We did it!

So we completed our goal. We had a couple cheat moments but overall did really well. What we learned....we learned that we can live and feel just fine without meat and dairy. We also learned that if we make goals together they are even easier to achieve. Finally we learned that if you go on a vegan diet during February you will still have Girl Scout cookies in March. Since we have returned to a "regular" diet I feel tired, Ben and I noticed this today. During the month I complained less about feeling tired and the last two days I feel like I just want to take a long nap on the couch.

We plan to incorporate some of what we learned in February into our daily living. For example, Almond Milk in place of half and half in coffee, I'm going to go with a mostly vegetarian diet and Ben is going to do less meat. It was a great learning experience.

Today is hard!

There are those days, those days when you see a commercial and want to eat....and I mean eat everything. Today is one of those days. I want to eat everything and no matter how many fruits, vegetables, and grains I eat I still want more. It is almost 7PM and all I can think is that I would really love some Tikki Masala Chicken or cheese and crackers. That being said, hand me another glass of wine so I can forget my food desires.

Other than that I have been very content with the plant-based diet and have even embraced it with pride. I was able to tell a fellow Yogi that I am a practicing Vegan (ok, so we don't know if it is long term yet...but I'm practicing never-the-less).

Superbowl Sunday Success!

That's right, we went to a big Superbowl party with lots of cheese, dips and meats and we behaved ourselves. OK, so we mostly made meals out of chips, guacamole and vegetables (peppers, carrots and cucumber) but we didn't feel like we were missing out or that we needed to eat the pork sandwiches or chicken chili. Now time to meal plan for week two.

Oh, I stumbled across this story today on MSN. Thought I would share it. It's all about foods that help you lose weight. No big surprise that they are fruits and vegetables.

Day 4!

Today is day four and things are going well. We haven't had much problem with the plant-based diet and have actually enjoyed trying new recipes. Today we went to a vegan restaurant called Munch, the kids and Ben enjoyed pancakes with vegan bacon and sausage and I had vegetable scramble with sweet potatoes. We realized that the faux bacon and sausage are not necessarily to our liking but the corn meal pancakes were excellent. Then we walked over to a local bakery called Bleeding Heart and had these amazing vegan cupcakes. Tonight Ben made a roasted cauliflower steak on a bed on homemade garlic tomato sauce with an olive and sun-dried tomato relish; it was super yummy.

We have played with recipes this week making a spinach and cannelloni bean dip, homemade Alfredo pasta sauce with cashews, soy sauce, Dijon mustard and garlic, and garbanzo bean and black bean hummus. So far it has been a fun adventure.

Day one!

Day one was a success. Wednesday's are crazy in the Murrie home. I teach two bootcamps and spinning class so I find myself SUPER hungry. But I stuck to the Vegan Diet and got through the day with no more tummy grumble than on a normal Wednesday. Actually, I teach an AM bootcamp and am typically famished by the time we get home around 11:30AM. Yesterday I ate 100% Oats with dried mixed berries (thank you Trader Joe's) with my coffee for breakfast and I got through my class and home before my stomach began to make noise. I suppose all that fiber goes a long way. For lunch I had a mix of beans and rice with blueberries as a snack. Around 4:30 I had some cashews before I headed out to teach spinning and bootcamp back to back. After my bootcamp it's always a little late to do a full dinner so tonight I had the bean and spinach dip that Ben made with Donkey chips (corn chips from Whole Foods) and topped it all off with a cold Shiner Bock.

Over all I feel just fine, I don't have more or less energy YET! I don't plan on posting a daily update but figured day one was a good day to post and every few days I'll give an update. Thanks to all who have been showing great support in this process. I guess we'll see how we feel at the end of the month. Happy eating!

February as a Vegan

Anyone that really knows me knows that I love cheese, chocolate and a good steak. So the fact that I/we have decided to go vegan for February may have some of you thinking...NOT GONNA HAPPEN!

