Friday, December 31, 2010

365/365 /// The end of 2010

"It's the end of the year
I have just settled here
It may not be much, but it's enough
Yet trouble has sprung from the pubs and the clubs
We'll see blood soon, when the night's through"

- gene, sleep well tonight -

Now for a brief 2010 recap:

January 2010 started off with a lot of frustration with a friend of mine, and ultimately resulted in a loss of our friendship by the start of February.

I did an alphabet photo series in February, and put a book together of all the photos. I intended to list it on blurb, but never really got around to it. I do have a copy though, and Kenzie loves to look at it.

By mid-February I found out I was pregnant, but we didn't reveal it to anyone but our family until the end of March. We found out in June that baby was going to be a girl.

Kenzie turned 2 in July. We had an Elmo themed party and I baked Elmo cupcakes. We bought her a daybed from West Elm as part of her birthday gift. We also moved the crib into the nursery in preparation of the arrival of Aubrey.

In August, we participated in the WTTW Fun & Run. Kenzie got to meet Elmo and despite the extremely hot weather and being 8 months pregnant, seeing how happy she was to meet Elmo made it all worthwhile.

In September, John and I celebrated our 6th Anniversary. We went to see Pavement at Pritzker Pavillion in Millennium Park to celebrate, and it was the last concert we went to before Aubrey was born.

Aubrey Elise was born October 5th, and it’s hard to believe she is already almost 3 months old.

Kenzie was a flower girl in two weddings this fall. Once for our friends’ wedding in October, and also for my youngest brother’s wedding in November.

About 4-6 weeks after Aubrey was born, I started running and doing resistance training again. In December, I signed up for Derby Lite, which starts in a couple of days. 2011 will be the year I get things back on track with my life. I have lots of goals, but I’ll write about those another time.

We also did some work around the house most of it in preparation for the new arrival. We had a new pation installed, had the big tree in our yard trimmed, repainted our office, and got the nursery in order.

This is not everything that happened in 2010, just the highlights...and mostly what I can remember as I put this together.

Happy New Year everyone! Hoping everyone has a safe and fun night!

Thursday, December 30, 2010

360/365 /// 83/365


360/365 /// 83/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
Looks like I forgot to upload this photo for my photo on Sunday, December 26th. My final count was off for my 365 photos and I had to go back and figure out where I was a missing a photo. So here it is now...a few days late.

Day 83

364/365


363/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
"Would it be so cruel
To leave you waiting in the dark
(I'm lost in your eyes)
Would you meet me here
If you knew that it wouldn't start
(I'm lost in your eyes again)
They say what you don't know
What could you know anyway
(Don't tell me goodbye)
If tomorrow never knows
Yesterday
(Don't tell me goodbye again)"

- scrabbel, emily, I -

I've been a little obsessed with playing Words with Friends on my iPhone, so tonight John and I decided to play a real game of Scrabble. And I actually won. That rarely happens. John wins just about every game we ever play, but I had some good double letter, and triple word scores for a change.

I can't believe tomorrow is the last day of 2010. Where did the year go? I'll try and write a year-in-review along with my photo tomorrow.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

363/365


362/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
Little did I know that one of the butterflies I really like is called an Owl Butterfly.

Since John is still on vacation, and the weather was relatively nice, we decided to go to the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum with the girls. It really is a great place to go with kids on the cold weather days. It's not as overwhelming as a big museum, and there are great indoor play areas that little kids seem to really like. The butterfly garden is the main reason we wanted to go back too. Kenzie was really excited about it, and was talking about the butterflies before we even got there.

I saw these beautiful butterflies with bright blue wings, and then realized it was the other side of this butterfly's wings. And this butterfly is called an Owl Butterfly. So even when it comes to butterflies, I'm drawn to the owl. I couldn't snap any of the colorful side, since they were moving so fast, but they really were beautiful.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

362/365 /// 85/365


361/365 /// 83/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
Day 85
Week 12

Aubrey was full of smiles today, and I managed to catch a lot of them on camera today. Yay!

John is on vacation this week, so I took full advantage of it today and went to Target...without the kids. It was a nice change going in the afternoon and not having to deal with the kids and carseats and pushing the cart and wearing the baby. I always end up spending too much when I'm at Target, but usually most of what I buy is stuff that we need...diapers, baby stuff, food, etc. It always amazes me how such simple things can add up so quickly.

