Amani's Day -

Before Amani's birthday her grandma asked me if I would be willing to spend some time with Amani in an art lesson. Saturday was that day. So I got out all the papers, stickers, glue, scissors, rulers and things we needed to make a book. Things that I thought a 6 year old would enjoy using.

"Let's start our art, Patti." 

So we began and 15 minutes {and 234 questions} later she said, while looking out to the pond, 

"I sort of bored of this art can we go fishing? Or do something else?" 

Best laid plans...

So we got out the ingredients and made Monster Cookies. {682 questions later}

 "Only put in M&M's and chocolate chips. I don't like other stuff."

 "Why am I measuring so much oatmeal?"

"That's what the recipe says to put in. 4 and 1/2 cups"

"Well, that felt more like 5 to me."

"Do you want to work on your book some more?"

"No, what I really want to do is eat a cookie and play with the dogs."

"Can we go fishing now?"

"I need to fix some lunch for us and for Bryan, then we will."

 So we had a picnic.

"Uh...what kind of apples are these?"

"Honeycrisp."

"Oh, that's my favorite! Good."

 "Are you about done so we can fish?"

Finally! 

We fished for awhile and since none were biting we gave that up in order to play with the dogs some more. 

Believe me, I loved it since it was a beautiful day.

"Can we get the eggs now?"

So we got the basket and went to gather the eggs.

The new chickens had laid 2 in their boxes.

 We went into the barn to search for the eggs that the other 4 laid.

We only found one up in the hay.

"Why is there only one egg and there is 4 chickens?"

"Why do they lay their eggs up in the hay?"...

 "Can we go back and see if there are anymore eggs in the other chicken house yet?"

Me: "It doesn't happen that fast."

"Why not? I need to check anyway."

So...she checked. No eggs. Huh.

Me: "How about if you feed and water them?"

{3712 questions later} "Will these eggs hatch into baby chicks?" "No" "Why not?" "We don't have a rooster." "What?" "Well, in order for the eggs to hatch you need a rooster." {OH NO, I'M GETTING IN DEEP HERE!} "WHAT? Why?" "Well, you know how it takes a mom and a dad to have a baby?" "What?" "Never mind. Just trust me it takes a rooster and we don't have one." "Why don't you have a rooster?" "We don't want chicks, we just want eggs we can eat." 

"Why wouldn't you want chicks?" 

"HEY, Let's finish that book we started! Grandma will want to see it so we better finish."

We went in and printed out pictures and finished the book. Amani wrote the captions and glued the pictures in where she wanted them. It turned out great. Then it was time to go home. We hopped in the Bug and headed into town. Then as we got to town the Bug decided to die {fuel filter issues we will solve soon} so we had Bryan rescue us and we headed to her house. As we were driving Amani said "WOW, I've never been in a car accident before." "Well, that was just car trouble, not an accident." "You mean it died on purpose?" "Never mind." She looked at her book the whole way home and said "Whenever I am sad I will just get this book out and look at it and it will make me happy because it was such a good day." 

{4275 questions later} It was all worth it. She is a darling girl and delightful to be around. 

We had a great day. I think Cathy gave me a gift as well.

"Give us this day..."

...our daily bread."

Bread - is there a greater staple in life? 

The smell of the yeast proofing in the warm water, 

the feel of the dough as you knead it to a smooth texture, 

then watching the magic as the dough rises in the pans, 

smelling the bread baking and filling you house with warmth,

 Hearing the crisp crunch as you bite into that perfect piece of toast.

No wonder Jesus compared himself to bread. 

It fills all the senses and satisfies hunger.

While I was gone...

Bryan installed these Woolworth's stools at our breakfast bar.

If you read the blog about Walnut, IA Antique Show, where we got them, then you may remember that there are two pink and two green stools just like this installed in the Smithsonian Museum. 

