The Kanouse House

The Foot Book

2012-02-11T21:16:00.003-06:00

Feet to the left, feet to the right. Feet in the day and feet at night. Feet, feet, feet. The Dr. Seuss Foot Book defines me right now. All I think about and all I talk about is my foot these days. After the marathon I took two weeks off from any kind of exercise - allowing my whole body to heal. And it did - except for my right foot.

I went to see a podiatrist at the end of October and was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, which is a pretty common injury with some pretty proven methods for taking care of it. Unfortunately, for me none of those methods have worked so far. I haven't been able to run since the marathon (ugh) and ended up having a MRI a few weeks ago. I get the results on Thursday so we'll see.

In the meantime I'll just drive Adam (and everyone else around me) a little crazy hypothesizing about what is wrong and complaining about not being able to exercise. I suppose the silver lining is that I'm actually very, very much looking forward to getting back to running. Wasn't sure I'd ever feel that way right after I finished those 26.2 miles!

Maybe Next Year...

2011-12-19T22:43:00.000-06:00

I have been meaning to blog more. Really, I have. Time just seems to elude me these days. As with so much in my life at the present moment that is just for me (running, reading, watching Desperate Housewives) I am putting it off until next year. 2011 is full - I don't think I can accomplish anything else this year. It's been a big one - and a good one: moved to our "forever house", ran a marathon, new schools, new nannies, new team at work, new car, new commute. Whew - no wonder there hasn't been much time for blogging! So, here's my early cheers to 2012! Maybe there'll be time for more blogging and all those other things I had planned to do this year but didn't. And if not, oh well. There's always 2013!

Bonk

2011-11-03T23:00:00.002-05:00

Just some fun at home tonight...I so don't want her to grow up!!!

Marathon

2011-10-20T12:00:00.001-05:00

I DID IT!!!! I completed my first marathon and have the above photo as proof (like the pun there?!). It was hard (understatement of the year) but I am so glad I did it. I had a great first 15 - 19 miles and then I started to die. Mentally and physically pushing through those last six miles was really hard. My goal was not to have to walk at all but I did end up walking through the water stations in those last few miles. Even with a couple of slowdowns and one stop (to pee), I ended up just missing my stretch goal of 3 hours 45 minutes (I finished in 3 hours and 46 minutes).

Thanks to all my friends and family that supported me before, during and after the race - especially my dad, who got up at the crack of dawn to come downtown with me pre-race, and then was there waiting at the finish for me after. Love you, Dad!!!

So, the big question that everyone keeps asking is if I'd do it again....and the answer is maybe. The competitive streak in me says "yes" because I really think I can get faster (now that I know what I'm doing!). I also loved that I was burning so many calories during training that I could eat whatever I wanted. However, the part of me that would prefer to sleep in on Saturday and Sunday mornings and the part of me that thinks running 26.2 miles is crazy, says "no way!"

We'll see. For now I'm pretty happy not getting up at the crack of dawn to get my long-runs in...but I do miss the all-you-can-eat pizza buffet down the street!

Is Blogging Dead?

2011-09-27T22:00:00.001-05:00

I do a lot of reading for my job about social media - new trends, how to best leverage it from a marketing perspective, etc. One of the things that is noticeably absent from everything I read is blogging. Lots and lots of information and thought leadership about Facebook and Twitter and a variety of other channels. But it seems as if the world of blogging is slowly dying. Or maybe has already died?

It makes me sad. I know I personally haven't been keeping up with my blog and I've noticed that many of my blogging world friends also don't post as often as they used to. Facebook (and I'm sure Twitter but I'm not much into that channel) are great for quick updates. But I miss the deeper insights I used to get via my friends' blogs. It's so much more of a personal connection - blogs provide much more about what's going on inside someone's head...not just what's going on.

So, this is my little plea to any of my blog world friends that are still out there - let's revive the blog! I promise to try harder to do my part if you promise to do yours!

Boosting the Economy

2011-08-21T22:10:00.008-05:00

Well, we are in the new house (pictures to come at some point in the future). The place is a disaster and we seem to be single-handedly trying to keep the economy afloat. Seriously, we've dropped some serious dough in the past week - and we still have a long way to go. The good news is that we love our house, love our neighborhood and can not be happier to have made this move. Here's some of the highlights:

It's soooo nice to be able to just let the dog out for her bed time potty-break instead of having to hunt down shoes and a leash and actually take her out.
Adam and I ran a ton of errands today (Mema is in town helping out with the kids) and we accomplished so much - fitness/gym store, Costco, pool store, furniture, bedding. It was fabulous to be able to get all that done and not have to fight weekend city traffic and pay for parking at each store!
Only took 20 minutes to get to O'Hare to pick Mema up on Saturday at 6:00 pm - crazy!
Everyone is really nice - we made some friends at Costco today because Adam was wearing his Boise State shirt. Apparently, their daughters go to a gymnastics camp there every year.

More to come soon on our move to "pleasantville" but so far so good!

I'm Back!

2011-07-26T16:55:00.002-05:00

Boy, it's been a long time since I've posted to my blog...all the usual excuses apply. Work, vacation, work travel, etc., etc. But the biggest reason for my absence is that we are moving!!! We sold our house and after a hectic scramble have found what we think is the perfect place to re-establish The Kanouse House.

We are making the big move to the suburbs. But we think we found a place that provides us with the best of both worlds. We'll have lots of space, a garage, a yard - AND we'll still be within walking distance of a lot of great restaurants, stores and fun things to do. We are quite excited - a little overwhelmed with all we have to do before August 11th when we close - but, in general, we are very excited.

I'm sure this won't be the case but, for some reason, I envision that life will just be easier in the suburbs...all of my worries will just melt away as I take the train home to what has become, in my mind, "Pleasantville".

And in other news, I ran 12 miles this weekend (my longest run ever) as part of my marathon training. It felt pretty good but I was definitely tired (and hungry) after! Just wanted to brag a little...

Another One for the Family

2011-06-06T22:19:00.004-05:00

Avery had her spring dance recital a few weeks ago and she was absolutely precious. Here's a few videos - first her warm-up and then the butterfly dance, which she had been practicing for weeks leading up to the recital.

So Out of Touch

2011-05-25T21:51:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was the wrap up of the 2011 National Restaurant Association Show and all the related events. Although all went well, it was a long week! Today was my first day back in the office since last Wednesday and I was brain dead. Still am. Ugh.

It was a great Show but, man, working 15 hours a day for 7 days in a row is draining. I was watching the Today Show this morning while getting ready for work and I felt so out of touch...such a weird feeling to be so completely disconnected even though I was surrounded by people all day every day.

Although our Show week is pretty amazing, the bummer for our family is that Kendall was born during Show week last year. I saw the poor thing for about 5 minutes on her 1st birthday - and that's just because I snuck into her room to watch her sleep before I had to leave. I guess the good news is that she won't know the difference for a few more years.

We are having her party this weekend up at our lake house and I can't wait to sit back, relax and eat cake!

Not My Best Self

2011-05-01T21:10:00.006-05:00

June Cleaver, I am not.

Adam's traveling again (a lot) for work. There are a lot of things that I don't like about this situation - many of them Adam gets to hear about on a regular basis, which he totally appreciates. But the one thing that I've recently realized that I like the least is the fact that I don't get to be my best me when he's out of town so much. When I'm the only parent every day, I'm just not that great of one. I'm not bad (don't worry the kids aren't in danger!) but I'm definitely not the same easy-going, come up with fun stuff to do, make a real (and healthy) dinner every night mom that I was before.

I try. Believe me. And some days are much, much better than others. But last week was a rough one. I was actually in tears trying to get Avery to stay in her bed. (On a side note, I now have a great new tactic to get her to do something I want. My emotional breakdown, resulted in a sleeping child within five minutes.)

In all seriousness, I really hope Adam's four days a week trips to Calgary end in July like they are supposed to. I'm ready to go back to being a good mom - I don't even have to be great one...I'm just tired of feeling only like an adequate one.

When We Move...

2011-04-04T23:05:00.002-05:00

Our house is officially on the market. It's been one week and I'm convinced that we will never sell it since we don't have an offer yet. Adam is encouraging me to have a little patience (never one of my strong suits). In spite of obsessing about why no one wants to buy our house yet, there are a few things that crack me up about our new state:

Almost every sentence in our house starts with "When we move...". They are finished by everything from "I'm so glad I won't have to walk the damn dog in the rain" to "I'll get a giant blow-up pool with a slide" to "I'll be able to go to Costco".

Avery thinks that "the suburbs" is a town. When we told her we were looking for houses in a town called Elmhurst, she said, "but I want to move to the suburbs!" with a very pouty look on her face.

I have Avery convinced that she has to keep her room clean or else no one will ever buy our house (and she'll never get a blow up pool with a slide).

Here's hoping that we are able to sell! We love the city - but we are ready for a real house, with a real yard, real closets and schools that don't cost $30,000 a year in tuition. Wish us luck!

So Much to Blog...So Little Time

2011-03-14T16:17:00.002-05:00

I’ve been wanting to blog more lately, really. I have. But it seems that the moments when I’m struck by inspiration are the ones when I’m not in front of a computer – out running, in the shower, in the car, etc. Basically, in those moments when I’m actually able to unplug and turn my brain “off”.

Anyway, here’s a quick and dirty version of the posts I have written in my head over the past few weeks:

Family. We spent a long weekend in Tucson recently visiting my brother and his wife. It was awesome. I loved seeing Avery interact with “Untle” Matt and Aunt Jess. It’s just so easy with family – easy to hang, easy to interact. I miss them.
Love or Something Like It. Avery loves her little sister…I think. The problem is that I think maybe she loves her a little too much. She constantly wants to hug and play with Kendall but it’s always just a little too rough. It’s almost like there’s a little something else (jealously perhaps?) behind those too tight squeezes and not so gentle pats to the head.
Spring Clean. We are clearing stuff out of our house to stage it and get ready to put it on the market. As I’m hauling bags of junk out to the dumpster I keep thinking, “why don’t I do this more often?” I’m definitely going to have to commit to a full Spring Clean each year. It just feels so good…

Life in the Fast Lane

2011-02-23T21:32:00.002-06:00

Things feel....hectic lately. I've always prided myself on my ability to hold it all together, stay organized, tackle most anything that comes my way. But I suddenly feel like a whirling dervish. I'm not sure exactly what it is that is contributing to this sense of "unbalance" in my life but I know I need to figure it out. We have a lot going on - getting ready to put the house on the market, Adam traveling to Canada regularly, my travel schedule increasing - but none of these things are that crazy or that tough to handle.

