Rain Rain Go Away

Last 3 days have been nothing but non-stop rain - 10 inches in total (25% of the annual average)!! After having got a few emails from the city of Naperville advising residents of road closures and the fact that we should avoid downtown and the riverwalk....well, that was about all we needed for motivation to make the 6 block journey to see what the hubbub was all about.

To our surprise, we probably got to witness something we may never see again...the DuPage river at least 10-15 feet over its banks...much of the Riverwalk consumed by the river, Centenial Beach now part of the river, all bridges have water up to the pavement, Connor's favorite park completely submerged and the lower lying parts of downtown (which luckily, are numbered in the few) sandbagging and fighting back the river. While the pictures I have attached dont do video (which do not have) justice, it is quite the scene, given we were just down there early last week and had commented how low the water was. Thankfully, damage looks to be minimal and probably will consist mostly of powerwashing, but would imagine is probably more than meets the eye.

We had figured it would be dead downtown...oh no, it was packed just like a normal summer day...gawkers everywhere...crazy how everyone comes out to see a train wreck...

As Connor has been saying all weekend. "its raining, its raining..."


A look east down the river...normally that bridge is 10-15 feet above the river. This was the rehabbed section they just reopened this week.

A "closed" Webster St bridge...


Carter and Connor both thought all the water and raining was rather comical...


The "hidden gem" of Peanuts Bar outdoor patio is no longer above water...


The new slide at Centenial Beach - was about 15ft off the water...


Normally, this is my running path (by the trees)...at least I have an excuse now...


A look towards Washington St...another two feet or so of water would have shut down most roads...


Rosebud on a normal day...

Rosebud today...


Sandbags in front of Rosebud (not sure what they were going to accomplish)...

Labor Day Travels

Busy busy weekend of travel. It was off to g'ma and g'pa Fitzgeralds in Cleveland - a lovely 6hr drive. The boys actually ride very well now. We turned Carters car seat around the other week, and its a whole new world for him...he does no sleep in the car much anymore and he can see us and play with his brother as well.

All in all, a very enjoyable weekend with non stop action for the boys (and us as well) - a trip down to Canton, OH to meet up with all his cousins for his cousin Ryans 8th b-day party, a trip to the Brecksville pool with g'ma, a journey to the Cleveland Air Show on Lake Erie (think Carter was more interested than Connor), a brunch with all his cousins on Sunday, a trip to see his Great Grandma and Great Grandpa, a trip to Kiddie Park (which Connor hated and we pretty much had to leave in 30 minutes) and a ride through the Cuyhoga National Park to look for deer (we saw 25 deer, some as close as 10ft, but both boys had already passed out).

And finally, a brief night out with good friends the Zenters - an amazing couple doing amazing things with the challening hand dealt to them (http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/08/volunteers_craft_a_special_hom.html). We actually had an opportunity to met the man mentioned in the article who is building the new home for them at his rather large home - we got a tour of his amazing house, but more importantly, got to spend an hour with a pretty extrordinary person - goes to show how giving some people can be.

Anyways - the boys had a blast with their 4 Cleveland based cousins and it was nice to have some extra hands to give us a few moments to break away.

And in closing, to rip off Peter Kings column from SI in which he gives travel gripes from his past week of travel, I will provide my own:

**Why is it that Indiana persists on having the most lackluster, gross, nasty, backwoods Tollway rest stops? Both Illinois and Ohio have it figured out. The system of Tollway rest stops is a form of marketing for your entire state...if the millions traveling through each year are left with a good impression, it actual does carry over to your impression of the state itself. And for Indiana, which in the minds of most, does not have a stellar image, to not update those facilities is crazy. You honestly feel like you need to shower upon leaving one. The flies hovering around your table, the sticky floors, the 1970's decor, the dark and dank bathrooms...it goes on and on. But on a positive, Connor did discover how cool the arcade crane machine with the stuffed animals inside is...Mickey Mouse was the featured prize, so he hauled out some of his new found vocabulary..."coins", "I want that", "I do it" and "more coins". $1 later...no Mickey Mouse doll.

