The Parrillo Family

Who is the best boy in the world?  Frankie.  That's who.  He's now seven and wants everyone to know it.  He's 65 pounds of 'rompin' stompin' dynamite' and is all boy.  Loving, snuggly boy.  And Nerf-gun wanting boy.  He's carving his own path and doing incredibly well in first grade.  He loves all forms of screentime including the Switch.  He says he'll only eat cheeseburgers and tacos and has a best friend in his cousin across town.   He still is our most snuggly child but also is the one with the hottest temper (at times).  He loves his Momma and his Sisters and I know how lucky I am to have a boy that loves me with all of his heart.  I couldn't imagine a better gift than seeing Frankie continue to turn from a baby to a boy.  And...(hold back the tears) at some point a man.   Here's a look at Sadie when she turned the same age of Seven in 2019 .  We're so fortunate to have Frankie in our life and can'...

This sums up their relationship with the big buy.  SD and Frankie are all-in. Trying to make sure he gets their 'list'.  But Eloise?  As uncomfortable as they come.  Take a look at the photo from last year .  She still won't get too close to him.   Same as it ever was.  Here she was giving Santa the ole 'slip' on her second visit .   And b eing unhappy at age 3 .  But then something happened in 2013.  At age 4, Eloise was all smiles and even sat on his lap.  Sadie?  Not so much .  This visit is something we've done for years and I've documented it here on the family blog: Here's the photos from this same visit in 2018 . 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 .

One of our favorite Halloween traditions is a visit to the Canyon Trail Cemetery up in Carol Stream where a family dresses up their house with some incredible Halloween decorations.  Still scary!  Even as the kids grow.  This is a great way to kick off the Halloween Season!

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...

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 ...

In what has become a bit of a tradition, for Earth Day this year, I worked with the kids to plant some trees.  These were both planted in our yard.  Last year, we planted a Dawn Redwood in our new yard (before we even lived in the house in Downers Grove).  Nat captured that in an Instagram post. This year, all three kids bought a tree, but we only planted two.  Eloise is still making up her mind on the location!?!   Three trees?  Yeah.  But they're really small.  Home Depot was running a deal on these little trees, so I took all the kids and let them pick out their favorites.   Eloise picked out a weeping, flowering cherry tree.  No fruit, just flowers.  Very dramatic and VERY Eloise!   SD picked a Chanticleer Pear tree that flowers.  I worked with her to find a spot, dig the hole.  Amend the soil and plant the tree.  Now it is on her to make sure it is happy.   Fran...

In what has quickly become a fun family tradition, we took the kids along with both Grammy and Granddad as well as Noonie and Papa to meet Santa and his reindeer at Wannamaker's in Downers Grove.   Here's the photos of the same event last year.   And here's the kids in 2015 meeting Santa .  If you look back through those, you can see how much each of them has grown! The program starts with a stop to meet the reindeer.  You can see all the kids above petting Peppermint who is just six months old.   Below, you can see Sadie - the animal lover - petting the six-year-old Glitter.  Then it was time to meet the big guy.  Sadie, of course got up there right away.  The other two were a bit more hesitant.  Eloise made sure to keep her distance.  Frankie?  He decided to put on his 'Batman mask' with his hands to protect himself from Santa! Check it out in action below: But...what happens when Sa...

Like everyone else, we give the whole pumpkin carving thing a try every Halloween season.  This year, we got to them just a few days before Halloween.  Each of the kids is now getting to the age where they're actually able to do some of the work themselves.  Sadie and Frankie can scoop out the 'guts' themselves.  While Eloise can give some of the carving of the face a go.   Check out the Beef scooping out the guts: SD had a lot of fun gutting her own pumpkin. Eloise was her usual, reserved self.  She took her time and was deliberate in separating all the seeds from the slimey stuff.  You can check out some of the past adventures in pumpkins here on the blog .  

One of my most vivid holiday memories from my childhood was our annual trip to the Walnut Room at Marshall Field's on State Street.  Back in my childhood, my mom would take us over to Richton Park and get us on the electric train.  Often times we'd go with the Pawlaks.  I remember riding the train, hanging out at the station and then going to see the HUGE tree in the Walnut Room followed by a visit to see Santa.   On the way home, my mom always allowed us to stop at Woolworth's across from Marshall Field's and I would get a G.I. Joe.  No idea why coming home with a G.I. Joe sticks out in my memory so much, but it does. The tradition has been one that my Mom and sisters have been diligent about continuing and this year was no different.  Well...it was *a little* different with the Swiss Family Marini coming in from Europe for it.  So that made it a bit more special.  Our big group was (finally) seated at the long wine bar and the line for ...

One of our traditions is to spend New Year's Eve up in Michigan as a family.  We've done it since we were married and now as a family of five, we are having more fun each year. In addition to watching the ball drop on YouTube (from last year because we do it at 9 pm.  Shhsh!  Let's not tell the girls that fact.), we also eat ice cream.  And the girls make a "Happy New Year" video. Here's the first one that Eloise created back on NYE 2011 .  It is awfully cute. And below is this year's version featuring both Ellie and Sadie :

Just like in year's past, our little Elf on the Shelf named Goldie found his way into our home this season and the girls (and Frankie, too!) loved searching for him every morning and discovering what kind of shenanigans he has gotten himself into. Here's a post showing all the ways Goldie interacted with our girls during the 2013 Christmas season . And here's a post showing Goldie from the 2012 Christmas season. No post from last year?  What the heck?  We musta had a little baby to tend to instead of posting photos of our elf visitor, amirite? This year, there was some concern about Goldie being able to find us - after all - we had moved down the block out of our house.  Fortunately for the girls (and thanks to Auntie Sharon!), Goldie arrived right as the Christmas Season was kicking off. Enjoy some of the ways he's welcomed Christmas with us: Goldie arrived on an airplane with a scarf and hat to keep him warm in the blizzard! He celebrated St. Nick...