Monday, December 27, 2010

361/365


360/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
John was taking the old Ikea cd shelves down to the trash today. We have no use for them anymore, and they got water damaged on the bottom from the couple of times we have had water in the basement. So it was time to get them out of the basement. And we freed up so much space just getting those out.

We rearranged the futon that is down there and our music equipment, and exercise equipment, and the room feels so much less cluttered and more organized now. We'd love to get rid of the futon too, but it is nice to have a place for someone to sleep if we have anyone stay over. It might not be the comfiest futon, but it's better than the floor.

359/365


359/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
Christmas day at my parent's house....

We tried to get Kenzie to pose in front of the Christmas tree, but she was more interested in eating cookies.

We spent Christmas Eve at John's parent's house, and Christmas day was at my parent's house. A good chunk of those gifts in the photo came home with us as they were gifts for the girls. Our car was packed solid when it was time to leave and come home. I think Kenzie is on toy overload, since she keeps playing with everything for just a minute or two at a time. I rearranged the girls' bedrooms on Sunday so that I could get all the new stuff (and some old stuff) up in their rooms to avoid having it all piled in the living room. I think the rearrangement worked out nicely. Not long after everything was cleaned up though, Kenzie had toys everywhere again. It's kind of neverending at this age, I guess.

358/365


358/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
Christmas Eve at the in-laws condo...

We went to John's parent's condo for Christmas Eve. We see his family on Christmas Eve and spend Christmas day at my parent's house. The girls were just relaxing and watching Christmas movies before John's sister, her husband and two boys arrived.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

357/365


357/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
John was off work today, so we went to the Museum of Science and Industry for a few hours. There is an exhibit there currently called "Jim Henson's Fantastic World". You had to buy tickets for a certain time in order to enter the exhibit. We didn't really know what to expect, but were kind of underwhelmed once we got in there. Partly because we had to wait until 3:30 to get in, when we got to the museum sometime before 1:00. Also partly because the exhibit was just that...just an exhibit with pictures on the walls and some muppets on display. It was interesting, but by the time we got to go in, Kenzie was pretty tired and worn out from 2 and a half hours of walking around the rest of the museum. So we just sort of walked through and looked at things quickly.

My favorite exhibit is still the baby exhibit that shows the stages from a week old fetus to birth...with real babies. It was sad to look at the babies and know that they are real, but it was particularly sad to see the full-term baby at the end though. I was carrying Aubrey in the carrier, and looking at the baby in the display that was not much smaller than she is now was just sad to see. Last year when we at the museum they were redoing that entire section of the museum, so the babies were not on display. Nor were the body slices. But they were all back now, and the body slices were just as creepy now as they were when I was a kid.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

356/365


356/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
"Always have to move on,
To leave it all behind
Go along with time"

- lene marlin, another day -

Just another day spent indoors. There is a lot of snow outside, so I know walking the dog and pushing the stroller won't be fun. We have our weekly produce pick up tonight, so at least I'll get out for a little when we go and do that.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

355/365


355/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
Currently listening to:
artist: The Apples in Stereo
song: The Afternoon

I was trying to snap a couple of photos of Aubrey and I in the mirror, but unfortunately couldn't get us centered in the frame. Oh well.

I wrapped my last Christmas gifts tonight. It's a nice feeling to know that I don't have to do any last minute wrapping. I have a couple of larger gifts for Kenzie and Aubrey in the basement, but they are both kind of bulky and awkward to wrap, so I think we'll just bring them upstairs after the rest of the gifts are opened on Christmas morning.

Monday, December 20, 2010

354/365


354/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
She is just now starting to fit into her newborn shoes. Either baby shoes are made really big, or both my girls just had teeny feet. Somehow I don't think their feet were any smaller than most babies. These fit, but she definitely will fit in these for awhile longer. She'll probably outgrow the length before the width. We weren't going anywhere, but I figured we don't need to dress in sleepers all day, every day.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

353/365


353/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
John bought me derby skates for Christmas. The package arrived a few days ago, and I knew exactly what it was since they were shipped from Riedell and came in a box with their logo. Pretty obvious. Despite that, I was going to wait until Christmas to open it. Until I decided that I do indeed want to sign up for Derby Lite for the winter session. So I needed to make sure they fit...and to practice skating in them. They are a perfect fit. I was shaky on them when I first put them on, but now I'm definitely getting more comfortable in them. I figure if I wear them around the house for at least 10 minutes for the next 2 weeks, I should be good and ready for the class when it starts. At least I hope so. Of course, I can't really pick up speed around the house, but just the idea of being able to skate around and not feel shaky and unstable is a good start. Rollerskating is kind of like riding a bike...I might not have done it in a long time, but once the skates are on it all comes back.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

352/365


352/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
Umm...so when I saw this outfit, it was a no-brainer for me to get. My brother asked me yesterday if I buy everything I see that is/has an owl. The answer? Just about.