Ok, I get it, I doubt myself as well. But this is something that we have really contemplated. I consider myself to be a healthy person. I work out regularly, eat healthy, I sleep enough, and maintain a healthy weight; so why am I tired? I have read more and more about how animal-based foods cause many health problems and plant-based foods are the best for you; even reversing some health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, and cholesterol. But you may say...we are supposed to eat meat...we are carnivores. If we are true carnivores, wouldn't we have the teeth to jump on the back of a cow and bite through the hide? Just saying, maybe we are not meant to eat meat, and if we are we are definitely eating too much.

A couple weeks ago we rented Forks Over Knives and were really inspired to make a change. We have cleared our home of temptations, shopped for plant-based foods and slowly worked animal-based foods out of our diet for the last couple of weeks.

I decided to blog about it every few days. I thought, if I write about it not only will it be on my mind but others will hold me accountable. The funny thing is I think this is going to be easier for Ben than for me. So, we begin February 1st and we need your support. I am interested to see how I feel; if I feel differently at all.

Happy Holidays!!!

Back on Track

This summer has been full of trips and adventures. I have been terrible about updating so in one blog I'll do my best to update everyone on everything that we have done this summer. Starting with our trip to VA and NC.

Ben's brother (Dan) lives in Charlottesville, VA with his wife (April) and three kids (Jacob, Addie and Teagan). We went berry picking, hiking, swimming and had an overall fantastic time catching up. Jeremiah enjoyed being a "big boy" sleeping in his older cousin's room and trying new food at the encouragement of his cousins.

We left VA and headed down to the outer banks of NC to enjoy a few days at the beach with some old college friends, Fernando and Maggie. They have a little boy (Gabriel) a year younger than Davis. The boys had a blast using their swimming lesson skills in the ocean and it was the first time we were really able to enjoy going to the water with the boys. We had some great catching up time and are beginning to think we should make it an annual trip.

In July we took a weekend road trip to St. Louis, MO to visit Ben's Grandmother and Sister. It was a very quick and full trip. On Sunday we left the kids with Aunt CooCoo for an afternoon at the City Museum while Ben and I joined a friend at the Busch Stadium for a Cardinals game (the cardinals won). That evening we went to The Muny for a touring show of The Little Mermaid. It was exhausting and hot but a great time.

A couple weeks later my dearest childhood friend, Trina, came out to visit with her two kids (Teagan and Maddox) for a few days before moving to London. Unfortunately it was the hottest, most humid week in the summer but we made the best out of it. We went to Navy Pier where we spent the morning at the Children's Museum, with lunch at Bubba Gumps and play time in the Splash Pad. It was short and sweet and I fully appreciated and enjoyed the visit.

The following weekend we went to the Lake House In MI with the Murphy's (Chris, Lauren, Vivian and Desi). This is becoming an annual trip and something we all look forward to. We spent the days with the kids in the lake, on the water trampoline, jet ski, and boat. But the evenings were full of yummy food, wine and hot tubs (followed by over 50 bug bites all over my body).

At the end of July Ben's parents and sister came for a weekend visit. We didn't do any big city adventures, just a trip to the farmers market and some quality time BBQing and hanging out. A nice mellow weekend giving the kids good quality time with the grandparents.

Finally, the past weekend my college roommate, Christy, came to visit her sister-in-law who just moved here. We spent the afternoon catching up, shopping, eating and dodging the rain. She accused me of being a "bad blogger" so I'm catching up.

Overall the summer has been full of adventure. When we weren't traveling or having company we were having play dates with some dear friends we have made over the year. Play dates at the lake, water park, zoo, or just at home the kids had a blast. Summer break is coming to an end with Jeremiah starting Kindergarten in a week. I can't believe how quickly time goes by. Thanks to all for the memories.

