Check the box, folks! We survived our second year as parents! This past Saturday, we celebrated Ava's second birthday with a backyard barbecue—complete with a Mickey Mouse bounce house, sprinklers and kiddie pool for the little ones. As you can gather from the pictures, the theme was Mickey Mouse—something that  has endless possibilities when it comes to decorations, food ideas and activities. And I took FULL advantage! The kids ran and played, ate and drank and truly enjoyed themselves! One of the little boys was so excited that when he showed up, he "dropped trou" and made a run for the …

Naturally, with the recent announcement of our second pregnancy comes the discussion about the transportation of our ever-expanding family. Currently, we have an SUV and a car; I drive the SUV and my husband takes the car. In the past, I have said that I would never drive a minivan. Ever! In fact, on the many weekends I was stuck in Chicago traffic, I would refer to it as "minivan hell." I was surrounded by parents who were toting the entire family into the city, but unfortunately left their driving skills at home. So why on Earth am I ready to join the pack? Convenience, that's why. My …

We’re back—and I survived!!! Our first vacation without “little britches” went off without a hitch. Ken and I had a great time on our adult-only-vacation to Grand Cayman! Even better, we got a solid report (all A’s, I might add) for Little Miss Ava from the Grandparents. She behaved very well—and kept them very busy.  We missed her tremendously and each time her name came up we got a little sentimental. We didn’t let it get us down, though. We had a great time enjoying one another’s uninterrupted company, for the first time in nearly 2 years.  It was nice to get away and do nothing. But trust…

The time has come for our first adult vacation from our baby girl! I don't know if I am more nervous or excited; nervous because I don't know how I will survive without her, and excited for my new found freedom. Any tips would be welcome. Six days is a heck of a long time away when the longest separation so far as been one night—and even that was hard!   Our trip will land us at the Ritz Carlton in Grand Cayman, for six glorious days of 85-degree weather. I can't say I am saddened by this one bit! We've had the luxury of staying at a few Ritz Carltons in our day, and I must say, each trip has…

Can you imagine how easily you could tear through your list of errands if the places offered a drive-through? I know. I probably sound like the laziest person in the world. But if you have kids I'm sure you can attest that errands take twice as long when you have to transport kids into and out of the stores, into and out of carts, etc. What could be a few simple stops turns into a strategically planned-out trip with built-in breaks for snacks, drinks and meltdowns.  I would absolutely love it if there were drive-throughs for the following items: Starbucks: That is the one thing I really miss …

Have you heard? Abercrombie & Fitch is marketing a new bikini. It's a skimpy little number that is red and white striped, and has a push-up, padded bikini top. The problem? This particular bikini is being marketed to girls as young as seven years old. That's right. A push up bikini top for an eight-year-old.   Will someone please explain to me, why on earth an eight-year-old would need a padded, push-up bikini top? Are kids feeling the pressure to have "bigger lady parts" at eight? Where is this coming from? And what's next-- a padded, booty-sculpting pair of matching bikini bottoms? This is …

If you were to ask a parent how they feel about traveling with a child under the age of, say, 4, they probably first get a little panicky, then tense up in the shoulders and immediately head straight for the medicine cabinet in search of a Xanax.   Just the sight of a toddler on an airplane can even give the most savvy travelers shrills. You know exactly what I mean. You get on the plane. You spot the toddler, check your ticket only to realize you're the lucky winner of the seat next to that child and immediately start panicking that you're going to have to listen to that kid kick, scream and…

This is the second spring I'll be experiencing with my daughter. I know what you're thinking: Whooopeee?! But few things excite me more than shopping for her itty-bitty bikinis for the upcoming summer. They are so darn ca-ute!  Last year, we got matching "itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny-yellow-polkadot-bikinis".  They were a hit!  I'm not the only one that is ecstatic to finally get Ava in her bikini. My mom is ultra excited to get her into the pool. (She and my stepdad migrate to Florida half the year, and they have a pool.)  YaYa (Ava's way of saying "grandma") and Papa love when we bring her to …

