Our Chicago Adventure - Part 3

When last we left our happy travelers, they had just seen Sue the T. Rex, gone swimming at Grandma and Grandpa's hotel, and enjoyed a GREAT dinner...

On the last full day of their visit to Chicago, the most special, most exciting event was planned: lunch at American Girl Place. Unfortunately, Eleanore had to head home to Milwaukee for play practice, so it was Molly, Mommy, Grandma, Julie, Morgan, and Lindsey.

AGP (as we lovingly call it) had moved into Water Tower Place recently, so we hadn't seen the new place. It is BEAUTIFUL, with a little city main street with shops and a Sweet Treat store, leading you to the cafe.

We had a wonderful, very special lunch. All the girls borrowed dolls to join us (since Morgan's and Lindsey's were getting their hair done at the salon and Molly doesn't have a doll yet... although not for lack of asking that day). The girls really enjoyed asking the discussion questions at the table and it was fun to hear the answers Mom and Julie shared.

Molly kept reminding me that she REALLY wanted a Molly doll... so that's our first official entry on the 2009 Christmas list.

Our Chicago Adventure - Part 2

On Saturday, our plan was to visit the Field Museum to see Sue the T. Rex.

(Before our trip, I asked you if you would be afraid of the dinosaur. Your reply was, "Mom, it's not a real dinosaur. It's just the bones. Dinosaurs are dead." Thanks, little palaeontologist...)

When we woke up, Chicago had a light blanket of snow covering the streets. Luckily, it was about two to four inches instead of the six to eight that was predicted -- but it was still C O L D. And windy. And COOOOOOOOOOOLD.

Grandma called from the hotel - she wasn't feeling well. (Came down with a case of intestinal unpleasantness.) So that left Uncle Paul and me to herd Ellie (12), Morgan (8), Lindsey, and you (both 4-1/2) to and through the museum. Uncle Paul decided that he should take Grandma some medicine, so he volunteered me to walk you girls to the hotel and meet him there.

Awesome.

So we bundled up, buddied up, and started walking.

Now, you REALLY don't like wind 0 so as soon as I opened the door to the outside, you started yelling, "I want to go back in!!!" Being the sensitive, loving, gentle mother that I am, I picked you up and hauled you outside. In the eight or so block walk to the hotel, you and Lindsey yelled, "This is the worst day EVER!" no less than 3,000 times. But we made it, delivered love and medicine to Grandma, then grabbed a cab to take us the rest of the way.

Did we have a great time? I'll let the photos tell the story...

Hamming it up with Sue for Aunt Vicki...

Elephants! No one told us there would be elephants. HOORAY!

(No wonder we call her Peanut - she's the size of one compared to them.)

More hamming it up... and Eleanore getting annoyed with Aunt Vicki's requests to "Look like it's chasing you!"

Now the Triceratops... it's chasing you, too!

After all the fun at the museum - and lunch too - we returned to Uncle Paul's for nap time. After nap, we ventured out again in the cold - this time for swimming at Grandma and Grandpa's hotel.(Luckily, Grandma was feeling better.)

Then, I cooked my famous Parmesan Chicken for all nine of us -- and Morgan declared, "That when everyone is done, they will cry that there is no more of this wonderful chicken left!" We ate cookies and brownies and crawled off to bed... with plans for American Girl Place awaiting us on Sunday...

Stay tuned for Part 3 of our Chicago Adventure!

Our Chicago Adventure - Part I

Early in January, Daddy found some cheap airfares to Chicago, where your Uncle Paul lives. "Might be a nice weekend trip for you girls while I'm out of town." Nice thought, but then I started thinking about flying by myself with you... dealing with security, airport delays, shuttle buses, etc. and got thought, "Yeah, I'll pass."

Later that week, Uncle Paul passed along a deal from Amtrak. Round trip, you and me - $60. Sold. Grandma and Grandpa could come over for the weekend, too, and it would be a nice little family gathering.

I really didn't think through the "Chicago in February" part... but other than that, we had a FANTASTIC time. And it was a trip filled with lots of firsts.

First #1 - Amtrak ride! The Amtrak was great. Nice and relaxing with no traffic to worry about. Ellie's Grandma Lil dropped us off, so we didn't have to worry about parking or anything. We walked in, checked our bag, and waited to board. The very nice lady behind the counter gave you a Pinocchio coloring page (why Pinocchio? I don't know... it's what they had on the counter) and some crayons.

