The Nora and Owen Show

Jack's First Week

2009-05-21T15:00:00.003-05:00

Nora Ballerina

2009-05-21T14:10:00.005-05:00

Sorry about the red eye on these--couldn't adjust because of the dark room. You get the idea...

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T20:18:00.004-05:00

Gymnastics with Miss Amy and Coach Dave

2008-11-08T15:27:00.005-06:00

I was allowed in the gym for the kids' final gymnastics class for this session. Pretty funny. Owen was quite the chatterbug, telling Miss Amy, "I'm tired today. I got up too early"; refusing to do somersaults over the bar; and purposely knocking over every cone along the balance beam. What a rebel! At least in the gymnastics world, that is. They claimed to love it though, so we'll start the next session next week. Nadia, Bart--look out!

Halloween 2008

2008-11-08T15:15:00.008-06:00

Sorry. I don't know what happened here. Not the best pics we've ever taken. But you get the idea. Nora's dress played music from Sleeping Beauty; Owen was called everyone from Dash to Jack-Jack, but he insisted he was Mr. Incredible. And look at those well-carved pumpkins! My husband, the anal-retentive carver. No stencils were used at this house!

Young Scientists

2008-09-12T19:36:00.006-05:00

We had a great day at the Museum of Science & Industry, enjoying the hatching chicks, huge model train, farm equipment and, of course, our wonderful friends: Alejandro, Libby & Emma, Sophie & Evie.

MN

2008-07-22T09:55:00.005-05:00

Our latest trip to MN was as fun as ever, albeit too short. We especially enjoyed spending time with our California cousin, Kelly, and of course, Uncle Bo-Bo. Happy 40th, Jim! We're not far behind...

July 4

2008-07-22T09:37:00.006-05:00

We had a fun and festive 4th at the cottage. The weather could not have been better, and the kids stayed up for the fireworks for the first time. They oohed and ahhed like pros! They also had their first fishing lesson, and Nora was the official "worm-grabber." I tried not to show my absolute disgust as she dug through the dirt for the nightcrawlers. Some MN girl I am! Josh also took them each on a turn on the tube behind the boat. Next year: wakeboarding!

3T-Ball

2008-07-22T09:31:00.005-05:00

The kids have been loving T-ball. They still have no idea which way to run, but they love the coach and his high-fives and playing with the other kids (including our BFF Violet).

Morning at the Zoo

2008-05-13T19:52:00.005-05:00

We took advantage of the beautiful weather (finally!) and met Sophie, Evie, and Alejandro (and their moms, of course) for a few fun hours at the zoo. Highlights included the elephants, polar bears and monkeys. Standing on the barriers was really the most fun for those three and under.

Vacation . . . Seems so long ago!

2008-04-19T15:45:00.006-05:00

On the road

Finally, some vacation picks for your viewing pleasure. We spent a few days in Savannah, which was rich in Southern style, history and hospitality. Once it warmed up, we had a couple of great days on the beach in Tybee. The kids loved standing at the surf as the waves crashed in. Overall, a great vacation!

Easter morning

Sugar high?

Everything's a sword these days...

Working on our letters

Happy Birthday, Auntie Mo-Mo!

2008-04-05T14:07:00.003-05:00

My Funny Little Valentines

2008-02-14T21:54:00.005-06:00

Three years! Where did the time go?

Good Friends

2008-01-08T12:10:00.000-06:00

Nora and Owen had a friend-packed weekend, which included their "friend for life" -- Miss Violet. We also bon voyage to our great pals Abe and Abigail, who are moving to Michigan this week. We'll miss you, Franks!

As you can see, good friends can be exhausting -- but in the best way possible!

A Minneso-tah Christmas

2008-01-08T11:45:00.001-06:00

Despite double ear infections (or make that quadruple ear infections), Nora and Owen had a wonderful Christmas in Minnesota. Nora summed it up when she walked into Grandma's after our 11-hour white-knuckled car ride and said, "Grandma, I like coming to your house." Uncle Josh made a mogul in Grandma's backyard for the bigger kids (and a few adults, for that matter) so we could go late-night "sliding" (or "sledding" as Josh likes to correct us Minnesotans). Owen said it best on Christmas when he replied "OH my DOSH!" to each present on Christmas morning. "Peter Ryan" hooked up Owen with an extra Playstation control so he thought he was playing with the big boys. And the inseparable Rachel, Caitlin, and Nora team played with chapstick, dollies, and purses for days on end. We always look forward to our trips to Minnesota, and this one didn't disappoint!

