you!”.  Some days he makes up for it by saying, “thank you, pal!”  I envision explaining to his preschool teachers why he occasionally threatens to pound people (note: I’m pretty sure he has no clue what he’s saying).

Trick or treating in our neighborhood is this Sunday and I’m just hoping for no rain.  W is going to be a garbage recycle man (shocking to no one) and S is going to be a firefighter.  I’m looking forward to walking around the neighborhood, eating all W’s candy (he’s not a fan, so really, I’m just doing him a favor), and making a pot of chili.

When I was purchasing my car, we had the option of getting a dvd player in the car.  I said no way.  I didn’t want my kids thinking they could watch a movie every time I started the car.  BIGGEST MISTAKE EVER.  I really really wish we had that DVD player for long drives.  Learn from my mistakes, friends!  Get the DVD player.  On a side note: Nani gave us her portable DVD player to use when we drove to Michigan and the boys loved it.  A and I also got a break from W’s 93,740,503 questions.  Think I will add one to my Christmas list.

A and I are celebrating our 10^th anniversary today!!  Time sure flies.  I’ve enjoyed looking back at our wedding photos.  We had such a beautiful day and a beautiful wedding.  There’s no one I’d rather have spent the past 10 years with.

Weekend Recap - Our Little Getaway

A month or so ago, one of my coworkers mentioned that when his children were little, they’d drive to Michigan every fall to see the beautiful fall colors and enjoy fall activities.  It sounded like so much fun, I mentioned it to A and suggested we go.  As is usually the case, I started having second thoughts after bringing it up.  We’re still paying off IVF bills and we have a wedding coming up that will require a hotel stay.  Not to mention the holidays, which are just around the corner and always expensive.  We really didn’t need any added expenses at this time.  When I mentioned my hesitation to A, he said he really liked the thought of escaping for a weekend and thought we should go.  As soon as he said it, that was the push I needed and I was on board.  One weekend excursion wasn’t going to break the bank and leaving town for the weekend sounded perfect.

We both worked a half day on Friday and then started our drive to Michigan.  Chicago traffic was bad and we ended up stopping for a late lunch in Indiana.  We made it to Michigan around 5pm and the boys were really great for the 3 hour ride.  Once we settled in, we started thinking about dinner options.  There was a nice restaurant next door and I really wanted a good (i.e. not fast food) dinner.  We thought about going to the restaurant, but after being in the car for awhile, I suspected the boys wouldn’t want to sit quietly at a restaurant.  We ended up ordering food from the restaurant and it was really yummy.  I had squash soup and pasta.  So good.

The hotel wasn’t anything special, but we got a family suite, which had a separate kids’ room with a bunk bed.  This was perfect since W and S often don’t wake up at the same time.  W slept in the extra room while S slept in the main area with A and I.  And the boys loved climbing the ladder and playing on the bunk bed (though neither wanted to sleep on top).

Saturday morning, after visiting the world’s slowest McDonald's (20 minutes for a Coke), we headed to a nearby orchard.  The boys enjoyed the play area and tractors for awhile.  Then, it was time for a hay ride and apple picking.  It was a bit of a rough start -  not many apples left to be picked and S was a little cranky.  But we soon found ladders and those were a game changer. J  The boys loved climbing the ladders and we were able to find a bunch of apples.  I discovered a love for Candy Crisp apples – who knew these were a thing?!?  The town the orchard was in was really cute and offered wineries and wine tasting along with little chocolate and donut shops.

After lunch at a nearby tavern, we stopped for chocolate truffles.  From there, we headed to Lighthouse Point.  We walked the pier towards the lighthouse.  I was so scared of losing one of the boys to Lake Michigan and if it wasn’t for A, I would not have done it.  Luckily, we all survived.  And after that, we sat on the beach.  The weather was amazing and the boys enjoyed running along the shore barefoot and climbing the sand dunes.  It was perfection.    

We eventually found the famous carousel and went for a ride.  Then it was time to head back to the hotel and order pizza.  Such a great day!!

Sunday morning, after church in the little town (where the priest admitted to being a fan of DJT during the homily… what the hell??) and a quick stop at Starbucks, we sadly headed home.

I’m so thankful for our little weekend away.  We had such a great time and I absolutely love visiting new places and experiencing them with the boys.  Indiana and Michigan marked the fifth and sixth states the boys have spent time in this year, which is very cool.  It’s really important to A and I that they experience different places, people, and cultures.  I can’t wait to travel internationally with them, but for now, we’re enjoying exploring states.

Weekend Recap

There really isn’t much point in a weekend recap because we hardly did anything.  But I feel like I need to keep with the routine.

As expected, it rained all day on Saturday and we had to cancel our photos.  I’m mad at myself for not putting any effort into finding an activity for the boys.  We could’ve made cookies or done a craft.  Instead, we colored, read books, watched way too many garbage truck vides on YouTube, attempted a game of Candy Land and learned that S isn’t quite ready for games with rules (ha), went grocery shopping, and ordered Chinese food (in no particular order).  It wasn’t a bad day, but I was disappointed that our photos were rained out (again) and we were stuck inside.

Sunday was the usual.  A and W got fitted for their tuxes for A’s brother’s upcoming wedding.  I can’t wait to see W in a tux!!  And A too for that matter…  Our Cubs lost both NLCS games.  Boo.  And I spent the majority of the weekend feeling blah.

A and I decided to take a little road trip with the boys next weekend and I think we’re both looking forward to a change of scenery.  More on that to come.

Friday Thoughts

I have to admit, I’m feeling really down…

We had our consult with our doctor yesterday and it went as I expected.  He said if we tried IVF again, he’d estimate our chances of success at 20%.  Even though the assessment was anticipated, it was still really difficult to hear.  The proverbial nail in the coffin.  My heart wants to try again, but my brain tells me that would be stupid given all we know.  We'd be setting ourselves up for failure.  I keep agonizing over why we didn’t try again earlier and why things have to be so difficult.  It’s not a good place to be in.

We have family pictures scheduled for Saturday and naturally there is a 100% chance of rain.  Every weekend is booked through November so I’m not sure what we’ll do.  Even though the photo session is always a complete disaster, I love the photos that we receive and I always use them for Christmas cards.  Hopefully we can come up with a plan B.  The exact same thing happened last year… why do I even bother? :\

The national news is just depressing… hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, and the biggest idiot we’ve ever seen as our president.  I’ve gone from disliking him to not even being able to stand the sight of him.  How can anyone still support this guy?  I’ve lost a lot of faith in this country, which is just sad.  Every day, there is some controversy over something he said (Tweeted) and a new low.

At least the Cubs won.  I stayed up way too late watching the final game of the NLDS.  So excited that they’re headed to the NLCS, though the Dodgers will be really really tough!

Hope everyone has a good weekend.

Stitch Fix #17

Better late than never, right?  Finally getting around to sharing Stitch Fix #17.

https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/5478084?sod=w&som=c

I tried on this Gilli Kamile 2fer Faux Suede Knit dress first.  Why is it called Faux Suede??  I guess the skirt is super soft and kind of feels like suede?  Anyway.  I had been admiring this dress for quite some time and pinned it ages ago, but figured “that ship had sailed”.  I was so excited to receive it.  I really love navy and you know I love floral patterns.  I have at least 3 other Gilli dresses and they all fit like a dream – flattering and comfortable.  This dress was no exception.  I like that this can be worn through seasons – sleeveless for summer and with a cardigan for fall.  (I made poor A take photos of this dress 3 separate times because they were not turning out so thank you for putting up with me, A!!)  KEEP

Next was the Hadwin Embroidered Tie Sleeve Knit top.  This was unlike anything in my closet.  I take that back – it has narrow stripes.  I’m stripe obsessed and stripes are taking over my closet.  BUT the sleeves were unlike anything in my closet.  I loved the embroidery and the ties.  And the stripes were a nice bonus!  I’m not sure this is the most flattering on me, but I loved it nonetheless.  Bell sleeves seem to be in this season and this made me feel stylish.  The very first time I wore this out, I was complimented, which only means I made the right choice in keeping it. ;)  KEEP

Next was the Chavez Pop Color Cuff Knit striped top.  This was a bit clingy so I exchanged for the next size up.  I probably shouldn’t have kept this because as I mentioned, I already have plenty of striped tops.  I liked the pink detail on the sleeves and can you really ever have too many striped tops?  In my case, no.  I think I’ll get lots of use out of this under cargo vests and under my cargo jacket.  What did I wear all fall before cargo vests were a thing??  I have no idea.  KEEP

Then it was time for the Canaya Cotton Blend Pullover navy sweater.  Another item from my Pinterest Board.  I love navy, but I’m never sure if I should wear it with jeans because then I’m all blue.  I think this works because the sweater and jeans are different shades of blue, but you can tell me if it doesn’t.  My stylist suggested wearing it with distressed denim and I’ll definitely give that a try.  I think this would also be cute with black leggings or black skinny jeans.  Unfortunately, you can’t even see my favorite detail on this sweater  - the buttons all down the sides.  It was a really cute addition that made the sweater.  KEEP

Finally, the Potina Draped cardigan.  As far as I’m concerned, this should be named after me because it’s everything I adore – a long gray cardigan with a stripe detail… yes, please.  I LOVE this.  The pictures don’t do it justice.  It was super soft and comfortable.  I plan on wearing this all the time.  End of story.  KEEP

Thank you to Addie for being my modeling partner.

And as I was looking over the pictures, I found these little treasures.

Also, I immediately went and got a haircut, because I don’t know why my hair looks so big and crazy in all of these.  Whew.

Weekend Recap

It was kind of a strange weekend in that we didn’t really have any plans and took sort of a go with the flow approach.

Saturday morning was gloomy and once the boys were awake, we ended up reading a few books in bed while S drank his milk (or meelk as he calls it – I swear he speaks with a southern accent sometimes).  For some reason, I was really tired and after the boys went downstairs with A, I ended up sleeping for another 30 minutes.  It was glorious.  I eventually started getting ready for the day and W came up to tell me the boys were going on a ‘top secret mission’ to Starbucks.  My favorite!  We had a late breakfast of bagels and juice and continued to ease into the day.  

W wanted to go out for chips and salsa so we eventually headed out to grab lunch, but took a drive through a local forest preserve first.  We’ve lived near this forest preserve for over 10 years and have been to the picnic area a few times, but discovered there’s actually a lake and walking path on the other side.  I had no idea!  We need to return.  Anyway, after that, I got myself a pedicure, which was blissful.  And we finished the day watching the Cubs lose. L

Sunday morning, our stupid teenage neighbor woke us up at 3:30am with some argument/yelling match outside.  It was homecoming at the local high school and I’m assuming he was out partying with friends.  For some reason, they decided it would be a good idea for half a dozen teenagers to all start screaming at each other in the middle of the street at 3:30.  I have NO tolerance for that crap.  As I was looking up the non-emergency police number on my phone, several of the teens got in their cars and left.  I put down my phone and crawled back in bed only to hear car doors a couple minutes later.  Five police cars showed up!  Maybe a bit excessive for some teenagers yelling, but I love that our other neighbors called to report the kids.  And I don't understand why the kid’s parents didn't come out to intervene?  The yelling went on for at least 10 minutes!!  Uggh.  One of the police officers who lives in the neighborhood also stopped by on Sunday to chat with us and then went over to the teen's house.  It's nice that he was following up and hopefully that was a one time occurrence.

So Sunday, A and I were really tired.  At church,  W looked up at the huge cross and asked if there was a vampire on it.  Umm no, that’s Jesus.  I couldn’t stop laughing.  Clearly we have some work to do in regards to religious education.  I thought maybe we’d try to go to the corn maze, but I just didn’t have the energy.  We ended up heading to a local farm for a short time so the boys could pick out pumpkins and then took a long family walk.  I’m a little disappointed we didn’t do more on such a beautiful day, but our weekends are full through the first week of November, so a little down time was probably in order.