Getting Ready for the Pool



Carter and G'Ma Fitz


Pool Boy Carter

The Kids Table

Erin loves her cousin Connor (constantly picking him up)


Carter, Connor, Erin and Kylie


Carter, Connor, Erin, Kylie, Ryan, Collin (Cameron and Alexis back in Chicago)

Erin teaching the boys to Hula Hoop


And of course, Cater giving it a spin...

No Sleepy, Watch Meese

When your toddler passed the age of 25 months, you figure the days of getting up early are over. Not with us. Connor continues to get up at the crack of dawn (well, now way before the crack of dawn). His wake up time is now about 5:00 am - and he is more than ready to roll. He pretty much gets up and complains at the gate until someone takes him down to watch "Meese" - his terminology for "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" - which he is beyond obsessed with.

I have even slept with him one night to see If I could get him to stay down longer, but by 4:45 he was rollng around bed, trying to get me to open my eyes. Scary part is he doesnt go to bed until 8:30 at the earliest. So he is averaging a staunch 8 hrs of sleep!! Nowhere near enough. We have even kept him up to 10:00 on a couple nights - and was up like clockwork at 5:15.

He is simply like a robot from another planet - his battery rarely runs to empty...and somehow, gets recharged in no time. We had hoped it was a summer thing because the sun was up at 4:45 - but now it is dark to 5:30 - doesnt matter.

And what is with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse?? We now have 28 epidodes on the DVR - in HD no less - and we have probably now seen each 5 times or more. It is like crack/cocaine to Connor...stops him in his tracks when it comes on.

And I dont know what is scarier...Connors love of Mickey Mouse...or the fact that Wikipedia has a complete episode guide (as if it were Lost or the Sopranos). Dont believe me...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_Mouse_Clubhouse Sad part is the only two we have missed were the Halloween and Xmas episodes - which I am sure are about to cycle through again. Looks like we get a 'fresh' episode this Saturday morning...

Lack of updates lately as G'ma and Aunt Carolyn have been in town past two weekends as bookends to their other vacation.


Occassionally, the battery does run dry...

G'Ma is the only person so far that is able to trump me (dad)...when G'Ma is around, I am demoted to Vice President...

Note the shiner on the forehead from running into a wall at school...(doh)

Milk and Cereal and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse...Carter is following right in Connors footsteps

And Connor is already picking up my 'anal' traits...as he likes to vaccum and put his stuff away.

Tour de Parks

One of the big highlights of Connors summer has been the proximity we now have to a buffet of parks. I think we have hit 5 parks now within walking distance (East Greens, Central, Highlands, Riverwalk, 5th Ave parks). I think we can discover about 4 others within walking distance, so Connor is getting to try out all the slide types and variations. His favorite is what we call the FedEx style slide (kind of like the box rollers).

By far our favorite is Central Park. They have live music in the Naperville outdoor band shell at the park on Thursdays and Fridays, which tends to draw hundreds of senior folks, but they also have food/cookies/pies for sale at the gazebo...Connor loves the cookies!! Overall a real nice slice of Americana. Or as my sister would say, I am a full fleged, granola eating, kool-aid drinking Naperville yuppie.

We bought a new laptop on Sunday...after getting tired of having to vacate to the den to go on the computer. Amazing the amount of laptop you can now get for $700...hadnt bought a computer in years. But man, have they come down. Top of the line HP, with Blu-Ray drive, DVD burner, etc...pretty nice.

Friday we headed down to the Riverwalk for the 95.7 Rocking on the River concert...not exactly, rocking, as was just a litte house band playing along the riverwalk, but what a great setting. Connor was able to convince us to buy ice cream cones, so we had ice cream cones and listened to some tunes. Connor (for the second time in two weeks) was able to sneak a snack while his brother was passed out in the stroller. Connor got a kick out of running up and down Rotary Hill.