Today we went out and ran some errands. I took a drive by the location in Oak Park where Derby Lite is held, so I could get a better idea of where I'd be going when I sign up for it. It's really close and easy to find. And I've decided if I can get into the class, I am going to sign up for the beginner winter class, which starts in January. Of course, that meant I had to try on my skates, which are a Christmas present from John. I needed to make sure they fit. And I had to try skating down the hallway. I've also realized it has been a loooong time since I've been on skates, so I need to get used to them. I had to box them back up after trying them on, since Kenzie was very interested in them and was very jealous that mommy has rollerskates and she doesn't. When she gets a little bigger I'll have to get her a pair of her own skates.

I got my pads and mouth guard today and now have everything I need to start this class, so I don't have any excuses not to do it. Well, with the exception of learning how to skate again.

Friday, December 17, 2010

351/365


351/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
The sun was shining brightly, so I wanted to try and do a "Ballerina" photoshoot with the girls. Kenzie was really excited and started dancing around like Angelina Ballerina, one of the cartoons she occasionally watches on PBS/Sprout. It was really cute watching her dance around. She wore her too small ballet slippers for a good chunk of the day. Everytime she walked around in them, she would point her toes and try to do some sort of ballet move, while also saying "Ballerina!" I'm guessing when she gets a little older, I might have to consider putting her in ballet. Only if she wants to do it though. I'm not going to force it on her if she has no interest in it. She's interested in it now, but let's see how things are a year or two from now.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

350/365 /// 73/365


350/365 /// 73/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
Day 73
---
She sure loves Momma. Such a happy smile for me...or is it just because she sees the camera?

After I did my 2.5 miles on the treadmill, we had a pretty relaxing rest of the afternoon. I was feeling so tired, so tried to get Kenzie to nap a little earlier than she usually does. Of course, she played for awhile before she actually climbed back into bed and fell asleep. It's so rare that anything other than kid shows is on during the afternoon, but since Kenzie was sleeping, I decided to watch 'Whip It' again. It got me debating whether to sign up for Derby Lite for the Winter Session. At least I have a few days before I need to decide.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

349/365


349/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
Possibly one of my new favorite pictures of the girls. Kenzie's smile is so cute.

It's hard to believe this year is almost over. In just over two weeks it will be 2011. This year has in some ways seemed to last really long, but in other ways I can't believe it's already the end of 2010. It seems like just yesterday I found out I was pregnant, and now Aubrey is 10 weeks old.

2010 had a somewhat rough start, but it seems to be ending better than it started.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

348/365


348/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
Well, my time can only get better. My pace was just over a 13.50 minute mile. I think to be exact, it was 13.75 or something like that. I'm aiming to run in the Shamrock Shuffle this year, which is an 8k run (5 miles). I've never been a runner, as I know I've mentioned before, but I'm really finding that the results from running are great. That darn number on the scale may not have really changed yet, but I feel stronger, and I think I'm toning up more. 2 months ago, I would not have been able to do 2 and a half miles in 35 minutes. My average was 2 miles in 30 minutes before. I'm slowly working to be able to do 3 miles in 30 minutes. And I know I can do that if I run the entire time. Right now, I'm still alternating running with walking, but the key is that I'm improving. By January, I plan to get up to 3 miles of walking and running, so that by April I can do 5 miles without any problem. Hopefully by then, most of those 5 miles will be ran rather than walked.

Monday, December 13, 2010

347/365 /// Bench Monday | Silver Sparkle Nutcase Edition

I ordered a new bike helmet last week in preparation to sign up for Derby Lite in 2011. Derby Lite is Roller Derby, but sort of like a flag football edition. A friend of mine does it, and I've been wanting to do it for awhile, but I was pregnant. So now that I'm not pregnant I'm excited to be getting ready to do this. There is a winter session starting in a couple of weeks, but I'm aiming for spring. Why not now? Well, if I don't need to be out in the snow, I'll stay indoors...happily. So by April, snowfall in Chicago should be gone. Also, by then Aubrey will be older, and it will be easier for John to watch both girls while I am gone for two hours once a week.