Maybe I just need to take a little time-out. Remember to breathe, spend some real time with the kids (not grocery shopping, running errands, distracted time but real play and read books and dance and sing time) and try to re-focus on the important things.

In the long run it's probably not going to matter a whole lot if I repaint the inside of my closet before we put the house on the market. But Avery sure would love it if I spent that hour playing Ariel with her or going on a scavenger hunt.

The Bless You's

2011-02-02T13:47:00.003-06:00

Our family has been hit hard this winter with "The Bless You's" - as Avery puts it. One of the four of us has been sick since the end of November. Ugh. Right now Adam is the lucky one while all three of us girls are sick. Me with a cold and the little ones with ear infections. Luckily we were able to get both them on some strong antibiotics yesterday before the Storm of the Century hit.

Avery is definitely the carrier. She usually gets it first, gives it to Kendall and then either Adam or I (or both of us) come down with it a few days later. I'm hoping that Kendall's exposure via Avery to all these germs will make her a bit stronger once she starts preschool in a few years. I think Avery's just been hit hard as she is out in the world for the first time and her little immune system just can't keep up.

Here's to hoping that Spring brings not only warmer weather to Chicagoland but also some better health to the Kanouse House. I'm tired of single-handedly keeping Kleenex in business!

Resolution Time

2011-01-18T21:46:00.002-06:00

I've been racking my brain trying to come up with a few profound (or spiritual or insightful) resolutions for this year but so far...nothing. So, I decided to make my one and only resolution something much more tangible. My big goal for this year - my 35th on this earth - is to run a marathon.

I'm lucky enough to have one of the biggest and best marathons in the country in my back yard. So, loyal readers (all three of you), be ready for some training trials and tribulations, starting this summer as I get ready for the 2011 Chicago Marathon. Go me!!

Bad Mom Moment #321

2011-01-05T22:13:00.002-06:00

So, I'm in Sacramento right now. I had to come out for a meeting and have been here since late Monday evening. My little Kendall baby is sick (she has bronchitis) and is waking up a lot at night. I talked to Adam earlier today and he said she woke him up, at least, four or five times last night. Although I felt bad for him (and for her, obviously), one of my first thoughts was, "I'm so glad I'm staying in a hotel right now and got to sleep soundly all night". Bad, bad mom...

For the grandparents

2010-12-20T21:45:00.005-06:00

This post is for Mema, Big Poppy, Grandpa Bobby and Grandma Terry. Since I figured no one else (not that I have a ton of followers) would be all that interested in watching home videos, I decided to just go ahead and dedicate this post to the four people who will actually watch! Here's a couple of quick clips from Avery's first dance recital. Enjoy!

Avery's entrance:

The Candy Cane Dance from "The Peanut Cracker"

Done!

2010-12-13T20:47:00.003-06:00

Except for a few stocking stuffers and some hand lotion for Avery's teachers (which I'll pick up tomorrow night on the way home from work), I AM DONE with my Christmas shopping! Woot! Woot!!

My Christmas cards are even in the mail. I feel a little ahead of the game this year! Now it's time to sit back, relax and enjoy the season a bit. Well, except for those 30 people coming over on Saturday night for our holiday party...I guess they might like some food and drink. Maybe that sitting back and relaxing thing will have to start on Saturday around 8:00 pm.

I Hope It's Worth It

2010-11-29T22:08:00.003-06:00

The commercial hype got me. I've seen the Fisher Price iXL advertised this holiday season and decided that it would be a great (non-princess related) gift for Avery this Christmas. Little did I realize that it would be THE hot item of the season. I tried to buy it online on Saturday - sold out pretty much everywhere (although I could have bought it for a premium on eBay). So, I did a little research and found out that the local Target had it in stock. I decided I'd run over tonight after the kids went to bed.

Well, as you can guess, they didn't actually have it. The manager I tracked down told me that their inventory system showed 2 in the store but there were none on the shelves and none in the back. I called Adam and had him look online to see if any other Target stores in the area had it in stock. Only one other store within a 10 mile radius had it and it only had "limited quantities".

At this point, I probably should have given up but, for some reason, I had my heart set on getting it (like a dog to a bone). So, I decided to head to the next Target (did I mention it is pouring out tonight?). On my way to the next Target, I decided to try my luck at Toys R Us since it was on the way. I didn't have a lot of hope - it's small Toys R Us, kind of located in the ghetto and they never have much on hand.

However, I must have done something really good lately as not only did I get the last one at Toys R Us - but it was pink! Now we just have to keep our fingers crossed that she likes it and doesn't complain about not getting 5 new princess dresses instead...

Bad Mom Moment #207

2010-11-14T16:00:00.002-06:00

I knew I wasn't going to be wining any awards for "Mother of Year" anytime soon when the other night I heard Kendall over the monitor and simply put the monitor under my pillow to try and smother the noise.

In my defense, we have these new monitors that are super sensitive and it's impossible to get them to a reasonable volume. We are also trying to get Kendall to put herself back to sleep instead of running in and popping her pacifier back in her mouth in the middle of the night when she wakes up.

That makes it not quite so bad. Right?

I Sream, You Scream

2010-11-06T23:37:00.002-05:00

We all scream for Mema! This is Avery's latest song (that she made up on her own) and I can not agree more.

I scream, you all scream, we all scream for Mema!

My 16-year-old-self finds it flabbergasting, but, man, I do I miss my mommy!

Committed

2010-10-29T21:02:00.004-05:00

I've just finished reading Elizabeth Gilbert's (of Eat, Pray, Love fame) latest book - Committed. It's her own journey/memoir about coming to terms with getting married again. There are lots of good parts of the book - and lots of I didn't necessarily agree with either - but there was one section in which she wrote of her decision to not have children that really moved me. She had reached out to her friends - some without children, some stay-at-home-moms, some working moms, some with young children, some empty-nesters - to ask them about their choices, and the consequences of their choices.

She got some interesting responses. Everything from a "supermom" with grown kids saying that in looking back she didn't really feel that her life was bettered in anyway, that she gave up too much of herself in having children to a much more typical (and expected?) response about the joys of motherhood to everything in between.

It made me think about how I would respond if Elizabeth Gilbert was my friend, looking for advice about whether she should have children. Here's what I came up with: Although it goes against my feminist instincts to say this, motherhood is sacrifice. Anyone who tells you that you can "have it all" has either never tried or is slightly delusional. The key, however, is in really understanding the definition of sacrifice - to forfeit something highly valued for the sake of another thing considered to be of greater value. And, for me, that says it all. Of course you sacrifice as a parent - you loose some freedom, some sanity and some space in your bed - but, for me, the space these little people filled in my heart was well worth it. I recognize, however, that the sacrifice is likely not "worth it" for everyone and, ultimately, my advice to Elizabeth would be to not have children if you are not ready and willing to make those sacrifices. Although you have to be careful to not sacrifice your whole self, you do have to be willing to give up little bits for the greater good.

Avery Interpretations

2010-10-04T20:26:00.004-05:00

The original song - a random rap song Adam sings: "Hey! It's time to get loose. Got more punch than a bowl of juice."

Avery's version: "Hey! It's time to get loose. I've got new boots and a bottle of juice."
Jingle Bells: "Jingle Bells. Batman smells. Robin laid an egg."

Avery's version: "Jingle Bells. Daddy smells. Kisha laid in an egg."

Best Laid Plans

2010-09-29T21:00:00.002-05:00

Murphy's law dictates that right when I was looking forward to getting back to normal, all hell breaks loose. And it did. Our nanny went to rehab. Yep - you read that right. REHAB. Nanny and rehab - two words that should ever be in the same sentence.

About two weeks ago our nanny's family called us and told us they had convinced Tiffany to go into a rehab program. They were concerned about the fact that she seemed very depressed and was out partying and drinking fairly heavily most nights. Adam and I had definitely noticed that she was not the same girl that left us in the spring but we certainly didn't see any signs that indicated the need for something so drastic. We hadn't decided exactly what we wanted to do but we had already discussed letting her go.

The "good news" is that for the month that she was back with us, she was actually rarely alone with the kids given all the family I had in town (see previous post). The thing I find myself struggling with the most is a combination of anger towards Tiffany (I worry about her having possibly put my girls in danger) and deep concern for someone who had become such an integral part of all our lives over the past two years.

The past two weeks have been tough but we are - once again - back on the path to "normal". After a lot of interviews, we hired a wonderful woman who starts with us next week. I'll be sad to lose my mom (who flew in to the rescue) but I will be so glad to put all this behind us and get back to regularly scheduled programming (for real, this time!).

We Now Return...

2010-09-14T21:37:00.003-05:00

to regularly scheduled programing.

It has been a fun, fun last three weeks with a visit each from my dad, my sister and my brother and his wife. It's been awesome for the girls to get so much time with family - especially Miss Avery who has had pretty much every whim catered to!

However, it's now time to settle into a routine. The whirlwind of family time came right as I started back to work and Avery started preschool. As much as I will miss all the extra helping hands (Matt & Jess shopped for and cooked a delicious dinner for us last night!), I think we all need some time to settle back into normal family life...whatever that may be.

We Need to Move

2010-08-26T22:20:00.005-05:00

This is my living room. Although we clean up every night before bed, this is how our house looks by 7:30 every night. We need a bigger place - with storage and a playroom and a yard! I never thought we'd do it but I think a move to the suburbs is in our not-to-distant future.

Next thing you know I'll be buying a mini-van...

Monday

2010-08-13T14:49:00.004-05:00

Monday is the big day - back to work. I have very mixed emotions about the whole thing. I really do like my job. Even though it is crazy some times and we've had some big organizational changes, working provides me with a great mental challenge and it provides our family with a lot of great benefits too (literally great benefits - medical, dental and vision insurance for a family of four for only $75!).

BUT (the big but) is that someone else is essentially raising my children. Our nanny is great. Avery is the probably the biggest proof of that - she minds well, shares well and is actually pretty advanced with her letters, numbers, etc. for a three year old. But as great as our nanny is - she's not me, and she's not Adam.

