Derecho!

Shawn woke up at an unreasonably early hour (4:00 am) and it was all I could do to get him to go back to bed, but sleep just didn't come for him. He was up. I certainly wasn't ready to be. Yet, he wouldn't let me sleep either with "Mom, can I get up NOOOW?" what felt like every few minutes. He tried getting Raj's attention, but that didn't work either. Even when he tried playing in his room, he wasn't quiet at all and I was still awake. Arg. Lilly didn't seem disrupted by the morning's excitement though.

I finally gave in and got up. (Lilly did too.)  He asked for strawberries and an omelet from the eggs we gathered at Primrose for breakfast.  We also read more of his The Lego Movie novel. It's funny to catch parts that we missed when we watched it.

Around noon, I got a message:
"Weather for Kane... ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHICAGO HAS ISSUED A FLOOD ADVISORY FOR THE FOX RIVER... FOX RIVER AT MONTGOMERY AFFECTING KANE AND KENDALL COUNTIES .WATER LEVELS REMAIN HIGH ON THE FOX RIVER AT MONTGOMERY FROM RECENT RAINFALL. ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL EXPECTED TODAY AND TONIGHT MAY RESULT IN RENEWED RISES ABOVE BANKFULL. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHICAGO HAS ISSUED A * FLOOD ADVISORY FOR THE FOX RIVER AT MONTGOMERY. * UNTIL MONDAY JULY 07. * AT 1145 AM MONDAY THE STAGE WAS 12.4 FEET. * ACTION STAGE IS 12.5 FEET. * FLOOD STAGE IS 13.0 FEET. * FORECAST...THE RIVER WILL RISE TO NEAR 12.6 FEET BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON."

Not a surprise at all. Last night's storm was a doozy. I'm glad the mudroom door and the sump pump / backup are installed!

This afternoon, Lilly decided to accessorize and make herself a new hair bow.

She used materials she could reach.

This evening, Shawn fell asleep during the couple minute commute to karate. With the uber-early morning and the gloomy skies, he didn't stand a chance. I considered taking him home and tucking him in for the night, but I was able to rouse him and he barely uttered, "can I still got to karate?" So, we stayed and he woke up.

Again, Shawn was the only green belt in his green/purple combo class. They worked on round kicks (these look hard!) and some cris-cross punches. He even got to demonstrate hook-hook punches with his monstrous yell. (He needs to work on his speed, but he still almost knocked over Mr. Drescher with his too slow punches!) They also worked on upper cuts, which should be 1-2, not 1...............2. Next, they did thrust kicks, that Shawn got to demo again! Then, run-jump-side kicks (how they didn't fall over in the process - it amazes me!)

It was a small class tonight (the impending nasty weather probably scared off some people), but a few of the older boys were really struggling to focus. Mr. Drescher had to stop more than once to get their attention, to stop them from goofing off, to redirect, and to repeat what he had just explained. That did NOT go over well with him at all. (Naturally.) Unfortunately, that all took time, so they didn't have a chance to do obstacle courses or games at the end of class. On the other hand, Shawn was so on the ball in class (quite the opposite of how he had been with me at home this afternoon!), that Mr. Drescher didn't make him test for his first stripe! (I thought he still had a class or two before testing, but I've been wrong about that a few times.) Shawn earned his stripe from his work during class and didn't need to prove anything more. Awesome!

Glad I didn't turn back home to tuck him into bed after all!

At the end of class:
"THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHICAGO HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
WESTERN COOK COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ILLINOIS...
EASTERN DE KALB COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS...
DUPAGE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ILLINOIS...
KANE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ILLINOIS...
NORTHERN KENDALL COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ILLINOIS...
NORTHWESTERN WILL COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ILLINOIS...

* UNTIL 715 PM CDT

* AT 612 PM CDT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE
EXTENDING FROM HUNTLEY TO SOMONAUK...AND MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.
HAZARD...70 MPH WIND GUSTS.
SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED.
IMPACT...EXPECT CONSIDERABLE TREE DAMAGE. DAMAGE IS LIKELY TO
MOBILE HOMES...ROOFS AND OUTBUILDINGS.

