Little Girls...

Miss H-Monkey was climbing on the side of the chair in the living room today. I told her that she really shouldn't be doing that because it's not good for the chair and she could get hurt. Deciding that those weren't good enough reasons, she said, "Well, that just what little girls do." I laughed and asked, "Who told you that?" She replied, "Aunt Heidi!"

So Heidi, I'm guessing she's telling a little fib here and that you really didn't tell her that little girls climb on chairs. If you did tell her that, we may need to have a talk. :O) hee, hee, hee

Ellie is growing as fast as ever (she's 10 1/2 weeks old). She is already in 3-6 month clothes and even those don't seem like they'll last long. She's falling into more of a routine, which is nice, but she can also be flexible as I like to go out a lot. She went shopping with Jane, Lori, Kam and I on Saturday and couldn't have behaved any better. She did great, sleeping through both dinner Friday night and Saturday night!! I appreciated that a lot. :O)

I'll admit that we're sort of fair weather fans when the Cubs are concerned, but Ellie still looks cute in this hand-me-down from Hannah. This is her concerned look...much like Hannah's.



Pretty Cub "Fan"

Zoo w/ the Johaniks & Sisterly Love

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I'm experimenting w/ this photo website. Just click on the big orange play button to watch photo show...What I'm really looking for is a website that will let me put video clips on this blog...any ideas?

We went to the zoo w/ Heidi and the boys today. It was a beautiful day to be outside!

Fall Day

Taking advantage of possibly the last warm day of the year, Hannah, Ellie and I went to the Red Oak Nature Center on Monday. It was absolutely beautiful walking through the woods, next to the river. Hannah also loved seeing the turtles, snakes, frogs and other creatures that live in the center.

Nature Girl


Hiking through the forest


Ellie enjoyed the fresh air as well!


God's creation...beautiful

Halloween

I don't know what Hannah had more fun doing...going trick-or-treating with our neighbor boys or passing out the candy back at home!

Ellie's not too sure about this trick-or-treating thing!


"Chicken Little" helping herself to the candy bowl.


Making a run for it after getting the loot!


Library costume parade.


Trick-or-treating at the library.

2 Months Old

Ellie turned 2 months old on Friday and with that came a check-up at the doctor and a few shots...ouch! She is growing really well and is right on track. She now weighs 11 lbs. 12 oz. and is 23 in. tall. (sorry Mom, I gave you the wrong weight...I don't know why I got mixed up) That's about the 90th percentile for both weight and height. What a big girl!

Beautiful Baby Blues


Goofy Face


Fun in Bath

Pumpkin Time

Last night was "pumpkin" night. Hannah was so excited to carve the pumpkins we got this year! I think the best part was scooping out the insides and playing with them in the bowl! Ellie and I didn't really get in on the fun, but that's ok, it was some good daddy-daughter time. :o) Plus, somebody had to take the pictures!

One more...

I had to add another post about Hannah "graduating" from gymnastics last week! She had a great time the past 8 weeks learning how to do forward and backwards rolls, walk on the balance beam, swing on the bars and jump on the little "trampoline." We're going to take a break from it until she turns 3 so that she can attend the next class without needing my help (a parent has to help in the 2 year old class). Don't get me wrong, I loved helping her, it's just getting a little tougher w/ Ellie sitting in her car seat the whole time. She used to sleep like an angel, but now she's awake more. All this to say, I want to put her in gymnastics again, but in a few months.

Pretty Girls

The Four Seasons

I don't really think that I have a favorite season, each has aspects I love about it. In the winter, I love sitting on the couch, under a blanket with a cozy fire blazing nearby. I also love getting together with family at Thanksgiving (and eating a ton of great food) and Christmas. My favorite time in spring is when the first warm day of the year comes. I love to see everyone suddenly appear outside walking, riding bikes, and playing at the park. It makes me happy. Of course summer brings one of my favorite activities of all...playing at the beach! There's nothing like hitting the beach on the shores of Lake Michigan at 10 am and staying out there all day only to come in for a quick lunch and potty breaks. I love it. But, then there's fall. I really do enjoy being outside on a crisp fall day. I love walking and hearing the crunch of the leaves under my feet and seeing the beautiful colors on the trees.

