The Parrillo Family

Love actually *is* all around, indeed.  And we're so grateful to have spent the past year with our family and friends.  Celebrating milestones and holidays, enhancing our traditions and spending some time with both the kid's activities and a little bit of travel. As we've done in year's past, here's a little bit of "Year in Review" for the Parrillo Family. Thx for stopping by (waves hello to Christmas card folks!) and have a look around. Milestones It was a big milestone year with Eloise starting with her First Reconciliation in January . Then she had her First Communion in May .  And a party with her cousin.  Filing this under 'milestones' but it could go anywhere.  The kids all came down to Edelman for 'Take your kids to Work Day'.  But it was the Big Beef's first time ! SD Graduated from Kindergarten @ SMG this Spring.  And said hello to first grade .  (gasp!) Frankie had his last day of 3-year-old Pre-School .  SD l...

The kids woke up this morning to a total Winter Wonderland.  And the best.news.ever.  A Snow Day!  We were hit with about six inches of heavy, heavy snow (I should know....I had to shovel it!) and that meant that the buses weren't running.  I remember quite fondly snow days when I was a kid.  Felt like a total bonus day.  Our kids couldn't wait to get outside and take it all in.  So, I had them out helping me with the driveway before seven am.  Then, we got them in the backyard so they could have a ball running around (and we could go inside and watch from the warmth).  They got along so well and seemed to genuinely have a ball. I covered a "Snow Day" here on the family blog back in 2013 , but back then it was just Eloise and SD.  Action shot:

One of the great family traditions we have that kicks off the holiday season annually is a visit to pick out (and cut down!) our Christmas tree.  Welp, this year, we have tree(s).  Two of them.  And we cut them both down over the weekend. We've been going to the Tammen Tree Farm down in Braidwood for as long as I've been a part of the Moran family Christmas Tree tradition and have been posting the photos since 2010. Here's the post and photos from our trip to the Farm in 2016 . I don't seem to have posted about Christmas Tree Day in 2015? Here's the post and photos from our trip to the Farm in 2014 . Here's the post and photos from our trip to the Farm in 2013 . Here's the post and photos from our trip to the Farm in 2012 . Here's the post and photos from our trip to the Farm in 2011 . Here's the post and photos from our trip to the Farm in 2010 . This year, we had our full crew and found our 'big' tree in one of the fields.  Yo...

This past weekend was my absolute, hands-down, favorite night of the year:  The annual Daddy-Daughter Dance at St. Mary's of Gostyn in Downers Grove.  This year....if you couldn't tell from the photos,  the theme was a Luau.  Loved that.  No suit.  Just a Hawaiian shirt and the girls were able to get all doll'd up in their most colorful flower dress, too! Here we are out on the front porch: We went out to a nice dinner with some friends (see the photo of the girls and their two classmates - well...Ellie's classmates!) out after dinner right before we headed to the dance.  I love being able to spend the evening with two of my favorite girls all alone, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to do it with other Dads.  With Eloise being in 3rd grade, in some schools, they start to taper off in terms of older girls attending the dance with their Dads.  The good news is that at SMG, they have plenty of eighth graders there!  So, ...

As we've done the past few years, we kicked off the Christmas season with a visit to meet Santa at Wannemakers for their annual Christmas Open House in early November. It is a nice little setup with the kids being able to meet with Santa and Mrs. Claus and the past few years, they've even had reindeers.  This year?  The reindeers were "sick", so it was a donkey - which is just fine with us! Here's the photos from this same visit in 2017 . Here's the photos from this same visit in 2016 . Here's the photos from this same visit in 2015 . You can see that SD and Frankie are right in there with the Big Guy.  Eloise?  She's over, a short distance away in her own personal, private space. Go flip back through the 2017, 2016 and 2015 photos.  Eloise has the same position every year.  Not too close.  Just enough to be in the photos.  Back in 2012, she was traumatized , I think.  She squirmed out of Santa's arms, but hasn't sat on his lap ...

Every time an election comes around it seems that it is billed as "the most important election in a generation".  But, this one earlier this week, did indeed, feel different.  And important.  Nat and I went to vote after work and - as usual -  took the three kids in with us.  She took the girls and I took the Beef.  And despite the fact that our votes mostly canceled each other out (and she ended up voting for all winners while I voted for mostly losers!), we were there to teach our kids something:  that voting matters.  And is important to be engaged politically.  Nat has done a great job educating the kids about why participation matters and even encouraged them to help her with her march with the #resistance .  We've been doing this since they were born.  Here's the photos of this same crew in the Spring Primary election this year .  And here's Nat and the kids in a more hopeful time right after she voted for a woman ...

All three had unique, interesting costumes that seem to fit their own personalities.  Eloise went as "Boo" from Monsters, Inc along with two friends who were Sully and Mike Wazowski. The Big Beef as a store-bought BumbleBee from Transformers.  And Sadie?  She was Red, the new pirate on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.  She had rum, of course! We went around the neighborhood with Uncle Bill/Aunt Sisi and their two boys plus our dear neighbors.  After the kids had hit a bunch of houses and were poop'd, we came back to our house for a little neighborhood party!

This is four.  For Frankie Parrillo.  He's a really awesome kid.  Full of goofs.  And so much gentle, gentle love.  Frankie was greeted on his fourth birthday with the traditional Parrillo family accoutrement including a cupcake breakfast and a party with his family.  Earlier in the week, he was celebrated at school, too: By the end of the day, we finally got around to sing-ing him Happy Birthday and he made it a dinosaur party by wearing his T-Rex paws and having his sisters growl like dinosaurs with him. He's a sweet boy who is increasingly becoming *all boy*.  He likes all things distinctly boy-related and wants to hang out with the boys more and more.  At the same time, he's super gentle and loving and will tell you - on a dime - that he loves you so much. Hard to believe he's four already, but can't wait what this coming year does for him in terms of growth.  I'm excited to see him continue to grow up and be the best l...

