Time to Lay Off the Donuts Kids

Just 'Cause

Addison has no idea how lucky she is to have a big sister that loves to teach her things. Sydney truly is the best big sister ever. Very proud of our big girl.

Sick Baby

Poor Addison (and poor me) have been sick since starting daycare. Colds, ear infections, fevers, puking, all that fun stuff that leaves you a miserable mess. Yep, that's our lives right now.

Addison sleeps on a blanket for fear or her hurling everywhere

And sleeps on Mommy and on Daddy too (rude mommy using a flash)

She takes a break for some teething

And to do her favorite thing...suck on Mommy's shoulder. Seriously, every time I hold her she sucks on my shoulder!

A little more sleeping (inclined of course)

 

Love this one of my baby girl sleeping on me 

Meanwhile Dad makes the most enormous batch of nachos in the universe

And Sydney trims her toenails

we end it all with a quick peek-a-boo session

Gigi's Last Chicken Noodle Soup

Gigi was always thinking of others before herself. Right after I had the baby, she drove to the store to purchase items to make chicken noodle soup. It took her all day to finish making it and then she called me to tell me that she had made me some soup because she knew how hard it was to find time to cook with a new baby in the house. I had put it in the freezer after she gave it to me because I just wasn't feeling like soup when it was so hot out. Gigi passed away shortly thereafter and I decided to keep the soup for a day when my Dad was feeling a little down. The day arrived and I grabbed the soup and went over to their house, telling him that I had a surprise for him. I handed him the container of soup wrapped exactly how she always did it, with two rubber bands to ensure the top doesn't come off. I wanted him to enjoy a meal that his mom had made one last time. We miss you Gigi.

Crazy Girls

Bestill My Heart

If this doesn't melt your heart, then you must not have one.

Addison started daycare......and three days later she had her very first cold. Seriously?!? THREE DAYS! This poor baby girl has a red splotchy face, boogers, cough, tearing eyes. She has a hard time drinking a bottle because she can't breathe. So sad for her!

Aaaaaand she got me, along with everything else around us. So much puke!

The McKenna Pasty Contest

Pasty making and eating has been a very big tradition in my family. Back in Iron Mountain, Michigan, my grandfather used to make them and bring them out to the skiiers on the slopes. When he moved to Chicago, he brought one of his favorite items with him. Every Fall my grandparents would make HUGE batches of pasties and give us half. We'd thaw some out of the freezer, pop them in the oven and bust out the ketchup to smother them. In recent years, suet is not readily available like it used to be. This was a key ingredient that added flavor and kept them moist. We've had to get creative with olive oil and gravies. The outcome has still been rather dry pasties. My brother suggested a good old contest. Each family makes their own versions of pasties and brings them to the table for everyone to sample. Winner gets a good pat on the back. Everyone was game! Mom and Dad went the traditional route, Betsy took the heavy fat route and Chris and I went for lots of watery vegetables and Portillos gravy (shhhhh). The group gathered for the contest, each pasty was numbered and rated on several categories. After it was all said and done, Betsy and Jason won the contest, Chris and Erin came in second and Mom and Dad came in last. We did lose Jon Murphy and Jason rather quickly as the high fat/rich pasties did a number on their colons and sent them racing home. Full fat tastes yummy, but can kill your insides! Maybe we should've had another vote at the end of the day, I think we might've won after all that pepto bismol was needed for Betsy and Jays!

Sydney wanted in on the action and made her own s'more pasties for the kids

Baby Addison watching all the craziness go down

 

Chris adding the special sauce. Oooooh yeah!

The goods

In the oven they go!

Just because she's so stinkin' cute, this had to be added too