Home

I have to say I've realized I am a home-body. Maybe this is temporary as my children grow, or maybe it will last for a long time, I really don't know. For now I know that any trip over about 5 days is too long for me to be away from my children, my dog, my cat and my family unit.

The trip to the O'Hare airport was quite eventful. We were told on the train by a man completely out of his mind he was going to kick our faces in (6 am on the train in Chicago is VERY different from 'business hours'). When switching to the blueline I chose an unfortunate seat which had been urinated all over. Then the loudspeaker came on which incoherently screamed we would have to get off at the next stop and take a bus two stops before getting back on. At this point I looked at John and told him we were taking a cab the rest of the way.

John and I felt like we were on the amazing race by this point and our flight change in Minneapolis was no disappointment complete with running across the terminal to our very far away gate... arriving just as they were boarding :)

I napped and read and anxiously waited to get off and see my boys. Noah seems to have grown two inches and Caleb is reading difficult chapter books in a day. I received big hugs and unpacked the suitcase of small things we brought back for the boys. Caleb said he felt like the "king of Chicago" with all the stuff he received. It was good for a laugh. Of course the biggest hit was the Sky Mall catalogue with various crazy inventions inside.

All the interpersonal stuff aside Chicago is quite a great city to visit. You can probably see the best of it in 4 or 5 days and stay longer if shopping is your thing. I like shopping, but the dollar is really weak and the deals weren't really deals if you considered that.

I did find a pretty pair of red patent leather croc high heels, a zip up running jacket (zella) at nordstroms and a couple of OBAMA 08 shirts which just fascinated me... the running shoes were no cheaper and with taxes and exchange were disappointingly almost more expensive?

We saw the bean, a glossy, reflective art piece near the art institute (wherein we saw American Gothic, a Jackson Pollock, some beautiful sketches by Picasso and Salvador Dali). We took a boat tour detailing the amazing architecture. We walked to the zoo which is free and beats any zoo I've been to and paid for. We ate deep dish pizza and drank too much while visiting a blues club near our condo. We watched people, heard honking, saw great busking and went to an NBA game.

John ran a marathon and pushed himself to his physical and emotional limits - I got lost trying to find him at the finish line (I think it was 45,000 participants and about 1,000,000 spectators?)...

It really was a trip of a lifetime, now I just want to recover and find my routine again.

I am very glad to be back in Canada and have I mentioned so very happy to be with my boys again?