Please let me re-introduce myself. I'm Nicole, the blog slacker. It is not that I don't have anything to write about, trust me I do, but I just don't seem to have the time. So much has been going on, I don't know where my time goes. I have no idea how my friends that have families to look after do it. I can hardly keep up with myself, let alone anyone else. I'm so glad all I have to do is put some water & food down, open the back door and give some belly rubs for my boys, anything more and I might fall apart. The days have never rushed by faster, but then seem to go so slow sometimes too. Very odd, I don't think I can explain it very well. But let me try with my trip to Chicago...
I headed to Chicago for a long Memorial Day weekend. I could not have been more excited to jump on a plane and head there, I was like a kid waiting for my new toy. I headed up there mid-morning and then met my dad at the airport. He was a big kid too, he couldn't wait to see the kids either. Stacy picked us up and we headed back to her house for a bit before the other kids came home. Caitlyn was just excited that we were finally there that she could hardly get her words out. We took the bags upstairs and she was jumping on Brendan's bed. I pulled her down and started to tickle her. In between laughs, she said "Auntie Cole, you
really do love me". We all laughed, not sure what that really meant, but I think the harder I 'got her' the more it showed her my love. Shortly after that, the other two came home. Wow! Have they grown. Kelli is more of a young lady than a 'girl'. So sure of herself, so proud, and such a smartass. LOL. Brendan is a handsome, funny young man. Where have Stacy's babies gone?
That night we headed to a 'house league' game for Brendan. I had my huge camera in hand, ready to snap those pics like the paparazzi, and my dad was busting at the seams to watch him play. Brendan got to pitch some,
but about halfway thru the game, he was pegged in the head with a line drive, and he went straight down. It took every fiber of my body not to go run out there and pick him up --the trace amount of maternal instincts that my body seemed to muster up was pushing me to go and baby him. He was fine, his ego was bruised more than anything. We watched him for most the night to make sure he didn't need to go to the hospital. All was good by the morning.
So, I have been begging, whining, dropping bomb sized hints that I wanted to go downtown and do the boat thingy and see the city. Finally, after about 5 years of asking, we had time to go on Friday before the weekend of soccer and baseball games began. So, we all boarded the train to downtown, kelli and I playing her iTou.ch and everyone else just catching up on things. After arriving at that train station, we walked a few blocks, to the water taxi's
and headed down the chicago river to catch the big boats. We walk up, ugggg, the place is just packed with school groups; oh well, nothing is going to ruin my day. We waited a few minutes and then we caught the next boat, we were the last ones on after a zillion kids got on first. We sit at the back of the boat, and Brendan hangs out with me, kelli starts acting cool and caitlyn is with stacy. We start to tour the city, it was kinda gloomy/cold out, but I was still determined to get some pictures.
After all the safety stuff (i.e. don’t jump out of the boat – LOL) we were on our way. Okay, I love this city. As I’ve matured (yeah, stop snickering), I have learned to love history and architecture ( I think that is why I love Europe so much) and this city has it all. Click, click, click, I’m taking tons of pictures. Another cool part to this city, is there are ‘locks’ to get out to the lake. The river is actually is actually lower than the lake that feeds it—yeah, weird huh – so you go into this HUGE steal trap, the gates close behind you, the ones in front of you slowly open and the water pours in, raising the water level 10 or 15 feet, it way cool.
Once that is complete, you are on your way to the lake. Click, Click, Click. Tons more pictures taken. The Chicago skyline is the best of any city in this country, it is amazing.
My Dad and Kelli on the boat
Soldier Field Where the Bears Play
Big Sky Line
John Hancock Bld
We headed back into the river (going back thru the locks) and then did more of a tour of the river and saw all the cool buildings up close.
Sears Tower
Cool Bridge Architecture
Wrigley Building (My Dad used to work here)
Going down the River, the blue building is the Boeing Bld.
The tour was over, we jumped back on the water taxi, and then off to the train station. We didn’t have time to wonder around the city, we had some games and practices waiting for us back in the ‘burbs.
