Strawberry Muffins

Organic Strawberries for $1.99, today only at the Wheaton Whole Foods!  And they are gorgeous, so sweet!

Time to make these muffins again...

Succulent Strawberry Muffins

1/4 lb. softened unsalted butter

1 & 1/2 cups sugar, divided

2 eggs

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt, scant

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 tsp. good vanilla

18-20 medium to large strawberries, hulled and chopped

Cream butter and 1 & 1/4 cups sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time.  Add vanilla.  Blend well but do not overbeat.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.  Add alternately with cream to butter, starting and ending with flour mixture.  Fold in strawberries.

Fill 16 large muffin tins with papers.  Fill them almost full with batter, then sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup sugar over top.  Bake in 375 degree oven for 25-30 min, or until lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool on rack.

Should I be concerned?

Sam's current favorite toy is his piggy bank.  I can hear him now, the "plink, plink, plink" as he counts his quarters and dimes, dropping them back in one by one.  Over and over again.

I think we could have another Ebeneezer Scrooge.

Independence

We've entered a new stage.  Charlotte has decided she is now old enough to feed herself with a spoon.

The results pained me deeply, as I struggle with a type A personality who likes to keep my environment clean and tidy at all times.

You can imagine what a trial I am to my children.

But it was time.  She has been showing signs of wanting more independence lately, and we needed to give it to her.

I'd say she was pretty proud of herself, wouldn't you?

Great Aunt Florence's Easter Orange Roll

Happy Almost Easter everyone!  Eating these orange rolls warm out of the oven on Easter morning has been a tradition in my family for as long as I can remember.

Basically it takes the idea of monkey bread and replaces brown sugar and cinnamon with white sugar and orange peel.  I use this homemade dough recipe for the bread, but you could easily just use a package of Rhodes unbaked dinner rolls.  My dough can be completely formed and finished the day before, you can wait 24 hours before you finally bake it, a nice plus for a busy morning.

4 & 1/2 cups flour (you may need closer to 5 cups)
4 tsp. active yeast
1/3 cup sugar
1 & 1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk, warmed to about 125 degrees F
6 TB. butter, room temp
3 large eggs, room temp
Pam for greasing the bundt pan

1 cup white sugar, in a small bowl
1 stick butter, melted, in another small bowl
the zest from a large orange

In a heavy duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 2 cups flour, the yeast, the 1/3 cup sugar and salt.  Add the hot milk and beat on medium speed for 1 minute.  Add the butter, eggs, and 1/4 cup of the flour; beat for 1 minute.  Switch to a dough hook.  Beat in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the bowl's sides.  Knead on low speed until soft, smooth, and springy, about 5 minutes.

Scrap the dough away from the sides of the mixing bowl, cover with a dish towel and allow to rise at room temp until doubled in bulk, 1-2 hours.

Melt the butter in the bowl.  Add the orange zest to the sugar and mix well, until thoroughly combined and the sugar smells deliciously orange-y.  Spray a bundt pan well with Pam or grease well with butter.

Tear off walnut sized pieces of dough, roll it into a ball and roll it quickly through the butter, then the orange sugar.  Layer the round pieces evenly throughout the pan until you run out of dough.  Cover really well with plastic wrap and allow it to finish rising in the fridge, up to 24 hours.  Or, if you want it the same day, let it finish rising at room temp for another hour or two, until doubled yet again in size.

Pull it out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking and allow the dough to come to room temperature.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for about 25-30 min.  Keep a close eye on it and cover with tin foil if it browns too fast.

Loosen the rolls from the mold when done and flip gently onto a plate, rounded side up.  Serve with butter or the good old Betty Crocker orange frosting.  (1 & 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 3 TB. softened butter, 2 TB. fresh orange juice, 1 TB. orange zest, a splash of vanilla and a pinch of salt-- cream together until smooth)

Amy from our Bible Study gives them two thumbs up!

Good Friday Indeed

It has been quite the week.  

It began with an unexpected tooth pulling for Scott and a couple stitches in his mouth on Monday.  It continued with him being fouled at his men's soccer game on Tuesday, falling hard and bracing himself with his thumb and hand.  

It broke, in three spots.  He had surgery this morning and is upstairs at this moment, valiantly attempting to avoid throwing up his copious amounts of pain meds as his hand swells to three times its size.

