Morning in the City, Quiet Afternoon at Home

Yesterday morning we went with a few other moms and kids into Chicago for the Family Fun Festival at Millenium Park. Every morning in the summer months, there is a Wiggleworms music instructor from the Old Town School of Folk Music who does free sing-alongs for kids. It all took place under a huge white tent with lots of little kids and their parents or nannies. Eli had a blast! The guy singing even pointed at Eli at one point and said he was going to sing the song about a Little Red Wagon, just like what is on Eli’s shirt.

Unfortunately, the pictures I attempted during the Wiggleworms part didn’t turn out very well, but this is after the singing, when there were other kids’ activities set up throughout the tent. There were craft projects, an area with a bunch of hula hoops and jump ropes, books, blocks, etc.

This was Charlie’s first time sitting in the joovy stroller seat – usually he’s just in the car seat, but it was fun to see him sitting up, looking around at everything.

After the activities in the tent, we walked over to the fountains and the kids played in the water. It was very crowded! Millenium Park’s fountains are so unique in that they have random people’s faces projected onto them and it changes every couple of minutes. Eli kept pointing at this guy’s face and looking at me like, What is that??

 

Eli loved running through the water

and sitting in it too -

When we got home, the kids were pretty wiped out.

It was really cute watching Charlie turn to Eli and give him a big smile

Charlie spends most of his awake time rolling across the floor and chewing on his fingers.

I love the triple rolls shown on his arm in this picture. He laughs every time I call him my chubby chubby boy. Charlie is pretty top-heavy, so every time I try to get him to sit on his own, he tips right over or topples forward. A random lady told me today, “I had a baby even fatter than yours!” talking about her son who is now a teenager. I didn’t know how to respond… :)

The highlight of the afternoon – both kids took naps!! Eli spent the first 45 minutes in his crib playing, but after a while it was actually quiet and I was SO excited!! I’m glad our busy morning helped wear him out enough to actually rest. He was in the BEST mood in the evening and went to bed a little later, but it was really nice to have a happy toddler that late in the day!

Here are some things I’ve heard from Eli this week:

“Mommy use it?”

“Hi Mama!”

“No Charlie No!”

“I got Froggy, Mama!”

“What’s this?”

“Hold the duck, Mama”

“I want to pat it!” (referring to any bird, bunny, cat, etc. that is running through our yard)

“MINE!” (at least 100 times a day, usually for no reason but he feels entitled to say it)

“NO CHARLIE!” (he kept yelling this yesterday as I was carrying Charlie in one arm and a plastic bag w/ some random things inside in the other and Charlie’s feet kept kicking the bag – Eli did not like this)

“Be HAAPPPPPPPY Charlie!” (when Charlie is crying in the car)

“STOP IT Charlie!” (poor Charlie has a bossy big brother)

“I want that one!”

“I build it”

“I do it.”

“I’m Eli” (I often say things like, Are you ready, Freddy?” and he’ll reply, I’m Eli!)