Snowy Day

2008-01-08T11:33:00.000-06:00

What a white Christmas we had! This day was after the first "layering" of snow. Even Nesta got in on the action!

Christmas at Meemah's

2008-01-08T10:56:00.000-06:00

Our holiday revelry began with Christmas at Meemah's, where one has never seen ornaments so perfectly placed on a tree. I swear a ruler was involved! We spent the day eating, eating, eating -- including delicious endive wrapped in ham and smothered in gruyere, a buttery beef tenderloin, and to-die-for chocolate-covered pecans. The kids had a ball opening their gifts, while the adults struggled over putting back together what was supposed to be a kids puzzle. Thank you, Meemah!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-25T22:10:00.000-06:00

So, of course, I forgot to bring the camera to Thanksgiving. You'll just have to trust me when I say we had a wonderful time with probably THE best Thanksgivin' fixins ever. The turkey was moist, the gravy was decadent -- everything was just delicious.

And while the following two photos don't in any way relate to our wonderful Thanksgiving meal (OK, I guess you could find a connection, if your mind wanted to go there), they are the only two photos I took this weekend, and I've vowed to try to blog more than I have been lately.

Nora, happily "reading" a book to Owen,
so long as she doesn't have to partake in this business of No. 2.

P.S.: Owen is not genetically freakish. I used the "smudge" tool so he won't kill me when he's a teenager.

Happy Fall!

2007-11-21T11:55:00.000-06:00

Despite the still quite balmy weather for November, we got into the autumn spirit this weekend by raking leaves. Josh wanted to wait until every single leaf fell off the tree, but I couldn't stand looking like the hillbillies of the block (any more than we already do), so I managed to rake a few times over the past few weeks. Sunday, however, was the big haul, and despite having TWO (yes, TWO) leaf blowers at the cottage, we had to rent one since we forgot to bring them home. Sigh.

Nora and Owen got in on the fun -- as did Nesta and Pepper (our houseguest for the week). We're all ready to gorge ourselves with turkey and the like tomorrow (Nesta and Pepper have requested a Turducken). Hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Puzzling Times

2007-11-21T11:51:00.000-06:00

Here's a snapshot of a typical evening after dinner. Dancing, puzzles -- all that's missing is Owen's monotone voice singing along to the "Pink Bear" CD. I think all he gives us in this one is a quick "Choo Choo." Enjoy!

Boo!

2007-11-01T08:29:00.001-05:00

Happy Halloween! We've all come down from our sugar high, and a couple of us are a bit crabby today from the late-night festivities. But as Halloweens go, this one was a hit.

The weather was great for October 31, and the Nora and Owen were more than happy to put on their costumes and all the accoutrements (save a crown that lasted about 10 minutes -- sorry, Sharon!).

We started by hitting a few houses on the block with Daddy, then we all (Annie included) headed to Steve and Dana's neighborhood to trick-or-treat with Tattoo and Mr. Roarke. The temperature started to drop, and our pumpkins a bit heavy, so we made a pitstop at a neighbor's open house for "real" food and lots of room to run around.

At home, we had to take stock of our goodies, oh about a dozen or so times, before calling it a night. The loaded pumpkin was the first thing on our minds this morning, too. Like the good mom that I am, I'll try not to eat ALL the candy before the kids get home from Jan's. They won't miss a few though, will they?

Hope you all had a happy and safe Halloween!

Bunch o' Pics

2007-10-14T13:17:00.001-05:00

Colortime gone wild!

Meemah's necklace

Baby nuks -- and no, Owen didn't relapse.

Halloween preview

When I'm not looking...

Go Bears!

Bad Blogger

2007-09-18T11:53:00.000-05:00

I'm a bad, bad blogger. That much is obvious. But we've been busy, I swear. To prove it, here are a few photos from a couple major events of August/September: a visit from the Scovils and hard evidence of the new basement!

