This is where you tell me how awesome and funny I am. If you want to tell me how much I suck, you have to use my hate mail form here. http://www.becauseisaidso.com/get-in-touch/hate-mail/ Those are the rules. Oh and I moderate my comments so if your comment doesn't show up immediately, be patient, young Jedi.
My husband is originally from Wheaton and so I got to visit the Shedd Aquarium once, about fifteen years ago, but I remember enjoying it a lot. My kids went back to school last Thursday and I have to say I was pretty happy about it. I like having them around but I don't enjoy the arguing or the lack of alone time.
ReplyDeletegreat pictures! i really enjoyed them! looks like yall had alot of fun. thanks for sharing them with us. the whale?dolphin? pictures were awesome!
ReplyDeletei lived in chicago for almost two years and there is something that i've never quite understood about the windy city, why on earth do they dye the river green on st. patty's day when it's already green every other day of the year?
ReplyDeleteMy son got a beta fish from his scout leaders to get a stupid badge. Yah...I said it...stupid! He had to keep it alive for at least 2 months. It has been 6. Am I am bad mom for wishing the thing would just die already? If I have to clean that stinkin' bowl one more time!
ReplyDeleteKati
I am kind to animals. Really, I am.
priceisrightfamily.blogspot.com
I love the slideshow I have been on picture trail trying to work out how to do that with some of my pictures but it wont work grrrr. Our kids have another three weeks off.................. we are off bowling on thursday morning, which will be fun lol.
ReplyDeleteThe kids are all in T-shirts... I thought it was supposed to be winter over there??
ReplyDeleteGreat pics by the way, I was at the aquarium back in 1992 and the dolphins did the exact same show...
Brings back good memories!!
Mine went back to school yesterday, too!
ReplyDeleteYour kids JUST went back to school on January 7? What kind of crazy school systems do you have out there? We go back on the 2nd here on the East Coast, unless it falls on a Friday...I think I'd implode if everyone were home together in the house for that long! I have even more respect for you now!
ReplyDeleteThose are some great pictures! And from two posts ago, we have similar tastes in toys for our kids. The messy room shot was sooo similar to my girl's room because we also have the doll house and kitchen which are soooo cute, but such a pain!! Gotta love it!
ReplyDeleteThis isn't so much a comment about the 'whale jail', but on many of our new year's resolutions of dropping a few dozen pounds in '08. Many have written about feeling starved - you need to find the right kind of calories that will fill you up.
ReplyDeleteDo a google search on the Abs Diet. This diet isn't really a diet, but a way of life. I've tried it and lost 10 pounds without feeling starved. It really does work - honest. Though you put the weight back on if you indulge 24/7 on Christmas cookies like I did - so I'm gain a few pound back.
Serioursly though, check it out. And the smoothie/shakes are a must!
At first I thought the whole idea of not counting calories was a joke, but it really is about the types of food you eat...well, you can't realistically eat a whole bag of almonds, but a handful when you're getting hungry does the trick.
Wow Dawn, looks like you had a great time at the aquarium. I haven't been back to Chicago since 1995, and know I've never been the Shedd Aquarium. Hoping to get up there with Nicole and Chris someday and show them around. Show Nicole where her papa and great auntie grew up.
ReplyDeleteNicole didn't go back to school till today, so for her last hurrah, I let her run around the park for almost 2 hours yesterday with some of her friends..
Have a great day Dawn:))
Marcy
Even with the fog, New York has NOTHING on the Chicago skyline. I miss it!
ReplyDeleteI saw your name mentioned in Redbook Magazine and wanted to say congrats on the success of your blog!
ReplyDeleteI went to Shedd Aquarium once. Great place. Chicago has much to offer!
ReplyDeleteHi Dawn, I love your blog! Been reading since the Pokemon Card auction but have not posted. You just seem so bogged down already, and if I just read the comments most of the time my questions are answered. But now I have a question about Chicago. I saw your reply to the last person that asked so I am giving you plenty of heads up. I am coming with my son (6) and my baby girl (8 months) to Chicago to visit friends, but none of my friends up there have children. So I was hoping for some more family oriented tips? And of course the general must see's of Chicago. Thank you so much for any advice you give. Have a wonderful day.
