Spring Break and Easter 2017

For spring break and Easter, Dallas’s parents, sister and niece came to visit. We all had such a great time hanging out with everyone! Makai acted like the perfect older cousin, holding Grace’s hand, warning her she’d get dizzy if she kept running in circles and chasing after her when she ran away.

Kathy came with Makai and I to his swimming lesson and afterwards we went to Joong Boo Market. Makai liked looking at everything, but did not like the area near the kimchi. He was clutching his Korean Cheetos and gagging. Kathy said he is not a real Korean. Outside we got dumplings to take home for everyone for lunch.

At night Kathy made Korean vegetables pancakes and meat jun.

Kathy, Caroline and I took Makai and Grace to the Chicago Children’s Museum. Makai had been there one time when he was younger and I think he was on the edge of being too young for a lot of stuff. This time he had so much fun in every exhibit. He could have spent all day in any one of them.

 Dallas and I unexpectedly came by some Cubs tickets last minute, right before the game started. It was a gorgeous day and I finalized a job offer at the ballpark!

While we were at the game, Makai, Grace, Caroline and Grandpa and Grandma dyed Easter eggs.

We went to an Easter egg hunt at Palmer Square. Makai and Grace had so much fun collecting eggs, but neither one of them wanted anything to do with the Easter Bunny!

We had a barbecue at our house. Dallas made Korean short ribs and mac salad and kimchi stew. Everyone loved the food. Todd and Kelly brought Chapo and all the kids loved him, especially Halle. Brian and Grace formed a lifelong bond!

On Easter morning, Makai and Grace found their Easter baskets that the Bunny brought. Grace had so much fun collecting more eggs that were hidden around the house. Makai loved his Raphael toy and yelled that it was exactly what he wanted!

It was so fun to have Makai and his cousin Gracie together. I cannot wait til we can all get together with Mahealani too!

Visiting Family in Wisconsin

The first night we were in Wisconsin we stayed at Kelly and Jeff’s house in De Pere. Makai had so much fun playing with Tessa, Charlotte, and especially Margo. Margo is several years older than him, but the closest in age. Ironically they have spent the least amount of time together, compared with Tessa and Charlotte. Makai and Margo got along great. They have many shared interests. They both had space shirts on and love dinosaurs and superheroes!

In the morning, Tuesday, Jeff and Kelly went to work and the girls went to school. Makai and I went to my parents house in Neenah. After breakfast we went to The Building for Kids Children’s Museum in Appleton. Makai loved it. He showed everyone how the lizard stuck its tongue out at him and when we passed a construction site he talked about how he operated a crane!

For lunch we met my mom at Antojitos Mexicanos, my parents favorite Mexican restaurant, which is conveniently located by my mom’s office. The food was really delicious and everyone was super nice.

Since we’re always looking at the murals in Chicago, my mom took us to see a big butterfly mural on the walk back to her office.

The next day, Wednesday, it snowed. A lot! Makai was so excited to go outside and play and make a snowman. He and my dad were outside shoveling and playing for probably over an hour. Buddy was at the groomer, but when he got home he ran right up to the snowman and peed on it. Makai thought this was so hilarious. He told every person he saw for the next few days about Buddy peeing on the snowman.

On Thursday morning, dad and I took Makai to see a movie called Rock Dog. Then we got my mom and went for lunch at Pullman’s at Trolley Square. Then we went back to the office to meet a lot of my mom’s coworkers. Later on at night we did a fun robot craft. Makai had seen it in a magazine, so I saved a box and bought a few supplies. He had fun making his robot!

On Friday morning we headed back to Chicago.

Navy Pier

On Jess’s second day of her visit I took her to Navy Pier. I haven’t been to the pier for years, so it was time. Jess had visited Navy Pier before, but she was very young (2004, 2005). I asked her if she remembered and she said she can’t remember a lot from when she was little. Funny. In my mind she is still “little.” Hahha. She is the ripe old age of 8.


Rachelle & Jessica :: Seadog Boat Cruise


Quinn :: Seadog Boat Cruise


Our captain.