Beating the Heat

2007-08-06T21:15:00.000-05:00

We enjoyed a lovely day at a park on the north side of the city with our friends Kelly, Sophie, and Evie and Kerri and Libby. They had an enormous wooden play structure plus a huge water "tree" that helped us all stay cool.

I had trouble editing down these pictures because they all seemed cute to me at the time, so bear with me!

Evie, Sophie, Owen & Nora hog the swings.

Now that's a smile!

Miss Libby cools off.

Random jogger ruins my perfect shot!

Jogger has left the area.

Nice pose, Owen. Nora, too fast for pictures.

Libby getting worldly advice from Sophia.

Nora loves the water!

Libby, looking understandably suspicious of N & O. (Owen looking downright frightened.)

The whole gang!

The Joys of Mr. Potato Head Parts

2007-08-02T21:05:00.000-05:00

Nesta admires glasses.

Nesta wishes she had minded her own business.

Bathing Beauties

2007-08-02T20:36:00.001-05:00

Nora and Owen are finally getting a hang of this swimming thing. Ok...not quite "swimming," but they've graduated past wading by the shore. I was inside cleaning the cottage with Meemah while Josh was working miracles. We're all looking forward to more fun at the lake this weekend!

Nora jumping off the pier (with much guidance). I can't quite believe
I just put a picture of myself in a bikini on the blog. Thank god for swim skirts.

Kick, kick, kick!

He may just be wading, but past his bellybutton!

Miscellany

2007-07-25T08:30:00.000-05:00

Storytime with Helena

This past week or so has been loaded with fun. We spent a morning at the Morton Arboretum, where we proceeded to get sopping wet from chasing corks down the stream. It made the threat of Nora wetting her pants a non-issue! Speaking of that, Nora is doing a great job going to the bathroom on the potty, and Owen is taking a turn for the better as well. He peed in the toilet all day for Jan yesterday; alas, at home, he's less interested.

Helena and Auntie Dana dropped of Tinker and Trixie earlier in the week for an extended play date for Nesta. They may have ingested a few extra dog hairs this week, but for the most part, the visit went without a hitch.

Ancient Chinese Water Torture

Aunt Annie came Friday night for a weekend of fun, fun, fun! She helped keep an eye on the kids while Josh and I attempted more work on the basement. We can actually say we're in the final stretch -- patch, paint, carpet...move in!

Sunday we went to a Kane County Cougar game with Steve, Dana, and Violet as well as Josh, Nicky, Abe, and Abbie. The kids had fun running around; the adults enjoyed the Miller products and lots of fried stadium food. I also had the pleasure of visiting the women's room, oh, about seven times thanks to potty training. It's quite clean for a baseball stadium, in case you were wondering.

Potty Time!

2007-07-13T14:05:00.000-05:00

We officially started potty training this morning. Sigh. I think we went through 9 pairs of underwear by 10 AM. Nora seems to be getting the hang of it (thanks to the promise of jellybeans), but Owen just isn't havin' it. The experts say once you start, don't go back. Yet they also say don't force it. What? Can an expert please swing by and just do this for me? Wish us luck!

Vacation Part II: MN

2007-07-11T09:12:00.000-05:00

From the beach to wild air mattress rides courtesy of the cousins, our Minnesota leg couldn't have been more fun. Nora and Owen keep saying "Going to Grandma's house again...soon?"

Vacation Part I: Cottage

2007-07-11T08:54:00.000-05:00

Our family had a wonderful vacation together that started with 5 beautiful days at the lake with Meemah and Annie followed by 5 funfilled days with the family in Minnesota. These pictures don't really capture all the fun we had (blame the photographer, not the subjects), but you get the idea.

Nora and Baby taking a break from outside.

Off to the Mangan's cottage for a much-needed bath.

Storytime with Meemah.

Cruisin' on the boat with Annie.

Our little waterbug.

He's having fun--I swear!

I Yike Ice Cream

2007-06-07T16:25:00.000-05:00

Our Little Pablo

2007-06-07T09:32:00.001-05:00

Owen is quite the art-teest! Look how he stays in those lines! And he even signed his name at Jan's yesterday (looks like his father's over-the-top signature!).

