2 day trip

Jeff had business downtown a few weeks ago. It was a two day sales conference and he'd found out too late that his work would have paid for a hotel room for the conference. We were bummed because I thought it would be so fun to take the kids down for a few days, and see our typical Chicago sights.

He texted me on his first day, about 3:00, that a guy he works with got a room, but wasn't planning to use it, so we could have it. So, in about an hours time, I threw together a few bags, snacks, and the stroller, and off we went to the city for two nights!

I wouldn't describe myself as a spontaneous person, but it worked out that we had absolutely nothing on the calendar, so it was too perfect not to work! We grabbed a bite to eat on the way, and were down in the city by 7pm.

Of course, our kids love the Ferris wheel at Navy Pier. We have been every summer and this year was no different. It was harder without another set of adult hands, but we managed just fine. Delaney clung on tight to Addie, and we managed to keep her securely inside the ride.



I never would have guessed that one of the biggest tourist attractions in Chicago doesn't open until 10 am. I actually didn't really pay attention to the time that morning, and so we got up, ate, got dressed, and off we went. We arrived at Navy Pier at about 9:20 and we were really surprised that we were the only ones there - well, us and the seagulls! It was a ghost town until 10, but right at 10 the ticket booths opened and we ended up being the 3rd group on the Ferris wheel that morning.

Also, any of the other kiddie rides were deserted. Jackson had the swings to himself! It was so strange to see Navy Pier with so few people around, but it actually turned out really nice to not have to wait in a bunch of lines.


After a nap for Addie at the hotel, we had to go to Millennium Park to our favorite fountains. The kids wore their bathing suits and we brought beach towels.

These fountains have these faces on them for about 5 minutes. Water runs down the sides of the fountains, and there's about 2 inches of water for the kids to run and splash in. After those 5 minutes, the fountains change...


...to this! Then all the kids run to get under the "spit".


Jackson counted the number of tiles in the floor he had to be away from the fountain to maximize the spray. He'd patiently wait and then be right in the middle of the fray once the spitting started!


Addie had a blast!


Delaney, always the mother hen, loves keeping track of Addison.


There's a really cool looking concert shell just up the hill in Millennium Park. The first time we ever visited the park, about 5 years ago, there was a live concert going on at the time. It was gorgeous and we were smitten with the whole ambiance. Then, ever since, we've never been back at a time when there was a concert in progress.

This time, we were lucky enough that there was an orchestra of some sort playing. The music was beautiful and I really enjoyed myself. I think Jeff was the most bummed about having missed this, than any other part of our adventures.



Our last stop for the day was the bean. It's a large silver bean, that I didn't think to take a far away picture of. The kids (and 250 of their best friends) love to pose and make faces and take pictures of the fun reflections they create.



We finished off the night by meeting Jeff after his meetings, going to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory, hitting the magnificent mile, stopping at the American Girl and Lego stores, and winding up very tired back at the hotel.

It was fun to spend a very busy, full day in the city, and then be able to stay right there on the mag mile. The next morning we woke up, ate breakfast, kissed our daddy good-bye and headed for home. Delaney had a birthday party to go to and Jackson had a cub scout event, so it was a perfectly timed trip!

Baby Bus

One of the most endearing things about Addison right now are her names for her siblings. She calls Delaney, "D" and she calls Jackson, "Boy". Addie has been in speech therapy for about 8 months and at therapy Miss Amy (her therapist) always has Addie put figures on a toy bus. First the Daddy, then Mommy, then boy and then sister. I think this is why she calls him Boy. It must be easier for her to say it, since she can't say Jackson. Always Boy and we get so tickled by it. I think it will be a nickname that will stick.

We are into day two of the older kids being in school, and Addie's only taking it harder. This morning she insisted on getting out her backpack and insisted on getting a bag of goldfish for a snack (just like what was packed for Delaney and Jackson). She packed her snack and a princess cell phone and joined the other kids out at the bus stop.

