Nature Hike

Now that I am back at work, I really want to make the most of my time with Lauren. So one evening I spent some time brainstorming ideas of fall activities. I read some parenting books, various blogs, and came up with my own ideas as well. One item I added to our list of fun activities was a nature hike.

Not only was the weather perfect last Wednesday morning, but I had the day off work for doctor's appointments later that day. Lauren and I took the advantage of the extra time together and weather and hiked in a nearby forest preserve called Fort Sheridan. We started in a prairie area with a fantastic view of Lake MIchigan and then walked through the woods.

Lauren loved smelling and picking the flowers in the prairie. She also loved the acorns and colorful leaves in the wooded area. We took turns pushing her stroller and holding hands. I even spotted a grasshopper and was able to show him to Lauren.

Below are a few photos of our artwork using the elements of nature we found.

Mommy's Day Off!

Last Thursday I had the day off so my Jewish students could celebrate Rosh Hashanah. So Lauren, Aunt Stephie and I headed to the Lincoln Park Zoo. The weather was perfect, high 60's low 70's with just a slight breeze off the lake. Because it was a Thursday, the were not many people around either. These three items combined for the perfect day! The animals were so active and easy for Lauren to spot. We were able to see a sea lion, polar bear, penguins, lions, giraffes, ostriches, different types of bears, gorillas, flamingos, zebras, kangaroos, rhinoceros, deer, and a goat type animal from Africa. I don't think I've ever seen so many animals in such a short period of time. Just perfect for an almost two year old!



Here's a photo of one of the giraffes with an ostrich just relaxing in front.


Chasing the seagulls after our picnic lunch.


As my dad said, the only thing that would have made this photo better was if I was the one being pulled/pushed in the wagon. Trust me, I would have LOVED it!


Amazing how close Lauren was able to get to this gorilla! Oh yes, and thanks to Aunt Stephie's great memory, let me add Lauren's comments. "Monkey night, night Mommy? Where his paci? Blankie, Mommy?" We had to explain to Lauren that monkeys don't need blankies and pacis to go to sleep. I guess we all make connections, huh?



See you next time!

Labor Day Fun

Even though this past weekend was much cooler than we have been experiencing this summer, we made the most of it! Check out this photo of a double rainbow that appeared Saturday evening up at my parent's cabin. You can just barely see the second rainbow on top of the first.
After a long afternoon of curling up, enjoying chili or soup, and watching football and working on paper crafts, it was enjoyable to get out, take in some fresh air and gaze at this amazing sight. Lauren spent her afternoon napping and playing with her new grocery cart and groceries Mammie got for her from the store Friday afternoon.



You can really see how vivid the colors in this rainbow were in this photo.



Sunday was a much better weather day, yet it got windy and cold later in the evening as we traveled to the beach to watch the sunset. Oh well, we enjoyed checking out the waves and Lauren LOVED exploring in the sand. I love this photo of Lauren and Mammie.



We had to get a new camera so I was experimenting with the settings in order to get this shot. I LOVE it!



Lauren and Papa checking out the lighthouse. Papa taught Lauren how to say lighthouse when we were at the cabin this summer. Since then she finds and identifies each one she sees whether it's in a book or in real life.



Once Lauren discovered she could walk along this wall, it was difficult to tear her away. Is this an innocent or mischievous face?

Lauren update -

I realized it's been awhile since I have updated on Lauren's progress. Her vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds each day. I just can't believe the statements, yes statements, not just words now, that come out of her mouth. :) Each morning since she started going to Mariah's house about a year and a half ago I sing The Wheels on the Bus and a color song to Lauren. She can now and does, sing these songs with me each morning. As I sign the color song, she is able to identify items either in the car or out her window that are the colors I am singing about. She sometimes mixes up red and pink and black and white, but otherwise has all her colors down.

