Quick updates with a few pictures

I really haven't been updating like I should. I've been off track since November I think. Anyway - while I am thinking about it I thought I would update some.

• Max had a bad case of croup last night and he was having a lot of trouble breathing, which led to coughing and vomiting, etc (5/13/09) and we were worried he would wake up in a panic and we wouldn't be able to calm him down enough to get him to breathe properly, so we took him to the emergency room at Children's Memorial. Its really lovely there. They have a huge fish tank in the waiting room and lots of child-sized tables and chairs. Everyone is super-friendly and they gave Max (and Ash too) tons of stickers to take home. The whole place is decorated in bright colors with zoo animals all over the walls. The doctors gave Max a “dose” of steroids. We’re supposed to go back if this happens again tonight but hopefully he will be able to rest up and get his throat cleared up some. We keep trying to give him hot tea and he is just ANTI-anything-hot/warm. So he just says, “hot hot hot hot” when you give him warm drinks. :-p Except coffee - he loves coffee. Iced mocha too. LOL!


• Ash had a photo shoot for the Halloween catalog of One Step Ahead (5/13/09). He was a pumpkin. Greg said it was just hysterically cute. They had a lot of trouble getting him to sit still though - so we're not sure if they "got the shot" for the catalog or not. He also modeled some pumpkin tights. We'll have to see if those make it in the book or not. Max will also be featured in the same catalog as a Cowboy. His photo shoot was about a week or so ago.
• We just got back in town (Tuesday) from a funeral in GA. My Uncle Stephen passed away last Friday morning and we were able to get good last minute fares to Atlanta, so we packed up everyone and flew out Monday morning - stopped in Warner Robins to change clothes and put our luggage down and then headed down to Hazlehurst, GA where the funeral was. It was great to see my family - even for such a sad occasion, and I know everyone enjoyed the boys. We spent the night in Warner Robins with Granny and Grandpa and then jumped back on the plane to come home. As we were coming home, we learned that another uncle of mine passed away very suddenly over the weekend (my cousin Heather's stepdad) and then my dad called this morning to let us know my great Aunt Myrtle passed away yesterday. (she was my grandpa's sister)


• Greg and I have been having "datenights" now about once a week and its very fun! So far, we've:

-had dinner at Wilde on Broadway and browsed Home Depot and then stopped by Argo for a tea.

- Saw the new Star Trek movie - awesome!!

- Went to opening night of Hedda Gabler at Raven Theatre and stayed for the party afterwards.

- Went to see Private Lives at City Lit Theatre and stopped by Starbucks for coffee.

-The Friday before Easter, we took the boys to Bubbles Academy for their Easter party and Egg Hunt. They got to play and run/crawl around and Max decorated a cookie and a foam Easter egg.

• On Sunday 4/19, we drove out to Waukegan to have a playdate with our friends the Hoshkos. They have two boys: Charlie and Eddie and they are almost exactly the same age as Max and Ash. We're excited because this coming Sunday we're all going to the zoo together.


• Back in March, even with all of the commotion, we enjoyed Members' Night at The Field Museum with the GA Hardins in town.



• I went on a Chocolate Tour of Chicago with my friends Miranda and Andrea. It was home-tourist-y fun! I bought/ate far too much chocolate! (3/14/09)


• Ash had his 9 month doctor's appt and he weighs 20 lbs. and is 28 1/2 inches tall! And he has a rather large head. He got his vaccinations and is doing super. :-)


• Greg spent a couple of days in Las Vegas in March and had an awesome time I think! He saw the Amazing Jonathan show and stayed at the Bally's casino.


• The third weekend of March, I took off for a spa weekend to Kohler Spa in Kohler, WI by myself! It was lovely! And I got to sleep! A lot!! I had a renaissance bath, a spa pedicure and an 80 minute massage, room service breakfast every morning - just fab.
• We had our appointment with the mortage broker which went really well and now we're shopping for a house that we can afford. Its a long process!


• At the very end of March/April - we went to Disney World for our annual trip and had a great time! We stayed at the Boardwalk Villas. We only picked one or two things to do everyday and I think that really made it manageable with the boys. We took them to Chef Mickey's for breakfast two mornings and Max LOVED the Playhouse Disney show and got a big kick out of running around the Pooh's Hundred Acre Forest at the Magic Kingdom. We really enjoyed the California Grill (our anniversary dinner), dinner at Tutu Italia at Epcot and the Finding Nemo musical at the Animal Kingdom.





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• This is Andrea, Miranda and Me on our chocolate tour.

This is Ash in March playing with the boys' farm set.

This is Max in March. (he as since had a much needed hair cut)

I think their Granny took both of these photos.

I will try to post more pictures. I don't have access to our hard drive like I used to because Greg got a new computer. I will try to figure it out though. Hope everyone is doing well!