Cupcakes in class

Miss Lindsay let me come and be a part of Elle's birthday celebration in class. I brought cupcakes for all, they sang Happy Birthday to her and made her a birthday crown (which of course she refused to wear). So much fun to celebrate with her new school friends.

In other news, she told me today that she wants to be a mom when she gets bigger and grow really big boobs. I've been smiling about that one all day long.

3 years old!?!?!?!?

Our big (little) girl turned 3 years old today! It is completely hard to believe since it feels like it was just yesterday that we were just meeting her for the first time. She is so very special to Andrew and I. She makes us laugh so ridiculously hard, she amazes us everyday and we are so proud to be her parents. We love her so very much ("too much" as she would say). These three years have been above and beyond the best of my life.


We celebrated the heck out of this 3rd birthday. Nonna and GW, Hamma and Bapa all came to Chicago during the weekend to help us celebrate. The ladies went to see the musical Pinkalicious at the Apollo Theatre (based on one of Elle's very favorite books). The men met us after the show for a late lunch at Lou Malnatti's, followed by homemade pink cupcakes at home. The Grandparents totally spoiled Eloise with presents and she loved opening her gifts and playing with her new toys. Thank you for coming and making this birthday girl's day so very special. She loves all of you so so much!

walking to the theatre

on the Pinkalicious set

at Lou Malnatti's

cupcakes!

...Happy Birthday to you...

making a wish

Eloise and Griffin had a joint birthday celebration at Chuck E. Cheese today with a few of their playgroup friends. Eloise loved playing the games, especially riding the Kentucky Derby horse. We ate pizza and Chuck E. himself came out to sing and dance for our birthday kids. Eloise was scared of Chuck this time around and would only get close enough for a quick high-five or this photo with me holding her. They loved their Dora and Diego cake and had a great time at their party!

ride 'em Cowgirl

pizza!

cake!

cake excitement

blowing out their own candles

the Hamm kids and Charles Edwin Cheese

Now just one more birthday celebration tomorrow at preschool and then we are d.o.n.e. At least until #4...

Our girls

It's tough being a little brother

Relaxation and family fun

We spent the weekend in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. It was our first time in this much talked about Chicago get-away destination and we thought it totally lived up to the hype. Pure relaxation, kind people, beautiful lakes and lake homes, quaint shops and crisp fall weather. Dave and Molly B joined us on Saturday and we were so happy for the time with them! We enjoyed our stay at the Lake Lawn Resort on Delavan Lake just outside of Lake Geneva. We swam, drank wine overlooking the lake, took bubble baths, ran the long winding hallways and roasted smores in a campfire.

The reason for our trip was that Andrew ran the North Face Endurance half marathon in Kettle Moraine State Park in Eagle, WI. Due to the weather, the early time, the length of the race and the remote location, the kids and I did not go to the race. We did cheer him on from the comforts of our hotel room where both kids slept in past 9. The terrain was treacherous and extremely hilly with a total elevation of 1100, muddy from storms, and required a high level of training, which Andrew clearly has no time for. Impressively, he not only managed a personal best of just under 1:45, but he finished 20th out of 289 participants. Congratulations Buds!!!

Thanks again for coming Dave and Mols. We had the best time with you and can't wait to do it again!

watching the fishies below

the hamm girls

walking the lake shore path in lake geneva

collecting leaves for a leaf bouquet with Aunt Molly B

the resort's beach on Lake Delavan

happy to be out of the city and in the fresh air

on the dock at the resort

Happiest Birthday

Oh how I love September 15th. The weather was perfectly warm and sunny and I enjoyed a fantastic dinner al fresco in Old Town with my family followed by a beautiful cake from you know where. I adore my birthday and my family for making my day so special.

Preschool!

Our big girl started preschool last week. She loves it! She loves her teacher, Miss Lindsay, her new friends (especially Max), snack time, eating lunch at school, reading books with the teacher and all of the art projects. She jumped in with both feet in true Eloise style and even told me after a running start hug when I picked her up on the first day "I didn't even miss you very much, Mommy". Believe it or not, I really missed her.

first day of preschool

eating lunch with her new friends on her first day

ice cream and cupcakes with her bffs after their first day of school

Soccer also started last week. Her coaches are Coach Boogie and Coach Manny and they are terrific! I think she looks just adorable in her Lil Kickers uni.

