The End (director's cut)

Hello again, hello.

So today we took the kids, five of six at least, to the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Illinois. We left the house around 7:45 and got there at 9:15. Yep, an hour and a half to drive, roughly 45 miles. Gotta love the big city and all them perty little cars, don't cha?

So we get there, and run into someone that is bragging about getting the kids up and ready by six. Yes, I said six. Give me a break, who cares, and why do you want to go through all of that crap anyway, because you know that they will be rather whiny at some point. Oh no, not my kids. Okay, good for you, now excuse me while I ignore your braggard butt.

Maybe I was really that crabby, or maybe I made most of that up in my little mind, you will just have to leave it at that. :-)

First exhibit, The Evolving Planet a cool little history lesson about the natural evolution of the planet and how there are six mass extinction periods throughout the planets history, number six being right now. Trying to scare us a bit, don't you think? Anyway, guess what we found out? There was global warming way back in them thar prehistoric times --- who knew that there were so many SUVs back then!? So, if you want to see some pretty cool stuff, and get preached about how we humans are ruining, just ruining, this beautiful blue planet of ours, go see this exhibit.

Next up, potty break! Katie had to go, then so did Maggie and Jessie, and Jenni. Danny wanted to follow them, and did, only to get rejected and sent back out with us boys. :-)

Next we saw something on Life in the Pacific--eh! It was okay, I guess. Although the fun was watching Jenni change Danny's poopy diaper in record time, before a group of school kids came through. Amazing stuff, let me tell you. I guess he really did have to go, maybe we should start thinking Toilet training.... naw, too early still.

Next we went to some Indian hut for stargazing (Editor's note: There was a trip to the underground where we all got shrunk down to less than an inch in height and saw the world as the bugs do, before lunch. Apparently the author of this piece either didn't enjoy it, or just forgot about it, we are not sure, but we felt that it was important to add our three cents at this point. We leave you now for the rest of this tale...) I wanted to go and se the map exhibit, and the kids wanted to see Egypt. Truth be told Katie and Maggie wanted to come with me to see the maps -- I told them it would be boring for them --- which cost extra, so Jenni put her foot down on that one. I saw the map exhibit alone. It was really cool though, not the alone part, the maps that they had in there. They had this 'book' of maps, where the book was easily six feet - if not more - tall. Really cool.

After we got back together, the girls took me through the Egypt exhibit, while Jenni and Benjy stayed with Danny - who was sleeping. I enjoyed that exhibit very much, but we did do a pretty abbreviated tour. We did see a winter hat inside a sarcophugus(sp?), which seemed to be out of place, if you ask me.

After that Danny woke up and we decided to hit the road for the trip back. Danny was not having fun and was crying... a lot! Benjy was getting frustrated with Danny's crying, I was getting frustrated with the traffic. The girls were fighting. Jenni was gasping everytime a car came near. Oh and Andy's girlfriend Rachael, called and tried to talk Jenni out of keeping Andy grounded for the night - not going to work sister!

Two hours later...

We're home! Yikes, what an ugly ride that was. Stop and go, and stop and go, and stop, and go....
I, of course, did my best to give everyone whiplash. :-0 Oy!

After we get back Andy comes home from work, tries one or two ore times to get a chance to go out --- no such luck! I'll have to share that story, if I haven't already, sometime. Anyway, Jenni and I then did go out do some Christmas shopping - bought tons and TONS of stuff! Then we went to Sweet Tomatoes (I had never been there before) and had some soup and salad, actually it was salad then soup, and we relaxed a bit before we came home to find Danny awake and the rest of the kids asleep.

Nice.

That's a wrap for the extended version. If I have more, and I always do, I will add it later - which I don't always do.

Good night - it's gonna be a cold one!