More balloons

We went back here because it is so awesome. Again we promised not to run, but we ran. We promised not to punch the balloons, but we punched. If you were in a room full of balloons you would too. You'd walk out of the room with your hair sticking out in every direction too and it would be hilarious.

It felt like there were more balloons in the room this time. This time the balloons were higher than my head. I felt a little claustrophobic, actually. I was a little worried that the boys would get disoriented and upset, even though the room is small.

The boys were not disoriented at all. They shrieked and ran and played hide and seek and followed my voice to find me. The balloons rumbled in waves around them and sounded like the ocean breaking on the shore. The boys LOVED it and no, they did not deflate the balloon in this picture.

Did I mention that this exhibit is free? I would not be surprised if we go again before it is gone. Poor crabby lady who guards the exhibit. She is going to be so disappointed to see us. But we can't help it - we love it!

Fall Festival

Well it's just not fall without a petting zoo and some face painting.

This little fall festival was held at a newly expanded landscape design store within biking distance from our house. I learned a few things there.

1. People who make balloon animals can get pretty crabby after standing for four hours tying balloons in the sun, and for the most part, I don't blame them. But they should put a sign out that explains their quitting time so people don't stand in line thinking they will get a balloon when actually they will not.

2. One of my children will feed goats and sheep and chickens by hand and then tell me that he fed a horse. The other child will throw the food on the ground in the front of the animals and then run away, but he will know what kind of animals they were.

3. No matter how many times my kids say they want to make a scarecrow, the straw will prove to be too poky for them and it will be me stuffing the scarecrow with straw while they run through the straw maze.

4. If you don't have a yard to stick it in, don't build that scarecrow. It will scare the daylights out of you at 2am when you get up to get a drink of water and it's there leaning against the couch staring at you. Also, there is straw all over my rug and the boys won't pick it up because it is too poky. (eye roll).

4. Using a pottery wheel and decorating graham crackers are fun for kids and also very messy. This does not mean that the adults running these activities will provide napkins, towels, wipes, or water to clean up with. Bring your own.

6. A hayride in the city is simply a way to get down the street without wearing a seatbelt. Woohoo!

My friend, Oana, grew up on a farm in Romania, but I was still surprised when she bent down and picked up the chicken.

Happy Fall!

Half the Air

This past weekend we took the boys to an exhibit called "Half the air in a given space". There are four installations throughout the city. We went to the one at the Garfield Park Conservatory. This was partly because it was gorgeous out and the conservatory has a huge lawn behind it and a bunch of hills that we sent the boys running on afterwards.

When we got there we got scolded for running through and popping the balloons before we even entered the room. We were warned against having any fun in the exhibit. We promised to be completely bored by the whole thing. Lies!

Then we spent quite a while running off all of that static electricity we collected from the exhibit.

On the last day of the exhibit you can come and take home and help pop the balloons. We may have to skip swimming lessons for that!

First Cubs Game

The weather was awesome, the bus ride was empty, the bleachers weren't crowded...it was a great day for a ball game.

Neighborhood Parents Network (NPN) had a volunteer appreciation event at the Cubs game on Sunday so the boys and I got to go, along with our friends. Thanks, NPN! Everyone seemed to have a great time.

The kids make it to the fifth inning. Not too bad! We didn't watch much of the game even while we were there. We did eat candy, pizza, and hotdogs though. We also ran around the stadium and cracked open a LOT of peanuts.




Next time maybe the boys will make it all the way through the game!

Of course as soon as we left Wrigley Field somebody hit a grand slam. Although the Cubs were losing when we were there, they ended up winning the game and it got exciting at the end...when we were on the bus home. Not a big deal though. The boys were just glad to hear that the Cubs won. The only disappointment was that Charlie wasn't there. That's what he gets for ditching us to spend a weekend in Atlanta living it up with his brothers!

Thanks?

"I love you, Mom. You're the best mom ever."

"Aw Jett, I love you too. Thanks, Buddy. I don't really feel like the best mom ever though."

"But you are. Why did you say that? You really are the best mom ever."

"Aw, thanks Jett. I love you."

"I mean, I'm not a mom and I never will be, so I don't really know."

Millennium Park ala Scooter

Today I took the boys with me to Millennium Park. I had to go for the Cultural Care Au Pair Scavenger Hunt and so the boys had to come too. Even though we didn't actually participate in the scavenger hunt I knew we'd have a lot of walking to do. Walking gets boring, so we brought their scooters. Also, I had read this post on this blog, which made it seem like scooters in a crowded city are a good idea, and fun.



Rule #1 for kids on scooters in downtown Chicago: Stay to the right! Stay to the right! Jett, get over to the wall! Stop. Just stop. I said, "Stop!"

...and then....

"I'm sorry about that. Please excuse us. Sorry. Sorry. Oops! Sorry."

Rule #2: Just because he brings a scooter doesn't mean he will use it. It's best to realize that to a four-year-old a scooter is really a sit-n-stand stroller with just the 'stand'. Expect to push it, with your chid standing on it, at least the last four blocks home if not more. Note: it does not matter how many things you have in your hands.

Actually though, the day was really fun. The boys zig-zagged through the crowds at "the bean".  We ate a picnic lunch. We threw a ball around in the shade.

Then Jett remembered the fountains. In all my preparedness I had somehow not anticipated this. When we scooted down to it I told the boys they could go in the fountain as long as they didn't sit down in the water or get too wet. Hahahahahaha.



They got soaked and then dried off in the sun. By then the au pairs were returning from their scavenger hunt so we went back to the very large crowd at the bean and stood in the blazing heat waiting to see which team had won. The boys and I never found out though because they were having total breakdowns from lack of ice-cream.

We saved several innocent bystanders from severe scooter/ankle injuries by getting the heck out of there and going for ice-cream cones instead. Jett's flavor combination is worth mentioning: Superman and Chocolate Peanut butter in the same cone.

Then we got on our scooters (not me) and made our way back to the train. It was a good day.

The best type of stalling at bedtime

I am sitting in the chair in my bedroom working and Kai has walked out of his room for the second time after Charlie put him to bed tonight. He pokes his head in my doorway and says, "Just one more kiss."

Picture him in his pajama shirt, white and covered with the navy silhouettes of animals. He is not wearing his pajama shorts.

He walks to me and puts his hands on either side of my face and turns my face to him. He kisses my lips quickly and then turns my head to kiss my cheek.

I am smiling now but he pulls away and says, "Not this (smiles). This (does not smile)." I understand that he prefers squishy cheeks, and when I smile my cheeks are not as squishy. I try very hard not to smile. He kisses my cheek again and pulls his face away. Now he pats my cheeks with the palms of his hands. He turns to walk away, looks back at me and nods then walks back out to the living room where Charlie is waiting for him.

The whole interaction takes no more than a minute, and he is serious and matter of fact. It is so sweet and I want to capture the moment. I immediately followed him out to the living room and snapped a picture of him but it didn't turn out so I found this one instead, from four years ago. He hasn't changed a bit.