Disney on Ice

Back in December Cori and I decided that instead of buying presents for our girls we would take them on an adventure. So we found a great deal to go to Disney on Ice this past Wednesday. We were so excited and couldn't wait. Then Cori called...Cassidy got the flu on Wednesday morning - what poor timing! We thought it might be just a one-time event so we thought we would wait to see if she was better by the afternoon - unfortunately at 4:00 I found out she wasn't any better and they couldn't go.
So I had to quickly come up with Plan B...but it was pretty easy, Michelle and the kids were thinking about going with us originally so I called and they were in. We needed one more ticket but Michelle said she would just buy one there and then Nate could sit on her lap. Only problem was that Michelle was my babysitter for Nola until Aly could get home from work. Luckily my great neighbor Johanna was willing to keep Nola until Aly arrived.
Reagan got dressed in her Cinderella dress and we headed out to Chipotle in La Grange for dinner - we were originally going to Chipotle in Rosemont. I had my bowl and she had her quesadilla and we were both very happy!
Then we picked up Michelle, Brooke (dressed in her princess dress) and Nate (or should I say, Buzz Lightyear!) The kids were so excited and so were we.
I felt like my dad when we got to the door and realized there was no place to buy tickets at that entrance - so I handed the guy our 4 tickets and said 'we are all together'. He didn't look up, scanned our tickets and we were in. Soon we found out that we had to go outside another door to get to the Princess Pre Show - so we laughed that we almost were in for free and headed to the pre show and the box office.
I thought the girls would be able to try on dresses, but it was just a display of 4 Princess dresses. They did have a small stage and Belle and Cinderella each came out and waved to the kids. It was ok - and we did get some pictures. Just glad we didn't pay extra for that.
We got to our seats with just a few minutes to spare. They started the show right on time and the kids were mesmerized. First it was Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy. Then it was time for Cars! Fun to watch cars drive on ice and not crash - unlike the streets around here lately.
Much to Reagan's delight Ariel, the Little Mermaid, was next. Reagan couldn't take her eyes off of her. It was cool how they had skaters with light blue and light green flags skating to make it look like the ocean.
When Ariel was done it was time for The Lion King! Reagan was not a big fan - thought it was a little scary and decided to sit on my lap. Worked out well so Nate could have her seat for a while. But I didn't get any pictures of The Lion King.
We had a short intermission, which was good to let the kids stretch their legs and get a snack... which came from our purses! Skittles, suckers and Oreos were a good distraction from the $7 popcorn and $15 icee (yes, you did get to bring the cup home) Reagan did get a program so we read through that while we waited for the show to begin again.
The entire second half was Tinkerbelle. Reagan has not gotten into her, but she really enjoyed it. All of the fairies were dressed in brightly colored outfits and it was not scary so she was able to sit back and enjoy!
We were able to get in the van and on the road really quickly, so the kids weren't up too late. No one fell asleep on the way home - must have been the lingering effects of Skittles, suckers and Oreos.
We missed sharing this night with Cassidy but were glad the Goy's were able to experience it with us.
A big thank you to Johanna (and family) and Aly for watching Nola -she had a great time! And Aly, I think her next word might be Aly!! (we are working on it)
Cori and I are planning the make-up event for Cassidy - stay tuned...

Down the Hill We Go!!