On a minor note, Wednesday, Charlotte decided to pick up a case of double pink eye, and Thursday I hosted Bible Study here at the house.  Our leader Cris, had the amazing idea of attempting to recreate the last Thursday night of Jesus's life for the group.

We tried to pull together a rough tray of some of the food they were eating...

We read passages from John's gospel, about what happened around the table as they talked and then how Jesus washed their feet, as the ultimate example of humble, loving service.  

The Lord knew I needed that reminder heading into this experience with Scott.  I've been doing a Lent reading for the past 40 days from the Bible App on my phone.  It was no mistake that Philippians 2:5-11 popped up four days in a row.  It took only the FOUR full days for me to realize God was trying to tell me something:

"You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.  Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.  Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.  When He appeared in human form, He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross..."

And today, Good Friday, my slow brain finally realized that THIS was what I was supposed to be doing this weekend, taking care of  my best friend, my partner, my husband.  Not running around to all the fun events we had planned tomorrow and Sunday, not playing piano in the services, not spending time cooking food.  This was my opportunity to show love to him by humbly attempting to do what Jesus did as an example to me.

Moody Church's Good Friday service is going on as I type this, a beautiful time of solemn remembrance on so many levels.  I wish you a meaningful Easter weekend, that in the midst of the egg hunts and the brunches and the chocolate bunnies, that we feel the awe, the remorse, the JOY on Sunday and the anticipation of what lies ahead of us!

The Chicago French Market!

So I was crazy enough yesterday to pack the kids into two separate strollers, transfer all their kid-crap into a backpack that felt like it weighed 40 lbs, (why is their stuff so heavy?!  I swear, the diaper bag weighs more then Charlotte and I don't know why) and jump on the 9:54 am train to Chicago in search of the supposedly fantastic indoor french market.

Thank goodness for Grandma.  My mom had the foresight to pull a brand-spanking-new Superman Comic book out of her purse for Sam to read five times in a row (out loud) on the train in.  He was enthralled.

Charlotte charmed everyone around us with continual "Hi's!" that sounded like a tiny kitten mewing over and over again.  She loved sitting like a big girl in the seat next to me, spilling crumbs from some contraband cheese-it's all over the chair, anything to keep her happy.

We pulled into Ogilvie train station and walked immediately down the steps that are out by the train tracks.  The Chicago French Market entrance is right off that main lobby there, along with the welcome addition of a great Lavazza coffee cafe.

There are about 30 vendors, each and every one legitimate in what they do.  An awesome artisanal cheese maker, several bakeries and patisseries, four large local produce stands with great looking fruits and veggies, a fishmonger with the biggest shrimp I'd ever seen, octopus and smelt, and best of all, the smell of freshly cut Belgian "chips" being fried to order.

They had something like 15 different dipping sauces for the fries.  Awesome.

Highlights included the fantastic sandwich made by Fumare Meats (their hot daily special, something like turkey, pastrami, provolone, dijon mustard and mayo on a challah bun, grilled until oozing and amazing); the eclair from Delightful Pastries; the rainbow of French macarons at Vanille Patisserie; the peanut butter chocolate chip bar, filled with raspberry jam; the croissants, also at Vanille; and the fries.

All in all, it was perfect.  We arrived at about 11am, and had time to wander through the nearly empty market and buy our lunch before the noon crowd rolled in.  Suddenly there were lines everywhere, people waiting for sandwiches and pasta/crepes/japanese noodles/juice made to order, with no tables or places to sit to be found.  I was glad that they were doing well, and SO jealous that this market didn't exist when we lived directly across the street on Canal, years ago.

My advice to you?  Go!  And as soon as possible.  Look for the free 30 minute parking on Canal Street, or take the train into Ogilvie.  Get there well before noon.  Keep your three year olds locked in their strollers, inhibiting the grabbing of pastries and knocking down of flower displays.  Definitely wait the four minutes for a "grande" order of Belgian fries.  Look for Fumare Meats and buy the hot sandwich of the day.  Before you leave, order a caramel latte from Lavazza coffee to enjoy on the train ride home.

And, finally, DON'T, under ANY circumstances, forget to grab your precious bag full of french macarons and a peanut butter raspberry jam chocolate chip bar and chocolate croissants and leftover sandwich, leaving it under your seat on the train.

The engine pulled away and I stared after it dejectedly, as my three year old cried and wanted to know where his "me-coons" were.