On February 1, 1960, four young African-American men, freshmen at the Agricultural and Technical College of North Carolina, entered the Greensboro Woolworth’s and sat down on stools that had, until that moment, been occupied exclusively by white customers. The four—Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair Jr., Joseph McNeil and David Richmond—asked to be served, and were refused. But they did not get up and leave. Indeed, they launched a protest that lasted six months and helped change America. A section of that historic counter is now held by the National Museum of American History, where the chairman of the division of politics and reform, Harry Rubenstein, calls it “a significant part of a larger collection about participation in our political system.” The story behind it is central to the epic struggle of the civil rights movement.

Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/Courage-at-the-Greensboro-Lunch-Counter.html#ixzz1Ybzstlmh

"My kind of town..."

"...Chicago is."

On Saturday morning, early, {as in, we picked Bobbi up at 4:00 a.m. at her house} Bobbi, Jayme and I flew to Chicago for a long weekend. 

{Way back in the early spring Bobbi had seen a special on tickets for Southwest - GOOD DEAL} and we got an amazing deal at Best Western River North. Anyway...we got in to Chicago Midway Airport at 8:15 caught the Orange line to downtown, walked over to BWRN and Wallace, the concierge, put our bags in safe keeping for us. {by the way, he has a blog on the BWRN website called "Where's Wallace?" and he goes around to places in Chicago and tells about them. It's great.} Then we said we needed breakfast and he recommended "EGGSPERIENCE", a new place in town, just a few blocks from the hotel. It was amazing! 

[I believe right after I took this picture I got a "Stop, Mom" and it was only 9:30 in the morning!]

Very inexpensive and tons of food. Bobbi's Egg White omelet was the size of a dinner plate and at least 2 inches high.

 Jayme's veggie one was the size of a Nerf football.

I had two eggs and ham {not green} and some amazing pancakes and fresh fruit. 

So after not finishing all of that,

 we left and began our walk of the Magnificent Mile. Tons of shops and people [TONS] and things to see. 

[another "MOM, stop!"]

At 3:30 we went back to the hotel and watched a little Husker football and rested from our early morning. After a bit we went out again and then had supper at Rainforest Cafe.

We walked down to the Wrigley Building and got on a boat to take a sunset/fireworks lake cruise.

 Bobbi and Jayme are in this picture. See if you can find them..

 Here we are on the boat.

We were glad we bundled up. It got rather chilly out on the water.

 City skyline.

 Not the greatest but a firework shot.

 Navy Pier

 It was just amazing weather all day. Cool and sunny.

The cruise ended at about 10:00. We walked back to the hotel and crashed. It had been a long full day.

Sunday we got up later 

["Seriously!"]

and wandered down to Starbucks to get some coffee and a little something to eat. We shopped around some more, went to a few stores we hadn't gone to, then met up with a friend, Lindsey, for lunch at Grand Lux Cafe. Oh my, if you ever get a chance. Go. It is so good. We had a hilarious time laughing and talking. The couple next to us was not having such a good time. They fought and argued the entire time and made us laugh even harder. It was rainy and cool all day Sunday. But toward evening it stopped and we headed out to eat pizza at Giordano's. 

We were such party animals that we went back to the hotel after our late supper and watched a little TV and went to bed. 

Monday we still had until late afternoon before our flight so we got coffee and headed out to Navy Pier. On the way there we saw that we could take a water taxi for $4 so we hopped on.

While out there Bobbi took Jayme and I on the Ferris Wheel ride. [250 feet in the air] I will admit to being very uncomfortable with being that high. Love having my feet on the ground. 8 minutes but the view was amazing! So...trade off.

 We took the water taxi back up to Michigan Ave. and went to Big Bowl for lunch.

After that we still had almost 3 hours before we needed to head to the train to go to the airport so we walked to the lake and spent some time there. The weather was cloudy but warm. 

We had a wonderful time. We were tired by the time we reached the airport but it was worth it. 

Back home to real life.

VW revealed at Staff lunch-

Most of the staff mocked Bryan by saying things like "wow, I love the seats and color." etc. 

They are so funny.

Jim was comparing the cookie to the car.