Perch

After finally completing and passing the first three swim levels SKI -- shrimp, kipper, & Inia-- Wesley has advanced to the next swimming level, Perch!

We've had a choppy go at swim class where he took lessons from 6 - 11 months and from 18 - 22 months. We started them up again at 26 months in September, taking lessons with daddy every Saturday morning, and haven't stopped.

Maybe if we didn't have so many breaks he would have been ready for Perch sooner? (I feel like a stage mom when I say this, but its hard being in classes with 10 month olds). So in January Matt talked to the teacher about what we needed to do to get him to the next level and she made sure to work with him on the right skills.

 Here I am holding on to his noodle -- after 4 classes, I don't need to do this anymore, I can just wade next to him!

 So now he's taking Perch with dear old (tiger) mom. At our first class -- whoa! this is not SKI -- there's some actual swimming going on and Wesley didn't know what hit him. He has to use the blue floaters around his belly to practice front & back strokes. He went ballistic! (This is the kid who won't even let the hairdresser put the smock on him. "No," he raises his hand to her.) It takes a few laps around the pool for him to warm up. And he's also supposed to go under water on command ... Right.

We have a lot to work on.

The good thing is that a lot of the kids have taken this class a few times so Wesley will get better as he repeats the class. As soon as he turns 3, he's eligible for the next level but ... Steady there mama -- we'll get there in good time!

2-kid photo shoot

So this was my attempt at getting some cute photos of the 2 bambinos together on our bed. In theory, it was a good idea, but try and get them to look at the camera and make endearing faces at the same time.  They did turn out pretty cute nonetheless! Here's the outtakes (there were no intakes!)

Super cute 1st picture! Oh wait, Wesley is out of focus.

 Wesley is perfect but why is Claire so far back and falling over?

There we go!

Oh the tackling begins!

Is Claire always falling over?

Claire is perfect, Wesley has his head down.

Fall down girl, not looking at camera

I can't argue with the love factor.

Oops, my bad.

 We're done Mom.

Claire is 10 months old

My cute pumpkin is in the double digits and getting cuter and more lovable every minute. She really does have the most pinch-able, kissable cheeks you've ever seen, and she's a snuggle monster- you don't ever want to let her go. Believe me! (Of course I am partial to my own babies.)

Her new trick is that she loves standing and "walking" holding on to your hands. She's still not officially crawling but she manages to get around when she's on the floor - whether that be sliding on her belly across the hardwood floor, or butt-scooching towards a toy. With a little more confidence she'll soon be cruising around the furniture but for now we have been gate-free and loving it.

Also she's starting to cut her first tooth! Which one? The top right! My kids are both so atypical! (I guess they take after me). We're calling her hillbilly with her one scraggly tooth.

We also call her the "Great Imitator" because she loves to mimic you. Make a funny noise with your tongue and she'll follow along. You say "clap" and she claps. She's really a joyful happy baby!

Here's some moments from March & April so far:

Out for breakfast with a buddy

At the Shedd Aquarium

 Out with my "Breakfast Club" (now it's a 4-baby group!)

Eating leaves outside

Playing with my brother

Birthday pound cake

Today is my grandma's 83rd birthday and to continue my 2013 tradition of baking for everyone's special day (and baking my way through Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours cookbook) I have baked a luscious to-die-for pound cake.

Oh pound cake ... Sara Lee makes them, right? Who needs to actually bake one? Well, considering that the ingredients are flour, sugar, and a whole lot of butter it's important that the ingredients be the best quality. No offense to Ms Lee, but homemade is always better - taste and health.

Well here's to the health of "Nani" on her 83rd! Happy Birthday!

Recipe here.

Chocolate chocolate muffins: aka hostess cupcakes

My cousins birthday party was the past weekend and for their party I wanted to bake something of course. Chocolate was mentioned often in their requests and so I turned to Dorie's chocolate chocolate cupcakes.

In her side note she says you can play with them and stuff them with jam or marshmallow fluff ... That gave me an idea to turn these into nostalgic hostess cupcakes with the iconic white swirls on top.

The frosting is a chocolate ganache and the filling is marshmallow fluff - as is the white swirls on top. Pretty delicious!

Easter 2013

As I sift through the photos, I realize that Easter has become sort of a marathon of events. It's pretty fun for being an extremely religious holiday. Leave it to the Americans to add God where he doesn't belong and take him away from where he does.

Ok, that's enough ranting. The kids had a fun Easter - here are our highlights!

Coloring Easter Eggs

 We found that using a paint brush was way more fun that dunking the eggs and getting bored while they turn a light shade of color.

 Wesley took this egg painting thing very seriously.

And so did Daddy.

The Easter Egg hunt at Cantigny

 Oh Easter is not complete in our 'hood without going to Cantigny for the official Trampling of Small Children -- I mean, the Easter egg hunt.

This year we actually made the hunt instead of running from the far parking lot and missing the whole thing. Last year link.

And they're off! Here's me holding Claire for dear life as the swarms of 

4 & under kiddos go beserk over plastic eggs! Only 5 per kid...

...we got 4 of them.

Nothing says Easter like waiting in line for a dressed up man who your kid is afraid of!

Easter Morning!

The Easter Bunny brought some great baskets! Claire got some Hello Kitty plates, pants, & sunscreen.

Wesley got a Cars shirt, beach towel, Thomas silverware, and bath crayons. Our Easter Bunny has totally bought into commercialism racket.