To Rows 15 and 17 A, B & C... WE ARE TRULY SORRY

December 29th, 2011... ORD to SFO

Ahhhh.. what a serenely pacific and beautiful view... ...what happened next was a blur... but the blur was caught on camera. "This is your Virgin America Flight Crew, please sit back and enjoy."

...EXCUSE ME, ROW 16: KINDLY REFRAIN FROM HANDSTANDS."

HWL & ZWL: SFO to ORD

Zoe's first plane ride

from sunny San Francisco to shivery Chicago

sure was exciting! There were plenty of interesting

things to read tucked into the seat-back,
Upside down A is one of the time-tested classics!

AND... Guess What!
Hannah, the travel-wisened pro,

didn't have any ear problems this time!

...and take-off was fun! Wooooooaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh....

After a long day of travel...

on cars, buses, airplanes, more buses, different cars...
during the day and during the night,

from warm to cold, from excited to exhausted...
Zoe, what could possibly make you stop crying,
stop thinking about so much strangeness?
Well, how about comfort, love, and glowing warmth?
This is the Christmas tree

Memaw and Boppa prepared for you and Hannah...
Zoe, you raised your arms up and with a big smile,

you said,"ooooooooooooooooooh!"

and then you were happy!

Merry Christmas, Chicago!

I love Boppa, Chicago and the U.S.A.

"The Star-Spangled Banner"
Our country's national anthem,
comes from a poem called "Defence of Fort McHenry,"
a poem written in 1814 by a 35-year-old lawyer named Francis Scott Key.

I think Boppa will like knowing that you have this picture of him and you together with the flag of the United States of America.

The Children's Mural at Old Orchard

Mommy and Memaw love to shop at the local outdoor mall - Old Orchard - which has plenty of activities for kids. There is a train to ride and a park designed in the shape of a giant dragon to run around, over, under and through, and a great big koi pond filled with HUGE koi. This together would make O.O. fun, but above and beyond these attractions, Hannah got an opportunity to paint a mural! What a great idea! Sponsored by the organizers of the local Art Fair that happened to be hosted the day we went, three wooden door-sized frames were converted into a massive three-faced plywood canvas and left standing in the middle of the walk-way, inviting any and all little artists to take part. Layer upon layer of vibrant colors and kids were swirling around the giant canvas. This mural was a constant buzzing of little painters dipping, swishing, dripping, wiping and waving... what a wonderful explosion of perpetual painting, and cool thing to be a part of! Pottery Barn Kids was especially happy when we walked in to wash Hannah's green hands afterward in their pristine bathroom....

Centennial Pool

The public pool in Wilmette that Mommy grew up with has been completely transformed into a Great America/Waterworld extravaganza. Three pools, from kiddie, to bigger kiddie, to adult - with various straight and twisty-twirly slides, fountains, you-name-it. Enough to keep the whole family busy for a day - and well worth the out-of-town entrance price of $13.75 per person (2 and under free).

Quick to try out this newfound toy - a water slide -

Hannah charged up the stairs and down the slide
over and over and over AND over again...
And like any self-respecting woman of her time,
she brought a very cute wardrobe change to make the day perfect.

Ice cream and cheesy-fries with Grandma Alice after a swim
made a perfect ending to a perfect summer morning!

Sharing is fun, see?

Bubbles with Grandma Alice

Down on the Farm with Hannah

Wagner Farm's tricycle is waaaaaaaay more fun than most!

The Three Amigos at Jack's Birthday Party!

Cousins Kate and Jack with Hannah at Jack's 9th Birthday Party.
What a blast! Need any help with those candles Jack??

Lets Put our Heads Together, and...

Go under water!

Hannah, you dipped your forehead in Memaw's "swimming pool" today,
Hooray!

Bubbles are FUN!

The Missing Piece...

I got it!!!

A What?
A Lego!
What is a Lego!?!?!

Lego is a play on words from the Danish expression leg godt, meaning "play well."
(Lego also means "I study" or "I read" in Latin...)
After learning this was a Danish word, I walked around the store...
With Hannah having so much fun, I wanted to buy her a Lego toy...
I skulked after looking at all the expensive price tags,
and I could have drank a skoal of aquavit to calm my nerves,
I considered dangling myself off the ballast of a life-size lego ship,
These legos are nothing to scoff at, I thought,
You could build a troll, a walrus, even an iceberg.
Wow.
I guess Lego is a pretty neat Danish word...

A man named Kirk Christiansen started a company out of Billund, Denmark in 1932.
His company made ironing boards, stepladders, and wooden toys.
In 1934, when his company had grown to six people, he gave it the name Lego.

Lego was registered as a trademark in Denmark in 1954.
In 1956, Lego started expanding sales to other countries.
In 1958 the "stud-and-tube" style of brick was introduced.
Lego has sold over 190 billion of those little Lego bricks which the company calls "elements."

Lego.
My Wallet now knows a Danish four letter word.

Beatin' the Heat!

AHHHHH, Relief!
Dear Lake Michigan,
I am having a great time - wish you were here!

Sprinklerphobia?

Artwork with Kate

Lake Michigan... Without the Lake

Did someone yell 'SHARK' (or Asian Carp)?

Even though it is hot (mid-90s) and a bit humid, no one is going near the water...
The bacteria count was too high today, so health warnings kept everyone away.
Sorry Lake Michigan...

The sand is too hot to touch...
but at least the swings provide a minimal artificial breeze...

...Memaw and Hannah try to make the most of the situation...