Stanley Cup Champs - Mural

BEFORE

AFTER

There are two major changes in the pics above. First, there are three kids in the 2nd pic and two in the first. But the more important change is in the wording of the mural. It went from we want to we got the cup. Its exciting to bring the Stanley Cup back to Chicago, but Brooke was very concerned about the fact that the mural was incorrect after the Finals. She complained every time we passed (which is quite often) that it was incorrect. Luckily it got updated, and we snapped a quick pic to commemorate that fact :)

"Love You"

This morning as Brooke was getting ready for camp, Luke walked up to her and gave her a hug. He said "cuddle cuddle" as he hugged her. Then he looked up at her face and said "love you".

My heart melted a little.

Luke 15 Mo Checkup

Height:    33"               (95%)
Weight:   27 lbs 6.5 oz (95%)
Head:     47.3 cm          (62%)

Luke pedi detected a small murmur. Was not concerned but referred us to a cardiology specialist just in case!

More Baby Teeth ... Finally

Its been four months since we've seen a new tooth pop up in Luke's mouth. Sometimes we forget its been that long, since his big sister's teeth seem to be falling out nonstop. However, when you look at his little smile you still see a gummy baby smile. Till now!

He had a couple night where he was whining and crying all night. Honestly, it's been so long since he cut a tooth I didnt even consider teething to be the source of the problem. I just assumed he was getting sick or maybe going through a generic growth spurt.

Then it (finally) occurred to me that I should check for teeth, and the problem was solved. A new tooth had broken through. And just three days later, a second new tooth! We are well on our way to a nice, toothy grin. Too bad Brooke cannot say the same ;)

The Awesome Tooth Fairy

Look what the Tooth Fairy left. Wow. She has amazing skills.

Toothless

This little girl will not stop losing her teeth!

Ribs

Went out intending to go to Roadhouse and showed up at 6pm with a 1 hour wait. As we were driving we actually noticed that EVERYWHERE was crowded.

As a last resort we headed to a new BBQ place ... Not ideal since neither Brooke or Ryan will eat BBQ.

Things turned out ok. There were some non-BBQ items for the kids. I handed Luke a rib and he was thrilled. At least 1/3 appreciate a good meal ;)

15 Months Old (OMG!)

Height: 33 inches (95%)
Weight: 27 lb 6.5 oz (95%)
Head: 47.3 cm (62%)
Measures taken at 15 mo checkup on 7/28/15

Luke does what a typical 15 month old boy does - causes trouble. He has an amazing sense of humor, and he's either laughing or making someone else laugh 90% of the time. The other 10% of the time is when the temper comes out. The little guy has a ridiculously short fuse.

He's determined. He insists on repeating the same dangerous feats over and over. The past couple of days have been 1) beelines for the fireplace in the living room 2) throwing himself on his bottom with a gigantic yell and 3) climbing up into a stroller we left in the front hallway and demanding to "go!"

There's one major difference between Luke and his siblings. He always has a partner. Brooke is there to laugh and sing with him. Together they read books, cuddle and giggle. Ryan? He and Luke fuel each others inner demon. We are in for a lot of trouble with these two.

Burger Fest & Another Tooth Fairy Visit

We went to Burger Fest on Belmont with Uncle Brad, Uncle Tim, Aunt Jackie & Cousins Gavin and Lia. It was much hotter than recent days, and Brooke and Ryan were both whining about the heat before we even arrived. There was lots and lots of complaining (not from the little guy though - he was smiling the whole time, and especially when he got to drink the lemonade Brooke rejected!).

Suddenly, Brooke spotted some Ring Pops at a popcorn stand. The girl has a killer eye. It was all smiles then ... till the ring pops were consumed ;)

Brooke's eagle eye also caught on some name merchandise. There were rings, bracelets & necklaces. Her eyes lit up and next thing you know she was wearing her new necklace.

And not long after that her tooth fell out!

All the kids were pretty hot, and the grownups were feeling it too. Soon it was time to head home... and begin preparation for another visit from the Tooth Fairy.

She Said

(Brooke looking at original Annie DVD)
Brooke: is this about a clown?
Me: no, why?
Brooke: she has short red hair
Me: uncle brad has short red hair. Is he a clown?
Brooke: yes

The "Choo Choo"

The other day Jeff took the kids out for a ride on the neighbors golf cart. As they drove away as I stood with Luke in my arms ... He had an epic meltdown screaming "Choo! Choo!"

So today it was decided we would all go on the gold cart. Luke sat in my lap in the front and squealed and smiled while the cart moved - and cried and hollered "go" if it stopped.

We got off at the park to play. Luke swung about two times on the swing and was desperate to get off (which is unusual). I let him off, he screamed "choo choo" and made a beeline for the golf cart. At that point he refused to get off and was clearly trying to figure out how to make it go.

We went out again for a drive and thought he might enjoy being in the back w the other kids. Nope. Another tantrum. He literally tried to climb over my shoulder to the front. I went back into the front and he was all smiles once again.

Since then he will not stop asking for "choo choo". He's totally obsessed.

Feeling Buggy

Bought the kids a bug catcher to hone in their bug obsession a bit. These two have bugs in their hands every minute they're outside.

Holy Mouth

One of Brooke's FOUR loose teeth just fell out. She's got another hanging by a thread. There's gonna be some major smile changes to come.

She's super psyched ... And expecting something major from the tooth fairy.

She wrote the Tooth Fairy a note, requesting that she keep her tooth (and the next three!) for a collection for her family.

Freezing in July

It was unseasonably cold (high of 65!) and swimming and the beach were out of the question. Decided it was a good day to mini golf.

However, the place close to us was closed. Permanently!

We drove a bit farther to Captain Mike's Fun park in Bridgeman MI. The kids had a blast golfing, but couldn't keep their eyes or minds off the go carts and bumper cars :(

After golfing we decided to head out to Greenbush Brewing for dinner. They had a Lego table ... which was a good thing. We had to wait an hour for a table. When we first got there we were told the wait was 5 minutes. However, that turned out to be for a high-top table. One which could not use a highchair :( So we decided to wait for a low table while the kids played.

Eventually we had three tantruming kids and had to accept a table outside. We all froze. Jeff ran to get me a long sleeve t-shirt from the gift shop (which, at least, which was one positive!) and the kids shivered and complained their way through the meal. We will definitely have to give the place a try again ... once the temps cooperate.

She Said / He Said

Brooke to Ryan
"When you grow up you could actually be an alien"
she meant astronaut

Red, White & Brews

Round Barn Winery, Distillery & Brewery holds an annual "Red, White & Brew" party that was promoted to be family/kid friendly ... so we decided to check it out. The grounds were beautiful and there was plenty of room for the kids to wander. However, it was 81 degrees. While that may not be hot for July, it was hot for our summer thus far. And we weren't there long before everyone was a bit sweaty and rosy in cheeks.

It was only minutes before the kids said they needed water. I suggested they go on the bounce house and slide FIRST - since I knew that was going to heat them up. They both played on the slide forever. Then guzzled all the water I had. That signaled it was time to either 1) go home or 2) grab another drink and buy a water while I was at it. We opted for #2, and stayed a bit longer.

We did not do the wine tasting, but from what I can gather it appears to be a place we actually could bring the kids. I think we will made an attempt at that sometime soon :) The kids can run around in all their open space ... while the grown ups can have some fun too.