My helmet is silver with sparkles on it, you just can't see it very well in the photo. Hopefully, I am getting the skates I want for Christmas....hint hint, John.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

346/365 /// 68/365


346/365 /// 68/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
I was trying to snap some photos, but she was not a happy camper. After eating, and a full belly, she was much happier. And I swear she had just eaten *maybe* 2 hours before. If it's not a wet diaper, she's hungry for food.

Day 69 - I didn't take any Aubrey photos yesterday.

* I only chose this one for my 365 because I really like the bokeh in the background...not because she is crying.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

345/365 /// Week 49 of 52

We went to a wedding tonight out in Countryside, Il at the William Tell banquets. It was for one of John's friends from high school. We thought we were going to be late because traffic was terrible driving out there, and we were dropping the kids off at John's parents house beforehand. We ended up still getting there early and were a little concerned when there were only a handful of people there a little before 5:00. The ceremony was to start at 5:00. We grabbed a couple of seats and a few minutes later the room started to fill up. Dinner followed in one of the banquet rooms. You never know what to expect when you're at a wedding in which you don't really know anybody, but we had some entertaining people at our table so that made it fun.

This was our third and final wedding for 2010. They all happened to be a month apart too...October, November and December. It was also the first wedding where we didn't have Kenzie or Aubrey there. Kenzie was flowergirl in the first two, and Aubrey was with at the second one as well, since it was my brother's wedding. So it was nice to be able to have a stress-free/kid-free wedding experience. We may not have stayed too late, but we still had a good night out.

Friday, December 10, 2010

344/365


344/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
I can't believe my 365 is almost over!
--

Last night Kenzie was quite the character. She was playing in her room while John and I were on our computers with Aubrey in the bouncy chair. Kenzie came into the room telling us about an owl that was talking. She has lots of owl stuffed animals, so we thought it might have been a ploy to get us in her room to play with her. We went to her room to check it out, and she went to the window and was looking outside telling us about the owl that was talking. I think she was trying to tell us that the owl was in the tree, but we don't have any owls around here...that we know of...so it was really just funny that she made up this story just to get us away from the baby and in her room. I figured she must have gotten bored playing by herself. Then this morning while we were in Aubrey's room she pointed out the window and told me that the owl was sleeping. Let's see if she tells us about the owl again tonight.

Thursday, December 09, 2010

343/365 /// 66/365


343/365 /// 66/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
Aubrey had her two-month doctor's appointment today, which also meant she had some shots today. Little sweetie has been sleeping most of the day. I had to snap a few photos of her curled up and snuggling with me while she was sleeping. Big sister was also napping, and has been for the last couple hours. With two babies sleeping, the house was nice and quiet most of the afternoon.

Aubrey weighed in at 9 lbs today...up 3 full lbs since she was born two months ago. I'll have to refresh my memory with what Kenzie weighed at the same age, but I'm pretty sure Aubrey is gaining a little faster than Kenzie. She seems to be a much better eater...or at least is hungrier more often than I remember with Kenzie. And on that note, I think I hear a hunger cry coming from Aubrey in the other room.

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

342/365


342/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
My former co-worker friends came by today to meet Aubrey and have an extended lunch. They brought gifts for me and the girls. We each got a Barbie Basics doll (mine is in the center with the short hair, Aubrey's is the boxed doll on the left, and Kenzie got the reddish hair girl that has already been de-boxed). I also got the accessories set, and a Barbie Christmas ornament. It was a pretty fun gift, and Kenzie could hardly wait to open her doll.

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

341/365


341/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
Lately, in the evenings Aubrey goes through these crying fits. They tend to almost always occur when I am trying to take some "me time" on the computer. After spending ALL DAY taking care of her and big sister Kenzie, I think I'm entitled to having a few moments of time where I can just do something other than take care of the kids. Unfortunately, since I am the only one who seems to "hear" her I have to deal with it. It's frustrating, and annoying, especially since a majority of the time, the husband is just doing something unimportant anyway...like playing a video game. And usually Aubrey's crying is related to just wanting to be held and walked around and not stuck in a bouncy chair watching Mommy on the computer...or Mommy cleaning the kitchen...or Mommy picking up Kenzie's toys.

