New Years Part 2: Zoo Lights and the Party

Why do my kids kick and scream and protest so loudly when we tell them that we are taking them somewhere and we don't tell them where that place is?  After all, a few years ago we didn't tell them we were going to Disneyland until a day or two before we left, and only then did we tell them because they pestered it out of us.  Then there was the whole Great Wolf Lodge thing.  Last year we took them to school, then pulled them out an hour later and started driving north.  Isaac argued.  Avery cried.  Isaac argued some more.  Brady stuck out his neck and pouted.  Nathan got mad.  And Isaac continued to argue.   We still didn't tell them.  But we did assure them that they would LOVE where we were going, and that they better stop having bad attitudes RIGHT NOW!!!!  Two hours later, they saw the water slides emerging out of the side of the lodge, and decided that, okay, Mom and Dad are cool after all. 

New Years Eve was more of the same.  Fun day fully planned (by Dad, I might add), and executed right on schedule (I did say it was planned by Dad, right?).  They enjoyed Margie's.  After we filled up on ice cream, we headed toward Lincoln Park Zoo.  They complained, and moaned.  But John and I both love to try and surprise them, even if it isn't something big like Disneyland. 

Forget about the lights and the animals.  Nathan was most excited about the indoor "climbing thing" that he played on forever last time we were there. 




You can't really see it, but the kids are staring at the crocodile.
It sat perfectly motionless at the edge of the pool.
Nathan asked me "Mom, why does the crocodile keep staring at me?"



After church on New Years day, we went to Karen's parents' home for their 30 something annual New Years day open house.   The adults sat around sharing stories and eating things like baked bologna with apricot mustard glaze (delish! I know it may sound weird if your not from around these parts, but trust me, yum!), stuffed grape leaves, asparagus salad, and sugared cranberries (which I probably ate an entire dish of).  The kids spent their time spying on the adults and stealing more deserts.  We ate, talked, ate some more, laughed, commented on how every one's children had grown so much since last year, and for a time I felt like I had a big family right here in Chicago. 

Here's to a happy, safe, inspired, blessed, hopefully slightly less stressful than 2011, new year!