(Pictures aren't working right now...I'll update later)

Hawaii 2011

In April, Ben and I were blessed with an opportunity to go to HI again. We began our trip in Oahu where Ben spent three days working and I spent three days shopping, snorkeling, hanging out on the beach and taking long morning jogs to Diamond Head. One evening, Ben's Navy contacts gave us a very unique opportunity to take a behind-the-scenes tour of Pearl Harbor. We were loaded on a boat with a couple of Sailors and taken into the harbor where we could see sunken ships and plaques that very few people get to see. It was an amazing experience.

Lahaina with an amazing view of the island Molokai. From our room you could see the whales in the ocean, it was beautiful. On Friday we spent the morning snorkeling Kaanapali, where we saw amazing sea life including several turtles. That afternoon we went to the historical DT Flemming Beach. On Saturday we packed a lunch and took the road to Hana. We hiked up the the large waterfalls and had a lovely picnic. On our drive home we stopped for some homemade coconut ice cream and several small hikes to several waterfalls. Saturday was rather relaxing, more snorkeling, beach time and dinner at the Plantation House at sunset. One Monday we scheduled a whale watching boat ride. We were a bit disappointed since we felt we saw more from our condo balcony. Nevertheless we had a great time and were sad to leave on Tuesday but were excited to see the boys.

(Pictures aren't working right now...I'll update later)

Jeremiah is 5

It is hard to believe that Jeremiah is 5 years old. I feel like he was born yesterday yet I feel like I have known him forever.

This year we gave Jeremiah a choice: birthday party or a dinner show at Medieval Times. He chose Medieval Times.

We left Davis with some friends and took Jeremiah to the show the weekend of his birthday. It took some time and the promise of fighting to settle him down, but ultimately he loved the show and even enjoyed the food.

Jeremiah is a sweet-natured, shy, affectionate child. He loves super heroes, Lego's, Playmobile people, and dressing up. Here are a few of Jeremiah's favorite things.

Favorite movie-Star Wars

Favorite cartoon-Backyardigans

Favorite book-Where the Wild Things are

Favorite food-Wuesadillas

Favorite vegetable-Edamame

Favorite toy-Playmobile people

Favorite song-You Belong with Me (Taylor Swift)

Best Friends-Chloe and Vivian

Happy Birthday, Jeremiah!

Winter Blues!

Winters are long and cold. I am done with cold, snow and ice yet winter isn't nearly over. So in order to make it through I decided to list the top 10 things I love about winter.

1. Hats...I love the cute winter hats.

2. Scarves...not just warm but fashionable.

3. Snow ball fights with the boys.

4. Cute knee high socks.

5. Cuddling with the kids in my bed for story time/happy light time.

6. Pajama days.

7. Fire places.

8. Free museum days.

9. Coffee...the ability to drink it ALL DAY!!!

10. Seeing a perfect snowflake on the windshield of your car during a snow storm.

Please share your favorite things about the winter...I would love to hear them.

Is it sibling rivalry if it's just one-sided?

So in recent weeks, we've started to notice how little Jeremiah thinks of his counterpart, Davis.

Example #1

Jeremiah: "Mommy, I want to go to the store and get green paint so that I can paint myself all green and be the grinch. I also want to get reindeer antlers so Davis can be the dog.

Example #2

Jeremiah: "Davis, you are a good penguin because you walk funny and you are fat."

Davis: "I'm not fat."

Jeremiah: "No, you have a fat little belly, like a little penguin."

Example #3

Jeremiah: "We can play Wizard of Oz. I will be the Lion and Davis can be the scarecrow. He has no brain."

Merry Christmas 2010!

This year we were blessed to have both sets of parents and Ben's sister in town for the holiday. The kids had a blast and we had a white Christmas. Merry Christmas to all..here is our holiday card.

Well, if it gets you free sandwiches?

So yesterday, Ben picked up Jeremiah from pre-school and went through the Jimmy John's Drive-Thru to get lunch for everyone. While at the order window, the woman working there was very friendly. As they left, Jeremiah mentioned "daddy, that lady waved at you." Having not noticed this, Ben responded "oh really, why do you think she did that?" Jeremiah concluded, "because she like you." There was a long silence and Ben figured the conversation had ended, until he heard J say "I think maybe we shouldn't tell mommy about this." After laughing silently for a bit, Ben asked why and J responded with "because she will run away."

