The Schmoodles Baby Shower

Tuesday:
Sue and Ron arrived in the morning and immediately began work on beautifying the back stoop. They worked diligently to remove the mold, grime and old paint in preparation for the makeover.

Later that night we walked to Gratto, an Italian Tapas Bar in downtown Geneva that we had wanted to try for a long time. We sat on the patio and ate dinner as the sun set. Aside from the grumpy waiter, the atmosphere was terrific and the food was delicious. Overall, it was a terrific way to kick off preparations for Schmoodles' baby shower.

Wednesday:
Scott and Sue picked out a new red paint for the stoop at the local hardware. Sue and Ron managed to apply one coat of paint before taking the Metra into Chicago where they walked up Michigan Avenue, ate at Pizzeria Uno's and enjoyed an evening architecture tour by boat that was replete with fireworks. Overall, it was a very productive day.

Thursday:
Sue and Ron applied a second coat of paint to the stoop before directing their energy to the backyard. They dug up and pruned several trees and readied the yard for the shower by pulling weeds, clearing brush, raking detritus, and making our yard habitable for guests.
In the afternoon, the four of us met up at The Moveable Feast for lunch and then wandered around the neighborhoods before Scott and Leslie returned to work.

For dinner that evening, we made tostadas at home and played a rousing game of "Ticket to Ride". Scott won...but only by a little bit. Sue presented the family with a very "sweet" narrative of the parental joys that await us. Overall, Sue and Ron worked miracles...and we are very grateful!

Friday:
The end of the 'first shift' on shower duty was marked by the departure of Sue and Ron Friday morning. In anticipation of their big sailboat race on Saturday, they headed back to the lake house. We really truly appreciate all their hard work over the week, and the back stoop looks stoop-endous! We love you guys...THANK YOU!

By 6:30pm, the second shift began to arrive from Arizona, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin. Anne, Kathryn and Joey arrived first...followed by Lorelei and Denise a couple hours later. We returned to Gratto for another dinner served by our same grumpy waiter. It appears that the that the food was worth the sacrifice. :)

Our valiant efforts to get a game of Puerto Rico going was cut short only by a sage reminder from Joey that the gang had not yet checked into their hotel and ran the risk of losing their reservation. Overall, it was a lovely evening with our best of friends.

Saturday:
We kicked off Saturday morning with a large, cholesterol filled breakfast of eggs, bacon, fried potatoes, and crepes filled with raspberry compote and whipped cream! With full bellies, we meandered through the streets of Geneva to downtown (Lorelei and Kathryn, Denise and Anne). There, we took in the yarn shop (i.e., Wool and Company) and a second-hand baby store. For lunch we had yummy salads at The Moveable Feast (yes...we are creatures of habit). We ended the afternoon with ice cream at Grahams and made our way back home for dinner.

For dinner we made veggie, Mexican, and pesto pizzas using fresh herbs and tomatoes from the garden. We finally got in a game of Puerto Rico. Scott and Joey won...but only by a few points. Overall, it was a fun-filled lazy day in Geneva.

Sunday:
The big day started with an early morning drive to O'Hare to pick up of Althea who forwent an evening of sleep to be here with us. In an effort to avoid a big morning clean up at home; we ate breakfast at Egg Harbor Cafe (Lorelei and Denise, Joey and Kathryn, Althea and Anne, and Scott). The group broke into two groups to kick off "Operation House Tidying" and "Operation Memory Journal", two projects that resulted in a wonderfully decorated house with fun games to entertain the friends and neighbors who attended the shower.

Our food arrived early and in quantities enough to feed five times the numbers of guests. We laid out the food, and headed outside with our guests to enjoy the beautiful weather. Day Jah enjoyed an afternoon with Julie's boys, playing ball and snuggling. Scott, Jay and Harold played basketball.

We all enjoyed Julie's wonderfully decorated cupcakes, and then headed inside to be showered with gifts. Creativity, thoughtfulness, sensitivity, and charm were expressed in the items we received. The Schmoodles has hours of fun and dress up awaiting him!

And, after months of waiting we were finally clued into Stacey's big surprise...a beautifully crafted custom quilt built from love letters to the Schmoodles and family. Stacey did a wonderful job both coordinating and assembling the quilt quarters built by our friends and family members from the raw materials she had distributed. Each square reminds us of the friends and family who bring light into the world and make us who we are. Leslie cried for a half hour...and still cries when she thinks about it. Thank you Stacey, and thank you to all who contributed! :)

At this point we have to take pause and note that there is really no way to effectively convey how completely touched and grateful we are for ALL the wonderful gifts that we received...so we hope you'll forgive us this fault. We will reserve more sappiness for the thank you notes. Overall, we were awed by the love we felt this day.

Monday:
This morning's breakfast was another fried food extravaganza, filled with potato pancakes, bacon, and fruity crepes. In order to burn through those extra calories, we all ventured on another walk through Wheeler Park and the surrounding neighborhoods.

This day was overcast with a touch of sadness as we knew most everyone would be returning home. When the time came, there were hugs and tears. Once the suitcases hit the car, Day Jah's desire to keep the gang together took over. He jumped in the car and refused to leave. Smart dog. We've trained him well.

We are grateful that Lorelei, Joey, Denise, Anne, and Kathryn all made their way home safely. That evening, Althea, Scott, and Leslie enjoyed gelato at Grahams 318 and then played Ticket to Ride. Scott lost this time...by a lot. Overall, this day reminded us of how grateful we are for the love and generosity that surrounds us.

Thank you to everyone for making this event very special! The Schmoodles is one lucky kid.

View the unedited slideshow of Shower pics