Chicago

Jim had a free hotel room in downtown Chicago for 4 nights and it coincided with Laura's Spring Break. Seems like a good chance to take a pretty cheap road trip to a cool city, right? Hahahaha. Well, for lots of reasons, the trip was kind of a bust. But here are some of the good memories:

We stopped in the Dells on the way for lunch at the same train restaurant. Kids loved it...again.

Because we knew the Chicago hotel had no pool and the drive is about 8 hours, we stopped in Rockford for the night at a relatively cheap hotel with an inexplainable Boar fountain with a bubbling, misting, glowing pool at its feet? The kids loved it. 

Nice playground within walking distance of the hotel:

Chicago:

Sears Tower (I mean Willis Tower) glass box overlook:

I gave the camera to the kids to capture the images as we drove into town.

(My pics are a little out of order. Sue me.)

Lake Michigan:

Adam's favorite thing of the whole trip: a mini submarine at The Shedd Aquarium. Look at all the buttons!!!

Eating lunch next to the beluga whale tank.

The Adler Planetarium: 

Pretty Chicago skyline from our hotel:

The Museum of Science and Industry:

And this is where my pictures ended, unfortunately. I didn't capture my favorite moments, which were on the way home. We visited my college friends Lori and Susan and spent a night with my sister and went for a wonderful hike with her. 

Considering the spring break crowds, the weather, the age of the kids, the fanciness of the hotel, and the unexpected expenses, I am not sure that I would chose to take that trip again. But looking back through these pictures reminds me that we did enjoy being together, which is saying something, and we saw some pretty cool sights.

Happy 6th Birthday Laura!

Wow! I have a Six Year Old.

We started the day at the diner for her favorite Massive Blueberry Pancake.

After dropping Adam at Friday School, we went to the Mall of America, which seems to have become our "Birthday Place" over the last few years. First stop was the aquarium. None of the pictures turned out because I was using my phone, but we had a good time, you'll have to believe me!

I finally agreed to take her on the ferris wheel, my amusement park ride nemesis. I did great until we stopped at the top for EVER to let people off at the bottom. I think acrophobia increases with age and I am becoming my mother.

But she was understanding and had fun.

We both like the fast stuff!

This looks like some kind of torture device to me, but she had fun. It jiggles them up and down for a while.

Dress up in the mall must also be our "Birthday Thing."

Here's a picture from her birthday 2 years ago:

2009

Cake at home with Dad and Adam

Happy Happy Birthday Kiddo!

2006

Snow pictures I haven't posted

As I write this, it is 80 degrees outside in mid-March! What a crazy year for weather.

But here some pictures of snow play that I never got posted.

With such a warm winter, almost all the snow was wet and "packable". Tough shoveling, but excellent for playing!

Happy St Patricks Day

One more amazing thing

We are now an Officially Diaper Free House!

Amazing things in my life lately

- The finches already have a nest built on the wreath on the front porch, already!
-We got about 6 gallons of sap from our maple tree and boiled it down for some yummy syrup.
-Adam pointed out the name "Bob" from a list. I had no idea he knew that word.
-Laura is reading a ton of sight words. The most recent is "said". If you write that name 15 times in a row, it really starts to look funny.
-I have lots of crocus blooming, and garlic and daffodils peaking through the soil.
-I have confirmed gray hair, and while I keep commenting that "I don't care", I keep commenting that "I don't care", so maybe I care a little?

I recently spent 5 days at home in Oklahoma to attend my Grandpa's funeral and spend time with my Grandma, aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, and siblings. It was a terrible, wonderful, sad, relaxing, thoughtful, maturing few days and I will always cherish them as a gift from Grandpa. I connected with cousins that I haven't seen in 15 years. And I spent time with my parents and siblings separate from in-laws or kids. Have you done that as an adult? What a cool experience! I think my parents might have enjoyed having us home a little bit too.

While I was out of town, Jim took over kid-duty, day and night. He did a great job. From my point of view, he sounded a little better on the phone every day. Of course, it was hard to tell if they were just getting each other figured out, or if maybe he was happier because the end was getting closer and closer?

Random stuff in my "Flagged" file

Feel asleep on the way to the bus stop

Marble run

Jim and Laura on the roller coaster

Another marble run

yes, another marble run

Portrait of new beta named Sunset

Sunset

Finally, just enough snow for a snowman