Halloween Can Be A Little Scary

Our Halloween turned out a little differently than we expected. We excitedly welcomed Papa to join us (Nana was out of town) in our favorite trick-or-treating neighborhood - Lakewood-Balmoral, near Andersonville. We headed out, and 3 houses into it, Dylan threw a tantrum that landed the back of his head onto the cement sidewalk, causing a gash in the back of his head that didn't stop bleeding. We took him to the ER, and he got 3 staples in his head. :(  The little trooper that he was, he asked to go out trick-or-treating when we left the Emergency Room. 

This is at the very same time - the cutest and saddest image of Dylan I've ever seen. He actually really enjoyed the ER, and ran around checking out everything in the room.

(Note to Chicagoans: if you ever need to go to the ER - St. Joseph's on Diversey and Lakeshore Drive is always fast and efficient! We've gone there 2 other times, and have never had to wait.)

The Letter "E"

Dylan really likes - and often points out - the letter "E" these days.

Lincoln Square Business Trick-or-Treating

We went trick-or-treating in the Lincoln Square Business District, the day before Halloween.

 

On our way to the Square.

 "Just let me reach down and get that rock..."

 Here, Dylan is showing his "reflective Halloween pose."

 Dylan bumped into a "brother" from his litter!

 Trick-or-treat!

Really, Dylan didn't have much interest in the whole idea. The main thing that peaked his interest was that at the end of the strip was the toy store, and he'd get to go play with the choo-choos. Mission accomplished.

Halloween Playdate

Dylan's first opportunity to dress up in his doggie costume was for a Halloween playdate in mid-October. He was the cutest little puppy this mommy's eyes had ever seen.

On our way to the house.

Gotta include a shot of the back of the costume!

  Some of the attendees.

After snacks, and when everyone had gone to the other room to play, I realized mid-conversation with a mom, that Dylan had disappeared. I came into the kitchen to see that Mickey Mouse and the Puppy had gone back for seconds.

 Somehow these two knew they belonged together.

Illini Weekend

Our family took a trip to Champaign, IL to see some friends, and to visit Marc's alma mater, University of Illinois. (I had never been there.) Here are a few shots from our campus visit: 

Seattle Trip

I went out to Seattle to visit my sister and her family in early November. They had moved in June, and I hadn't seen their new house yet. They have a beautiful mountain view, and it was so refreshing to be in that setting. I loved being with her family, learning about Olivia's new school, and getting to know my now-1-yr-old nephew Nathan, who I hadn't seen since last November! He's changed so much.

 At a local playground with OE.

At Olivia's bus stop. It was so neat to see her as such a big girl, boarding the bus and off to school.

Baby Nathan is the most "go-with-the-flow" baby I've ever met in my life. Can't you just tell? He is so funny, and so precious.

 Nathan, taking after his daddy (who's a cop) - supervising his older sister's playtime.

Nicole and I outside of our beloved Starbucks.

UPS Truck

A UPS driver noticed that Dylan was interested in his truck one day, so he let Dylan get in. When he asked Dylan if he wanted to see the back, I hopped in too, because I always wondered what it looks like back there - how do they keep all those packages organized? Now I know their tricks.

"Tall"

Dylan built a very tall tower one day.

We got the camera out to capture the small-but-big accomplishment, and I told Dylan to smile. To my surprise, he did! The tower got knocked down in the meantime, but I was happy to learn he understands and responds to the request to "smile!"

Machine

Since we are into "Bob the Builder" in our household, we take note of any and all machines that we encounter when we're out and about.

"We Were The Champions"

For the Blackhawks first game of the season at the United Center, they had a very special ceremony, with the raising of the championship banner. It was the first time that we watched TV as a family! Kind of fun. With Dylan's fascination of things going up, down, open, and closed, he was enthralled, and requested to watch it again and again.

Autumn with Nana

Nana came up for a visit in October, and brought Dylan a surprise. It's a jack-o-lantern with his name carved in it! We all love it. Dylan requests that it be turned on, when he first wakes up in the morning. :)

The weekend after that, Nana took Dylan to Bengstson's Pumpkin Farm in Homer Glen. Dylan STILL talks about his visit. The "froggie ride" that goes "up and down" and the "choo-choo-train" especially. The day really must have made an impact on him! Thank you, Nana, for giving him such a special treat.

Surrounded But Alone

At least that's the way it looks. D woke up rough from his nap, and seemed to want some comforting. After cuddling awhile, I sat him on the couch, put on "his" music, and brought out the stuffed animals. He just sat there, looking like this. Not exactly the reaction I was going for.

Bath Toy

Who DOESN'T take a bath with a large purple ball as big as you are?

Hopscotch

Playing hopscotch at the local toy store.

Peak!

We Totally Have It All Together

Little D

Our friend Kristin gave Dylan this shirt for his second birthday. Her nickname for him has always been "Little D." He finally fits into the shirt, so I had to snap a shot of it! (Thank you, Kristin!)

Later in the day, he did this to his shirt. Why in the world would you NOT watch a video like this?

Handyman

 A toy ran out of batteries, so I told Dylan we needed to put new batteries in it. D was all over that - marching to the battery bin and bringing them back into the room. We needed a screwdriver to open the slot holding the batteries, and D surprised me by being veeery into helping.

Picking out the right size.

 Attempting to open it.

 Moving on to tightening the screws on his crib with Daddy.

Full access. No safety concerns here, right?

Baby Wyatt

One of Dylan's little buddies is Wyatt. A couple of shots from our recent times together.

Helping Bring in the Groceries

 

First time. He truly helped!

Sesame Street Parade

Every once in awhile, Dylan brings his Sesame Street pull-a-long toy for a walk down Lincoln Ave. The toy is pretty cute - Elmo clashes the cymbals, and Big Bird plays the drums. Needless to say, Dylan gets a few stares (and smiles) as we make our way through the Square.

Make A Wish

Dylan's newest thing is throwing coins in the fountain at the plaza. I wonder what he wishes for? Probably something along the lines of: cookies, a day at the splash pad, a Bob The Builder book, a Blues Clues DVD, a morning doing the escalators at Target, as much yogurt as he wants.....

Training Wheels!

Nana got a bike with training wheels at a garage sale! Papa and Nana put Dylan on it, but he doesn't quite get the pedaling thing yet. He still loves the bike, as he has a fascination with pedals.