Oops: a stay at home day

Shawn woke up and couldn't wait to tell me about his night with Dad. In. Detail. (Short version: dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings where they played video games at their table, bath, finished reading a Star Wars book, sleep.) Lilly woke up and practically went right back to sleep for her morning nap. So, Shawn and I had a relaxed morning being silly with each other.

When we finally got around to getting dressed and ready for the day, Lilly greeted us with sleepy eyes after she trudged into my room. We all got ready and had brunch before piling into the car for a Gymboree playgroup. We were going to Wild Wednesdays at Lake View Nature Center in Oakbrook Terrace. They were having: story time, special animal visitors (this week - tarantulas!), scavenger hunt hike with prizes, fishing equipment available to borrow, paddle boats, and Nature Center exhibits. They also participate in the Passports to Adventure program, so the kids would get stamps, too.

But,

Lilly's carseat

was in Raj's car

from last night.

So,

we

weren't

going

anywhere.

Oops!

Instead, the kids played outside while I detailed my car. I took ev.er.y.thing O.U.T. That part wasn't bad, but it still felt good to clear out the junk. Then I vacuumed and vacuumed and vacuumed more. It seemed like whenever I finished an area, I'd turn around and find more Cheerios / Goldfish / crumbs / dog hair / dirt / etc. (There was a LOT.) I didn't bother with the windows or the outside - the inside was what bothered me most! I wiped down the interior*, which made the car smell great! I dusted and wiped off grime & stickiness. (Shawn volunteered to help during this part because he likes spray bottles.)

* I'm liking Ology Bathroom Cleaner Spray Peppermint from Walgreens lately. It claims: "Plant based. Tough on soap scum. Our bathroom cleaner cuts through soap scum and other dirt in the bathroom without the use of harsh solvents, chlorine or dyes, so it’s safe for you and your family. No ammonia, artificial fragrances, animal testing." It's got a strong peppermint smell, but it dissipates quickly and it's better than some ammonia/bleach cleaners  that will take your breath away!

While I scoured the van, Shawn and Lilly used it as their jungle gym and make-believe vessel. (I think I heard Shawn commanding a submarine at one point.) They pushed buttons on the console, moved all of the mirrors, turned dials... I double checked that the keys were safely in the mudroom.

I was close to done and Lilly started to melt down. She needed (a late) lunch and a nap. Badly. I left everything in the garage and headed inside. Lunch revived her nicely and she went down for a nap fairly easily. I SHOULD HAVE finished in the garage while she napped... But I fiddled with pictures for a gallery wall between the kids' rooms. Didn't make much progress. Really should've finished the van cleaning process. Oh, well.

Apparently, Lilly's nap was not long enough because she was a little 'off' the rest of the evening. Maybe turning 16 months old will do that to a girl! Luckily, Daddy came home shortly after and got her excited again. We went directly to Babies R Us for car seat shopping. The plan is to move the infant carrier to Raj's car until Lilly outgrows it. In my car, Lilly will sit in Shawn's seat turned rear facing. And Shawn now has a new seat for my car. I'll call around tomorrow to have the seats' installation checked.

At least we won't have to worry about moving seats around any more!

And, such a clean car to put them in!

Primrose Farm and Vino Van Gogh

Today, Shawn had Jr. Farm Camp at Primrose Farm.  He learned that when milking a cow, if the milk is pink that means it is bloody. If the milk is chunky, that means the cow is sick. That udder can't do milk, but another udder might be able to. They got to pet the work horses. Shawn said they were so soft! There were two pigs: a brown girl and a gray boy. (They're new to the farm, since they were not there when we collected eggs a few weeks ago.) He learned that the mother sheep was fluffier & bigger than her two (not so little) babies. They made chicken crafts using their handprints for the body and tailfeathers. There was also a cow & duck project but Shawn liked the chicken better. The kids also got to ride in a tractor pulled wagon and play in a tire swing. Shawn said his ride on the tire swing was too fast and that he wanted to get off right away!

We came home for lunch, but then I had to return a few flower pots that weren't meant for me when I picked up a small collection at a Freecycle house yesterday. Next, we zipped up to Arlington Heights for Spanish camp for Shawn & Parent/Tot class for Lilly. After class, Lilly and I found a Pier 1 and swapped the scratched floor model table for a still-in-the-box-new one and even picked up another counter stool and 2 more chairs that they had in stock. Just 2 more chairs to go, so I ordered them from our local store and they'll be available in about 10 days. Then, we rushed back to Language Stars to pick up Shawn and race to I-90 West to battle traffic on our way home.