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
SANDWICH AND GILBERTS AROUND 620 PM CDT.
LITTLE ROCK AND SLEEPY HOLLOW AROUND 625 PM CDT.
WEST DUNDEE AND SUGAR GROVE AROUND 630 PM CDT.
YORKVILLE AND ST. CHARLES AROUND 635 PM CDT.
WAYNE AND STREAMWOOD AROUND 640 PM CDT.
WEST CHICAGO AND OSWEGO AROUND 645 PM CDT.
THIS INCLUDES NORTHWESTERN PORTIONS OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO.
...<.75IN
WIND...70MPH"

From Accuweather:
5:30 p.m. CDT Monday: Derecho moving eastward towards Chicago, expected to arrive in the city within the next 90 minutes. Current radar:

When we got into our seats in the car, I could see the kids in the rear mirror, but the gray skies blackened almost instantly and when I turned around to help Shawn buckle in, I could barely see him! Though it was about 6:15 pm, it looked like it was the middle of the night! We got home just in time for the worst of this part of the storm to hit. Shawn seemed a bit concerned about it being more than just a thunderstorm, but it passed fairly quickly and he was distracted by some reading practice, writing practice, and dinner.

From Accuweather:
7:33 p.m. CDT Monday:

Nick Ulivieri @ChiPhotoGuy
Follow

Here's the storm front passing over the #Chicago skyline #ILwx #CHIwx. Wow! >
7:25 PM - 30 Jun 2014
(That's what our sky looked like when it suddenly turned to midnight as I buckled the kids in!)
Another wave of the storm hit just as we were turning off Shawn's lights and saying good night. The lightning was often enough and bright enough, I think I could've read his bedtime story without a light on! A few minutes later, there was a particularly dazzling flash of lightning and boom of thunder that shook the house, I nervously looked at Shawn and Lilly, expecting to see the whites of their eyes staring back at me for reassurance, but they were both fast asleep. Phew! So, I simply moved Lilly to her bed and tucked her in. I'm so grateful they aren't fearful of thunderstorms! This was another doozy of a storm and for the second night in a row. (I learned a new meteorological term: derecho!)

From Accuweather:
9:39 p.m. CDT Monday: Another line of storms is about to blast through the Chicago area. (We're just west enough to get the weather slightly before the 'Chicago area' does.)

10:15 p.m. CDT Monday: Wind gusts up to 82 mph in Bolingbrook, Illinois, reports NWS spotter.

Hoping this derecho doesn't cause us to have any run ins with Dorothy, Toto, or any of their friends!

Spring weather

Glad Lilly's party was last weekend & our visitors were here in reasonably good wx. Here's today through the screen:

Weather comfort

I came home from an evening with Mothers & More friends last night in the middle of a pretty severe storm.

"PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 60 MILES PER HOUR...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN." - excerpt from The Weather Channel's Severe Thunderstorm Warning

(It was one of the few times in my life that I was tempted to pull over while driving because of the poor visibility and wind! It's not often I drive 35 mph on I-290 or drive with so little traffic!)

When I went in to Shawn's room to kiss him goodnight, like I always do if I'm not home at bedtime, he was wide awake. He didn't seem bothered by the weather, but still asked if I'd lay down with him for a little while. Once I got Lilly changed and got ready for bed myself, I came back to lay down next to him. As I put my head on his pillow, I could feel his arm underneath. Before I could do anything about it, he curled his arm around my shoulders and brought my head over to his shoulder. It was as if he thought I was scared of the storm and was trying to comfort me, like I've done for him on so many nights when he couldn't sleep. Within seconds, I heard his breathing change to a sleepy rhythm, but I laid in his arms for a few minutes longer before getting up. No reason to rush.
My caring little man.

Part of me can't wait to see him grown and how he'll be taking care of others (whether his own family or as part of a career), but another really huge part of me just wants to freeze time during moments like that!

Wellness check

Wellness w Dr Pozzi (singing with radio in the hallway LOL)
Heart beat on Doppler sounds good 144 bpm - right on track
158 lbs - gained 2 lbs since last appt, right on track
Fundal measurement - 31 in - right on track
I feel like I have half of my normal lung capacity & run out of breath quickly. dr recommended humidifier, but already doing that
Cortisone 10 seems to be helping w eczema

Horrible weather- rain/snow/slush
(Typical Chicago winter, but people are still making a lot of fuss!)

11:45 pm I think baby's got first case of hiccups that I can identify!

Guest blogger Oma

I Want to SCREAM! (in a very good way)

I anxiously called my doctor’s office to make schedule my first prenatal appointment, but got their answering service. Too early. ARGH!! Another ten minutes later, I got through. I have to wait until I’m eight weeks pregnant before they’ll see me… August 30th may as well be an eternity from now! I remember having to wait when we found out we were pregnant with Shawn, but I didn’t remember it being so long. Luckily, according to an online Pregnancy Calendar , I’m already three weeks pregnant, so just 5 more to go… Will I make it?

It’s so hard not to announce our news to everyone I see!


I dropped Shawn and Abby off at Spanish class and had to leave the center in order to stop myself from talking too much to the staff. I camped at Panera a few blocks away instead. While I had a list of things I should have been doing, I browsed pregnancy websites and tried to remind myself of what to do while pregnant – what types of foods to eat (and not), etc. I downloaded pregnancy apps to my iPhone…

I’m pregnant!!

