On the way to John Hancock

During a recent trip to Chicago, I was trying to map out a day that did not involve spending a crazy amount of money. The girls had already said that all they wanted to do was go to a gift store to spend the money they'd brought. One had rolled coins and cashed in her change at the bank for a total of $32.50, the other brought her earnings from the tooth fairy, $8 (all in $1 coins).  We left our hotel at 9:30 am, first destination, the John Hancock building. After that, I was preparing myself for a long day of searching for the right combination of stuffed animals, with a combined cost of $40.50, and net worth of $3.98.  We got off at the wrong bus stop, but we were right in front of a gift store.  30 minutes later, we left with souvenirs for everyone and gifts for the bffs of the 11 year old, it was meant to be.  Across the street was the Contemporary Museum of Modern Art, with a two story gift shop inside. Browsing through there took another hour (never made it inside the museum)In the end, our bags were full of unique toys, cool keepsake charms, one stuffed animal and a obnoxiously bright green scarf (which the girls picked out for me), all under budget.  Never made it to the John Hancock building that day, but had a lot of fun on the way.

Today's Special

My kids are polar opposite when the clock strikes 7:57am on a school day. There are days when my 5th grader is still causally eating breakfast, while the 3rd grader, who's been up and dressed for 30 minutes, runs chaotically through the house looking for socks, shoes, or books. She exhibits so much anxiety, that you think her world will in fact end if she can't find what she's looking for.  Since I never know what will set her off, I like to call it "Today's Special". Today's Special in our house was a library book. The search for it featured stomping feet, slamming doors, tears and finger pointing. My 5th grader, un-phased by the chaos of the search, diffused the situation by quietly going to her sister's backpack and retrieving the book. She thinks methodically, while her sibling is more reactionary. I enjoy the mornings when there are no 'Specials' on the menu, but when there are, I find it interesting to observe how everyone in the house responds, it speaks volumes about our family dynamics. Even the dog plays a role, she just finds a remote spot to curl up in, and stays out of the way.