CHICAGO IS IN THE HOUSE (white house)

On Friday we went to see Joel. Yes, Chicago is proud that its citizen is moving to the White House. There are special editions of the Sun Times, and Joel bought a T-shirt that has a picture of the white house on it with the caption Chicago is in the House at the rally on election night in Grant Park

We did some shopping on Friday.....Joel didnt get back to Chicago from New York until early evening....Joel had arranged for us to get into his apartment, but when he got home, he found us asleep on his couches. Ahh that time zone change.

On Saturday together we visited the American girl doll store, where I bought my first american girl doll, Kit. It was adorable to see all the little girls carrying their dolls and I am waiting for Emmio to get old enough to take her doll to have tea and see the store too. Joe needed some things for his apartment so we went to crate and barrel too. In the late afternoon we went to Shedd's aquarium to see all the new changes there and then to see the lights at Macy's on State Street and to eat dinner in the Walnut Room.

Hilloween DC style

We left Oct 30 to drive to DC so that we could spend Halloween with Emily,...Jason and Sandy too. We left at 4:30 in the morning which means that we got to DC in the late afternoon, and just in time for Jason and Emmi to make a delicous pot pie for dinner.

We dressed as Barney and Betty Rubble, completing the Flintstones family. Yes, Pop sprayed his hair yellow like Barney's, but it was kind of green. I guess the yellow paint turns green on gray hair. We penciled on Barney's beard with eye pencil too. Thankfully the costumes that Jason, Sandy, Sandy's sister Ann and her boyfriend wore in high school we saved.

The dogs needed a walk and so we all took the dogs to the congressional cemetary. Ally was a good sport to let Emmi hold her leash while the others roamed the cemetary.

Some Special Times

Sometimes are special not because what you are doing, but who you are with.

Children's museum Grand Rapids Style

We have never been in the children's museum, so this week having Emily here in GR, we were excited to go. I guess it just looks funny to go into a children's museum if you dont have a child with you.

Great things there to do, from a construction zone with wheelbarrows and "dirt" in the form of ground up old tires, to making bubbles, and shopping carts with play food. To much to do for a few hours time before the melt down begins.

Robinettes with Grandma

On a beautiful fall day the end of September, Pop and I took Grandma out to Robinettes for lunch. She took all of us out there so many times, and we thought it would be a wonderful treat for her to be there. She ate her lunch but had her eye on a large chocolate covered carmel apple that pop had bought and a bag of peanut brittle that we had bought for her. She loves her sweets. She kept moving the two closer and closer to her, until we cut a piece of the apple for her. We packed her a bad of a small piece of the apple to take back to the "manor" with her and we couldnt get it out of her hand to put her coat on. She had it clutched so tightly, I think she was afraid we would change our minds and take it from her.

A Years Worth in One Posting

From Elmwood to West Elm

Joel moved to West Elm which is in the heart of downtown Chicago.  We helped him move in, or rather we helped him assemble his furniture from Ikea.  Thank goodness for power tools.  He has a beautiful apartment with an amazing view not only to the South down State and Rush Streets, but also to the East where you can see Lake Michigan.

Pop, Joel and I went on a boat tour to see all the amazing buildings that are in Chicago especially those around the Chicago River