Last Sunday we headed out to our favorite orchard, Oriole Springs in Wisconsin, for a morning of apple picking.

This year we planned it a little earlier and as a result of this and the heat wave it felt like summer.

Still the boys did their part, we picked honey crisp, gala and golden delicious.

Double Fisted

One of the perks of the weather was that we weren’t swarmed by bees.

Afterwards the boys played in their picnic area.

Eeenie Meenie Miney Mo

And checked out the animals.

We also sampled the brats, hot dogs, and local donuts.

Now, what do do with all these apples?

You have been warned by the title, this blog post contains food porn…

As I mentioned before, I’ve been spending some of my free time enjoying all the diverse food this city has to offer.

Chicago is a culinary wonder. The Washington Post named it in it’s 10 Best Food Cities in America. It places higher than New York!

And with more than 73,000 restaurants in Chicago, I’ve had my choice of just about any cuisine for lunch every day.

Here are some of the places I’ve been this past month…

Nando’s Peri Peri Chicken. (Portugal)

Hakka Bakka’s Lamb Kati Roll. (India)

Traditional Vietmanese Beef Soup from Fuh.

New York Style thin crust from Cafe Luigi’s.

Quiche from Floriole. (French)

Thai Basil Chicken and Bubble Tea from Joy Yee Noodles. (Thailand)

Reuben from The Corned Beef Factory. (The Midwest?)

Lentil Soup and an “Ava” Sandwich (spinach, avocado, bacon, swiss, mozzarella, havarti, green tomato relish, kale pesto, multigrain bread) from Blue Door Farm Stand.

Patties from Caribbean American Bakery (Jamaica)

Wonder what next month will bring?

Yesterday we celebrated the Jewish New Year.

Unlike previous years, when just Jack went to temple, this year Adam wanted all the kids to participate.

So we scrounged the closets for all the years of fancy clothes that originated with Jack. Then Adam went one night after work and got Jack another set which he will definitely outgrow before he needs them again!

We took them to the children’s service. It was an hour long service full of song, stories and the blowing of the shofar. At one point they invited kids with their own shofars to go up and blow them. It was really cute.

Most of the kids did surprisingly well.

Jack played the all knowing, Hebrew school going, big brother. He pointed out the intricate architecture of the temple to the twins. “Don’t worry,” he told Ben, “We don’t read this whole book, we just skip through it.”

The twins stood and sat when asked. And they fidgeted quietly in their own seats. Or appropriately whispered.

Ben had a tougher time. He left the room at one point. Then he came back, but when he did he laid in front of us on the ground instead of sitting. The room was filled with people with kids so no one blinked an eye when they had to step over him to bring a smaller bladdered person to the bathroom.

Then, after that it was back home for homework and lunch.

In the afternoon we took advantage of the scorching heat and headed to the beach.

There was a lot of burying and sand play.

And ice cream.

And fun in the water, including a few races.

Afterwards, we showered up and headed out for a nice dinner.

Shine Restaurant

Wishing all who celebrate a very happy new year!

Last Tuesday, half of the lives of the people in this house changed forever.

The twins started kindergarten.

My mother could barely contain her excitement! She restrained herself from calling me to find out how it went.

A day later, I finally called and told her.

Sam was so nervous that he woke up at 2am the night before and never went back to bed.

Aaron slept well, woke early and had his clothes, shoes and backpack on my 7am and was asking when we were leaving. (School doesn’t start until 9!)

Afterschool I asked Camila to pick them up. I did tell Sam and Aaron about it but it was a lot of new experiences so maybe they didn’t hear me.

At 4pm I got facetimed by Camila. When I answered, Sam was crying hysterically. He said the teacher told him I was going to pick him up and he was not leaving until I came and got him!

Finally she coaxed him into the stroller and I met him at home.

Sam couldn’t remember anything that happened that day. He also left his lunchbox at school.

Aaron, on the other hand, told me everything he learned. Don’t open the kindergarten door for any reason, even if someone knocks. If you have to go potty durning story time, they will not rewind the story. He even managed to get a free school lunch!

The next morning I spoke to Sam’s classroom aide who said he was wandering around like a zombie on the first day, eyes half closed but refusing to sleep.

The twins are in separate classes and so far it seems their schedule does not have any overlap. This is a language school and they have started a nine year study towards fluency in Mandarin.

The twins finally starting school also means a big change for me. After 10 years of not having any time by myself unless I paid for it or begged it from my husband, I get 6 glorious hours to myself every day, 5 days a week, for 10 months a year.

