Baleiko Bonanza!

Day 2 in Chicago featured pool use at the hotel, then a fun filled day with the Naperville Baleikos.  Once at Aunt Mary and Uncle Marc's, Kris came with Ben and Sidney and the kids instantly took off for some quality fun. They played inside, outside, and upside-down.  Then Cousin Matt arrived, and he quickly re-established his legendary status with the youngest generation of cousins.  They played baseball, chased footballs, and took a dip in the hot tub.  We finished the day with the grilling goodness and ice cream for dessert.  The kids collapsed once we got to the hotel, and they all hoped that we would not have another visit from the Fire Alarm Fairy that night.

Indiana Girl, to the rescue!!!

Making a BIG Splash

Day 1 in Chicago featured the Cypress Cove Family Aquatic Park courtesy of the amusement coordinator, Great Aunt Amy.  Aunt Ruthie, Great Aunt Amy, and I packed up the kids and headed here for the afternoon and it was PERFECT!!!!!  The kids happily ditched me and wanted to splash around with their very cool aunts.

Mitchell's favorite thing to do was the Pelican's Plunge water-slide.

 

Owen loved the lazy river, especially the Tabasco Falls on-ramp. 

Lucy loved the Bullfrog Bayou--the water-slide and the dumping bucket in particular.

We finished off the day by going to On the Border for dinner.

5 Alarm Fun

The kids are asleep in the hotel, you get comfy, and zzzzzzzzzzz...........

****Enter fire alarms here****

Fire drill night 1:  Fireman investigating in the mechanical room.... 

 This was definitely a first.  The lights were flashing and the alarms sounding, and the kids were freaking out.  Thankfully they settled quickly and followed me out of the room and out of the hotel... into the rain.  Once joined by Aunt Ruthie and Grammy, we walked around to the front of the hotel and waited.  The  fire trucks came. The ambulance and police came.  The ladder truck came.  Through it all the kids did a great job being patient and staying calm.  We waited almost an hour before we were given the all clear to return to the rooms (note-- we had to go back to the desk to get another key because we did not bring it outside with us).  After we returned to the room, it was another 30 minutes before the flashing lights of the alarm went dark and we were able to fall asleep again.

It turned out that the hotel had some work done during the week and something was not reset correctly.  When water pressure dropped below a certain level, it triggered the alarms.

Did I mention that Aunt Ruthie and Grammy's room was right next door to the mechanical room???







It was so 'fun' we got to do an abbreviated version again the next night!!!!! 

Night 2

Chicago Bound!

Last week the kids and I piled into the van with Grammy and Aunt Ruthie for the drive down to the Chicago area to see all the fam.   What great travelers they were!

1st Day on a 2nd Job

Ken's grounds-keeping crew is a little short-staffed this summer, so I agreed to come in a few days a week to help mow.  Today was my first day.  The boss gave me a quick tour of what I needed to mow and turned me loose on the course.  Now, here's where I tell you that I am riding a mower with a 6-foot deck, rear-wheel steering, AND NO BRAKES.  What?!?!?

Throughout the day I encountered a torrential downpour (I'll let you build the picture, but yes, it involved me on a mower and no cover in sight), managed to lock my keys in my car (it's a talent, I know), and had the mower drop a reel while the boss was troubleshooting the key issue.  Ahhh.....well, that being said.... I did mow.... and mow... and mow all day.  There are a few million blades of grass that stand a bit shorter today because of me and that mower.  Now, will Ken still be happy that he asked me to "help" out???  That is the question.

A New Color Scheme

Per request, Mitchell's room has been repainted.  Orange and blue rectangles are no more, and brown, orange, and glorious gold now coat his walls.  Yay!

Rocks for Breakfast

Yesterday Owen bonked his mouth on something and jarred his already loose tooth.  We iced and carried on with the evening.  He woke up in the middle of the night complaining of his tooth hurting again.  Then this morning when he was eating breakfast out it came!