I am not kidding when I tell you that it was 66 degrees today in Chicago.

Sixety.  Six.  Degrees.  The hot kind of air came here.  For real.

We have been living in a polar vortex and wearing snow pants to school in March.  My husband used the snow blower 10 days ago.  I got frost bite getting the mail 5 days ago so you can imagine what 66 degrees felt like.  It felt like a dream and a damn good one that ended with George Clooney and Taco Bell buffet.

I took a client out to look at fancy houses this morning but was home by noon and we were outside until the sun went down.  I felt like it was 1984 and all I was waiting for was my mom to tell me to get inside and drink my Tang and watch Mork and Mindy.  Running around without a care in the world.

We sidewalk chalked and scooted and swung and slid and most importantly fought.  You know, just because you move the party outside does not mean the fighting stops.  It NEVER stops.  96.74% of the time the twins are the best of pals but the other 3.36% (I think that math is correct) they are in a jitsu/karate/tae kwon do/fight club setting that makes you want to rip every hair out of your head and chin.

Today the problem was we found some giant random black ball in our yard.  God knows where it came from but it was VERY important and apparently whoever had the ball was even more important.

 

After I pulled out my new line (I have one for every season/holiday) – “Do you want a chocolate Easter egg?  Yes, you do?  Then give the ball to your sister for one minute…..give it to her for 2 minutes and you can have a jelly bean too.”  Works like a charm…..EVERY time.

You know what else we did?  We hop scotched.  When was the last time you chalked one of those out and hopped your little heart out?  Do it.  It was so fun and way to funny.  My pals are not very coordinated so watching them try to hop on one leg in the correct square was almost as funny and uncomfortable as watching Joh Travolta butcher Idina Menzel’s name at the Oscar’s.  That was bad,  Ouch.

Miss Eden – I tell her that she is my most favorite little girl in the whole wide world,  Hands down,  I have so many people in my family that are so close but no one will ever top my dream miracle baby girl  who is my very best girly pal.  The love of my life that Eden Barbara Anne.  Her and her 2 brothers got it all.

We scooted…..at a very fast 3 miles an hour.

We peeled around the dead yard for a few hours and scooted over the dead brown grass with everything from bikes to cars to scooters to pushing carts to plain old running feet – muddy feet.

 

And we busted out the side walk chalk….best deal ever.  1.00 for a whole bucket of chalk which will last an entire afternoon.  I stopped myself before I drew anything offensive and stuck with the standards….”Mommy, draw a pig!  Write my name!  Draw a Minion! Draw a rainbow and Mike Wazawski!”  I can oblige, no problem.  I am the world’s largest crafty nerd to this is right up my alley.

 

I asked someone to draw a box of wine and a yoga studio and cot for me to take nap on…….no one came through.  Bastards.  At least Taco Bell people…..come on.

We took over the swing set and had the standard twin/pal slide race.

 

As you can see…..a certain hairy one got a head start and greased his pants with crisco and his brothers vaseline we rub on his tiny buns before a diaper change.   That’s my guy.  I cannot argue with the way that adorable mind works.

So 66 it was and it was a dream.  We loved every second of it and have more amazing times to come out there.  I just ordered some ridiculous “above ground pool” for the backyard for the summer.  15 feet wide…It comes with a ladder to get in.  My husband is never going to talk to me again when he comes home and sees this thing set up.  I checked.  It can accommodate 3 adult “floats” along with various pool toys.  Ha!  He wouldn’t let me get a trampoline because he thought that was too “trashy”…….just you wait.  This is going to be amazing.  It even comes with chlorine tablets and a filter so you can keep it up for the long haul.  So, plan accordingly…..ditch your pool pass and come on over.  I also just ordered a 30 foot long snake sprinkler for the kids.  We do not mess around…….or maybe we mess around too much.  Oops.