Breakfast date

I realized this morning that this would be the last Friday I'd have E home as she flies out to Seattle next Friday to start her new adventure. We decided to go out to breakfast before we did the weekly grocery shopping. We went to Charlie's on Roosevelt Road. It was a first for me. Certainly not as good as Yia Yia's where we went a couple of weeks ago. The hashbrowns tasted a little fishy to me. Ewww.

Games and talks

L brought home her friend, R, from school with her Japanese students and the girls played games and had pizza for dinner.

Meanwhile, Andy, E (back today from her U of I visit) and I went downtown to the Field Museum's Night of Ideas. I took this picture of the skyline while they were paying the parking meter. (The museum and Soldier Field wanted $30 to park in their lots! Fortunately, we found a spot on the street.)

The event was open to the public, free with reservations. It was really busy. We sat for a talk by Fermilab scientists before spending the rest of the time just walking around looking at the exhibits we usually don't see ...

... Like this one of the meteorite that hit Benld in 1938, going through a resident's garage and Oldsmobile.

The crowd thins out.

Otoha's birthday

L and Otoha were busy last night making and decorating cupcakes to bring to the school to celebrate her 17th birthday.

L stayed up late and decorated the dining room after Otoha went to bed. L decorated the huge cupcake too. Otoha was in such a hurry today on our way to school she didn't even notice the table! She did notice it after school.

L and Otoha had a late-arrival day at OPRF so they came to the Nursery School with me. Otoha read a book in Japanese to the class about Olaf. The kids then guessed what it might translate into English by looking at the illustrations. The kids were surprisingly calm and attentive.

In our free time today, I showed several kids how to make origami dogs. I helped them fold the paper and then they decorated their dog however they wanted.

We took Otoha to Red Robin for dinner. Allison met us there.

When we got home, L lit the candles on her cake and she blew them out.

Then L got out her blow-up Pikachu costume and started dancing around the house. She's debating donating it to the school's Japanese program, if sensei wants it, to use at future Japan Fests and bake sales.

Otoha thought it was pretty funny.

Fluffy cat bed

Allison brought over the fluffy, brown cat bed for Muffles at Christmas and he's been avoiding it ever since. Then, I got home from work the other day and he was in it! Probably because August took his usual spot. And he's been in it a few times since, even with August is nowhere to be found. He tried it and he liked it.

L the designer

A couple weeks ago E showed L the Candy Land theme rush flier her sorority created for spring rush. They both agreed it was way too busy. L asked her graphic arts teacher if she could redesign it as a project for class, and her teacher agreed. L sent the finalized version to E, who forwarded it to her "sisters" still in school and voila, L's design was posted on the sorority's Facebook page! Yay, L!

Sightseeing in Chicago

While Andy and I were at church and a meeting to hear about a youth trip to Purdue this summer, L, Otoha and E went to Target. This afternoon we all went downtown for some sightseeing. The girls wanted to go up in the Sears Tower but it was too foggy.

We parked in the garage by Andy's office so after a quick bathroom stop there, we walked to Daley Plaza where the girls posed by the Picasso.

We did a little shopping then went to Millennium Park ...

... where the girls saw the Bean.

We walked up Michigan Avenue stopping in a few stores along the way. I wasn't sure we'd make it to the Water Tower before it was too dark to take a picture. We barely made it.

And for dinner we went to Pizzeria Due for Chicago-style, deep-dish pizza. The restaurant was surprisingly not busy. It was a Sunday night though.

Otoha is here

While Andy and I were at the church's annual meeting this morning, L and her friend, T, were decorating the door of B's room for Otoha. L made all the letters out of origami paper.

And they decorated this Hello Kitty cake for the welcome party, a step-up of what she tried earlier in the week. I love the American bow she made. It's almost too cute to eat.

Here's L and her friends, A and R, goofing around at the welcome party. I took a pizza casserole and came back with a clean plate. Lots of variety of food for a change!

And sensei stood on a chair to give her last-minute instructions before sending us all on our way.

And E is back from her Disney trip!!

New phone!

My iPhone has been having problems holding a charge so I asked Andy if I could upgrade (or replace the battery). He talked to the guys at work who pay for our phones and they said, sure, go ahead and get a new one. Isn't it pretty? He brought the phone home yesterday and today my new case arrived. All I have to do now is set it up, add a ring holder and figure out how it works.

L's latest

L made and decorated these cookies for Aunt Allison to take to a union party tonight. They're all postal-themed!

And earlier this week she made this "practice" Hello Kitty cake. She plans to perfect her decorating and make one to take to the party welcoming our Japanese exchange students Saturday. This one went to school with her and her friends at all but about three pieces. Guess that means they liked it.

Initiation anniversary

My sorority sent this in recognition of my initiation anniversary - Jan. 23, 1988. Seems like eons ago.

Bird-watching

More Disney

L was up at 5:30 a.m. Monday to get to Hollywood Studios to get her place in a virtual line for the new Star Wars ride, Rise of the Resistance. She got in group No. 84 and had to wait until about 1 p.m. to ride it. She said it was worth it and it blows the Avatar ride away. Can't wait to hear more about it. While she was waiting, she had breakfast here in the Star Wars cantina.

Some sort of doughnut.

Stormtroopers!

Not sure whether this is part of the ride or the line to get to the ride. She went back to her room for an afternoon nap ...

... then went to the new Riveria resort to check it out and grab dinner.

Today she built a $200 lightsaber (really) and said the experience was worth it. I suppose that's good. You wouldn't want a $200 experience to be lame.

And while E was tooling around Disney World yesterday, L was with the church youth group on an outing to Safari Land.

It was two kids from church, L and her friends. I think L brought five friends along, perhaps six. Glad our youth minister welcomed and accommodated all of them.

Looks like an eviction

Andy helped me haul our donations to the front lawn this morning where Amvets are expected to pick them up today. Lots of stuff was from E that she's not planning to take to Seattle. It looks like an eviction. I'm just glad the pile is out of our dining room.

E's at Disney!

Andy was up early this morning to take E to Midway where she caught a flight to Orlando. She's celebrating her graduation with a solo trip to Disney World!

She Facetimed us to show us her room at the Pop Century resort and sent us this picture of her upgraded mug where she can get free refills at any resort.

Sibling celebration

We went out with Julie, Allison and Kevin tonight to Oak Park Brewing to celebrate Andy's birthday. And since E was still home, she went too.

Cheers!

L spent most of the afternoon painting a card for her friend, A's, birthday party. She glued candy bars in certain spots on the card.

It ended up looking cute but it was so windy when we took her to the party venue that the card ripped almost in half. She took it in any way (and was not happy about it), was able to tape it up and said her friend loved it.

Birthday boy

Look who's 53 today!

I had to make the "Happy 53rd" sign for the brownies because I can't get to the cabinet where I have all my number candles stored. Those are E's packed moving boxes - so far.

E and I did all the grocery shopping morning but our first stop was Yia Yia's for breakfast. I had a ham and cheese omelet; she had the scrambled egg, cheese and ham crepes.

Glad B left yesterday to go back to school. This picture was taken at 4:15 p.m., about a half-hour after it started falling. B did send me a picture of the puzzle he finished. He got the puzzle from E for Christmas - 1,000 pieces.

Guess there's not much else to do since classes haven't started yet.

And Andy finally sent me a picture of the cake he got at work.