There are some things you HAVE to do as a parent (diapers, baths, feeding, etc) and then there are some things you GET to do. One of these is Sledding!
We have spent the past two Sunday afternoons sledding on a hill behind our old house in South Holland. The hill was not there when we grew up, but we are excited to have it now.
2 weeks ago we took Anthony, Leo, Reagan and Nola and met Kendy, JD and Logan on the hill. It was pretty crowded but that didn't seem to bother the kids - they were excited to be outside and sledding. (thanks to Kendy for these pics)
Even Nola was happy to be in her sled and going down the hill. She was quite cold by the end of it - so next time she will be dressed more appropriately. Grandpa even went down the hill. We weren't sure how he was going to get on the sled but he made it! (JK) We had a great time - it was hard to convince the kids we had to go in, but we did entice them with hot chocolate.
Then this past Sunday we went with my brothers and all of the kids - except for Nola. She had to nap - good thing she didn't know we were going.
The hill was a little less crowded but a bit colder. We had lots of sleds to choose from and there were lots of races and people going down together.
Sean & Mike were trying to convince one of the kids to go down on Mike's back so while they were doing that I decided to go down the hill. I was going pretty fast and then turned a fell off my sled. The next thing I knew I heard laughter coming at me - Sean had gotten on Mike's back and they were headed right for me! I started to laugh as I realized that I didn't have much time to move. I tried to get in a fetal position and protect myself when they skimmed by me. How they didn't him me I will never know.
After everyone had a few more turns down the hill we packed up and headed back to grandma and grandpa's for hot chocolate and dessert.
I have decided that we need to embrace this winter. Last winter was way too long and I don't want a repeat of that. So we are trying to get out of the house and have fun - so we are hoping that as long as it is cold there will be snow on the ground so we can make the most of this winter and spend lots of hours on the sledding hill!

Visit to Peoria

Last weekend we headed south to get out of the cold - well, we really just went to Peoria to visit Shadia and Ray. Although the girls did not nap in the van on the ride down there we had a good ride. When we got to their house Shadia started warming up dinner and we were quickly treated to quite a spread of food - some Arabic, some Lebanese, some American (mac & cheese). It was just so good to be able to talk and catch up on life and to get to know Ray. For a moment I felt like I was back in Mrs Haddad's kitchen - so much food and so much encouragement to keep eating! All of the food was delicious and nice change to our menu.
After dinner Reagan wanted all of us to weigh ourselves on the scale - who knew a scale would bring so much fun! When we finished weighing in we had dessert. Reagan and Nola were both happy with dessert and then running around. Ray got the air mattress filled for Reagan and the girls had fun jumping on it. We got the girls to bed and then had time to sit around and talk. It was such a great evening.
Luckily we all were able to sleep in - nice treat. Shadia and Ray prepared a great breakfast - eggs, cinammon rolls, pita bread, lebana (sp?) and coffee. Once again visions of Mrs Haddad were floating in my head. (you'll note that most of the pictures are of eating) We walked away (or waddled) very full and happy. Ray had to go do some work on one of his rental houses so Pat went with him and the girls watched Happy Feet. We were not ready for lunch, but the girls were so we got them fed and I had a chance to take a long run on their treadmill. It was then naptime for anyone who needed it.
Shadia and I spent time on-line working on her registry. It was exciting to think that very soon there will be a baby girl in their house. We had fun - even when she didn't like my opinion.
After everyone woke up we headed to Avanti's for dinner. I was a bit skeptical to go out for pizza in Peoria but I was pleasantly surprised.
It was then time for us to head back to Brookfield. We got the girls in their pajamas and said our good-byes. Next time we'll have to stay longer. Our trip home was good - but we did have some rough weather and visibility issues around Joliet. We were thankful to make it home safely and can't wait to go back soon!