It's been wonderful being home - but also challenging (more challenging than working, actually, God bless those of you that do it full time!). I think my mixed emotions stem from the fact that I want to work...and I feel a bit guilty about that. I don't NEED to work. I want to and I struggle with whether it makes me a bad mom to be just a little bit happy about heading back to the office...

And tell me again why it is that men don't ever feel this way???

Back to Michigan

2010-07-26T20:39:00.004-05:00

The Kanouse House (minus Adam - he'll be joining us on Thursday) is headed back up to our lake house tomorrow morning. We spent the whole first part of July there and were only back home in Chicago for a few days - hence my absence from blogging.

We (unfortunately?) aren't able to get high speed internet or cell phone service at our place. It was certainly weird being without regular access to the wide world of the web. I'd check email on my phone when we were in town to get groceries and hit the library to log in once - but that was it for three weeks.

With email and Facebook and blogs, I have to admit that I felt quite out of touch. It was freeing in a way - to not have the "pressure" to respond to emails, write a blog post, keep up with my favorite blogs or check in on Facebook. And I did a lot more reading...BUT it was very annoying to want to know who an actress was in a movie and not be able to look it up on IMDB, for example! It's amazing how, in such a relatively short period of time, we've come to rely so much on technology and how weird it feels to go without it for such a long period of time.

Anyway, time to get packed up to head back to our little cellular dead zone. Nobody do anything cool until I'm back in August and can read about it!

Yogart on toast, anyone?

2010-06-30T13:31:00.003-05:00

Avery made up her own breakfast creation the other morning - and was quite pleased with the results, as you can see below. Not sure I would make this for myself...but she did eat a whole piece of toast and a full bowl of yogart for breakfast (pretty good for her) so I'm not complaining!

Oh How Time Flies

2010-06-17T16:56:00.005-05:00

I can't believe it's been four weeks since Kendall joined our family. The time has passed so quickly - too quickly. With four weeks down, I only have eight until I have to return to work. (Insert big sigh.)

Although at times it's been hard, I've been loving my time at home with both of my girls. Avery had a bit of trouble adjusting to this new person that was stealing away some of her attention but she's doing much better now. We have gotten pretty good at running errands, doing puzzles, painting rocks and going to the park as a trio. Earlier this week we tackled our first grocery store trip. Kendall hung out in her sling (she loves it in there) and Avery happily chilled with a sucker while I gathered the week's grocery. I felt like supermom - except for two small things...both of which involve Avery and her ever increasing "why" questions.

In the produce section as we were picking out tomatoes, a woman in a wheelchair went by. Avery loudly asked, "Why that lady in there?" I explained that some times people need a special chair with wheels to help them get around. "But why, mom?" Because, I explained softly, their legs hurt and the special chair makes it so they don't have to walk on hurt legs. So Avery, of course, hits herself on her leg and loudly proclaims, "Now my leg hurts. I need a special chair too!"
A few aisles later a balding man walks by and Avery (again very loudly) asks, "Why that guy not have any hair, mom?". I just ignored this question until we were well out of earshot of the poor man.

Kendall's Arrival

2010-05-21T21:12:00.005-05:00

Dear Kendall,

While we have a few quiet moments at the hospital (thanks for being a great sleeper so far, by the way!), I thought I'd get the story of your arrival down on virtual paper. So, here goes!

On Wednesday night, May 19th, around 1:00 am, you decided to start to make your entrance into the world. Although you are sleeping well now, you obviously didn't want me sleeping then! We were up until about 5:00 am with very sporadic contractions - not super painful but strong enough that I couldn't sleep through them. However, by 6:00 that morning, they had stopped and I caught a couple of hours of sleep. And then...nothing.

I had a couple of contractions during the day but, apparently, you had decided to take a time out. Your dad and I went to the doctor for a weekly check-up at 1:00 that afternoon and I was dilated to 3 cm. My doctor found your behavior very strange, as well! And commented that it's a good thing that we live close to the hospital. We got home and decided it'd be a good idea for everyone to take a nap. But, of course, you chose that time to start things up again. This time it was for real!

From about 3:00 until 8:00, we hung out at home, timing contractions. Finally, your daddy convinced me it was time to call the doctor and head to the hospital. When we got here, I was dilated to 7 cm and all of a sudden the doctors and nurses turned into a SWAT team. They got me checked in, up to labor and delivery, and an epidural going within 30 minutes - that's amazingly fast! With your sister, that whole process took well over 2 hours!

And then we only had to wait a little over an hour for you to make your arrival. You did give us a scare during that time when your heart rate dropped suddenly from a healthy 130 to a scary 50! Once again the SWAT team descended. Daddy counted and there were 10 doctors and nurses in the room at the same time - all of them worried about you! Once they had me move around a bit, however, you bounced right back!

Suddenly, it was time to push. After three sets of three pushes, you were here! It took your daddy and I by surprise. We both expected it to take a bit longer but am not at all complaining.

Thanks for such a wonderful and lovely experience. You sure made it easy on me.

It's hard to believe I can love you this much already...

Love,
Mom

10 Days: 12 hours: 26 minutes

2010-05-10T21:01:00.002-05:00

The countdown has begun...I've been wanting to post a lot more frequently but all that seems to be running through my head is: I'm having a baby; I can't wait to meet this baby; I better re-read Babywise so I remember what to do with this baby; I wonder what this baby will look like; I hope we have everything we need for this baby; etc; etc; etc.

About a week ago I think it actually hit me that I was pregnant and since then have not been able to stop both my at home and my "corporate nesting". Work is pretty much wrapped up at this point, which is nice (although I'm sure I'm driving my team crazy with all my "and don't forget to..." emails). And there are just a few things around the house that I want to finish. Overall, I think I'm feeling pretty ready, which is good since it's now: 10 days: 12 hours: and 20 minutes until d-day (because, of course, this baby will arrive right on her due date!).

Keep Singing It, Max!

2010-05-03T20:19:00.004-05:00

Avery has decided that she is Ruby and her dad is Max - as in the Nick Jr. show, "Max & Ruby". This video was just too funny to not share (at least, it is to me!). There's so much to enjoy: Adam singing, "I like Your Water" - in a rather punk-rock style, Avery rocking out, and lots of yelling to "keep singing it, Max!".

Adam's Turn

2010-04-08T21:02:00.002-05:00

Our nanny was sick again today - poor girl. The ear infection she had last week became a respiratory infection. She's doing better and feels horribly about having to miss work - but I think it's great that Adam got a turn today with Avery and full day's work at the same time! Here's what I found when I got home today:

Avery was still in her PJs - this is in spite of the fact that they were out and about running a few errands throughout the day.
They ordered Thai delivery for lunch - the restaurant is not more than a quarter of a mile from our house.
When I asked Avery if she was a good girl for Daddy she said, "No. I kicked Daddy."
Adam had opened a bottle of wine.

For all our sakes, I sure hope Tiffany gets healthy soon!

I Quit

2010-03-29T21:08:00.004-05:00

That's it. Today is over. It's 9:15 pm and I'm quitting this day and headed to bed as soon as I finish this post. There's dishes to do, work to finish, a workout that won't get done, a toddler that's refusing to go to bed and I don't care. Today was the perfect storm and I want to crawl under the covers until it's over, hopefully waking up refreshed for tomorrow.

Our nanny was sick today (it's actually her first sick day in a year and half - not too bad) and Adam had to fly out this morning so that left me and Avery home together for the day. I had a few conference calls that I couldn't get out of but Avery was pretty excited about a day full of TV and movies so not too big of a deal...except for the fact that the crew rehabbing our upstairs bathroom started today, as well!

I knew they were starting today, of course, but I hadn't thought I'd be home, trying to hold conference calls with a toddler AND some serious demolition going on at the same time. Parts of the day actually were pretty comical - like when I was leading a conference call with the CEO of one of our major partners and Avery ran in and yelled, "I have to go poo!". Or when I was answering questions for the contractor and turned around to see that Avery had jumped on my computer and sent an email full of gibberish to our Chief Strategy Officer (luckily he's a really great guy!). But by 6:30 tonight when we still couldn't get past the construction zone to the kitchen and our car was blocked in so we couldn't drive anywhere, I was close to my wits end.

We walked to McDonald's but even a burger and fries couldn't get me out of my funk, which is why I decided it was time to quit this day. Sometimes you just gotta know when to fold 'em...

The Next American Idol

2010-03-24T21:53:00.003-05:00

While watching the American Idol results show this evening, I decided I should post a recent video of our own little American Idol.

So, maybe she won't ever make it as a singer but you have to give her credit for her songwriting skills. Afterall, "I like your water and it's really good" is pretty catchy!

So...tired...

2010-03-11T08:29:00.006-06:00

I think Avery is trying to prepare us for the arrival of baby number 2 in another 10 weeks (can you believe it, only 10 more weeks!?!). At 2:00 this morning, I woke up to Avery standing next to my bed: "Mommy, Daddy - I peed all over the place". After over two months of dry-at-night pull-ups we switched over to regular undies at night last week and, as luck would have it, on the night that I say to Adam, "she made the transition really easily", we have a bed-wetting episode.

The changing of the sheets and the PJs wasn't too big of a deal - easy enough to deal with that while still groggy with half-opened eyes. It was the next TWO hours that killed me. Here's how it went:

2:10 am - Sheets and PJs changed. Everyone back in their own bed.
2:15 am - I hear the pitter-patter of little feet, "Mommy - I have to go potty".
2:17 am - Quick potty break (and she did go). Everyone back in bed.
2:20 am - "Mommy - I have to go potty." "No, you don't. Get back in bed."
2:21 am - Everyone back in bed. Avery's door locked.
2:25 am - Screaming over the monitor, "I WANT TO COME OUT. LET ME OUT."
2:45 am - Screaming still happening. Dad's mad and makes the trip to Avery's room! Watch out cause Dad doesn't get mad often. Everything seems quiet...Adam and I fall back asleep.
3:00 am - "UNLOCK MY DOOR RIGHT NOW!"
3:15 am - Lots more yelling - ranging from "I need rocks" to "I need a drink" to "I need Baby Bear".
3:30 am - I go in and let her have a drink of water (after all that screaming, I figured she needed it). It also seemed to "reset" her a bit. All seems quiet...Adam and I start to fall back asleep.
3:45 am - Yelling and screaming - nothing coherent. We turn off the monitor.
3:46 am - My stomach growls and I get up, grab a string cheese and eat it in bed.
3:47 am - Kisha smells the string cheese and comes in to get a treat. Won't stop licking our hands until she gets some.
4:00 am - Adam and I are laying in bed, wide awake, wondering if we are bad parents for locking a screaming toddler in her room and then refusing to listen to her. Check the monitor - no noise. FINALLY.

