We love ND ... even when they are rebuilding.

More posing

Twin love

Labor Day at Brookfield

Joe had to work pretty much every minute of Labor Day weekend.  So that left me running out of ideas  (and patience) to entertain the kids without bothering dad.  I'll admit that I've put together better weekends ... until Monday.  That was a great day.  We met up with Mary Boxer and Emmit and Ian at the Brookfield Zoo and we walked those kids for 4 hours straight.  We had a great time.  We saw the Dinosaurs Alive exhibit and a ton of animals.  We even paid extra for the "touch a stingray" exhibit, but those stingrays had figured out that if they stayed low and in the middle of the big tank, the kids couldn't reach them.  Finn was BUMMED!  But even though the kids were dead tired at the end of our zoo visit, the fun was not over yet.  The kids got a 45 minute disco nap while I drove to the hotel in Deerfield where the Boxers were staying while their kitchen was being renovated.  Since the hotel didn't have a convention booked that weekend, we had the pool and hot tub to ourselves.  The kids had a blast running to get warm in the hot tub before running right back to the pool.  We did that for almost an hour until the pizza arrived. Then we ate in the courtyard as the sun was setting and the kids played tag between bites.  On our way back to the car after saying goodbye, Finn asked if we could come back soon.  If we can get some discount rates on a non-convention weekend this winter, I'm totally up for it.

My kids like to climb ... and pose

Finn's become obsessed with climbing trees at Wrightwood Park.  Here is a shot of his head peaking out from between the leaves.

 Montgomery Ward Park also has some great climbing structures.  Hence, this is one of the kids new favorite parks.

On vacation, Mae taught Lourdes and Sabine how to "pose." I think I'm in trouble when they hit high school.

First Day of Kindergarten

On August 28, 2013, my baby boy became a kindergartner.  He was so excited about full day school and getting to wear a uniform that I couldn't even cry.  I can only hope that he is always this excited over school and learning.

Pure Michigan

Another perfect week in Northern Michigan with the Cano family.  We began our journey to Bellaire with a stopover in Ann Arbor the night before to pick up daddy who had been on campus interviewing U of M Law students.  We ate dinner at our favorite restaurant, Seva, and enjoyed a nice sauvignon blanc which was greatly needed by me after the 4.5 hour drive alone with the kids.  The next morning, we walked around the law school campus to show the kids where mom and dad earned their law degrees.  It was crazy walking around Hutchins Hall after all these years.  But even more crazy to see the newer, better law school building that they have built right across the street.  We finally arrived in Bellaire on Saturday afternoon and the kids were ready to get in the lake.  Once the Canos arrived, we barely had to entertain our children as they were content to run around with their buds.  The week consisted of checking out at least 5 local beaches, a day in Traverse City, a day at Sleeping Bear dunes, renting a pontoon boat for a day trip around the lakes, many trips to Shorts Brewery for the boys, bonfires with the requisite smores, trips for ice cream and naps.  In short, EXACTLY what we needed.  At one point on the pontoon boat, Sabine had fallen asleep on my chest and Lourdes had fallen asleep beside daddy.  Finn was cuddled up near me occasionally making comments about how much he liked boating.  I thought to myself, this is perfection.  I need to remember this moment during all the times that life seems out-of-control crazy, because it is all worth it for moments like these.

Seva

Our night in a King Bed at Campus Inn

Hutchins Hall

Future Michigan law reviewers!

 Within an hour of our arrival at the lake house, we were in Lake Bellaire

Our first of many day trips to local beaches.  Amazing how much sand and water can entertain kids.

The stomp rocket we brought kept the kids busy for hours on end

Finn was obsessed with daddy taking him out in the boat

 The Michigan kid crew

Lourdes and Ian fell in love with each other during this vacation.  We posited it was because they both sensed the crazy in the other.

 Ice cream as big as your head!  This is when I asked for one scoop!

 The pontoon boat rocked!  I never thought the kids would last for 6 straight hours, but they loved being on the boat and the little stops we would take to swim.  The tons of snacks we brought also didn't hurt.

The kids drove us crazy with sticks during the week.  They all wanted their own "muck sticks" to make "muck."  Of course, that led to fights over individual muck sticks or the occasional breakdown over the breaking of an ideal stick.  I told them by the end of the vacation that I never wanted to hear "muck sticks" again.

Sleeping Bear dunes trip

 We had gotten out at this little beach and just planned to check it out for a few minutes, so I didn't bring the kids bathing suits with me.  Of course that didn't keep them out of the water.  So when the girls shirts were soaked, they wanted to go nudey tops.  Kids LOVE being naked, even if it is just halfway.

 When we got back to the car, their soaked clothes went into a bag and they were in bathing suits the rest of the day.

 A really steep, slippery dune.  It took 30 minutes to get back up to the top from the very bottom, so we only ventured down a small distance.

 The kids filled out a junior ranger booklet so that they could all get junior ranger badges at the end of the trip.  This ranger took his job way seriously.  He wouldn't give Ian a badge because he hadn't sufficiently filled out his book!  This is the rest of the kids getting sworn in as junior rangers.  But don't worry, Lourdes found a more sane ranger to sneak Ian a badge after the ceremony.

 Last day of vacation.  We were all super depressed to leave.  Especially because this was the last time we would see the Canos before the moved to Pittsburgh!

By the end of the trip, even the kids loved Shorts Brewery.  The food was really good.

I think it is a rule that you must have ice cream on your last day.