A few months ago I posted Lauren "singing" her ABCs. She is now able to sing the entire alphabet except H,I,J,K. For some reason she sings part of Twinkle, Twinkle during that section of her ABCs. She loves singing Twinkle, Twinkle, Old McDonald, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Skip to my Lou (thanks to Mammie) and Baby Beluga. Lauren also loves attempting to count and if you ask how old she will be she replies with, "In a month." I guess I must have started talking to her about turning two about a month ago and used that phrase!

Lauren is also working on potty training and is doing a pretty good job of it. When I picked her up from Mariah's today she has the same clothes on that I dropped her off in this morning, meaning NO accidents! We've been working on this for about 2 weeks now, so we will see how she continues to progress. I guess we will get one out of diapers just in time to have another in them!

Geoff and I have been working on Lauren's big girl room. Her next step will be to move into this new room and a toddler bed. I can't believe she will be old enough for this so soon. Our goal is to get her settled in during October so she has a few months to adjust before Baby Sister comes. Any tips with this would be greatly appreciated!

Lauren is still a very happy little girl who is pretty laid back, thanks to Geoff for that trait! She loves to be read to, read to her babies, sing and dance. She is also very observant and loves to learn as much as she can. This winter might be a bit tough for her, as she still asks each morning to go outside. We are so blessed to have such a happy, easy going little girl!

A Weekend with Grandpa and Grandma Hanson

Grandma and Grandpa Hanson came to visit last weekend. Lauren was so lucky to have them spend time with her Friday night and Geoff and I were lucky enough to get a date night in! We had a fantastic dinner of lobster and even saw a movie. I know Lauren had a blast playing at home with Grandma and Grandpa.

On Saturday morning we went to the pool. It was a bit overcast, so not crowded at all. It was perfect for Lauren swim around, explore the splash park, and go down the slide. For me it was wonderful to have three other adults to help lift and play with Lauren. I actually had some time to relax at the pool!







Lauren loved playing on the slide with Grandpa and Daddy. She loved splashing and swimming around with Grandma too.

On another note, school started again this week! Overall the week could not have gone any better. Much better than last year when Lauren came down with a fever, causing me to miss some of the first days and Grandpa Hanson to travel back over here to be with Lauren because Geoff was traveling on business.

Lauren's transition back to Mariah's house each day has been seamless. I give Mariah all the credit for that. She makes her house so fun and inviting that Lauren can't wait to get dropped off each day. In fact, there were even two days when I was ready to pick Lauren up and she still wanted to stay and play. As a parent, that makes having my daughter in daycare so much easier.

Lauren has also started potty training this week. We have lots of Elmo stickers for her to put on her chart after she goes on the potty. Those stickers make all the difference! So far she is learning pretty quickly and going potty is still fun. Another credit to Mariah for that one!

Last Week of Summer Vacation

Well, it's back to school for me tomorrow and back to daycare for Lauren. Geoff even has a new train schedule that leaves earlier and gets home later that begins tomorrow. I guess it's a big day in the Hanson Household! We sure did have a wonderful summer and really made sure to enjoy this last week without schedules together.

Monday started with a visit to a toddler splash pool. Of course, I didn't discover this pool until Monday, but sure wish we spent more time there throughout the summer. The size was perfect for Lauren and there was even a little frog water slide for her. We will for sure be back next summer. Geoff was able to get home a bit early Monday so he took Lauren for a bike ride while I prepared dinner. What a marvelous Monday!

Tuesday was another terrific day! Lauren went to Mariah's house in the morning while I took care of some needed appointments before returning to work. Once I picked Lauren up from Mariah's Nest I told her we had a special surprise planned. Lauren and I were headed downtown to spend the evening and night with Daddy at the Palmer House Hilton hotel. Geoff was in Chicago all last week working on a new project and needed to spend the night Tuesday for work purposes, so Lauren and I joined him.


After we checked into the hotel and met Geoff, we walked over to Millennium Park to enjoy some family time.




Lauren was in love with the fountain, but looks like Geoff got dizzy pretty quickly.




