Angel when I'm there- devil when I turn my back.

Tuesday July 9, 2007

Finally, a day for rest- and what do I do? I get up 6 am (4am California time) to take Kai for a morning stroll. It's been so hot and humid in Homewood that the best time to walk was before the sun gets high, despite the several old shade trees in the neighborhood. Plus I was desperate for coffee!

We walked to my favorite coffee store "Caribou" and I grab a seat near the toy area. I knew I was exhausted when the coffee did not prevent me from nodding off, as it was the screams that Kai made that awoke me. Kai wanted...not the toys, not the food I packed, nor the poppyseed cake- but my coffee! (who would have guessed?)

So out the door again to continue our walk. When we returned, off to the waterpark we went with the whole family. In no time, I got soaked with the kids.

Kai and Cohen play well with each other, but Kai has made frequent his love bites on Cohen. I am not sure why he has started to bite his cousins Adira and Cohen on this trip (Cohen mainly) but I have seen evidence of wet mouth marks on Cohen's head, shirt sleeve, and shirt front and back. Of course, it never happens when I'm there looking their way- but I do hear a loud cry and Kai is running from the crime scene.

Nana has witnessed Kai wielding a hammer and hitting Cohen on the head with it (and Cohen stands there and just takes it). Adira has witnessed Kai using a wrench on his head also. (Don't worry, they are plastic toy things!) But nevertheless, he does it out of my sight. At first it was funny, but now it concerns me.

My brother Fredi said Kai knows when he is doing something wrong, as he will make eye contact and then do the bad deed. (i.e. feed his food to the dog, open cabinets when told not to, handle sunglasses, throw hard objects ranging from coins to shoes, clambor on tables, tear paper, and the list goes on....)

Cohen always tries to hug Kai. Kai usually pushes him away.

Kai has gotten another "time-out". This time it was more dramatic on Kai's part- crying and screaming, running from the corner, and when returned to his place (either physically by me or by my direction) he would pound the walls with both his little fists! My mother tells me this is a single child sydrome and then asks when am I having another? (I'm not in the mood right now. haha )

And to make it more difficult for me- Kai was quite clingy this whole trip, he would not let anyone pick him up or hug him without them knowing he did not approve. That included Nana, which my mother was a bit saddened about.

Kai would rather hug the family dog Pepper.

The FACES of Millenium Park

Picture credit: website http://www.millenniumpark.org/artandarchitecture/


July 7, 2007 Saturday (continuation)
By the time we left The Taste, it got so crowded we could barely maneuver the strollers around the crowd. We saw Ratatouille movie intro by Pixar and then headed off for the Millenium Park.


The Crown Fountain in Millenium Park, also known as The Faces
I was in awe when I saw two 50-foot glass block towers with a shallow reflecting pool in between. An amazing design by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa, the towers project video face images of Chicago citizens taken from a cross-section of 1,000 residents. And from their mouth water flows, a symbol of life- designed after the gargoyles that are seen guarding atop old buildings and castles.

Adira, Arleen, and Kai...Cheri, Cohen, and Adira.

I got splashed while taking this picture. Makes for a great photo though. We had so much fun, how could I not get wet? The kid in me came out (although I think it's always out) and I wrestled Adira to the floor and butt-dragged her across the floor...


















Cloud Gate, a 110-ton elliptical sculpture measuring 66-feet long by 33-feet high by British artist Anish Kapoor, is made of highly polished stainless steel plates, which reflect the city's famous skyline and the clouds above. Under this 12-foot-high arch exists a passage to the concave chamber beneath, allowing visitors to touch its surface- and to make funny faces. It reminded me of a kaleidoscope. All in all it looked like liquid mercury to me.

Other views along Michigan Avenue (aka the Magnificent Mile.)

Kayakers on the Chicago River.

I was well dressed for the occasion! I was surprised my flowers had not whilted in this heat!

More dresses on display along the Mile.

Kai finds a "weed" lay at the train station as we head home. He struggles to remove the evidence...

The Hancock building between the Water Tower Place (rt) where Oprah Winfrey lives and where I used to work at a law firm as a teenager, and the Water Tower (left).