 

I can’t concentrate on anything else!

Ok, I'll try.

 

After having a few weeks of inclement weather, Shawn and Abby were thrilled that class was outside at the park today. They were excited to tell me that they put bandaids on a stuffed teddy bear and a kitty cat coloring page because they were pretending the animals had 'ouchies.' They learned words about being sick or hurt, though they couldn’t tell me what they were. (It's a good thing they brought home a sheet explaining different vocabulary, so I can attemp to help them practice.)

While Abby napped, Shawn and I spied on a baby rabbit. He looked about palm size and grateful to have found shade behind some planters in the backyard. I wanted to offer him cool water and greens, but I knew that opening the door would startle him away. Still, it was sweet to watch the little bunny rest.

Eeek! I’m pregnant!!

Morning?

Raj woke me up to say goodbye on his way to work this morning, as he does every Saturday (I’m awake before him during the week). A few minutes after I drifted back to sleep, he woke me up again. He asked, “Do you mind skipping swimming class this morning so I can borrow your car to go to work? It snowed last night and I don’t have my snow tires on yet.” Ugh. It’s supposed to be our last class of this session, when we get Shawn’s report card. I know it’s going to say the same thing as all the other report cards have, something along the lines of, “Move up to Pike if possible, otherwise Pike with Parent.” But, I don’t like missing class. When we overslept and missed class two weeks ago, even Shawn showed disappointment. Maybe playing in the snow today will distract him and make up for missing class. Hopefully.


Anyway, the opportunity to sleep in presented itself and who am I to turn that down? A late night last night pretty well guaranteed that Shawn would not be waking before 9:00 am. Sleeping in could easily distract me and make up for missing class this morning! And yet, I laid awake. Frustrated. I tried to go back to sleep. Couldn’t.


So, at 7:30 am, about the same time I wake up during the week with an alarm clock desperately trying to coax me out of bed, I conceded defeat and gave in to productivity. Laundry started. Bills paid. Toys put away. Not how I planned to spend a Saturday morning! At least I'll get some blogging done…

Team Work

It was a very wet and gray Chicago fall day today. Thank goodness we could burn off some energy at Gymboree! I was so anxious to get the kids going that I got my times mixed up. I thought our art class started at 9. So, we were running late and I bustled Shawn and Abby out the door. We got there well after start time, so the Ms. Kim (at the front desk) and Ms. Mary Beth (teaching a Play & Learn Level 4 class) asked me which class we were attending. I explained that we were running late this morning and were supposed to be in the art class that was well underway. After a few giggles, they both looked at me and said, “I don’t think so!” It turns out, the class that was going on at that time was a Level 1 Art class for 18-24 month olds (though no one actually showed up for it). Our class, Level 2 Art, didn’t start for another hour! Ooops!! Luckily, they are very accommodating and invited us to join Ms. Mary Beth’s Play & Learn Level 4 group, even though the other children were 16-22 months old. Then, we even got to participate in half of a Level 5 until our real class was ready to begin. Oy! I know everyone makes mistakes, but it’s not the first time I’ve done this! It’s been about a year since the last time, so it’s not like it’s a frequent occurrence, but… still! Get it together, woman!

While we spent all morning at Gymboree, Shawn and Abby did a great job playing with the younger kids. I think they had a good time doing some of the activities that they don’t get to do in the older levels anymore (like playing the Freeze game on the air log, a lap ride to The Noble Duke of York, etc.) 

Shawn's a work horse pulling a wagon.

Playing with the Rainbow Rope (bungie)

Two horses going over a big hill.

Giddyup!

Abby shaking her horse tail

Shawn with running with his horse tail

It was fun to watch them interact with the little ones too. Shawn definitely recognizes that there’s something about the children younger than he is. He is very gentle and careful when he’s around them, especially babies. Other people that notice this make sure to point out, “It looks like Shawn’s ready to be a big brother!” Yup, I totally agree he’ll make a great big brother…

In Art class, Ms. Kim subbed for Ms. LouAnn, who was out of town for the holiday. We did a review unit combing all the shapes that we’ve worked with over the past few weeks. After free painting for a few minutes, we started our projects. The first involved stamping various shaped blocks into paint. Ms. Kim encouraged the kids to combine their shapes into new things, like stamp a triangle over a square to make a house or a triangle over a circle to be a face wearing a hat, but the kids (not just Shawn and Abby) were more interested in covering their papers with randomly stamped shapes. The grownups tried to point out their accidental creations like, “That line of circles looks like a caterpillar!” but after a while, the kids just stamped freely. The second project was a simple collage of paper triangles, felt circles, tissue paper rectangles, and circle smiley-face stickers. (Neither project were very creative or original – and, unfortunately, I don’t think it had anything to do with Ms. LouAnn having a sub today! I sure hope they pick up the slack in the next unit… or I may just have to start suggested some resources for new ideas!)

