Lazy Sunday, Busy Monday

Back to the fun stuff!

Last Sunday was the laziest day of my family's visit, but in some ways the best. My mom joined us at church while everyone else caught up on sleep. After church we just did Sunday stuff. We finished puzzle number two, took bike rides around the neighborhood, played with neighbors, chatted with my dad in Germany, sat in the sun, and enjoyed a Sunday dinner of pot roast, mashed potatoes, salad and Texas sheet cake.

Nothing major, but it made me think of what it would be like to live near my family. It wouldn't be big field trips and busy planned days. It would be lazy Sundays. I would know their neighbors and they mine. We would sit around and be lazy because there would be no need to rush or cram. It would all happen again the next Sunday. I miss my family!

Here is the only picture from lazy Sunday. Me taking my babies on a bike ride.

On Monday we went back to our regularly scheduled madness. We hustled around like the cast of Home Alone in hopes of making the 8:45 train to Chicago. Not easy! We pulled in to the train station barely in time to run aboard. Didn't even have time to buy tickets and had to pay more to buy them on the train, but we made it and my sisters enjoyed a good laugh at my expense. I turn a little psycho when I am driving, especially if I am running late. I do not have road rage towards others but driving makes me super nervous and if I don't know exactly where I am going I get flustered. My mouth forgets I am Mormon and my mind forgets that I am usually pretty patient. Thankfully I didn't have to drive all the way to Chicago because even though the train takes forever, it is a lot less stressful.

Netflix on the train...but if you ever see my kids with this phone in their hands during a church meeting take it and smash it over my head.

Once we arrived in Chicago we walked down to Michigan Avenue. We actually walked all day and never had to use a single cab or trolley. We started out at Millennium Park.

Me and Valerie always wonder why the kids all gravitate to Kristen, but look here she is with all 5 playing in the water. You can be so much more fun if you don't have to spend all week being mom. All of my sisters are much better aunties than I am.

We could see the city in Val's glasses and wanted to see if the picture would pick it up. She told me to crop her face out but it is such a Valerie face that I can't.

Time to play at the Bean. Always!

Luke and Chloe thought the Bean was a good place for hide and seek. Not only were they in plain site but we could see their reflection in 100 places, but what they don't know won't hurt them.

Love this pic of my mom and her grandbabies!

Now off to the Water Tower Place mall to see the new Lego store and so Chloe could show grandma the Bitty Twins she wants for Christmas. My kids know where their bread is buttered.

Chloe posed and requested her picture by this star about 50 times.

Alyssa scored matching aprons for herself and Victoria from Kristen. My kids got so many prizes that week and none were from me.

Seth didn't really want to do the Chicago thing with us and the kids were getting tired of walking so we decided on an early dinner at The Grand Lux Cafe after which Seth and my mom would take the kids on the 5:30 train home while me and my sisters stayed behind to play.

Grand Lux has taken a lot of stuff off their menu and it wasn't nearly as crowded as usual. Still good but not quite what it has been in the past. We did get this cupcake bar for the kids dessert though. They thought is was pretty fun, but none of them did anything more than lick the frosting after creating their masterpiece.

After we dumped the kiddies on a train homeward my sisters wanted to shop. Shop! I love shopping for my kids but hate shopping for me. I have too many body issues. Nothing fits over my big butt on the bottom and everything is too big for me on the top. That is why I stick to a hoodie and jeans but I played along and even my sisters had to agree that jeans do not want to go over my butt, or if they do then they are too big for my waist. So I didn't buy anything but at least now I have some witnesses that I am hard to dress and not just stubborn.

After shopping we walked downtown and on the river walk. We were looking for some fun dessert but struck out and just walked around and took some fun pictures, or fun for me anyway. I think everyone else was sick of my camera.

We love this beautiful church and courtyard right in the middle of the city.

Notice Val has changed into her new jeans.

Luckily we decided to get an early start for the train station because a few detours confused us and it took forever to find it. We made it in time for the 9:30 which was a relief since the next one was after midnight. We got food and treats for the train, not because we were super hungry, but because it always more fun to ride with food, and off we went. We felt pretty good about taking on the city, until we had to ask for help getting the stroller on to the overhead shelf on the train and a heap of crumbs and trash fell out on the guy who was helping us. Pretty embarrassing but also pretty hilarious! Messy Audrey!

One of my favorite days, and I am sure I could have told it better but this typing blind thing is a bit distracting. I will proofread in a few days when I am depatched.

I decided to include this video of Chloe dancing because she literally danced and sang through the whole city. I need to get her in dance class because the kid doesn't even know how to walk. I also thought it illustrated all the kids personalities. Her shoving Al, Luke and Al playing hide and seek in the background and Alyssa plucking a book from a shelf to sit and read, all caught on tape.