Chicago....again

Well...we're here...again. I swore when we moved away from Chicago 2 years ago that I would never return for more than a weekend visit. But, things change and phrases like the one above come back to bite you in the keester. So, we're back in our house that wouldn't sell. The house that seemed so large 5 years ago. When 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms seemed luxurious for a family of 2. Now we are back, after multiplying in hipster LA, and our family of 5 just fits into the 3 bedrooms and what I can now correctly identify, as 1 full bath, 1 3/4 bath and 1 powder room. When we left 2 years ago, I was in the biggest fight of my life with this city. We had a mutual dislike for each other and crazy as it sounds...it wanted me to leave as much as I wanted out. The weather was awful, my job sucked and I was a new mom with a traveling husband. I wanted nothing more than to go home to California and told my husband that I was leaving "with or without him". We decided to move back to his family condo, just to get settled, while we looked for a home to rent or buy, Just getting settled took all 2 years. We never moved out. Just added people. After 2 years in a 2 bedroom/ 2 bath condo with 4 people and a dog, I threw out another idle threat. "Get me out of this condo, before I take a baseball bat to the walls!". Now, Im sure I sound like a raving luni- but in my defense, I am a stay at home mom of 2 young boys, who has no help, a husband that is always gone, a large dog that needs walking and to be taken up and down a flight of stairs just to pee, and no yard. I think I am entitled to a little lunacy...maybe even a lot. To see me walk those children  up and down the stairs just to get the dog out, was comedy Im sure. First, I would try to just take the baby, but my 3 year old always insisted on coming, even though he was perfectly safe and happy in the condo. So of course shoes and socks needed to be rounded up. "Not those socks mom..I want the spongebob socks" he would cry! After rifling through 20 pairs of socks, I would inevitably grab 2 spongebob socks that did not match. After more whining and rifling, we would have 2 matching, suitable socks. After socks went on, it would take an additional 2-3 minutes to get his shoes on. Instead of standing or sitting and helping, he would be lying on his back, legs limp and no reasonable offer to be helpful. By the time shoes were finally on, the dog was panting, a clear signal that he needed to go. But not yet, dear Ralph, you see Jack still needs a sweatshirt. More rifling, more whining and then finally success. I would scoop up the baby and head to the stairs. Of course, you cant just walk down the stairs. Oh no, there was always a game that needed to be played, or an object that needed to be pointed out or an insect to talk about. Most often my son gets so sidetracked saying things, that he completely forgets what he is supposed to be doing. Meanwhile, I am holding my 25 pound baby and being dragged down the staircase by my 60 pound dog. "Lets go!" I would yell from the door leading to the outside...as Jack was still only halfway down the stairs at this point. Let me point out that it is physically exhausting to hold open a door while holding a 25 pound weight and being dragged by a large dog. By the time Jack makes it to the door, I am literally sweating. Now mind you, all this was just to get the dog out. I wont begin to describe the process of getting back in. So, you can see how badly I needed to get out of that condo.
The problem that presented was, that in order to move, we needed to sell our house in Chicago. Well....we tried and it didnt go. So, here we are again. I am determined to make the best of it this time. To experience the city, enjoy our house and yard. Even to embrace what winter may bring...although thats a stretch. To date, its been like being on vacation. The kids are busy, its hot, we have pools and water tables and bikes and scooters. When winter turns to deep winter and then deep winter turns to dragging on forever winter, Im sure Ill be singing a different tune. Hopefully, there will be no baseball bats around.

What Jack learned at his Jewish school

The story of the Jewish people, as recounted by Jackson.

There was a mean pharaoh and he made the Jewish people leave Areeal (Israel) carrying a lot of heavy things. Then a superhero (Moses) came and saved them. He said to the pharaoh "Get out of my peoples way" and then he put them all on a bus that God was standing behind.