So I'll take this moment to look at this cute smiling face, and remember that she won't be this size forever. And even though the crying is frustrating, I wouldn't trade her for anything.

Monday, December 06, 2010

340/365


340/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
Gift cards are fun....and I can always find something that I need.

339/365 /// 63/365


339/365 /// 63/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
2 months old
---
Aubrey turned 2 months old yesterday, so I did a little shoot with her. I just didn't get time until today to work on the photos or upload them.

Happy 2 Month Birthday, Aubrey!
.
Day 62
Month 2
* (I'm using two photos from yesterday for Aubrey's 365.)

Saturday, December 04, 2010

338/365


338/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
Santa Hustle 2010
...
My husband and brother ran the Santa Hustle 5K today. It was quite the winter wonderland today, making it appropriate since there were 3000 people dressed liked Santa Claus. I wasn't going to go originally, but then we heard there would be live reindeer and sleigh rides. We didn't go on a sleigh ride, but Kenzie really liked the live reindeer, even saying "Reindeer...cute" when she was looking at them. It was cold and she refused to wear her mittens, so we went straight back to the car once daddy and uncle bucky crossed the finish line. This was also my brother's first 5k, and he and John completed it in about 30 minutes. Not bad, especially considering how much snow and slush they had to run through. So congrats to both for running in the hustle.

Friday, December 03, 2010

337/365 /// 60/365


337/365 /// 60/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
I love Aubrey's little feet and legs. Unfortunately because it's so cold outside, she's always covered up. Big sister Kenzie was born in the summer, so I could see her little legs and feet all the time. They grow up so fast, and Kenzie's feet aren't so teeny anymore (they're still little, just not teeny, tiny infant feet).

Thursday, December 02, 2010

336/365


336/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
Everyday I look at my doll collection and just wish I had more time in the day to take photos. Things were quiet for a little bit this afternoon, so I snapped a few shots. Unfortunately, as I sit here typing this, the baby is cradled in one arm crying. Even when I do find time, it doesn't last long. I know in a few months things will calm down around here.

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

335/365 | Week 48 of 52

Currently listening to:
artist: Bishop Allen
song: You'll Never Find My Christmas

It was a cold, cold day here in Chicago. Snow flurries in the morning and just plain cold. I headed to my favorite big box store to pick up some things. I got myself some new workout clothes in hopes to keep motivated. I also wanted to pick up "big girl pants" for Kenzie in hopes to get her potty trained. She's shown signs of being ready, but she's not quite grasping the concept of telling me she needs to go until *after* she has already gone. I let her pick out the underwear she wanted (Hello Kitty, Dora, Kailan) and she was so excited that she held them in the shopping cart and didn't want to let them go when it was time to pay. Needless to say when we got home, she wanted to put them on right away. We've already had some accidents, but I'm hopeful that this is the kick she needs to understand that she needs to go IN the potty.

334/365 /// 33/365


334/365 /// 33/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
Day 33
...
I can't help it, the pouty face has to be a 365 shot.

* edit - somehow I forgot to add this as a 365 shot on November 6, 2010. It should have been 310/365, but for the sake of not re-numbering everything I already added to my 365 set, this will now be 334/365. I noticed I was off by a couple of days and couldn't figure out why...until tonight when I noticed that I missed adding pictures for November 5th and 6th. Catching up now.

333/365 /// 32/365


333/365 /// 32/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
333/365 /// 32/365 /// 1 month

Day 32
Month 1 of 12

* edit - somehow I forgot to add this as a 365 shot on November 5, 2010. It should have been 309/365, but for the sake of not re-numbering everything I already added to my 365 set, this will now be 333/365. I noticed I was off by a couple of days and couldn't figure out why...until tonight when I noticed that I missed adding pictures for November 5th and 6th. Catching up now.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

332/365 /// 57/365


332/365 /// 57/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
Day 57
Week 8
...
Aubrey is 8 weeks old today. It's hard to believe how fast the time has gone. I know I keep saying that, but it's true. And as I try and get these photos uploaded, she is crying for food, so I have to keep this short.

I just liked how cute her smile looked here with her eyes so alert too.