Lucky Duck

2010-02-18T21:59:00.005-06:00

I was recently reading one of AnchorMommy's posts about a visit from her best friend. She was lamenting the fact that her best friend doesn't live near by and that their kids don't get to spend much time together. It made me realize how incredibly lucky I am that my best friend lives so close and that Avery's best friend is my best friend's son.

Amanda and I used to talk throughout high school and college about how we'd live next door to each other, our kids would be best friends, our husbands would be best friends, our dogs will be best friends and we'd see each other all the time. It's pretty amazing that it came true (other than the dog thing - I think her dog is terrified of mine). And, if I'm being honest, we don't live next door to each other (but 2 miles really isn't all that far).

As my resolution this year is to enjoy the moments, I realized in reading AnchorMommy's post that I should make sure to treasure this time that Amanda and I have. It's pretty rare that those silly things you talk about late at night with your BFF when you are 18 or 19 years old turn out to be true.

Here's an oldy but goody of the whole gang:

Gray Hair!

2010-02-06T20:41:00.003-06:00

I found my first few gray hairs! Disaster! They've probably been there for a while but since I color my hair fairly regularly I hadn't noticed them. I had been putting off making an appointment to get my next cut and color and, apparently, it's been long enough that the gray had a chance to make an appearance. Of course, my first call was to the BFF so I could freak out a bit on her voice mail and the second was to Dalia, my hairdresser.

Adam claims he can't see them but I think he just doesn't want to deal with the angry, pregnant woman wrath.

I guess this just means that Dalia and I will be seeing a lot more of each other. Good thing she's cool...

New Year's Resolution

2010-01-25T22:14:00.004-06:00

Okay, so I know it's almost the end of January but it took me some time to decide on my New Year's Resolution. And, in fact, it's not so much a resolution as it is a "mantra" that I want to work into my life over the next year. I've never been successful at sticking to tactical resolutions so thought instead that I'd find an area of focus for the next year, with the goal being that it if I think about it, live it, breathe it for the next year, it will become second nature and next year I'll find another area of self-improvement on which to focus.

So, without further ado, my mantra for 2010 is:

The days are long but the years are short.

I have to admit that I'm stealing from Gretchen Rubin at The Happiness Project. She has talked about this concept a lot recently as she's been out publicizing her new book and something about it struck a chord with me. Too often I find myself thinking about how much easier things will be when Avery can get herself into her car seat, play for longer intervals by herself, have homework to do at night so I can get work done at the same time, etc., etc. And I realized that by thinking about the future, I'm not enjoying right now nearly enough...although the days (especially the work days) are sometimes long, the years have already gone by so quickly.

With baby #2 on the way, I feel this is a perfect time to remind myself to slow down, to enjoy the moment and to remember that these days will never come again.

Sledding

2010-01-18T20:55:00.004-06:00

We spent the weekend up at our lake house and got a chance to do a little sledding. Although we pulled Avery around on a sled last winter in the yard, this was her first chance to experience the real thing. She seemed to have a lot of fun! And was pretty brave flying solo! But the best part was Adam's wipe-out (while going about 2 miles an hour). You can witness it below - be sure to have your sound on so you can hear me laughing at him!

As you can see in this next video, Avery did much better than Adam! Perhaps because she had Kisha watching out for her the whole way...

It's a Girl!

2010-01-05T21:04:00.002-06:00

We had our 20 week ultrasound today and, in addition to knowing that all is going well with this pregnancy (which is the most important part), we found out that Kanouse Baby #2 will be a girl. I guess my dreams (see previous post) weren't quite on target this go around. As I mentioned before, I'm pretty excited to have two girls! And although I know Adam would have loved having a son, I think he's really going to enjoy all the attention he'll get as the only man in the house.

Mostly, I'm ready to now put together my pre-baby workplan. I was using today's big reveal as the kick-off for my nesting! We have a few things to take care of around the house before she arrives and I'm so ready to get my project plan together. Adam's dreading it but he's been through this before and I'm sure he'll survive! :-)

Boy or Girl?

2009-12-21T09:51:00.002-06:00

I had my first dream about the sex of the baby last night. According to my subconscious, it's a boy! When I was pregnant with Avery, my dreams were about having a girl so we'll see. The funniest thing about my dream is that I was too busy with work to deliver the baby so my friend, Kate, volunteered to have it for me (which is totally something she would do if it was physically possible).

When she brought the baby to us, I named him Joshua and Adam named him Shawn. Adam once had a dog that he named Toonces (from the SNL skit) but everyone else called him Barney. Perhaps, this child is fated to the same thing!

We find out if this baby is a boy or girl just after the New Year (January 5th to be exact). I have no real bias. I think Adam would like a boy (as it seems most men do) but I would be perfectly happy either way. It'd be kind of nice to have another girl - I love the idea of sisters AND I know what I'm doing with a girl. A boy would be a whole new ballgame!

Either way, I know we'll both end up feeling it is exactly as it was supposed to be. Kind of funny how it always works out that way...

How Are You Feeling?

2009-12-09T21:33:00.002-06:00

Maybe it's the hormones, maybe I'm just becoming more grouchy in general but I'm so tired of answering the question, "How are you feeling?" The people who ask it that are actually interested in the answer don't bother me. I'm happy to talk to them about how I feel.

It's everyone that asks - but that doesn't really care about the answer - that is starting to get on my nerves. It's kind of like when a co-worker casually asks, "how are you?" or "how's it going?" as you pass each other in the hall. They aren't expecting or wanting a real answer. I feel that people now ask me "how are you feeling?" in the same way - it's as if they aren't sure what else to say to a pregnant woman. I'm tempted, one of these days, to not give them the answer they want, which is "great!", but to say how I really feel (tired, frustrated that maternity clothes don't yet fit but regular clothes are too tight, thirsty all the time, a little grumpy, etc., etc.). Maybe that will stop them from asking again!

Emergency Room

2009-12-02T21:44:00.005-06:00

Avery had her first trip to the emergency room this evening. While celebrating a major accomplishment (poop in the potty) and dancing around, she slipped and hit her head against the bench in our dining room. I think Tiffany (our nanny) and I were more shaken up about it than Avery was. She let out a little whimper and then asked for a sucker!

Luckily she didn't need stitches. It was separating but not too badly so they were able to use glue instead. This poor kid! Not even 2 1/2 and she's had three major injuries to the face - a collision with Kisha, a punch from the end table and now this. The first two healed nicely without any scaring. Let's hope this is lucky number three!

Here she is, doing her best "I'm so hurt" face.

Avery's Christmas List

2009-11-30T21:20:00.003-06:00

Last night we asked Avery what she wanted for Christmas. Here are her top five items, in her own words:

1) Make-up
2) Big Pants
3) New Clippo
4) New Potty Training
5) Big Pants Again (she included the "again")

So, if anyone is looking for a Christmas gift for Avery and you happen to know what "big pants" are (because we don't), I'm sure she'll be delighted to receive them given that she put them on her list twice. We also aren't entirely sure what "new potty training" means but we hope she decided to include it on her list because she is enjoying the potty training experience so much!

Holy Maternity Clothes!

2009-11-24T22:56:00.005-06:00

First a disclaimer: For anyone that hasn't heard through other means, the Kanouse House is expecting baby #2 on or around May 21st! More to come on that in future posts!

Now, on to the real reason for my post: I have the greatest friends. And I'm lucky enough to have three of them that wear pretty much the same size. I was the first of the Chicago crew to get pregnant a few years ago and the first to have to invest in a maternity wardrobe. Since then, my maternity clothes have made the rounds as everyone else began having children. And now they've come back to me - but have multiplied! I am so overwhelmed by the number of tightly packed bags and tubs stacked in our guest room that I haven't even started to go through it all yet. But the time is coming (this belly is starting to pop a bit!) and I'm so grateful to have so many options. Many thanks to all who are keeping me clothed over the next six months!

Good Dog

2009-11-17T13:04:00.005-06:00

I have to take a moment to brag about Miss Kisha and what a great dog she's become. First, a little set up...

Our back door does not latch all the way, on occassion. A few years ago, when no one was home, during a pretty nasty snow storm, the wind blew the door open. Kisha bolted and enjoyed a few hours roaming the streets of Wrigleville before our neighbor was finally able to lure her home with a banana.

Last night it happened again. Neither Adam nor I heard the door blow open but Kisha did. She came to our room and started licking my elbow - the only skin that was within her reach. I thought she might have to go to the bathroom so I got up and that's when I noticed the wide open back door. Kisha watched me closely to make sure I closed it (and this time locked the deadbolt) and then she meandered back to her spot on the couch and settled back in for a few more hours of sleep.

As much of a pain as it can be to get her walks in, clean up all the dog hair and figure out dog sitting when we go out of town, it's these little moments that make me so glad we have her!

Just Like Old Times

2009-11-01T15:32:00.006-06:00

The universe must have been listening when I blogged about missing my little bro a week ago because we've been blessed with a visit from Uncle Matt. He's in town for work and had to stay the weekend. Although Jess might argue with the "had" part of that statement, the three of us (four if you count Kisha) couldn't be happier to have him.

Top 3 favorite reasons why we are happy to have Uncle Matt in town:

1) He finished up a bag of tortilla chips that had been on top of the fridge for a month! Granted he put them back with the below crumbs still in them but that's to be expected - it's his trademark move.

2) Avery can't get enough and it's so great that the two of them are getting to spend some quality time together. This morning she was wandering around the house looking for him while he slept in calling, "Uncle Maatttt, where arrree yooouuu?!" As you can see, she found him!

3) Adam gets some time with his best buddy. Here they are dressed for Halloween. Matt is wearing one of my old costumes (yes, it was a bit short on him). And Adam is dressed as Alan from the movie "The Hangover". Avery's baby doll was a big hit at the bars. However, it took some convincing to let Adam take baby doll "trick-or-treating" with him.

