Twelve things

Twelve things about our vacation:

1. Our kids are champion travellers. Silvi and Ian laughed, slept and ate their way across the Midwest without any major meltdowns.
2. The four-hour ferry ride across Lake Michigan was sticky and hot. Ian slept, Silvi raced around the deck and Annie watched Iron Man in the movie theater. We would do it all over again.
   
3. My sister, Tracy, threw Ian a great party for his birthday. She picked out the cake with extra frosting, which Ian promptly redecorated. She always throws fun parties.
   
4. I watched two full seasons of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia on my brother-in-law's Mac while I tried to fall asleep on the couch cushions on the family room floor.
5. Silvi and her cousin, Emily, were cloned by clandestine scientists while in the womb.
6. We had a water balloon fight in the back yard. My brother-in-law throws like a washed up quarterback.
7. We stayed with Annie's aunt Nancy - who loved all over Ian and Silvi - and where Silvi and I hunted Cicada bugs in the back yard.
   
8. We took the loooong way into downtown Chicago, and drove with our doors locked.
9. Silvi was more interested in swinging on the handrails in the lobby of the Hancock Building than looking out of the 94th floor. The sky was blue and the views were spectacular.
10. Ahh, the beach, the beach. Perfect sunny day, nice sized waves, people-watching heaven and pristine sand as soft as powdered sugar.
11. We visited the town where Annie lived as a child and were able to find her old house, school and swimming pool.
    
12. Silvi and I pushed our way to the front of a BoDean's concert one gorgeous evening surrounded by hundreds of Harley Davidson riders celebrating the 105th anniversary of the motorcycle.