Yesterday we took Hannah and Ellie to a really nice park in downtown Naperville. It was fun to bundle the girls up and enjoy time together as a family.

Fall Weekend Fun

My parents came for a visit this past weekend and even though it was a bit chilly, we took them to The Morton Arboretum. It was my first visit there as well and I must say, it's a great place! They have a relatively new "Children's Garden" that was perfect for Hannah. In fact, that's really the only part of the arboretum that we saw on Sat. It was so big!

Here are a couple of pictures from the weekend. We discovered that Ellie likes to look at Hannah's doll. She was smiling away and it appears that they became good friends!

You'd think I'd know by now...

Last night Brian had a dinner for work, so I decided that I'd rather not cook for Hannah and I and we'd just go out and grab a quick dinner ourselves. I didn't want to do fast food and there's a local restaurant only 5 minutes from our house that I thought I'd try. I knew that if Ellie fell asleep on the way there, she would sleep through our "quick" dinner. Right? Wrong! She did fall asleep, but woke up after we ordered and before our food came. Well, this tends to be the start of her "fussy time," so I knew I was in trouble. Naturally, every eye in the place was on us as Ellie's cries got louder and louder. I started to sweat a little and knew I had to get out of there. So, when our food came I quickly asked for two boxes to take it home with us. I was trying to make light of the situation and did a pretty good job of it. Hannah did even better when, on the way home she said, "That was so much fun at the restaurant!" I'm not sure what the "fun" was that she was referring to...maybe the coloring? maybe the fact that she got to order pancakes for dinner? Who knows...all I know is that you'd think I'd know by now, not to take a 6 week old out right at her "fussy time" no matter if she falls asleep or not. What was I thinking?! Clearly, I wasn't. I mean, it's not like this is my first time at being a mother! Yikes! :o)

I must add a note here about how the actions of one person can change a bad situation into something good (or at least OK). There was a couple sitting next to us who, of course, glanced over several times during the craziness. I finally turned to them and apologized because I felt badly about interrupting their dinner. They were very kind and said not to worry. Well, as I was walking w/ Hannah carrying her coat and her pancakes in a box, the woman followed us up to the front counter where I had to pay. She offered to help Hannah get her coat on and even offered, almost insisting, to help me out to the car. She was so kind and her actions really meant a lot to me. I was still a little embarrassed about the whole thing, so I told her I could make it to the car ok, but thanked her for her help. Just goes to show how helping someone in need, whether it's a mom w/ crying kids, an elderly person who needs help with something, or anyone else in need, brings joy to the person receiving the kindness. It's a call we've been told about before as Christians...be kind to others and help those in need.

gettin' big & smiley

People have asked if Hannah and Ellie look the same as newborns...you be the judge. :o) (see the above two pics, both taken at roughly the same age...E on top, H below)

Can't resist

Hannah cannot resist licking the spoon AND bowl after we make brownies...today was no exception. And I can't resist posting these pictures here. :o)






p.s. I promise that I did not prompt her to do this...I turned around and this is what I saw! (Of course once I saw her licking the bowl, I told her to hold still so I could get the camera.) ;O)

Wisdom from an almost 3 year old

Last night Brian asked Hannah if she was more like Mommy or Daddy. As usual, she didn't answer the way we expected by choosing one of the two choices, "Mommy or Daddy." Instead, she simply replied, "I'm like me."

She certainly is her own self and we love it that way. Shouldn't we all be that...just "like me?" (ourselves and no one else?) Of course she has a little of Brian and a little of me in her, but Hannah is truly her own person. I think most toddlers are. That is one wish I have for her in life, that she will always remain herself. I pray that she will not conform to what the "world" says she should look like, what she should say, what she should choose as a profession, etc.





Romans 12:2
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will."

1 month

Ellie is 1 month old, so I thought I'd take a few pictures of her in her "going home" outfit to see how she's changed.



We had fun with the whole family taking some other pics as well. :o)