When we got home from Gymboree today, Shawn and Abby played while I got lunch ready. Abby was the first one eager to sit down to eat, but lately she’s convinced herself that she can’t get into her chair by herself - even though she’s done it hundreds of times before! As the problem solver that she is, today she got Shawn involved. Here’s how it unfolded…

What a team!

Goebbert's Pumpkin Farm and Garden Center

After a late night with the Puri family last night, it was really nice to sleep in this morning.  At least, that is, until Raj woke me as he was leaving to watch a football game with some friends/cousins.  It was a sore subject and not a good way to start the day.
Shawn and I leisurely got ready and had breakfast before we picked up a stack of children’s books (including Curious George and Little Bear) and a Sansaveria (or ‘Mother In Law Tongue’) plant from Freecycle.  Then, the two of us went to Goebbert’s Pumpkin Farm and Garden Center in South Barrington.  The parking lot was incredibly full and we ended up in a spot on the far opposite corner from the entrance to the farm!  Oh, well.  It’s a great day to be outside (~68°F), and the walk will be good for us.

When we eventually made it to the entrance, there were vast displays of pumpkins and gourds of all shapes and sizes for sale.  Scattered throughout the pumpkin fields were wooden cut-outs of various children’s characters:  Peanuts, Sesame Street, Winnie the Pooh, Toy Story… just to name a few.  Shawn would pose at one and then run to the next when he’d see another exhilarating character.  I had to click the shutter quickly!  He also found a fire truck among a meadow of climb-able structures.  He was trying to avoid being climbed over by a group of bigger kids, when Raj caught up to us after the football game.  We figured out which attractions we wanted to visit, so Raj and Shawn got in line for tickets, while I held a spot in line for a camel ride.  That’s when Shrenik, Heena, and Veer found us for an impromptu playdate.  By that time, we had made it close to the front of the very long line, so we offered to take Veer with us so they wouldn’t have to get in line themselves.  Veer rode with me, Shawn with Raj, and Heena and Shrenik took pictures from the ground.  It worked out very well.

Next, the kids rode ponies.  Then, we went to Animal Land.  We started by climbing up ramps to a lofted platform that brought us to eye-level with two giraffes!  A very different perspective from way up there!  We also visited with some piglets before touring three very large tents that housed 55 different types of animals.  It was a mini-zoo!  Somewhere along the way, Veer decided he had had enough and they ended up going home, but Shawn was enjoying the day, so stayed to see what else was around.

The highlight was when Shawn, Raj, and I got to have our picture taken with a 12 week old white Bengal Tiger.  The handler worked tirelessly to get the cub to look in the direction of the camera for a good picture.  (I thought it was hard to keep my own focus on the camera instead of on her or the adorable cub laying just inches away from us!)  Afterwards, she explained that when the barometric pressure changes, her cats get very excited and have a hard time paying attention and cooperating, part of their instinctual nature to find shelter before a storm.  With rain in our forecast, it made sense.

Are Shawn and the cub wearing the same expression?

I had hoped to watch the pig race, where a group of piglets race around a track for an Oreo cookie.  The description of the races said:

Come cheer on your favorite pigs. “Kermit the HOG”, “Miss Piggy”, “Hillary RodHAM Clinton”, and “Kevin BACON” are all here to race for that Oreo cookie. We are sorry but, Arnold SchwarzenHOGGER will not be competing this year due to a pulled HAMstring.

But, we spent too much time in the tents looking at animals and didn’t realize that we missed it.

Raj vetoed the corn stalk maze after he and I got lost in one a few years ago at the other Goebbert’s location in Hampshire.  Instead, Shawn and I ventured through a straw-bale maze that had an old west, kiddie-town façade.  Every once in a while, a dead end would actually be a photo-op for the friends and family outside because the kids would look through windows, which turned out to be funny props with holes for faces.  Shawn had a great time running through the maze and deciding which path to take… Until, three girls came from around a corner and bumped into him.  He was startled.  He was knocked down.  He bumped his cheek on a straw bale and got a little welt.  The maze fun was over. Luckily, I was tall enough to see over the bales, so we found our way out quickly and looked for other fun things to do.