I hope somebody at least got to enjoy them.

I Believe I Can Fly

So Sam has discovered Superman.  It happened in Florida, when I came across these jammies at Target.  Lucky for him, I'd forgotten to pack any summer jammies.  I spied the cape and thought he'd enjoy it.

Little did I know how these jammies would change his life.  All of our lives, really.

It was love at first sight.

The boy didn't even know what the "S" stood for, but yet his eyes gleamed with an unearthly glow.  He immediately wanted to know who Superman was, what his powers were, and if this cape would, in fact, allow him to fly.

I'll let you see for yourself...

"Whatcha doing?"

"I twying to FWWYYY!"

The rest of the trip, we searched You Tube for clips from the original movie, music from John William's amazing theme song, and racked our brains to remember the plot for the hilariously cheesy Superman II movie.

He's obsessed.  And I love it.  I love how committed he is to becoming Superman, so much so that he wipes out after jumping up high to fly.

There is little left in my adult life that I still feel this way about, but I think the ability is still there.  Hopefully enough of a seed so that I can join him in that magical place, Pretend.  To be whoever we want to be, to fight evil with our special powers, to play.

And when Charlotte is older, she can come too.  Maybe she can be She-Ra.

Hmmmm.

I posted this little gem of a picture already on Facebook, but it so well classifies how I feel about all this rebranding that I needed to show it here as well.  Sam and I enjoyed a little coffee date down in Naples one morning, it also happened to be the day of Starbucks big 40th anniversary roll out.

My kid learned to read his letters off their logo.  I think he could pick out the word "coffee" from just about anywhere.  Oh well.

I guess Charlotte developed a taste for caramel macchaiatos' down in Florida as well.  She kept reaching for my cup so finally I gave the remnants to her once, curious to see what she'd do.  

She sucked it down, licking feverishly after the stray drops.  What have I done?

Charlotte turns one!

So, shame on me for just now getting around to this, but our sweet baby had a birthday.  Way back on February 19th.  I was feeling overwhelmed from two trips we had scheduled, sandwiched around the big day, so we just did a small dinner on the actual day.

After much angst, I decided to attempt Smitten Kitchen's Famous Monkey banana cake.  It came out fairly well, and thankfully tasted better then it looked.  I'd highly recommend the recipe.

Also on the menu, Ina Garten's Chicken Stew with biscuits, Nordstrom's pear salad with champagne vinaigrette, homeade lemonade and Ina's Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookie icebox cake.  Because one cake wasn't enough.

The birthday girl got her own little monkey cake, she beamed while we all sang and clapped.

I wasn't anticipating her reaction.  Sam wouldn't even touch HIS first cake, and had a look of intense disgust on his face in every photo.  Charlotte, on the other hand, is a true woman and wouldn't stop eating after the first taste of chocolate frosting.  I didn't even get a chance to put a bib on her.

"I'm sorry, did you say that I had something on my face?"

The cupcake is gone.  She inhaled it.  Annihilated it.  That's my girl.

This first year has been such a delight.  Happy hearted, a frequent giggler and completely enamoured with her big brother, Charlotte was a welcome addition to our little family, one year ago.  We love you sweetheart!

Vacation

So we are just getting back into town from an embarrassingly long and sweetly wonderful two weeks in Florida.  We drove down, 20 hours straight, there and back, and stayed with my grandparents in their three bedroom condo, located in Naples.

Living together for 14 days, watching my children interact with their great grandparents on such an intimate, constant level, was precious.  I honestly miss the daily contact, knowing they will be waiting for us, sitting on the couches reading their newspapers, when we get in from the day.  Charlotte would kick her legs excitedly when we neared the front door, anticipating the smiles and hugs.  Upon coming home to an unusually empty condo one afternoon, Sam looked around and disappointedly said, "Where are all my friends?"

I took close to 300 pictures, attempting to capture these memories on film, in hopes that my children will remember too.  Pictures and videos to come.

In the meantime, it is good to be home.  My own bed felt great, I slept like a dead person when we finally collapsed at 2 am after driving for 20 hours, early Sunday morning.  And the birds are back.  And the chives are starting to come in.  And Sam and I found evidence of the first crocus's peeking their green buds through the cold soil on our walk this morning, looking around excitedly for signs of spring.  It was 32 degrees and we both needed gloves, but She's coming.

