mini golf maniac

Bailey spent a week in WI with my parents from Friday Aug 14 until I picked him up Sat Aug 22. He had a wonderful time keeping busy. He hasn't been doing much while at home this summer. He likes playing wiffle ball in the backyard and grandpa was his buddy for this in WI. He loves that.
His main activity while there, however, was mini golf and when I say main activity, him, grandma and grandpa played 5 rounds of mini golf....in one day!! Lisa and Wil joined them once or twice, but all week he played well, something like 10 rounds of mini golf at every mini golf place in the Fox Valley ( Neenah, Menasha, Appleton, Oshkosh, and even went to Green Bay). He even went frisbee golfing once for the first time. Needless to say grandma and grandpa are mini golfed out and Bailey was ready to come home on Saturday.

Here's some, well-- mini golf pics, and a few random ones from his stay in WI.





Frisbee golf at Pierce Park



After mini golfing in Green Bay, they went to the Lambeau Field Atrium and Pro Shop




Playing games at Lambeau



Bailey tried on my cousin's Viking's jersey--- Brad is selling them, Bailey ordered one in his size. :)


my cheese head


Bailey and grandpa playing baseball in the backyard


Bailey in the batting cage


grandma and grandpa's 59th Anniversary-- Aug 19

Hannah and Mileka

Hannah was invited to go to her friend's family cabin, on Lake Stella in Darwin last week for an afternoon of swimming. After a little warming up, they had fun. Hannah hadn't seen Mileka all summer, she was in Hawaii visiting family most of July. Hannah had to miss Mileka's birthday party while we were in Chicago, so we were determined to get the girls together at least once this summer. They live in Silver Lake, but her mom teaches 1st grade at Dassel Elementary, which is why she goes to school here. Good thing, because they are so good for each other. They have been in the same class since Kdg, and I think the teachers, including her mom have had a little something to do with that.

here's some pics her mom took of them-- they are adorable together.

CHICAGO

Sunday August 9, 2009

American Girl Place--Chicago.
After having been there last summer, I thought I knew exactly where to tell my dad to go. Although we walked there last year, I knew the road names and things to look for, as familiar. After driving down Lakeshore Dr, and almost heading down a one way street, and going in what seemed to be circles, we finally found Michigan Ave, then I remembered the American Girl Place being just around the corner on Chicago Ave. After driving about 4-5 blocks, I knew it wasn't this far-- I started second guessing myself, thinking we must have missed it, or I was crazy. We were getting frustrated by this time thinking this "quick" trip to AG, was taking far too much time. We did only have a certain amount of time before we had to head back to Solider Field area to figure out when and where mom would be arriving.
ok, so now the kids had to go potty-- we pulled into a dinky gas station downtown Chicago, and they didn't even have a bathroom. So my dad found a place to park-- not an easy thing in a gas station with no parking and being on the streets of Chicago--- as Hannah and I then raced across the street to a restaurant that was crazy busy for lunch. We snuck in, and used their bathroom, and after parking dad and Bailey used it too !! Ok-- I decided to go in the gas station and ask where AG was. He didn't know--uuggh, but said that a taxi driver was just leaving the gas station-- he would know. So I run out after the taxi driver, and he said oh, yea, American Girl, ya- they moved. What!!?? Moved. So after figuring out where he told us to go, we stumbled upon it. It was next to the Ritz Carlton hotel.
American Girl Place in Chicago is now in a mall.... a 7 story mall. The mall was 7 stories only because it was way more tall than wide. It was a good thing cuz as Hannah and I looked, Bailey and dad were able to go look someplace else that was fairly close and still be in the mall. Hannah got to get one outfit and that was a challenge for her. She ended up with Carissa's party dress. very cute.











We ate lunch in the mall and had some pretty awesome pizza. WE thought so anyway, must be Chicago pizza. :)

We then headed back out past the Ritz Carlton again, and saw a Lamborgini sitting outside the hotel....sweet!



Dad and the kids had fun trying to get wet from a sprinkler on the sidewalks downtown, it was SOOOOO HOT out, can't breathe hot.






We had plans to go to the Field Museum or Museum of Science and Industry, but never made it because this whole trying to find AG and such and getting back to Soldier Field, took way too long. Kids were bummed that we never made it the museum...it would have been cool ( as in a/c, and cool stuff to see too) in there, but instead we waited out in the heat for mom/grandma to come walking in. After finding out it would be about another hour and a half or so, it was for sure to late to hit a huge museum. So we waited some more, drinking water and waiting. Kids were good as could be expected, but well, crabby and hot.

hot Hannah


Bailey with Solider Field in backround


leaving Chicago, with a bit of traffic


Chicago


proof of a hot day


Some Sears Tower shots from the hwy




What a long day.

glow in the dark mini golf

a few random pics of indoor glow in the dark mini golf, my dad, the kids and myself did Sat night Aug 8 (Gurnee, IL)
It was in a Family Entertainment Center where there were many, many games to play also.







anyone remember the "Bozo Show" ? It was a Chicago based show that I used to watch every morning before school, and after the "Grand Prize Game" was over I had to leave for school. Here's Hannah playing a version of that old time game....neat!!