Bengtson's Pumpkin Patch

Yesterday we went to the Bengtson's Pumpkin Patch with the Chris, Lauren, Vivian and Desi Murphy. The place was fantastic and we had such great time. There were rides, pig races, petting zoo, a corn maze, and of course a pumpkin patch. It was very chilly and really added to the feel of fall.

Lollapalooza 2010

This year we got tickets for Lollapalooza. The great thing about a music festival is that even the kids enjoy it. They had a great area for the kids with all kinds of crafts, drum circles and so forth. They even had a kids stage with fantastic kid bands. The boys spent most of their time play with the instruments.

After the kids left it was time for Lady Gaga. One word "Endurance." I was fully entertained.

Summer Misc.

To celebrate the fourth of July went went to a small parade at a nearby neighborhood. They had the traditional line of fire trucks, police cars, army cars, horses and so forth that you come to expect at a parade. The kids had a blast cheering for the parade and collecting candy as it was thrown.

Jeremiah took this picture.

Ben's company received recognition at the Rape Victims Advocacy Annual Award Ceremony this year. I am very proud of all of them and mostly proud of the amazing husband that I have.

City living means train riding. I think the kids will never tire of trains.

I just like this picture. Jeremiah took it of Davis when we were at the lake house in Michigan. I don't know how he does it, but for a four year old he has an eye for pictures.

Lake time

At least in Chicago people really take advantage of the brief summer. The lake has been good to us. The boys and I have found some days during the week to hit the lake. Ben had a few days off here and there and joined us for running, playing and castle building in the sand.

Jeremiah was very helpful the first time I decided to take the boys solo.

He even put the sunblock on D's face.

We have also been blessed to be invited to spend two weekends at a lake house in Michigan. The first weekend was a family weekend. We went out on on the boat, both boys went on the tube being pulled by the boat. Jeremiah was lucky enough to go out on the jet ski. Unfortunately we didn't have the camera down at the water.

Davis and the smore.

The second trip was for a friends birthday. We left the kids with my parents and had a blast at the lake. I don't have pictures of that weekend because they might get us in trouble... :)

Date with J

Last month Jeremiah and I went on our first official mommy and J date. We went to the Children's Museum at Navy Pier. The place is amazing. It is three stories of endless fun. We played rock star, fireman, cooked, looked for dino bones and just had a ton of fun.

Chicago Museum (Free Days)

In an effort to enjoy the city we live in, without going broke, I decided to find all of the free days of the major museums in Chicago. Since I have young children who still nap and can't manage an entire day at the museum it doesn't make sense to spend the money for 2-3 hours. So here we are, a list of museums with web-links to their free days.

Museum of Science and Industry
http://www.msichicago.org/visit-the-museum/museum-info/admission/free-days/

The Art Institute of Chicago
http://www.artic.edu/aic/visitor_info/geninfo.html

Field Museum
http://www.fieldmuseum.org/plan_visit/free_days.htm

Museum of Science and Industry
http://www.msichicago.org/visit-the-museum/museum-info/admission/

Chicago Children's Museum
http://www.chicagochildrensmuseum.org/hours.html

Adler PlanetariumAddress:‎
http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/plan/discounts

Shedd Aquarium
http://www.sheddaquarium.org/discounts.html

Brookfield Zoo...Water fun!

The best thing we have purchased since we moved to Chicago is our membership to the Brookfield Zoo. Not only did it come in handy during the long winter with their indoor exhibits, but it is proving to be just as much fun now that we are finally experiencing some warmer weather.

Last weekend we went for a couple hours and made is a mini-seaworld adventure. We feed the stingrays, watched the dolphin show and played in the water spouts. Unfortunately Davis didn't like it when the dolphin splashed him but recovered rather well.

Davis Turns 2!

