Sweet Home, Chicago

So maybe Chicago isn't my home. But I sure do love to visit.

This time, however, I had some company. Dave and I decided to take Caroline and Luke to Chicago for the weekend. Day One Caroline hit American Girl like a pro, Luke had Gino's AND Oven Grinder's pizza, Dave secured Bulls-Heat tickets (only to find out LeBron is out with an injury, but that's okay, they got to see lots of Mario!), and I entertained a crowd of revelers at my BFF, Sara's, 40th birthday party with some fellow sumo ballerinas:

Day Two: Lego Store, Science & Industry, tapas, Bulls-Heat and lots of Gatorade in between

Day Three: Blue Line, Piece Pizza, Shedd, stomping through the snow and drinks atop the 'cock

And the whole entire time... No one stole my wallet!

Modern Family

I love, love LOVE this show. It is my life in three segments. Julie Claire & Dave Phil have an expert-texting dingbat teenage daughter named Ellie Haley, a brainiac daughter named Amelia Alex, and then there's Luke. What they lack in a Caroline they compensate with Manny. What I lack in a hot stepmom and gay brother with partner I make up for with a hot sister and twin brothers. And we all share the same lovely, curmudgeony dad.

But lately I have gotten the impression the writers are simply following me around for their story ideas.

This week's episode, "Slow Down Your Neighbors," rang too close to my brush with the F-Bomb found HERE last fall. (And my appearance two [2] times before our city traffic council asking for speed bumps on our street.) (I won.) (Both times.)

And the autumn episode, "Chirp," resonated a little to closely to THIS STORY about my own smoke detector woes.

Which is exactly why I love it, but I would love it more if they would fork over just a wee bit in royalties.

I'm with the Band

Sometimes I wonder, as I listen to my husband's band practice in the basement, if Rick Springfield's wife ever got tired of hearing about Jesse's girl.

Ensider: Holiday Edition

Check it out, my first marketing analysis ever can be found HERE on page three. Enjoy the "Freeze Tag" story by Ron on page one and his interview with Amy Grant too!

Amelia, Phone Home

Poor Amelia. Our middle girl, surrounded by an older sister, a younger brother and a younger sister, celebrated her 12th birthday last night with family and a KU victory over the University of Texas in Arlington.

All she has wanted all year long was a cell phone. A request we came to terms with earlier this year, knowing that is just the way kids communicate now. No long phone conversations like those of the 80's. No more giggling under the pillow, hoping Mom won't hear them up past bedtime. And certainly no long exchanges... short words, abbreviations, and acronyms have taken over what should be a blossoming vocabulary.

So we dug out an old desk phone, dusted it off and wrapped it up for her - cords and all - to open on her birthday, the idea being that she was receiving a phone my husband would take her out the next day to select.

But Amelia didn't catch on right away and instead spent 10 or 12 long minutes sincerely believing her parents' only gift to her was a dirty old desk phone, since we do not really love her.

Fortunately she knows better now. And I have the texts to prove it.

Crunch Time

I wrote the following poem (originally published in the Lawrence Journal-World on 12/20/10) to soothe my own soul as our third child, Luke, struggles with discovering the truth about Santa. I hope you enjoy merriment this weekend, no matter your beliefs...

‘Twas the week before Christmas

And all through my brain

My to-do list was running

Just like a freight train

From making my lists

To checking them twice

Ignoring the naughty

And spoiling the nice

The children all nestled

Each night in their beds

While visions of Pillow Pets

Danced in their heads

My husband in sweat pants

And I in my flannel

Sipped wine by the TV

While surfing each channel

When down through the chimney

One night by surprise

St. Nicholas landed,

Concern in his eyes.

“My reindeer are ready,

And so is the sleigh;

My elves have been working

All night and all day.

“The Mrs. can’t wait

For her yearly Girls’ Night

She has while I make

My deliveries by flight.

“But my inbox is packed

With requests for a gift

From Black Ops to Hogwarts

And Bieber to Swift

“A Game Cube and Xbox

For all girls and boys,

And when will Steve Jobs quit

Inventing new toys?

“I just can’t keep up

With the ‘wants’ and the ‘gets,’

I still have five cases

Of last year’s Zhu Zhu pets!

“This stress of wish-granting

Is too much to bear.

I’d like to retire,

Would anyone care?”

We patted his back,

For we knew how he felt.

I offered him cookies,

He loosened his belt.

“Dear Santa,” I started

While pouring his drink,

“I can see how the season

Of giving could stink.

“But the joy that you bring

Every year can’t be measured.

It’s your magic, not gifts,

That is annually treasured.

“So please don’t retire,

At least not this year,

Dear Santa, we need you,

Have I made myself clear?”

I watched as the worry

Vanished from his round face

And that familiar old jolly

Returned in its place.

“My Jules, you are right,

And I’ll tell you this too,

There is no greater happiness

Than giving to each of you.”

And with that he smiled

As he stood up to go

Back through the chimney

And into the snow.

But we heard him exclaim

As he herded his deer,

“Merry Christmas to all,

And a happy new year!”

T-Minus

... six days and counting.

Today's festive activities aimed at forming memories for our children that will someday provide them with an endearing nostalgia when they look back on their childhood days at home included caroling at the hospital and driving around town to look at Christmas lights.

Caroling went beautifully. The ill and injured are a grateful lot, generally speaking, and were happy someone cared to sing. We strolled the halls singing about Rudolph and jingling bells and ended with candy canes in the lobby, following a mandatory stop at the hand sanitizer.

So in the Christmas spirit were we, that we decided to stop by Parkside Circle for a bit. To view the show in peace, without the distraction of Ellie's cell phone or Caroline climbing the walls of the car, click HERE.

We did not have that luxury.

But determined not to let Ellie's obsession over constant communication with the outside world bring us down, I directed us to a house sure to please even the Grinchiest in our car (who happened to be driving), a Rock Chalk show-stopper you can find HERE.

We chose to drive on after their show started with what would have been our third round of Carol of the Bells for the night. Bummer too, for the Rock Chalk song is one of my favorites, year-round.

And home we drove, into our driveway, just as John Denver and his muppets ended their Christmas Together.

Next stop to Christmas joy: gingerbread house construction.