May & Chicago vacation!

 A few random things in May, then our fun vacation to Chicago!

First... this is what our bed looks like, much of the time.  See that little space over by the clock... that's where I'm supposed to sleep.  The crib is supposed to be there for M to sleep in when she sleeps in our room, but she ends up in the middle.  Now the crib is just there for me to put a leg or my head on, and to keep me from falling off the bed :)

Another trip to the dentist!  She's such a big girl about it... I had thought about trying to find a children's dentist, but I don't think I need to (although she would probably think the waiting room would be better at one).

An outing to the train show... it wasn't that great.... 

A sunny day and popsicles at Geema's!

 These were actually at a memorial ... Brandon's step brother and sisters' step dad (if that makes sense).  In the first is where M first saw (or understood) a lemonade stand - some girls were having one on the corner.

 Daddy/ daughter day at the zoo!

Dance class... Daddy being a sport:

Some biking... she just all of a sudden got good at it:

And fun on the neighborhood swing.  I just love her laugh!




 And Mother's Day!

This one is pretty fabulous.... super doctor giving Sven a check-up.

And that time she wrote all over her face, and the cute message to GoMa (who wasn't sick or anything... I just wanted to show her M's face).

Her best friend Quinn's birthday party!

And M's own lemonade stand!  Her idea... So cute! (we had some warm May days)

In this one, M & B were "practicing" and M was being the customer when an actual potential customer walks by.   What you can't hear is the person saying that she "doesn't have any money".  M's answer proves that she hasn't got the full concept yet :).

And more fun with Quinn!

Then off to Chicago for my cousin Laura's wedding!  M wanted to pull the bag, and she did!

In Naperville:

At the reception dinner... crashed out:

With Cousins on a morning walk before the wedding... nice day in Naperville:

 In front of the church before the service.  

Trying for a family pic!   M was the flower girl... she just had to wave the wand around, not actually throw any flowers.

One with Laura.  The lollipops were flowing to keep her occupied!

She did pretty good during the mass.

A decent one ... 

This one's so cute!

The only pic I got of M & the bride.  We didn't even get a pic of us with her.

And... this is where she landed at the reception, asleep again.... this time under the table.  Her feet were sticking out like the witch in the Wizard of Oz.

Yay!  Goma was there too!

Then on into downtown!  A visit to the Bean and Millennium Park of course.

And an architectural tour that evening with the whole fam!

A visit to Navy Pier... wasn't all it was cracked up to be, and it was hot.

Katie reading M a book  💜

Another adventure on public transportation.  This time to the Museum of Science and Industry... which is pretty cool.

The mirror maze was my favorite:

M & I had to take a break from the big stuff and go play in the kids area, then met back up with the others to look at the princess castle.  I love this video of her gabbing... not totally sure what she's talking about, but it captures her pretty good :).

Did you notice her two different shoes yet?  Yup ... wore that the whole time :).

.... and pooped.   There was a lot of walking in Chicago and we really should have brought the little stroller.

But not too pooped to then skip a nap and go swimming:

A little rain shower on our walk to dinner:

The girls watching movies together.  Brandon and I got to go our on our own for about an hour ..

The next morning saying goodbye.  M loves them all so much.

We didn't leave until later in the day, so we ran to Lincoln Park Zoo for a bit.  It was pretty cool ... that you could just walk in and out of it and the park.  But the exhibits were a little small and made me sad.

M picked out a polar bear for her Chicago gift.  We didn't actually get to see the one they had there that day because the exhibit was under construction or something.  She named it Nora after the one at the Oregon Zoo (now gone again).  This gift was all over the place... 

And so pooped on the train to the airport, and we still had to go through O'Hare crowds and fly all the way home!

And lastly ... her spring school pics.  She's so beautiful... and of course there's also that little smile you see throughout pics above.  The angle and the devil :).