I know this is a little late, but what can I say, I am terrible at updating my blog. So never-the-less, Davis turned two on May 27th and we celebrated in style. We had Italian Beef sandwiches, wraps, fresh fruit and veggies, sangria (thank you Andrea), chocolate cupcakes and plenty of little boys. It seems no matter where we live we have so many little boys around. Davis had a blast and loves all of his new toys and books. Thanks to all who came.

May Madness

This month has been full of more adventure than expected. My parents came to visit and during their visit we took advantage of the Union Station Train Day, free admission at the Field Museum and of course the zoo...always the zoo.

Things that make a 2 year old happy.

Davis is easily entertained but rather demanding. Here is a list of the top 10 things he likes to do.

1. Fasten his booster seat buckle. Then scream for me to unbuckle it.

2. Pull all of the cushions off of the couch and make forts with them while hiding from Jeremiah. This applies to my bed as well.

3. Dump dirt from the sand box onto the porch.

4. Run over the flowers in my garden, like a jungle. We can thank Jeremiah for teaching him this.

5. Getting food out of the cabinets and stacking the cans.

6. Sneaking ice out the the freezer. We have a bottom freezer.

7. Dancing.

8. Sword fighting. Another game we can thank Jeremiah for.

9. Talk! He can hold entire conversations with you without you understanding a word. But the funny part is, if you look away he gently grabs your chin and moves it back to look at him.

10. Anything Jeremiah does. If Jeremiah takes his shirt off and runs around the kitchen table you can count on Davis to be right behind him.

These little things make me love his strong willed, independent attitude. I can't believe he will be two later this month.

Finding the fork.

Each morning the kids eat breakfast in the living room while watching cartoons. This morning their fruit was mango. So each boy had a fork and bowl for their mango. Davis wanted more, shocking, so I went to the kitchen and got him more. When I returned to the living room I couldn't find his fork. So I said, "Davis, if you want your mango we need your fork. Where is your fork?" He ran over to the couch, lifted the cushion and found his fork. Silly bear.

You can't catch a squirrel with fishing wire!

Today we did a little project. We took several pine cones, rolled them in peanut butter and added bird seed for the neighborhood critters. We hung about 6, with fishing wire, throughout our backyard and waited patiently.

While I was making dinner I noticed a squirrel tugging at one next to the birdhouse we have in the yard. I called for Jeremiah to come a take a look. We watched this squirrel struggle for several minutes until he finally broke the fishing wire and ran off with the entire pine cone. Jeremiah thought it was fantastic.

Above is a picture of one of the floating pine cones.

Below is the birdhouse that is missing the pine cone.

Jealousy and Guilt

While reading the May edition of Chicago Parent I was drawn to a comment made by Editor Tamara L O’Shaughnessy in the “From the Editor” section. She said, “I didn’t expect to feel so jealous of the stay-at-home moms laughing and playing with their little ones at the park as I pass every day at lunch.”

I think that as a mother who has been on both sides I understand that jealousy. However, as a stay-at-home mom I can guarantee you that we are looking at you thinking “I wish that was me walking on my lunch break, not dealing with the kids.”

It is a rather ironic dichotomy. As a working mom you have a sense of guilt for working and not being home. You fear that others, namely stay-at-home moms, look at you as a career driven, heartless woman, who most likely had children to prove a point. As a stay-at-home mom you have a sense of guilt as well. You fear that others, namely working moms, look at you as a mindless, gym going, park playing, weak woman who most likely went to college for her MRS.

The truth of the matter is that it is mostly all in your head. I went back to work after my first child. As a matter of fact, I took a promotion during maternity leave. I was on the fast track, looking at being a director in the next year or two. I had guilt, I was jealous, and I wanted to be home laughing and playing with my child at the park. After my second child I went back to work, but because of my husband’s travel schedule with his job we made a decision for me to stay at home with the kids. Now as a stay-at-home mom I have guilt, I am jealous, and I want to be going to work: interacting with adults and making adult decisions.

