How can I catch up on 4 months of news?

I don't know how I did it, but I did it. I managed to go a whole four months without a single update to my previously well maintained blog. How will I possibly remember all of the wonderfully fantastic things we have done during that time? It is a good thing I have something like 2500 pictures to help remind me! So, as you might have guessed this has the potential to be a very very long update, so get yourself something to drink, maybe a snack and make a bathroom run because you are going to be here awhile.


May was a difficult month in our house. We had the worst case of the flu I have ever seen hit each and everyone of us, but poor Rory got the worst of it. Poor baby spent 11 days without being able to keep any food down. During this time Catherine also experienced her first (and hopefully only) case of vertigo. Yuck...we were not a fun group! Not much more to report that month...but I do have really cute sick pictures of the girls. :)



June was a much better month filled with swimming lessons and tons and tons of playdates. The girls enjoyed private swimming lessons right here at our house, which was a great way to learn! Buy the end of the month Alex was able to swim across the pool on her own. We are so proud of her! Now the question is, can she still do that? Not so sure...we need to get back in the pool and start practicing again. Rory on the other hand did not learn to swim and spent every class crying and asking to get out. Both girls felt the highlight of swimming lessons was the popsicles that often followed the lessons!

Rory also discovered a Sharpie marker, not once but twice in June. Actually it was twice in the same week....She colored her sister, a chair, herself, a doll and her pottyseat black. Sharpie isn't the easier thing to get out, but with all of the swimming it came off the kids nicely. The chair is another story.... Oh Rory, what are we going to do with you? It is a good thing she is so darn cute

Rory started gymnastics lessons this summer, she had a great time and can't wait to get back into it in October. Her very favorite part was swinging on the bars and jumping on the trampoline. I think we have the makings of a nice little gymnast here!

Some other miscellaneous, but notable events in June, include swim parties at friends houses, peach picking at the farm, a trip to the circus, playing dress up at Gigi and Baba's house, and the first of MANY 2nd brithday celebrations for Rory.

On June 30th we left for our 7 week long vacation to Chicago and Michigan. It was so busy and crazy with all of the events going on!

Alex had a great time in the water this year and even jumped out of the boat and swam in the middle of the lake on a few occasions. This was a huge accomplishment for her; last year she would hardly put her feet in the water. This year the girls really enjoyed all of the water activities and tried so many new things!

The girls loved all of the time on the boat and both really enjoyed driving! They also found the fireworks to be very exciting and made many requests for additional fireworks through out the summer. It was a good think when Uncle Petie arrived with his own supply of fireworks and put on a couple shows for us. Alex loved "making loud noises" with Uncle Petie.

Alex and Rory both loved having Aunt Carol paint their nails red white and blue. Aunt Carol does a much better job than mommy and doesn't get any paint on their skin, and even adds polka dots! Wow! What a special treat!

Uncle Eddie gave Rory a new nickname, which Rory reminds me of almost daily still, Sparky Angelo. The funny thing is I learned that my Grandpa's nickname was Sparky when he was a kid. The name fits Rory perfectly!

We had the opportunity to visit with some of our good friends during our trip, but missed out on many more. How is it that with 7 weeks we still don't manage to see everyone we would like?

The girls and I drove to Springfield to visit my good friend Julie from college and her kids. We all had a great time playing and catching up and would have loved to been able to spend more time with them. The kids played like they had known each other forever even though it was their first time together.

We also made a trip to Rockford to spend the day with Becky, a friend forever, and her family. Becky showed us a great time with a trip to a really neat park and a golf cart ride around their neighborhood. Oh and the "horsey ride"! Alex is still talking about that! The kids again had a great time playing and mom was so happy to reconnect with an old friend.

Aunt Paula and Cousin Rachael made a visit to Chicago while we were there so we got to spend some time with them along with Grandma Elizabeth and Grandpa Paul. The three kids loved their time at the zoo! The Brookfield Zoo had a special event featuring dinosaurs that was really pretty cool. They had a ton of life size dinosaurs that made noise and moved. Alex has since found a fascination with dinosaurs and has started collecting little dinosaur figurines. Lucky for us they have been on the dollar table at Target this month! The carasol was also a very big hit and required multiple rides taken.

Alex insisted on multiple visits to one of her favorite restaurants, Two Toots Grill, which has a little train deliver your food to your table and a fake horse you can ride. The most special part of the experience is though, on your birthday (the kids had a birthday each time we ate there) you get a cupcake with a train whistle and a candle and they play birthday music for you! Wow what fun! The experience is great but mom could have done without the train whistle.

The girls and I broke off for a nice lunch with a dear friend and former boss, Mary Ellen. Rory thought Mary Ellen was the great and couldn't possibly understand why she couldn't spend the whole day with us. I have to say I agree with Rory, but I was really happy for the time we had together.

We finished off our trip with a Sox game which is alwasy great fun, expecially when the game ends with fireworks! Can you believe the luck of the kids?

So of course during our trip Catherine and Kyle also got married! It was such a beautiful wedding and too much fun was had by all! We had a great time with all of the events leading up to and following the wedding. Alex and Rory made perfect little flower girls and I was honored to stand with Catherine while she took her vows.

We returned home on August 12th and enjoyed a couple days of adjusting back to our normal life until school started up for Alex. She LOVES her new class and has the greatest teacher!   After her first day of school I asked her how her day went and she replied "It was superduper awesome!".  She is really becoming a big kid! Rory also celebrated her first day of school, a mom and toddler program at Alex's school, which she couldn't be happier with...hum...that is not true. She would be happier if it was just regular school and she got to go without mom. :( She can't wait to grow up and do what big sister does.

We are wishing you all a happy fall! Can you believe it already??