It’s been a long time since I’ve written on your blog. We had such a great time on our trip, though, that I felt like I needed to be the one to tell you all about it. Soooo, let me start from the beginning….
Several months ago I decided I wanted to take Clara
Lee somewhere for spring break. Since
Mimi happens to be the best Mimi in the world, I wanted to take her with us as
well. Since Disney World was out of the
question for ole Clara Lee, I decided that we would take a little trip to
Chicago to visit the next best thing….American Girl!!! I knew from seeing the pictures of your trip
when you were little that Mimi and I…oops, I mean Clara Lee….would be in heaven
at American Girl. As we made plans for
our trip, I started thinking about how exciting it would be for Clara Lee to
share her experience with her best cousin forever-Abby. As soon as I mentioned the idea to Mimi, she
was ALL about it. I knew that wouldn’t
be a problem- she loved the idea of us taking both of you! I thought your mama might be a little harder
to convince, though, because I knew she might want to take you to American Girl
herself now that you are a little older.
So, I called her and threw out the idea to see what she thought. Just as I thought, she didn’t really want you
to go. She wanted to be there to see you
experience AG herself, and she was hoping to take you and Kate later this year. Disappointed as I was, I understood her
reason and continued on planning a trip for three instead of four. A few weeks went by, however, and I got a
call from your mama. She kind of laughed
as she asked me if my offer to take you to Chicago still stood. Of course it did!!! Turned out, our spring break was the very
same week as your spring break and Mommy didn’t think y’all would end up going
back to Chicago as soon as she had hoped….soooo, she said YES! Mommy did make us promise, however, not to
mention it to you until just a few weeks before we left because she knew the anticipation
would kill you and you would ask when we were leaving a million times- ha! We
could handle that much though. We were
just glad you could go! Yay! So it was
set, Abby was going to Chicago with us!
Girls trip!!!
We started our trip early Saturday morning. You and Mimi picked me and Clara Lee up and
we were on the road to Chicago by 6am.
You and Clara Lee were tucked away in your jammies somewhere in the
backseat amidst all off our luggage and travel things…and if you know Ash Ash
and Mimi very well, you know we packed a ton.
About two hours into our trip we stopped at Boomland, a big truck
stop/souvenir shop that someone had told us about. And that’s where the hyperness began…and I’m
not sure it ever really stopped until our trip was over! We ate breakfast at Boomland and you were so
tickled that Ash Ash let you eat at a restaurant in your jammies! (We sent
Mommy a picture of you and CL and the first thing she noticed was that you were
still in jammies.) You and Clara Lee
were so happy to be together. Mimi and I
got so tickled listening to the things you two were saying to each other in the
backseat. At one point we even heard
Clara Lee whisper, “Hey Abs, do you remember that time we kissed?” And the two
of you burst into giggles. After that I
bet y’all kissed 100x! Mimi and I kept calling y’all “kissing cousins” after
that. We were making pretty good time
on the road when Ash Ash got a nice welcome gift into to the state of Illinois
by a state trooper. Clara Lee asked if
he was going to take me to jail, but he was kind enough to give me a $120
ticket and send us on our merry way instead.
So, we kept right on trucking it, just a little more slowly now. The rest of the drive was pretty uneventful except
for the two hyper, silly girls in the backseat.
We somehow managed to talk you into taking a short little nap, but Clara
Lee told us she didn’t really know how to rest which isn’t actually too far
from the truth. You woke up from your
nap just as we were coming into Chicago and, of course, traffic.
By the time we got to our hotel, we were all ready
to get out and move around a little. Our
room was t-tiny, but we knew we could make it work. That would just make for some cozy family
time, right?! Once we got in and got settled the best we could, we decided to
walk across the street to Rainforest Café.