I have had the privilege of being a working mom and a stay-at-home mom; both teaching me valuable lessons about the so-called pressures of society and myself. The truth is; you can’t win. No matter the decision you make you will feel guilty, jealous and want to be doing something else. Maybe not everyday but once in a while you will see that mom at the park with her kids or walking on her lunch break and think, “I wish that were me.”

Hairdryer

So this is totally pointless but I have to share my stupidity anyway...I have been using the guest hairdryer for the last six months. It just works better than mine. However, it remains in the guest bathroom and I still refer to it as the "guest" hair dryer. So today I got out my handy dandy "old" hair dryer to test it out, maybe it is better than I remembered. But no, all hot air and no blow.

So I thought to myself, "I loved this hairdryer once upon a time; has it always been this bad and I didn't know or did something happen to it?" Then I realized the back opens...what...a filter. Needless-to-say I cleaned out the filter and I am happy to report that my hair dryer is back to it's old self. "Guest" hair dryer you have been good, but I will keep you for company.

Boys Dr. Apt.

Today we finally went to the doctor. Davis missed his 18 month appointment and Jeremiah his 4 year appointment so we have some catching up to do. Overall they are both very healthy.

Jeremiah 4 years old

weighs 34 lbs 50%

height 75%

Davis 21 Months

weighs 31.5 lbs 75%

height 50%

Unfortunately, Davis got a cold this week and it turned into an ear infection so he was unable to get his shots. We are getting him on his first round of antibiotics ever and will return to the docs in two weeks. Jeremiah was healthy and VERY good when he got his shot.

Just an update

Since we moved we have not had much luck with the Internet so updates have not been very regular. But we have had some fun now that the sun has come out some. We have a great zoo less than 3 miles from the house (Brookfield Zoo). We got an annual membership a couple months ago and have gone several times. They have a great indoor play area for the kids and we have spent many hours there.

In addition to the zoo we have finally met a couple neighbors. There are two little boys who live next door. Keith is 13 and Nick is 9 (I think). Jeremiah adores Nick and he has been really sweet to J. They played in the front yard taking turns on the scooter and skateboard. Davis is a wild child with his tricycle on the sidewalk; giving me a great workout.

Speaking of workouts; I have been teaching spin at the YMCA for the last 6 weeks. It has been great, I have met some people and am going to teach a total body fitness class next session. They will send me to some training so I don't have to pay for my own certifications. In addition, the family gets a discount membership and discounts on all classes. I plan to put Jeremiah in swimming lessons come April.

Finally, Ben and I have been able to embrace the "date night". Funny, you have a husband in town and you can do things together. My parents have visited several times and we have used their services to our advantage. We have been to several plays, played co-ed football with some co-workers (COLD), went to a rockin' roller skating party and went to a concert this past weekend at the House of Blues. I like having a city with lots to do so close, but I still miss the charm of Austin.

Over all I am trying to adjust. It has been harder than I expected. Each move in the past I worked and was able to adjust quickly with a network of friends etc. This has been very difficult, we are still looking for a church and I miss my friends in Austin. I am trying to get involved and meet people and I am sure it will take some time. Hopefully we will get this Internet thing fixed and I will be able to post more often...maybe with some pictures. But until then, I hope all is well.

Snow Days

In Chicago it snows and when it does it stays for a long time. Never-the-less, the boys have had some fun in the snow for the first time.

Jeremiah turned 4

With the move I neglected to post Jeremiah's 4 year birthday info. Yes, my boy is 4 (January 7th). We had a little party with the Murphy's (Ben's boss and friend). They have two kids close to our boys' ages. We had brunch, played games, opened gifts and just had a nice time chatting and hanging out with very fun, sweet people. I totally forgot to take any pictures of the actual party...once again neglecting my poor child's birthday.

So much change

It has been a long time and so much has happened. For those who don't have the details here they are.

