A Christmas Meme

What is a meme? It rhymes with dream and it is a list of questions you answer, then another person reads your answers and goes on to answer the questions from their viewpoint. And so on. It sounds rather festive, doesn't it? I have seen a recent list in the blogworld, but want to alter it a bit...will you play along with me? Here goes: 1. Salmon or Swedish meatballs? 2. White or colored lights? 3. Presents opened Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? 4. Favorite Christmas song or carol? 5. Favorite Christmas cookie? 6. Best present received as a kid? 7. Favorite children's Christmas book? 8. Ice skating or skiing? 9. Theme trees or memory trees? 10. Favorite place to celebrate Christmas? My answers: 1. Swedish meatballs 2. White lights in town, colored at the City Nest 3. Christmas Eve 4. "Angels We Have Heard on High" 5. Cut out sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles 6. A three foot doll with curly reddish hair and a blue dress 7. THE LEGEND OF HOLLY CLAUS by Brittney Ryan 8. Ice skating --- on TV 9. Theme trees 10. Any where my family is!

The "Sweet" Gene Has Surfaced!

Yay~she (Miss Ellie) has it! That sweet tooth that somehow missed Jed and John. (How, one might ask, could one not like chocolate and desserts??) Let me tell you this little story.

We had the family over to the City Nest for a pre-Halloween supper/carving pumpkins party. See Ellie getting her "treat" of a Cheerio Halloween book? But wait! Look closely! She is not looking at the book, is she? She actually had her eyes on the cookie platter behind filled with chocolate balls, cut-out cookies and Oreos!

Likkety split she yanked out a little frosted spider cookie and popped it in her mouth. Meaning a frosting ring around her mouth quickly gave her away! Gotta love it.

After dinner, Ellie sat on the table while the pumpkins were carved. She loved the scooping tool.

Here's Ellie in her Little Ladybug costume. I got inspired by these thrift store plus-sized pants (only 50 cents) and made her outfit from them, purchasing the wings, skirt and headband.

Goodness Gracious --- it's soooo much fun having this "Sweetie" around this Halloween!

Weekend Numbers and Letters

Care to take a guess where we were and what we did based upon these letters and numbers?

If you guessed we attended the NPU Homecoming festivities you were right! And if you were wondering what the Husker sweatshirt was doing there, we had two special guests from out of town overnight at our City Nest....care to guess who they might be?

Much fun. Good times.

The REAL Reason I Went to a White Sox Game

It wasn't because the weather was perfect for sitting out in the bleachers for several hours. It was cold and gray. Fleece, hoods and blankets kind of weather.

It wasn't to see the famous new White Sox player, Manny. (It did help, though, to see Wes in a uniform all "buffed" up!)

It's wasn't to see the fireworks exploding out of the scoreboard - but that might've been fun.

It wasn't to sit near some VIP's from NPU, although they are very, very nice.

It wasn't even for the melt-in-your-mouth funnel cake - although I might have to rethink that one as it was soooooo good.

It WAS to get my very own Nancy Faust bobble-head figurine! She was honored at the Ballpark for her 41 years of service as the official White Sox organist! She is a North Park alumni with a major in Psychology who actually started playing the organ as a wee lass. She joins the group of

famous North Parkers including Dr. G. Timothy Johnson, Kevin Leman, and Governor Jim Thompson.

You are hereby invited to the City Nest to make her acquaintance. The price of admitance is certainly more affordable than a game at the stadium - even with the reduced rate. She may not be able to play this organ, but her head can keep the beat going! Nah, nah, nah, nah - nah, nah, nah, nah, hey, hey now....Goodbye! Thanks for the memories, Nancy Faust!

Sleepover at the City Nest!

Lucky us! We got to have a sleepover with Miss Ellie this past weekend! Anne brought over things we needed like the pink Bumbo, a Pack 'n Play bed and a stroller base.

Ellie played a little bit, then we whisked her off on a city adventure!

She has a bit of a tight squeeze in our car seat for the stroller base. That girl is getting some serious thighs.

