Riley's 5th Birthday Extravaganza!

Jason and I took Riley downtown on the train to Navy Pier today. 

 Here was how our trip unfolded:

• (For big pregnant me - bathroom break)
• Took the train from Libertyville to Union Station
• Riley thought this was so cool.  She couldn't wait for the train to roll in the station.  "Is it here yet?" "How many more minutes?" are the only 2 questions we heard until we were rolling out of the station. 

• (Bathroom - If  your looking for some really cool hand dryer's Union Station is the place.)
• Hopped in a cab to Navy Pier
• Riley thought this was so cool.  Her first cab ride.  This meant she got to sit in a car WITHOUT a car seat.  How exciting!
• (Bathroom)
• Went on the Ferris Wheel in the rain.
• This was definitely NOT the highlight of the day.  Went slow, couldn't move around, and was over to quickly.  Riley really wanted to go on the big swings, but she was to short, I was to pregnant, and they closed the ride because of the rain.  Guess it wasn't meant to be.

• (Visit yet another public restroom)
• Watch Variety Act inside Navy Pier
• (Stand in a super long line and let a little girl who was about to pee her pants go ahead of me.)
• Go inside the Children's Museum
• This was Riley's favorite part at Navy Pier, although she was a bit lost without Wyatt.  She couldn't stop and play at any station, just kept running from room to room.  I couldn't keep up with her, that was Jason's job.

• (Are we sensing a theme?? - Bathroom)
• Children's Museum Store
• Riley got to pick out her own present here.  She picked a dress up outfit - Hairdresser of course.  And to accessorise her outfit she picked princess slippers and a crown.  That's what I always wear to cut all my client's hair too. 
• Candy Store
• $34 frickin' dollars at the candy store.  What is wrong with us! 
• Margaritaville
• Food was ok.  Not as good as New Orleans or Las Vegas.  Would not recommend going there, but it was nice to sit for a bit.

• (Bathroom - Switched  it up a bit.  Made it 3 stops before: Gotta Go. Gotta Go. Gotta Go Right Now.)
• Take a taxi back to Union Station
• Riley tried to get a window seat by telling me she was going to get car sick.
• (I bet you'll never guess - Oh you got me - Bathroom)
• Get on the train.
• This was the highlight of the day!!  We found another little girl on the train named Riley.  She was sitting across from us on the train.  She was 6.  She had a little brother.  They were both wearing pink, both had bows on their shirts, both were getting off at the Libertyville stop, etc. etc. etc.  The similarities never ended - literally. 
• Make it all the way to my mom's house to pick up the boys.
• (Bathroom)
• Go home AND.....
• (Bathroom)

Strawberry Nesquik In The Face

Time for bed.  Lets get pj's on.  Ben walks over to me with the tub of Strawberry Nesquik that he pulled out of the cabinet.  Ok.  Lay Down.  Let's change your diaper and get your pj's on.  Shorts off - working on changing his diaper - Ben opens the container of Nesquik ALL over his face.  3/4 of the container is all over him.  I start FREAKING out.  I'm stuck on the floor, can't get up, trying to get the powder out of his eyes, and there appears to be blood coming from his mouth.  Thankfully my friend Sarah was here.  She comes over, assures me it's not blood, but strawberry powder that's getting wet.  She grabs Ben and takes him to the bath.  Ben is deathly afraid of the bathtub all the sudden so he is screaming not only because he is in the bathtub, but also covered in Nesquik.  I finally get off the floor, run into the bathroom, get down to my bra and underwear (because I am covered head to toe in strawberry powder as well) and jump in the tub with Ben.  Poor Sarah is doing the best she can with a screaming baby and bad back.  Now Riley and Wyatt are there.  Riley grabbed the vacuum to clean up the living room and also grabbed me a bowl to rinse Ben with.  Of course we have no clean towels in the bathroom so Wyatt ran downstairs and grabbed two clean towels from the basement.  Sarah grabbed the baby wash for me to soap him up while having Ben cling to me.  After Ben was clean Sarah took him out of the tub to dry him off.  Riley finished vacuuming and Wyatt came upstairs with the towels. 

Both Riley and Wyatt were so scarred because they were so worried about Ben.  As he was crying the strawberry powder turned red all over his face and it looked to them like he was bleeding out of every orifice of his face.  We finally were able to reassure them that Ben was fine and it just looked scary.  As we were all in the bathroom we just looked at each other and started laughing at the total and complete chaos we just went through. 

