Coming soon.....

I am really excited to update the blog..... someday. Ashlyn is finally here and I can't wait to post some pics and tell you her story, but life has been chaotic around here to say the least. I've spent the last 3 weeks recovering from childbirth, drugged up trying to pass a kidney stone and now laid up with the flu. The good news is Ashlyn is an absolute angel baby. You are going to love her...... as soon as I have the energy to tell you about her.

A perfect start to summer

Well, school is out and summer has begun..... in theory anyway. I don't really consider it summer until it is warm enough for me to spend my days at the waterpark. Poor Gavin only had 4 days between the end of the regular school year and the start of his summer school program. He takes a social skills course during the summer (it's the 0nly way for him to continue with his speech and occupational therapy during the summer months), so he doesn't really get a break. It's only 3 hours a day Mon-Thur, but I still feel a little bad. During the school year he had a laundry list of complaints regarding the things he missed out on because he was in school. Mainly, spending time with Gramma and Grampa Worlton, eating lunch with us, and watching tv. Thursday we watched a little tv, played outside with the neighbors, ate a picnic lunch together in the backyard and played in our kiddie pool. Friday was our day to spend time with the Grandparents and we decided to go to the Morton Arboretum. Visiting an aboretum might not sound fun, but this one is. They have created a beautiful children's garden where the kids can dig in the dirt, play with tadpoles in a pond, walk through a stream, climb on rocks and learn all about plants and ecosystems. We love it. 

Saturday we decided to head out to a local flea market. I am a big fan of flea markets and there is a huge one once a month about half an hour from us. It is held at a county fairground and is full of miles and miles of randomness. Toys, art, clothing, junk, dollar bins, homemade soda, plants, vintage candies, junk food, organic fruits and veggies..... just about anything you could dream of (for a steal, too). The kids were so excited, especially when they spotted the vintage star wars toys. We walked around, ate junk food and visited stalls for 4 solid hours. At the end we were all tired, but happy. Ella got a beanie baby that she fell in love with the first 5 minutes, Abe and Gavin got some cool star wars memorabilia and Matt and I found a great antique tool box to use as storage. Saturday night we crashed on the couch, ate some great bbq and watched a video. Today is Sunday and I think we'll make it a much needed day of rest. Tomorrow Gavin starts summer school, but we'll still have time for some great afternoon adventures. Hopefully most of them will involve our local waterpark. I love summer!

Bigger news!

We're having a baby! Baby #4 is due November 24, 2009. We could not be more excited and the kids are counting the days.

News!

Matt is now a published author! He wrote an article about Storytelling and it has been published in an obscure PR journal. The book costs about $400 a pop, so we won't be getting one, but I do have a copy of the article I can send to anyone who is interested. Any further communication with us should be done through our agent or publicist. Surely, fame and fortune are coming our way!

Pieces

Ella is my little shadow. She follows me around "helping" me and talking my ear off all day, everyday. Sometimes I think it's going to drive me insane. Today Ella was sick with a fever and slept most of the day. I thought it was going to drive me insane. I missed hearing her little voice and tripping over her little feet and seeing her little hands reach up to help me with my laundry. It got me wondering what I ever did without her. Deciding to have a baby can be such a scary thing. You never know what you are going to get. Some are easy, some are hard. Some are quiet, some are loud. Some are resilient, some are sensitive. But, as I take that leap with each new child and watch them grow I am reminded that God has a plan. It may not be my plan, but it is the best plan. I am so grateful for each of my kids. As I watch them grow I am amazed at how our family comes together like pieces of a puzzle that perfectly compliment each other and fit together to create a bigger picture. I have no idea what that picture will look like when it's finished, but I love watching it progress. I hope our sweet Ella is better tomorrow because the world is not as bright without her.

How cute is this?

I love driving in the car with my kids. There is something about the physical restraints, the lull of the engine and the mundane scenery that turns them philosophical. All of our best talks have been in the car driving to school, Gramma's or some other frequently visited locale. Yesterday, on the way home from preschool was a prime example....

Abe: Mom, why don't I remember when Gavin was in your tummy?

Me: Because you were still up in heaven.

Abe: Mom, I don't ever want to go back to heaven.

Me: We all go back to heaven eventually, but it won't be scary because Mom and Dad will probably already be there waiting for you.

Abe: Can you and I go together, at the same time?

Me: Probably not.

Abe: Then, I'm not going.

Me: Well, you don't need to worry about it now. You will live a long time and so will I because we eat healthy and exercise and take care of our bodies.

.... about an hour after we got home I caught Abe running in circles around the kitchen and when I asked what he was doing he said "I'm running like you do at the gym, so we can go to heaven at the same time." And once again my resolve to never give in to the DVD player in the car trend was strengthened. Love that kid!

Happy Presidents Day!

