The kids like to talk, all the time, at full volume. None of them seem particularly aware that anyone else is talking, nor do they seem to care. Except for Sophie. She cares quite a bit about me listening to her. I discovered this during dinner a few nights ago.
The other three were talking, as was Bryan. I was sitting quietly, trying to hear snatches of everything. Sophie had already moved her chair close to mine so she could lay her sleepy head on my shoulder. That's why she was able to reach out, touch my arm, and say with a pleading gleam in her eye, "Listen to meeee! Listen to Sophie!"
And so I did.
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Lesson Learned... Maybe
We got locked out again today, the same situation as a week and a half ago. Bryan had his house key at work, but since I had the code to the lock box I figured I would be fine.
Here's something new I learned today: the code resets each day.
The girls and I hung out in the garage watching Little Einsteins until Bryan came home and rescued us.
We now have four copies of the key.
Here's something new I learned today: the code resets each day.
The girls and I hung out in the garage watching Little Einsteins until Bryan came home and rescued us.
We now have four copies of the key.
Monday, June 27, 2016
The Day of Me
Today is my birthday. I joke that I love my birthday way more than any adult should, but it's kind of true. I really do love my birthday. We did most of our celebrating on Saturday, but there were a few moments of party today: a play date with a friend this morning that included a lovely and thoughtful gift, an ice cream bar in the afternoon with another friend while our kids ate popsicles and played around us, a surprise birthday dinner from Bryan when we got home from swimming lessons.
We carpooled to the first day of cub scout camp this morning. As the little boy that we were shuttling got into the car, I asked the boys, "Hey guys, did you tell Max what day it is?"
"Oh yeah," Peter answered, "it's our Mom's birthday. She's...really old."
Happy birthday to me!
Friday, June 24, 2016
Party Night
Last Saturday we had a full day in Chicago. While we were gallivanting about, our house was being shown to prospective renters. There were several appointments that day, so we were glad to be busy elsewhere.
As we drove home we talked about how tired and sore and sun kissed we all felt. Our plan was to bathe the kids quickly, get them into bed, and soak our grownup feet. We pulled into the garage, turned off the car, and got ready to pile out of the van. I hadn't gotten out yet when Bryan yelled.
The door from the garage to the house was locked.
We don't have a key to that door, we never got one. And because we always come in through the garage door and not the front door, we hadn't brought the house key. It never occurred to us that one of the people coming to see the house would lock the door to the garage.
We were locked out.
Bryan and I spent the next hour calling, texting, and emailing our landlord asking for a way into the house. I tried to keep the kids occupied in the backyard and the van and the front yard and the sidewalks in our neighborhood while Bryan made several attempts to get into the house. As luck would have it, I'm totally neurotic about making sure all the windows are locked. And we heard nothing from our landlord. As the sun was going down and the bugs were feasting on us, we decided we needed to find a plan B.
Bryan looked up available hotel rooms while I called people in our ward. Not only did we need a place to stay, I also needed someone to print and cutout paper bowties to attach to bags of Skittles and handout to the men at church on Father's Day. That's right, I was responsible for that little project. Thankfully I had all the candy in the back of the van, but all of my other supplies were locked in the house.
My friend came to my rescue. She found, printed, cutout, and delivered over seventy cute Father's Day tags. While she worked on that, I called the Relief Society president. I explained the situation and hadn't even had a chance to ask before she told us we could come sleep at her house. I thanked her and said yes. Then we drove our tired bodies over to Walmart and Bryan sat in the van with the kids while I dashed through the store finding the least expensive pajamas and church clothes I could.
It's expensive to completely clothe six people for a day and a night.
We hauled ourselves to the RS president's house and carried our children and our Walmart wardrobe up the stairs of their large, lovely home. They had beds for all of us and even a crib for Sophie. Everyone bathed and showered and tried to settle down while I gathered our clothes to wash. Poor Sophie was so exhausted she was loudly giddy. Bryan ended up snuggling with her until she fell asleep. After my shower I headed downstairs to check on the laundry that our host had started for us. While I waited to transfer the load to the dryer I tied about half of the Father's Day goodies. By one o'clock in the morning I was so tired I could barely think straight. I decided I would just get up early and finish the rest of the candy then.
Sometime around midnight we got a text from the landlord. His phone had died and he was very apologetic. He sent us the code to the lockbox that currently resides on our front porch, a handy tool for the real estate agents but rather mocking for us as we tried to break into our own house earlier in the evening. Because of the late hour, and because the kids were already asleep, we decided to just go to sleep and try it in the morning.
I woke up after a sound sleep and went to downstairs to retrieve our laundry from the dryer. My friend, the RS President, is an early riser. She was just tying the last Father's Day treat when I rounded the corner into the kitchen. I was relieved to not have to finish that on my own.
