We loaded the kids into the family truckster and headed off to Chicago to visit the Reagan's and the Pieffers, a now annual trip that is full of great kids play time and fabulous adult conversation and food (and drink:))!
We arrived on Sunday afternoon just in time to take the kids to the pool and attempt wear them out ofter 6 plus hours of riding in the car. During the ride interesting debates centered around what DVD should be played and how many more days until Kay's birthday. (the countdown became a daily event starting about 3 weeks prior to her birthday, I think she takes after Tracy)We interupt this blog to bring you breaking news that Kay Marie Jeon Murphy has lost her second tooth!!!!
The pool was awesome and the kids had a blast. Strange small world fact: the pool they belong to is the same pool Tracy's mom lifeguarded at in high school. do do do do do... (twight zone theme being played...)
Then it was back to Jan and Chris's place for Seafood Cataplana for the adults and some kid protein, fruit and vegetable for the kids! The kids settled into the nights routine of a movie, more debating DVD's, choosing sides and then forming a team to talk the mom's and dad's into ice cream and a movie. Who says team building isnt an important developmental need!
The adults found time to catch up enjoy a nice glass of wine and relax. Jan and Chris are great hosts and we have a ball every time we hook up. I suppose it helps that are kids all get along and spent many months together in the same daycare, hence the team building experience. They keep threatening to move back to MPLS and we would LOVE it! In fact, we'd even help pack and move them:) (and we have a nice house already picked out for them about 2 miles from us in the same school district, not that we like hanging out with them or anything)
Monday we were off to the Brookfield zoo for a tour of the new bear exhibit and to again wear the kids out. It was hot and the zoo was not too crowded so we had the run off the place. The kids are all growing, well really only Jet and Jimmy- Kay, Billy and Charlie are still waiting for a growth spurt as you can see by the arm length comparison, a little known tool used to determine the height, weight and intelligence of any child. Again, small world fact, the Brookfield zoo was a favorite of Tracy's during her childhood. The dolphin exhibit rocked then and it does now too!
Monday we were off to the Brookfield zoo for a tour of the new bear exhibit and to again wear the kids out. It was hot and the zoo was not too crowded so we had the run off the place. The kids are all growing, well really only Jet and Jimmy- Kay, Billy and Charlie are still waiting for a growth spurt as you can see by the arm length comparison, a little known tool used to determine the height, weight and intelligence of any child. Again, small world fact, the Brookfield zoo was a favorite of Tracy's during her childhood. The dolphin exhibit rocked then and it does now too!
Jan than drove us to the hotel we were staying at before our journey to Costa Rica, more on that later. The Peiffer's arrived to take us to dinner and Johnny came along to watch the kids so we could have more adult time and visit with Carl and Jackie. It has become another tradition when visiting with Carl and Jackie the four of us have to go to Pappadeux's. This is a great Cajun style restaurant complete with something called ettofey(sp?), it is a side dish containing craw fish, cream, shrimp and several other yummy ingredients and when placed on the top of a piece of blacken fish creates something close to nirvana. It was a great dinner and again relaxing to be able to visit without 10,000 questions relating to the need of the moment (aka kids). Carl and Jackie dropped us off, Johnnie did a great job with the kids however they were still awake because they were "too excited to sleep" because we were going to Costa Rica in the morning......