ReplyDeleteThat must be quite an adjustment having all the kids at home and then gone again--I hope it went well for you all!
ReplyDeleteMe again (the traveler with two kids), forgot to say I will be in Chicago in March.
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures!!!! Thanks for sharing! I love visiting all the museums downtown and seeing the Chicago skyline.
ReplyDeleteWhat fun pictures! Thanks for sharing with us. You sure have some cuties, especially "sleepy girl", who would have thought she could get into such a mess with blue paint! Hee hee.
ReplyDeleteI have to say Dawn those are some pretty cute and beautiful pictures...i especially like the chicago skyline one...so being from mn and having never lived anywhere out of the state as an adult before, how would you rate the cost of living down there by you, if you dont mind me askin??
ReplyDeleteCool pictures. My home is 1000 sq. ft. as well and we have 4 living in it. Can't imagine haveing twice as many people living in that space.
ReplyDeleteLooks like fun!
ReplyDeleteoh that looks like fun, but maybe not with a bus load of kids...
ReplyDeleteand we got a gold fish a while ago, and my 2 year old son named it "bird". he says "good morning bird!", but it's a fish so i always laugh.
Great pictures! And you had a pretty good day to go downtown. Maybe a little foggy, but at least it was warm. I can't believe the weather we've had. I enjoy going to the aquarium. It looks like the kids had a great time. Our you enjoying the return to a normal schedule? I sure am.
ReplyDeleteUgh, the UFO looks awful! My husband and I went to the last bears game (where they won central division - the last year there was a central division) before they ripped apart soldier field.
ReplyDeleteI miss living near the city.....
I was up on Oct. and drove all over downtown and felt so at home again... I'm a sick individual b/c I just love traffic and honking horns and panicking when you are in the wrong lane.... Maybe my career when I finally decide to grow up (I'm 28 and mom of four btw)should be NY Taxi driver?!
How fun! Hope's favorite place to visit.
ReplyDeleteYes, please do Hug your fish! In today's economy you never know. They might end up being tomorrow night's dinner.
ReplyDeletehttp://organizeddoodles.blogspot.com/
THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG!
ReplyDeleteYour daughter's face! It's not blue or green or brown... it's precious pink and cream! SLeeping beauty!
what great photos!!! if you don't mind my asking, how many did you have to take to get such an awesome slide show? i am so bad w/ a camera, i would've taken all 745 photos that my camera's internal memory would allow....& i'd STILL be sorting through them next summer trying to come up w/ enough good ones for a show!
ReplyDeleteWhy is it so many people comment on how happy they are to get away from their children? Don't get me wrong, I like a break now and then too, but God has blessed us with these beautiful children and we all seem eager to have them only to give them away every day to someone else to take care of. I'm a homeschooling mom to 5 beautiful and challening children and I can't imagine shipping them off every day for someone else to raise them. . . .sorry for the rant :p
ReplyDeleteOh how I love a fun afternoon at Shed Aquariam!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter went back to school yesterday, too. I thought 2 weeks was pretty standard for Christmas break, but apparently it would make some people implode!
ReplyDeleteOh, and I'd like to explain why I always comment as "anonymous." It's because you don't know me, and so even if I signed my name as "Lisa" or "Becky" or "MamaDolphin," I'd still be anonymous to you!
Hi Dawn, I have never visited Chicago, other then driving around it. I live on the west side of Michigan and my (Now) husband lived in Madison Wi. He use to drive 350 miles one way every weekend to see me. Must have been Love. I Moved to Madison with him after we married. Now we are home again in Michigan. My son's fifth grade class is taking a field trip to Chicago in April. Kristine in Michigan.
ReplyDeleteWow, great pics, Dawn! I saw the one of Soldier Field and mentally did a "oh sure, she takes a picture of the good side of Soldier Field. Don't show everyone the UFO they built on top of it on the other side" but then the next picture made me laugh as you had the UFO and aptly labeled it.
ReplyDeleteSo cute to see the baby sleeping. I bet you wore her out with all the activity!
The "whale jail" comment cracked me up. Does that make me a bad person?