First stop: the swings at Gross Park. Being a concerned Gramma, I used a "protector" on the swing set so her mouth wouldn't get germied up.

Of course Ellie had to go down the slide.

As well as standing up on the playground equipment. (Check out her dimpled knee.)

We then took her to a store in the neighborhood to spoil her a bit. Wes held up various toys for her to respond to and she liked this colorful caterpillar the best.

Dinnertime next. She ate pears and sweet pototoes - a lot of them!

Gramma read her three books.

Following story time, Grandpa gave her walking lessons.

The favorite activity for Miss E the whole sleepover time? Watching her Mom's old wind-up/baton twirling Cabbage Patch doll "strut her stuff" on the living room floor! Ellie laughed, kicked her legs and almost started crawling just to get at this toy.

Seven months ago we were awaiting her birth, and now we simply cannot imagine a life that had no Ellie in it. It's true what they say about being Grandparents: it's the best!

Recipe for Saturday Night Fun

Because our friends, the Rholls, are "foodies" I thought I would turn this post into a recipe on how to make a hot, sultry Saturday night into one cool summer evening adventure. Ingredients: 1. 4 good friends 2. 2 conductors (1 for train and 1 for orchestra) 3. 1 Brown Line train 4. 1 (Jay Pritzker) pavilion 5. 1 large bunch of musicians 6. 2 squirting faces 7. 4 or 5 huge mechanical bugs from Spain Directions: 1. Board 4 friends on Brown Line train. Converse and observe fellow passengers. 2. Get off of train and walk to Millennium Park. Find seats. Sweat while conversing and watching fellow concert attendees. 3. Listen to great concert. Watch the lights on surrounding buildings come on. Applaud loudly when appropriate. 4. Leave concert and cool off in the splashing area by the two tall spewing fountains. 5. Join the hordes of people watching the debut performance of the bugs from Spain. 6. Reboard the Brown Line train and head back to go to bed, exhausted and hot from a fun evening. 7. Repeat next year as needed.

What an adventure - thank you, Carol and Mark! We cooked up quite a night, didn't we?

Hats Off (and On) to the Bride-to-Be

Katie A. is to be married soon, and as her *FGM it was my honor to throw her a bridal shower with a Tea Party theme. You know...the kind where the ladies wear the fancy hats, eat finger sandwiches, and participate in a vintage bridal wear fashion show? (See, family, it did pay off to shop at St. Vinny's thrift store and buy all those silly hats and clothes for the past 20 years or so --- you thought I was kidding when I said I'd use the "goods" again!) The guests were mainly under the age of 25, so they were game to wear the hats and strut the outfits. Diann, my ever wonderful sis, wore a hat as she was busy in the kitchen restocking the food tiers, washing dishes and mingling with the guests. Here is Katie, the radiant Bride-to-Be. The straw hat with peach flowers coordinated perfectly with her outfit.

These four girls have grown up with the bride: Elsa, Beth, Kari and Anne. Don't they look adorable in their hats as well?

Marti, the MOB (Mother of the Bride) was splendidly adorned with a brown pillbox hat with fur flowers. The MOG (Mother of the Groom) Beth was striking in her black and white brimmed hat with the groovy flowers. You can see the MOG hat atop the lampshade. Our City Nest bedroom served as Millinery Central.

Previous to the shower, eight bridal outfits (some for the MOB, MOG, bridesmaids, atendees and of course, the bride) were prepared. Each outfit had a coordinating bouquet, bought on the cheap from Le Dollar Tree.

The bride's dress was strapless with layers of pouff and fluff ala 50s style.

The models really worked their struts and fashions on our City Nest runway.

Following the fashion show: gift opening time.

Though the guests could have abandoned their tea party hats, they chose not to. I loved seeing everyone having a good time. I so enjoyed seeing Katie surrounded by friends who love her and celebrating her happiness with HAT-itude!

All the Best to you, K and P ---- You truly are "Suited to a "T!"

*Fairy God Mother