Luckily, Raj was home when we finally made it. He helped me unload the furniture. I kissed the fam goodbye/goodnight and headed out to Aliano's restaurant in Batavia for a Vino Van Gogh night out with the Gymboree moms. 

Using acrylic and canvas, we painted Walk by the River, which (unbeknownst to us when we signed up for the painting) is the hardest painting they have available right now! Ack!

Jane, the Gymboree mom who sat next to me, started off with a solitary woman in her painting, looked at mine, and then added her husband holding hands. She said that seeing mine gave her permission to change hers and she was much happier with it. The rest of the class had individual walkers, whether male or female. 

The room was less than ideal. We were seated elbow to elbow at high tables across a long, narrow room and the instructor positioned herself at one end. She had an assistant, but she wasn't all that helpful. It was hard to see and hard to hear. Plus, the instructor went really fast and it felt like we were constantly trying to play catch up, missing steps in the process. All of that was frustrating. BUT, it was a night out for 4/5 of the Gymboree moms. Our first. We shared a bottle of moscato and gave each other moral support as we struggled through the artistic process. Though we had a few frazzled nerves because of that process, in the end, it was a blast and we said we'd definitely do it again. Now to attempt scheduling another night we can all get together...

I thought the person walking in the instructor's model looked lonely, so I changed mine to include the Puri family of four.

Errands

This morning, Shawn had a make-up Spanish camp after missing the last 2 weeks for Kindergarden Kamp. While he was hablando en español, Lilly & I went to PetCo to get new stuffing for 1 of Baron's dog beds. The cover is still fine, but the innards are ripped apart. I picked up a waterproof liner for 2 of his beds to help the stuffing last a little longer. He was a happy pup when he got fluffed beds back!

I also picked up a small collection of Freecycle flower pots - turned out 3 of them weren't meant to be given to me, so I'm returning them tomorrow. Doh!

Next, we went to Pier 1 and picked up a table, 1 chair, & 1 counter stool in the Marchella - sage collection to test out in the kitchen. I'll be returning the floor model table for new because it was badly scratched, but the chairs are great. I'll finish the order tomorrow, take advantage of a 20% off chair sale that ends tomorrow, bring home whatever they have in stock, & wait for delivery for the rest. It's amazing how well the colors match the kitchen cabinets and walls - it almost looks custom!

We also ran to Walmart to pick up supplies for a cute fort idea I saw.  Basically, attach a curtain to a hula hoop via shower rings and hang the hoop to create a canopy. I think our hula hoop's too small, a longer curtain would be better, & we had trouble finding a good place to hang it. Hmpf! It looked fun!

This evening, Shawn had karate. A different instructor lead class. They seemed to have a lot of fun while they worked.

http://youtu.be/ckSOAKizKaE

Shawn earned his 3rd degree stripe on his green belt! He was suuuuper fidgety and had a hard time focusing for some reason. http://youtu.be/X8yzJp9fRno

Normally, testing makes him very serious. Luckily, he did the moves he needed to do & passed - phew!

Lilly isn't one of the sillies...

who tread on the lines...  Just watch how she walks in all of the squares!

Whenever I walk in a London street,
I'm ever so careful to watch my feet;
And I keep in the squares,
And the masses of bears,
Who wait at the corners all ready to eat
The sillies who tread on the lines of the street,
Go back to their lairs,
And I say to them, "Bears,
just look how I'm walking in all the squares!"

And the little bears growl to each other, "He's mine,
As soon as he's silly and steps on a line."
And some of the bigger bears try to pretend
That they came round the corner to look for a friend;
And they try to pretend that nobody cares
Whether you walk on the lines or squares.
But only the sillies believe the talk;
It's ever so portant how you walk.
And it's ever so jolly to call out, "Bears,
just watch me walking in all the squares!"

Post 4th cookout

Raj invited Puri cousins over for BBQed dinner. After prepping & marinading for the big group, each of them cancelled or gave a belated rsvp of no. All, that is, except for Kusum Auntie and Gulshan Uncle, who were bringing Dadajee. It was very nice of them to pick up Dadajee on their way, so Raj didn't have to make the trip himself.

Shawn took them on a tour of the yard, showing off all that was growing and blooming. They especially liked the container herb garden that Shawn helped me plant. Kusum Auntie wanted to take some herbs home with her (but we forgot until after everyone had already left - oops)!

