Spring?

It is sooo warm here in Chicago today. We have had a very mild winter, but today is awesome. I think it is close to 60!
To celebrate the weather (and leap day), the girls and I went to Target this morning and got some new chalk and some bubbles for the backyard.
When we got home Lucy took a nap inside, and Maggie and I went out back to play. She had so much fun running around in and out of her playhouse and drawing on the sidewalk. I have a feeling she is going to take a really long nap this afternoon.
I also bought some new clothesline and clothespins so I was able to hang the cloth diapers outside to dry. This is my favorite way to dry the diapers. They might take a little longer to dry, but the sun gets the stains out and they smell much better. When we lived in our apartment, we had sun in the backyard all afternoon. In our new backyard, the sun starts moving behind the neighbor's tree around 1pm. I guess this means I'll have to wash the diapers the night before this summer so they will be ready to hang first thing in the morning. At least, there will be some nice shade in the afternoons when it is time to drag out the baby pool! Or to play on the swingset that the girls are going to get in a few weeks.

Lucy enjoying the weather.

Maggie drawing with chalk.

Diapers drying on the line.

Girls Day Out

I worked the last four days in a row (which is a big deal for me since I work 12 hour shifts). So today, the girls and I really needed to spend some time together. I could tell that they had really missed me the past few days (Maggie especially) and I really missed them too!
So, today we spent the morning at the Museum of Science and Industry. Since I was a little girl, this has been my favorite museum ever! In recent years, they have a done a lot of work to fix some older exhibits and it is just AWESOME. My husband and I took Maggie when she was about a year old, but it was more for us than for her. Today, she loved it! When we pulled up across the street from the museum, I pointed it out to her and she started yelling "BABY CHICKS, MAMA! BABY CHICKS!" I had been telling her that the baby chicks would be there, but she had not even seen them yet.
I spent the rest of the time there trying to keep up with her as she ran from exhibit to exhibit. She was so excited at one point, that she just started shaking.
When we were finished with the museum, we hit up McDonald's on the way home for lunch. I don't normally eat fast food myself (fried food upsets my stomach) and I rarely feed it to Maggie, but I thought today called for a treat.

Here's the girls trying out the airplane at the museum. Maggie was so excited, she couldn't even sit still for the pictures!

Today is also Lucy's seven month birthday, so we sang Happy Birthday to her and she got to take an extra long bath. (OMG, Lucy loves the bath!)
Now that Maggie is getting older (and Lucy is not far behind!) I think I am going to start taking them for a girls day out once a week or so. It probably won't always involve eating out, but I think it would be a nice way to show them the city. We are so lucky to live so close to so many amazing museums, and I want them to grow up appreciating them.

Valentine's Day

Yesterday was Valentine's Day. My awesome husband got me my own camera (since I am not a fan of the one we bought on Black Friday. This morning he also gave my a Lucy necklace. Last year for Christmas, he gave me a heart necklace with Maggie's birthstone, so now I have a necklace for each girl.
I gave him a new coffee mug with a picture of both girls on it. I have one more present to get him, that I need to go out and get when nap time is over.
We got Valentine's presents for the girls, too. A paint set and new paint brushes for Maggie and a stuffed monkey toy for Lucy. I love watching them open new presents and playing with them. It's probably a good thing we don't have a lot of money because my kids would be overflowing with toys and clothes if we did. (Girls clothes are just so damn cute!)
Although Valentine's Day is special for us, our dating anniversary is coming up in three weeks and that is my favorite day to celebrate.
I can't wait!!

Winter Warm Up

Last year at this time, Chicago was preparing for the worst blizzard in recent history. We got over 2 feet of snow in 24 hours.
This year, we are on the opposite end of the spectrum. This afternoon, the temp is supposed to get up to 55 degrees. The girls and I went to the park so they could burn off a little steam. Maggie is terrified of the swings and the slides but she loves to run up and down the stairs and to watch the other kids. Lucy loves the swings. I like getting out of the house. I think the fresh air and activity is good for all of us.
Lucy had her six month appointment yesterday where she got three shots, her regular vaccinations plus her flu shot. She has been running a temp and just wants to cuddle and rest. I am trying to get better about putting her down for naps instead of cuddling with her all the time but this week I think the cuddles are more important. I know vaccines are important, but it sucks how hard their little immune systems have to work to fight off these terrible diseases.
Hopefully all the running around will help Maggie take a long nap, so we can all rest well this afternoon.

Yay!!

Last Friday my husband got a rejection letter from the paramedic program that he applied to. It was devastating for both of us. He has wanted to work as a paramedic since I first met him almost eight years ago.
Then two days ago, he got a call asking if he was still interested. Apparently someone dropped out, and he is now in!
The last few days have been a whirlwind of him running around getting copies of transcripts and making doctor's appointments.
His first class in next Thursday evening and I don't know who is more excited, me or him!

Snow!

We had a really dry winter here in Chicago up until the last few days. Yesterday it snowed six inches. I was supposed to go into work but I took a mental health day instead. (Plus, I was exhausted from waking up every 90 minutes or so with Lucy). So I slept in until 10 am thanks to my awesome husband and didn't have to drive in the snow.
Of course, now that we have a house with a garage, the snow has become much easier to deal with. I used to have to shovel out parking spaces and parallel park my way into them skidding back and forth on the ice. Now, I just open my garage door and drive right in. Best part of owning a house!!
Maggie and her daddy went outside to shovel the sidewalk and play in the snow yesterday afternoon and Lucy and I stayed inside.
I was starting to worry that we wouldn't get any use out of Maggie's light-up princess snow boots, but I guess I shouldn't have worried. This is Chicago afterall!

Lazy Days

A huge benefit of my job is that I work three 12 hour shifts a week. This allows me to work full time while still having four days off every week. I get to go to play groups and story times with the girls while still earning a full time income.
On the flip side, 12 hour shifts are loooong. I leave the house at 6:30 in the morning and I don't get home until 8pm. (Although I realize there are people who have hour-ish long commutes who do something similar to this Monday through Friday!)
So when I do have a day off (which means my husband is probably working), I like to take it easy. I always think about how productive I could be during naptime. But the reality is that I like to spend naptime watching TV, playing around on the computer, reading, or even napping.
There are few things nicer than waking up with your kids knowing that you don't have anywhere to go or anything to do all day. We play, we do crafts, we eat, we laugh. It's heaven!