Happiness

Today, I had one of those completely blissful take a mental picture and remember this feeling forever moments. I was lying on a blanket next to my baby boy who was looking up and kicking and punching and cooing at the tree branches blowing in the wind above him. Our adorable pup was running in the grass holding her own leash in her mouth. My most favorite little girl and my best friend/my love were throwing a ball and counting acorns. The sun was shining. Geese were flying overhead and landing in the glistening pond. I'll always remember it. There is no way to know what the future holds and I need to stop worrying about it and really make an effort to enjoy the right now. Especially since the right now is so very good.

Bath time is play time

Nobody enjoys a bath quite like Georgie Porgie Hamm. He kicks and hits and splashes and grunts throughout the entire bath. It's literally the best thing in the world to this wild and silly 11 week old. However taking him out of the bath is a different story. His temper flairs and he screams and cries and only calms down when he's completely tired himself out from the splashing and the sobbing. We have the pleasure and then displeasure of experiencing this every other night. He really is pretty darling if you ask me.

Happy Labor Day

The weather's been great (jeans, leggings with plaid, sweaters and sunshine), football had a strong opening with wins for the Wolverines and Hoosiers, and we took full advantage of 3 uninterrupted Daddy Days plus an end of summer holiday weekend. Some highlights...

early morning run with Daddy

We went to a party at the new facility for Elle's soccer team. She ran a few drills with the coaches and kicked the ball around with Daddy. I'm really looking forward to watching her in action when her class starts this week.

E is for...Eloise

We took a train downtown and walked home via the loop, Millenium park and the lakeshore path.

acting like tourists in our own city

the Hamm foursome at the bean

splashing in the fountain

let the sun shine

Lulu splashed too

a reflective time-out in the park

We'd be remiss not to mention the best burgers we've ever had. Truly. We have a fantastic new restaurant very close to our house...The Urban Burger Bar. We can't wait to take My Brother Dave and Uncle Jon to this new spot. I got the horseradish bar cheese burger...out of this world.

George is 11 weeks old now. Unbelievable. Here he is testing out his crib.

and modeling Halloween costumes

Eloise starts preschool tomorrow. She'll be fine. New backpack...check. Haircut...check. Paperwork filled out...check. Family photo in case she misses us...check. Now me, I'm not so sure. Sniff.

big girl haircut

Pa-Pa-Pa Poker Face

Me: No. That is not nice. Why do you want to be naughty?
Eloise: Because I like to make my family laugh.

Guess I really need to work on my poker face.

Who are you? (a line from Elle's favorite movie)

George at 9 weeks

With our first child, I realized that many personality traits are in place since birth. I discovered that personalities are far less determined or formed by the parent's influence, or lack of, as I once thought. Parents may nurture, encourage, push, etc, but I've found that the child will still be that child, and eventually adult, that she or he is meant to be. Eloise's personality when she was 1 week old is 100% the same as it is today. As a newborn and infant she was curious, fearless, demanding, affectionate, stubborn, very serious, unbelievably outgoing, independent and not easily comforted. For those of you who know her, I think that you'd agree that those traits all ring true today. I thought that I'd document what George's personality seems to be to see if it holds true 1, 2, 30 years from know. George, in a nutshell, is sensitive, afraid of new experiences, loves to smile and laugh (silly), very active, quick tempered, wants to be around people and part of the action, talkative, needs to be cuddled and held. We seem to have two very different children. Eloise would never take a bottle and would rather starve than give in, George would drink out of a garden hose. We would spend hours in Elle's face trying to get a smile or a rare laugh, George smiles at you even if you even happen to make eye contact across the room and he laughs and talks to you if you pay him any attention. Eloise would cry uncontrollably at times but was content playing on her own and to this day can occupy herself for hours, George is happy as long as he is held...but he must be held. One thing that these two have in common...they undeniably love each other very much.