Spring Break: The Neverending Post

Get your scrolling fingers ready because this post contains way too many pictures. I seem to be picture happy a lot lately, but I know the siblings that didn't make it out here for Spring Break will want to see these.

Last Wednesday my brother Jeff came out to visit. We spent a couple days just hanging around town. We hit the ever popular (FREE) Kenosha Museum followed by a ride on the trolley downtown. We also hit the Trolley Dog for lunch but you can skip that one (yuck).

We also hit the park and Jeff and the kids spent a lot of time playing in the backyard as well. I love to watch my kids play with Jeff. I never ran around and played with my aunts and uncles. My kids are so lucky!

Jeff and the kids on the trolley

Alyssa loves Jeff and even though she is a girly girl she played soccer with him all afternoon.

Swinging with Uncle Jeff

On Friday Valerie, Kristen and Luke flew in to join the fun.

Luke opened his birthday present a month early since we won't see him and we wanted him to have his hat for his Yo Gabba Gabba themed party.

DJ Luke Rock

Luke would hug and kiss Chloe all day long and she usually pushed him away...but...when he was locked up eating she would just stand and steal all his food.

On Saturday we spent the day in Chicago and you won't even believe me but I DROVE!!! YAY ME! I was a bit nervous downtown and I hated the parking structure that we parked in but I survived (as did my precious cargo).

Alyssa and Alex tolerated Olivia the pig,who apparently hangs out in Chicago (Chloe pinched my arms if I approached her), but...

Luke wanted Olivia to pick him up and hug him all day.

I may have driven but Kristen carried Alex on her back all day and still managed to look cute and happy so she gets BIG points!

Of course we went to Grand Lux cafe for lunch. Our favorite!

Alyssa and Luke

This giant bowl of food was Chloe's favorite Spring Break moment

Me and Val and our babies

We got really lucky and it was 70 degrees on Saturday so everyone splashed around in the fountains a bit, except for Luke who...

GOT SOAKED!!!

The kids looking at themselves in the Bean

Val taking a picture of our reflection in the Bean

Me and my kids

We love the Bean!

While the girls (and kids) were playing in Chicago, the guys were too...only they were at Wrigley Field watching the Cubs game.

Jeff

Seth

On Sunday the weather quickly returned to the windy, rainy 40 degrees that we are accustomed to in April. But we didn't care because we were off to Wisconsin Dells. We stayed in a condo at the Great Wolf lodge which is the one big resort at the Dells that we hadn't been to yet. We purposely went on the last day of Spring Break hoping to miss the crowds and it worked because it was a ghost town. AWESOME!!!

At the condo wearing the Moose ears we got at dinner.

Bedtime for babies

And here comes LOTS and LOTS of water!!!

This was our favorite ride. You ride face first down a dark tube and then drop down. So fun! And Alyssa was even tall enough to ride.

Kristen and Alyssa

Luke blasting me with water while I tried to get his picture

Hang on Luke!!!

Chloe only felt safe and happy...

in the wave pool with Daddy!

Valerie, Luke and Kristen in the wave pool

Alex and Alyssa

Cousins train

We did send Chloe down once or twice

And she HATED it!

GO ALEX GO!

GO LYSSA GO!

Luke and Alex

What baby wants this 1000 gallon bucket of water dumped on their head?

Luke did! Chloe on the other hand would wail and pinch your skin off if you walked in the same room as the bucket.

Val and Luke

At night the hotel had story time which the kids loved, especially Luke. When he saw the wolf come out he started shouting HUG! We had to hold him back.


When they finally gave permission to line up and hug the wolf Luke bolted up front before anyone else even had the chance to move and embraced him.

And quickly got in the back of the line for seconds.

Since Alex and Alyssa like to get up 3 hours earlier than the rest of the crew, I took them to a fun 4 story tree house one morning at the Dells (but forgot the camera) and the next morning Seth took them to the breakfast buffet and on the "Wolf Walk" where they made these cute origami wolves.




The traditional stop at Cracker Barrel for pancakes on the way out of Wisconsin Dells.



And we rounded out our trip to the Dells with a tour of the Miller Brewing Company on the way home. Gasp! and judge, but you know all awesome parents take their kids to learn about Miller Time. Don't worry we didn't sample the 3 glasses of beer they provide at the end of the tour. Seriously, they gave out 3 free glasses. This is beer country after all.

Kristen, Alex, Valerie and Luke in the underground beer caves. The whole factory reeked and Alex plugged his nose in disgust. If he ever gets the urge to drink beer I think I will just take him back there for a whiff of the nastiness.

Kristen and Luke

Valerie and Kristen with the babies


PHEW!!! Is anyone still with me???

I know I got carried away but I just get so excited when my siblings come to visit. We had the best time. We ate and laughed and played and I always feel so safe and happy around this group of lunatics. Val wanted me to post all our funny lines and silly moments but I am not sure they would be funny to anyone but us. I did learn that I would be played by Cloris Leachman if they made my life story??? I know I am obnoxious like her but I didn't know I was ancient too. Oh well, I guess that is how my siblings perceive me so I will embrace it.

The only thing I hate about when my family comes to visit (aside from the 10 pounds that I gain) is the GOODBYES. I really miss them so much already. My house just feels too quiet now. After we dropped everyone off at the airport and were driving home I looked in the rear view mirror and caught a glimpse of Alex. He had the most heartbreaking look on his face and he was just swimming in tears. I turned off the radio and asked him what was wrong and he said, "I just want them to come back."

Me too buddy, me too!