Gavin always has high expectations for Presidents Day. This year he announced that it is his favorite holiday.... even more than Christmas! Talk about pressure! I am sure outsiders who meet him probably think that he hails from a family of US history buffs or political activists, but that could not be farther from the truth. History was always one of my worst subjects.... almost everything I know about presidential history I learned from Gavin. So, to properly celebrate Presidents Day we decided to rely on the professionals at the Chicago History Museum in Lincoln Park. They had all sorts of fun things planned.... face painting, crafts, reenactments, etc. First we took a tour of the traveling Abraham Lincoln exhibit where we saw lots of old documents and furniture that I'm sure had something to do with Lincoln, but to be honest the joyful look on Gavin's face distracted me from paying much attention. Then we went inside to a reenactment called "Faces of Mt. Rushmore" where they had guys dressed up as those dudes from Mt. Rushmore (again, history not really my thang). Gavin thought it was fascinating and even laughed out loud several times at jokes the rest of us clearly did not understand. Next, we headed off to the children's area where they had interactive displays and crafts..... 

Gavin's Barrack Obama print

The kids inside a Chicago hot dog

The Ella dog.

Abe pretending to be at a Cubs game.

Matt posing with a Frank Lloyd Wright window.
Chicago toys.

Gavin with the Lincolns.

After exploring all there was to explore at the museum we headed out to Nookies Diner in Lincoln Park.....

What a fun day! Gavin keeps us thinking outside the box. I don't think we would have done this without his prodding, but I'm glad we did. Now, what are we going to do next year?

The grand finale

So, our 6 week birthday marathon has finally come to an end. In case you don't already know, all 5 birthdays fall within a 6 week period. It's a season of fun, but I'm always relieved to see it come to an end. Matt's b-day was yesterday, so here are the highlights....

Bowling...

Gavin still CANNOT look at a camera.....

Abe happy to discover a new sport....

Party girl enjoying a cupcake...

Mmmmmm red velvet!

Bookworm

Gavin is the ultimate bookworm. It is hard to catch him without a book in his hand. I try to encourage him to broaden his horizons and play with other things, but it usually doesn't last long. Today was the first warm day of the year (for those of us in Chicago who consider anything above 40 degrees to be warm). It was the perfect opportunity to send the kids outside to play and get some exercise. I got them bundled up and sent them out. Five minutes later I looked outside to see this....

Matt and I are always saying things like "Gavin no more studying today", "Gavin you are not allowed to read right now", "Gavin time to put the encyclopedia away" and then commenting on what a surreal life we have. I never thought I'd have a child who would consider having his reference books taken away to be the ultimate punishment or whose favorite Christmas present would be the classical composer of the month club (I'm not making that up). They call children with Asperger's the "little professors". That pretty much sums him up! 

Future blackmail shots

Poor girl got her mommy's unruly hair.

Abe's 5th Birthday!

Abe turned 5 this week! Time flies. In case we haven't told you already, Abe is in love with Star Wars...... in LOVE! So, since this year it was his turn to have a birthday party he chose a Star Wars theme. He has had such a fun time with his new preschool friends and was super excited to have them over for his birthday. We invited about 11 boys from his class (he was very particular that there be NO GIRLS, except Ella of course). Planning 2 birthdays in one weekend has proven to be pretty hectic. We stayed up late Sunday night constructing this...

We have a great system for parties.... I plan and Matt entertains.  He did his job leading the boys in some light saber training.

I love how Ella is front and center with the boys. She is our party girl!

And he kept them entertained while I served up cake.

When it was all over Abe was happy, but exhausted. I think this picture says it all....

Party girl was still full of life of course!


 I think Abe felt really special and loved, which is sometimes hard when you are a middle child who has almost the same birthday as your older brother. Abe is such a talented, loving, passionate, sensitive and all-around wonderful boy. He keeps me sane when things get crazy. He brings Gavin back to earth when his head is in the clouds. He loves the life out of Ella and he keeps us all laughing. Happy Birthday Abe!

Gavin's 7th Birthday

I can't believe he's 7! Both, because it seems like just yesterday he was my baby and because when he talks he sounds like a 50 yr old college professor. I am so grateful for birthdays because it gives me the chance to reflect on how grateful I am for my children. Gavin is such a blessing to our lives. It is hard to put into words what an amazing soul I think he is. It is exciting to watch him grow and to imagine the impact he will have in this world. 

His two requests for his birthday were donuts for breakfast and a cake in the shape of Handy Manny's toolbox. Both not easily fulfilled when you are on a gluten-free diet, but Matt and I improvised.

We spent most of the day at the Chicago Children's Museum. It was the perfect spot for Gavin because he could touch every button, explore every object and ask every question he desired.

You'd have a better chance of capturing Sasquatch on film than of getting Gavin to look at a camera.

After the museum we headed to Ed Debevic's for dinner with the g'rents and then home to enjoy the cake.

We love you Gavin and can't wait to see what year 7 has in store for you!