The first indicator of trouble was when the bus rounded the corner and she started cheering. It then became obvious that she thought she was getting on the bus with them. When I told her she wouldn't be, much wailing ensued. For anyone who has spent any small amount of time with Addison, you know that she has the loudest, shrillest, piercing scream (this is what I get for having judged all screamers before I had one myself). She was screaming and crying to get on the bus, to go with D, to go with Boy. She was contorting her body to get out of my arms, she was spitting and swatting at any cute neighbor who was trying to console her.

Ugh.

Finally I dragged her in the house. I explain to her that the bus is for the big kids. So what does she promptly ask for?

"I want Baby Bus!"

1st and 4th

Today was the first day of school. I was sad for it to come. I love the laid-back schedule that summer brings. I'm sad Addie's playmates are gone all day. I'm sad to release them back into that scary world where people are mean, peer pressure rules all, and choices must be made. I love how spontaneous we can be in the summer - spending 2 nights in the city or two weeks in Utah.

However, there are a few nice things about starting school. My top one?

No.more.phineas.and.ferb.

Ugh...I swear that show was on way too many hours a day at our house. I'm just grateful for the respite from that!

The following is the requisite photo shoot from this morning. It blows my mind how much older Delaney looks this year than last year. Even though last year was Kindergarten, this is a big year because it will be her first of all day schooling. She is looking so forward to eating lunch and having recess every day.


Every year, since two year old preschool, our adorable neighbor gives her an outfit for her birthday, for her to wear on the first day of school. This year it came from a store called Justice. Yikes! I'm not sure I'm 100% ready for big girl clothing stores.

My handsome boy. 4th grade...so grown up, so independent, so much fun!


Waiting at the bus stop. And yes, for those keeping track, this was the 5th year in a row I cried. Jeff thinks I'm crazy...


Our most favorite 3rd grader. There are many days I'd love to claim Steven as one of my own, over my very own.


Delaney and a little friend in her class. By sheer coincidence, this will be their 5th year in the same class!


Jackson and his new teacher, Mrs. Sitarz. He's really looking forward to this year.


And now about my poor Addie. Lost. Simply lost. She's walked around all day asking for her brother and sister.

Delaney Turns 6

In the Clark household, we have a tradition of having family birthdays and friend birthdays, alternating every other year. So, one year it's easy on Mom and Dad's wallet as we go out to dinner as a family and celebrate with cake and ice cream at home. The next year, it's a friend party that inevitably costs much more than two adult entrees and three kids meals. But of course, the kids look so forward to the friend birthdays.

This year was Delaney's friend birthday party. She wanted to have it at our local splash park. The best thing about having it here? I pay one flat fee, and then we can invite up to 200 people! Yes, 200! Do we know that many people? No, but this way she was able to invite all the kids in her school class, church class, Daisy Girl troop, gymnastics team and neighborhood. Siblings were welcome and we had about 80 kids come. We had it a few days before her actual birthday because I was leaving for girls camp the morning after her birthday (which, I survived, by the way...though have no pictures to prove it!)

The worst thing about having it here? Having to rely on the one thing I can't control...weather! For 10 days previous, the temps had consistently been in the 90s with not cloud or rain drop in sight. The morning of her party we woke up to thunder, rain and wind. However, as the day went on, the skies cleared and we ended up with a fairly nice evening. I think I checked the weather radar about 1000 times that day and swore to myself I will never again plan a party that is dependent on weather. But, we ended up with a party cloudy evening that was warm enough for everyone to enjoy.

Here's Delaney saying "hi" to Hank, from her class. They were the two shortest kids in the class, with Delaney being 1/2 inch shorter than Hank, making her the shortest. I didn't realize how small she was for her age until the end of the year when her teacher measured them all and their heights were are recorded on a poster.


As much as this park is geared to little ones, the big kids still had plenty of fun.



One rule in our backyard is "No Water in the Sandbox!" The fun thing about the huge sandbox at the splash park is that there is water running through it. Both Delaney and Jackson talked their friends into burying them.




