Chicago Skyline

Naperville, IL Riverwalk

The Original Pancake House - Belleview Place, Chicago

Pecan Pancakes

Chocolate Chip Waffles

The Horror

This is what we dicovered the other morning...

We've been attacked.

Excuse my unfinished white pumpkin. I had great plans to "bedazzle" it.

Inside Looking Out

Just had to share the view!

Any other day, we leave the blinds down to decrease the glare on the television. During the Winter, the blinds stay down because it's so cold and without the leaves our view is of the back of our neighbors house.


Disclaimer: The couch isn't really as "off-centered" as it looks. I had to take the pics from a few steps up the stairs and to the side. I was trying to avoid having a glare from the flash. Sorry.

Halloween - Past

This year, in an effort to "speed up" the Halloween costume search - I've convinced the girls to let me "surprise" them with their costumes. I've gotten their "suggestions" but you never know - the store might be out of their size (wink, wink). Otherwise "the search" is a long grueling process which usually ends with the purchase of a costume that I'm not that crazy about.

When the girls were about two and a half and nine months old. I made a chicken costume that I had seen in the Martha Stewart magazine. Unfortunately, the feathers freaked Grace out and she wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. All I could get her to wear was the head piece and the tights. Catherine wore a "store bought" little piglet costume.

The next year I prepped Grace far in advance for the costume. She wore it without resistance. I also got crafty again and made another MS costume - the lamb.

And here are the fruits of my labor... the first and last of my "homemade" costume career.

E-mails to Daddy

Some time around the beginning of the year, my oldest (then 7) decided that she wanted to start a website. As a compromise, I let my girls have their own e-mail address. Grace has a grade school friend in another state that she exchanges messages with and Catherine (6) has just now really "taken" to the whole "e-mail" thing. Here are some of her messages that she sends to her dad.

**********************************

I having so much fun In louisiana and I spelled this by my self and I know I said I having.

i like u daddy cat

I love you hi hi hi

I had a grater day then yester day it wus fun tday.Can we play nucl sanwich plese.I luve you.

liket scool tday it wus fun.sumtime can we camp awt this weeck ples ples ples ples ples ples ples ples ples ples ples ples ples ples ples athawsin pless wun mor ples that macs athawsin and wun.haw wus your werk yester day.I,m omost finishd with my book.by luve you.

dad I am happy.because me and mom and Grace.are bing shoos tday.I am Happy rilly Happy.


I miss you. I cant wate to see you after yor werk. I cant wate for open house. it is fun. you get to see the stuf we make . open house is rilly fun. wut did you do at werk!. Katlyns b day is cuming up. it is not fun wen you are not here. not fun at all wen you are not here. me and Grace Anne are macking lots of thigs. lots of fun things. this is wut aboawt wut I do at scool I mack books and I do word woll wreds and Ido lots ofthings.

Lou Mitchell's - Chicago

This is where we had lunch last week. It's a baker/diner.

You're greeted at the door with a donut hole (sorry, no pic - I ate it too soon - I was starving). Then you get a box of Milk Duds when you get your menu. I just got a sandwich but the meatloaf is supposed to be great! When you order breakfast, you get a prune on the side.

Union Station - Chicago

We made a little trip into the city (Chicago) last week. This trip I got to see a part of Union Station (the train station) that I had not seen before. I had only seen the underground area where the trains are and the eateries - not so glamorous.




This is the Great Hall. I don't really think it serves any purpose on the average day, but it can be rented out for major events. I need to go back when it's decorated for Christmas.

"God Bless America" - exhibit

Michigan Ave. - Chicago


This exhibit is titled "God Bless America". It's a 25 foot statue inspired by the "Americian Gothic" painting which is actually housed at the Art Institute of Chicago (just down the street from where this statue is located).

The case of the missing t.p....

Mystery solved.