Thanks, Jess, for letting us borrow him!

My Little Criminal

2009-10-22T21:25:00.004-05:00

Avery committed her first crime the other day. She was at the 7-11 down the street with our nanny, Tiffany, and on the way home Tiffany noticed that Avery had something strange in her hand. When she looked more closely she noticed that Avery had, what she now refers to as, "her guy" - a strange M&M wizard/fan/candy dispenser.

Apparently, she swiped it without Tiffany noticing. Luckily, she got away with it and I didn't get the call to have to come bail her out!

My Best Friend's Wedding

2009-10-19T14:28:00.008-05:00

My little brother got married last weekend. It was an absolutely fabulous event and I'm so happy for him! Adam, Avery and I all got to be a part of the wedding as best man, bridesmaid and flower girl, respectively. But I would be remiss if I didn't mention that it was also a little bittersweet for me. Since we were just little tykes I've always taken care of and watched out for Matt. Probably much more than he has wanted me to at times! He's now officially entered the next stage of his life and doesn't need me nearly as much. I know that's a good thing (Adam says it's a REALLY good thing) and I couldn't hope for a better person to take over some of those duties than Jessica. But I sure will miss having Matt sleep on my couch, eat all our chips, drink the crappy beer that no one else wants, wrestle with my dog (and husband), and call me to talk about his "girl trouble".

On the other hand, I officially gained a new sister this weekend. And I suppose that no more empty bags of chips and a fridge full of crappy beer is a small price to pay to have gained a family member as compassionate and loving as Jess.

Christian the Lion

2009-10-04T14:16:00.005-05:00

You may have seen this when it first hit it big on YouTube sometime last year. I missed it and just recently learned about this amazing story when I came across a book by the same title. Figured I would share it as it warms my heart every time I watch it. And who couldn't use a little heart-warming...

Needing Some Kitchen Innovation

2009-09-30T22:27:00.002-05:00

Avery and I are stuck in a rut. We tend to cycle through the same things for dinner every couple of weeks. She doesn't seem to mind all that much - tacos, pasta, grilled turkey and cheese sandwiches and Thai take out every week would probably be just fine with her for eternity. My palate, however, is definitely craving something new and exciting. The only problem is that I don't have much time to get dinner on the table every night after I get home from work.

We do much better on the weeks when Adam doesn't travel as he actually enjoys cooking much more than I do and, since he works from home those weeks, he has a bit more time to devote to preparing dinner than I usually do.

I've been hunting through recipes - online and in my cookbooks - but everything that actually sounds good also seems too involved. I've gathered some good dishes to try on the weekends but need some more quick and easy weeknight dinners.

Any suggestions?

Noodles

2009-09-23T08:59:00.004-05:00

Most people would think that the above are mushrooms. But not Avery. When included in a deciduous stir-fry that Adam made, the vegetable that most kids abhor became, to Avery, yummy yummy noodles. She pretty much just ate mushrooms for dinner last night. We didn't have the heart to tell her what they really are. We figure she'll learn the truth and refuse to eat them soon enough.

What I Learned Today

2009-09-16T21:54:00.003-05:00

They say you learn something new every day. Today I learned that whipped cauliflower is much easier to make in a food processor than with a mixer. This was after I literally whipped cauliflower around my kitchen for a few minutes. The good news is that final end product was pretty good. And although Avery didn't mind the whipped version, she seems to prefer the "flower pieces" that she can dip in ketchup.

You Scream, I Scream...

2009-09-09T21:44:00.003-05:00

Avery screams for ice cream!

We have officially reached the terrible twos. Luckily, we don't see many fits from Miss Avery so when we do, I actually find it kind of funny and, instead of correcting behavior (as I probably should), I get out the camera and record it.

Here is Avery asking for ice cream "RIGHT NOW".

Before I got out the camera and prompted her, the yelling was a bit more intense. I'm sure you can imagine (especially, those of you with toddlers of your own).

Ouch

2009-08-31T23:08:00.007-05:00

One little Avery jumping on the bed,

She fell off and bumped her head.

Momma called the doctor and the doctor said:

"No more Averys jumping on the bed!"

So, it was actually the couch - not the bed - but she sure did get a shiner. Poor baby.

Boom Boom Pow

2009-08-26T22:15:00.005-05:00

Avery's song preferences typically revolve around the traditional songs: "Knick Knack Paddywack", "Mary Had a Little Lamb", the Barney theme song, etc. However, she has recently developed a strong affinity for "Boom Boom Pow" by the Black Eyed Peas. Here she is singing it (and then trailing off into Lullaby at the end when Adam started singing with her). In case you aren't familiar with the lyrics, the part Avery likes to sing goes something like: I'm so 3008. You're so 2000 late. I got that boom boom pow. How the beat bang. Boom Boom Pow.

She definitely inherited her father's musical tastes...

Rachel Ray in the Hood

2009-08-24T22:40:00.009-05:00

Rachel Ray was in town on Friday for "Rachel's Big Block Party". They blocked off the streets around our house and set up a fake block party. It was pretty fun to watch them put up and take down a whole street festival for just a few hours of taping. I didn't get to see Rachel but Adam, Avery and our nanny, Tiffany, did. Tiffany and Avery made it to the front for a couple of the tapings at various tents so be on the look out when Rachel comes back on air! Miss Avery may just get her 15 minutes of fame! Here's a few photos I took from our front porch of the "fake fest", as Adam and I like to call it.

Avery Need Rock!

2009-08-16T21:20:00.004-05:00

I'm typing this as Adam finally gave in and went upstairs to rock Avery. We put her to bed almost an hour ago to a little fussing - but not much. She yelled for Adam to rock her as he was walking out of the room but she does that most nights and then simply falls asleep on her own after about 15-20 minutes of chit-chatting to herself. Tonight, however, was a different story.

After about 30-45 minutes of relative quiet coming from her room, we heard "AVERY NEED ROCK!!!" over the monitor. We giggled and figured she'd chill out. Five minutes later:

"AVERY NEED ROCK, DADA! AVERY NEED ROCK! A-V-E-R-Y NEEEEDDD ROCK, DAAADAA!"

Apparently, she really, really needed to be rocked cause after he gave in and did it, she fell asleep in about 2 minutes.

Crazy kid!

Poopers

2009-08-05T22:14:00.002-05:00

Ten years ago when I moved to Seattle I was living with a fantastic couple from South Africa. She called her husband "puppy" (imagine it with her great South African accent). When Adam and I started dating I started, jokingly, calling him "puppy" as well. It stuck and over the years has evolved to "puppers" and, when he's being a pill, "poopers".

Apparently, he's been being a pill a little too often.

Avery has recently realized that Adam and I have "other names" and will call us "Goolia" and "Amen" when she wants to get our attention. Here's a recent conversation Avery and I had:

Avery: "Goolia"
Me: "What, sweet pea?"
Avery: "Mama other name"
Me: "Yep. That's mama's other name. What's daddy's other name?"
Avery: "Poopers. Dada Poopers"

Oops....

Happy Birthday, Avery!

2009-07-27T22:09:00.007-05:00

Avery's 2nd birthday is on Wednesday but we celebrated this weekend since both Adam and I have to travel on her actual birthday (I know, I know...we are horrible parents!). We had a blast putting together her party. We had a few of her friends over to play in the blow-up pool and chow down on some pizza. Here's a few pictures from the day:

However, the best part was when Avery found her two "big" presents in the morning when she first woke up. Here's Avery discovering her bike and her easel.

So Many Concerts

2009-07-20T21:08:00.007-05:00

I'm not usually a big concert-goer. I love them but don't usually know who is touring far enough in advance to get tickets. However, the last three weeks have been a big time exception for me. Three concerts in three weeks. It's been a blast!

1) BNL with my BFF. Amanda and I saw the Barenaked Ladies before the 4th at the Taste of Chicago (for free!). It was a great concert only made better by the fact that I was sitting on the grass, drinking beers with my BFF!

2) Billy Joel & Elton John at Wrigley Field. Adam and I celebrated our 7 year anniversary a bit early by hitting up the Billy and Elton concert at Wrigley. We had a great time as did our babysitters (Amanda and Michelle). We came home to two ladies who had sat in our front yard, listening to the concert and drinking way too much wine. I think coming home to them and their silliness was almost as much fun as the concert itself!

3) Racall Flatts at Wrigley. Another great concert that I went to with some friends on Saturday night. Adam was at home on Avery-duty having an "anti-country party", which basically consisted of having his friend Tom (and Tom's son Andrew) over and watching movies after the kids went to bed. Oh, how times have changed! A couple of years ago Adam throwing an anti-country party would have been something very, very different...

I'm not sure if can pick a favorite. I loved something different about each concert and it definitely made we want to attend more. I'm just not sure if my pocketbook can afford it (unless I find more free ones)!

T-Minus 5 Days

2009-06-28T22:53:00.003-05:00

When I wake up on Friday morning, this will be my view. And it will remain my view for a full 10 days! I can't wait to be away from work, traffic, trains, TV, computers...and instead be focused on fishing, running, swimming, reading and relaxing. Lake house, here we come!!!

Zucchini Frittata

2009-06-23T21:27:00.002-05:00

Nope - not another recipe! Just really excited that Avery ate zucchini frittata tonight. She's not a super picky eater but like a lot of toddlers it's tough to get her to try something new. She did great at dinner tonight. Granted I told her it was pie...that might have helped! She also helped me put it together the night before, which might have piqued her interest. When I got home tonight I just popped it in the oven. It was great - I felt like I had so much more time to play with Avery this evening and last night we had the fun of baking together! Definitely something we'll do more of.

Mexican Lasagna

2009-06-15T22:18:00.003-05:00

Since some of my fellow blogmates often post recipes, I thought I'd return the favor and post one of The Kanouse Houses' favorites. We made it this weekend and it was a hit - even with the toddler (which is a tough feat lately!).

1 - 2 pounds ground chicken, turkey or beef
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 red onion chopped
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained
1 cup medium heat taco sauce or 1 (14 oz) can stewed or fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup frozen corn kernels
Salt
Flour tortillas
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or pepper jack (or some combination of the two)
2 scallions, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 425. Brown the meat in a large pan and season with chili powder, cumin and red onion. Add taco sauce or tomatoes. Add black beans and corn. Heat the mixture through and season with salt to taste. (We usually add more chili powder and cumin to spice it up a bit).