And here, Sam enjoys a brisk first round of the season.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

So we've been fighting off colds and sinus infections for the past month or so, really since Christmas now that I think about it.  No wonder I haven't posted.  I broke down and made this for a friend who was also sick, and left some for our own family.  It is a GREAT recipe, based off my brother in law's, Matt.  This is not the quick and easy one, it's a soup that's purely a bowl full of simple love.  Everything is from scratch, and using homemade stock really raises it to something special.

If you are thinking ahead, throw together a loaf of Jim Lahey's 18 hour No Knead Bread to serve alongside.  It's the easiest bread I've ever made, and the best.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

4 quarts of warmed chicken stock (homemade is best, I used 2 quarts Whole Foods 365 organic broth, 2 quarts of my own homemade because that was all I had)
8 stalks celery, diced (a note about the chopping, you want everything small enough to fit nicely on a spoon, a large dice is about right)
8 carrots, sliced small or diced
1 large onion, small diced
1 TB olive oil
meat from a roasted chicken, or roast four, bone in, skin on, breasts yourself in olive oil, salt and pepper
noodles (recipe following)
1 tsp. dried thyme, or 1 TB. fresh thyme leaves
1 dried bay leaf
At least 2 tsp. kosher salt, and 2 tsp. freshly ground pepper.  More, to your taste, at the end
1 & 1/4 cup whole milk (or whatever you have)
3 TB corn starch
the juice from half a lemon, or more, see what you think at the end
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

Warm the stock.  Cut all your veggies.  Prep the chicken meat.  Make the noodles.  Then, saute the onions in olive oil until translucent, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the carrots and celery, saute for about 5 minutes.  Add in the warmed stock, salt and pepper, bay leaf and dried thyme (don't add the fresh thyme until the end, if you're using that instead).  Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to a simmer.  Simmer for 15 minutes, until carrots are crisp-tender.  Meanwhile, mix the cornstarch with 1/4 cup of the milk in a separate small bowl.  Add that to the soup when the carrots etc. are finished, followed by the remaining 1 cup of milk.  Raise heat to medium and bring soup to a boil, add the noodles and cook them for about five minutes.  Add the chicken pieces, lemon juice, and minced parsley (and the fresh thyme, if you used it).  Taste for salt and add more, it will probably need it.  Keep adding salt until all the flavors come into focus, you should taste the veggies and a little lemon.

Homemade Egg Noodles
 2 large eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 tsp. table salt
2 cups flour

In a kitchen aid mixer (or by hand, but it'll be a PAIN) beat the eggs.  Slowly add cream and salt.  Add the flour in about 1/2 cup at a time, mixing on low until it is completely incorporated.  Divide the dough into two balls.  Roll each ball out on a floured surface until it is very thin.  Slice the dough into tiny strips with a pizza cutter, no longer then 1 inch, as narrow as you can make it.  Keep in mind you want the noodles to sit on a spoon, they will get really fat as they cook.

Sprinkle the noodles on a piece of wax paper and let them dry for about 30 minutes.  I make the noodles before I start the soup, after prepping the veggies and meat.  That way it all comes together pretty quickly once you actually start cooking.

Update

So it's been a while.  I think it took me two full weeks to recover from Christmas, 14 days until I could lift my head and take a deep breath.  Shameful, really, but that's how it was.  Here are some bullet points on happenings around our house in the last month, in the style of my friend Rebekah, whose blog you should really be reading if you need a good belly laugh.