Mimi and I thought y’all would really like it and boy were we right! We
had such a good time. Walking down the
sidewalk to get there, you said, “I’m so happy- this must be a dream!” Ha! You
and Clara Lee were a little bit scared of all the big animals at the restaurant
at first, but after we assured you NUMEROUS times that they were just pretend,
y’all warmed up to them. You both liked
the mama elephant and her baby best. We
got lucky enough to be seated right next to the big aquarium, and the ceiling
above us looked like a giant night sky full of stars! Mimi ordered y’all big frog cups for your
drinks, and we had the COOLEST volcano cake for dessert- it was even topped
with a sparkler! We were all so giddy
and excited and had such a good time. It was the perfect kick-off for our
Chicago experience!
The next morning we all woke up rested and ready to
get going. Of course you and Clara Lee
wanted to do a little playing first, but we still managed to get out of the
hotel pretty early. After a quick
breakfast at McDonald’s (and drink spill #1 of the week for you), we caught a
cab and headed to the place we were most excited about visiting….American
Girl!!!
We were all excited and a little
overwhelmed at first. I couldn’t believe
the size of the store or the amount of doll stuff it held! You and Clara Lee
were all over the place. We took y’all
all around the store first to let you get a look at everything which was no
easy task as hyper as you two were. Clara Lee decided to use her birthday money
to buy a bigger American Girl doll like yours.
Since Clara Lee was getting a doll, we decided to do something special
for your Abigail doll, too. So, while
Clara Lee and I went to buy her new Saige doll, you and Mimi took Abigail to
the hair salon for a new hair-do (and boy did she need it!). Abigail also got to have her ears pierced
while she was there.
By the time we met back up, all you and Clara Lee wanted to do was play in the Bitty Baby section, which was by far the best part of the store for y’all. You two were in heaven playing with all those baby doll toys! Mimi and I were convinced that y’all were the two wildest kids in Chicago- we didn’t seem to find any other kids in the store running around like crazy…We worried that the store people were going to get upset, but they assured us that y’all were actually entertaining them and that’s what the toys were there for. So, we just let y’all play on.
After a whole lot, and I mean WHOLE LOT, of purchases, we decided to take a lunch break and come back later.We found a cool pizza place and sat down for a break.You devoured the cheese bread! (I can’t remember you spilling a drink there specifically, but if I had to guess, I’d probably say you did.)
After pizza, we visited the Disney Store where this
guy did a really great impersonation of Kermit and Miss Piggy for y’all. Then we headed to the Hershey’s store, and
yes I mean Hershey’s as in CHOCOLATE.
You were so excited to be going to a store full of chocolate. On our way in we saw horse and carriage rides
that would take you around the city. You
begged to go on a ride, but Clara Lee was adamant about not going. So, you and Mimi went for a ride around
Chicago while Clara Lee and I went into Ghiradelli’s (yes, another chocolate
store!). Mimi said that ride was worth
every single penny just to get you to sit still for 40 minutes- and trust me,
getting you to sit still that long is no small feat with all that energy you
have.
By the time y’all got back, we
were all getting a little tired and cold so we headed back to the American Girl
store where the girls who worked there knew y’all by name by this point. You and Clara Lee had a blast playing while
Mimi figured out what all she wanted to buy.
We couldn’t really get you to tell us what you wanted to buy for Abigail
because you were too busy playing, so we decided we would wait to buy Abigail’s
stuff the next day. By the time we left,
we were LOADED DOWN with all the stuff we bought- it was a dangerous idea
letting Ash Ash and Mimi go into a doll store together!!!
See what I mean?!
Once back at the hotel, you and Clara Lee
played with your new baby doll things for a few minutes, but y’all were really
dying to go to the hotel pool. After a
quick and early dinner, we finished the day off by swimming. You showed us all you have been learning in
swimming lessons, and let me tell you, you are a fish, Abby Clark! You were
swimming so well. I couldn’t believe how
well you were swimming on your own. You
could even float on your back! Mommy forgot
to pack your goggles, and Mimi thought that was going to keep you from doing
your best, but that didn’t stop you a bit.
