Fancy Levynn

When Dad and Levynn were at the library last week, she noticed a flyer on the bulletin board advertising a "Fancy Nancy" storytime and fashion show. So we've been counting the days.

Fancy Nancy, for those who don't know, is a children's book character who likes all things - you guessed it - fancy.

Sounds like a reason to dig into the dress-up bag, does it not?

And this was the result:


Levynn did have a wardrobe malfunction, though, and she wasn't too pleased about it.

But she pushed the shoes aside and refocused.

Reading to friends

Now this is cold

Fresh off a Chicago-record nine straight days of snowfall, we've been blasted by a near-record cold spell that even makes the New Englander in the family shiver.

We endured more than 36 consecutive hours of sub-zero temperatures before the mercury climbed back into the single digits this afternoon. Overnight, when Mom came home from work, the actual temperature was closer to -20 than -10. And the wind chill consistently has been at least 15 degrees colder. She's a brave woman.

But it all will be behind us tomorrow, when we'll be sunbathing in the 20s.

18 months and counting

Lincoln visited our pediatrician today for his 18-month checkup, and we'll get to that.

First, though, you need to see these videos.





We had no idea that Lincoln had this in him until he and Dad started reading that book just then.

But last week he did show Dad that he understood the difference between one and two. We have several sets of large children's playing cards, and he likes to toss them all over the floor. He and Dad were picking them up one day, and Lincoln held two in his hand and said "two." Dad wasn't sure he meant that exactly at first, but he continued doing it. When he had one card in his hand, he didn't say anything; when he had two in his hand, he said "two."

It must be all the hide-and-seek! Speaking of which, Dad now expects a little more help counting to 10 while Levynn hides.

Of course, Lincoln didn't do anything like this in front of the pediatrician, who had to ask if he's developing normally. We think it's safe to say that he is! She also reports that he's in good health, as usual, although we're skeptical of her height measurement (just as we always were skeptical of the measurement of Levynn in Louisville). She wrote 34 inches (too tall) and 24 pounds, 14 ounces in his chart, which would keep his height in the 90th percentile and his weight between the 25th and 50th percentiles.

More fun in the snow

Dad already had planned to take Levynn to the library today, but more snow last night and throughout this morning convinced him there was only one way to travel: by sled.

So Levynn climbed into it, and Dad pulled her to the library and back - about 1.8 miles in all - carrying books on his shoulders. No YMCA or Wii Fit necessary for him this weekend.

But her screaches of delight at any bump or acceleration made it worthwhile, too.

Family fun in the snow

Several inches of fluffy snow fell here early today, and we all went outside to enjoy it.

Like September all over again

It was back to school time for Levynn today, that is, after four weeks away from her Pre-K class.

As you may recall, she was sick for a week, and we were in Massachusetts the next week. Then winter break was two more weeks.

So she was very excited to return. When the classroom door opened at the bell, Levynn burst through to be the first kid in there and gave her teacher a huge hug.

And Lincoln? He's developing wonderfully. His fine motor skills are light years ahead of Levynn's at that age, and he has started to make a concerted effort to string words together.

Just today, Mom reported that he said, "Mama big, Lincoln little." He also says, among others, "more milk" and "bottle open" and his favorite, "hide-and-seek."

Our (happy) new year

... in which we've resolved to:

Be better parents,

Be healthier adults,

And have more fun.

Mom has outlined a daily plan that focuses on how we will spend our time with the kids, which is particularly useful during a cold Chicago winter when we can start feeling cooped up.

Mom also has started to concoct the makings of a new diet for herself - involving vegetables, Grandy! - that already has trickled down to the rest of us. Veggies and hummus, anyone?

That aforementioned daily plan also includes workout times for Mom and Dad. Mom wants to get to the YMCA more regularly, like Dad has done, and we both want to give our latest acquisition - the Wii Fit - a shot, too.

We tried it out this morning.

Here's Mom skiing.


Here's Levynn ski jumping.


Looks more like fun and games, right? It is fun, to be sure, but it's not so much a game. Mom and Levynn actually were doing balance training, one of the four fitness components of the Fit. The other components are yoga, strength and aerobics.

Via the balance board pictured above, the Wii measures your weight, calculates your body mass index, checks your center of balance and declares your Wii Fit Age - all of which you're supposed to be able to improve with the 40 training exercises that are available.

So where's the real fun? Well, that involves a lot of different activities, we hope - Dad has some instances of culture in mind - and neither begins nor ends with the Wii. But the Wii does have its pleasures. You should see Mom and Dad hittin' the roads in Mario Kart late some night.

Happy New Year!

We spent much of its first day at Navy Pier for our second annual appearance at the Winter WonderFest.


We hope yours was fun, too.

Oui, Oui, We Wii

Images from Christmas morning...

Ladies and gentlemen!

Watch out, Slash, here comes our girl!

"Nenin."

Giddyup, horsy.

Uh, Grandy?

Grandy!