August Tid Bits

I have the most random stuff on my phone from August. Apparently Brent and I were sharing IG's and meme's a lot this month- go figure!

Our girls sleep in some of the funniest ways. Tough life for this one eh? Little Sleeping Beauty?

Apparently someone took the corner a bit too tight at the McDonald's drive-thru:

Stuff we laughed at in August:

I thought these were so cute after a Taylor Swift Era's Tour Summer! We never got around to actually MAKING them... but they were a cute idea!

Liesel was driving the truck for the first time.

Me: By the end of this school year, you'll have your license. How crazy is that?
Liesel: *silence*
Me: I fell like that's pretty crazy on the craziness scale.
Liesel: I feel like I should focus on drivingawwwwwDOGS!!!!

It was indeed a Barbie movie. Spotted this coming out of Meet the Teacher and I kind of envy the owner.

Sydney came up with this one: What style of dance do they do in the Barbie movie? Ken-temporary.

The big news was Trump's arrest so there were a lot of meme's surrounding that hoopla:

The two things no one told me about parenthood is the guilt and the forms. There are SO! MANY! FORMS!!! After a while I get kind of punchy and start filling out whatever I want bc I'm sure no one really reads them.

This one confused me. Illinois has banned the ability to ban books and with that in mind I thought they were asking us if we wanted the kids to read versions of these books with the elements listed. Like, "Please give Sydney the version of The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl with just Profanity and Violence please!" Didn't realize it was just a list of what's already in the book. Oops!

Traditional Color Toss at the high school.

I can't remember how this one came about but Brent is the one who got them all laughing.

We all know someone...

A family of squirrels has moved in to the hole the stupid woodpecker pecked into the house! Aurghhh!

I asked Liesel if she knew how long Brent has had his beard.

Liesel: Well pretty much since we've lived here. I remember a Christmas card from our first year here and he looks just... silly. So about 8 years?

One of Ireland's teachers had this hanging in her room and I automatically liked her!

The best place for a Red Sox fan to park? Next to a Patriots fan is probably safe!

I've left all the sunrise walk photos for the end this time!

And that was August!

Chalk Howard Street and Chicago Pizza Oven Grinder Co

I heard about Chalk Howard Street from a co-worker and since I'd already missed it last year, I was determined to make it this year. We made it... but we were a tad... early. It had just sprinkled a bit and it seemed like a lot of the artists were just getting started. The upside is we breezed through traffic which is completely choked with construction and we found easy parking. The downside is we didn't want to stick around for hours and hours until everyone was finished. As such, we quickly saw what we could. 

This one in particular blows my mind because it looked so different in person than through the lens of a camera. These artists from all over the US really know how to make these look good specifically for pictures and that is really incredible.

Like I said, most of them were really just getting started. I'm bummed we couldn't see the finished creations because they all looked amazing!

Northwestern University had a whole section for people to just freestyle which the girls were happy to do.

This little girl took a liking to Liesel. She kept handing her chalk and "helping" with her drawings. Her mom tried to apologize and I explained Liesel has 3 little sisters and she's chill. We exchanged glances because it was so adorable how they made their own little connection.

We helped chalk Howard Street!

I really do love living near Chicago so much. There's always something going on.

We grabbed Starbucks on our way and no one was super hungry. I thought it would be a good idea to play at the Picasso a bit but we were illegally parked and it was a very little bit. Basically the girls were able to slide down it just once- haha!

 Even though we still weren't too hungry, we made our way over to Chicago Pizza Oven Grinder Co to try out the pot pie pizzas that were all over Tik Tok. As luck would have it, finding parking took a bit and there was a wait, not to mention a park around the corner. The girls worked up an appetite on the playground while I chatted with Brent about the church leadership training he'd been at all morning. We actually didn't have to wait very long before my phone buzzed and our number was up!

Oh man, the hype around these are well-earned. They are SO good!!!

Look at that cheese pull!

The menu had a bit about the history of the restaurant. Turns out we were just kitty corner from the location of the St. Valentine's Day massacre. They even mentioned Capone's men may have holed up here to watch for those guys to arrive at the parking garage. Probably just to play up the history of the place but still, so fascinating!

It was really dark so we didn't get the best photos, but you get the idea. We had a lot of fun chatting as we ate that delicious pizza pot pie.

When I looked up the St. Valentine's Day massacre, there was a wall indicated who had stood where and I was determined to find it. We crossed the street and walked up and down... all to no avail. I was distracted when I spotted the coolest antique store and I asked the girls to wait outside while I checked it out. The owners overheard me talking to the girls and insisted they come in as well. I told them I was concerned about all the breakables and they said they had chairs. 

Not only was it indeed an incredibly cool antique store, they were SO sweet to the girls! I'd say they weren't giving anything away (the merchandise was pretty pricey) but the owner offered them shells and little knick knacks and they chatted and even shooed away some customers until we were done taking in the incredible store.

Their collection of chandeliers was just incredible. We really loved spending time here!

Gita realized she needed to run to the restroom so Liesel took her and Sydney back to the restaurant before we headed home. While Ireland and I waited, we caught this picture of her in front of a confectionary. Love that cake with all the macarons spilling down the side!

It was such an unexpected day. I mean we wanted to do Chalk Howard Street and the pizza pot pies but the incredible people we encountered all day really made it special. This was also Liesel's first time trying downtown driving. I had to laugh when she visibly breathed a sigh of relief once she made it to the freeway. Most people are terrified of the freeway! I'm super proud of her though and she did a good job getting us home.

Goodbye to Summer- Warren Dunes Beach

WARNING: Photo dump! As school started and we looked at our summer bucket list we realized we hadn't made it to Warren Dunes. We decided we couldn't let that one slip by so we marked the end of summer by trekking to Michigan. As it happens, I had the most difficult conversation of my life with my father the day before. I was feeling emotionally sandpapered and desperately needed the peace and quietude only a beautiful beach can provide.

The girls were off playing and I told Brent the reason I love the beach is because it makes no demands of me, it doesn't ask anything of me, it just is. The wind, the waves, the sand, the sun. They are just there to be enjoyed. Nothing more, nothing less. 

I have a dear friend who always manages to find a heart-shaped rock wherever she goes and I've always wanted to as well. When I came across this beauty I had to text her, I was so excited! 

Gita dug herself a grave. Not a hole, she informed me it was her grave. Ok then.

I'm in love with this photo! Liesel's at the age that she is just beautiful but she will never know it until she is older and looks on these pictures with kinder eyes.

The guy flying this kite kindly let us snap a few photos and they are so bright and happy!

Love my California husband who avoids the sun at all costs! Haha!

 Brent climbed the dunes with the girls while I enjoyed some solitude.

Every time we go to the beach I get a picture of the girls with their arms around each other looking out on the water. I actually forgot this time and then I saw Brent made sure to take it there at the top of the dunes. That just warmed the cockles of my heart!

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love this tree! I have no idea how it has managed to survive with its roots so completely exposed but it's there and thriving year after year!

We had Liesel drive home to get in some more highway hours. She did a really good job, especially given the traffic/construction/accident combo we found ourselves in. For fun we created a game where I would queue up a song and everyone had 5 seconds to either 1- sing along or 2- identify the song (if it was a guitar solo, for example). The one that stumped the girls? Curbside Prophet by Jason Mraz. Brent and I had a lot of nostalgia with that one. I'll never forget everyone singing All Star at the top of their lungs as we drove home. A perfect end to the summer!