I certainly did surprise my kids when the Friday night family outing began with a stop at Subway for sandwiches on the go. They couldn't handle the suspense. Daddy drove to Churchill Forest Preserve for a beginners fishing clinic with bait, hooks and live fish for the catching. When I opened the back of the van in the parking lot for them to collect what was there for them - their fishing poles that they've had for 2 years from the helmet store that starts with a W after we saw Uncle Jack ice fishing on the pond - the idea of fishing slowly dawned on their faces. We saw deers eating in the forest on the short walk to the lake and some native forest plants that I've just learned about. But the kicker was Ranger Marty who took the plastic fun weights off their kid poles and placed hooks, bobbers and weights AND then bait. Well, needless to say, we all had a good time, I even touched a fish and took one off the hook. Each G caught at least 5 itty bitty sunfish each. Reeled them in by themselves even! There were no mosquitoes and the May evening was perfect in Chicagoland.
Saturday, we rushed from big brother's soccer to little brother's soccer and still had time to stop by the house for lunch before heading out to ORD for the half-empty flight to OMA. My folks picked the four of us up in the rain. We got the kids mud sloshing galoshes for the summer and nature hikes (might keep some nasty itch weed from messing with them some) and then introduced my kids to Chinese food cooked in front of them by white guys yelling like Mongolian warriors. It was fun to watch the kids' reactions to making their own combinations. Perfect! We got to go to church where I grew up and had beef roast, mashed potatoes, perfect gravy, cream peas, frozen garden corn and Gramma's homemade crescent roles for Sunday dinner. Yeah, she had to work pretty hard for her Mother's day feast, but I tried to help and stay out from under her bum knee traffic as not to make it worse. I think that Dad cleaned up, maybe. The boys got summer haircuts high and tight from their Afghanistan war veteran uncle. IT was a wonderful visit, but couldn't get out of Omaha on Monday for nothing. And got a very good visit with some friends who rescued us for the night only to deliver us to a early morning departure on Tuesday. We finally got back and I fed my brave airport warriors MacD's inside the airport waiting for the work shuttle to our van.
Now, it's Wednesday. We're moving very slow today. Boynton's songs and stories are enjoyed, breakfast is lasting until after weather time. We need to send our drawings of the robin's nest and egg we found yesterday afternoon to Grampa in SLC yet, but it's a good day to stay in pjs and not get rained on in Chicagoland. There are some happenings on the weekend front, but can't get into right now. Now is time for some pictures...
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