For the person who's visiting in March, a couple kid friendly suggestions: Lincoln Park Zoo (free except parking), Navy Pier (tons to do, including the Ferris Wheel beautifully pictured by Dawn), Kohl's Children's Museum (one on Navy Pier, bigger and better in Glenview if you can get there), go on the architectural tour if it's warm enough, etc. Chicago is just fun!
Michelle
Love the slide show, but could you slow it down a little? Gonna need to break out the dramamine to watch. :)
ReplyDeleteOoh...that looks like fun!
ReplyDeleteCurious, and I think this was kind of addressed in your last Load o' Answers blog:
I might be in Chicago, possibly with my 16 month old baby, at the beginning of February. What do you do with a 16 month old, when it's freeze-your-butt cold outside, in Chicago??
I couldn't help but think of you Dawn when I heard the alli TV ad [sorry OT] it starts out by saying "other diets make your head spin and your heart race" ---umm, yeah, sounds pretty good compared to the "oily, gassy, crapathon"!
ReplyDeletedoesn't serial mommy know that the river just STAYS green after St. Paddy's day? Just joking. :)
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing those pictures, Dawn...they were great...so who was flying down LSD while you were taking those shots? Or were you driving and taking pictures? :)
My hubby has been to Chicago and would love to take us all there. We've talked about it being our very first real family vacation! A girl can dream... (We've spent several years camping with his family in Arkansas in the summer...but I don't count camping as a family vacation...just a Dad one! heh)
ReplyDeleteIt looks like a great time! I can't wait to put the kids in the car and drive up to Atlanta to the aquarium up there.
ReplyDeleteHi Dawn, great pics. I live in North Carolina and away from one of the largest zoo's in the country. To walk this thing it is 5 miles! Anyway, we only live about 15 minutes from it so we have a family membership and I take my little guy who is 3 up all the time. It's nice when the kids are out of school too, so we can all go, but I really enjoy taking Reece as he finds it fasinating everytime we go, which is usually once a week.
ReplyDeleteThat 5 mile walk though can get old though, but I love it, I need to lose about 40 pounds anyway.
Do you remember the STAPLES commercial they have every year just before school starts again in the fall?
ReplyDeleteIt usually portrays a parent dancing down the aisle filling the shopping card with school supplies to the background tune of "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" (replace Christmas with school-time)with the kids sulking behind.
Well, the first line of your blog reminded me of how I used to hum that tune every time a break was over and it was time for my son to return to school.
My son is now a senior at Tufts.
This holiday break will probably be the last time we spend such a long length of time together.
I'm already missing him; he's not returning until the end of the week.
I know how INSANE it must be having 6 kids, but take what every moment you can to give each one an extra hug anytime they are within arms reach.
Blessings to the Avery Family.
You, my lucky friend have 6. It will be a long time before you have a completely empty nest.
But I guarantee as each one leaves the nest ...... a little piece of your heart will leave with each one.
hi , i also have a brady bunch 6 pack. 3 boys 14,12,8 and 3 girls 18,14,2. we are a combined family . i got 4 stepkids when i married and then we had a baby. do you have great ideas to be more frugal in the new year? my friend just told me about restrauants.com gift cards, and you can get a coupon code off the net to save money. i think it is a great deal fro big families. also, i did find you by Redbook
ReplyDeleteMy SIL lives in Chicago and the last time we went there Kailey fell and knocked out her two front teeth while looking at the sea otters! Yes, I know there is only a small piece of wood in front of the tank but that is what she hit. She was 18 months old. Will be funny to see her with teeth someday. She only has one back so far. So, we will never forget our visit to Shedd aquarium. :) And, yes can I get a whoo hoo for the kids going back to school! Mine had off two whole weeks. How do we ever survive summer?
ReplyDeleteI just noticed another post...I live on the east coast and we do not all go back on the 2nd. Mine were home until the 7th also. Craziness I tell you!
ReplyDeleteI forgot to say, I loved the "got butter?" title on your lobster slide! Yes, I watched the whole slide show! I don't really understand the UFO thing, though. I wish I could pause the slide show to see it better. It just looks like part of a stadium to me. Is there a story?
ReplyDelete