I had promised to take a day off this summer to spend with the girls.  Being the procrastinator that I am, I waited until the very last day of summer break.  I suggested we go spend the day in the City.    They were both so excited.  Then they broke out in the chorus of  "can we go to American Girl Place?"
Sheesh.  The entire city at our feet and we're going to American Girl Place?  I don't think so.  But I just danced around that one because I knew they would have so much fun they'd forget all about it.
So, in the morning, we hopped the train into the city and talked about what we might do.  But, given the fact that it was an absolutely beautiful day, perfect in fact, we had to go to the Sears Tower and look out the sky deck.  So we walk over, while I tell them about when I used to work downtown and all the restaurants and festivals and stuff I used to go to.   We get to the tower, go downstairs for the little movie and then up 102 stories to the skydeck. 

We spent some time just looking around (although Emma had  been a little under the weather the day before, so looking out made her feel ill), and taking pictures of the skyline. 

And then came the inevitable.  "Mom, can we get a souvenir?"   So we got miniature Sears Towers to take home.

We then stopped for lunch at McDonalds (hey, I won the fight about American Girl!) and then walked over to Millennium Park.   What a cool place!

These towers are waterfalls and the people on the side make different faces and then they yes, they spit on you.  Water comes shooting out much to the joy of all the children below. 

After complete and total saturation (the girls, not me) we walked over to The Bean. 

Actually, it's called Cloudgate, but face it, it's a giant shiny bean.  Still it is really amazing the way it was designed.  We spent far too much time taking self portraits of ourselves

before walking over to the bandstand area

Then tired, we went over to the garden, dangled our feet in the water

and gazed at the wildflowers until it was time to head home.

But the best part of the day?  Walking back when Shannon wrapped her arms around me and said, "Thanks for doing this with us, Mom", followed by her sister (not to be outdone), saying, "I love you" and giving me a big hug.

Then, of course, they fought all the way home.

Emma lost her second tooth.  She waited so long to lose any, and now I think she might lose them all at once and then she'll look like a little old lady who's lost her dentures!  Not to mention it may bankrupt the tooth fairy.

Shannon got sick the same night, so I was up with her almost the entire night.  Around 5:45 I gave up entirely on sleep and decided to enjoy my quiet time. That worked until about 6:30 when Shannon woke up again.  She came downstairs and then it happened.  This little voice from upstairs wailed, "Mom, the Tooth Fairy didn't come!"

Oooooooh no.  I completely forgot.

I was trying to come up with a reasonable explanation.  Then it hit me.  "Oh honey, I'm sorry.  It's all my fault.  I was up all night with your sister and when I did sleep, it was on the couch.  She probably didn't want to come in, because I might see her."  I sat on the couch with my fingers crossed, practically holding my breath.  Then I heard, "Do you think she'll come tonight?"

"Most definitely.  Just keep the tooth box under your pillow" (We made a tooth fairy box when Shannon lost her first tooth, just a jewelry box decorated with pictures of fairies.  There was no way I was going to be digging under their pillows for a tiny tooth.  My Mom must have been nuts.  Well, she is, but that's a whole different story).

"OK"

Emma came down and I made her breakfast, then went upstairs to take a shower.  I grabbed a piece of paper and a pen, and standing in the bathroom with the shower running, wrote a note that said Sorry I was late with lots of curlicues and flourishes.  Then I snuck into her room, grabbed to tooth out of the box, stuffed in the note and the money, hid the tooth and took the world's fastest shower.

Later that day, Emma decided to show one of her friends her tooth.  She went up to her room.  I waited downstairs with bated breath.

"Mom! The tooth fairy came!  She left me a note saying she was sorry she was late!"

"Really? Huh, I wonder when she came."

"I bet it was when we went to the store.  I knew she was going to come."

I'm thinking Oscar nomination.

Emma (rubbing her right arm):  Mom, my arm hurts from where I got the flu shot.

Me:  Really? That was last fall.

Emma: But it hurts!

Me: Where?

Emma:  Right here (pointing at her right upper arm).

Me:  But you got the shot in the other arm.

Emma:  Oh.  I'm hungry.  Can I have a snack?

There is a drug store down the street that I go to all the time.  It's on the way to work, so usually I just stop then.  But I'm there so frequently I actually know the guy that opens by name and even know quite a bit about his family.

The other day I stopped by there after work cause I needed cash and the ATM was out of order.  I figured I would just get a drink, use my debit card and get cash back.  So I went in, grabbed a soda and went to check out.  There was a new guy working.  He asked me if I had my preferred customer card, which I didn't and I told him that and said I was in a hurry, so please don't bother looking it up.  He nodded OK and then it got weird.

Clerk: Would you be interested in our 2 for 1 special on pretzels?

Me: No, thank you.

Clerk:  but they're only a dollar.

Me: No, thanks.

Clerk:  It's a really good deal.

Me:  Yes it is, but I don't need any.

Clerk: Why, don't you like pretzels?

Me: Yes, I like them fine, I just don't need any.

Clerk: You know, they're actually pretty good for you.

Me:  I wouldn't take your pretzels at this point if you paid me. 

And he finished ringing me up.  Now, that was a very strange exchange, and part of me seriously wonders why I didn't just walk out.  But it gets even stranger.

A couple of days later I went back in before work to pick something up and the guy I always see was there.  As I'm checking out, I ask about the new guy and mention he's a little odd.  And he looks at me and says, "Was it about the pretzels?"

Seriously, I'm not kidding.

