Sunday we headed out to Wisconsin for some apple picking.

We go to the same place every year, and lately the same people have been joining us each year too. Camerons, Weinrebs, and this year Franciscos all came to join the fun. We were very sad that one of the regulars, the Pasquiers, could not be there, as they are in Ethiopia right now.

Every one seemed to enjoy it, though I think Jack was the only one old enough to actually pick the apples.

Ben mostly just ate them. He ate so many, in fact, that he got apple belly. He threw up that evening after dinner.

Sam carried the apples around, throwing them like balls. He he managed to even hit someone in the thigh with an apple. It wasn’t even anyone from our party.

Aaron mostly stumbled around, running as close to the street as he could, tripping over apples. Sometimes he sat in the orchard and stuck his fingers in rotten ones. Sometimes he just dragged apple picking bags around.

After grabbing lots of Jonathan and McIntosh apples, we headed over to the barn next door. Harvest Time Orchards has a Donut Shop, Cider Barn, and Brat Shop too. There is also a really nice spot for kids to play.

Sand Filled Tires

You’d be surprised how exciting a bunch of hay bales can be to us city kids.

It was a gorgeous day, and after stuffing our faces with naughty processed food and deep fried donuts, we took the annual picture.

Not my best work, but it will have to do. Maybe next year the twins will co-operate better.

Now, it’s time to start making good use of these apples…

Last night I attended my first Blackhawks game. It’s amazing how long I’ve lived here and how many things I still have yet to experience.

We were invited by our friends the Smiths. So lovely to have such a nice evening planned for you! I really appreciate them getting Adam and I out (even if we paid for it the next day at the apple orchard – but that blog is for tomorrow)

We started the evening at Carmichaels Steakhouse.

Did you know they have a shuttle that takes you to the stadium?

And did you know that the Blackhawks actually play at the United Center? The same place that the Chicago Bulls play basketball?

Apparently under the basketball floor is an ice hockey ring!

Within the first three minutes of the game, a fight broke out. Two hockey players were duking it out (do people still say that?) while two referees stood by, very close by in fact, watching. I was in such shock I didn’t even snap a picture. It went against everything we teach our young boys about sportmenship. But apparently it’s just part of the game. I was the only one yelling, “Oh My God.” Over and over again.

When Mark bought the tickets, he received this free signed hockey stick. Pretty cool, eh? Autographs were given out randomly and when it was Mark’s turn in line he got Niklas Hjalmarsson. I have no idea if that’s good or bad, but I figure a signed Hockey stick is pretty cool no matter how you look at it.

I had a blast. It’s a whole subculture in that stadium. People deck out in their blackhawks gear and bring their whole family. And they drink. Or maybe it was just us drinking? All I know is that if I didn’t have that many drinks, I certainly wouldn’t have thought it was a good idea to crash someone’s 50th birthday party that we didn’t know at all. It was a great idea at the time, though.

This weekend started with a bang for my friend Michelle’s 40th birthday surprise party.

After school was out, I loaded the kids in the car for what turned out to be a two hour journey to her house in the suburbs. Highland Park is only 30 miles away, but don’t get me started.

Her husband Rick lured her into the back lawn under the pretense of showing her the new fire pit he built. We were suppose to be all waiting there, unfortunately we missed the surprise by a few minutes. We did manage to get there in time to see her standing outside, a bit dazed and confused by it all.

The Calisoff kids were in hog heaven in the basement. Michelle and Rick have three boys of their own and most of them are older than our kids. There are a ton of great toys that hardly get played with anymore. Jack and Ben could hoard whatever they wanted and no one even noticed.

What to the older boys do if they don’t play with toys, you ask? They play with electronics. Lots and lots of electronics. I had no idea. Parents of older kids told me that kids graduate to electronics once they get past toys but I always envisioned it being very anti-social. It is in no way anti-social. Dylan, Michelle and Rick’s oldest, managed to stand between his two friends playing XBOX 360 and chat to them while holding a handheld device and playing a football game all at the same time. On the couch there were for or five other kids, all with electronics out, playing and chatting.

God I’m old. Is this what it’s like to grow up nowadays? I mean, we had some electronics, don’t get me wrong. We had Pong that played on an old black and white TV screen. And my father built a computer from a kit and Lara used to play Zork. But nothing in color. Nothing with pictures! Nothing with game controllers! This is a whole ‘nother world!

And to add insult to injury, we are here celebrating my friend’s 40th.

And I’m older than her.

I asked Michelle when I first arrived if she was having a midlife crisis turning 40. Like, were we going to see her show up with a tattoo or fake boobs soon? She said she wasn’t feeling it at all, but I think it was starting to hit her by the time the cake came out…

Michelle got all choked up when we sang the birthday song to her.

Afterwards, Adam covered, chased, and blocked the kids in the basement so I could have a few seconds to chat to Michelle. Mostly I used it to stuff my face, but I did manage to stop for a second to get this photo…

Am I going through menopause of something? Because I didn’t feel cold but in the picture I seem majorly underdressed.

Anyway, that’s not why I added this photo!

I added it because I realized out of all the people there besides one, these two ladies and their families were the only people I knew at the party. It made me realize Michelle and I have come a long way. How much her life has changed since I’ve met her. I’m pleased that, even though she moved to the suburbs and we both have very busy, very different lives, when it’s important, we still make time for each other.

Happy Birthday Michelle! Or as your French teacher mind would say, Joyeux Anniversaire!

One of the many things I worried about when Anjelica left was whether or not the kids would suffer because I could not handle doing as much without her. Turns out that not having Anjelica has made me realize the opposite. I can do most things with four kids that I did with just two.

It hasn’t changed my routine. But now the twins join me all afternoon. I tell them it’s time to pick up Jack and Ben and they go running to the door, walking themselves to the car. It is a lot more work, but it’s so nice not to leave them crying at the door as I left every afternoon. That was always such a painful part of the day for me.

When my older kids get out of school, I pick Ben up, then Jack. A lot of afternoons we play at Jack’s school. I’m pleased that I can still do this every afternoon. It’s different, no more sitting down with the other moms and chatting. But it’s doable.

Surprisingly, a lot of other parents, sitters, and kids want to help with the twins. Human nature must be that people want to hug and protect little ones, because I know a lot of these kids are not being taught this at home.

Just this week alone I caught these pictures, and there were many more that helped as well…

In the lead up to Anjelica’s last day, my first instinct was to leave the kids as much as possible and enjoy my last morsels of freedom.

Unfortunately my broken toe kept me from doing all the things I love – foot massage, pedicures, and running.

I guess it will make the transition easier if I don’t have to miss those things AND Anjelica at the same time.

Still it didn’t keep me from completely enjoying my last day with a helper. I had another appointment to check on my toe. Still broken, but getting better. I thoroughly enjoyed sitting in the waiting room with my Starbucks, reading magazines. The calmness of the waiting room was something everyone took for granted but me.

After the appointment I returned home for the dinner, bath, homework, bedtime rush.

When I was all over Anjelica and I realized we hadn’t taken a picture with her and all the kids. So we tried to get one for the records. In hindsight perhaps we should have taken one before everyone was so tired. But I think this picture is pretty fitting. Anjelica, lest you start your new job and start remembering us through rose colored glasses, here is the picture to help you remember how it actually was…