Life in the BIG CITY

Last night we took the girls to the city and boy did they have fun.  We were lucky enough to get the penthouse suite - the 26th floor.  Here a few pictures of their night in the BIG CITY of CHICAGO.

Isabella's Celebration

Today we celebrated Isabella because it marked a very special moment in time.  Let me take you back.  Isabella was fully potty trained a little before the age of 3, however we could not get her to stop wetting the bed. After several weeks of washing her sheets and changing her bedding daily, I had decided that she should wear a pull-up to bed.

About three weeks ago, I told Isabella to go upstairs, put her pajamas on, brush her teeth and put a pull-up on.  When I arrived upstairs, she had her pajamas on and had brushed her teeth.  With her big eyes, she looked at me and said "Mommy, I don't want to wear a pull-up to bed, I don't need it." 

With a little hesitation, I listened and said OKAY, no pull-up.  Off to bed she went.

3 weeks later, she has not wet the bed once and we felt she deserved a reward for such an accomplishment!  So we took her to lunch at her favorite place - Portillo's and we even let her pick out a new toy as a reward.  She picked out a pair of sunglasses, a cell-phone, a debit card and a purse.  Additionally, she picked out a musical keyboard for Giselle - because Giselle loves music.  (We were all the way through the store and Bella said, Mommy - we should buy a present for Baby G too!  I smiled and said GREAT IDEA ISABELLA!)  She was SOOOO EXCITED and we tell her daily how proud of her we are.  Keep up the good work Bella!  YOU ROCK!

SNOW on SuperBowl Sunday!!!

At 7:30 a.m. this morning, Isabella crawled into the bed with Bob and I and said, "MOMMY, it's snowing outside."  "I want to make a snow angel!!!"  We all just laid there and looked out the window and watched the beautiful snow flakes touch the trees and hit the ground.  Shortly thereafter, I told her I would take her and Baby G out to play (once Baby G woke up because she is my sleeper) in the snow and make snow angels, but that mommy needed a cup of coffee first.

After breakfast, Bob and I bundled the girls up, rounded up Baxie and out the door we went to play in the snow.  Both girls like the snow and how it looks however they are not big fans of playing in it.  Isabella proudly made a SNOW ANGEL but then as soon as she got up, she cried because she had snow on her.  Baby G took a digger in the driveway with her Mickey Mouse and again, it was tears.  As soon as I got them in the sled - GOLDEN.  BIG SMILES from EAR TO EAR.  (Whew!!)

After about half an hour, they both told me they wanted to go inside.  We manually pulled the sled around the yard and tackled the hill in front of our house but I couldn't help but think that it would be way COOLER and MORE FUN if I had chains around the tractor and pulled them around behind that.  Or even a snowmobile or four wheeler - going slow of course : )   Maybe next time!  When we came in the house Bob asked Isabella if she had fun and her response was - Daddy, yes, you went fast when you pulled the sled but Mommy didn't!  And Bob just grinned.  Baby G flew out of the sled about 2 times while Bob was pulling them which resorted in drama and I decided to take it slow so neither of the girls would fly out.

After that, I headed off to the girls school, as today was parent teacher conferences.  All is well with school and the girls.  Their teachers said they are doing great.  Isabella loves to color and is great coloring in between the lines and Giselle is a big helper to her teacher and always helps her classmates and is full of smiles.

Now that the girls are napping, I thought I would sneak in a quick blog and make the appetizers for the football game.  Bob told me I am in charge of the appetizer's and he will make dinner.  So I made a homemade fruit salsa with pineapple, kiwi, strawberries, jalapenos, cucumbers, onions, sweet yellow pepper, lime juice and oranges to be served with chips.  Then we have a wine and cheese port ball to be served with crackers and a homemade Soppressata (from Bob's Italian friend).  As I sit here and type, I am still contemplating what our other appetizer will be.
Hope you all have a great Sunday and enjoy the game.  I am rooting for Beyonce!