We were about to eat outside when a couple of raindrops scared us in. As we moved our table settings inside, Kusum Auntie noticed the few eggs we had left from an outing to Primrose Farm. She was completely bewildered!

K: What are those?
Me: Eggs. Shawn helped retrieve them from the coup at a local living-history farm with a couple friends.
K: They're not edible though!
Me: Of course they are! We've used the rest of the carton to make great omelets!
K: But, they're so small!
Me: Well, these didn't come from the same type of chickens that are bred to lay the big white eggs that you find in the grocery store. But, these are probably much better for you because of the way these chickens are raised. Besides, they're just about as fresh as you can get, since Shawn actually reached into the nesting boxes to get them!
K: (silently trying to process everything as she walked away to get ready for dinner.)
Me: :)

Dinner was lovely and Raj got full credit for the meal as he showed off his grill master skills with flavorful lamb chops and chicken skewers, veggies, & rice (not grilled LOL). Shawn shared some decadent fudge brownies from Mariano's Market for dessert.

Then, he and Lilly put on a musical show for us. Shawn played a variety of his instruments, while Lilly followed him around (like a mini-parade) singing her own tunes as loudly as she could. Kusum Auntie was beside herself giggling - she knew that Shawn enjoyed music, but she had no idea that Lilly was such a singer! I told her that it's been fun to watch how they both respond to music - Shawn learns the tune quickly and will hum it or tap out the rhythm easily. Lilly dances. If Shawn sings or provides the music for her, then she'll sing her heart out! (She doesn't normally sing along to the radio or CDs, yet, but that's when she dances the most.)

When the kids' show was over, it was time to say goodbye. Raj packed up leftovers for Dadajee and Auntie/Uncle to take home. Since none of the cousins came, it was a much shorter evening than it would have been otherwise. This worked out well though. A nice evening without needing to go late into the night.

Happy Independence Day!

Waiting for the South Elgin Parade to begin

We sat right across from Village Hall.

Here comes National Karate!

Shawn got to be in the parade with National Karate. The youngest students filled the backs of 3 pickup trucks!  (Shawn's in the back of the black pickup. Unfortunately, he was on the passenger side, so he didn't see us, though we caught a glimpse of the back of his head.)

The older & more advanced students walked and put on demonstrations as they went. Mr. Drescher (in the black) smashed multiple wooden boards with a jumping round kick!
Mr. Roller (a teacher from Shawn's first school) leaped over Mr. Flight (in the black) and side kicked another board so the pieces flew in all directions!There were a few advanced students who also put on impressive demonstrations. Raj and I thought National Karate's entry in the parade was the most impressive. (Although, one school carried a Chinese dragon, which looked pretty cool and certainly got our attention.)

And, what good would a celebration be without a Kitchen Sink from Colonial Cafe?!
(That's to scale, isn't it?)

After the parade, we tracked down Shawn at a very inconvenient pick-up spot and headed home for a short while. Lilly napped almost as soon as she got buckled into her car seat. Raj got some mulch spreading accomplished from the 60 sq. yards dumped in the driveway yesterday. (He's gotten a lot done, though there's only a small dent in the mound!)

(Her hand looks like she's signing, "I love you!")

There were bbqs everywhere you looked - some that looked like they brought their whole kitchens and dining rooms outside! We were content with our foldable lawn chairs and food from the concessions. 

(And sneaky Lilly found some pretzels hiding in the diaper bag.)

Shawn and Lilly played at the park, which reminded me a bit of an ant colony as it was teeming with kids. 

We bribed Shawn with a frozen treat as we left the playground to get back to our chairs before the fireworks began. (He was thrilled to get a Spidey popsicle with gumball eyes!) Lilly ate most of my sundae cone, while Raj got to have most of his very blue raspberry slushy to himself.

Lilly collapsed in a junk food & fresh air induced coma just as the fireworks started. She stirred a little at the opening applause & cheers, but then not again until it was time to leave. Shawn, Raj, and I ooooed and aaaaahed at the 'chemical explosions,' which Shawn explained were what firework really are. We marveled at a few that looked like smiley faces, flowers, hearts, and, of course, the traditional bursts of sparkling color. We thought some patriotic music to go along with it would've been a nice touch, but the St. Charles Park District put on a good show! Both kids fell asleep instantly on the drive home.
Happy birthday, USA!

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
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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!