Memorial Day

2007-06-07T09:20:00.000-05:00

Despite the rain and mud, we had a nice time at the cottage over Memorial Day. Owen was in hog heaven, while Nora was fighting a fever so I can't use this weekend as a judge of her feelings about the lake.

Auntie and Uncle Sam found a cool bubble blower that doesn't tip and doesn't result in adults getting full of soap -- hooray! Other highlights included 5:30 am wakeup calls courtesy of Owen and a smelly dead fish that all three dogs decided to roll in. (Nesta, of course, went back for seconds and thirds.)

Nesta!

2007-06-01T07:04:00.000-05:00

In honor of Post Pics of Your Pet Day, we rescued Nesta out of the van last night after being locked in there for three hours. Oops! I swear I'm a better mom to my kids than I am to my dog.

Nesta, you're wacky and wild, but we love ya!

Gone Buggy, Part II

2007-05-25T11:28:00.000-05:00

We woke up this morning to hundreds more cicadas than we had yesterday -- yowza! Thankfully, the kids are not remotely "bugged" by them; in fact, they love hunting for cicada shells and touching the live ones.

Photos from Jan

2007-05-25T11:11:00.000-05:00

The entire crew -- what a good-looking bunch!

Jan just gave me a disc of photos from the daycare days of April and May, so I thought I'd include a few of the best. Enjoy!

Twin Fun!

2007-05-25T11:07:00.000-05:00

Our great friends (and fellow twins) Sophia and Evelyn came over last week to enjoy the sunny backyard. Evie and Owen had much fun splashing in the pool and playing in the sandtable, while Miss Nora and Miss Sophie pushed babies around the driveway. How lucky Nora and Owen are to have such wonderful friends!

Happy Mother's Day!

2007-05-25T10:59:00.000-05:00

What a spread!

What a wonderful day we had. Josh and Anne took care of everything -- a lovely picnic at the Arboretum and a delicious dinner. What more could two mothers ask for?

Tadpole exhibit

Gone Buggy

2007-05-24T16:07:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago Jan had all the daycare kids over to learn about bugs by Karen, the "bug lady" from a nearby nature center. Amazingly, Karen held the interest of all the kids, ranging in age from five years to 1 year, for an entire hour. We learned about grasshoppers, butterflies, and of course, the dreaded cicada. Yuck. I hear one tormenting me outside my window as we speak!

Skinned Knees

2007-05-09T21:56:00.000-05:00

80 degrees all week!

Not much new to report. We're enjoying the balmy weather, new cute summer outfits, cool pjs, and lots of time outside.

Thomas, Thomas, and more Thomas.

A spot of tea for puppy.

I Heart Puppy

2007-05-02T21:20:00.000-05:00

I've been meaning to post a heartfelt thank you to a recent member of our family, known to all simply as "Puppy." When we forced Owen to give up his beloved pacifier several weeks ago, what we thought was a minor struggle soon became a daily nightmare. Owen wouldn't nap, would wake up in the middle of the night, and would wake up entirely too early each morning. It was like he was a newborn again.

I tried to find something, anything for him to take to bed as a replacement, to give him some comfort (he even took a Baby Einstein video to bed one night). Finally, when I mentioned my dilemma to Jan, she suggested I find the same puppy he uses at her house for nap time. "His face lights up when he sees it and he goes right to sleep," Jan said.

That same evening, as we're walking the aisles of Jewel, Anne and I spot a Ty Beanie Babies kiosk. We search the shelves, looking for anything black and white. And there it was: one remaining puppy. As Jan had said, Owen's face lit up. He seemed a bit confused as to why Puppy was at Jewel, but I calmed him and said we'd better get him back home! Ever since, Owen happily, peacefully goes to bed each day and night with Puppy firmly under the crook of one arm. (Of course, after he and Nora jabber for a half hour about the events of the day.) Thank you, Puppy!

Happy Birthday, Matthew!