Monday, November 29, 2010

331/365 /// Bench Monday | Running Edition

"The word's on the streets and it's on the news:
I'm not gonna teach him how to dance with you.
He's got two left feet and he bites my moves.
I'm not gonna teach him how to dance, dance, dance, dance "

- black kids, I'm not gonna teach your boyfriend how to dance with you -

I woke up with a headache today and thought I was getting sick, but I think it's just from the changes in the weather. I needed to work out today. I try to do resistance training on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but I just didn't really feel like it today, so I did a 2 mile run/walk instead. I felt better by the time I was done, but unfortunately my headache has lingered all day and is still here.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

330/365


330/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
"cheers"

We put the Christmas tree up today, and afterwards enjoyed some nog and whiskey. I always love the holiday decorations, but I really wasn't in the mood to decorate today. We did it anyway though. I knew next weekend we would be busy and I wasn't going to have time to do it during the week or during the day without John being around to help with the kids. It was nice to have it all finished though. We don't have that much anyway. Our tree is small, and I don't do too many other decorations apart from some led snowflake lights that go in the front windows upstairs.

Now I just need to finish Christmas shopping.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

329/365


329/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
Tucker, my parent's new cocker spaniel puppy

He was born October 1, 2010.

We got to see him for the first time today when we were at my parent's house for Thanksgiving. Kenzie had a lot of fun playing with him. She helped tire him out, and he helped tire her out too. I don't think she wanted to leave to come home, and probably would have stayed there without us, since it would have meant getting to play with the puppy.

Friday, November 26, 2010

328/365


328/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
We avoided Black Friday at all costs today. There was no way we wanted to head out into that mess of shopping. Plus there wasn't anything we needed or wanted that badly to have to deal with the traffic and the crowds. So we opted to stay in. We cleaned and did errands that needed to be done around the house. Normally we put the Christmas tree up the day after Thanksgiving, but neither of us really felt like it today. We have a second round of Thanksgiving tomorrow with my family, so we will put the tree up on Sunday instead.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

327/365


327/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
we went to john's sister's house for thanksgiving this year. normally we go to my parent's house, but we will go there on saturday. I just snapped a few pictures, since I was busy with the baby most of the day.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

326/365 /// 51/365


326/365 /// 51/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
It's John's birthday today, so Aubrey is wearing her "Daddy Rocks" onesie.

Despite the rainy, cold weather, we still headed out to have some quality family time. We went to lunch at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants, Uncle Julio's, then we stopped at Tiger Direct to price a tv for Kenzie's room. Yes, our two-year old now has a tv in her room. We bought it so that we can play her movies in her room instead of her watching them on one of our computers. Now instead of sitting on a hard, wood office chair, she can sit on her soft bed. And I can work on things on the computer and she is just down the hall. I'm also hoping it will encourage her to play more with the toys in her room, instead of bringing everything into the office or making a huge mess in the living room. At least now we have two tv's in the house, and at some point we'll get Kenzie's hooked up to the cable too, but for now it's dvd's only.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

325/365


325/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
lincoln park zoo
chicago, il

It was cold out today, but the sun was shining. John was off work so we went to the zoo for a couple of hours. It was nice that it wasn't crowded, and we ended up spending more time in the buildings than we normally would have. We always go and see the giraffes, and this was the closest to a family photo I had for the day, which is the only reason why I made this my 365 shot. I have others I like better, but this was a good photo to capture the family.

Even if it was cold, Kenzie really had fun. Each time we go, it's amazing how much she learns. She remembered the monkeys, and the giraffes. She actually was pretty upset when we were leaving because we didn't see the butterflies. Her memory is really good, and she apparently remembered that we parked in the same parking lot when we went to the Nature Museum which is across the street from the zoo. We figured we can go there again when the weather is even colder and we need somewhere to go that is indoors.

Monday, November 22, 2010

324/365


324/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
John's birthday is on Wednesday, and it was time to get a new phone. So instead of an iPhone, he got a new Windows phone. It's actually a pretty cool phone, though I do love my iPhone.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

323/365 /// Week 47 of 52

Last night my youngest brother got married. It was fun, but today we were all really tired. And now as I'm working on my photos, the baby is crying non-stop. I had to put her in her crib and just shut the door and let her cry it out. From the sounds of it, I think she tired herself out. She's still awake, but the crying isn't as bad as it was. I have a feeling this might be a long night.