• Charlotte learns to crawl like a big girl, her bottom wiggling high in the air as she trucks from room, to room, to room.  She learns how to remove the rubber corner guard on the fireplace and carries it around in her mouth like a dog.
• Sam goes five consecutive nights without a pull up, in big boy pants.  We celebrate with Cocoa Krispies for breakfast.  The next night he wets through: 1) his jammies 2) the sheets 3) the duvet  4) the down comforter.
• I do laundry.  Lots of laundry.
• Charlotte says her first word: "Hhhhhottttt"  I think she has a thing for the fireplace.  She will whisper it quietly to herself, by herself, in the crib.  It is hilarious.  "Daaa deeeee" soon follows.  I try not to be brokenhearted.
• Sam gets a cold.  Sam gets an ear infection.  Sam hates Augmentin and throws it up twice, one time all over his sister in the bath tub.  Scott gets a sinus infection.  Scott takes Augmentin but does not throw it up.  The boys are now fine.
• 10 days later Charlotte gets a cold.  Charlotte is on her way to getting an ear infection currently.
• I make chicken noodle soup from scratch in an attempt to fight off the colds (recipe coming soon, it's a good one from my brother in law)
• Anna and I go to Vie for the first time.  I have one of the pinnacle dining experiences of my life.  More on that later too.
• Heavy things are shared by friends this month, things that make my heart ache and cause me to question God and His goodness.  Things that make me wrestle and argue with Him and sad.  But there was a moment, a Wednesday night at rehearsal two weeks ago, where He gave me something.  It felt like His hand was on my shoulder, speaking directly into my heart through the words of the song the choir was singing.  They sang it through for 35 minutes straight, it only took 32 minutes to sink in that this was a message for me: "Rejoice in the Lord always, rejoice!  I will say it again, rejoice.  I will say it again, rejoice."  Over and over and over again.  I cried in the car on the way home, the words lovingly hammered into my heart and mind.  It came down to, what do I believe?  Do I choose to believe God is good?  Even though the circumstances cause me to question and worry and be sad?  I do.  I do choose to believe He is good.  But I am still sad with these friends, January seems to be the month for it.
• February is just four days away though.

Classic 2010

This little benign video pretty much summerizes the past year for me.  Enjoying the sweet babyness of Charlotte, her smiles and coo's and sunny personality, and just trying to keep up with Sam as he gets more active and into things.  Happy New Year!

And Yet

I have been berating myself the past few days.

For dropping the ball on some things, mainly gift related.
For putting too much on my plate.
Foregoing parenting for baking/shopping/errands/wrapping/cleaning/making lists of what to bring/etc.
For allowing myself to succumb to the stress I'm feeling, reacting with crabbiness and a lack of patience, especially to Sam.
Resenting Scott at times, because it doesn't seem fair that he just gets to "show up" to the holidays.  (And yet knowing he works hard all day, and that I don't want or expect him to take on buying and wrapping gifts for everyone.)  I'm irrational about it.
Not enjoying enough moments in the last month with my children, day to day.  I lost track today of how many times Sam asked me today to, "come play with me, Mom."  I told him I would, "in a second, Buddy.  I have to finish making the potatoes for tomorrow."  And then, "after I clean up."  And then I forgot.

And yet, and yet there have been great moments since the beginning of the month too.  A thoughtful Vesper's service at Moody on the 19th, focusing on our unfAithfulness towards God, our intense need for Him, our rejection of Him.  And yet, He came.

Moments spent in the city, eating yummy food, watching my children's faces light up, creating new memories and traditions all our own.

A two hour conversation by the fire one afternoon with Rebekah recently, in town for a few days.  A precious time that kickstarted my journey back towards a more grounded Christmas.

Anticipating the time spent with family tomorrow and Saturday, family that we don't get to see nearly often enough.  Pouring into those relationships and friendships and hoping it will be enough to tide us over until the next time.

Lighting the advent wreath at home each night at dinner, hearing Sam explain in his piping voice, with a little lisp, what each candle is for.



I need accountability.  Next fall, I am going to try and write out what our true priorities are from November-December, so they don't get buried in the onslaught of my thoughtlessly added "responsibilities" and urgency to have things just like they always were.  Things change.  Children come.  People change.  Needs change.  None of this is even ABOUT what we eat (it kills something inside me to admit that), what we give each other, how we decorate or how clean our house is.

Instead,
God becoming man,
Infinity bound,
Humbling Himself,
for me.

I read something this week that stopped me in my tracks, it took me off the hamster wheel and forced me to take a deep breath and examine myself.  An email from a woman who recently lost her husband, now a single mother to two small boys, as she processed her upcoming first Christmas alone, without him.

"I hope in this season Christ is wooing you.  That you hear a soft, calming voice amidst the chaos.  That you are able to breathe in the life He offers, and let all of the other stuff fade into the background of the beautiful lights.  That you can believe God's plan is good....To me, that makes all the other stuff tolerable.  It allows me to truly have joy this Christmas, and to still feel the wonder of a child."

