I'm back :)

Hey. Yes, I disappeared for a while. I'm not sure why actually, I have just been exceptionally busy for some reason.

Andrea, Eric, and the two little guys came to visit this past weekend. It's always a little crazy with 4 adults and 3 kids here, but I'd much rather be a little crazy than bored. Since we don't know a lot of people in Chicago, our weekends here are generally just like the rest of the week... nice, quiet, and not that exciting.

So the most "exciting" event of the weekend was a trip to the Old Orchard Mall with Andrea's two boys and Eva. Andrea and I had planned for a few weeks to get a picture taken of all three kids to give to my parents for their 30th anniversary next month. We ordered clothes, coordinated outfits, gave baths.... and let's just say it didn't turn out as expected. First of all, we decided to take the kids for pictures while our hubbies were having a marvelous time at the Cubs game eating, drinking, and basically just enjoying some guy time. Probably not the smartest idea. We on the other hand were sweating and stressed out before we even got to the mall, and didn't have a chance to eat OR drink anything until after 3:00. First of all, we were late to our appointment because we couldn't find the stinking picture place. When Alex called to get directions, the lady told him they were "near the Macy's entrance". Well, in case you've never been to an outdoor mall, there are multiple entrances to the department stores. So Andrea and I, along with one tired and hungry 2-year-old and 2 4-month-olds, were wandering around a Macy's entrance looking for the picture place, and finally figured out that it was at the other end of Macy's, quite a ways from where we were. So we got to our appointment 20 minutes late. The place was PACKED with kids and their snobby parents. I mean wall to wall full of people. We ended up waiting more than 40 minutes (with one tired, hungry 2-year-old and 2 4-month-olds), and at some point overheard that we'd been pushed back because we were late. Fabulous. When we finally got in the "studio", my darling Will had a bit of a panic attack about getting his picture taken. Well, let's just say it like it was- he freaked out. But in all honesty, I would have freaked out too if I was a 2-year-old in that crazy place with a strange guy telling me what to do. So after all the outfit planning and a frantic morning of getting ready to go, all we managed to get was about 5 poses... and just of the babies. That's a time I will not forget any time soon: Andrea trying to calm down a freaking out Will in a store packed full of snooty parents while I was with the two babies, trying to position them together in the baby papasan and somehow trying to get them to smile... all the while Will was screaming about kitties (he wanted to see the pictures of the kitties at the front of the store). The drama went on from there that day, including a spilled apple juice situation at Noodles and Company, and an impending rainstorm with 3 kids in strollers at an outdoor mall. Lets just say Andrea and I weren't so excited to go home and plan a cookout for our darling husbands, who had spent the day relaxing and enjoying themselves (translation... drinking). But after a few slices of the "Better Than Sex Cake" Andrea made, our day managed to get a tiny bit better.

Excluding of course the "excitement" that happened when Alex started our new gas grill for the first time, with his little assistant Will by his side of course. But I will save you the details of that story. Nobody got hurt, don't worry.

P.S. I really really hope my husband is going to hire me a cleaning lady for Mother's Day. In case he asks for suggestions!!! :)