Checking out Chicago

Now that my schedule is a wee bit more open than before, I figured I should take some time to go visit some of my sisters and their families. I was lucky, I had a free ticket that was expiring this month, so I didn't have to pay more than $7 for the taxes. So, as soon as we settled on the right week, I was on a plane. My oldest sister lives near Chicago. I have visited a bunch of times before, but mostly in the fall. The last time I was there, this little guy was much littler...I remember feeding him peas and carrots in his high chair, so it was about 2 years ago. Isn't he so cute...I love his big smile!! Since his older sisters were in school, I don't have any photos of them. But, as usual, I was the designated hair french braider EVERY morning for Jenna. Her mom isn't that talented in the braiding dept...which I can't figure out why, there were 6 of us girls and she never had to do our hair? Anyway, I was woken up every morning at 7:30 on the dot to braid her hair.
Heather's kids have such different personalites and looks. The oldest, Haley, is 15 blonde and looks like her dad, but her stubborness is just like her mom. She is funny, so smart, creative, sporty, musically talented. She is the "all around girl".
Jenna is 8ish (I don't really know) and looks like her momma, but is so fashionably savvy. She thinks about what she is going to wear, what accessories she will add to it. She is musical too, and is a typical little girl that loves all the things kids her age are into....Miley, High School Musical, glitter and sparkles. When she gets upset...she is UPSET!! (look out Heather, teen years are ahead, and I can't imagine what she'll be like). One night she was crying about something minor, and I looked at her and said, "Why are you crying like your mom and dad are dead, your house caught on fire, your legs got chopped off and your puppy got ran over?"
Payton is such a sweet little boy...and ALL boy. He loves all things CARS (as in the movie), baseball, trucks, puzzles...your typical boy. Unlike his sister, his cry is the sweetest. You can tell when he is really crying or faking. His real cry is painful to hear...he gets the flubs and starts to hyperventilate...he has a sweet little heart.
So, while I was there, I ended up going through all of Heather's food magazines and copied a bunch of recipes. We baked, went to the library, played games, shuffled kids to and fro, and just hung out. One night we were getting the kids ready for bed early so we could play a game (Dad and Haley were at church), and the lights flickered...then were OUT. In about a minute, Heather had the flashlight and lantern out. The kids finished getting ready for bed, and we got Uno Attack out to play a game by lantern light. When the lights go out in the freezing cold, it gets cold in the house pretty fast, so I bundled the kids up and we waited for Heather to come down. I made the mistake of making a ghost noise...that freaked Payton out, his eyes became HUGE and started to get scared. So, I had him try it, so we could scare mom (quick thinking Tanya...he caught on quickly and thought it was funny). Then we played Uno Attack for the next hour till the lights came on and they had to go to bed.
Here are some pics of what Payton and I did during the day...just him and me.

Love that smile!

Look at that perfect stance! When I was up to bat, he was sure to tell me how to do it right. Same with pitching...aparently I throw my leg in the air, just as I am about to throw the ball, and I am supposed to step ONLY.

I think this was a home run!

Puzzles every day, sometimes a couple times a day. He loved to pick up a piece, put it down, and say "Told you it went there!"

Riding the big wheel. Surprisingly there was no snow on the ground when I got there....just the way I like it.

It takes a lot of concentration to color in the lines!

On Friday, it was a half day of school, so we packed up the car and headed to Ohio with the little kids to visit our youngest sister...To Be Continued