Happy 3rd Birthday Alex!

Hello everyone!
We have had another great month with tons of adventures. We made a final summer visit to Chicago and Alex and Rory had too much fun. Alex has developed a fondness for trains so we took some time to participate in train activities. We started with a child sized train ride at the mall which was a huge hit.

Next we celebrated a pre-birthday lunch at the 2 Toot's Cafe which is a fun little kid restaurant that brings you your lunch on a train. Alex took a ride on the horse while she was there. Finally we planned to take a commuter train ride from Downers Grove back to Clarendon Hills. We arrived with plenty of time so the girls enjoyed playing outside while we waited.

Unfortunately we played too long and missed the train. Can you believe it? Ok so maybe you can...there we are sitting at the train station as the train is approaching, taking our time. Then I realize we are to far away from where it is boarding so we start running after the train. Seriously we were running after the train, but we just couldn't make it. Alex was so disappointed and kept saying "Mom why did the train leave without us?" Poor Alex!

We did finally manage to be on time for a train ride a couple days later. Here is a pictures of the girls riding. They both enjoyed the ride and the rest of the passengers enjoyed our departure from the train. Alex talked the whole time. At every stop she asked why we stopped and wanted to know who would get on and who would get off. She wanted to know what the names of the stops meant and why we stopped so often. For those of you who have heard Alex when she is one a roll when she talks you know what I am saying.

The girls and I had a great time playing at the park, once it finally stopped raining. One afternoon we had a nice little picnic while Alex and Rory enjoyed the day. Rory went down the slide all by herself for the first time - I mean really by herself. I wasn't at the bottom to catch her. She just sat down at the top and slid down. She thought it was the funniest thing ever.

Another afternoon Grandma had a manicure scheduled so Alex decided to go along for the ride and have her nails done also. Doesn't she look like she has done this before? Alex of course loved getting her nails done and even more so loved showing her nails off to anyone who would look.

Alex took her first ride in Peppa's MG this trip, which was a thrilling experience for her. Just take a look at her face.

And finally to finish off our trip we made a very quick trip back to the lake. We where there for about 24 hours, but I must say we made use of every usable minute during that 24 hours. Here is a slide show of some of the events.

The girls had their swimming suits on and they where outside before the car was even unloaded. Alex loved riding in the tube and really wanted to try swimming from the end of the dock back to the house (with a life jacket of course) but decided that the water was too cold. Rory loved driving and stole the drivers seat at every opportunity.

Once we arrived back in AZ Alex celebrated her birthday which was about the most exciting thing in the world for her. Pat took the day off of work and went with Alex to school and then the two of them went shopping for a new two wheeler bike. Alex picked a purple princess bike with the Disney princesses and butterflies. Exactly what you would expect a 3 year old to pick. She is doing an amazing job riding it and is really having a great time practicing.

Rory inherited Alex's old tricycle...She is still a little too small but she was pretty excited to finally get a turn on it. Rory now has a tantrum everytime I try to put her in the stroller. I guess she thinks now that she is a big girl that has her own bike she should also get to either A. Ride her Bike or B. Walk. She isn't a baby anymore. :(

Alex enjoyed opening all of the rest of her presents and loved the cake but the kid was exhaused by the end of the day. The next day she woke up and thought someone else had opened some of her presents because she was so tired when she opened them the night before that she forgot she opened them.

Love you all!

Caycee, Pat, Alex and Rory