We saw a pumpkin eating dinosaur demolish a couple of pumpkins and then belch smoke from his nostrils.  (It didn’t have any arms, legs, hands, or feet – it was just a head, neck, and small body.  It looked a bit like a small construction crane, which was draped in orange cloth to cover the mechanical workings inside.)  It would position its head over a pumpkin, open its mouth wide, then reach down to pick it up.  Then, it would lift it high over our heads and crunch its jaws until bits of pumpkin came crashing to the ground.  Sometimes, very large hunks would fall and splatter at its ‘feet.’  The ‘man behind the curtain’ must have had fun at the controls because he’d pick someone in the audience for the dinosaur to interact with.  At one point, he picked me!  I’d wave, he’d bobble his head from side to side.  I’d shake or nod my head, he’d mimic.  It was fun, though Shawn wasn’t too sure what to make of this huge creature with very large teeth, jerky movements, and growling roars.  We kept reminding him that it was just a pretend dinosaur, but even after we left Animal Land, he’d occasionally ask, “Where’d the dinosaur go?” and look around nervously.  It’s a good thing there was plenty to see and do to keep him distracted!

 

We ran out of time to go on the tractor pulled wagon ride, but Shawn played on some more on the fire trucks and a train before the staff made their rounds to announce the farm was closed.  On our way out, we picked up two large pumpkins.  (Hopefully, we’ll decorate or carve them in the next few days!)  Then, we headed back to our cars.  By the time Shawn and I hiked back to the minivan, Raj had already left the property!

I told Raj that we should get dinner before going home – partially because I knew Shawn would fall asleep on the drive home and I wanted him to eat first, but also because I simply didn’t feel like cooking!  So, we met at Chili’s for an easy dinner.  Sure enough, after filling his tummy, Shawn fell asleep on the way home (~8:00 pm).  Luckily, I managed to transfer him fairly smoothly to bed.  Later, I went to bed as a thunderstorm was starting.

I guess the Bengal cubs’ internal barometers were right!

P is for Pumpkin, Potty, and Pfffffft!

I woke Shawn in time to catch the garbage truck come around our circle, which also meant he was awake to greet Abby and Bill when they arrived.  Suddenly, he wasn’t so bleary-eyed anymore!  It’s play time!


Bill explained that Abby’s doctor didn’t think she was ready for potty training yet, so they were going back to diapers.  Bummer, but okay!

Abby and Shawn played in the living room with some trucks and books until breakfast was ready.  Then, played some more until it was time to go to art class.

Art class focused on pumpkins today. Too bad Shawn didn’t focus on pumpkins today! He was all over the place and not very interested in participating in the projects.  

Abby's

Shawn's Mine

I will admit that Shawn helped stuff the paper bag with newspapers in the beginning, but when it came time to paint, his contribution was done.  Every once in a while, I got him to hold the paintbrush, sometimes with me sometimes independently, and made a couple of dabbles, but he just wasn’t into it.  Meanwhile, Abby realized that scrunching the giant sheet of newspapers was a bit too tricky for her fingers, so she figured out how to loosely roll up the paper, then fold it into (about) thirds in order to get it all to fit inside the paper bag!  Great problem solving!  She had a great time painting her bag and was very aware of any brown bag showing through.  (Ms. LouAnn even commented on her attention to detail!) 

While the kids ate Winnie the Pooh cookies, Ms. LouAnn read Pumpkin Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington.  It was a simple story illustrating the growth of a pumpkin, starting from a seed.

Shawn was a little more interested in the second project. They painted an apple orange and stuck stickers on it to make a jack-o-lantern face.  Shawn figured out that rolling the apple in the paint was a much faster way to cover it, but we managed to use the brush to spread the paint around.  He loved putting the stickers on, too.  (Meanwhile, I thought it was a weird project to do at all!)

For the last activity, Ms. LouAnn uncovered the tub/table and the kids found balls and foam blocks.  She set up a game of 'Pumpkin Bolwing,' since most of the balls were orange and the blocks could stand up like pins.  It was a good practice in taking turns and waiting patiently.

I had a chance to chat with Shelley while kids napped.  Since Abby’s enjoying wearing underwear and using her potty seat, Shelley decided to continue potty training as we have been.  (Phew!)  There have been other instances that she hasn’t been happy about with their current pediatrician, and this sealed the deal.   Now, she’s on the market for a new doctor.  Shelley said she had someone lined up to get a second opinion and I shared Dr. Lin’s business card, just in case they want to shop around.

I’m so glad I closed the windows in the kids’ rooms before naptime.  The house stinks of exhaust from the roofers’ machinery and generators.  It’s a shame to shut out the beautiful day, but there’s certainly no fresh air circulating around here today!

Abby woke around 3:30 pm and was not happy with all the noise over our heads.  She was all smiles by the time Bill came to get her though.  Perhaps being back in underwear for the first time all day had something to do with it…?

When Raj got home, he and Shawn went out to Open Gym at Gymboree.  When they came home, Shawn had a goose-egg / strawberry on his forehead.  He was excited to tell me about the Elmo ice-pack he got to use though, so the bump must not bother him too much!