Coat a shallow baking dish with olive oil (or spray). Cut tortillas in half or quarters to make them easy to layer. Build lasagna in layers of meat mixture, then tortillas, then cheese. Repeat. Bake 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly. Top with scallions (we add cilantro too) and serve.

Depending on how much you want to make you may not need the full 2 pounds of meat the original recipe calls for. I usually use about 1 1/2 pounds and end up with a little extra. I like to freeze the leftovers and take them to work with some lettuce for a quick and easy taco salad.

You Gotta Have Faith

2009-06-09T10:46:00.003-05:00

Adam and I have been working on baby #2 for almost a year now (with a 3 month break so that I would be able to attend my brother's wedding in October if things did work out). Unfortunately, no success so far. In the beginning it was more about "not preventing" then actually trying. The past couple of months, however, we"really tried" and it's so hard for this Type A personality to not get what she wants, when she wants it.

We got so lucky with Avery. We found out a week before our appointment with a fertility specialist that we were pregnant. It gives me hope that we can get pregnant again without assistance but it also gives me pause and makes me wonder if we are only fated to have one child. I'm so used to being able to control my own destiny - I work hard to make the things that I want to have happen in my life, happen. And there are certainly things we can do to increase our chances of getting pregnant. But I also feel like I need to take a step back and recognize that someone else may have different plans for me.

Faith has always been a tough concept for me. However, I think it's time to have a little and to realize that whether we have another child in 9 months, or 3 years or never, that it will be okay. That the universe doesn't have to bend to my will. That I should appreciate what I have. That I should be grateful for the gifts I've already been given. That things happen, when they happen, for a reason...

Manda's Out, Mema's In

2009-06-03T22:54:00.003-05:00

My mom (aka "Mema") and little sister, Laura (aka "Lolo"), were in Chicago over the weekend for a quick visit. Avery found a new love! Mema is now the star of the show. They left yesterday and Mema has been pretty much all we've talked about. Our conversation at dinner tonight:

Avery: "Mema chair" (pointing to where my mom ate dinner while she was here)

Avery: "Mema eat"

Me: "Mema's not here to eat"

Avery: "Mema choo choo bye bye" (referring to the fact that we walked my mom to the train when she left yesterday)

Me: "Yep. Mema went bye bye"

Avery: "Mema bee"

Me: "Huh"

Avery: "Mema bee"

Me: "Ohhh, Mema was a bee at the museum, huh?"

Avery: Emphatic nod of her head

This went on through the entire meal. We talked about Mema's eyes, Mema's spoon, the apple cake Mema made while she was here and on and on. The kid's memory amazes me sometimes!

Manda Help!

2009-05-27T08:50:00.002-05:00

Avery is in love. With my best friend, Amanda. It's very, very sweet. Even though Avery likes hanging out with Amanda's son, Danny (who is only 6 weeks younger than her) she is totally infatuated with Aunt Amanda (Manda, as she calls her). We spent the weekend with Manda and family up at our lake house in Michigan and the constant theme was Avery's little voice yelling out "Manda, Manda" anytime they were in the same room together.

At one point I put Avery down for her nap and after about 10 minutes we heard her yelling: "Manda help! Manda help!". Nothing was wrong - she just wanted Amanda to come in and hang out with her. This little game went on for about an hour until she finally fell asleep!

I'm so glad that Amanda lives here in Chicago with me and that she is such a big part of Avery's life. Having our first children so close together and getting to hang out together almost every weekend is so great. It will be so much fun to see how Avery's relationship with the whole Raible family grows over the years. I can already picture Avery calling Aunt Amanda for advice as she reaches those fun teenage years (where help and advice from mom just won't do)!

Can't Wait for the Weekend

2009-05-19T08:38:00.003-05:00

Today is the last day of the National Restaurant Association Show and our corresponding board meetings. Yeah!!!! They started last Thursday and ran through the weekend. When you have to work all day Sunday, it makes Tuesday feel like it should be Friday. The good news is that we close our office down on Friday, making it an extra long Memorial Day weekend. We are headed up to our lake house right after work on Thursday. I can't wait! I'm so excited about a weekend away from work that it's making it hard to actually do work right now. I feel like a kid during the last week of school! I'm doing what I must to get by but my heart's not really in it. All I can think about is sitting on our deck, gazing at the water with a margarita in hand and a big bowl of Adam's yummy guacamole in front of me.....(insert big sigh).

Just One of Those Days

2009-05-11T20:55:00.003-05:00

Today was just one of those days. And not the good kind. Nothing really specific happened today to put me in a bad mood - in fact, the day went pretty well, overall. I think I was just in a "humph" mood all day. Some might say I have a "case of the Mundays". People at work annoyed me, people on the train annoyed me, people at the grocery store annoyed me. At this point, it's probably in my (and everyone else's) best interest to shut the laptop down, get a good night's sleep and hope that tomorrow turns out better!

Italian Fiesta

2009-05-03T16:55:00.004-05:00

On Friday night Adam and I had one of our "fiesta" nights. It's one of my favorite stay-at-home date nights that we do! After Avery heads to bed we put together a "fiesta" in the selected cuisine. It started out with Mexican Fiesta (hence, the use of the word fiesta) and has since evolved to Italian Fiesta, Sushi Fiesta, Indian Fiesta and Asian Fiesta. So much fun! Italian fiesta consists of prosciutto, salami, a variety of cheeses, grapes, tomatoes bread and olive oil - and, of course, a good bottle of Chianti.

Too Many Old Styles

2009-04-23T09:51:00.005-05:00

Last Friday afternoon, Avery, Adam and our friend Jay headed to the Cubs game together. Jay snapped this picture toward the end of the game. Normally, Adam's the one with this look on his face at the end of a Cubs game! Gotta get the kid off the sauce.

Feeling Grateful

2009-04-20T21:57:00.002-05:00

With Adam out of town most of the time, I feel like I never have a moment to myself. However, he was in town last week and I totally took advantage. Got a mani/pedi one night after work, stayed late at the office one night, got my hair cut late on Friday afternoon, had a girl's day at the outlet mall on Saturday. And by Sunday, I was very much missing Avery! As hard as it can be sometimes to have Adam gone and work full time (in a job that keeps getting more and more demanding!), I am so grateful for how much one-on-one time I get with Miss Avery during the week. I missed it a lot more than I thought I would and am very grateful that I get as much as I do. I wouldn't trade it for all the mani/pedi's in the world!

Kisha's Krazy Weekend

2009-04-12T22:12:00.002-05:00

Avery usually takes center-stage on this blog but I thought I'd focus a little attention on Kisha, the dog, this go around. We spent the weekend at our lake house in Michigan and came away with two stories about our goofy dog.

1) Adam, Avery and I decided to take the paddle boat out on the lake. We got all loaded up and pushed off from the beach. Kisha followed us into the water and we figured she'd stop and wait for us after a few steps. But no, she kept swimming...and swimming...and swimming. And she's not a good swimmer. We finally turned the boat around and went back to shore. We tied her up on her rope and took off again. This time she started leaping around, chewing on her rope and making these crazy Chewbacca noises. She was soooo freaked that we were out on the water. So, we went back again and Adam got out to sit with her while Avery and I paddled around for a bit.

2) Later that evening while I was brushing my teeth, I heard Adam outside screaming at Kisha. We'd let Kisha out to go to the bathroom and she had found a raccoon. And was engaged in a serious wrestling match. I brought Adam a flashlight, some shoes and some pants (he ran out in his boxer briefs). We weren't able to get Kisha off the raccoon until we hit her with a stick and distracted her. In that moment, the raccoon got away and climbed up a tree and, luckily, neither coon nor Kisha was seriously hurt.

Krazy dog!!!

I Should Be Glad

2009-04-06T22:43:00.002-05:00

I brought my laptop home to do work tonight after Avery went to bed (as I've been doing most nights lately) but when I tried to access my email, I wasn't able to. Looks like our network is down. I realize I should be happy about that. Since most of what I needed to do tonight was respond and catch up on email, it's basically like someone telling me that I need to take a break. You'd think that would make me happy...but in all reality, it's a bit frustrating. I set aside my evening to catch up on work and watch the NCAA final in the background. I was kind of looking forward to it, in a weird way. Now my Type A personality is thinking through the fact that I'm going to have to rearrange the rest of my evenings this week to accomodate for this unexpected event (insert big sigh, here). I guess, the good news is, I'll most likely get to bed a bit earlier than normal tonight - as long as I don't get distracted by something else...like Facebook.

It's Snowing - Again!

2009-04-05T21:44:00.003-05:00

Not that I want my blog to become a Chicagoland weather report but it's freakin' snowing again! Where's this global warming everyone keeps talking about?

As much as I love curling up with a good book, a blanket and a cup of tea and watching the snow fall, that cozy image seems much more suited to December or January than April. Aye!

Is it really March?

2009-03-29T09:32:00.004-05:00

I woke up this morning to the below. Can it really be March 29th? Hurry up, Spring! We miss you!

Happy Birthday, Bobby!

2009-03-26T21:24:00.003-05:00

My dad's 60th birthday is tomorrow! So, I thought, in honor, I would list 60 reasons why I love him. Happy Birthday, Dad!