Kicking off Christmas-Our First Family Vacation

Last weekend the four of us spent the night at the fabulous Trump Hotel downtown Chicago.  A few months ago I was filled with the desire to carve out a little time for our immediate family to be alone, just us, and see alittle of the city at the same time.  The internet was helpful in finding a dirt cheap rate on one night, and we figured out ahead of time where we wanted to park, and eat (always of utmost importance to me).

Timing things around the kid's naps was tricky, but the memories and time away were so worth the effort it took to pack and get there.  We left our house in the late morning and stopped first at the Macy's (it physically hurts me to say the store's name, I am still bitter about the Marshall Field's sell out) on State to shop for an ornament to help represent 2010.  No luck, even after scouring seven floors.  We did get to visit the three story Christmas tree in the Walnut Room, where I reminisced about eating pancakes with my cousins year after year until we got too old to want to crawl out of bed at 5 am to be the first ones in line for breakfast on a cold Saturday morning.

 Next was lunch at Rick Bayless's Frontera Fresco, also on the Seventh Floor of Macy's.  We got there right before the lunch rush, and only had to wait in line 10 minutes.  You pay at the cash register and stand there with your tray, watching the line cooks prepare your food.  The prices are unbeatable, $7 for two pulled pork tacos with pickled onion, fresh house made cheese and avocado, $4 for chips and fresh guac, a whole line of freshly squeezed sparkling juices (raspberry prickly pear, mango lime) and a mind boggling $3.50 for a VAT sized bowl of tortilla soup, $2 extra for chicken in it.  My favorite thing however was the corn and chevre tamale.  So so good.  I think all four of us ate to the gut-busting level for $32.  Not bad for Frontera Grill food.

 After lunch it was nearing Charlotte's naptime, so we drove a few blocks north and checked into our hotel room.  I was stunned to see the size of our room, truly one of the biggest I've ever seen in the city.  It even had it's own kitchenette, complete with silverware, cups, fridge and dishwasher.  Over the top.

We called down to request a pack and play, and within 5 minutes there was a knock on the door.  The guy brought up a beautiful wooden crib, filled with a mini terry cloth bathrobe, mini slippers, rubber ducks and bath toys, baby toiletries AND a diaper genie.  Seriously.  This hotel is so kid friendly, I'd almost leave my children there.

Charlotte fed and rolled around in her crib for an hour while I played in the gorgeous bathroom.  Scott took Sam down to the 14th floor to explore the pool and the $15,000 Kohler Shower in the lockeroom.  Not even kidding, it had somewhere around 10 spigots, changing colored lights and music.  It kept Sam busy for 45 minutes, chasing balls around in there and playing with the bath products.  They came upstairs and he fell sound asleep for an hour.

  Dinner was next.  Call us crazy, but we brought the kids to Ovengrinder's, notorious for no reservations, multiple hour waits, zero room for strollers and cash only.  But the food!!  The food!  We went early, around 4:45, and had no wait.  Scott found street parking, Charlotte's car seat propped up in the booth and Sam was happy to cozy up next to me in the corner, playing with my phone.  He ate the black olives off the salad, that was it.  Charlotte ate everything.  I think she liked it, judging by her smile, don't you think?

 After dinner, originally we were going to walk over to Zoo Lights at Lincoln Park Zoo.  However, the 10 degree temps and tired kids led us to decide otherwise.  We drove by it, sighed at how cool it looked and pulled up in front of Fox and Obel where I ran in to buy cookies, chocolate Oberweis milk bottles and gummy bears for our movie.  Santa had delivered a wrapped copy of Toy Story 3 to our hotel room for Sam, it was all he wanted to do/see after he opened it.  "Sam, do you want to go swimming?"  "No, can I watch Toy Story 3?"  "Sam, let's go to the zoo and see the animals!"  "Can we go back to our sleepover room and watch Toy Story 3?"  Remind me next time to not let him open something until right before he can enjoy it.  Stupid.

We got back to the hotel around 6:30 pm, ready to get cozy, and found these trays of hand crafted treats for the kids.  Are you kidding me?  Is that Sam's name scripted in chocolate??  Who are these people?  It was the cutest thing ever, I think I took more pictures of these bedtime treats then I did of our family.  So impressive and fun.

Tub time next, and after putting Charlotte down in her crib, where she peered at us through the slats for 90 minutes, we all cuddled up into one of the queen sized, incredibly cozy, covered-in-inches-of-down beds, surrounded ourselves with gummy's and cookies, and watched the movie.  Looking around at my little family, at Sam's rosy hot cheeks and the look of utter contentment on Scott's face, I felt happier then I think I've ever felt, aside from my wedding day and the births of our two children.  Such joy, to have it be just us, something we've never experienced before.  Lights out at 9:15pm and all's well.

