We wasted no time getting Jack’s summer underway.

The day after school ended we packed the car with a picnic, picked up a few extra kids, and headed out to the Morton Arboretum.

The boys spent many hours running around full speed. First at the natural playground playing tag, then running the loop around the rope bridge and back over and over and over again.

They also ran around for a while inside the maze. Getting lost and playing some game where you have to find each other.

And running to see the Origami exhibit. 

There was other random boys play. Stuff that, growing up in an all girls family, is completely foreign to me…

It was a super fun day and I thought when I brought them back to my house for a hour they would quietly trade pokeman cards but Ben arrived home from school and got them into a game of ‘Monster’ and they were up and running again for another hour.

The vision I had of what it would be like to be a mom is quite different from the reality I live today. But seeing the absolute joy on their faces when you take them somewhere that they can run, play, and laugh is one of those times where fantasy meets reality.

After such an eventful Father’s Day, Adam’s birthday came a short two days later.

Unlike father’s day, which landed on a Sunday, this birthday was Tuesday. There was work and school, so unfortunately for Adam there was less time to celebrate.

We started the morning better than father’s day. Adam actually got to sleep in.

Then we opened presents and cards.

Here they are laughing about the card they gave him. It had a joke about butts, which still seems to be the joke of choice around here. Every day. All. Day. Long.

Adam got new clothes from us. He is the kind of person that would spend money on everyone in the family but himself, so he is easy to shop for.

Both my and his family showered him with more gift cards and money.

Later that evening our lovely sitter came by and Adam and I went out for a drink, some food and a movie – Wonder Woman. (You see, in typical form, we went to see the movie I wanted to see on his birthday!!!)

Happy 48th Adam! May all your birthday wishes come true!

I wish I could report on a delightful day filled with fun and loving acts from our kids to their father, but instead dear readers, I’m going to report the truth. No ‘fake booking’ today.

Adam planned a super day, mostly centered around what would make the kids most happy.

First Adam woke up to Ben screaming at the top of his lungs at 5:58 in the morning on the stairwell.

So much for Adam’s Father’s Day lay in. Or anyone else in the houses for that matter.

So, we opened presents instead.

The boys made/bought cards and we framed these three photos in one frame for him.

Yes, it’s that embarrassing 70s photo. The one where your mom makes you all wear the same shirt and take pictures. I figure they can have a laugh together over this photo montage when I’m long gone.

Next we headed out to the suburbs for breakfast at Walker Brother’s Pancake House.

Jack sweetly lets Sam win tic-tac-toe

The kids fought most of breakfast. Ben complained Aaron was kicking him. At one point Ben was under the table, extremely upset that he didn’t get a red crayon. Then he was upset he didn’t get to order the adult size pancakes.

Next we headed over to Deerfield’s Bakery so Ben could pick out his cake for his birthday.

Topper for Ben’s cake

Adam very nicely treated them to a box of butter cookies. In return, the kids were so unruly, running around the bakery – in stark contrast from every other kid in the place. We got so many dirty looks we finally made them wait in the car while Adam finished the order.

Then we headed to the Chicago Botanical Gardens so our rambunctious boys could burn some of their apparent pent up energy.

We decided we would ask them to take a ‘smallest to tallest’ picture. It is Adam’s hope to do this every time one of the kids grow bigger than me until I’m the last one in the line up. The first one was a failed attempt with Sam fighting Aaron for position and Ben on the floor crying.

Here is how the second attempt went…

Adam bought them tickets to see the model trains. It was Aaron’s pick (Adam let them all pick a place to visit in the gardens). Aaron cried and whined when it wasn’t open yet and he didn’t get to go first.

I wanted them all to see the Hollywood sign because this summer we are planning a visit to LA to see the cousins.

Only three out of four. Ben was on the other side of the pond having a breakdown. Adam was holding him tight while he wailed, kicked and screamed. More parents gawked and we got more dirty looks.

Then over to the maze. It was Jack’s pick. Adam had them run laps. He requested they do it together and not compete. For once just do something as a group! Don’t compete and make each other cry all the time!

Jack isn’t running because he couldn’t stop from running ahead and making the others cry, so he was told to sit out.

Good day so far, eh?

Next Adam took the boys to see Cars 3. It was a super cute movie with great life lessons that went over all the kids heads. I know this because we asked them about it later.