Our Eloise is now the proud wearer of these stylish frames.  Just like her Momma. She mentioned to Natalie that she was having some difficulty seeing the board in her classroom so off they went to the eye doctor.  And they came home with a new pair of glasses.  That, she's really excited to wear.  Filing this under [ milestones ] here on the family blog.  We'll see if the other two go down this path too?

Look at that face!  That's someone who is so proud of herself - and has totally earned the right to be!  Natalie finished the 2018 Chicago Marathon and in her own, usual understated way:  kicked its butt! Nat should likely be the one who writes this post, but for now, I'll do it.  If you want to see ALL of the photos from her race, click here to see the full album .  Go ahead...it is worth it! Know this:  she worked hard.  I mean....really hard.  All Summer.  She was out there, sticking to her training schedule and program.  Through pain.  And dark morning and evening runs when she could fit them in.  But, in the end, she did it all because she did something she's really good at:  redefining her limits. We're all so, so proud of her.  Can't wait to see what challenge she tackles next.  Guessing it is going to be another race.  And @Nat...the kids and I can't wait to be there cheering you on!

Back in May, we posted this photo of SD falling asleep with a book over her face as she had just begun to figure out how to read.  Well, turns out, she's still very much into reading.  And still falling asleep with books on her face!

Just a couple of weeks ago, Frankie helped us send the two girls off to school at St. Mary's.  Yesterday, it was Frankie's big day.  Here he is going off to pre-school for a couple of hours a day at Bethel in Westmont.  Here's the girls embracing him before they got on the bus.  Frankie went to Pre-School for a little bit on a couple of days a week last year at the Downers Grove Park District Lincoln Center.  He's doing that again.  But he's also adding a few days at Bethel School in Westmont.  This was the first time he has been there.  He bravely charged in and didn't look back. The best part?  It wasn't all fresh and new to him.  His cousin is in his class.  What a treat!

Over Labor Day weekend, we couldn't find SD for a little bit when we were up in Wisconsin.  Turns out, she was sitting with Great Grampy out on the front porch where he was spending some time reading with his iPad.  But SD insisted she show him all about the games that are on there.  He was so patient with her as he always is! 

Cotton Candy, of course!  Eloise and Sadie (along with Frankie) were treated to some sweet treats to mark the end of their first week of school this fall. 

Another school year dawned for these two.  Eloise in third grade.  Sadie heading off to first grade.  Both at St. Mary's of Gostyn.  Above you see them smiling and ready to take on the world.  For a quick reference of how much they've grown in a year  peek here at the same pose of these two on the VERY FIRST DAY of school l ast year. 

Eloise - Grade Three at St. Mary's of Gostyn. Sadie - Grade One at St. Mary's of Gostyn. Both of them beautiful, smart, curious young ladies. I don't think that I've posted all of their school photos, but here's a few: Eloise in Kindergarten .  Eloise in Pre-K . Sadie in Pre-K . 

Just back in June, I posted photos and video of our Eloise and her FIRST EVER swim meet .  Fast forward to today and you can see the BIG smile on our eight year old. She's now a Swim Conference WINNER.  First place in the 25 yard breaststroke and second place in a relay race.  Forget the ribbons, this is #hardware! Swimming is in her blood - with Nat being a great swimmer and my Sister Vic being an All-State swimmer in high school. Not too bad for a first-timer, eh?

We arrived home one evening to this unique and beautiful sunset outside our house in Downers Grove.  Here's Sadie and Frankie pausing to take a moment to take in the wonder of nature.  They won't be this small for too long, but it is awesome to see them pal around together.  They're three years apart, but The Big Beef is catching up with SD in height.  I bet she's due for a growth spurt soon!

Frankie is turning four in October of this year.  And I haven't yet posted about his Blue Blankie.  That's what he's holding in this photo.  Blue Blankie deserves a whole post on it's own, but that's for another day when we have more time.  He received Blue Blankie as a birth gift from one of Nat's friends.  He's been with us ever since.  This interim post on the family blog is just ensuring that I document his love of his Blue Blankie right now as he is as committed as ever to his snuggle pal. 

Look at that smile.  Sometimes his cuteness is tough to deal with - especially when he sneaks downstairs after we put him to bed as he tries to delay, stall and confuse so he doesn't have to be in bed.  This is Frankie - The Big Beef - at 3 years, 9 months.  He's awesome.  And wearing his Evel Knievel jacket, too.

Both Eloise and Sadie were sent off to Girl Scout Camp for the week along with their bestie cousin from Elmhurst.  You'll note the two Situpons that were made by Noonie.  Here they are (above) on their first day.   And below is Wednesday:  Wacky Wednesday.  Which...as you can see Sadie was all about.  Eloise?  Not so much.   Of course, they learned songs and did crafts.  Seems like they liked it!

Earlier this month, I posted a video of our left-handed-hitting Eloise legging out a single in softball .  Just today, we received these photos from our friend Krista who took them of the whole SMG team.  Up top, Eloise is playing 3rd base in the field. Down below, she's keeping cool - and being a goof! And Krista even got a good shot of Frankie who was passing the time while he waits his turn playing sports! I love that Eloise has played softball - it is a great game and there's lots of fun being part of a team - especially with friends from school.