Snowy Sunday

Great start to a cold day. Mom and dad came over for breakfast this morning, which included pancakes, bacon, and potatoes. Mom and dad stuck around for a while afterward and played with the kids. Dad even played a little Wii Planes with Eric. As usual, Anika will sit not sit in anyone's lap, unless your name is "Papa." It was nice to have a lazy start to Sunday. We did not attend church this morning.

After mom and dad left, Eric and I did some shoveling. The wind was pretty strong, and Eric lost his boot a couple times in the snow. We called it quits for him as his boot had quite a bit of snow in it. Nolan came by and plowed out our driveway for us again. The secret is feeding him, and he's happy to do it. That, and he told Codi he'd do it for her because she's his sister.

The night ended with a viewing of the first half of "The Little Mermaid." Eric and Anika had popcorn, and before bed, Codi did some relaxation Yoga with the kids. I got to put Eric to bed, and he told me that if Anika wasn't giving me enough love, he'd "come running." He later qualified that statement and told me that he might "gallop instead." 

Good end to a good winter break.

'Da Bulls!

Last night, dad took me out to dinner at to the Bulls game. This being dad's first year as a season ticket holder is really working out for me, as this is my fourth game this year! The past couple outing began at Manny's Deli, where corned beef and pastrami have become "the usual." This time, dad took me to Honey1 BBQ, a hole in the wall type of restaurant with some of the best ribs and spare ribs in town. We had a great time at the game, spending time at the counter outside of the bar overlooking the court. I really enjoy spending time with dad and just hanging out. Have Bulls games replaced fishing outings? Time will tell...

Looms, Poppins, and Maggianos

Today was a great day. The day began with crescent roll surprise, which is essentially a marshmallow buriend inside of a crescent roll that is covered in cinnamon and sugar. After that, Anika played "mom" to me, and put me down for several naps, none which were long enough to actually get any sleep. Since I have discovered the excitement of Rainbow Looms, Anika and I made a bracelet together for her to wear.



Later in the day around 1:45, mom (Susie) picked up Eric and she took him to see Mary Poppins at Lincolnshire, along with Aunt Sally and JJ. Eric was super excited and even wore his "party" clothes. When we met up with them at Papa and Susie's house, Eric was a ball of energy.

Prior to all of that though, Codi, Anika, and myself headed out for dinner at Maggiano's. Anika ate everything we ate. She isn't really a "picky" eater, but I was surprised how much she seemed to enjoy mushroom ravioli and lasagna. She loved the flatbread pizza appetizer which did not come as a surprise considering the fact that she is an avid pizza lover. I do feel bad that Eric can't join us at meals like that, but on the flipside, it is certainly nice to be able to go out for a date with the girls (and I know Eric had a blast with his cousin, Aunt, and Gramma).

Snow and Family Time

Today I met with Jeff for breakfast, however, on the way, I had the opportunity to try (key word - try) to help someone get unstuck from a snow bank. We were unsuccessful so I drove him to work. Fortunately my new stranger friend, Doug, worked close to the Panera where I was meeting Jeff so it all worked out well. Breakfast with Jeff lasted about 2.5 hours. Good times.

When I got home, Nolan was there and he had plowed our driveway. That was pretty awesome as we are probably pushing 10+ inches of snow at this point and I'm tired of shoveling. Eric Jr. and I went to shovel the sidewalks. I wish I had my phone with me to take a picture because he was pouncing around in the snow and he waist deep. The boy totally loves the snow!

After the kids naps, we went to Greg and Jan's house to spend time with them and Sofia and Luca. That was a blast. I even made a rainbow loom bracelet - ok, I made two bracelets. Sofia and Luca are awesome with the kids. They are like big brother and sister to Eric and Anika. I always enjoy being around them - they are great kids! We finished off the evening with some fine kid dining, McDonalds. The kids played and had a blast in the play area. It was a great time!

Fire on the Lake, Snow in the drive

New Years Day - 2014

Codi made some fantastic homemade monkey bread to start off the day. After that, Eric Jr. and I went back out on the ice to make another fire. Bud had some leftover flares (which had an expiration date of 1981), and we used one of them to get the fire going. In addition to the fire, we dragged the kids around the ice on a sled and went to go check out the Wade's new home (way cool!).

After lunch we headed home where the kids fell asleep, the roads where a bit sketchy and we were greeted with about 8 inches of snow on the driveway.

Eric Jr. was a rockstar and he helped me shovel. The kid is totally a winter kid. He doesn't get cold, and he doesn't complain. Apparently he saw me shoveling and told Codi, "I should be out there, I should be helping Daddy," and he kept repeating it. He was pure joy to be outside with. He shoveled snow, threw snow at me, made snow angels, talked me into jumping into snow mounds, and I pulled him around the house on the sled. Eric Jr. loves playing and always wants me to join in. It's a good reminder for me to enjoy the moments and not focus on tasks (in this case, shoveling). We had a blast. Great start to 2014!