Aaron cried through most of the previews, unable to wait patiently for the movie to start. Then when the projection stopped unexpectedly Ben almost had a fit on the floor.

Finally we went home. Aaron continued to misbehave and at one point he said he wanted new parents. Ouch.

Adam got his haircut, then took Jack to the park to throw the ball around.

I felt pretty bad for Adam that the kids were so poorly behaved. Even sadder that it was kind of like a normal day and perhaps we, as parents, were stupid for mistakenly hoping that things could be different for even one day.

Perhaps next year Adam will just take the time for himself like I’ve learn to do! Or maybe this documentation will make next year’s father’s day better by comparison.

Happy? Father’s Day, Adam.

We finished off Ben’s week off with some activity every day.

I’m not sure if it’s the time outside, exhausting him every day, or some other of the myriad of things we are trying on him right now, like a medical grade probiotic and a daily dose of broccoli sprouts (based on the article my sister sent me), but for the first time about 6 months, Ben has slept through the night without waking us up for 4 days in a row. Let’s pray it continues.

As for the tiring activities, we did many things, most requested by Ben.

Like feeding the ducks.

Later that day we went to the waterpark nearby.

Or crashing Jack’s field trip to the zoo.

We also checked out the new Pritzker natural playground at the zoo.

And treated ourselves to cotton candy!

Thursday Ben went to lunch at Adam’s office. Later we checked out Adam’s park, the waterpark was finally open for the summer.

Chasing our sitter, Camila, around the park.

Friday we didn’t have the car so we walked all the way to Jack’s school.

In fact, most days Ben picked Jack up after school and sometimes we played for a bit in the playground after afterschool.

I think he had a good week. Each day we settled into each other more and each day it gelled a bit better.

Ben is back to school on Monday. Jack’s last day of school is Tuesday…

Yesterday was a sunny 91° in Chicago and so we did the only thing we could do on a day like that – head to the beach! 

Ben invited a few of his school buddies and we made a day of it. It was hot, but the water was a chilly 64°. Anytime we felt overheated we easily dipped in to the water and regulated ourselves.

Sam ‘cooling down’ this nice woman…

It was an odd experience to be burning up on the top half of your body and have your toes cramping from cold all at the same time!

Ice Cream!

Can’t wait until Jack gets out of school to do the same with him.

After last year’s soccer fest, where Coach Adam and Jack’s team fought their way from the bottom of the line up to the unlikely 3rd place winners – in an overtime sudden death shoot out no less, I didn’t think anything could ever top it.

Well, never say never.

This year Jack’s team won the max points they could on the first day – 14 points for winning both games and having both of them be shut outs (the other team did not score).

This seeded them in medal position no matter they did the next day.

As it turns out, the second and third place teams played each other for their third game, knocking one of the two top teams out before the final. Jack’s team ended up with a forfeit for their third game as the other team didn’t have enough players, which gave them another 5 points.

Which meant Jack’s team ended up in the final as one of the top two teams. It was first or second place!

And how did it end? Well, they tied 1-1 and ended up in ANOTHER sudden death overtime. The first 5 players shot and it was STILL tied!

Jack’s team won on the 6th kick.

FIRST PLACE!!!

I couldn’t possibly eat my words if I say again this year that nothing can beat this year’s excitement, right?

Ben is off from school right now. He goes to school 11 months a year so when he has time off, we try very hard to ensure his time away from school is everything he wants it to be.

His first request was to check out a new park. Luckily, with Mayor Emanuel’s Chicago Plays! initiative, there are boatloads of new playgrounds to choose from.

I stumbled upon this gem in one of my many google searches and Friday morning we packed up and headed out to see it.

Merrimac Park was redone 2 years ago but it’s so far away from us it was completely off my radar.

This park has a field house with bathrooms. Clean bathrooms! It made the visit so much more civilized!

They had interesting climbing structures that I’ve never seen before.

And a water feature.

Two tables for eating or snacking. Or, if you prefer, lots of green open space to picnic, play ball or just run free in. The open space included 2 baseball diamonds and a track that looped the whole thing – perfect for safe biking.

The best part of the park for me was the diversity of the people. I heard Serbian, Spanish, and Arabic. An African American father was biking the path with his son. And everyone was so incredibly nice to each other. After traveling and living abroad, I so appreciate how unique America is. It truly is the great melting pot.

The field house is open 9am-9pm Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm Saturday and closed on Sunday.