First, a huge shout-out (people still say that, right?) and "Thank you!" to Grandy for the well-timed visit. What else could we have done those two days this week?
All of you probably now know the reason we needed her, or someone - and the reason Mom sat out our little outing after Grandy left this afternoon.
Dad and the kids went to the park outside Navy Pier for Snow Days Chicago, a weekend-long event with snow sculptures by teams from around the world, snowboard competitions involving kids, and dog sled racing demonstrations.
The kids, of course, were just as amused to play in the snow on the ground.
Don't worry, nobody was hurt in the making of this film!
Remember Levynn's performances at The Little Gym, back in January and June 2009? Lincoln's been enrolled there since September, and he ended it with a show of his own yesterday.
Today was back-to-school day for Levynn after the two-week-and-change vacation - and the first day of preschool for Lincoln!
He was feeling miserable last night, thanks to a cold that has hit he and Mom hardest (yes, there was a sick kid on the flight home, too!). But he was feeling great this morning - we got two thumbs up from him - and he was ready to go.
Afterward, his teacher couldn't believe that he hadn't been to school before. She called him "an old pro." It must be that sister of his!
And look what that sister had for homework tonight, a monster three-page cornucopia of math problems. Is she still in first grade or what? (Click on each photo for a better look.)
You may have heard that the John Hancock Center's 94th floor observatory, which many of you have visited, just opened an "ice" skating rink for public use.
Well, we also caught wind of a learn-to-skate program it was offering with Chicago Blackhawks-affiliated youth coaches - and we got the kids registered for the very first one this afternoon!
One of their friends, Zara, came along for the lesson, too, and they all had a great time.
(For the record, it's not ice. It's a synthetic XTRAICE surface, which Dad thinks looks and sounds just like our cutting board. But it's effectively the same as ice.)
Dad and the kids finally got on a plane to Boston late Wednesday, an hour before the airport closed for fog that cancelled a bunch of other departing flights, and guess what happened?
Levynn sat down in her seat, looked horrible, said her stomach hurt, and predictably (Mom just had this virus, after all) vomited on herself as the plane began its ascent.
Not the way you want to start a trip!
But Levynn recovered quickly - nearly half of these photos and videos were taken within 24 hours of the flight - and neither Dad nor Lincoln got sick, somehow or other.
So we got to play in the snow that kept us away for three days, first in a state park with Papa, Uncle Colin, Aunt Katey and their dog Brady on Thursday, and then for some sledding with Uncle Dan, Aunt Rachel, Uncle Andy and cousin Chloe at the elementary school down the street on Friday.
We also went to an indoor play place with Rachel and Chloe on Saturday, after we missed out on the Disney on Ice show and the Boston Children's Museum visit we had planned for earlier in the week when we were still stuck in Chicago.
And we ate, drank and were generally merry - but all without Mom, who was missed by more than just the three of us.
Brady loves to lick!
"Cheese!"
Santa Papa at work.
Go 'Cats! (No, not those 'Cats, Kentucky folks!)
Ice skates! (You'll see them put to use very, very soon.)
Was yours a white one, like ours? We had fresh snow on the ground this morning, and we even went sledding in the afternoon. Do you think the kids had fun today or what?
Santa was good to them, from flashlights ("get that out of my face!") ...
... to Toy Story and Disney princesses.
Mom and Dad were good to each other, be it a Michael Kors "MK" scarf...
... or Northwestern basketball tickets.
Kids were good to us, too. Here's a piece Lincoln made in his art class and wanted to give to Mom.
And there was a reminder of a great achievement from the past year - one that some of you were able to witness, we're happy to say.
And for those of you who we won't be seeing, thanks for everything and merry Christmas from us all!
Levynn made Dad nervous this morning when she declared, shortly before we made our annual Christmas season pilgrimage to the Hancock Observatory, that (gasp!) we were not going to see the real Santa. She wouldn't even allow that he is an authorized representative or legitimate in any way, shape or form!
But how we forget. This is not a man to doubt.
When Santa appeared ho-ho-ho-ing, ringing sleigh bells and warmly welcoming each child in wait, Levynn turned to us and said, "He is the real Santa!"
Now that's the spirit!
Real or not, he is the very same Santa we've seen there each of the four Christmas seasons we've lived in Chicago. So he's as real as it gets!
And he sure likes to chat.
Per tradition, we also took photos outside the building and in front of the holiday train set and ate lunch at the Cheesecake Factory on the premises.
We didn't blog about the first year's visit, in 2007, but here are quick links to 2008 and 2009 if you want to compare.
And you will notice that he is, indeed, the very same (and very real?) Santa Claus.
One of her kindergarten classmates became the closest friend she has had in her six years, but we hadn't been in contact with her or her family since the summer. Then, out of the blue, her mom e-mailed Mom asking about a playdate last Friday - exactly one week after giving birth to her third child, not to mention in the middle of holiday hectic-ness. And she wanted Levynn to go to their house. What timing!
But if it was OK with her, it was OK with us!
So today was the day. And when they came to get Levynn this morning, the girls ran to each other, hugged, held it, and didn't say a word. It was the sweetest thing to see. Then, when they came back here, Levynn's friend had a goody bag for "Lingkin."
