Shedd Aquarium

During the month of September the Shedd Aquarium is free to Illinois residents. Every year I forget this and wished we would have gone. It normally costs $20 or more a person and it isn't covered in our museum pass so I just couldn't justify it. This year with one week left Shad and I looked at the calendar and figured out a day we could go as a family. Shad took the day off of work and we pulled the kids out of school. I am so glad that we did. It was absolutely worth it and going on a Thursday was genius as it wasn't very crowded at all.

We met up with one of our favorite YSA's Jennifer Jensen who now lives in Chicago going to the University of Chicago. I was really grateful to have her there as it took every bit of three adults to keep track of 5 kids in a big place like the Shedd.

We parked a mile and half away from the Shedd as the parking was much cheaper. The kids were good sports about walking but did complain about being tired a few times. Jack was great at taking care of his sister on the way there. The way back was a little different as Jack "felt like his legs were going to fall off." Gracie was lucky that she has a little bum and could fit in the stroller next to Benny and have a ride on the way back to the car. 

Before going into the Shedd we stopped at a picnic area and ate the lunch we packed. Haken had a lot of fun taking pictures. He is becoming a budding photographer.

Gracie's face in this picture always cracks me up. 

There was so much to see once we got into the Shed. These fish in the Amazon are huge! This place really was a dream come true to Benny who loves animals. He loved every bit of the Shedd.

So grateful to have Jennifer there with us. Ruby was her little buddy as she wouldn't get very close to any of the glass cages. She just liked seeing everything from a distance.

Super cool water turtle.

Benny's favorite fish was the lion fish as he wants to be a lion for Halloween. He was sure to make his best lion face for the picture.

Gracie's favorite fish was this bright pink one that we found towards the end. She wanted to make sure she got a picture next to it.

The dolphin show was for sure the highlight of the entire day. I couldn't believe that it was included in admission. We made sure to show up early so we got good seats. We just had to wait a little bit for the show to start.

The sea lion came out during the dolphin show. Benny really loved this part.

After the Shedd we walked a mile up lake Michigan to Maggie Daley park. It is our favorite. I didn't get many pictures there as I felt like I was constantly looking for one of our kids. It was pretty crowded. Most of the people there were with a Jewish family reunion or something. With so many kids I could hardly keep track of my own.

After the park we walked over the Lou Malnatis (our favorite Chicago deep dish pizza place) and had dinner. Overall I think we walked about 7 miles. I was pretty tired and we didn't get back until late. I was glad that the next day was Friday so the kids only had one more day to wake up for school.

It was such a gorgeous day! Absolutely perfect day to visit Chicago. I love this city and I'm so glad that we live close enough to enjoy it whenever we want.

Back to School...

We had a good start this school year. I actually have felt pretty on top of things. I think a lot of this is due to the fact that we are making our lunches the night before, getting up and doing scriptures first, and laying out clothes for the next day. I also think that the kids are just overall more independent than they were last year. 

However, we didn't get first day of school pictures until the 3rd week of school. They actually started on August 17th. We had a few sicknesses which delayed the pictures and Shad has been observing classes in the morning like crazy trying to get ready for the twins to come. 

When I look at these pictures I can't believe how old they all look!

 Benny is loving preschool. His teachers are Mrs. Buckius and Mrs. Claus. He had no reservations about going again this year. He jumped right in no problem. He qualified for the early intervention preschool at Middletown so he is in the same building as Jack and Gracie. He rides the bus everyday and loves it. They pick him up right in front of our house and drop him off again. It really has been a huge blessing for me, especially looking forward to having the babies in a few months.

Gracie's teacher this year is Mrs. Wade. She decided she didn't want the same teacher so she could start all over, although she did like Mrs. Krumwiede who she had for a week. Boy am I glad that I listened to the spirit and pulled Gracie out of Kindergarten last year! I can't believe the difference from one year to the next! Last year I felt like I was dragging her out of bed half asleep. I had to physically dress her to have her ready on time. It was a struggle every morning. This year she is up, gets dressed on her own, and is ready 10 minutes before the bus even comes. She has been a little bit grouchy when she comes home, especially towards the end of the week, but I think that is to be expected from any kindergartener.

Jack is in 2nd grade this year and has Mrs. Benedict. He gets to be the first class of 2nd graders at the new Middletown Elementary. He feels like a pretty big kid as he is now the oldest in the school. I think he really likes seeing Gracie and Benny there occasionally too. The biggest adjustment this year has been trying to stay on top of homework which he hasn't had much of before. I think we will eventually get into a new habit. He has been doing great in math and spelling and really likes the kids in his class.

Haken is in 6th grade and starting Jr. High! I can't believe that we are starting that era already! I think he has really liked his new found freedoms. He rides his bike to school twice a week. Of course he can only do it on the days that he doesn't have band and has to take his French horn with him. He is super independent and is getting into some extra curricular activities like the journalism club and science olympiad. I never have to remind him of homework as he stays on top of it on his own. He has established a pretty close group of friends that love to hang out and text each other. As of now the texts just go to my phone but we are realizing that he may need a phone in the next few years although he isn't pushing for that yet.

Couldn't forget miss Ruby. She is our little sunshine and has loved hanging out with mom all day. I think she really enjoys the time that she gets to spend alone in the mornings with me. I also really enjoy only having one for a few hours. She loves getting out of the house and running errands with me. I'm trying to live it up as I know that this will be the last time that I will only have one in the house with me. She really has been a perfect little toddler and entertains herself without a problem. However, when Benny gets home from school she is pretty moody. Their relationship is such an interesting one as they either love each other or can't stand each other. They both still take great afternoon naps though, so that really has been my sanity throughout this pregnancy.

23 weeks

I decided I better document how big I am getting as I feel like I will go above and beyond what I have been with my last pregnancies. So far I've gained 30 pounds and I'm getting close to the size I usually am when I deliver my babies.