Thankfully we were able to get in the house before church, so not everyone had to use their Walmart finery for church.
And that's why we were all heavy-lidded zombies on Father's Day.
As we drove home we talked about how tired and sore and sun kissed we all felt. Our plan was to bathe the kids quickly, get them into bed, and soak our grownup feet. We pulled into the garage, turned off the car, and got ready to pile out of the van. I hadn't gotten out yet when Bryan yelled.
The door from the garage to the house was locked.
We don't have a key to that door, we never got one. And because we always come in through the garage door and not the front door, we hadn't brought the house key. It never occurred to us that one of the people coming to see the house would lock the door to the garage.
We were locked out.
Bryan and I spent the next hour calling, texting, and emailing our landlord asking for a way into the house. I tried to keep the kids occupied in the backyard and the van and the front yard and the sidewalks in our neighborhood while Bryan made several attempts to get into the house. As luck would have it, I'm totally neurotic about making sure all the windows are locked. And we heard nothing from our landlord. As the sun was going down and the bugs were feasting on us, we decided we needed to find a plan B.
Bryan looked up available hotel rooms while I called people in our ward. Not only did we need a place to stay, I also needed someone to print and cutout paper bowties to attach to bags of Skittles and handout to the men at church on Father's Day. That's right, I was responsible for that little project. Thankfully I had all the candy in the back of the van, but all of my other supplies were locked in the house.
My friend came to my rescue. She found, printed, cutout, and delivered over seventy cute Father's Day tags. While she worked on that, I called the Relief Society president. I explained the situation and hadn't even had a chance to ask before she told us we could come sleep at her house. I thanked her and said yes. Then we drove our tired bodies over to Walmart and Bryan sat in the van with the kids while I dashed through the store finding the least expensive pajamas and church clothes I could.
It's expensive to completely clothe six people for a day and a night.
We hauled ourselves to the RS president's house and carried our children and our Walmart wardrobe up the stairs of their large, lovely home. They had beds for all of us and even a crib for Sophie. Everyone bathed and showered and tried to settle down while I gathered our clothes to wash. Poor Sophie was so exhausted she was loudly giddy. Bryan ended up snuggling with her until she fell asleep. After my shower I headed downstairs to check on the laundry that our host had started for us. While I waited to transfer the load to the dryer I tied about half of the Father's Day goodies. By one o'clock in the morning I was so tired I could barely think straight. I decided I would just get up early and finish the rest of the candy then.
Sometime around midnight we got a text from the landlord. His phone had died and he was very apologetic. He sent us the code to the lockbox that currently resides on our front porch, a handy tool for the real estate agents but rather mocking for us as we tried to break into our own house earlier in the evening. Because of the late hour, and because the kids were already asleep, we decided to just go to sleep and try it in the morning.
I woke up after a sound sleep and went to downstairs to retrieve our laundry from the dryer. My friend, the RS President, is an early riser. She was just tying the last Father's Day treat when I rounded the corner into the kitchen. I was relieved to not have to finish that on my own.
Thankfully we were able to get in the house before church, so not everyone had to use their Walmart finery for church.
And that's why we were all heavy-lidded zombies on Father's Day.
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
In the Windy City
We spent Friday evening and all day Saturday at an MBA reunion for those that live within a reasonable driving distance of Chicago. As a group, we ate Chicago dogs at Portillo's and deep-dish pizza at Giordano's. We also spent time in downtown Chicago, a first for our little family. It only took us ten months to get there.
It was a fun, full, exhausting weekend. Most of us didn't get sunburns, though I did experience a burn underneath my hair, which was a wildly uncomfortable first. We were glad to get back to the car to rest our weary feet.
On Navy Pier
Chicago River
Peter really liked this big building near Cloud Gate and asked to have his picture taken with it. When he walked to a different vantage point, he discovered it was actually two buildings, one in front of the other.
Speaking of Cloud Gate...
"Look Mom! I'm holding up the Bean!"
Cooper was proud to be the photographer for this picture.
The whole family at the Bean, officially known as Cloud Gate.
Phoebe was worn out from a full day of walking, so Bryan helped her out.
It was a fun, full, exhausting weekend. Most of us didn't get sunburns, though I did experience a burn underneath my hair, which was a wildly uncomfortable first. We were glad to get back to the car to rest our weary feet.
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Day of the Dad
Monday, June 20, 2016
A Plan
Bryan has a job! He has accepted a position in the same office he worked at last year. That means it's back to the East Coast for us. We don't know the exact timing of the move, nor do we have a place to live, but at least we have a job!
Friday, June 17, 2016
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