Planes, trains, trolleys and Legos

Having Mrs. Jay here with us was ... well, not "awesome" because that word is a bit 90s, and not "cool" because it was cooler than cool, and not fabulous because only one woman can use that word legitimately without sounding like a drag queen. And dope, fresh, wicked, sick and tight are all a little juvenile. But whatever word means "like, the best time ever" should go here.

Wednesday we just chilled with a little deep dish and watched Nacho Libre - the first of three viewings, I might add. Thursday we went to a local farm that had potential, but fell so far short that I found myself mocking it, until I realized that it's run by developmentally disabled young people, at which point I felt terrible. But then I realized that someone who is not developmentally disabled probably runs the farm so there was no excuse for the dilapidated buildings and lackluster attractions. (Not to mention a train ride that features a turn through a barn filled with cleaning supplies and a half-painted mural.) So then I resumed my mocking. I feel good about it.

On Friday, despite a tornado warning and threat of hail, we took the kids downtown on the train. It was a roundabout excursion because we weren't really clear on our objectives, but once the rain stopped, and we figured out the free trolley system, we had an awesome - and you know how I feel about that word - time at the children's museum. I even purchased a membership there because isn't it only fair that Miss Dub get something with our stimulus payment? The only down point of the day came when a homeless woman cast a spell on Miss Dub. I can't be sure of the exact nature of the spell, but I hope it's something like, "Compelled to do homework on time" or "Cowlick-free hair." Still, it was weird to have a woman staring down my child in an eerie made-for-television way. But what's a downtown experience without a little voodoo?

Then on Saturday morning, the whole clan packed up and left for Mr. Jay's parents' house in a town that is - seriously - called Kankakee. And Miss Dub immediately burst into sobs and shouted, "My friends, my friends!" I didn't even know she knew that word, but I'm sure glad we've got some. We had a great time seeing the local sights with them, although I'm pretty sure if you asked the Jay boys what their favorite part of the trip was, they would say it was going to the Lego store at our mall. Hey, who doesn't love interlocking plastic?