Home Sweet Home

Vacation did not afford me any time for blogging. But I would love to sum up this vacation for my readers, and of course most importantly for posterity's sake. First though, my disclaimer: "This vacation was quite fun and I thoroughly enjoyed watching the kids enjoy each other and play together, with friends, with cousins, on their own, and I fully enjoyed having my own fun with friends, family and the kids whether it was girl time shopping with E or crazy roller coaster time riding with the boys or sliding down water slides with them all."

The sum-up/mishaps of the 2011 trip to Bloomington, IL then onto friend's home in Chicago, Downtown Chicago stay, and then onto The Dells in WI:

-We changed our  plans last minute from Sheboygan to The Dells because of a bunch of smelly dead fish on the shores and in the water in Sheboygan.
-Bloomington plan to play in the water spray park on a 100 degree day was squelched because the spray park was broken. Plan changed to zoo trip. Not bad, just hot! Visited with family and had a wonderful evening. Got to hang with my wonderful college friend and kids got to see their friends too.
-On to Chicago the next day. Lack of air-conditioning in the upstairs at our friend's in Chicago did not get us down, a few drinks at the local tapas bar kept our "spirits" up.
-Lack of air conditioning in the upstairs seating area (where they sat us) at the Rainforest Cafe didnt get us down, but did make us a bit crabby.
-Crabbiness carried over a bit as my lovely husband insisted on walking all the way to Navy Pier in the lovely 100 degree heat.
-Upon arriving back at our Chicago downtown hotel via taxi, I find my husband shaking his head only to discover that is because he left our $120 dollar stroller that we purchased the previous day in the back of the cab. Never to be seen again.
-Charlie must be carried or walk his 3 yr old legs all over Chicago the next day.
-One child who will remain nameless wet his bed in the hotel.
-I slept (using that term loosely) with Elaina and Charlie in a double bed in the Chicago hotel.
-Back to our friends' to sleep a night there (a little confusion with getting the chicago hotel for 2 nights before heading to the dells) - Thank goodness I am a packing genius - this helped the 5 transitions to different sleeping locations throughout our trip, however still not super easy.
-We get to our suite in the Dells - our $415 a night suite - Our air conditioner is not blowing cold air! - I think "must I be hot the entire trip?" - I get it fixed.
-We play hard in the Dells - Waterparks, theme parks daily, restaurants, Deer park - We also work hard in the Dells, Packing up a room that has  been descended upon by 7 hot and tired and crazy people all week, making sure everyone is happy and in a good mood and having fun all week.
-Eventually, we head home. We walk in the door to a perfectly clean house (my awesome cleaning lady and sitter had been to my home while we were gone) and Charlie steps into the kitchen to promptly barf all over the kitchen floor.

Welcome Home. I could really use a vacation from my vacation : )