I've always been able to talk openly with you.
You taught me how to golf (even though I don't do it much, I have a reasonably good idea of what I'm doing!).
You were okay with me using a fake ID in college.
You shipped all your old furniture out to us in Chicago, which might have cost more than the furniture itself.
You always have cold beer in the fridge.
You made sure I've never had reason to doubt how much you love me.
With Sandy, you gave me my first example of what a true partnership is.
We didn't have to ask to get a Coke out of the fridge at your house when kids.
Hugs have always been given freely.
You never put pressure on me to fall in your footsteps with basketball.
You bought grandpa's car from me for way more than it was worth.
The money you sent each month while I was in college ensured I could focus on studying and meant I never had to worry about getting a job.
You didn't get mad when I had my "incident" when driving your truck - in fact, you were supportive.
I spent one of my best summers up at Terrence Lakes with you.
You treat my friends like family.
You took me to my first Cubs game.
Punishment was always given out fairly.
You made sure I didn't play you and mom off each other during those turbulant teenage years and made it clear that if I came to live with you, it would be forever - not just until mom and I made up.
You always showed great patience Matt and myself.
You are an awesome grandpa.
You love a good steak.
You once barbequed a turkey.
You love to throw a good party.
You are full of kindness.
You have survived major heartbreak and loss and made it through stonger than ever.
You aren't afraid to cry.
You became a ServSafe Alcohol instructor to support my work.
You gave your cars silly names when we were kids.
You made me feel important by letting me film the games you coached.
You are generous with your possessions.
You knew just what to say when I got my period for the first time while at basketball camp with you.
I've always known how proud of me you are.
You flew up to Moscow for the awards ceremony where I was honored as an "outstanding senior".
You didn't get mad or frustrated that Matt was so late picking you up on the above trip that you missed part of the ceremony.
You made sure that I didn't get mad or frustrated at Matt either.
You were amazing with Sandy at the end.
You call and sing me happy birthday every year.
You've always wanted what is best for Matt and I - even if it might not be best for you.
You picked up the tab, even though Adam and I spent way more than the agreed upon amount, at our rehearsal dinner.
You stopped smoking.
You love the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" and helped me love it too.
You help with household chores.
You mow your mother-in-law's yard.
You've always supported my decisions, even if they were wrong.
You say, "I love you".
You read this blog.
You probably own, at least, 100 golf shirts.
You checked with my teachers to make sure I was ready before you let me read Sandy's Danielle Steele books.
You make the best breakfast.
You are always on time.
You take Kisha for all of her walks when you come to visit.
You passed on your height to me - thankgoodness!
You don't try to pretend to be someone you are not.
You make sure Adam gets to go to Jackpot when we come home over the holidays.
You always understood that I wouldn't stay in Idaho - even when I didn't - and never tried to change that part of me.
You don't judge people - you just accept them as they are.
You decided not to learn any of my boyfriend's last names until a ring was involved.
You get an awesome farmer's tan in the summer because of all the golf you play.
Your former students and players remember you fondly - you made a big impact on a lot of kids' lives.
The biggest impact you made was on me - I wouldn't be where I am without you!

I love you! Have a fabulous birthday!

Snowie

2009-03-16T23:00:00.003-05:00

I never thought that Avery's favorite stuffed "animal" would be a snowman. She received him as gift from my Aunt Kay and Uncle Leon this Christmas - it was love at first sight. "Snowie", as she calls him, is a key part of our bedtime routine. They watch the Goodnight Show together, she shares her milk with him and he accompanies her to the bathroom to brush her teeth. He's also a great substitute when I'm occupied and can't play with Avery. She wanted to "weeee" the other day (which means twirl) but I was busy. I told her to ask Snowie and they spent the next half hour spinning in circles together!

Our Little Manipulator

2009-03-10T11:07:00.003-05:00

In the past week or so Avery has begun to refine her "if/then" logic. Granted all babies and toddlers have this (e.g., "if I cry, mom will come") but I've started to notice that Avery is taking it to the next level. Below are a few examples - ranging from good, problem-solving skills to oh-no, what are we in for!

1) While we were babysitting Danny recently, Avery and Danny started fighting over a toy (a pretend pen). Danny is much stronger than Avery and could wrestle it away from her. So, in return, Avery would go get a different toy and bring it to Danny. He'd take the alternate toy (a truck, a Lego piece, etc.) and Avery would be able to get the pen back. After a minute or two, Danny would take the pen back and they'd repeat the process. This went on for about a half an hour, until Danny figured out Avery's trick and stopped giving up the pen. At that point, we put the pen away!

2) Avery does not like to go to sleep - at bedtime or nap time. However, she usually talks to herself and eventually drifts off to sleep. But lately she's decided to yell a lot. When that hasn't worked to bring us back into the room, she then shouts out either "poo poo" or "owie" - knowing that both of these two words will bring us back.

3) As much as Avery doesn't like going to sleep, she LOVES bath time! So much so that every day at lunch she makes a mess of herself, while saying "aqua" so that Tiffany, our nanny, will give her a bath. Below is a video Tiffany captured the other day.

Not quite...

2009-02-26T22:23:00.003-06:00

There are only a few things for which we have started to try the whole "time out" thing with Avery: 1) Grabbing onto the gate at the top of the stairs and shaking it with all her might; 2) putting her hands in Kisha's food/water while Kisha is eating. Both are safety concerns. Otherwise, at her age, we feel she should have the ability and opportunity to explore and learn as much as possible without constraints.

Anyway, we've started to try time-out when she engages in these two activies. The problem is that she doesn't really care. She was in Kisha's food tonight and after the first stern "no", she went back to do it again. So, I said, "do you want a time-out?" And she said, "yes". And then proceeded on her own to go sit in the time-out spot and hang out for about 5 minutes, totally happy about it. Not quite the reaction I was expecting!

I guess the good thing is that she stayed out of Kisha's food - which was ultimately what I was going for. Hopefully, she'll be as accepting of discipline when she's 16!

Holy Cow!

2009-02-25T23:39:00.002-06:00

It has been quite a week! Major changes at work - layoffs, reorganization, new team members. It's been crazy and my head is still spinning! Some of my closest "work friends" were let go and it is so hard to walk around the office and not see them any more. The silver lining about all of the changes that are being made to our organization is that I'm being given the opportunity to step up into a pretty major role. My team grew from 3 to 11 and I'm being asked to lead the charge on some of the most strategic things that we've done as a firm in the 4 years that I've been there. I'm excited about it (and a bit nervous). But it's also very bittersweet to have this opportunity at this time.

I've thought a lot about if I want to stay with the organization - knowing that it could be my job that gets the ax next. However, even if that were to happen in a year or two, this role (which I'm being handed on a silver platter) normally requires many more years of experience than I have and/or many more degrees. It makes sense to milk it for all it's worth, right?

First Dance

2009-02-21T12:39:00.003-06:00

We spent last weekend at our lake house in Michigan with a bunch of friends, including Scott & Danny (Amanda was on a work trip). Avery and Danny had a great time playing together all weekend. Below is a video we captured of the two of them having their "first dance"!

Language!

2009-02-12T12:45:00.003-06:00

Over the past week, Avery has started to try to repeat pretty much everything we say. It doesn't usually sound like the same word but she's certainly giving it her best effort. We realized this when Adam was watching a Michigan basketball game on tv and yelled out "Nice!". Avery looked at him, looked at the tv and also yelled, "Nice!". Luckily, something good had happened and not something bad as the things Adam usually yells at the tv while watching sporting events aren't always so benign.

We've been trying to watch what we say around Avery for some time now but this past weekend really drove it home. I don't swear much so it's not all that challenging for me. But Adam is going to have a bit of an adjustment. And some of our friends that we spend a lot of time with - especially the ones without children - are going to have a lot of work to do! I definitely find myself yelling, "Language!" a lot. Adam's favorite game after he gets a "Language!" reprimand is to then repeat what he just said but in a slightly different way. An example from a recent car ride:

Adam: "Get out of the f*%$ing way!"
Me: "Language!"
Adam: "Get on your horse!"
Me: "That's better. But weird."
Adam: "Well, I wouldn't have to yell if these drivers knew s*%t about driving."
Me: "Language!"
Adam: "Well, I wouldn't have to yell if everyone was an awesome driver like me."

As you can see, it's going to be a challenge...

Lovely Day

2009-02-07T15:51:00.002-06:00

It's over 60 degrees in Chicago in February! Amazing! We have definitely been taking advantage. Here's the things we did today that don't normally happen in February in Chicago:

1) Avery and I took a walk down to our local library this morning. Her first time to the library. It was a pretty hilarious adventure since, at 18 months, she has a difficult time controlling the volume of her voice - especially when super, duper excited about ALL the books!

2) Avery and I stopped by the park on our way home from the library - granted it was just a big mess of melting snow and mud. But that made all the more fun for Avery.

3) I got a really great run in without having to wear my "snow tires", a hat, gloves and 25 different layers.

4) And as soon as Avery's done with her afternoon snack, the whole family is headed to the dog beach so that Kisha can take advantage of the great weather too!

Best Super Bowl Ever

2009-02-02T22:18:00.002-06:00

Avery and I stayed home for the Super Bowl this year. She has bronchitis and I didn't want her to get any of the other little ones that were going to be at the party we were invited to sick. Adam went to the party for the first half since we had volunteered to bring some delicious treats. Normally, I love going to Super Bowl parties. I love football and I love snacks so when you put the two together, it tends to be a great day for me. However, I also tend to get distracted and don't end up watching as much of the game (or the commercials!) as I want. This year, watching it at home, there were definitely some good advantages:

I "tivoed" the game and started watching about a 1/2 hour after kick-off so I was able to fast-forward through all the replays and boring stuff and go straight to the action.
I could hear the commercials without having to "shush" anyone.
I didn't eat so much that I had a stomach-ache later in the evening.
Avery and I rocked out to Bruce (my favorite) without having 20 people laughing at me.

I definitely missed having a smorgasbord of treats to snack on and I missed out on the chance to see a bunch of good friends. But, all in all, it was a pretty great way to watch the game!

Life Without a Computer

2009-01-29T11:59:00.002-06:00

Our home computer caught a bug. We re-imaged it a week or so ago but we haven't reloaded any software, which basically means we can't do anything on it right now except play solitaire. I have a laptop for work but I do my best to not bring it home with me at night. I have to say that it's been kind of liberating to not have any access to the Internet, photo editing software or any Microsoft Office products after 5:30 at night.

After Avery goes to bed and I get a quick workout in, I tend to find myself on the computer - playing around on Facebook, updating this blog, doing some general web surfing, responding to emails (work and personal), editing photos and videos. "The Computer" always seems to steal a couple of hours a night from me. But not this week! This week I did a lot of reading, made phone calls to friends and family and caught the tail end of Juno on HBO. It was great and I felt much more ready when the morning came to sit down at my computer at work and start the day.

At the same time, I've found myself doing a few of the above things while I eat lunch at work (this post is a good example!). And I can't wait until Adam gets home from Minneapolis tonight so I can have him get things back up and running. But it's been a good lesson for me in terms of finding the right balance. I tend to think of my computer time as "me time", and in some ways it is. But I think I need to do a better job of unplugging every once in a while. I think it's the right way to help boost my energy (and rest my eyes!).

Five or Six?

