Two Schneiders Time

Four Schneiders fun is just that--super fun! But, Lou & I have been working hard to carve out some fun for just the two of us.  Thanks to MVPs like Grandma & DD, we've had lots of great fun getting out lately.

Here are some highlights.

One night we were out and spontaneously decided to buy tickets from some guy on the sidewalk and head into a Reds game to drink Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ales under the bright lights. 

A huge highlight of (kinda recent-ish) fun was the Edward Sharpe concert - who (sorry guys) has dethroned Phish as the band I'm most willing to travel across the land to see live. The show was phenomenal!

Just last weekend we had plans for the girls to spend an overnight with my parents and Lou & I were going to camp out at John Bryan, but our plans were dashed by rainy forecast and a sick Beatrice. We improvised and the girls spent the whole day with my parents instead while we spent the whole day enjoying simple kid-less pleasures like chai espresso-sipping, window shopping and used bookstore browsing. We also staged our own Yellow Springs Progressive Dinner by having appetizers at the Indian Food Truck, french fries and cold beer at Ye Old Trail Tavern and dinner at Haha Pizza. It was a really great day together. And, the girls had a blast hanging in the hot tub and making homemade pizzas with Grandma & DD.

Mama Mornings

There are quick a few Mama Mornings that haven't yet found their way on the blog. These are the Wednesday mornings  that I spend with Beatrice - just the two of us - since I work on Pacific Time on Wednesdays (aka "West Coast Wednesdays). On most Wednesdays, she asks to go to the Zoo. I almost always oblige because the zoo in the morning is such a lovely, peaceful place to be. Other times we hit the park, Museum Center, Aquarium, or just hang out together around our home. I treasure this weekly routine with Beatrice, and I am so grateful that I've found a way to work full-time and still have special time like this with her like I did when I was only work part-time when Josephine has a toddler.

Here are some Mama Morning Highlights:

Quick Quote: "Mama, Please I kiss this goat?"

Quick Quote: "Whoa. That guy has two backs!"

7 days of Lou

A big part of our October so far has been Lou's birthday. That's because this year we decided to spread out his birthday for a whole week & celebrate "the 7 days of Lou." We kicked off the birthday week with a really, really special (albeit somewhat soggy) occasion - The Last Reds Baseball Game of the Season!

Some of you may immediately be wondering why on earth we risked taking Josie, peanut-allergy-and-all, to the land of peanuts & cracker jacks! Well, get this. Our dear Cincinnati Reds hosted a peanut-safe game day - complete with a full section roped off with a warning & only peanut-free snacks sold - and it was perfectly timed with Lou's birthday weekend.  (It was really, really cool that Josie and all of the other kids in the whole section with peanut allergies had this opportunity to experience something that so many other families take for granted. And also just really, really sad to see all the kids who are affected by peanut allergies. And also just really, really fun to hang out together at the Ballpark! Thank you Reds!)

In addition to celebrating with the girls, Lou & I also snuck away for a birthday lunch at our super-duper favorite restaurant in the city - Django Taco - home of the best chile relleno on the planet (oddly yes, the best chile relleno on the planet is in Cincinnati, Ohio).

One of the highlights of the celebration was this cookie cake we discovered at Whole Foods. Bea was so taken by the idea of such a cake that I only got this one smile before she stared at it for the rest of the trip.

Each night we gave Lou a special surprise and it wasn't always a traditional 'gift.' One night we surprised him with a phone call I arranged from the best friend he hasn't talked to in way too long. One day a special package from an old friend who now lives in San Francisco who sent Lou a t-shirt of his band (that he no joke wore 3 days in a row) & his latest album.

The girls also made special name plates for each of us, out of the extra Citiblocs that never fit back in the box, by painting & gluing them together, since "setting the table for Daddy while you guys cook is one of Daddy's favorite things."

It was a super great 37th birthday for the special guy in our lives. 

Happy Birthday Papa Louie! 

Bluegrass for Babies 2013

Josephine & Beatrice find the best seats in the house.

If you're a local Cincinnatian, or looking for a reason to visit Cincinnati, be sure to follow Bluegrass for Babies and mark your calendar for this annual autumn event. It's grown by leaps and bounds since we went for the first time with our itty-bitty girls, but this is a case where growth is a good thing.  Picture a bluegrass concert on the Ohio River, surrounded by loads of booths of free hands-on kids activities with an earth-loving slant and the ticket proceeds going to support Children's Hospital. What's not to love?! This year's concert was threatened by rain that, instead of materializing and ruining the fun, decided to yield amazing skies instead.  Here are the highlights. Don't miss it next year!