After spending some time in the fountain, we found a nature hour filled with music, plant discoveries, and stories. Lauren was intrigued with the magnifying glass, but didn't quite understand how to use it to investigate the plants further.




After a wonderful morning in the city filled with shopping, music, and even more children's activities at Millennium Park, Lauren and I headed home for lunch and naps. Our town had a Bloody Mary Fest at the local Farmer's Market Wednesday night. The best part was each booth was willing to give me virgin drinks free! There were at least 20 bars and restaurants there sampling beverages. What an exciting event for our town.




Our farmer's market is closer to an evening dinner market than a typical morning farmer's market and so we spend many Wednesday evenings there in the summer. Lauren decided she wanted to try corn on the cob and simply took it off my plate and enjoyed a few bites. After she realized how delicious this corn was, she was very reluctant to put it down. I think Geoff and I shared just a few bites and Lauren ate the rest!




Just before leaving the market for the evening, Lauren and I were comparing the size of our feet. That was quite an ab workout for me, but Lauren just kept giggling and love it, so of course I complied!


2010-2011 school year, here we come!

More Michigan Fun

Lauren and I were fortunate enough to spend all last week at Mammie and Papa's house in Michigan. There are always so many people to see and fun adventures to be had. Here are a few of our activities from last week.



No, this wasn't from last week, but from almost two years ago when Geoff and I brought Lauren up to CMU (where I went to undergrad) for the first time.


Here's a photo of Lauren and I at the seal last week. At least this time she kept her eyes open.


Lauren and I went up to CMU with my good friend Sara, who I met up there while going to college, and her three daughters. This was the best photo we could get of the four of them at the seal. Guess they are curious little ones.


One evening we went to the Kent County Youth Fair, where I used to exhibit my arts and crafts and put on clowning and puppet show performances in my younger years. Lauren loved looking at all the animals even though she kept her hand over her nose in the barns. Then Papa wanted to take her on a horsie ride. I really didn't think she would go, but Papa was right, she was excited and really enjoyed it, as long as Papa was next to her!



Lauren's Great Gram and Papa Bruce came over for a visit one day. It was so nice of them and great for Lauren to spend some time with them. We usually only see them at holidays when it's so crazy with lots of people, so nice to have a "down" day together. While eating lunch at a restaurant Lauren did get an entire glass of freezing cold ice water dumped on her head by the waitress. After a few screams and lots of crying, Lauren handled it better than most of the adults. :)




Mammie purchased this fantastic kitchen and two tubs of toys to go with it before we came for our visit. Lauren LOVED this kitchen and I bet is still having dreams about playing with it.



Lauren turned into one dedicated little chef!

Our Little Flower Girl

Last Saturday Lauren had a chance to be a flower girl for the second time. This time she was able to walk up the aisle on her own and didn't need Daddy to pull her in a wagon like at Aunt Stephie and Uncle Jon's wedding! My cousin Sheila got married and Lauren was fortunate to be part of such a beautiful and special day.

As her mom, I was really worried she wouldn't walk up the aisle, but she did. About a quarter of the way up the aisle she turned around and was looking for Grammie, but then Grammie turned her back around and she continued up the aisle.

Then about half way up, she decided to stop and pick up some flower petals instead of dropping the ones in her basket. She did finally make it up to the front though and then did a fantastic job of sitting with Mommy and Daddy during the ceremony.

We are both so proud of what a wonderful job Lauren did as one of Sheila and Dustin's flower girls.




Here's Lauren getting a pep talk from Grammie and the other little girls who were in the wedding before the big event.


A proud Mommy and beautiful flower girl after the ceremony.


Here was Lauren's breakfast of champions before the big event. She was so excited to be able to sit in a big chair in the hotel room. Aunt Stephie came up with the idea to put this little table right in front of Lauren and she loved it. I guess all a little girl needs is some independence, a blueberry muffin, and a cup of milk before a big day.