Ask any Mom (Stay at home Mom or not) and they will tell you, "Play-dates are great!" It's an excuse to get out of the house during this crappy, dreary weather-- when a park or outside-play isn't really an option.   Unless you're hosting, they're free!  And if you are the host, the cost is minimal-- covering just snacks and drinks for the kiddos.  It breaks up the day-- especially for those with kids that are down to 1 nap per day. Play-dates give Moms time for some adult-conversation which, if you're a Mom, you already know-- these conversations-- as insignificant as they might be—help …

No, I'm not talking about eating Green Eggs & Ham—although that does sound interesting! What I'm talking about is learning something from the great Theodor Seuss Geisel or, as we know him, Dr. Seuss. For 75 years, his books could be found in nursery after nursery, parents reading his words to their children. That's right, 75 years ago his first book was published. Since then, he's delighted young children (and adults) with his quirky rhymes. Silly as his books may be, I have found that some of them do have valuable life lessons.   Here are a few of my personal favorites: Family & friends: "Be…

Have you ever explored the accessory section of a store with your child? If so, then I don't have to waste my time telling you how much fun one can have.   Hats, sunglasses and scarves—OH MY! I discovered how much fun it was on a recent shopping trip. Ava was not cooperating with me whatsoever. Every time I tried to get her in the cart, she pulled the "stiff-with-rigormortis-backbend" which made it impossible to get her into the seat. And I was NOT about to push a cart AND hold her while I shopped.   I looked around and saw a bunch of hats, so I thought I'd saunter over and see what I could …

No, not me.  It’s EVERYONE else in the universe that is knocked up. Am I the only one that feels this way?  I mean, almost ALL of my friends are expecting—most with their second child. How many friends you ask?  Twenty-three.  Twenty-three! That is a classroom of pregnant ladies!!   Did I miss the memo?  I look back at my own pregnancy pics and it's crazy. For the life of me, I cannot recall the feeling of having that HUGE belly! Nor can I recall the nudges and stabs from little Ava, moving around in my huge, stretched belly. I do, however, remember how much I LOVED being pregnant—knowing …

A friend of mine introduced me to another great activity to share with Ava.  Yes, I'm talking about the Clarendon Hills Public Library.   You may be thinking—What fun is a 17-month-old child going to have at a library?!   Well, let me be the first to tell you... she had a BLAST.   Little did I  know, they have classes for kids her age.  I went to the "Baby Time" class, which is for children up to 18 months.  There were 3 other Moms there, with their little ones.   Miss Krista came into the room and we all sat down in a circle & introduced ourselves.  Then, Miss Krista lead us through a bunch …

Ava is almost 17 months, and a lot of the weekly updates I receive from parenting Web sites are really pushing the "weaning of the bottle" by her age. Most are even advising to wean as early as 12 months. Ava may be ready. I am not.  It's the one last activity that reminds me of her baby-ness. Throughout the day, she drinks from her sippy cups, so she's only getting two bottles a day: before her nap and before bed. During the sweet moments of feeding and rocking her to sleep, I forget about how big she has grown to be and reminisce about those early months where there was this tiny person in …

I’ve tried everything. Cookies. Treats. Chocolate Milk. Nothing works. For the life of me, I cannot coax the words “Mommy” or “Mama” from the beautiful raspberry-lips of my daughter.  Nothing even CLOSE comes out.  Instead, I hear “Dada," "ball," "doggy," "Uh-oh," "light," "shoes..." C’mon!!!  How did I take backseat to shoes?!  I mean, she’s far too young to be in love with shoes, right? Or is she?! Maybe the bug has bitten her sooner than I thought. Uh oh.  She is even saying "BOOGER!"  WHO SAYS "BOOGER" at her age? She even says “Eeeewwww” when I snatch one out with a Kleenex, and show it …