Day 1:4am craziness with the Dangoy-Niemic family.

August 16, 2007 Thursday
I got into bed 3am Chicago time (1 am California time) when I awoke to this really annoying alarm clock that I had disconnected earlier. It was 6am! (meaning 4 am west coast time). 5 min. later, it happened again and I struggled to silence it when Kai woke up.

So I gave up and decided to unload my bag packed with gifts. This is the month where we go broke, having 4 birthdays within a 15-day span to celebrate. Geez, Mom- you could have planned this a little better-haha!


So when cousins Adira and Cohen woke, I had Adira assemble Cohen's birthday truck with a bit of help from Kai.

Immediately Cohen took a liking to it and they both raced after each other in their vehicles.

My sister Cheri bought the boys matching t-shirts and suddenly, as it seems, they became what the were labeled..."Trouble". Here they are trying to make phone calls...

We hopped on the train to the Orland Square Mall in Orland Park, IL.

Hope was too busy enjoying her thumb...while we ran around in circles.

And then we went to the Build-A-Bear Workshop. Kai picked the "carcass" of a dog and actually participated in it's making. Cohen inserted a heart, as did Kai- into the same dog before it was filled with fluff. So Kai has a 2-heart dog, filled with plenty of love!

Kai with a dog carcass. Cohen and Kai brush their puppies.

Video: The making of "Doggie"

Playing virtual soccer. The boys just love this game!

Video: Kicking the ball, stomping on stingray

Kai convincest he chef to hand him teriyaki samples. And then another one! Obviously this person does not have kids, because not only did he hand it over w/o my permission, but he gave it to Kai in big chunks and on a toothpick!

Kai and Cohen hang out with their puppies.

The Flag that can drape 2 semi's. 10-year old Adira in the foreground prior to her challenging me to a race back to the car. We both ran in slip-on shoes, and she ended up wiping out in the grass. I am still the winner!

On the way home we make a stop in Country Club Hills to see this newly erected American Flag. With dimensions of 80 x 50 feet and weighing 250 pounds dry, 600 pounds wet and 800 pounds frozen and flying every day, it will have to be replaced every 6 months at $6,000 a pop. It is the second biggest flag in the Midwest, the biggest at 120 x 60 feet and located in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. It's flying colors are seen off Hwy 80 and Hwy 57 and will be recognized to commuters as part of the city of Country Club Hills. It is "predicted" that the flag can be seen from the Sears Tower in Chicago.

Right next to the flag, a second firehouse is being built- this will likely be another fire department my brother Derek may have to help man.

My old highschool from 1982 to 1986.

The little ranch-style 3-bedroom home I was raised in with my 4 siblings. That's Kai sitting on the rock wall. We stop by nana's home and Kai aquaints himself with Mika the dog and Princess the cat.

We take nana to the cousins home and the boys hang out a bit in the playpen for fun. We also dress Cohen, Adira and Hope in matching outfits for their outdoor portraits.

Pizza for dinner, ice cream cake for dessert, and 65% extra dark chocolate with red wine (Cooper Hawk's Restaurant and Winery, Sangiovese 2005) as a nightcap ends this tiring day well. My brother in law Matthew spoiled me with the chocolate on his shopping spree.

Video: The Chase