Chicago Skyline from Seadog Lake Cruise


Chicago Harbor Lighthouse from the Seadog Lake Cruise

A month or so ago I saw a Groupon for Seadog boat cruises. I thought this would be something fun for Jess and I to do, so I bought it. I invited Quinn to join us, so we met Jen and Chad and Chad’s dad, who was in town from Baltimore, on the pier. We were doing the 30-minute lake tour. Seadog also does Chicago River architecture tours and some kind of extreme ride where they go really fast and spin in circles and who knows what.

For the lake tour we would go fast for a bit and then slow down and the guide would point out some things in the skyline and then go fast again. I think we went about 40 mph. I’m not sure, though, because the guide was terrible and had really bad jokes, so I was trying not to listen. It was a fun ride. Definitely worth the Groupon price of $13. And, it was great to be on the water and get the breeze, since it was 90+ degrees, 100 with the heat index, that day. HOT.


Navy Pier Swings

After the boat ride, Quinn went off to the Children’s Museum (located on the pier) for a while and Jess and I headed for the rides on Navy Pier. Jess had been telling me about how she went to Bay Beach, an amusement park in Green Bay, and how she really liked the swing ride there. She wanted to try the swings on Navy Pier, but wasn’t so sure when I told her she’d have to ride herself because I get sick going in circles! I told her I’d wait right at the exit and it would be fine. She manned up and went on the ride and even told me later on that she was brave enough to barely even hold on! Daredevil.

Funny side note about Bay Beach. Our family used to go there when I was young. The way that Jess was describing the rides to me, it seems like nothing has changed. I remembered going on the rides she told me she went on. One difference was that Jess told me they had a roller coaster now, which they never had before. Back when we used to go, it was like our parents and aunts and uncles would stake out a spot by Lake Michigan and hand my cousins and I some money. We’d go buy tickets and candy or whatever and disappear for the day. Just meet them back up on the grass for a picnic later. I don’t think this is how Jess’s trip went!

So, after the swings we met back up with Quinn and his family for lunch and then we were back on our own, off for more rides!


Jessica on the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel


Rachelle & Jessica. Right after this Jess actually spoke up to request that I don’t take any more photos of her!


Views from the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel


View of the swings from the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel

Jess had also told me that the ferris wheel at Bay Beach was boring and she didn’t like it. When she saw how big the ferris wheel at Navy Pier was, she decided she wanted to give it a second try. Here’s the thing: The Navy Pier ferris wheel goes so slow. Like so slow that it never even stops to let people on and off. They just exit and board while the thing is moving… slowly moving. And you only get one trip around. Afterwards Jess told me that it was boring and she didn’t like it. Figures!


Cirque Shanghai Extreme


Cirque Shanghai Extreme Motorcycle


Cirque Shanghai Extreme Motorcycle stunt


There are FOUR motorcycles in there!

Our final activity on the pier was to see the Cirque Shanghai Extreme show. I took my other niece Stephanie to a show similar to this a couple years ago and she really liked it. This Cirque show is kind of like a variety show with groups of performers coming out and doing different tricks and acrobatics and balancing acts. One of the biggest additions to this show was the acrobatics they did with motorcycles in the show’s finale. They rode the motorbikes on a wire over the audience and did tricks from above the middle of the audience. They also rode the bikes in a metal ball. I thought it was impressive when they did one, but then they added another and another and another. At the end there were 4 motorcycles riding around in the metal ball. Crazy. I couldn’t tell if Jess liked the show or not. She seemed interested, but afterwards wouldn’t really say. (She is still SO SO shy and mostly not talkative around us. Especially Dallas, who she has not spoken a word to in her whole life.)

This day turned out to be a long day, just because it was so hot outside, I think. I was so sweaty and tired when we got home. Plus, we took a bus and a train each way to get out there. Ugh! But it was a fun day and worth it. On the ride north to meet Amanda, I did get Jess to admit she had a fun weekend, so that is good. Before her visit she had told me more than once that she didn’t even want to come for a visit, but I’m glad she did. Despite her shyness and lack of openness to us, I think it is good for her and fun for me to have her around. Hopefully it will get better as she gets older (I’ve been saying this for about 6 years!).