Chicago

Some of our readers (who shall remain nameless, Aunt Mandy), have informed us that there has been a bit of a lapse in our updates.  Frankly, we're honored that anyone noticed.  So, in appreciation of your diligence in reading, Mandy, this post is for you. :)

We took the kids to Chicago for a few days over spring break and had an awesome time.  We were looking for someplace within driving distance that would offer fun things to do and see for both kids and adults.  Brandon and I have visited Chicago on two other occasions and love the city's feel.  We like that it offers the big city sites with  a Midwest heart.

We planned our trip around sites including the Museum of Science and Industry, the Magnificent Mile, and Shedd Aquarium.  Other highlights of our trip included staying at the Embassy Suites, where breakfast was made to order hot every morning and there was a nice manager's reception (this means free drinks for the adults and snacks for the kids) every evening.

We drove to Chicago due to the expensive nature of plane tickets (gulp).  Even with gas prices being what they are, it saved us (literally) thousands to drive.  Let me tell you folks, there is NOTHING between Kansas City and Chicago.  Making this trek with a potty-training toddler was a bit of a headache (there was one time we had to drive 6 miles off interstate just to find a bathroom).  The kids were troopers, though, despite a malfunctioning DVD player and a lack of scenery.  Brandon and I are still in amazement that families ever took roadtrips prior to the technology that now occupies our young ones during these long journeys.  Hats off to our parents.

We arrived in Chicago late in the evening and the next day, decided to venture down to the Magnificent Mile, which was within walking distance from our hotel.  The kids quickly learned that in a big city, Mom and Dad don't have patience for dawdling, mostly because of their concern that a small child might actually get run over by an impatient motorist.  After a stern "You have to stay with us because these people will run right over you" warning (always a nice introduction to the city), we managed to hold it together in the busy Chicago streets.

Our first stop was the much-anticipated American Girl doll store.  For those of you who haven't been indoctrinated, the flagship store for this dynasty is located in Chicago.  We ate lunch in the American Girl Cafe, where the girls' dolls joined us at the table in their own special seats (and with their own special dishes).
Kylee chose to bring her doll Kirsten along, who was actually my American Girl doll, given to me by my Grandma when I was about Kylee's age.  It was special.  I have dreamed for many years (Brandon mentioned that I was talking about it even before we had kids) of taking my daughters to this place.  I felt so blessed to share in the experience with them.

The boys were very tolerant during the pink-infused luncheon.  What good sports they are.

We then got to browse around the massive store.  The girls each picked out something special to bring home and enjoyed the displays in the store.

Conveniently located right next to the American Girl doll store is a Lego store (marketing genius, I tell you!).  We were thankful that the two were in such close proximity to each other.  Connor had a great time creating Mini-Figures and admiring the Lego creations in the store.

No trip to Chicago is complete without a stop at Garrett's Popcorn, which makes the BEST caramel and cheesecorn you've ever tasted in your life.  The smell wafts out the doors and there is often a line in the street as people wait to purchase some of this goodness.

The next day, we headed to the Museum of Science and Industry, where we enjoyed a special MythBusters exhibition and lots of neat hands-on activities.

One of the highlights of the museum was a chick hatchery.  We didn't get to watch any eggs actually hatch, but the kids thought the baby chicks were so much fun!  If they tapped on the glass, the chicks would all come waddle over, which they thought was pretty cool.

Our last day was spent at Shedd Aquarium, where we saw so many different kinds of fish and learned a lot about habitats.

They had a great Jellyfish exhibit:

The kids got to touch live starfish:

We also got to see a 4D movie.  Here's the crew all decked out:

We ended the day at the dolphin show:

We also went and explored Navy Pier one evening.  With it being slightly ahead of tourist season, many of the attractions on the Pier were closed, but the walk did afford us some incredible views of the skyline:

We felt so blessed to be able to enjoy this time together as a family.

Doniphan Doozies

Kylee received a special honor at school this semester.  Mrs. Wise, her teacher, nominated Kylee as a student who was helpful and kind.  Based on Mrs. Wise's nomination, Kylee was chosen as the first grade recipient of a special recognition ( called a Doniphan Doozy).  She filled out a form about herself (including her favorite book title (My Dog Ate My Homework), favorite sport (soccer), and what she most enjoys doing (sharing and caring)), which was then displayed on a bulletin board at the front of the school.

Traits that are exemplified by Doozy recipients are listed on the board

In the words of Grandpa Carlson, we have always known that Kylee is a doozy :)...and we are so proud of her for being the loving and caring person that she is to her classmates!

WAY TO GO, Miss J!

December

In early December, we attended the Alexandra's House Christmas party.  The kids had the opportunity to visit with Santa.  Hadley wasn't too sure about whether or not Santa could be trusted, but the big kids were very brave and shared a few items from their wish list with Old Saint Nick.

Hadley and I made the rounds at Connor and Kylee's school Winter Parties.  Hadley has become the unofficial Alexandar Doniphan mascot. :)  It was hilarious to see the way the kids gather around her, particularly in Connor's class.  She ate the attention right up.

In the center of the action!

We were very ready for Christmas break at the Carlson house.  While we love having fun things to do and participate in on a weekly basis, the constant activities and obligations associated with extra curricular activities, work, and school (let me give a shout out to my husband who aced his first semester in his MBA program!) had worn us all out, and we were eagerly anticipating the break in the routine.  The kids and I were happy to waltz out of school knowing that break was beginning.

Our Christmas preparations included assembling and decorating a Gingerbread house.  Uncle Craig assisted us with the design effort:

The finished product...and a glimpse of the beautiful anniversary roses my hubby gave me (12 years, folks)!

Fall Festivities

We capped off Connor's flag football season with a trip to Arrowhead to watch the Chiefs.  We tailgated with other families from the team and had a great time.  Here's a shot of us out tailgating.  Unfortunately, the Chiefs didn't fare well in the game, but experiencing the environment in the stadium was fun and we had beautiful weather.

We also hosted a Pampered Chef party for Connor and Kylee's former kindergarten teacher, Miss Mac.  Kylee and some of her friends got in on the cooking action and had a great time:

We had a blast!

Halloween

Halloween 2011 was a crazy, but fun, night.  We made a trip around the Square here in Liberty, followed by a spin through Trunk or Treat at LCF (our Church) and then some trick-or-treating around the neighborhood.

Prior to Halloween, we decorated pumpkins for the front porch.  The kids had a great time scooping out "the goo" and being creative with their jack-o-lanterns.

Connor was a Chief's football player, Kylee was a gypsy, and Hadley was supposed to be a princess...but the toddler refused to put on her costume on Halloween night.  Fortunately, the kids dressed up prior to Halloween to attend Cara's birthday party and Daddy was able to snag some shots of all of them in their costumes:

Daddy also made the rounds at Doniphan, attending Connor and Kylee's Fall Parties.  Here is a pic of Kylee's class all dressed up:

The kids made quite a haul on Halloween night.  Here they are, taking stock of their goodies:

Sugar rush, anyone? :)

Connor's Flag Football Highlights

One of the projects on my to-do list for Christmas vacation was to finish up a highlight video of Connor's flag football season.  Without further ado, here it is:

A bigger and higher quality version can be downloaded here.

Way to go, Conman!  We're proud of you!