After quick baths that night, we all fell asleep in no time. We were worn out from all the fun and
excitement, but it was such a great and memorable day. It was a day that Ash
Ash will always remember spending with you and Clara Lee. It was also a day that I know you and Clara
Lee will always remember spending together.
The next day we woke up and started all over
again. We got up, got ready, and headed
out for breakfast. We wanted to find a
place for breakfast that we could sit down and get something to eat but not too
fancy, of course, for our two little heathens.
We asked the hotel people where we could find a kid-friendly breakfast
place other than the McDonald’s across the street. Well, the hotel clerk was excited to tell us
about a little place just a couple of blocks away that was for sure
kid-friendly and had excellent food. He went on and on about the place, so we
were sold. . . .
weelll, I don’t know what kind of kids he’s used to when he says kid-friendly,
but it’s definitely not our kind! We
knew as soon as we walked in that this was not the place for you and Clara Lee,
but before we knew it we were seated and ordering. Needless to say, Mimi and I were both a
nervous wreck by the time we left that place.
You spilled your glass of water before we were even served and Clara Lee
wouldn’t quit trying to turn breakfast into a wrestling match. We made it out of there, though, (I’m sure
they weren’t disappointed to see us go) and made our way to the Chicago
Children’s Museum.
Speaking of making our way, you sure made all of
our cab rides interesting. As soon as we
got in any cab, you would start up a conversation with the driver and Clara Lee
would follow suit (you definitely help bring out the social side of Clara
Lee). One driver tried to convince you
to let Abigail ride with him the rest of the day, but you never would agree to
it.
We spent the morning playing at the
Children’s Museum.
Y’all spent a lot of time playing in the fire
department section and pretending to be dispatchers. Of course you shimmied down the fireman’s
pole a bunch since you are part-monkey.
You said you wanted to do this big-kid obstacle course kind of thing
where you climbed up in a tunnel and all around the museum, so we waited in
line to let you do it. I knew there was
no way Clara Lee was going to attempt that thing! You got a little nervous when your turn came,
but you started climbing up anyway. You
made it up a good little bit before you decided it was just a little too much
for you and turned around and came back down.
I was super proud of you for even getting that far, though- I didn’t see
many kids your age even trying! I bet
next time you visit, you will do that thing from start to finish with no
trouble at all.
Before we left the museum, we noticed that the Easter bunny was there visiting. Clara Lee let us know quickly that she wasn’t going to see him, but you were a little more interested in him. You weren’t exactly sure about him, but you were interested enough to want to check him out. You climbed (imagine it) up behind where he was sitting and peeked over at him for a long time before deciding that you still weren’t quite ready to visit him.
After playing at the museum all morning, we
decided to head back to the hotel for some rest because we had big plans for
the night. We had reservations at the
American Girl Café, so we wanted you and Clara Lee to be well rested for
that. Mimi needed to go out and do a
little shopping sans kids, so I stayed at the hotel with y’all while Mimi
headed out. I decided that even though
it would probably be near impossible, I would attempt to get you two to
actually nap. And I have no idea how
(miracle maybe?) but somehow I was actually able to get BOTH of you to fall
asleep! Now THAT is something to be
proud of. Clara Lee NEVER takes naps,
and I thought there was no chance of getting you to nap with Clara Lee in the
room, but somehow I pulled it off. When
Mimi got back, we were all rested and ready to fancy ourselves up for the
night. (I later regretted my success at
naptime, but more on that later…) While
Mimi was out, she bought Abigail and Saige matching fancy dresses for our
dinner. So, we all put on our fancy
dresses and headed out for our American Girl dinner.