2007-05-02T21:10:00.000-05:00

Nora and Owen's good friend Matthew turned one last week and celebrated with a Cubs-themed extravaganza. I was busy drooling over Prince in Vegas (what a good mom I am), so Josh rode solo for the shindig. Apparently, Owen latched himself onto Daddy's leg the whole time (that is, until the cake arrived). Looks like a fun day to me!

Spring Has Sprung

2007-04-16T14:10:00.000-05:00

...or at least we hope it has! The forecast promised 60 degrees today, so Nora, Owen, and I joined Violet and Dana for a trip to the arboretum. Fun was had by all, and we even managed to rescue a drowning frog (at least, it looked like it was drowning).

Wrestle Mania!

2007-04-11T09:44:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter!

2007-04-09T10:30:00.000-05:00

Nora and Owen enjoyed their first chocolate-egg-eating-Easter-egg-hunt Easter on Sunday. First Owen had to wait until after 8:00 for Nora to wake up (I have a feeling this will be the story of early bird Owen's life). The festivities then began with finding their hidden Easter baskets filled with candy. Chocolate and jelly beans before breakfast? Alright! Needless today there was a minor meltdown when it was time to sit down for our "real" breakfast.

Chocolate high

At Meema's house we hunted for Easter eggs. Owen was kind enough to place any pink Easter eggs he found in Nora's basket. What a guy.

Easter dinner included a delicious ham and rabbit (yes, we ate the Easter bunny). Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

Dog Days

2007-04-09T09:52:00.000-05:00

We've had a couple of new additions to the family this past week, albeit temporarily. Trixie and Tinker (also known as "Puppy") have been contributing to the revelry and the hairy red carpet. The beginning of the visit was a little crazy...

Nesta's interpretation of Britney Spears getting out of a limo.

But everyone seems to be getting along much better now and, most important, wearing each other out. Owen and Nora have probably ingested a pound of dog hair, but I hear it's good for the soul.

Just the Girls

2007-04-03T16:04:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to send a special thank you to cousins Rachel and Caitlin for taking such good care of the twins (especially Nora) during the visit. Nora has some wonderful young ladies to look up to -- two girls who are kind, creative, caring, and loving. How lucky we are!

Sweet Home Minnesota

2007-04-03T15:30:00.000-05:00

So, we just returned from a wonderful trip to Minnesota that included tons of pampering by Grandma, lots of spoiling by aunts and uncles, and loads of playtime with cousins. I don't know how Owen and Nora will recover from all the attention!

Highlights were...

a couple of warm, sunny days outside...

a wild time at Camp Snoopy...

a belated birthday party that included a rousing game of musical chairs, pin the nose on Elmo, a gaggle of gifts, and of course, cake, which Owen decided to sample for us first.

It was so hard to leave, but nice to know I have such a wonderful family to come back to. Thanks for making our visit so special!

Ode to Jan

2007-03-21T15:27:00.000-05:00

As we face a week away from Super Jan of Jan's Home Daycare, it reminds me once again of how lucky Nora and Owen are to have such a wonderful "home away from home" to go to three days a week. I am constantly amazed at Jan's endless source of energy, keeping all the kids happy, stimulated, well-fed (very well-fed in Owen's case!), and even well-rested.

We recently received a detailed list of the typical day at Jan's. It went something like this:
Breakfast
Play time
Table time (where a new letter is learned each week and oodles of art projects are created)
Play time or walk
Lunch
Music time
Nap
Snack
More music and play (and more outdoor time when the weather starts to cooperate)

Phew! This list exhausts me just looking at it! All I know is when I pick up Nora and Owen each day from Jan's, they are full of positive energy and couldn't be happier. Thank you, Jan!

Welcome!

2007-03-21T14:35:00.000-05:00

As I begin this blog I have to admit I'm still quite new to all of this blogging business and I'm not quite sure how disciplined I'll be about posting. However, I am downright amazed at what a great vehicle this is. Some of my good friends have recently created blogs to share the good news and adorable pictures of their young children, and I thought it was time to get in on the act with "The Nora and Owen Show."

Some of my rants are sure to bore you, others will hopefully amuse you. And I can promise loads of cute pictures, especially on those days when I'm just too wiped out to write. So, please enjoy, comment, and visit often!