Months ago, my sister Laura and I planned for the kids and I to come visit her during my maternity leave. We thought it would be a great time to get in the shopping trip to the woodfield mall near chicago that we like to take once a year that was postponed from January due to inclement weather.

Little did we know the weather would seem like a blessing after this trip.

Not that it was all bad…

Mom, Dad, Ellie, Evan and I all went out (in two separate vans) on a Sunday, and Monday spent the day playing with cousins and grandma.

Tuesday, we headed to the mall. We had lunch at the rainforest cafe – all the kids were mezmerized by the sights and sounds…they were just in awe of it. Okay, I say all…but I don’t really think Evan cared all that much. I say he was in awe because he wasn’t crying…but he wasn’t sleeping either.

After the restaurant, things started to get a little punchy. Evan didn’t sleep – strange for him…Kieran was tired, and Ellie was bored and the stroller wasn’t doing it for her anymore. We did manage to make it through the mall…with very few purchases. I think Laura bought a pair of capri pants and I bought Ellie a cookie and a smoothie for myself. So, other than the few things we bought at IKEA before we hit the mall, it was kindof a bust.

The real kicker was the ride home. Evan went right to sleep – naturally…not sleeping all through the mall and wanting to be held now made him tired, and Ellie went to sleep not long after he did – which was also good because WOW…did she need it. Kieran, on the other hand, did not sleep…but was still so tired. She cried most of the way home – until we started singing to her. I busted out into a rendition of nearly every song I remembered from my preschool teaching days…and we ended on a chorus of 99 bottles of beer on the wall. We thought maybe the lyrics were inappropriate until we remembered that they are from Wisconsin, so in that case, they were acceptable. Perhaps it was the “take one down, pass it to grandma, mommy, etc…” parts that were inappropriate.

That night, I took Ellie to the mall in janesville (wisconsin…where my sister lives) and let her run off some steam. I think she needed it after sitting all day…

I love this last picture. The look on her face is just so mischevious.

It was a fun trip, one I’m glad we took, I just think sometimes we’re a little too ambitious for our own good.