february fun

indoor vehicle fun


dinner by chef ethan


dessert by dominick's

the middle picture is the result of ethan's attraction to the channel 11 saturday afternoon cooking shows (especially the French chef who says 'la salade'.) one night about a week ago, ethan decided to make us all dinner: dubliner cheese, hot dogs, and goldfish. it was actually yummy and nice to have a helper in the kitchen and we all liked it even more because ethan made it. he also made his own birthday cookies and icing, which were eaten so quickly, it would just show as a blur on the screen.

and speaking of birthdays, the extravaganza continues. ethan and kola had their combined family birthday party at the garfield park conservatory and much fun (and frosting) was had by all. ethan's 5th will be capped off by a 'kids on the block' party soon, which he'll share with his good friend alyssa, who turns 5 next week.

the novelty of driving in snow squalls and trying to stand upright in below zero windchills is wearing on all of us. there's a collective groan in the house when the mittens come out, and we've really hunkered down these last few weeks without complaint. the boyz are exploring new pretend meals to cook, new ways to build garages, driveways, and patios (love those magnatiles!), the teletubbies have driven cross-country in various vehicles (the red convertible is a favorite), and when we need to burn off steam, we do make it out for gymnastics, baseball-basketball, the ball and tunnel room near our house, or back in the house for a game of monster/where are the boyz/p.p.petunia. these are all variations on the same theme, which involve me or sig chasing the boys in a circle on the 1st floor of the house, which i think would be quite a sight from street side!

we met up with grandma and grandpa last weekend to see the chicago symphony orchestra perform carnival of the animals, with john lithgow narrating. it was a balmy day, so we also took a tour though the art institute and millennium park. after a full day of culture, we asked the boys to recount their highlights. They were in absolute agreement: the favorites were the ride on the EL, and watching the zamboni smooth out the millennium park ice rink!

more of our favorite moments to come...stay warm:) b/s/e/k