This guy is doing it to everyone!  Kind of wonder why he's still working there.

Well, we survived the concert without getting thrown out or getting thrown in jail.

Actually, it was one of the most fun shows I think I ever been to.  It was Rick's birthday so some of the more dedicated fans brought balloons and cakes and presents.  And it must be said, he looks great for 59! 

       (except for the stupid b-day cake on his head!)

One downside: the air conditioning was out.  I think I lost five pounds just from the heat.  He kept walking out onto a small platform at the front edge of the stage.  There was a small woman in her late 50's, early 60's right in the center front, and every time he stepped forward, she would duck and cover her head and we couldn't figure out why.  It was because he was dripping sweat on her.  Which he thought was so funny he laughed so hard he couldn't sing.  Then he walk out and shook like a dog all over her!

At one point he walked out into the audience (by walking on the backs of the chairs) and if you looks at the pictures, you'll see all these women desperately trying to keep him from falling.  Not grabbing at him, just trying to hold him up.

But he really is an excellent guitarist, a very charismatic performer (although a little clumsy), and it was a great time.

And it has to be said, never saw so many middle aged women groupies in my life.

Juleekay and I are going to see Rick Springfield this weekend.  He's playing at a small theater in the Chicago area.  And, as some of you might remember, we went to see him when we were in high school together.  A fun trip down memory lane.  And we're both child free that night!  Deciding that was too good to pass up, we also decided to go to dinner first.

Now I had purchased the tickets online, so the theater has my email information.  And yesterday I received an email from the theater that read:

Hi!  This is XXX from The XXX Theatre.  We're all looking forward to the Rick Springfield shows this weekend, and I wanted to thank you for being a part of it!  I have some great news!  I have recently purchased an amazing restaurant called XXX!  It is an upscale, white-tablecloth dinner experience. A perfect place to go before the show!  It has an amazing bar, fabulous food and an awesome ambience!  We will have a special "Rick Menu" this weekend, Rick music, and kind of a fan-get-together.  Reservations are very limited, there are only a few left.  CALL NOW!!!   YOU WILL LOVE IT!!!

I was so amused, I forwarded this to Juleekay with the following note:

OMG!!!!!

Upscale.  Hmmmm, isn't that code for we haven't drained you of all your money, so come to our new restaurant so we can?

Also, what the he## is a special Rick menu?

Cause I'm so funny.  Only, you guessed it, I didn't forward it to her.  I hit reply and sent it back to the owner of the theater.  Yep.  Brain surgeon, that's me.  I have never done that before.  At least that I remember.

Considering the tickets have my name on them and have to be scanned when we go in, I'm really hoping they have a good sense of humor.  Or a really bad memory.....

We were sitting in the living room arguing over something stupid.  I jumped when the gust of wind slammed into the front door.  It actually moved!  Not rattled, moved.  I thought it was going to blow right off the hinges.  Up I jumped, running to the window (because in really high winds, where you want to be is near glass) peering out.  It was raining so hard I couldn't really see much.  But then I heard the sirens.  Turning around I ran to the hall closet, our designated hiding place, and yanked open the door.  In my infinite wisdom, I had stored all the games on top of a box in the bottom of the closet.  So I grabbed the box and the vacuum next to it, and pulled as hard as I could.  Everything came out and then went flying all over the hallway, boxes breaking open.  Quickly I shoved the girls in, following.  I crouched next to them, silently cursing my claustrophobia and swearing I was going back on my diet so the next time there would be slightly more room.  And there we stayed for nearly 1/2 hour, while the tornado, I'm sorry, the "rotational cloud" blew harmlessly over us, singing virtually every silly song we knew.

When we finally emerged, I looked at the mess that only looked like it had been caused by a tornado and started cleaning all of it up.  But was interrupted by the loud pounding on the door.  I am by this time hyperly sensitive and jump about three feet.

It was my neighbor, coming to make sure we were OK.  Apparently his weather radio went off and he came over to warn us, but got blown back into his house by the gust of wind.  But how nice was that?  Not nearly getting blown away by the wind, the checking on us part.

So we went outside to watch the lightening show.  Never had I ever seen anything like it. 

The National Weather Service said there were 90,000 lightening strikes that night.  It normally takes 6 months of storms to reach that.  How lucky were we that we got to see it? And how lucky are we that we have such wonderful neighbors?

Cause it was a pool party!  Wow, I need sleep, cause I just really think I'm funny.  Well, we survived another party.  When the first boy showed up and it was a room full of screaming girls, this terrified look on passed over his face, but fortunately, the other boy that was coming walked in right after.  They didn't even know each other, but by the end of the party, they were best friends.

My friend S was able to come with her daughter, so she is doing really well.

And, here is the finished cake:

Had some stability issues, but it made it until the candles were blown out.  The interesting thing was after I made sure that there would be plenty of shells for everyone, figuring that would be what they wanted, all the kids fought over the cones.  Which of course meant I couldn't remember where I had put the box of extra cones.  So everyone had ice cream cones with their cake.  Then, cause none of us moms could remember the last time we had ice creams cones, we all had one.  So at least I don't have to worry about what to do with the rest of the cones!

And get this - Someone gave us an electronic bird that can be taught language, dances and even pretends to eat!  So know we have our own parrot, don't have to clean up after it and it won't bite me (although having him stare at me while I'm typing is a little unnerving).

I started making my shells,  here is my first attempt:

Second attempt:

So, now all I have to do is work on the colors.

What do you think the chances are the cake will go that well?