Milestone Wednesday

Happy 70th birthday, Nana!

Nana has met her goal, turning 70 today. No one would have imagined this anniversary would have been possible when her cancer treatments began 18 months ago.

Happy birthday, Nana! We all love you very much.

A couple of additional anniversaries are of note today. Yesterday, Owen came home after celebrating 100s day. They counted from 1-100 (a skill Owen has mastered over the past few months), collected 100 of the same item from their home (popscicle sticks for Owen) and celebrated their 100th day of school.

Love the glasses!

Today also marks a fun anniversary, in that Maya is as old today as Owen was on the day she was born. It hardly seems possible, but here she is 44 days shy of her 3rd birthday, just like he was. He seemed so big then. And, yes, he did weigh more. But maybe it's just that she was so little.

Who knows? Keep growing, little one.

SNOW FORT!

Finally, a payoff to the blizzard of '11.

Owen and I went out this morning to shovel a small overnight accumulation from the driveway, and ended up building a terrific snow tunnel in the front yard. The 5' drift at the end of the driveway was a perfect foundation to our project. Ultimately, it may become a "snow slide." We added some water to the tunnel before we came in for lunch, so we'll see how slippery it is when we go out again later this afternoon.

Cotton candy and time with Nana

I'll start this Nana heavy post with a couple pix of the kids enjoying some cotton candy, leftover from the hockey game last week. Nothing cuter than a blue tongue and that sugar-fueled energy in their eyes.

Good luck, Mom and Dad.

I drove back up to Oswego this morning. Today was the day we got Nana onto a hospice plan and finally ended her last shot at chemo. Daniel flew in last night, delayed a couple days by the blizzard. It was wonderful to have the family together one more time.

As you'll see in the photos, Mom's physical ability isn't what it was, but her spirit is still marvelous ... even though fatigue sets in much more rapidly.

Still, there was plenty of good time for hugs and celebrating the affection and appreciation we have for each other.

Loving up their Nana

On Saturday morning, we loaded up the car and set out for an overnight visit to Nana and Grandpa Aalberts' house in Oswego. Nana's struggle with cancer is indeed reaching a critical time. Now more than ever she needs her people around her and all the hugs and love she can get.

Same with Grandpa, who has been taking such excellent care of Nana, and enjoyed our visit as an opportunity to get out of the house to run some errands, as well as a break in the routine at home.

Owen was happy to sacrifice his ticklish ribs to the cause.

We left Nana and Grandpas in the early evening and checked into a hotel for the night. The move gave Nana a little extra quiet, and gave us the opportunity to get the kids down for a swim before returning to Nana and Grandpa's house this morning.

Nana was just getting organized to come downstairs when we arrived. The kids played with the pool table, the adults did some visiting and planning about the days and weeks that lie ahead and we all reminisced about the good times we've shared.

Nana shared some stories of her travels through the coins she'd collected along her way.

Then we all gathered for hugs and pictures before we packed up for our trip home.

It was a very special visit and a good time together.

And the kids napped all the way home.

Love you, Nana!

Try as he might ... plus, a manicure.

The manicure first.

Maya got some press-on nails for Christmas, part of a collection of makeup and other girly things that came in one big Disney Princess-themed backpack. Thank you, Auntie Pam.

The other night at dinner she started talking about her backpack. We thought it was the other Disney Princess-themed backpack she carries with her to school, but no. Finally it all sank in, the backpack was found in her room, and the fun began.

There is something really silly about seeing a little girl with nails long enough to make her comfortable on the cocktail circuit, but Maya wore them well ...

... until she took them off and buried them within the sofa cushions.

Owen, meanwhile, has a new nemesis: my new camera's flash. The following is a series of photos from last night ...

I was laughing at his struggle. My camera takes photos in very rapid succession, but I could not get a photo of him with his eyes open. Finally, Owen decided on his own to take the Clockwork Orange route and hold his own eyes open. This, too had mixed results.

We'll keep practicing. I'll keep you posted.

Visiting Nana

Enjoying a happy Wednesday together. I took the day to spend some time with Nana. Her struggle with cancer seems to be taking a much more serious turn, so any time together is a gift. We enjoyed a nice lunch and reminisced over years of old pictures.

This Saturday, we're returning with the kids to enjoy some more time together. It should be fun!

Angry Birds!

Inspired by the Angry Birds game on his dad's phone, Owen got to work setting up his own blocks (in this case cushions) to knock down and earn points. It filled much of our time on a snowy Sunday afternoon.

In addition to diving into the sofa cushions, our day was filled turning other furniture into toys(remind me, why did we buy them toys at Christmas).

The coffee table became a lower deck to a (wait for it) ...

Train. Just like the Dinosaur Train, our engine carried passengers across the Jurassic and to a variety of destinations throughout Illinois -- Joliet or Union Station, anyone?

I will say, the service was always on time and the conviction of the crew for their work highly commendably.

That said, you still had to fish your own luggage out from the bins below.