Low key Easter

Well, we are sick again. I know, that's a shocker. It started with the kids all getting nasty coughs on the way to Chicago. Lincoln's is still so awful--I'm truly surprised we made it through this weekend without a trip to the hospital. Anyway, Ryan and I started to feel a little under the weather yesterday, but this morning I was like, "Easter baskets? Who cares?! Let me sleep!!!" We both dragged ourselves out of bed and down to supervise the whole Easter candy extravaganza and egg hunt. Then we turned on conference and promptly crashed on the couch. I think I heard maybe one half of one talk in the first session. I slept for the 2 hours between sessions and then gave it another go. I heard a bit more of the next session. I'm hoping that after this day of rest we will both be better tomorrow.

While we were unconscious on the couch, the kids got very industrious. They hid and re-hid the eggs dozens of times. They kindly decorated the bunny cake for me.

And they decided we needed to eat our Easter dinner al fresco. Never mind that we don't have patio furniture (the backyard is our next major home improvement project--started on Saturday, actually--notice the huge pine tree that is now chopped down in the picture.) They flipped over the Barbie Jeep for Ryan and I to use as a table next to their picnic table. They even made name tags and had music playing (Christmas music, but at least it was a holiday, even if it was the wrong one!) As we were bringing dinner out the wind picked up and they decided it was too cold to eat out there. It was a nice idea, though!

Pine Wood Derby

I'll admit I didn't have high expectations going into Isaac's first Pinewood Derby. We (read: Ryan and Isaac) had very little time to work on the car because of our trip to Chicago and other things that had been going on before we left. It was really kind of a last minute thing. And the Raingutter Regatta a few months ago ended in a bitterly disappointed Isaac who was struggling to hold the tears in. :( But--things went a lot better than I expected! In fact, Isaac's car was the fastest of all the Wolves so he is moving on to the District Championships!


The kids LOVED it! Lincoln kept asking when it was his turn to race.

Notice the intense concentration as he places his car on the track...

Isaac's car pulls into the lead!
Winner of the Wolves with his car, called "The Million Dollar Car." It certainly wasn't as fancy as some of the others, but it was faster than some of them and I guess that's all that matters!

Her first one!

Audrey has been grinning constantly since last Tuesday when she lost her first tooth. I have caught her studying her reflection in the mirror quite a few times as well. I thought Chloe was going to lose her first that same day, but it's still hanging on by a thread.

He cracks me up!

The other day I was upstairs getting ready and I heard Lincoln calling for help. He didn't sound too distressed so I said I would be down in a minute. When I finally got downstairs, I couldn't find him anywhere. I heard him say something about the door being locked and I noticed the bathroom light was on. I unlocked the door and found him like this...

For some unknown reason he had locked himself in the bathroom, stripped and climbed into the sink but he was unable to escape. He always provided comic relief!

The Windy City

Warning: Long and lots of pictures!! :) Enjoy at your leisure...

We drove up to Chicago on Tuesday morning after Carthage. We met Erin and Royal there as well as my mom, Kristian and Amy and Dylanie and Lucas who had driven in from Columbus for Spring Break. (We missed my Dad and Dave, who were both out of town.) We started off the excitement by taking a bus into the city, exploring Navy Pier and indulging on some Deep Dish Chicago Pizza.

The girls and Dylanie latched right on to each other.

Audrey, Dylanie, Lincoln, Isaac and Chloe

A fun statue at Navy PierLincoln loved throwing rocks into Lake Michigan

As did Isaac
Wow! Riding the bus was so fun!
On Wednesday we hit Michigan Avenue. The boys went to the Lego Store and we had a girls morning out at the American Girls Doll Store. Grammie got the girls each a doll (Audrey chose Kaya and Chloe chose Felicity.) Now I want one. After a picnic lunch we explored Millennium Park.

Dylanie and Audrey enjoying the Hershey store.
Lincoln discovers the giant silver jelly bean.
Isaac and Lucas became fast friends.
Lincoln worships Kristian. He kept telling him over and over, "You're the best Kristian ever!"
On Thursday we decided to go to the Field Museum. We carefully plotted our route on public transport (2 buses and a train.) Unfortunately we got a bit turned around after coming out of the subway and ended up walking for about 45 minutes in the freezing cold Chicago wind in the WRONG DIRECTION! So eventually we ended up at the Museum and enjoyed it quite a bit. It is HUGE--we didn't even come close to seeing everything. But there was something for everyone--Isaac really wanted to see the DNA exhibit and Audrey had to see the Indians. We saw a cool exhibit on Wooly Mammoths too and Egyptians and Dinosaurs. After the dinosaur exhibit Lincoln was pretending to be a T-Rex and he bit Kristian on the back of the leg. It was hysterical, but I felt bad when he told us the next day that it had left a little welt and broken the skin!! We froze again on the way home, but it was worth it.

Siblings--me, Erin and Kristian looking at us like we are crazy.

All of the cousins at the museum! Audrey, Lincoln, Dylanie, Royal, Isaac, Lucas and Chloe. If we had only waited a few more weeks they could have been joined by the newest addition when Erin has her baby!
Friday morning we had to go to Eleven City Diner for the BEST BREAKFAST ON THE PLANET!! It is a quaint, quirky Jewish diner and their Challah French Toast is to die for. I would go back to Chicago just for that. My mom and Kristian and Amy headed home then and Ryan took the big kids out to do more exploring of the big city. They tried to do some geocaching, but weren't able to find what they were looking for. Lincoln had picked up a really bad cough, so we stayed home with Erin and Royal and took it easy.

