Chi-Town, Our Kind of Town! Part I

The Holland Clan managed to eek out some funds to have a fun getaway to Chicago over our Fall Break - it was actually the first fall break (& Karen's birthday weekend) that I've ever had off from football, school, or otherwise. PLUS, one of Karen's best friends, Carole Kenney, had moved back stateside from years in the mission field in Austria and China, and is in the Chicagoland area. So, we loaded up the bus (er um...van) and drove to Chicago for several days!

We christened our first evening there with some Chicago-style pizza at Giardino's...wow...that was awesome...

On our first full day, we parked at Navy Pier and trolleyed & trekked our way to the American Girl Doll store, where we promptly were relieved of a great deal of savings! The children had been doing odd jobs around the house to earn extra money, and we also boosted their piggy banks when we arrived. Caroline got a doll, some outfits for her, and took her Mia doll for a special hairdo and the Doll Salon there at the store. My goodness...

We then sought out some lunch, and settled on a food court in a shopping area...I know, lame! Karen actually wanted to eat the ESPN-Zone, but the wait was 45 minutes, and I didn't think she wanted to wait that long. Silly me! We passed by this crazy dude, who was actually very entertaining while searching for food...
After our food court Chicago hot dogs, Chinese, and whatever else, we found a special cupcake bakery that Karen had read about on some blogs. We celebrated her special day with birthday cupcakes from "More", and it was one of the most amazing cupcakes I've ever eaten. I had a pumpkin spice cupcake, and Karen had a salted caramel cupcake. It made my toes wiggle...mmm mmm mmm...We crashed at a Starbucks next to More for a while, and then made off for the ESPN-Zone for dinner. The kids played some video games, and we had some game-day food while we watched several screens each with different college football games on...nearly Heaven! What made that even more special is that Karen's other best friend Liz and her hubby Tony were in town for a wedding, and they met us at ESPN for dinner and a special visit. How awesome is that?














After dinner, we made our way back to the Navy Pier. We hung out around there, took some pictures of the skyline, played catch with a football, and watched a USO Service Awards banquet through the windows. There was a parade of all the state flags and a medley of music from each of the branches (including the Coast Guard, Yes!). Very cool moment - here is the presentation of the colors for the National Anthem.

Finally, we were treated to "Halloween Fireworks" that night. Wow, I said. That's just about all I could say...Wow!

Here are some highlights from the first day:

Tom's Farm

Since we're posting about "not being in Memphis", our family had a real treat a couple of Sundays ago...our church hosted a Family Day out at Tom's Farm, which is about 45 minutes east of Cordova in the farmland and hills of West Tennessee. We went on a hayride, stopped to pick our own pumpkins in their pumpkin patch swung on a giant tire swing, threw hay on our friends, had a giant bonfire and roasted wieners and made smores. Totally "not in Memphis anymore" for us, and it was MUCH FUN! Perhaps best of all, Nick surprised Karen by packing the picnic basket with everything we needed, so we didn't have to buy drinks or food. He even packed paper plates, napkins, and ketchup for the weiners! Truly amazing...

Here's a slide show of the family with our pumpkins, throwing our hay, and generally having a great time with our Forest Hill church family...

Not in Memphis Anymore?

Karen and I always pay special attention to scenery, people, foods, etc., that make us feel "We're not in Memphis anymore." Those special escapes are rare, and quite lovely! Karen had one of those moments while snapping some photos during her recent visit to the Memphis Zoo. This one snapshot says it all...Sure doesn't look like Memphis...(actually, this is a view of the side of one of the lodge buildings in the new Teton Trek exhibit in the Memphis Zoo, with the Rhodes College tower in the distance. You can find glimpses very similar to this one on the campus of Dook university were my mom worked for way too many years)

Teton Trek!

The Memphis Zoo, recently rated #1 in America, recently opened its newest addition to the park, entitled Teton Trek. It's an area dedicated to Grizzly Bears, Timberwolves, Trumpeter Swans, and all sorts of beautiful things from the Great Northwest!

Karen and the kids got to preview Teton Trek on the members-only weekend, while I was judging a band contest in Huntingdon, TN. Here is a slide show of some amazing animals, and some beautiful exhibits! One photo of particular note is the one of Nicholas running through the geyser in the exhibit. The Zoo folks took his picture, and posted him on facebook - he was the first person to run through the geyser! Ah, sweet history...

Enjoy!

Our STAR recipient!

At C School, an awards ceremony is held every nine weeks. Student receive special recognition for perfect attendance, citizenship (high marks in conduct), most-improved, and several other categories. Each "support" area recognizes one student from each grade for distinction; the support areas include media/library, PE, art, and music. The STAR award (support teachers achievement recognition?) is a fairly coveted honor in our household already. Nicholas won the music STAR award last year, and the prized wristband is one of his most favorites. Well, enough drama...

Caroline was the STAR award winner in music for the entire 1st grade at her first awards assembly! Needless to say, we are most proud of her. Her teacher, Mrs. Van Dyke (pictured above), constantly remarks on how bright-eyed, and eager Caroline is, and how strong a singer! Yes, she's a big ham...all I can think of is that Caroline won the "Star Dazzle" award at such a young age (see High School Musical II). Oh drama...

Congratulations to our little STAR!

Conversations with Caroline....

Last week, while driving the kids to get their flu shots, Caroline says to me "Mom, I have a new boyfriend" I said, "you do? Who is it?" She says, "Wyatt, in my class." I say, "What does he look like?" She says, "He has white hair and white skin." I say, "does he know he is your boyfriend?" She says, "No, I haven't told him." I am cracking up at this point--thankfully, she couldn't tell. A few minutes later I say, "Caroline, I thought you said you were never going to get married and leave mommy and daddy." She says, as only Caroline can, "Mom, that was before first grade!!!!!!"

Well the next day she came home with a drawing of a heart and in the heart it said I LIKE YOU CAROLINE!--it was signed by Wyatt! I guess she told him!!

Don't ya love it!!

The PORK LUNG...

Yes, it hit our family too...The swine flu (or what we affectionately refer to as the Pork Lung) paid us a visit last Saturday. Nicholas woke up feeling hot and flushed, and had a temperature of 101.5. Karen was at a preschool training session, and the kids & I were supposed to go to the Memphis vs. Marshall game so I could fulfill my duties with the Mighty Sound. His fever was just enough to keep us home, but by lunch time, it had spiked to 104.8. Yikes!

I started pushing the ibuprofen and fluids, and we got him in to see his doctor Sunday afternoon. His strep test was negative, and it seemed his flu test was at first, but then it came back rip-roaring positive. He got his Tamiflu and a steroid (to help with his spasmodic croup), and received a week-long pass from school, doctor's orders. The worst part was he was supposed to make his 2nd start at quarterback for his football team, which of course did not happen.
























Caroline went to school Monday, and to band practice with me after school, where she complained of a tummy-ache. I took her temperature when we got home and she had hit 101.5 as well. We got some Tamiflu called in, and Caroline got a "stay home from school all week" pass as well.

Truly, these pictures sum it up...
















Now if Karen and I can stay healthy, that will be a praise! You can imagine what their imposed extra fall-break did to our existing pa-de-deux of schedules - We went from "Swan Lake" to "Rite of Spring"! (I know, random ballet music references...suffice it to say we went from well-choreographed to borderline chaotic...)