Dinner at the Walnut Room

In keeping with the Scanlon tradition, we headed into the city to have dinner at the Walnut Room at Macy's. We usually go on the weekends, but due to busy schedules we chose a weeknight. To make things easier (and cheaper) I took the girls on the train and then Pat drove right there from work. Michelle (aka Mrs. Goy) took us to the La Grange train station for a 4:45 express train to Chicago. A nice man helped carry our stroller on to the train. A nice lady changed seats so the girls and I could face each other. They were both so excited to be on the train. Reagan had been on the train when she was about Nola's age and this was Nola's first train ride. It was a quick ride - only 20 minutes - but they enjoyed it. Reagan was watching out the window while Nola was waving at the people around us.
We made it to Union Station and another nice woman carried our stroller off the train. We made a quick bathroom stop (washrooms in Union Station are not built for double strollers) and then started our walk to Macy's. We walked along the river and found out that it is all stairs at Monroe. So I turned the stroller backwards and took them down the stairs. I think 3 different people quickly came to my rescue and helped me. It was a beautiful night - close to 40 - and the girls loved the walk.
When we got to Macy's we were ready to be seated. They sat us very far from the tree, but the kids didn't seem to notice. The kids surrounded grandma and grandpa and the rest of the adults enjoyed their own end of the table.
The food was good - some of the kids actually ate well - others were too busy to eat. The adults all enjoyed their dinners and desserts. We tried to take some pictures but only some were successful.
We got our coats on and headed outside to see the windows. I was happy to see how excited Reagan was to see the windows. Her and Leo would ride in the stroller in between windows and then jump out to see each window closely. Nola thought the street musicians were great. She was turning around and around - I thought she was going to fall into the wall of the store. When the windows were done we said our good-byes and headed to the car.
The snow was starting to fall and it was a cool night in the city. Unfortunately there was not an elevator to get to Pat's car so I carried Nola, Pat carried the stroller and Reagan walked. But hey, we saved $10!!

Christmas Night

On the way to Park Ridge Reagan had a good nap - so she was ready for another party. We got there just in time for dinner - Pat was glad to eat again. Reagan was excited that her cousin Samantha was there - nice to have a friend her age to play with. Nola was busy stealing Reagan's bye bye baby and her Leapster.
We had such a good time catching up with family we haven't seen in a while and just enjoying all being together. There was plenty of great food and drinks - and lots of laughter.
Before the night got too late it was time for more presents. Our girls were very happy with their new books from Aunt Mary Catherine - Reagan couldn't wait to start reading them.
The big hit of the night came when Pat & Loretta opened their new karaoke machine from Mike & Tom - what a great gift! Danny and others got it put together very quickly and then the show began.
We started with Christmas carols - Bridget, Shannon & Dan leading the way - with some backup from Mary Catherine. But very soon we were on to some more recent songs. But soon after Mary Catherine was back for quite a rendition of Love Shack! Now that it was after 10:00 Nola was beginning to fade. So we took her dress off and she got her second wind. She thought she should definitely be part of the fun - by next year I think she will be singing along. Before the clock struck 11 we thought we should head home. The Funks were still singing strong, but we had to call it a night. It was a great Christmas and we are so blessed. We spent the 26th in our pajamas playing with new toys and not leaving the house - what a great day!

Christmas Afternoon

After getting all packed up we headed to South Holland. Soon after we arrived it was time for the kids to open their presents. At first it was slow enough to see what everyone was opening, but then it just turned to good ol' chaos. Nola was more into it than I thought she would be. She was very happy to sit, stand and jump on the box for Reagan's puppet theater. She liked her presents but wanted all of them opened.
Reagan was pretty self-sufficient this year and was enjoying each gift as she opened them. Clothes were not a big hit, but she loved to see her name on those boxes!
All of the other kids were having a great time - Leo opened his presents so fast he was the first one done and looking for more. The girls were excited with new clothes - Taylor and Hannah were quick to change after they finished into some new clothes. (reminded me of myself when I was younger).
When the kids finished we cleaned up and let them play while dinner was put on the table. Hannah and Anthony were having a great time playing bowling with Nola's new bowling set - obviously didn't bother them to play with a 'baby' toy. There were no carrots served so Reagan didn't have to eat vegetables on Christmas - her grandma was looking out for her. Nola ate well - unfortunately for the rest of us she really like the baked apples and she had a few helpings. Next year we will need a double batch.
Nola went down for her nap and we cleaned up from lunch. Then it was time for the adults to open their presents. Needless to say it was much more subdued but not without some fun - Michael stayed true to his ways and brought a package wrapped up with his name on it - he bought himself remote-controlled helicopters. I was just thrilled to open my box and find a pair of Uggs - best boots ever!
We had time just to hang out for the rest of the afternoon. The kids played with their toys and watched some TV. When Nola woke up from her nap it was time for us to pack up again and head north to Park Ridge to let the fun continue...