2009-01-19T15:59:00.002-06:00

It seems a bit crazy to be thinking about this now when Avery isn't even 18 months old, but we have to decide soon if we want to start her in kindergarten right after she turns five or after her sixth birthday. If I want her to have two years of preschool before kindergarten then she'd need to start when she is three (if we are going with kindergarten at five). And with the Chicago schools the way they are, that means I have to start applying now to preschools (even the public ones!).

Avery's birthday is July 29th, basically one month before the September 1st cut-off. So, she'll either be the youngest kid in her class or the oldest. She's such a little peanut that she will probably be the littlest either way - she'll just be really little if she starts at five! I worry about her being "behind" from a physical and social perspective but, if we wait, I worry about her not being challenged enough mentally. It's a tough call. Right now I'm leaning toward six. And Adam toward five. Anyone else out there have any advice?

This One's For Me

2009-01-11T21:06:00.003-06:00

Sometimes when I'm at work and am having one of those days where I want to tear my hair out (or, as is more likely the case, someone else's hair), I take a quick minute and look at pictures of Avery or check out a quick video of her. It lightens my spirit every time. We took this video a few weeks ago during bath time and I'd forgotten about it until I came across it accidently on the computer tonight. I thought I'd post it so that I can view it easily from work when the need arises. Maybe it will bring you some joy too!

The Place I'm In

2009-01-04T20:04:00.007-06:00

We just returned on Friday from a two week stay at our lake house in Michigan. It was an absolutely perfect vacation. We only get one channel via the rabbit ears (CBS), we don't have Internet hooked up and our cell phones don't get reception at the house. It was fabulous. Most nights after Avery was in bed we built a fire, opened a bottle of wine and read our books (although we did bust out Rock Band once or twice, as well). It was fabulous (did I mention that already?).

Adam and I joked a few times about selling our place in Chicago and just moving there permanently. Although I know we'd never do it, the conversation did make me think about whether I'm looking for a change in lifestyle. I certainly enjoyed my time there. It was so peaceful and I got to spend 100% of my day with Avery - pretty much just playing the whole time.

But when I look harder at the past two weeks I realize a few things: 1) Adam was there with me all day; 2) we did a lot of shopping and spent way too much money getting the house all set up; 3) we opened presents three of the days we were there; 4) we ate whatever we wanted and didn't worry about working out...

I guess my point is that our fabulous vacation probably wouldn't hold up in real life. One of us would have to work (unless we won the lottery), we certainly wouldn't continue to spend the way we did (again, unless we won the lottery), Christmas doesn't occur every week (but could if we won the lottery) and, as much fun as it was for a while, eating pumpkin pie for breakfast every day is probably not a good idea if I don't want to have to invest in a new wardrobe (although winning the lottery would help with this, as well).

In all seriousness, even joking about moving to Michigan did make me take a look at my life, however, and determine whether I'm in the right place - physically, mentally, spiritually, etc. And, for the most part, I'd say I'm pretty darn happy. Sure, there are some little things I need to change but all of them are within my control. And that's a very good place to be.

Although I do think I'll start playing the lottery...

Avery's Latest

2008-12-21T14:28:00.004-06:00

The kid has been cracking me up lately. And I love how every week or two she has picked up a couple of hilarious new habits so I figured I should jot them down for prosperity's sake! (For example, here she is with a ball pump in her mouth!?!)

1) High fives. We went to a holiday party last night and Avery was a bit shy when we first got there. However, after we were there about 1/2 hour she wandered off on her own and started giving high fives to anyone and everyone who would pay attention to her.

2) Yeah!!! Although "no" has become a regular part of Avery's vocabulary, we luckily hear "Yeah!" most of the time. If she is in agreement these days, she tends to be in violent agreement. A simple "yes" or head nod will not do. It's always a full and very enthusiastic "YEAH!!".

3) Knock. Knock. Avery has been knocking on doors and saying "knock, knock" before she enters a room for a week or two now. However, in just the past few days she has also starting to "knock" on us if she wants our attention. At the party mentioned above, I was talking to someone while Avery was high-fiving when all of a sudden I felt a little hand hitting me and a little voice saying "knock, knock". She wanted my attention and was "knocking" on me so that I would pick her up!

Fun Times on the Train

2008-12-16T22:03:00.004-06:00

Taking public transportation to and from work every day is always an adventure. This morning I overheard one of the strangest conversations of my life. Keep in mind this is between two men who are dressed as if they are headed into an office and otherwise seem perfectly normal:

First man: "Mele Kalikimaka"
Second man: "What's that mean?"
First man: "It's how you say 'Merry Christmas' in Hawaiian."
Second man: "What's Hawaiian? Is that a country?"
First man: "No, Hawaii is a state. Like California or New York is a state."
Second man: "Then why do they talk funny?"
First man: "Because it's tropical there."
Second man: "So, they don't have pine trees in Hawaii."
First man: "Nope. No pine trees in Hawaii."

At this point, we had reached my stop and I had to get off. However, I was really tempted to ride the train a couple more stops just to hear where this was going next!

Just Like the Pottery Barn Catalog!

2008-12-09T22:15:00.002-06:00

This weekend, I was finally able to cross a"to do" off my list that has been on there for several months. I pulled together a bunch of my favorite photos and printed them in black and white. I then arranged them in some black and white frames on the ledge along the stairs. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. I keep telling Adam it is "just like Pottery Barn"! :-)

Hard to Focus

2008-12-04T16:12:00.005-06:00

So, I got some big work-related news while on vacation earlier this week. Three of the four top executives in my division were let go on Monday (including my boss). No real explanation was given to them. I talked to my boss today and he said there's a lot he can't tell me yet as they are still in negotiations over his severance package. However, he sounded great and actually ended up comforting me! :-)

It's been so strange around here these last few days. And I definitely feel a bit vulnerable in my job. My three biggest supporters and the individuals who best knew what I was capable of are all gone. Oh well! I guess we'll see where fate takes me. They haven't announced a new structure yet - supposedly we'll learn a bit more next week.

It's certainly hard to focus (which is why I'm blogging while I should be working!). But I know in the long-run things will work out as they are supposed to - whether that means I end up with a bit more unplanned time at home with Avery or I end up with a promotion and more responsibility.

Owie!

2008-11-23T22:04:00.004-06:00

Avery and Kisha were having a fun game of chase around the dining room table the other evening. Both were obviously having a good time - but Kisha started having a bit too much fun...you'll hear Avery give out a little "owiee" cry! However, as soon as I stopped the video and told Kisha to leave Avery alone, Avery was right back over trying to get Kisha to chase her again!

Keep the Change

2008-11-20T08:48:00.003-06:00

So, I started my own "keep the change" campaign this week. I tend to store up lots of loose change in my desk drawer at work as I hate carrying it in my wallet. Well, my change compartment was starting to overflow so I decided that every few days I would grab a handful and give it to someone in need as I walk to the train after work.

The problem with the timing of this new resolution of mine is that Obama is in town and is working every day at the Federal Building, which is half way between my office and the train station. This means that all of the usual characters I see on my walk each day have been cleared out. There's no one to give my money to! Two nights ago I was able to give it to one of the performers in the Subway (it was a young woman with a guitar and a very nice voice). But last night I saw no homeless people and no one was performing at my stop. Instead of taking the change home I ended up leaving it on top of a garbage can in the ally in the back of my house. I figured someone would find it there. And they did as it was gone this morning. The only problem is that I don't know if someone who really needed it found it or if someone stumbling home from Murphy's after a few too many beers picked it up!

Oh well! Maybe my little campaign will turn out better after January 20th...

To Matt & Jess

2008-11-17T16:03:00.005-06:00

I'll start out with the obvious (as you've both heard me say it more times than you can probably count): I'm so sad you are leaving Chicago and I do so wish that I could talk you into staying!

BUT the part I don't ever tell either of you is that I am truly excited to see you start your new life together. I think that you will love Tucson and I think it will provide you with everything that you want in your lives. Although I'm sad to see you go, I'm so grateful that we got to spend this time together. It has been so much fun having you live here in Chicago. And I'm so proud of who you both are as individuals and how you've also come together as a couple. It's amazing to see the transformation over the years in both of you and so good to see you in such a good place together. I think you've created an amazing foundation on which to build the rest of your lives.

I will miss you terribly! It's still hard for me to come to grips with the fact that Adam and I won't see you on a weekly basis anymore. But I also know there are so many good times to come in our lives...and who knows where fate will take us. Perhaps the Kanouses and the Dickises will reunite in Tuscon, or Seattle, or Athol or Australia some day! (Although mom would kill us if we all moved to Australia!).

I love you both so much!

Tagged Again!

2008-11-12T10:28:00.005-06:00

Danielle tagged me on this one and I think they are fun so here we go:

A. Attached or Single - Attached
B. Best Friend - Amanda
C. Cake or Pie - Pie
D. Day of Choice - Friday
E. Essential Item - Bare Escentuals "Warm"
F. Favorite Color - Blue
G Gummy Bears or Worms - Bears
H. Home town - Boise
I. Favorite Indulgence - Bagel with butter
J. January or July - July
K. Kids - Just one for now!
M. Marriage Date - August 10, 2002
N. No. of Brother's & Sisters - 1 sister, Laura; 1 brother, Matt
O. Oranges or Apples - Apples
P. Phobias - Rodents
Q. Quotes - "The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me." Ayn Rand
R. Reasons to Smile - I had yesterday off (for Veteran's Day) and got to spend the whole day - just me & Avery. It was awesome!
S. Season of Choice - Fall
T. Tag 5 people - I'm going to let you all off the hook on this one!
U. Unknown fact about me - After I broke my right pinky toe a few years ago, it no longer touches the ground.
V. Vegetable - I'm with Danielle on this one - Potatoes!
W. Worst Habit - I like to be right ALL THE TIME!
X. X-Ray or Ultrasound - Ultrasound
Y. Your Favorite Food - Pizza
Z. Zodiac Sign - On the cusp between Leo & Virgo (on some charts I'm a Leo and on others a Virgo)

Fun Times at Dinner

2008-11-09T20:50:00.003-06:00

Avery was frustrated during dinner on Friday night for some reason and started doing this hilarious things with her hands and face. Adam and I were laughing so hard and mimicked it back to her, which made her laugh and then do it back to us again. The camera was sitting near by so I grabbed it to document the moment!