The boys spent both days in the pool g'ma got Connor for his b-day. They both love it now and probably spent a good two hours in it this weekend.

Last night was probably the first night since we've been here were we actually did not venture out walking somewhere (due to the storms). Tonight we made a stroll down to Cosi for a sandwich - pretty good stuff. I have held 500 shares of their stock for years, but had not been there in quite some time...still hope it takes off ala Panera, as the food was pretty darn good, and can't beat the trendy atmosphere or ability to make your s'mores at the table...but still has a lot of competition in the quick serve sandwhich market.

Connor sharing his cookie at Central Park...

The artsy shot from the riverwalk concert...

Connor pointing the way to the ice cream...

Carter wondering where the hell his ice cream cone was after Connor got him up after he ate it all...

Waterpark & Zoo Trips

Busy weekend (and weeks).

Took the boys to meet up with cousins Cameron and Alexis at the Splash County waterpark waaayyy out yonder in west Aurora - far out there, but a pretty cool place. As usual, Connor wants nothing to do with it for the fist 15 minutes. Once I force him in (Connor saying ,"no daddy, daddy no") he is fine and then never wants to leave. Carter is much more easy - he's ready to roll right away. Both had a blast - even got to float on the lazy river.

Sunday we headed out to the Brookfield Zoo. We had entertained thoughts of walking to the train station and taking the train (as the zoo is only 2 blocks off the line) - however, glad we did not - as I don't remember that zoo being as big as it is, and we were beat. They boys made it about 3 hours before they passed out in the stroller. Connor got a kick out of the monkeys and liked the elephants the best - he was making his elephant sound and gesture he picked up from somewhere. I had not been to Brookfield in years, but that is an impressive place - it would take a entire day and then some to cover all the ground and really see stuff (which is impossible with kids). Sad to see we missed Sister Hazel performing there the previous month :(

Couple other attached pics of Connor's new favorite place - Trader Joe's. He likes it because they have toddler sized carts and he thinks he is King pushing that cart. Problem is he likes to fill it up with stuff he wants and occasionaly gets the urge to play "bumper carts" with others. All in all, he must watch us, as he pulls up to the checkout lane and waits to unload and then puts his cart back in the rack on the way out.

Connor is quickly becoming a "wordsmith" as he finds new ones to spit out everyday. His favorite thing to do now is scold Carter. Whenever he sees Carter doing something that he gets in trouble for, Connor the disciplinarian runs over to him and yells, "No Carter, No Carter." Problem is it usually includes Connor pushing or pulling him as well. But somehow Connor is still the coolest kid in the world to Carter.

Carter is leaps and bounds ahead of where Connor was at this age - Carter is pretty much off bottles (gets 1 per day now),can crawl up stairs, eats whatever we are eating and take a few steps along the furniture. He is nothing but trouble in the rental house though - gets into any and everything.

Will have an update on the house at some point this week...not much progress - but at least the bus has left the station and is now moving a bit.

Thinks he is cool wearing my hats backwards...

Brothers (on the charming 1970's vinyl floor)....

Bathtime...

Still cool (apparently)...

In front of the elephants at the zoo...

Waterpark & Zoo Trips Part Too

No, not a real cow...

Making his elephant gesture...

With his big boy cup...

Petting the bunnies...

Trader Joes newest shopper...

Looking for the freshest oranges...

Moved In (to the rental)

Well, 1 week into the new place and a bit of a new routine is forming. Connor still having a bit of a struggle w/ the new school, but each day seems to be getting back to normal more and more. His vocabulary is expanding more and more everyday, fun ti hear the words he puts together.





Do to all the chaos of moving- Connor turned two kind of quietly, but somehow managed to get 2 cakes over two weekends...one with Grandma Fitz and the other with Grandma Cook (Connor does not turn down a cake).





We will get plenty of walking in at the new house...I think we have made the walk downtown nearly everyday so far. Is nice to walk down for dinner, park, river, etc, and head up back home.





