Spizznoiled!

Dear Cade and Savvy,

That is what you were last week: spizznoiled.

I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself (don't act so surprised, you know I'm a pro at that) and enjoy the summer. Isn't that what summer is all about? Summer is supposed to be joy, sun, rainstorms, pool, vacation, sleep..... freedom!

Right?

I sometimes forget your dad exists during the summer, and as such I let more depressing and oppressing words take the place of those other fun-loving summer adjectives. Words like stress, exhaustion, I'm-going-to-shoot-myself, and single-motherhood creep into my mind when there is mention of summer. That's not fair to you guys.

You have to agree though, the weather here was not helping. Rain and temperatures in the fifties for the entire week. It didn't feel like summer. Fortunately at some crucial and epiphanic moment, and I don't really recall what spurred it along [perhaps Cade, it was your loving but honest statement while getting your PJs on one evening: "Mom, you were kind of grumpy today."], I decided I'd agree with the famous unknown/reknowned/anonymous/nobel prize winning philospher who said that happiness is a choice. It was time to take advantage of this interesting state of being/habitation/nomadification that our little family is in and have some fun with you while we are relatively flexible with our time.

I am ashamed/proud to admit that we live about 6.5 minutes away from a train station and I took it for the first time last week with you two! It took all this time for me to brave it. But, now that I know it, it's something I will definitely do with you again.... Well, Cade moreso you than Savvy. No offense, Sav, but you wore me out.

The train-- I loved it, and I felt all green and car-pooly riding with so many people thinking of how many cars on the road we were eliminating by riding the train. You don't know how lucky you are that Ben and Olivia's mom was up for the adventure, too!

I hope you never forget when we arrived in the city and the sky opened to a torrential downpour. And that once it subsided enough that only one side of our bodies got wet under the umbrella, we piled in a taxi to take us to the Planetarium and Shedd Aquarium. It was a fun and friend-filled day and I hope you remember it forever. Really, I hope you remember last week forever.

You played at the Children's Museum, swam at the gym, had friends over, went out to ice cream with Gramma Barb, rode the Colonial Cow, and went to a baseball game complete with 2 orders of cotton candy, ice cream, popcorn, and fireworks. I hope those were enough good memories for you to forget the grouchy mom you've been living with.

Spoiled! Yes, I know. I am, too. It's easy for me this time of year to forget how blessed I am to be able to stay home with you and share these memories with you. Even the bad, ehhh... hard days. You are so worth it. (You so endearingly reinforced that thought by falling asleep at 7:20 tonight. Thank you!)

Did you notice, as if heaven decided to reward me for my attitude change that last Saturday we were graced with the most hot and humid day of the year?! It was beautiful. And it's been hot every day since. This week we've enjoyed the pool almost every day and have welcomed this heat wave with open arms.

Here's to more summer memories to come!

Your Reformed Grump,

Mommy

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Here you both are, thrilled to an alarming degree to be waiting for the train . . .

Cade, you are completely in your element here. "Penguin" should have been your middle name.

You were so pleased with the wardrobe change you even gave me a smile, Cade! Nothing like a penguin outfit that fits.

Who needs tickets to the Planetarium and Aquarium when you've got a round marble table thingy to play on?

Your Daddy despises face-less pictures, but I still think this one is cute. You two never look at the camera anyway.

Our token Mother/Daughter shot in front of the Chicago skyline.

I can just see it now, "Hi Mom! This is my new boyfriend Joe!"

Even though we just met, sure. You can kiss me.

We all scream for Colonial Ice Cream! Thanks, Barb for treating us to delicious scoops of heaven.

Giddyup! Oh wait. I mean, Mooooooo.

Mine.

Nothing like a tub of cotton candy to bring friends and siblings together.

Our darling Savannah, uncensored.