Soon after we arrived home, it was time to head back out. Everyone went separate ways, Kelli had her first game of her tournament so Dad & I went that way, and Brendan had a baseball practice, but met up with us later. Kelli cracked me up, she run by or be across the field and would glare at me cause I was the paparazzi again. Kelli—I will never stop trying to take pictures. BAAAWAAAHAAAAA.
Like this 'die' look...
Oh, here is another one!
I can’t remember if it was that game or the one she had the next day, but I turned my camera towards Caitlyn for a moment (the most patient game kid you could imagine)
This is the picture I was taking...
and I hear “Go Kelli, go!”, I turn my camera back to the field, I didn’t catch her goal on film, but I saw it. However, Joel and Dad did not—my tush was in the way and they missed the goal. Sorry guys, I know you are probably still mad at me. Anywho, Kelli has become a very strong soccer player, amazing to see how her game has changed over the years. I love you kiddo!
Pictures of Kelli playing Soccer!
He played multiple positions and kicked butt at all of them. That first game was out of control, the game ended up with extra innings, tied, bases loaded, 2 outs and they call Brendan to come in an pitch. I wanted to puke. All my insecurities were welling up – what if he fails, he will be ruined for life, he will beat himself forever if he doesn’t strike this kid out. Hell, as a 10 year old, he had more composure than I have ever had. Cool as a cucumber! And he did it! He won the game for them. I wanted to run out and carry him off the field. All my fears were over in an instant and he was on such a high that I just wanted to cry for him. Right after that game, his team switched shirts and played another. After 5 hours of continuous baseball, we were all pooped! But what a great day that was, watching both kids win their games.
Pictures of Brendan...
When we got home, I went down to the basement and laid down waiting for the next decision of what we were going to do to be made.
Stacy: “don’t lay down, you’ll fall asleep”
Nicole: “no I won’t, shut up”
60 seconds later… ZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
I wake up about an hour later, with Caitlyn and Kelli laughing sitting on the bed with me.
Nicole: “What did you two do?”
Giggle, giggle, giggle.
They drew on my face with markers! AND I slept thru it! I walk up stairs and show their mother what they did to me. She almost fell off of the chair laughing. Thanks girls.
That was pretty much the tone for the whole weekend. We laughed and cheered and watched movies (Brendan & I even had a date!) and we talked and we did homework. It was amazing. I cannot begin to express how much I love those damn kids.
Kelli is becoming a young women in front of my eyes. I asked her “who is your boyfriend”. She snapped back “Why do I need a boyfriend to define me, I can be single and it be okay”. Yes ma’am you can. Please don’t ever let someone tell you different. Promise me.
Brendan has such a sense of humor that it is unreal. Very dry and quick. The kind that will take you a few seconds to realize what he said, and he will have walked off with a smirk on his face. Not smartass, that is not what I mean at all, he is genuinely funny. And a very athletic boy too! He loves his sports and it shows. He’s a boys boy.
And last my Caitlyn. Who could forget that chica; she is a wild child, but in a good way. She is the most patient 4 ½ year old I have ever seen at games; I guess when you grow up on some sort of sport field, you just don’t know any different and you deal with it. She is the best to watch games with. Oh! How can I forget her sport as well! Man, I’m a bad auntie. She went to gymnastics right before I had to head out to the airport. That girl is ripped! She has the arms and the abs. Gymnastics will be her thing. Kelli has soccer, Bren has baseball, soon I will be add gymnastics meets to my list. Too bad she won’t be 16 by the time the Olympics hit Chicago.
I'll post those pics ASAP, I don't have them close to me right now to throw out here.
It was time for me to leave and the tears began. Caitlyn wouldn’t let me go at the airport, she locked her arms around me and cried into my shoulder. That just made it worse. I had to ask Joel for some help getting her off of me, I couldn’t take it anymore. I cried all the way thru security and on to the gate. Yeah, I was red-eyed freak, so I grabbed a book that Jodie lent me to hide my face… that leads me into the next saga of my life….
(that will be my next post, and I promise it won't be a month away)
