Our week flew by in a blur of activity, starting with a Monday night trip to the library for DVDs to watch in the car on our trip to South Bend. Then Katie and I came home and baked a pumpkin pie for her preschool feast on Tuesday. Tuesday evening we were all thrilled to hear that there were leftovers and Caroline loved the pie so much she licked the plate afterwards (always a compliment to the chef)!Wednesday evening we drove to South Bend. With it getting dark early the trip felt long (and with little light we had fewer activity options), but the girls were good and Caroline even fell asleep!
Thursday morning we kept Katie busy watching parades and making place cards. Later that afternoon Jen, Billy, Hannah and Emma arrived on the scene and you can see that Katie enjoyed playing with Emma. Uncle Glenn and Aunt Ellen joined us from Michigan for the day and Aunt Sharon came over, too.
You can see we were busy- there were no photos taken of dinner and very few of the day! All I got was one of Caroline enjoying her pumpkin pie.
Friday morning the girls played in their PJs and enjoyed coloring, puzzles, reading and making a mess! Jamie kept them busy playing in the bounce house in the basement, while I was baking Katie's birthday cake for her family birthday celebration (a few weeks early).
Once everyone was dressed we took the girls out for some fresh air and a long walk on the golf course.
When we returned home Katie got to decorate her cake, which she enjoyed very much. She wanted a rainbow on it and you can see it was quite colorful!
After everyone was up from their naps and non-naps, we had cake and ice cream and Katie opened her presents.
She loved her pretty dress from Aunt Sharon (and wanted to wear it the next day!)The little girls were very anxious to help Katie open her presents- only fair since she has opened many presents on their behalf!
Her big gift from us was an American Girl Bitty Baby doll and a surprise trip to Chicago the next day to have tea at the American Girl store. Aunt Jen got her a ballerina outfit for her baby and Katie really enjoyed getting Baby's stuff organized and looking at all of the pieces.
Poppy helped distract Caroline during the gift opening (and she seems suspicious of him).
After a pizza dinner and more time visiting with Aunt Sharon, Jamie, Katie and I went to the Notre Dame hockey game. We had a good time and it was fun to see the team playing so well. Katie's highlight was the popcorn!
Saturday morning we enjoyed some more lazy time playing. Both girls took a turn holding Baby Emma. Katie held her for quite a while and did a good job.
Meanwhile Jen and I sang "Wheels on the Bus" with the little girls (a current hit with both Caroline and Hannah).
We did manage to find a time when everyone was dressed (but maybe not showered)and awake to take a family photo. Please take a moment to enjoy Caroline's style with the headband!
Around 12:30 Grandma, Katie and I left for the train station to head to Chicago. The train was fun and we kept busy, but it got to be a long trip with all of the stops.
We went directly to the American Girl store so that Katie would have time to pick out the outfit from Grandma. Katie went around the whole baby section checking each option and finally chose a swimsuit outfit which she liked because a) she likes swimming and b) it came with a lot of pieces.
After the purchase was made, it was time to head up to tea. The cafe was decorated beautifully for Christmas (all in pink and purple). Katie was excited to get her baby settled in at the table and we all enjoyed the delicious tea.
After we had finished the tea sandwiches and treats, it was dessert time and our server brought Katie a cake with a candle in it and helped us sing to Katie. It all felt very special . . . until the other 15 girls who were celebrating their birthdays were sung to also!
Katie really seemed to enjoy the day and is looking forward to going back again some time. We suggested that maybe we could go again when Caroline and Hannah turn 5, and I think Katie is going to hold me to that! She already knows what drink she's going to order.
After a little more time browsing through the store it was time to head back to the train station. It was a long ride back, but we were happy to not be stuck in traffic. By the end of the ride Katie was like a spaghetti noodle flopping all around and getting fidgety. She was excited to get home to tell Poppy and Jamie all about it and show off her new things for her doll. Poppy said her hat looked very "cosmopolitan" so she nicely posed for this photo for him.
Sunday morning we all got to sleep in (until 9!) and then we played and began the long process of gathering our stuff. We got on the road before noon and had a good drive back, despite the snow and rain. No one napped, but the girls were content and we enjoyed listening to Christmas carolls.
Her big gift from us was an American Girl Bitty Baby doll and a surprise trip to Chicago the next day to have tea at the American Girl store. Aunt Jen got her a ballerina outfit for her baby and Katie really enjoyed getting Baby's stuff organized and looking at all of the pieces.
Poppy helped distract Caroline during the gift opening (and she seems suspicious of him).
After a pizza dinner and more time visiting with Aunt Sharon, Jamie, Katie and I went to the Notre Dame hockey game. We had a good time and it was fun to see the team playing so well. Katie's highlight was the popcorn!
Saturday morning we enjoyed some more lazy time playing. Both girls took a turn holding Baby Emma. Katie held her for quite a while and did a good job.
Meanwhile Jen and I sang "Wheels on the Bus" with the little girls (a current hit with both Caroline and Hannah).
We did manage to find a time when everyone was dressed (but maybe not showered)and awake to take a family photo. Please take a moment to enjoy Caroline's style with the headband!
Around 12:30 Grandma, Katie and I left for the train station to head to Chicago. The train was fun and we kept busy, but it got to be a long trip with all of the stops.
My favorite part of the day was the look on Katie's face when we walked out of the train station in Chicago. She looked up and her eyes got very big as she took in the sights of the city around her and the tall buildings.
We went directly to the American Girl store so that Katie would have time to pick out the outfit from Grandma. Katie went around the whole baby section checking each option and finally chose a swimsuit outfit which she liked because a) she likes swimming and b) it came with a lot of pieces.
After the purchase was made, it was time to head up to tea. The cafe was decorated beautifully for Christmas (all in pink and purple). Katie was excited to get her baby settled in at the table and we all enjoyed the delicious tea.
After we had finished the tea sandwiches and treats, it was dessert time and our server brought Katie a cake with a candle in it and helped us sing to Katie. It all felt very special . . . until the other 15 girls who were celebrating their birthdays were sung to also!
Katie really seemed to enjoy the day and is looking forward to going back again some time. We suggested that maybe we could go again when Caroline and Hannah turn 5, and I think Katie is going to hold me to that! She already knows what drink she's going to order.
After a little more time browsing through the store it was time to head back to the train station. It was a long ride back, but we were happy to not be stuck in traffic. By the end of the ride Katie was like a spaghetti noodle flopping all around and getting fidgety. She was excited to get home to tell Poppy and Jamie all about it and show off her new things for her doll. Poppy said her hat looked very "cosmopolitan" so she nicely posed for this photo for him.
Sunday morning we all got to sleep in (until 9!) and then we played and began the long process of gathering our stuff. We got on the road before noon and had a good drive back, despite the snow and rain. No one napped, but the girls were content and we enjoyed listening to Christmas carolls.