322/365


322/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
mmm...apple cinnamon donuts

Last night was my youngest brother's wedding. It was at the County Line Orchard and was held in one of the barn's they have for weddings and receptions. It was a fun wedding and we had a great time. Aubrey slept through almost the entire thing, and Kenzie was on the go almost the entire thing.

Kenzie was a flowergirl. She did go down the aisle, just not when she was supposed to, but you can't expect much from a two-year old when it comes to flowergirl duties.

This was our party favor, apple cinnamon donuts from the County Line Orchard. We had them for breakfast and they were really tasty...and much needed after a long day.

Friday, November 19, 2010

321/365


321/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
"(Look)
In the mirror
She's not there
Where she won't care
Somewhere"

- my bloody valentine, only shallow -

In keeping with my unintentional shoe shots for my 365 this week, here is another one. I went for a quick family walk this afternoon to enjoy the beautiful weather we are having today. If you live in Chicago, you know you have to take advantage of the nice days when you can. Before we know it, it will be cold, snowy and icy and we'll be stuck indoors. So the dog, the kids, and I went out for a walk. It might not have been the longest walk, but I squeeze in what I can these days.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

320/365


320/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
"23 seconds, all things we love will die
23 magic, if you can change your life"

- blonde redhead, 23 -

Today was kind of dreary...overcast and cold. I didn't really do too much. I worked out in the morning, then before I knew it, it was lunchtime. After lunch, we took a walk to the bank to make a deposit, then came home and it was naptime for Kenzie. While she was sleeping I swept leaves in the yard.

Since Aubrey was sleeping I had to take advantage of it and get my nails painted in preparation for Saturday. My youngest brother is getting married on Saturday. Kenzie will be a flowergirl. It will be interesting to see what happens this time around with her as flowergirl since she knows more of the people that will be at this wedding. All I can hope for is that she gets down the aisle. Whether it's running down the aisle like at the wedding last month, or walking like she is supposed to, I don't mind as long as she gets to the front and doesn't have a tantrum or breakdown in the process.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

319/365


319/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
"Sing me to sleep tonight
(I wanna hear you say it's all gonna be alright)"

- fran healy, sing me to sleep (featuring neko case) -

I haven't worn these shoes in a really long time. I don't have much need for heels these days, but now I try and "dress up" when I go out, even if it is just to go to Target or the grocery store. I don't get out much these days, so it's my big opportunity to wear my "nice" clothes. So I opted to wear a new sweater cardigan that I bought last week, and I pulled out these Fluevogs for my trip to Target. Lately, I've been wearing a lot of flats (converse, flat boots, ballet flats), so it was kind of nice to switch it up with the Fluevog heels. They might be heels, but my Fluevogs are the most comfortable heels that I own.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

318/365


318/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
Currently listening to:
artist: My Gold Mask
song: Monomania

Getting back into the swing of working out again. I started up again a couple of weeks ago. This morning was my "running" day. I don't really run entirely yet, but I do a 2 mile run/walk on my "running" days. My goal is to do a 5k in half an hour. Then maybe I'll actually sign up to do a 5k sometime next year. I'm not ready for one yet, but it's a goal.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Bench Monday | "Happy Birthday, Mom" Edition /// 317/365

"In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence"

- simon and garfunkel, sound of silence -

Today is my mom's birthday, but it is also my parent's wedding anniversary. A couple of months ago, one of the family dogs passed away, so for her birthday, my mom wanted to get a puppy. They got a 6 week old cocker spaniel puppy over the weekend. I haven't seen him yet, but we'll most likely be out to meet him over Thanksgiving. His name is Tucker, and from the photos I have seen he is pretty cute.

Since both babies were napping, I decided to take a quick Bench Monday shot, since I haven't played along regularly in awhile.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

316/365


316/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
"Every day I wake up and it's Sunday
Whatever's in my head won't go away
The radio is playing all the usual
What's a Wonderwall anyway?"

- travis, writing to reach you -

Just a pic of my new Converse that I bought yesterday. I saw these over the summer and really liked the color, but at the time I knew I wasn't going to be wearing them since I was pregnant and was mostly wearing slip on shoes. But since they were still available yesterday while we were out, I went ahead and got them. I didn't really need them since I have at least 3 or 4 other pairs of Converse, but can you really have too many?