We boarded and were seated on the top level, which you thought was amazing. You spent a lot of time just looking out the window, which was so sweet.

Next, the conductor announced that the dining car was open. Dining car! How cool! So we ate pizza on the train as we watched the countryside roll by...

You took a little nap after lunch and, before we knew it, we arrived at Union Station. Grandma and Grandpa met us there to help me with the luggage (and you!) and escort us to Uncle Paul's apartment. We made dinner and greeted Uncle Paul and Ellie as they arrived from Milwaukee... then Uncle's Paul's girlfriend Julie and her two girls.

Grandma and Grandpa headed off to their hotel as we settled in for bed, making plans for Saturday... Day one of our Chicago Adventure was a success - and the fun hadn't even started yet!

Tomorrow: the next part of our Chicago visit, including the trip to see Sue the T. Rex!

Have Apron, Will Travel

... Or, Why We LOVE The Home Depot...

Over the Fourth of July weekend, we drove to Ohio for my Grandmother's 90th birthday party.

(Interesting side note: after I was informed that we were having her party over July 4th, I told my mom, "But her birthday is in December. Did her 90th birthday just happen, or is it coming up?" My mother replied: "We really don't know... but she's 90-ish.")

Anyway... Aaron and I realized that July 5 was the first Saturday of the month. And you know what that means: Kids' Workshop at The Home Depot!!! And this time, the project was a bird house. We couldn't miss that...

So we packed up our orange apron and hit the road to Ohio. Grandpa said there was a Home Depot close to the hotel... it was literally across the parking lot.

It was neat to see how this Home Depot did things differently: They set everything up outside, under the Contractors' Pick-Up Awning. We signed in and got our supplies. Then, at the very end, Jeff the Home Depot guy stamped the bottom of the bird house and Molly signed her own name. Seriously -- too cute.

We had a great time... and Grandpa had fun getting in on the action too.

Thanks, Home Depot - you're the best!

Grandma wants to see this photo in a Home Depot ad... but what Grandma doesn't think her babies belong in an ad? Is that in Chapter 3 of the Grandma manual?

Taking a Guilt Trip

Originally written on a plane ride to Portland, Ore. - April 23, 2008

I had to leave this morning – no, before morning… around 4:30 a.m. – to catch a flight for a business trip. So last night was my last night with Molly and Daddy for a few days. Originally, I was supposed to get back late Saturday night – around 10 p.m. I still do… but at 2 p.m. yesterday I had another trip sprung on me. So now I have to turn around and be BACK at the airport Sunday morning to catch a 9 a.m. flight. So I won’t actually get to spend any time with Molly in between trips – it’s basically long enough to go home, kiss Aaron, sleep for a couple hours, shower, switch bags, and head back to the airport.

Needless to say, I was a little grumpy.

We had a really great family night – played outside, took a walk around the neighborhood, grilled out and ate dinner on the deck, then watched (it’s Tuesday night…) “American Idol.”

Aaron did bathtime duty while I packed. As I’m trying to pack two bags for two completely different trips/time zones/climates (Oregon and South Carolina), in runs Molly, fresh from the bath in her Cinderella nightgown. (She’s recently discovered the pure girlie joy of nightgowns.) She tackles me with a hug and says, “Have a great trip, Mommy. Be safe! I’ll miss you. Daddy and I counted that you’ll be gone five nights – so I’ll see you after five.”

Oy.

So it’s not a business trip – it’s a guilt trip. As much as I really like my job and love traveling (and enjoy a little non-mommy time every so often), it’s so hard to leave Molly. She’s just so damned sweet. She takes very good care of her daddy any time I’m gone – like she knows she has to help him with the daily routine. Once I get to where I’m going, I’ll be fine… but sitting on a plane watching happy families head someplace together, it’s just tough.

UPDATE: So, I did get home late Saturday night - around 11:30. Aaron told me that Molly really wanted to see me Sunday morning before I left. I woke her up. She was still sleepy, so she wanted to cuddle with me in her rocking chair, just like when she was a baby. It was so sweet that I started to cry. And the kicker was Molly's good-bye: "Good-bye, Mommy. Have a great trip!" Killer.