First and foremost thank you for all the comments, emails and messages from my last post. Sometimes I forget that more then a dozen people follow our family's shenanigans. It warms my heart to know that so many people are generally interested in our silly little lives. Thank you, dear friends.

We are all, still, getting used to our new surroundings and lives in Chicago. The biggest "problem" (now) is responding to all the help from family. It's a novelty to us!

My aunt called us on New Year's Eve and forced us to pack the kids' over-night bags because she (an empty nester with her husband) was on her way home from dropping her child off at college and was in our neighborhood. Jeff and I ran around the house throwing things together and suddenly had THE.ENTIRE.NIGHT.AND.MORNING.FREE and, you guys? - it was the most glorious 24 hours ever. We turned up the volume on our radio speakers as they were pulling away and didn't turn them down until they came home.

My younger brother is constantly angry with me because I apparently don't notify him of kindergarten volunteer opportunities or swim meets. To be fair - kindergarten shindigs and swim meets typically start before the sun rises and as a single handsome mid-twenty-year-old, I just assumed he probably wouldn't want to make the trek up north, out of the city, for an elementary school concert at eight in the morning. But rest assured, unbeknownst to him, I signed him up to volunteer at the Valentine's Day party.

My father, on the other hand (unbeknownst to us), has our entire schedule programmed into his new smart phone and makes impromptu visits everywhere. All the time. His camera is always by his side. "I see you are late to swimming lessons, I am in the parking lot!" Dziadek texted.

Honestly, I don't know how long this will last but we love it. It's all so new to us.