That morning I got emails and text from many well wishers on my new found freedom.

What will I do with all this free time? Stay tuned loyal readers, stay tuned….

This week many of the city’s museums are free for Chicago Public Schools.

Normally with Ben I avoid situations like this, as they sound overcrowded and therefore stressful for him.

But Ben is back in school so I tried it out with the three other kids.

I picked the Field Museum because chances of me buying a membership is pretty slim. 

The day I picked was all a free day to all Chicago residents.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t overcrowded. I makes me think I should check out more museum free days in Chicago!

The kids really enjoyed seeing Sue, though I hear she will soon be replaced by Titanosaur, a $16.5 million dollar gift from Ken Griffin, Illinois richest man.

First we walked the “Evolving Planet” exhibit. The kids loved all the fossils, and this time they didn’t run through it like they normally do. They actually stopped and hopefully learned a few things. 

This exhibit starts in time, 3.5 billion years ago and leads us to the present. It has some amazing fossils.

Sitting on a dinosaur bone!

I was quite alarmed to walk through and see at that 6 mass extinctions have already occurred on earth. Makes me wonder when the next apocalypse will be!

They also wanted to check out the Ancient Egyptian exhibit, to which I thank the creators of Scooby Doo for. After watching “Where is my Mummy” a thousand times, they were ripe with curiousity.

We also spent time in the Regenstein Halls of the Pacific.

Look and Find exhibit

As well as the Crown Family Play Lab.

Playing with in the Pueblo Home.

Discovering specimens

Excavating bones

Hanging out in a Dinosaur nest.

The music room.

The music room.

The kids were exhausted after just 3 hours, so we stopped for a pretzel in the lawn outside.

The Willis Tower (formerly Sears) in the background.

It was a wonderful day out. How lucky are we to have this right in our backyard?

One Ben’s last day of summer, we signed up for a cupcake decorating class at Sweet Mandy B’s.

“Walking” to the cupcake place

This class was animal themed.

I think some of them are eating more frosting then they are decorating with…

With our sitter Cami there to help, we managed to decorate 4 different kinds of animals – Lion, Monkey, Panda and Elephant.

And the results…

Jack, Ben, Sam then Aaron’s

It was a super cute afternoon activity, perfect for this rainy afternoon.

For the past few years Lara and Mom have been coming to Chicago to help out at the end of August.

It is rapidly becoming one of my favorite times of year.

In 3 days I get 3 very different, but all equally important connections satisfied in my life.

First Mom and Lara send me off with my husband for a good night’s sleep at a hotel.

Adam used out Hilton points for a fantastic stay at the Waldorf Astoria.

View from our balcony

We rested, relaxed, and reconnected. We also managed to run on the lake both days.

First run to Buckingham Fountain.

Second Run, Adam gets new shoes and suddenly gets faster.

In the evening, we walked down to the newly renovated riverwalk. We stopped for drinks at Bridge House Tavern and a Cheese and Charcuterie board that was so big we had to cancel our dinner reservations after eating it.

Bridge House’s Cheese and Charcuterie Board

It was really nice to catch a glimpse of the city without the kids for once.

We saw a massive group of bikers pass by our hotel balcony Friday night, throngs of people out on Michigan Avenue, the Riverwalk, and in River North (where we stopped for a late night doughnut from Firecakes.)

Second, I got to see both of my families bond with each other, forming their own special relationships.

Dim Sum at Ming Hin

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream

Lara spent hours playing with the kids. 

She also fixed drawers and sewed old sheets. 

Mom kept me out of the laundry room the entire time she was here.

Third I got to spend special time with just Mom and Lara. While Adam watched the kids we went for a reflexology massage at fit foot. 

Then headed to Chinatown (yes, twice in one visit! Hey, we are Chinese! What do you expect?) and ate at Qing Xiang Yuan Dumplings. 

At the end of the evening, a very exotic, half Philippine, half French waiter prepared our check from a hand held computer at our table.

When it was prepared he handed it to Mom. Lara and I screamed and grabbed the check. We were celebrating Mom’s birthday and she was not going to pay!

The waiter looked shocked and said, “She was touching my leg.”

Lara and I looked at him and both said, deadpan, “That had nothing to do with the check.”

The poor waiter was bright red!

We headed over to Legend Tasty House afterwards so they could try the thai rolled ice cream.

This morning I dropped them at the ‘L’. It was very sad, and once again, for the millionth time, I wished my family lived closer.