After bath time, we were each doing our own thing in different rooms.  Suddenly, I heard a sound that I haven’t heard in 20-something years, yet I knew immediately what Shawn was doing.  We keep a cassette (yes, cassette) of German/English songs in the tape player of the mini-stereo in his room.  I heard the familiar, though distant, swooshing sound of the tape being pulled from the inside of the cassette.  Argh…  Using the eraser tip of a pencil, I managed to re-wind it all back inside, but as I was spinning the pencil around and around, I kept reminding myself, “This is why no one uses cassettes anymore!”  Though I got it all back in place, Shawn had it pretty crumpled in spots, so it may be history… like the rest of the world’s cassettes!  (It would be a shame not to have those songs anymore…

...oh, well...

...it is a cassette!)

And Now... Presenting the Amazing Sleeping and Peeing SHAWN!

After almost 14 hours of sleeping, I finally had to wake Shawn around 9:45 am.  I would’ve let him sleep a little longer, but the cleaning ladies were here and I prefer to get out of the house so we’re not in their way.  Besides, we had exciting plans today!  The Magic and Illusion of Rick Allen was being presented at the Elk Grove Library.  I found out about it through the with Northwest Suburban Families group, though I didn’t actually see (or recognize) anyone there.  The description about the show was:

With personal stories and mind blowing magic, you will see and hear how Rick, as a ten year old boy, used reading to help achieve his goal of becoming a magician. During his show, you can actually hear your children "ooh" and "ahh" when beautiful live doves make their magical appearance, a table seems to float, and yes, one of the kids from the audience will levitate in mid-air!

And, it was right on.  I tried to watch and predict how some of his tricks were done, but he was a pretty good master of illusion, because I couldn’t tell how he got the white doves to appear from behind scarves, a rabbit from a box that looked empty, or a second grader to float!  He did a decent job touching on the importance of imagination, reading, science, and education in general and how they are integral to his magic; but, I think the kids just wanted to see more tricks!

 

Workers began replacing the shingles on the roof of our building today, but won’t actually make it to our end until about Wednesday.  With all the old shingles being thrown from above, I’ll be sure not to park in the driveway when they get here!

Their work, even though they were at the other end of our building, made naptime a bit challenging.  With all the hammering, nail gunning, yelling, radio blaring, and crashing debris on the ground, it wasn’t exactly a peaceful or relaxing afternoon.  I was hesitant to close the windows to block some of the noise because of the absolutely gorgeous weather yet again today.  (Partly cloudy, high 76°F / low 54°F)  But, I promised myself that if the kids had trouble sleeping, I’d shut the windows right away.  Luckily, the commotion outside faded into white noise fairly quickly, because both fell asleep without much dispute.

Abby woke just in time for Shelley to come home early.  They were going to a doctor’s appointment for Abby and needed to leave a few minutes early to get there on time. Shawn woke just in time to say goodbye to them.

A little while later, Grandma Fanny came over for her English lesson.  I introduced the short u sound today.  She loves the sets of picture cards I’ve given her for each short vowel sound.  I can tell that she practices with them all the time.  I told her that I have an activity for Thursday that will review all the vowel sounds.  She was a little anxious to hear that, but I think she’s ready to apply the sounds to more than just the set of pictures she’s been working with.

After our lesson, Shawn declared that we needed to go to the store for milk and salad.  He was right about the milk, but I’m not sure where the need for salad came from!  He said that he wanted to get it for Dadda!  I agreed to the trip, but tried to explain that we had enough salad already and Dadda wouldn’t be home to eat it for dinner tonight anyway.  (Raj worked late and then met up with Shrenik to watch the Bears’ game.)

When we got back home after our grocery run, I asked Shawn what he wanted for dinner.  He replied, “Milk.”  Good thing we just bought some!  “What else would you like to eat?”  “Carrots.”  “Anything else?”  “Potatoes.”  Alrighty!  You said it!  So, we had seasoned potatoes, some carrots, and some leftovers.  Shawn did a great job eating and then decided he didn’t need any dessert.  I was happy to get in so many vegetables after such a rich dinner last night!

After dinner, Shawn earned his final sticker on his Spiderman Potty Paper.  (He almost had a meltdown when there was one more sticker to go because he reeeeeally wanted a ‘toy surprise’ NOW!  But, we managed to hold off for another 30 minutes until it was time to try again and he earned his last sticker.  It was worth the wait.

He pulled a heavy tow truck from the Big Black Bag of Toy Surprises.  We even figured out how to hook it up with the ice cream truck, and (as long as we were extremely gentle) we could actually tow it around the floor.  Shawn seemed pretty happy with his new truck.  He was sure to show Raj and tell him all about it when he got home.

