Thursday, August 25, 2011

Planes, trains, and automobiles...the wedding crashers version













Those two movies played themselves out last weekend as Patrick, Lucy, and I traveled to Chicago for my cousin's wedding. Chicago.....did I blink because I may have missed it. The plan was to catch a flight to Chicago early on Saturday. A direct flight. Less than two hours. Then once in Chicago visit with family for several hours, take a nap, hit a wedding, sleep in a fancy hotel, and catch a flight back home by 9am. Chicago in less than one day so that the four children remaining at home wouldn't miss us too much. And so the house at home wouldn't show four children and a babysitter had been their for 24 hours without a parent.





Well, didn't quite go that way. Half an hour before landing at O'Hare the pilot let us know there were bad storms on the ground and we would circle for 30 minutes. Thirty minutes later he let us know O'Hare had closed. We had little fuel and could circle no longer. We were heading to Indianapolis to refuel. We hit Indianapolis. The passengers got cranky (remember this was supposed to be a direct flight....who packs snacks for that?) We were allowed off the plane for thiry minutes to grab food. We reboarded and had wheels up at 3pm......Wedding at 4:30. No nap, no visiting relatives. Would we make it? Luckily, I had just read a childrens chapter book with my kids and the one thing that stuck with me was how the mom remained cheerful through the book despite the adversity and challenges of raising those Mitchell children (read any of the books in the Mitchell series......I love them). Throught the airplane fiasco, my mind kept turning to her and kept telling Patrick " we must remain cheerful". It worked.





We hit O'Hare at 3:45.....it was a 45 minute metro ride (train) into downtown. Too close, so we surpassed the $5 train for a $40 taxi. We got to the outdoor wedding site as all were seated and in place for the wedding. We were in our shorts.....we changed in the middle of the street. This took finesse, but we did it. We sat down as the bride walked up the aisle. All a success. We danced, and saw relatives, and ate, and drank. I watched the little nephews at the wedding. One, the ring bearer, ended up in the fountain to his waist. In his tux. I emptied the water out of his shoes while laughing. Only on my watch. Anyhow, we checked into the hotel at 11pm. The Palmer house is a very pretty hotel from what I can remember....we checked out by 7am so not much time to process details. We did get to ride the train back to the airport, where we boarded a plane that made it all the way from Chicago to Charlotte without stopping. Only it was a very, very bumpy flight....we almost tossed our breakfast before we landed.

I'm happy to be home for a while, until a road trip in October.

3 Birthdays in a nutshell













The beginning of August is such a busy month for us. Three birthdays in ten days. This year we partied hard. First up was my dear hubby's special day. I decided to make a "special" cake for my special guy. The guy who rarely east sugary goodness or toast for that matter...or bread of any kind. His motto is why eat carbs, when you can drink them? I still can't comprehend his restraint with all things floury, but I am really not complaining because have you seen his muscles lately???? I should probably refrain from bread to, but I am weak. Anyhow, the cake.....low carb, made from black beans, no refined sugar only honey....and lots of eggs, which happen to be Patrick's favorite food. Batter tasted alright....cake, a little less than alright. I am convinced there is no good cake without flour or sugar. I'll try to think of something for next year. Until then, black beans for burritos, not cake. On a more festive note. His great friend from Texas helped him buy stereo speakers for the pool. I am currently listening to Bon Jovi blaring outside. I love Bon Jovi. My kids can sing Bon Jovi. I am proud and remembering a summer spent with a friend, a boombox, and Bon Jovi lyrics.





Next was Luke's day. He is 11. I can't believe it. He can babysit himself and sleeping babies while I run errands (wow....). He is becoming quite perceptive as to my status during the day. He can sense frustration and generally tries to rally the troops to avoid overflow. Most remarkably, he does this without looking for wine or wineglasses as a sign. He just gets it, most days. Any future wife will be blessed! He is turning into quite the gentleman, and it is fun to enjoy a conversation with him. His sense of humor makes me laugh, reminds me of his father. He is quite adept at showering little brothers and assisting a 3 year-old with the potty. This is no small feat. He can unload the dishwasher in record time most days, and despite asking every Thursday for the ratio of milk to flour, he can make great biscuits and gravy. We love him and are so thankful for him and his helping hands.






Then came Max....Three?! Max just makes us laugh. His face crinkles when he laughs and he laughs a lot, when he isn't yelling to tell a story. Or just yelling to yell. He is three. He enjoyed his day, with a pool party the day before and a dance at church in the evening. He is three going on thirty. He loves to have big kids jobs (when he feels like working). He loves to be outside digging. He loves his little sister and all the big kids before him. He is a blessing. He is such a special guy. He will start preschool this week. Perhaps this will help all of us get school done in an efficient manner. He likes the school. They have screwdrivers and screws...and he can use them!

Monday, August 1, 2011

THE summer visit





Our great friends from far away Texas came for a week visit. Oh what fun to catch up. To watch older kids play together (when did they get so big?). To watch younger kids learn to forge friendships (just how did all these kids get here?). We had some grand adventures like a trip to a mountain stream, gem mining, and science center learning. We had lots of at home adventures like swimming, swing set playing, dog walking, camp fire building, monopoly games, and play dough making. It is always so good to see our friends. It makes my heart rest in good company and helpful hands (11 kids, imagine the cooking, and clean-up......add in a broken stove, stove repair and household fix-up projects). It was soooo....much fun that the adults stayed up too late every.single.night. It is too bad these visits happen only about once a year. But it has turned into the highlight on our calendar and something we all look forward to.

Big Red



We got a new car....a really, really, big new car. Or more accurately, a 15 passenger van. I love it! Yes it is quite big...which is a bit scary on these narrow, tree-lined NC roads. But, I can easily fit all the kids, and groceries, and a stroller all at the same time, with lots of room left over (if we remove one of the benches). When our good friends were in town with their 6 kids, we could all ride together on adventures. I do feel like I should have a logo about day care transporation on the side of the van, but overall I am thrilled with the purchase. Did I mention I can fit all the kids and groceries easily....and that if placed correctly no child can touch another?! I find it funny that my first new car, and dream car just happened to be a 15 passenger van. A car I said I would "never drive". Two cheers for "Big Red", the newest member of the family.