Until 1:15 am when I awoke with a start and couldn't for the life of me fall back asleep.  Why is that?  Is it because you're in an unfamiliar place?  My children were sound asleep, the bed was comfy, I had no good reason.  Oh well, I laid there until 6 am when I couldn't take it anymore and whispered to Scott that it was my turn to enjoy the $15,000 Kohler Shower.  

60 minutes of pure joy, I think that was the most pampered I've ever felt in my life.  Aloe face mask on in the steam room?  Check.  Wash it off in the shower?  Check.  Hang out in the sauna?  Check.  Lovely exfoliating body scrub in the shower?  Check.  Little wooden bowl of extravagant body butter to smear on last?  Check.  And it was all "free!"  Well, included in the cost of the room at least.  People, you need to go to this hotel, Orbitz, Priceline, however you do it, GO THERE.

Kids were up when I got back so we dressed and headed out to breakfast at our favorite spot again, Fox and Obel.  We always make a point to stroll by their famous meat section, one of the few places in town that the retail person can buy prime, dry aged beef.  The butcher had a sense of humor today, someone took the time to sculpt a pig's head out of their house made sausage.  Ha. ha.  French toast, caramel lattes, double baked almond croissants and whoops, my pants suddenly felt tight and it was only 8:45 a.m.

Sam and I headed out into the cold, quiet city that Saturday morning, looking for something to do while Charlotte took her morning nap in the room, Scott reading the Wall Street Journal beside her.  Not much is open before 9 am in the Loop on a Saturday.  Borders was open though, and after a six block freezing walk where my 36 lb. toddler made me carry him most of the way (helping to burn off a croissant, hopefully), we holed up on the 2nd floor in the Children's section, reading books, playing with toys, and chasing each other through the empty store.

We waved at the Channel 7 News anchormen and women on the way back, one of the cameramen turned around and pointed to the ground where Sam had lost his mitten.  Maybe that's why my poor kid was so cold.  Oh well, he survived.

We packed it up, said goodbye to all the doormen who called to us by name and begged Sam for high fives, chose an ugly, bright green glass ornament with Donald Trump's name all over it to remember the trip by and headed home.

I told Charlotte not to get used to the high life, but she didn't listen to me.

Tea Party

Another 5:45 am wake up call a few weeks ago.

 "Mom, I made you a tea party!"

I groggily head up to our third floor playroom and come across this spread.

"Sit down Mom, have some tea!"

Yawn.  I rub my eyes. "What kind should I have, Buddy?"

"Chocolate Mawrshmallow."

Chocolate marshmallow it is, Sam.

What can I say, he's a renaissance man.
Someday he'll be the complete package for a lucky lady.

First Snow Day

We got our first official snowfall of the winter on Saturday, gorgeous fluffy white flakes that covered the trees and yard, much to our delight.

Sam could hardly get through his breakfast before wanting to don all the gear and roll in the snow like a puppy.  Charlotte, unfortunately, had to observe from the inside while I made carmelized nuts, rosemary parmesan crackers and salty sweet brownies for a great party that evening.

The peach fuzz of her hair was cracking me up, just floating there in the shadows.

"Hellllooo?  Helllooo?  Anyone remember me?"

"Rats.  Now what do I do?"

Today at Breakfast

Sam:  "I think I have a baby in my tummy."  He then proceeds to lift his shirt, peering down at his belly.
Me: "I don't think so buddy."
Sam: "Can boys have babies?"
Me: "Nope, only girls have babies."

Semi long pause.  The sound of pancakes being chewed.

Sam: "I want twenty-FIVE babies!"
Me: "Wait, you want to be a BROTHER to twenty-five babies or a DADDY to twenty-five babies?"
Sam: "Da big brodder."
Me: "Gee buddy, I don't know if we have room for twenty-five babies; where would they all sleep?"

Pause.

Sam: "Well in da crib!"
Me: "Aw honey, we can't fit twenty five babies in Charlotte's crib!"

Another pause.

Sam: "We can stack them!"

Thanks Sophie!

My friend Sophie took some great pictures of our family last month, here are a few of my favorites: