Chicago 2012/13

Ryan has been begging to go to the Lego store in Chicago, and when my sister Amy mentioned maybe going over New Year's, we jumped on the idea.  Thanks to Gram and Papa and Uncle Patrick and Aunt Crystal, we left little Emmie home and hit the big city without baby!  We usually cab it around Chicago, but this time we bought bus passes, and the kids thought it was pretty cool to ride the city buses.  It always amazes me what they are impressed by!

Fortunately, Aunt Amy is WAY more familiar with Chicago public transit than we are, since she spent considerable time in the city working on her CPA continuing education classes.  Glad she's here, because I am for SURE not smarter than my smartphone, and never did figure out the app that shows which bus takes you where our entire trip!

Julia thinks making her own pizza at a little brewery across the street from our hotel is pretty awesome.
Next we head to American Girl for Juls!
Note to self: put her to work for dinnertime at home more often! =)

We spent New Year's Eve wandering around the 
Museum of Science and Industry...possibly my favorite museum EVER!
Of course, we couldn't come to Chicago and NOT have Giordanos Pizza, so we
headed here after the museum closed.

It was SO COLD, so we didn't actually ring in the new year at Millenium Park,
but we did  have a little pre-midnight fun here!

As with any trip, one of the kids highlights is always the hotel pool.  This Hilton's murky water was a little nasty, but they didn't seem to mind one bit. (Ewww!).  They loved playing with their friends who made the treck with us: Andrew and Jake McKey, and Cooper and Jackson Scharff!

HAPPY 2013!

Ry's (almost) 8!

We're bringing Ry to Chicago for his birthday, so having a party here wasn't even on my "to organize" list,
but he mentioned very last minute to me that he wanted to have some friends over to celebrate with him.
So, we whipped up a very quick invite and delivered it to a few of his friends from school. 

Happy Birthday, Ry guy!

When I thought the house might fall down. When things started to get a little wild,
we put on a 3D movie for the kids and fired up Julia's new cotton candy machine for our party goers.

Post Christmas Happenings

Ry has assembled Legos for about the last 48 hours straight, stopping only to eat.
His friend even came by the other day, and after a brief bit of hang-time, he said "Daddy, Andrew better get going, huh, because mom is going to be home with dinner soon."  Normally, those boys could play together 12 hours straight. Jeff said Ry just wanted more time to get back to his building.  He's for sure our Lego master builder here!!!

Julia has been putting makeup on herself, drawing fashion girls, and being a stylist.  Here is one of her "clients" Allie, whom she got dressed for a jewelry party in NY.  Exciting stuff! =)

Em had an appointment with her eye specialist at Children's in the morning.  They are recommending surgery. In both eyes. I went ahead and scheduled it, but I'm trying to stomach the thought of having her endure another surgery, and looking into other therapy options.  Her surgeon (of course!) thinks surgery is her only option and that therapy won't be beneficial.  I've read too many things on the internet about this in the last 12 hours to think straight.

Later in the day, I brought her to Dr. Stahl's office because she started running a fever the night of Christmas.  She's positive for strep throat again. Poor sweet baby!!

Christmas Day 2012

Knowing me so well, and that I'd be rushing around at the last minute to get things prepared for our Christmas Day celebration, my parents came a little early to help out.  This meant the kids got to open a few presents before the chaos and fun of a large family arrived! Ry was excited that Glammie somehow remembered a shirt he had pointed out at Target a month or so ago to her.  

And Julia was happy to see a doll she had clipped for her Christmas list was in her pile! 

Krista and Brian arrive, and Ry is so excited to see them he abandons his pile of presents to go play with the boys.  

Let the fun of opening begin!

Dad and Diane and Larry Busch smartly stick it out in the kitchen while the craziness takes place in the living room!

Lucas is super excited about his spiderman pullout couch. He tells me he is just going to spend the night at my house. He's so darn cute, I nearly offer to take him in. =)

Somehow, this is the only pic we have of the living room during opening time. Let me just say, there wasn't a bare spot on the floor.  Talk about a kids dream!! 

We tried to get a family pic on the stairs.  Julia was having a hard time keeping her eyes open, and Emmy doll thought it was more exciting to look at her sister than the camera.

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We played a game where Jeff put sentences or phrases Ry had written (think 2nd grade writing/spelling..it is a bit of a mystery!) and everyone had to try and guess what it said.  

Poor babycakes was a bit overwhelmed by all the action!

Christmas Morning 2012

It was always tradition in my family growing up for all the kids to wait on the stairs and come down at the same time.  I had to assist this year with Emerson, who needed a little convincing.
Ry was up by 7:30, Emerson by 8, and we had to wake Julia up at 9:45.  Crazy!!

The kids were pretty pumped to find Krispy Kremes in their stockings!
Em wasn't sure what to think of the entire morning!

Ry is happy to have his own Galaxy Tablet!
I think Daddy might be just as excited, as moments after this was opened he downloaded a game.  

Surprise, surprise, more legos!!

Em seems pleased with her new kitchen.
Thankful Daddy is so great with assembly, because even
this one would have been a challenge for Santa's elves! =)

Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree

Someone is just a tad bit excited for Christmas.

Christmas Eve

My munchkins are excited to be home from Christmas Eve church services, and ready to get our celebration started.  Read: Open Presents!

But first we eat and pose for some pics.  Ry loved to keep jumping in all the pics.

We managed to distract him from getting in this one...

But not here!

Finally, "like 100 years later" (according to the kids), we head
downstairs to tear up some paper!
Em loves her new little wagon from Gram and Papa.

His reaction to every Lego he opened!

Our little popstar loved this present!

After a very competitive game of Rob Your Neighbor, the pepper and
pineapple flavored tequlia Patrick made is passed around.

And someone is left with the "Lump of Coal" beer! =)

Santa Brunch

The whole family came out this morning to have brunch with Santa.

Em cozies up to Glammie.

Sister love!

One of the only pics where everyone is looking at the
camera and all eyes are open. Why does this seem
 like such a miracle these days!?!

The Rudd family. (Sorry about your eyes, Colin. The only pic I had!)

The Conway family. 

The Busch family.

Juls hung out in line with her girlfriends (Kaitlin, Lexi, Addison) while we waited to see Santa.

All I want for Christmas is....
a sleeping baby!! =)

Waiting in the photo line for Santa with a baby who wants to just run seemed
 longer than EVER this year. Which was almost enough to send me
 psychologically over the edge memorable family bonding time.
Santa looks spent too, doesn't he!? HA. =)
Tis the season to be jolly!!

Memorable Family Fun

Tonight we took the "big" kids to see The Nutcracker at the Touhill Arts Center on UMSTL's campus.
The kids wanted to watch a DVD on the drive over, but I told them we were going to talk instead.  They just don't understand why.  I told them it helps us build relationships.  So the kids talked about their days, about how Julia's teacher is back to school and she's so glad that the "worst guest teacher ever Mrs. S is gone".  And then Ry says, "Hey, what does 'sexy' mean?"  We were totally unprepared for that one. I stalled for time and asked where he heard that word. He said his friend Andrew was singing "I'm sexy and I know it." I first told him it was like "handsome" or "beautiful", and he was like, "oh, I thought it meant like popular or something."  And so he says something like "So if you think someone is pretty you tell them they are sexy?"  So I did my best to explain that it's kinda a "personal" thing that maybe a husband would tell his wife and such, but that we shouldn't use that word to other people.  I think Ry understood.  Let's hope, or we might get an interesting note home from the teacher!!!

Intermission time at The Nutcracker

What the kids say about their first ballet experience:
Sugar Plum Fairy: Good
Nutcracker: Where are the words? Are they only going to dance? That's kinda girlie!

Bedtime, As Told By Ry Harriss

How To Get Ready For Bed
First, I brush my teeth. Then,
I go potty. Third, I get my clothes
off me. Next, I go to my bed.
Last I got a kiss.

Sister Denial

As told by Julia:
"Mom, Ryan and a boy came up to me on the playground.
And the boy asked Ry, "is that your sister?"
and Ry said "no".
And it kinda hurt my feelings."

Today they are having a dance party together.
Augh, the highs and lows of sibling love!! =)