ZOO

The last week we were in Chicago we were trying to pack in as much as possible. We headed out to the Brookfield zoo. My friend Nat gave me some free passes! Big shout out to Nat. Just added that saved hundred to my boots fund. It was another high humidity kind of day. The kind of day that sucks the life right out of you. Unless your a kid of course.

Dad...aka....The Grump is still blinded by Ella...aka...the Golden Jerks charm. She is as Grumpy as ever today. Usually Grumps has no tolerance for grumpy children. For some reason with her he turns a blind eye. At one point when is blind eye is turned I swear she turns to me and whispers......See Kerry this is how it is done! I think she just might of stuck her tongue out at me and waved her hands above her head. At least this is how imagined it. I just quietly think to myself he will get your number sooner or later. Then I will take over the number one spot!

There's Blake....aka...The teenager! He has that ever so pleasant teenage look on his face. He couldn't look anymore miserable if he tried. I'd like to wipe that crap look right off his face as my Grumps used to say. It's funny the older you get you finally get all those adult sayings that used to piss you off. Ya know the ones you swore you would never use on your children. Talk about chewing on a piece of glass.

Cole....aka...drama is having a great time. He really does enjoy his time with family. I wonder how much longer we have till he crosses over to the dark side. What I love about this kid is he is always concerned about everybody. He helps a lot with Ella. He shares with everyone except Aidan. He is very loyal. He is by far the most passionate of these people I live with. I look forward to watching him grow into a man. I know he is going to be a great husband and Father some day. BTW, I already have his wife picked out. A mother knows best...just sayin!

There's that nasty teenager again! Who is this kid anyway???? I didn't raise him to look at me as if I was a three headed monster breathing fire. I want my sweet little boy back. This is the same kid that used to get an ear to ear grin on his face when I walked in the room. He was the one that while in pre-school would stand at the door waiting for me because he missed me so much. He used to follow me around as if I was the greatest thing ever. For all you young folk out there, enjoy those days. They grow up way too fast, as annoying as they can be. Once again saying one of those most annoying adult sayings I swore I never would.

So were kind of that....hey look at me kind of family! We see something like this and we use at as a great picture opportunity.

Twisty has always had a thing for butts and poop. Of course her "hey look at me picture" is in the tigers ass.

Well there is not a whole lot I can say about this one! There is a reason we call Joe LOST. I almost feel sorry for him growing up under Twisty and me. The nice thing is we have taught him that women are crazy. When he finds "the one" he will probably know exactly how to handle her. He can thank Twisty and me for that.

So here is Aidan in his "hey look at me picture". He is by far my most cautious child. He over thinks everything and is scared of a lot of things. I feel bad for him because he misses out on lots because of his fears. When you fear things it can almost be like a prison. I try like hell to break him of this. Having two older brothers does not help this. They know his weakness and they play on it often. They once told him that he would be taken away from the giant vultures that seem to come around a lot where we live. Poor kid wouldn't go out with a shirt on the first year we moved to Austin. For he feared the vulture would grab his shirt and fly him away. He scratched his back once and Blake told him his lung was hanging out! He listens to everything even when you think he is not. He fears that the world is going to end in 2012.

I can't believe that the teenager got in on our "hey look at me pictures". Of course he had to out do us all by climbing up on the thing. This is just him telling us he is cooler than we are.

Here is the all time "hey look at me photo". See Ella..aka..golden jerk trying to get in on the action. Boy she's going to be in big trouble growing up with us.

There comes a day when your baby is eye to eye with you. For me this day came faster than most since I'm short as shit. It's a strange feeling, it just doesn't seem right. I guess you just always picture your babies little. I have always had a close bond with Blake. I had him when I was just 27. I thought I was old as shit back then. Now I realize I still a baby myself. I have to wonder when was the last time I carried him on my hip or gave him a bath. I don't remember the last time I was able to carry him. Today I picked him up from a friends house. We were in the car and he told me a little bit about some girl drama going on. He has liked the same girl since he started middle school. She likes his friend. I try to tell him to like someone else. He looks over at me and tells me if he liked someone else he would not tell me. My heart kind of broke just a little bit at that moment. What he doesn't get at this age is I was a kid once with all the same drama. I get it and could probably give him some good advise.

Loved my time in Chicago with all the family. Wouldn't change a thing. We have so many great memories once again. I'm so happy that my Mom will be retiring soon and she can spend a lot more time in Austin with us, even if she is a bit of a Debbie Downer.

Here is Twisty once again being a bit Twisty. She is trying to take my Blake down this Twisty path with her. I think they were trying to imitate monkeys with this "hey look at me picture".

Alright so these monkey's got my attention for longer than I care to admit. They were memorizing for sure. They seemed to be in love with each other and I couldn't take my eyes off of them. They seemed so human, I could have watched them all day. They hugged, they pushed each other away, they stroked each other, and I think the one might of went down on the other.

After I tore myself away from the monkey's I find my Mom bored off her ass waiting for me.

See people I may just be doing something right. Look at how cute this picture is of my boys. They might just like each other. This for me is one of those mommy happy moments, which are few and far between.

We are looking for ice cream but no one seems to be working the ice cream stands. Except a bird! Maybe it is because most smart people are in their air conditioned houses while we are out in the God awful humidity.

We find ice cream and that teenager that seems to have no emotions comes running with fire in his eyes. Twisty refers to him as Leonardo in "What's eating Gilbert Grape" ya know the retard. Maybe this is why he shuts us out. Just a thought.

This is one of my favorite pictures! I bought the kids twenty five dollars worth of ice cream....a sin I know. Cole is the only one who offers anyone a bite. Here he is spoon feeding The Grump a bite.

Tonight I am back in Austin. Behind on my blog which is why it is still Chicago. I have settled back in to my shit TV. I watched the bachelor pad tonight. So many "barf" moments on that show. barfing over the I love you more than peanut butter cookies statement. Who loves anyone over peanut butter cookies???? Barfing over the fact that someone would have sex with the camera's rolling. All I can think is...are these people's parent's watching and are they proud???? What is wrong with people?????