The Chicago Adventure Begins...

Even the best laid plans do not guarantee smooth sailing.. we spent the day before our trip doing last minute shopping. Wouldn't you know that I didn't even think to measure the suitcases until the last day, only to discover that one of the suitcases was oversized. Since the oversized baggage fee was an extra $50, I thought that the last minute trip to the thrift store desperate to find warm clothes could include the hunt for a new suitcase.

Although we were not so successful in our search for warm clothes, not even finding any long sleeve shirts for the boys, and only sweaters for Ber and I, the suitcase search was a success! Not only did we find a really cute set of suitcases at a good price in fantastic condition, but we found two carry-on rolling suitcases to add to our entourage of luggage.

We ended up finding some long sleeve shirts at the regular store, so when we got home, we had tons of laundry to get done. We ended up staying up all night long to get the laundry and the packing done. (I still can't figure out why it took so long!) The boys both passed out at some point even through their excitement.

As the hour to leave rapidly approached, Ber and I dragged ourselves along, tripping over sleeping boys as we finished up the packing, and double checked our list to make sure we had everything. Our feet must have been really heavy since we ended up leaving over an hour late. I was thinking how glad I was to have planned extra travel time in to get to the airport.. we would have just enough time, but were cutting everything close.

Christmas in Chicago..

Not that I am great at getting a post up every day, or anything like that, but my posts may become scarce over the next few weeks. The kids and I will be in Chicago for Christmas visiting family. Yeah! The love of my life is treating us to Christmas with family.. and of course he will be there too! 

It has been about six years since we have seen any family, and everyone is SO excited! After all, Little A will only be turning 7 in January. I'm thinking that the kids will have changed a bit since my mom and grandmother last saw them.. what do you think? I'm also thinking that my grandmother and my mom will have changed quite a bit since I last saw them.

The last several years have seen my grandmother through some very serious health problems and hospital stays.. she is still trying to recover her health, and at 80 years old, it is becoming a losing battle. My mother has spent the last year dealing with a diagnosis of a rare form of breast cancer. After months of chemotherapy, several weeks of further radiation treatments, and HUGE changes to her diet and starting to learn energy medicine, I am happy to say that the doctors are not seeing any sign of cancer cells or of micro cancer cells. I am also happy to say that I think the treatments might finally be done, and she will be on her road to recovery from them when we visit.

In addition to seeing various family besides them, we also want to do the tourist thing, and go see some sights.. Brookfield Zoo, Shedd Aquarium, maybe Navy Pier, the Sears Tower (or whatever they call it now!), and maybe even catch a real tourist tour of Chicago. I may have grown up there, but I never did anything like that.. I am looking forward to it!

Just to summarize, without having internet access while staying with family, I may not get a chance to post anything while we are away. Of course, I am still hoping to write some posts about our adventures, so hopefully I will have a bunch to tell you when we come back the second week in January!

If I don't get a chance to say it later..

Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays!

and 

Happy New Year!

'Tis the Season to Need Batteries...

'Tis the season to need batteries.. Fa-la-la-la-la   La-la-la-la...
Batteries! It seems like Christmas always brings out our need for batteries. A couple of years ago, I decided that I was really tired of always having to buy batteries.. especially when I had to go back to the store to buy more a week after Christmas.

I started researching different rechargeable batteries, and every time I ran into the same problem.. they are just expensive. When you are trying to replace batteries for all the toys that kids have.. whoa! So I started buying a few rechargeable batteries at a time.. first for the digital camera some AAs, then for the mp3 player some AAAs.  Somewhere along the line I came across this fabulous website for rechargeable batteries.. the batteries are a decent price, and not only do they hold a good charge, but we have had ours for over a year of repetitive abuse, and they are still strong!

They Are Going To Love This!

Although I love Christmas time, it is also my least favorite time of year. I absolutely love the Christmas lights, the displays that are put up, the caroling, the Christmas goodies, and the gatherings with family and friends. I love watching my children open up the presents I have carefully picked out for them, and seeing the expressions of pure joy. I love watching them delve into using their newly acquired possessions, forgetting that there are other people around, totally forgetting that time even exists.

So what makes it my least favorite time of year? Easy, the same things that everyone else dislikes.. crowds, cold, lack of sunlight, commercialism... Why do we all wait until the last month before Christmas to get all of our present shopping done? Wait, wait, I have an answer to offer! We wait because people's tastes change. Okay, mostly our kids.. you just never know what they are going to like until last minute, or what size they are going to be! It can't be the sales.. we all know that the prices are all raised just before Thanksgiving, so that everything can be put "on sale" for the regular price.. geesh.. and we fall for it every year! Last, but not least, I hesitate to mention that maybe we all are just a bit of procrastinators.

When Ber and I got a chance to go out shopping without the boys the other day, I was finally able to pick up a couple of the toys I really wanted to surprise the boys with this year for Christmas. I have been wanting to get them a racing game for the Wii, and I have looked at a bunch of them. I finally decided on getting them MarioKart for the Wii. I ordered it online for a fantastic deal.. love those coupons! Well, I had my eye on these Wii Nerf Racing Wheels to pair up with the game, and we ran across them at the store.. even better, they had one in blue and one in red.. the perfect colors for the boys! Of course I snatched them up right away, and now they are safely hidden away waiting for the last minute, "OMG, I haven't wrapped anything yet!"
Now to await the delivery of the game itself..
I hope I don't forget my hiding places before Christmas..
and I had better find that other box that I moved with us marked Christmas 2009!