Not This Time!

On Friday evening, we headed downtown to meet my dad and his family. Ella was on no nap, and Sadie was especially cranky for some reason. So let's just say I was a tiny bit leery about what to expect. And when we arrived downtown at the allotted time only to find out that the rest of our group was running possibly an hour late, I wasn't expecting things to end well. I don't know if it's just my kids or if this is true of the under-five set in general, but things can turn on a dime with my charming little ones. You add in no naps/short naps and cold temps (even if it was a rather mild day for winter in Chicago), and you just don't know what you'll get. Especially after an hour of waiting. But we rolled with it and really had the most wonderful time. We snacked on handmade pretzels and beer (just for us!) in a heated tent. There was nowhere to sit, but it didn't end up mattering. The girls were mellow and having a good time.

Meanwhile, there was a family with three kids within spitting distance of us. Two out of the three kids were crying. Dad was snipping at Mom. Mom looked like she needed a stiff drink. Ah yes. Been there. Done that. But not this time, baby! Although I'm certain our time will come again....

A kind stanger took what turned out to be a fairly decent shot of the four us. This is really as good as it gets, I think. We had a very lovely evening downtown. Once my dad, stepmom, sister, and her boyfriend arrived, we walked over to look at the store windows (which absolutely enchanted Sadie). A street vendor dude made the girls animal balloons (though he made it clear he worked for tips--and I'm not actually certain I tipped him enough!). We had a nice dinner. And the girls were so well-behaved you'd think they ALWAYS acted that way! And as far as all of you know (well, most of you), they do....

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!