There aren't too many action shots of Addie from the party. Addie's pool style all summer has been to get in the water for 30 seconds, and then sit on a lawn chair for 20 minutes. Pool for 30...chair for 20...over and over. Her favorite, Mr. Scot, kept her company through most of the party. I think they bonded over a shared cup of goldfish.


All in all, the party was a huge success. I wish it had been sunnier, but after a crazy day of weather, I was just grateful it wasn't raining. Delaney couldn't have cared less about the weather, and she had a blast, so in the end, I suppose that's all that mattered.


What would be the only downside of having 80 kids at a birthday party? That worked out to be about 30 presents!! What child needs 30 presents?!? She got more for her birthday than she does for Christmas, so unbeknownst to her, as she got distracted by opening a new present, Jeff and I slipped some away and stashed them for a bored, rainy day.

Spoiled rotten, I say!

A 2 Fer

Jeff and I have officially lived in the Chicago area for over 8 years! Granted, that's split into two different time periods, but I can't believe I've been a mid-westerner for that long!

Two things I've always wanted to do in Chicago, but hadn't done yet, was go to the Lincoln Park Zoo and go to the Lake Michigan beaches from the Chicago side (I'd been there in Michigan). We figured that Krista would enjoy those adventures, too, so a week ago we set out to do something new. The morning was gray, but we figured as long as it didn't rain, we'd still enjoy ourselves.

We started out at Lincoln Park Zoo. It's a completely free zoo that is really comprehensive! Krista had us cracking up right as we got there. The first thing we saw was this lion (below).

Krista's comment - "Is that Lion real???"

No Krista, it's fake...that's why the zoo is free...all the animals are stuffed! We're kidding, but we couldn't stop giggling about the fact she was at the zoo, but thought the first thing we saw was fake. Too funny!


All three kiddos on a hippo statue.


It was so fun for the kids to see the polar bear swimming underwater.


Addie has a love of all things "choo-choo" so really all she'd wanted to do all day was ride the kiddie train. Delaney happily rode along with.


Then, as if on cue, after lunch the sun came out and the crowds started to grow, so we took it as a sign to leave. A quick stop by the car so the kids could change into their bathing suits and we were on our way.

We walked across this bridge...


...and within 3 minutes of walking were settled at the beach.


It was so fun to be in such close proximity. If I had known these past 8 years that the Lincoln Park Zoo was literally across the street from the beach, I think we would have gotten there sooner. In any case, the kids had tons of fun and 90 minutes later we had to drag them to the car crying, whining, and begging to stay for longer.

They had fun trying to body surf...


...and in true Clark child fashion, digging a giant hole in the sand...


...and cooling off in lovely, murky Lake Michigan.


All in all, we had a blast. And it definitely won't be 8 more years until we get back. In fact, I think we're planning another trip to the beach later this month. 90 minutes was certainly not long enough, not when my kids love the beach, any beach, as much as they do.

While You Were Gone

Delaney and Jackson are gone this week to visit their Clark grandparents in North Carolina. They are bona fide "big kids" now, as they flew on the airplane by themselves!

Krista (yep, she's back, same as the past 5 years) and I have used that time to clean out, purge, powerwash, declutter and overhaul Delaney and Jackson's bedrooms and closets (shh...don't tell, they'll be mad if they knew). It has been so fun and liberating!! Krista and I find ourselves hanging out in the clean rooms, if only to admire all our hard work.

While cleaning out Delaney's desk, I found a point and shoot camera of mine that broke and she adopted. We were totally cracking up at some of the pictures we found on it. It's obvious this is what she's been doing at night when she was supposed to be going to sleep. You can see the closed bedroom door:

There are many in a series of self portraits, taken under the covers. Done covertly, as I'm sure seeing flashes go off in her room would have tipped mom and dad off to the illegal bedtime activities.
The constant bedtime companion - Teddy.
Can you see all the different pjs? These were taken over many nights.

A self portrait of Addie and D.
This one had us really giggling. It's the bird feeder she made in her Daisy Scout troop. The way she took the picture, it looks like a gigantic milk carton...ready to take over the world (or at least our neighborhood!)