When Raj came home, he said he finally made an appointment to see a doctor about his sinus issues (that he’s been having for months).  Apparently, Raj has a sinus infection, which explains why none of the over-the-counter pills and sprays that he’s been using religiously have helped at all.  So, over the course of the treatment of the new meds (10 days), he should notice an improvement.  (Keeping my fingers crossed!)

My cousin, Andrea, made a post on FaceBook that I had to share:

EIGHT DAYS of 100% sun—glorious start to the best month of the year! ;) Oct oct oct...

Love it.

The Chicago Botanic Garden's Model Railroad Garden: Landmarks of America

This morning, we drove to the Glencoe Metra Station (actually taking the Metra would’ve been fun, but incredibly inconvenient for this particular trip).  We parked a few steps from a waiting trolley, which carried us to the Chicago Botanical Gardens.  In addition to being a fun ‘adventure’ for Shawn, the trolley saved us money, too - $4 for two adults (Shawn was free) versus $25 to park the van in the Gardens’ parking lot.  (Though, we didn’t actually know that until we were already there.  We just got lucky!)
As we walked through the Visitor Center, I found a free Bingo Board to play with as we explored the grounds.  Shawn had a lot of fun placing the provided stickers on the pictures when he’d find the various objects.  When he found the very last item, just before we were leaving, he ran over to show me his completed Bingo Board and asked for a “Surprise Fruit Snack!”  How could I resist rewarding all that hard work?  (Though, I’m not sure how much of a surprise it was then…)

We sat at the edge of a pond and admired a water fountain, a rainbow in its mist, and very large fish that were inches away from our toes.  We dabbled our fingers in another water fountain for a little while before finding our friends, Shrenik, Heena, and Veer.  Then we made our way over to the Model Railroad Garden exhibit – the real reason we were there in the first place!

The Chicago Botanic Garden has a temporary exhibit (May – October) that has returned for the past few years called the Model Railroad Garden:  Landmarks of America.  The website’s description was:

The 7,500-square-foot Model Railroad Garden features 17 garden-scale (G-scale) trains on 1,600 feet of track. The garden-scale trains are 1/29th the size of life-sized trains. Train and garden enthusiasts, young and old, return year after year for the delightful sights and sounds of the miniature trains traversing high and low through tunnels, across bridges, and around buildings — all intricately handcrafted with natural materials, including twigs, bark, leaves, acorns, and pebbles. More than 5,000 tiny trees, shrubs, groundcovers, and flowering plants of close to 300 varieties re-create the topographical landscape of America. Vignettes of tiny people and animals give the exhibit a storybook feel, while sound effects and a working geyser capture visitors’ imaginations.

It also had two very cool videos about it:




It was a lot of fun. The train exhibit was a little smaller than Raj and I expected, but they packed a lot into the space. The attention to detail was amazing. There were landmarks from all over the country represented. (Shawn can now indentify the Statue of Liberty and when we saw the Liberty Bell from Pennsylvania, he pointed out that's where Oma and Opa live!)

(A video might be coming... if I can edit it better!)

By the end of our ‘adventure,’ my pedometer had recorded that we walked for a total of 2 hours 27 minutes 44 seconds, covering 4.247 miles, had taken 8961 steps, and burned 242.5 KCAL.  (Unfortunately, it’s a cheap pedometer and it doesn’t always register all of my steps correctly, but it at least gives us an idea of how far we walked.)  Here’s a map of the gardens to show just how big a place it is – we did a pretty good job covering most of it, too!

While we were waiting for the trolley to take us back to our car, Raj entertained Veer and Shawn.  While they sat in an empty tram that had been parked for the evening, Shawn surprised him by pointing out, “There are two bicycles on the right, Dadda!”  Raj was impressed that in fact there were two and in fact they were on the right side of them!

What a great day to spend at the Chicago Botanic Gardens with great friends!  The creativity and handiwork behind the Model Railroad Garden alone was well worth the trip, but I'm so glad we saw the other gardens and made a whole day of it.  Not many more days left like this in Chicago this year!  But, this was had another 80°F day (and 30° swing from the low to the high).  I don’t think we saw a cloud the whole day.

Back at the car, Raj drove quickly to grab dinner before Shawn fell asleep.  (He didn’t get a nap and had only snacked all day, so I didn’t want him to fall asleep before having an actual meal.)  Raj got us to Bucca di Beppo in Wheeling just in time.  I was able to hold Shawn’s interest on the way there by giving him a portable fire truck & station toy that he doesn’t get to play with very often.

