Let the HoliDAZE begin...

Field Trip!

the dads took the s & s to the field museum today...

times like these... soak it in.

X-treme Snowmobiling

Red bull sponosred the "fuel and fury snowmobile competition" at wrigley field...

so we decided to check it out. took a bus over to wrigley and enjoyed the following:

Where's Waldo?

Halloween 2011

this year, halloween fell on a monday. our weekend activities went like this:

-saturday to wicker park kid festival where we met alexandra and the kids played. stella dressed as an angel. dylan refused to dress up as either the duck, the skunk or dash.

-sunday we went to the roscoe village trick or treating thing. then to frasca for pumpkin painting and dinner. stella, again, an angel. dylan, again, refused.

-monday night, we joined sahana and jay trick or treating their hood. then to the connor's for beers and to be the trick or treat-ee's. stella, once again, an angel. dylan, finally, dash.

of course, upon coming home, dylan threw an absolute tantrum when he had to take the dash costume off. so that was fun.

Mommy with the mostest

if not for susan, this year's halloween's festive look and festivities, doesn't happen.

here is our festive home (great job hunnie):

and i am so proud to unveil the greatest jack o lantern ever created:

Isabella Mae Mae Kemper

Stella has been asking for a dog.

we got her a fish.

hey... this pet thing has got to start somewhere... we were kinda under the impression that her first pet is dig dug.

stella doesn't agree.

maybe a dog next year? (as long as she doesn't kill isabella : )

ps: the name was all stella.

10.10.11

there is something about early october in chicago: we go through one of the most beautiful periods of weather.

this year, we had 10 straight days of "not a cloud in the sky, 75 degree temps". it must be what living in san diego feels like. becuase there is no to very little humidity. and it gets down to low 60s at night. absolutely delightful. very comfortable.

not too hot. not chilly. perfect.

this is now 2 years and counting. last year, we went to montrose avenue beach:

this year we we went to the indiana dunes and spent the day:

Bike Rider

today, stella rides a bike sans training wheels!

on her first try, at horner park, we used the hill to get her going (with the added bonus of it being grass versus concrete, in case of a fall).

she did great. very fearless. she did it a few times, getting better with each subsequent ride.

afterward, we went for a saturday night dinner at 'the portage' (west on irving park at central), sat on the back patio (unseasonably warm the last 10 days... around 70 degrees at 6pm).

we ate well. very happy.

Holiday Road

What. A. Trip!
Flew to boston to spend 3 days with cousins Conner and Cooper.
Then to Jersey to spend 5 days with cousins Emily, Analise, Jonah, Elijah, Tommy, Jesse and Matt.
Then to LBI for a beach rental with the Grady's.
I see this becoming a tradition : )

Wrigley Field

during a ladies weekend in nashville (nana, susan, kristy, jo, jenna), bampi and i took stella and dylan to their first cub game.

stella had been to a baseball game (yankees... she was 2 years 4 months). so this is her second ball game, but dylan's first.

unfortunately the weather wasn't great, but it was fun regardless.

Dylan's Birthday

It's all kinda a blur. I look at pictures of both kids 2 years ago and cannot process how much they've grown. From a 9lb 3oz turkey, Dig Dug blossomed into this fun, happy, truck-loving little dude. All day, he pretty much got what he wanted; an oreo before breakfast, gum, videos, etc. (you get the idea).

We had a family celebration by going to our neighborhood haunt, Frasca, for breakfast, then home to cupcakes and a gynormous digger. We'll pick it up where we left off on Saturday with Nana, Bampi and bowling. Needless to say, he's enjoying the ride. We are too. And so grateful for our little boy.

textbook parenting

come on kids... be the best around... BY KICKING other vitrtual human being's asses with a SWORD.

booyeah. textbook parenting.

We all float on

winters are always tough, particularly in the dead middle of february.

so, people do whatever they can to stay sane during the cabin fever months.

we usually dance.

the following is one of many "dance parties" at the kemper home.

"Why are you busting me?"

-stella's response to mommy's "we're going to bed in 3 minutes" on super bowl sunday.

where does she get this stuff?

hilarious.

Snow Day

"in the blizzard of 2011, the cars were just lumps under snow... "