Oh Benjamin - What are we going to do with you?  Big thanks to Aunt Sarah, Riley and Wyatt for all working as a team to get Ben (and the living room floor) cleaned up as quickly as possible. 

The funniest part of all of this is that while kneeling in the bathtub - having Benjamin cling to me - pouring water all over him and in turn all over the front of myself - because my BIG OLE pregnant belly is so big - my underpants never got wet.  As Jason puts it, "Now that's talent."

P.S. I'm still rubbing powder out of my hair and ears.

Chasing Butterflies

While Jason was tackling yet another outside yard project the kids found their first butterfly.  Even Ben noticed her.  (The kids decided it was a momma butterfly.)  It was just the cutest thing ever watching all 3 of them walking up close to the lilac bush to get a closer look.  Riley picked a couple flower petals and was walking over to the butterfly with her hand out trying to get her to eat out of her hand.  Then of course that got boring so we had to chase the butterfly away.  So much for letting nature be and just observing. 

Here's some pictures of Jason's accomplishment today.  He dug out around the bushes my mom gave us last fall and put red mulch all around.  He also put new mulch around the bushes we planted last summer.  Looks great!  At dinner he said I'm starting to rub off on him.  Now he loves productive days and can't handle the lazy days, when before he used to look so forward to the lazy ones.  Hate it when that happens.  :)

Riley's 1st year of school . . . Pre-K

The first day of school.

The last day of school.



Riley is officially done with school for the year.  1 year down . . . lots more to go. 

Through out the year Riley learned how to write her name, become a better artist, count to 100 (almost), recognize and write almost all the letters in the alphabet, and many many more things.

Riley's school name was Gavin South in Ingleside, IL

Her teachers were Mrs. Mark and Mrs. Rutherford.

We went on field trips to the apple orchard, fire station, Caboose Park, and Hart Park.

She changed best friends almost everyday. 

Came home with a smile on her face all but 2 days of the year.  Really - only 2.  One day she was sick and the other someone "made" her spill her milk all over herself at snack time.  Rough day. 

She really enjoyed school. 

And now she can't wait for kindergarden to start.

Wardrobe Malfunction

The Belly Belt...

Let me tell you about the Belly Belt.  It's a great little invention that allows pregnant women to wear their non-maternity pants.  It works like this.  You pick your piece of elastic, thread it through the piece of fabric that best matches your outfit, attach the button in the button hole and visa versa, and make sure the piece of fabric is tucked INSIDE your pants.  Fabulous invention.  Really it is.  As long as you use as directed.

Not so fabulous when your walking around the store with the piece of fabric hanging out of the zipper part of your pants and your husband says, "I think your thing might not be on right".  You respond without looking down, "No, that's how it's suppose to be.  The zipper doesn't go up." And then he responds back to you totally straight faced, "ok".  And you go on shopping.  Finish your shopping.  Load up your van.  Argue with your husband about how to fit the 10 pounds of shit into a 5 pound bag (a.k.a everything you just bought into your van).  Have the cart guy stare at you and pace around you waiting for you to give him your cart.  Get in your car.  Drive to the nearest Starbucks.  Get out of your van and catch a reflection of yourself in the store front window.  All the sudden you realize that you have what appears to be a hanky hanging out of the zipper of your pants.  What would you do?

Me...  Well, I started laughing so hard I was crying.  I turned around and walked back to Jason waiting in the van.  I did this for 2 reasons.  1. To put the hanky back in my pants as discreetly as possible. And 2. To ask him WHY?  Why would you let me walk around with a hanky poking out of my zipper?  Why would you take my answer at face value and not ask me to look into the matter just a little more?  AND How could you not have noticed? 

Then on our way home we are talking about how great it is to shop in McHenry.  It's not that far away and the people are really nice.  Except the cart guy just pacing around waiting for our cart.  I said I do understand a little bit.  Obviously not everything was right upstairs with him.  Jason reminds me that maybe he was thinking the same thing about us.  A husband and wife arguing about how to load their van while the pregnant wife is walking around with a hanky sticking out of her zipper.  He was probably just wondering what the appropriate way and time was to interject, "Excuse me, mamm.  I think you may need to fix your pants."  To which I would have responded without looking down, "No, It's just my Belly Belt."