The kids check out Uncle Dave's stomping grounds.
Cute cousins--Royal and Lincoln are only six weeks apart, and good friends.
We ran into these scary Chicago gangstas...
I loved Erin's apartment! It was in Ukrainian Village--it was older and had wood floors and this giant picture window overlooking the street with huge window sills. The kids loved playing there.
Here they are in front on the Sesame Street-like steps the day we left. We left on Saturday morning and the kids did great on the 2 day drive home.
Whew! Super-long post, but I wanted to do it in one instead of dragging it out for the next few days...

Nauvoo and Carthage

We spent a whole day exploring Nauvoo and hit Carthage the next. Neither Ryan and I had ever seen the Nauvoo temple so we all enjoyed something new. Audrey was once again not thrilled about the lack of Indian artifacts. We got to take a wagon ride all around the town and we learned a lot. We went to a really interesting museum that had a bunch of things that had been unearthed as they excavated Nauvoo--dishes, silverware, dominoes. At the end of the day we walked along the "trail of tears", Parley Street, the road that the pioneers fled the city on. They have a bunch of plaques along the route that have excerpts from people's journals about how they felt to leave Nauvoo. We were able to look back and see the temple, just as they did. It was really neat. I would love to go back sometime when my kids are older so they can appreciate it more.

Us in front of the Nauvoo temple. Audrey didn't want to be in the picture if you couldn't tell.

The boys on the wagon ride.
Our horses.
I had never been to Carthage. It is a very somber place. I don't think the kids quite grasped where we were--another place to go back to someday.

The Carthage jail is the building behind them.

Winter Quarters

About six weeks ago I decided to be spontaneous. My kids were going to be off track so I thought what the heck, let's go to Chicago to visit my sister. (Six weeks of planning is pretty darn spontaneous for me.)

The first stop on our trip was in Omaha, where we saw the Omaha Temple (didn't even know it existed) and Winter Quarters. Audrey was disappointed the entire time we were there because, "it's all about pioneers." She is into Indians, you know. We had a good time and then continued on with our journey...

Chloe, Lincoln and Isaac try out a bunk bed--Audrey would have none of it because there were no Indian clothes for her to wear.
Pulling the handcart.

Stowaway

Almost two weeks ago I took the kids hiking with some of their friends. They had a great time running and playing and exploring.

Isaac and Jacob on a cliff (don't worry Angie, it was all perfectly safe..)

Fast forward a week. We were walking through Nauvoo, enjoying our day when Ryan patted Isaac on the back of the head and exclaimed, "WHAT IS THAT?!"

Our hotel room became a little surgical facility that night as we extracted Edward, Isaac's tick. EW!!!

More on our trip to come...

Roll with it

We had a blast going roller skating on Thursday! I wasn't sure how it was going to go, but everyone definitely enjoyed themselves. Isaac was an absolute maniac and I am surprised he didn't break any bones as he ungracefully flailed full-speed around the rink.

Audrey found the prettiest teenager working there and attached herself to her the entire time (she bases most of her decisions on beauty.)

Chloe did really well on her own. She was particularly adept at the limbo.

Lincoln was hesitant at first, but once he got the hang of it he clomped around the rink with the rest of them. He really loved the chicken dance and the disco lights.

Lincoln and Katie--young love at the roller rink.
It was so much fun just to watch them. It was one of those times I wish Ryan could have been there to see it.

This is what I have been missing??

We have been skipping commercials for the past 2 years because of our DVR. This morning we discovered this little gem while trying to explain roller skating to Lincoln (we are taking him for his first time in a few hours.) We have been laughing hysterically ever since.

Home Alone

Ryan has been gone this entire week. I think the last time he traveled for work was when he came out here to interview for his current job. So, well over two years ago. Before Lincoln. Before we had four.

Admittedly, I have been worried about how this week would go. I warned my mom I might be calling her (a lot) to vent. I tried to plan things in the afternoons so that the days would go smoothly once the kids were home from school. Surprisingly enough, it really hasn't been bad at all! Hard, yes. But I survived and I don't think I did any permanent damage...that is until today.

I'm tired. I don't sleep as well when Ryan is gone. It is also emotionally exhausting to be a single parent. These are my excuses for what happened. My patience was wearing thin as I was making lunch--trying to get something everyone likes (never happens), trying to make sure the girls are all ready for school, trying to eat something myself since I volunteer at the school on Fridays and thinking about a million other things. Lincoln was being cranky and needy and I was losing my temper with him. Suddenly he walked over to me, hugged my leg and said, "I love you Mommy." Then--just to twist the knife deeper into my heart--he said, "Mommy, you mean at me?" (I think he meant are you mad at me, but I was being a little mean to that sweet little boy.) Oh my gosh, I just about lost it. I told him he broke my heart and then he apologized for that!

Hopefully he won't remember it. I know I won't ever forget.

Look out, it's a wolf!

Isaac got his wolf badge at the Blue and Gold Banquet on Tuesday. Very Exciting!