For dinner, we had cheesy bread Florentine, baked rigatoni with spicy sausage, chicken stuffed with prosciutto, all served family style (and had plenty to take home when we were done).  While we ate, we tested Shawn to see if he really did know if right from his left.  He correctly identified his left and right hands, ears, eyes, and cheeks.  Just to see if he was paying attention, I asked him where his ‘left mouth’ was – he giggled, said, “Nooooooo!” but pointed to his mouth anyway.  Not bad for a two year old!

On the way home, he started off a bit wired, sang songs, and made lots of goofy noises, but when I put the toy away and out of sight, he fell asleep almost immediately.  I wasn’t able to transfer him to his bed as smoothly as I had hoped, but after just a few moments of very tired and frustrated crying, he settled down, gave me a goodnight kiss, and fell back to sleep.  The best part – it was only 8:00 pm!

After spending a gorgeous day outside, it’s an early to bed night for all of us.


Sweet dreams.

Did I See a Pike Shucking Corn?

The YMCA Swimming Director approved Shawn’s graduation to Pike (without parent) - IF he can swim a few feet on his own (preferably without floats), be comfortable in a back float (with help to stay afloat), in addition to the other things he’s already done like blow bubbles, bob, kick, splash, reach… SO, we have a strong focus on strengthening a few skills in the next 3 sessions before this class is over!

I put two boxes of old papers and files from when I was teaching into the back of my van before swimming class.  Afterwards, we stopped by the Roselle Train Station for a free public ‘shredding event’ to dispose of them.  (They’d been sitting collecting some nasty cobwebs and old leaves in the garage for at least two years, probably more, so it was time to say goodbye.) It felt good!

Then, Shawn and I went to the Kline Creek Farm Corn Harvest, which was an outing sponsored by Northwest Suburban Families, but the only member that showed up was on her way out when we arrived.  That’s okay though - Shawn and I probably had more fun on our own.  A blurb from the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County’s news release summarized what we did:

Help with the real farm work of harvesting and storing corn that will feed the farm’s cows and sheep this winter. Use authentic techniques of the era to try shocking, or stacking bundles of corn to let them dry; shucking, or removing the ears of corn from the stalks; shelling, or removing the corn kernels from the cob; and storing the corn in the corn crib.

So, we pulled ears of corn directly off the stalks.  We tried to leave the husks left on the stalks, but some people took them to another station to learn how to make corn husk dolls or 'action figures,' depending on the audience.  (We didn't make it to that activity.) We tossed the corn into the back of a horse-drawn wagon.

Then, we left the field to other workers and explored the rest of the 'living-history farm' grounds.  Shawn even got to turn the crank on a machine that twisted lengths of twine into a pretty nice looking rope.

This is Shawn making a rope, but the video of this in action wouldn't load properly.

Later, the wagon returned from the field full of corn, so Shawn helped toss the ears into a corn crib.

I asked a few times if he was all done, but he kept on working!  Other parents and I teased about the ease of child labor, when it doesn't involve their own toys and chores.  Eventually, we visited with some chickens, a mare, sheep, and cows.

With another day in the 80’s, it was a great way to spend the day.  (High 82° / Low 54°F with scattered clouds or mostly cloudy until the evening when they skies cleared up.)

Shawn fell asleep on the way home (Raj was napping after work, too) and when he woke up, Daddaji had come over for dinner.  He brought chocolate covered mini-donuts, the perfect size for small hands.  I cooked Indian food, which I’m always a little nervous about when there are other people consuming it, but everyone seemed to enjoy it.  He stayed for a little while after dinner to chat and have some chai.  Rather than the usual Lipton with sugar and milk, I served Chai of the Tiger (black tea, chopped and powdered ginger, chopped and powdered cardamom, chopped and powdered coriander, chopped and powdered cinnamon, chopped cloves, chopped black pepper, rose petals, lavender, and jasmine buds from Serene Teaz, where Mothers & More had our Open House a few weeks ago) in our fancy Ingenuitea infuser/steeper (a Christmas present from Oma and Opa a year or two ago).  Daddaji was impressed by the infuser/steeper, though I think he’s more accustomed to his usual Lipton version.  Oh, well, I thought it was great!  Shawn gave him the fish he made in art class a few weeks ago to display on his refrigerator.  When the evening was over, Daddaji went home with a paper grocery bag full of leftovers to hold him over the next few days.

After a day of swimming and working outside, it was definitely bath time!  Later, while Raj relaxed in front of the TV, Shawn and I followed along with a few Dr. Seuss stories on YouTube.  Then, he said he wanted to use his workbook, so we did a few pages (Shawn really enjoys matching and pattern exercises) before reading a bedtime story and saying goodnight.  Finally, Shawn put himself to sleep and I did some blogging.

What a full day! But, I have a super exciting adventure planned for tomorrow…!


FYI – There was no roofing work today… I kinda figured as much, since it’s Saturday, but not sure why the company claimed they’d start today!