The start of summer fun...

We spent today and last night in Chicago, one of our favorite places to visit. The kids absolutely love downtown and so do Mike and I. We had a really great time but I imagine if you were a fly on the wall (or a fly stuck in our mini van) it might look something like this...

Mom takes boy and 2 girls to the pediatrician to get a-ok to travel to the windy city. Boy had high fever through the night and is complaining of his throat hurting. Kind doctor says bad news is adno-virus and the good news is to get on the road!

After checking into super cool hotel it takes an hour and a half to travel 20 miles. Husband/father is anxious and constantly reminding Mom/wife to watch not only the car in front of us but several ahead...when they break, we break.

Dad/husband takes one 5 year old girl under his arm and races to CAT tent to get his t-shirt and race number. Mom/wife takes 6 and 2 year old into strange parking garage and now has to find Dad/husband amongst 20,000 random racers. No problem, right? Mother corralled her kiddos for the 30 minutes it took father/husband to run the 3 1/2 miles and considered it a success that no one threw up in front of them this year.

6 year old wakes up in the am not feeling so great and yaks up the Tylenol that his mother lovingly gives him. Then loving Mother feeds son breakfast at a McDonald's and son yaks that up in to a bag at the table. But, then 6 year old bursts into tears with thoughts of heading south to beloved home and the guilt alone causes parents to load the car and head to Michigan Avenue. Potty break before heading out where 5 year old pees on the back of pants (my girl doesn't have good aim) so loving mother heads to car in search of spare pants. Found and replaced.

6 year old is better but doesn't want to walk so he and his 5 year old sister share a stroller with minimal complaining. The loving parents push kids to the American Girl store and watch in awe as 2 girls eyes are as big as saucers. On the way we stopped along the sidewalk to put 3 coats on and then went 2 blocks and removed 2 of those coats...not as cold as 2 children originally thought...

Family heads to John Hancock building to peruse Northface store but one 5 year old has to go potty. Family of 5 takes 2 strollers, American girl purchases and 3 kids down an elevator the size of telephone booth to find potties. We all go and are back on our merry way back to Northface store. After 5 minutes one 5 year old has to go potty again. Repeat last step.

Family then goes in search of lunch. Lunch found at yummy Girodona's but only after we unload 2 strollers and collapse them. 3 sippy cups, one backpack, 4 jackets, 2 shopping bags all unloaded from strollers. Full tummy's and happy family. Another bathroom break before heading out.

Entered Shops of North Bridge in search of heaven on earth...Lego Store...but first changed diaper of 2 year old. Done. Moved on to Lego Store and enter paradise. One 5 year old has to go potty. Back to Nordstrom's in search of Ladies Lounge. Return to paradise. One 6 year old has to go potty. Dad's job...not sure where this happened, could have been into a trash can for all I know...back to paradise. Searched, and searched, and contemplated purchases. And looked some more. Lot of time in paradise...

I think you get the drift...lots of bathroom breaks and lots of coats on and off. We still had a blast and our boy was a trooper and hung in there. He didn't want to miss paradise for ANYTHING!!! As 6 year old is yaking into a McDonald's bag inconspicuously a man stops me to remind me to enjoy these days, they go by so fast he says. I hear this all the time and I'm sure its true it just doesn't always feel like I'm going to miss them. These days are often exhausting!