We celebrated out 2017 Block Party yesterday with my sister and mother who are in town visiting.

The block party followed the same format it does every year. The older kids are starting to remember the sequence and anticipate with joy.

First the bouncy houses are inflated. Two of them, one for older kids and one for younger kids.

Next the cotton candy comes out.

While this is going on, the other food is getting set up. Summer Houses Santa Monica and the Oyster Bar had stalls this year.

Summer House had a huge taco bar spread, during the day. Later they brought out pizzas. Still later, cookies larger than your head.

Oyster Bar fed us fantastic lobster rolls, fried chicken and more!

Our neighbors volunteered to cook up hot dogs and hamburgers on grills people had rolled out on the street. Behind them tubs of non alcoholic drinks for adults and kids.

The kegs were tapped right next to the band. Along with an assortment of other alcoholic drinks.

Our neighbor Jane’s ‘decorate a birdhouse or box’ table was out again this year for the kids.

A firetruck came to visit the kids.

Walgreens volunteered their time to paint kids faces. 

Soon the magician arrived. 

Ben volunteered and got picked.

Sam the ice cream man showed up with the ice cream truck. The ice creams are free, also part of the block party’s budget.

Finally it got dark and the glow stuff was opened. 

Great party! Thanks to the organizers and volunteers who make it all happen!

At the beginning of the summer, my friend Nicole (also Jack’s buddy’s mother) suggested the boys get season passes for Six Flags Great America.

She had seen a special online, for the price of one day entry you could get a pass for the season.

And so, just like that, Jack graduated up to the next level of fun. Great America is a playground for older kids!

This week they had a buddy pass. Bring a friend for free with your season pass. Jack invited another friend and I invited Ben. Camila watched the twins for the day until Adam got off work and relieved her.

I was a bit worried about Ben. Last time he refused to do any of the rides, even the simplest ones designed for kids even younger than he was.

This time, I got the older boys to accompany him on the ‘Little Dipper’ ride. It is approved for kids height 36″ of taller. (The twins can ride it.)

The Little Dipper

Ben tried it, which I praised him for greatly. Sadly he came off the ride saying he never wants to do a roller coaster again.

Jack hits the Whirligig while his friends brave the Batman ride.

Now I was worried Ben’s day would be ruined when he figured out he couldn’t do any of the roller coasters that the older boys enjoyed, yet he was too big for the kiddie rides. Luckily one of Jack’s friends brought money for everyone to win prizes with.

It was the kind of thing I would never offer to my own kids, but it saved the day.

They played a few games and when Ben’s money was almost out, he let Jack have his last turn with the claw game. You know the one where you try to pick up prizes by moving a big claw around to the right spot and pressing a button to pick up?

Jack picked up this mini-ironman for him in one turn. Ben was ecstatic! (Jack won this pokeman toy for himself).

These toys saved the day later. When the older boys did the big roller coasters, Ben busied himself with make believe games.

He also enjoyed a few other rides with the older boys, like the ‘4D Justice League: Battle for Metropolis’. It had screens that full of stuff to shoot at, and with the 3D glasses it was so realistic he was screaming a bit. I put my arm around him and told him it was okay, I would keep him safe. But that didn’t help, apparently I’m no match for a bunch of super villians!

Next I told him to look away from the screen to see it wasn’t real. After he looked to the side and saw the end of the screen he was able to relax and enjoy it.

Funnel Cake, my weakness…

And the Buccaneer Battle! Fun for all! The people sitting the boat can also be shot by cannons on land, and the boat people can shoot the land people. It’s a very clever set up.

At first I was upset they were in different boats.

But then this happened…

Turning around and realizing they are about to face off.

They got to battle each other!

Why do boys play like this?

Ben also sat in Jack’s car for bumper cars.The boys spent most of their time in a three way triangle. They would all ram each other, then try to get out of it only to find themselves in the same position minutes later.

‘Logger’s Run’ was so much fun it was worth two visits… Some roller coasters were too scary for Jack to try also. His two buddies went on the X-Flight. They ran right into the line. Jack hesitated, then started walking after them, then stopped and came out.

I told him he didn’t have to do it but if he wanted to I’m sure his buddies would go again. When they returned, Jack walked into the line and they cheered and laughed and ran after him. Shortly after the gate closed on the ride, they got the last ride of the day.

Can you spot them? They are in the top row, Jack is the inside seat, three rows in.

Afterwards I asked Jack if it was as horrible as he thought it was going to be. He said, “Worse.”

I asked him if he would do it again. He said, “Yes.”