Thanks to Grandma Cook and Aunt Carolyn for coming down to lend a hand this weekend. The boys had a good time. Connor especially liked the Mickey Mouse cake from Aunt Carolyn and the Mickey Mouse pancakes at Butterfields in Naperville.





While we were cameraless on Sunday, Connor went on a few amusement park rides for the first time with his cousins at the Taste of Westmont...he was very hesitant and always wanted "daddee" to go on with him, but I am too big for most. He did great - but sorry, no pics.





Connor says thanks to grandma for the pool - he went it in on Sunday evening after the Westmont fest. It looked rather white trash as they both went in with their clothes on...oh well. And thanks to aunt carolyn for the toddler rake and broom - now he can help even more!!





Short update - but too busy and tired for more (just got back from a 4 mile run...really nice running in this area - not trapped in cul-de-sac).

Free Mickey Mouse Pancakes at Butterfields (and a free t-shirt!!)

Not sure if its Connor or Carters B-day

As good a family shot as we can get at the new rental...(1930's luxury)

Cake boy

If Mickey is President, Elmo is Vice President.

Moved In (More Pics)

New rake/broom/shovel set for Connor (exciting, I know)

Connor runnign through the bubble machine while we try to have a relaxing evening by the firepit...

Fun in the pool...

Lotsa Stuff

Busy weekend this past weekend. Grandma and Grandpa Fitzgerald were down to lend a helping hand with the boys while we contiued are move. We are now officially moved into the rental...certainly feels a bit odd given 5 yrs in the Bartlett place, but all goes on. Miss the finished basement already but like having a backyard and living in-town.





Wednesday I rented a cargo van from enteprise ($65 unlimited miles) and took 4 loads between Bartlett and Naperville. And then this past Monday the real movers came and finished off the big stuff. At $140 an hour for a 3-man crew - glad we did alot of the litte stuff ourselves - as it still took them nearly 6 hours to do it all. All in all - moving is not a fun process and if all goes well we get to do it again in 9 months (joy).





On Friday night Gma and Gpa Fitz took the kids and Bridget and I were able to walk downtown and live the college life for a few hours. Stumbled into a place we always thought was a small bar (Peanuts Bar & Grill) and were surprised to find they have a massive oudoor patio overlooking the river...by far the most underhyped and hidden jewel in Naperville. And absolutely perfect place on a nice night.





Connor had a busy past week...the last few days at Chesterbrook in Bartlett were probably tougher on a couple of his teachers than him. Ms. Jodi - who adores Connor - was in tears when we came for the final pickup. You feel bad ending all these relationships this little 2 yr old had established. Needless to say - before we left the building Connor had collected several phone numbers (for babysitting), cards and collages.





Connor also went to his best buddys b-day party on Saturday at Splash Park in Streamwood - really a fabulous place for being FREE. We live 2 miles away for 5 years and never knew about it. Just a big toddler focused water park where everything is water related. Connor - who until that day has been a pansy with sprinklers - appeared to get over his fear and did not want to leave. Hopefully we are able to keep in touch with Trevor as they really do seem to have a special bond. (Carter loved the park from the get go - no fears with him).





Both had a tough first 20 minutes at the new school on Monday - but the adjusted quickly - and by days end the report was what we have been hearing from the Bartlett school - that they did great and were perfect (for some reason, they only like to push our buttons). Connor already appears to have attached himself with a new teacher there, Ms Ashley





Anways - we close tomorrow at 11am on the Bartlett home and it could not come sooner...its been in the back of my head for 4 weeks that something will fall through...does not appear so (yipeee).


Connor and Trevor at the Splash Park Party

Carter - does not want to be the "little" boy - has to mimic his "mature" brother

Getting ready for Elmo cupcakes.

Connor and older cousin Cameron (who he looks up to like Carter looks up to him)

The three Chicago boys in their Mickey mouse chairs...

Lotsa Stuff (Video Section)

Just some video snippets from the splash party. Connor has no fears about shoving food down his pie hole in front of people...

Splash Park action...