October-Ben got offered a promotion to Chicago.
October 29th-Austin house went on the market.November 2nd-Got offer on Austin house.
November 17th-closed on Austin house.
November 17th-December 8th-Stayed with friends and family until we closed on a house in Chicago.

Since then we have cleaned, cleaned, cleaned, got new windows, new window covers, stained some floors, cleaned some more, unpacked etc.

I am finally at a point where I am willing to share a few pictures of the new house. We have not done any painting yet but plan to very soon. We miss everyone in Austin a ton and hope you all know how special you are and how special you made our time in Austin.

Note: this has been sitting in my draft for a while. Sorry.

Holidays

This year the holidays were a bit crazy with the move, but we managed to spend time with each side of the family. My parents had the boys when Ben and I left for Chicago so they came up and spent a couple weeks with us as we unpacked and celebrated Christmas with Santa (my dad) a few days early. Then we drove to Southern IL to Ben's Grandmother's house to meet up with Ben's parents and sister for the holiday. We were so blessed this year with some great gifts for the kids and for us. Overall, it was a really nice holiday.

Davis got a little tricycle and Jeremiah had the best time helping him open it. Since then it hasbeen one of their favorite toys to play with on the hard wood floors while we are trying to stay warm.

Jeremiah's Interview

Jeremiah's pre-school does a monthly news letter and each month they interview some of the children. This month they interviewed Jeremiah. This is what Jeremiah had to say.

Jeremiah's School Performance

Today Jeremiah's pre-school was doing a special performance at church. So, instead of going to our normal church we decided to go to Jeremiah's school. On our way Jeremiah said that his belly hurt but we figured he had to go to the bathroom. When we got there Jeremiah went to the bathroom with Ben while Davis and I found a seat. The performances began and Jeremiah's class was up next. They all walked into the sanctuary toward the front of the church. I saw Jeremiah holding his teachers hand as they were walking. As the other kids walked to the front he would not let go of her hand so she sat with him in the front row. I went up and got him and he said his belly was hurting a lot; so we headed home. A few minutes later he felt fine..come to find out it was just nerves. I can't believe it, his first performance and he was so scared that he couldn't do it. His teacher said that he was shy but I guess we have a bit of stage fright as well.

GRRRR

Today I put Davis down for his nap. I heard him upstairs crying so I went in to check on him. He had thrown his nuk and blanket bear out of the crib. I picked up blanket bear and got on my hands and knees to find the nuk. As I was looking for the nuk I looked up at Davis; he laughed and said "GRRRR". Yes, my kid growled at me.

On the Market!

Our house officially went on the market today. In less than three hours we had someone come to see it. I hope that is a sign of how quickly our house sells. Wish us luck.

Chicago here we come!

The last few weeks have been pretty tricky. First of all my sister and her family decided to move to Austin because my brother-in-law was looking for more work and CA was getting too expensive. They got here mid September. During their trip my brother-in-law got a call from a company in Seattle with whom he had already been working with. They offered him a full-time position. They settled into our house for a few weeks and then he took off to Seattle last week to begin working and get things settled for the kids and my sister.

In the meantime, Ben's company gave him an offer to work in the office, with less travel and the ability to use his degree (which will be complete in December). This means selling our house and moving to Chicago by December (the house may take longer). This is a bitter-sweet move. The bitter is leaving all of those we have grown to love, a city we adore and a house that is ours. The sweet is that instead of traveling 40+ weeks a year Ben will only travel 6 weeks a year. That weighed heavier than any other argument for Austin. So, that being said, we are moving to Chicago the first week of December. We will miss Austin but are excited about the new move.

Placemats

My sister, her husband and two kids are here in Austin for a while before they move to Seattle...long story. Anyway, I have this dinning table with deep grooves and it is so irritating to clean. That being said we decided to make placemats with the kids. It was a fun art project and it has saved some cleaning after each meal.

Jeremiah was very excited and into the project!

This is Kaia, just one week before she turns five.

Logan is 7, he didn't need help with the glue.