Mimi and Ash Ash were as giddy as you and Clara Lee about our special dinner. Y’all loved the fancy little treats for your dolls and fed them generously. We answered questions on little cards that were on the tables, and we giggled over the answers you and Clara Lee would come up with. Y’all tried another wrestling match, but we managed to get that broken up before y’all attracted any more attention to us. As if we hadn’t bought enough at AG already, Mimi let both of you to pick out one more thing. You also got to pick out matching jammies for you and Abigail to buy with your money. It was a bit hard getting you to pick anything out which was a big shock for me because Clara Lee is never hesitant to tell me all the many things she wants to buy! You and Clara Lee got your picture taken with Abigail and Saige for the American Girl magazine cover. The photographer kept getting tickled at you and Clara Lee for being so silly. At that point, I was pretty convinced that everybody in that store had heard of the little brown-headed girl and blonde-headed girl who had taken over the place!
By the time we got back to the hotel, you and your
cousin were DELRIOUSLY hyper….and this is when I began to regret that whole nap
thing. I took y’all for a quick swim
hoping to wear y’all out a little bit…no such luck. That nap had both of you wound up tighter
than a banjo string! Mimi has forbidden
me to write about the silly things you and Clara Lee were saying and doing back
in the hotel room, but I will say that it involved pretend phone calls to the
police about your good ole’ Mimi. You
would make one of your pretend phone calls and Clara Lee would laugh
hysterically until you did it again.
This went on and on and on and on, and it never got old for you or Clara
Lee! Mimi and I couldn’t help but laugh
because y’all were more hyper and silly than we had ever seen, and, trust me,
we’ve seen y’all be super silly a million times. Don’t tell Mommy, but I have
no idea how or when we finally got y’all to sleep. And, we may or may not have
ordered late night pizza that night, too....
This was one of many wrestling matches of the week....
Before we could go, though, we had to make a stop at
the gift shop where we had promised both of you a souvenir of your choice. You picked out a sea otter for yourself and
one for Kate. Mimi tried to get you to
pick something different for Kate, but you insisted that was what Kate would
want. (By the way, I’m not sure we
actually even saw sea otters at the aquarium, but you knew exactly what you
wanted.) Clara Lee picked out a dolphin
with a blue sweatshirt, and Ash Ash even found a nannerpus, I mean octopus,
wine stopper as her souvenir. When we
finished looking around, we all four got in line to check out. Mimi paid for your souvenirs, handed you the
bag, and turned around to pay for her purchases. As she was paying the cashier, she heard a
lady behind her saying, “Ma’am, ma’am?” So she turns around and sees that this
woman is talking to her. “Ma’am,” the lady says, “your little girl just put a
pair of sunglasses in her bag.” Mimi,
confused by what the lady said, “Oh no, we didn’t buy any sunglasses” and the
woman says, “No, I’m telling you that I just saw your little girl put a pair of
sunglasses in her bag.” Mimi looked in
your bag and, sure enough, you had put a pair of sunglasses in your bag!!! Mimi, upset of course, quickly finished her
purchase, put the sunglasses back, and headed straight to the bathroom with you
to find out what exactly you were thinking.
On our way to the bathroom, I told Mimi that I doubted you actually
meant to steal them- I mean, you couldn’t actually have realized what you were
doing, ya know? Weeeell, after talking to you in the bathroom about it, let’s
just say there really wasn’t much room for any doubt…I’m pretty sure you knew
what you were doing. When we asked you
why you put the sunglasses in your bag, you very honestly told us, “Because I
wanted some sunglasses for the beach.”
So, there it is- our little Abs, a kleptomaniac! Who would’ve thought it?! (For the record, I sooo would’ve had Clara
Lee pegged as the delinquent way before our sweet little Abs!) You were pretty nonchalant about the whole
thing, actually. Oh and by the way, Mimi
ended up buying you a pair of sunglasses later that night! I guess you got your sunglasses for Florida anyway!
No more thieving, okay abs?!
Our trip home was pretty easy minus the hour we
spent lost in a pretty sketchy area of Chicago.
You and Clara Lee talked and played the whole way home. Before our trip, Mimi bought new DVD players
for the car, but you and Clara Lee didn’t watch a single movie on the way there
or back. You couldn’t wait to get back to Ash Ash’s house so you could see Nacho. Any time you weren’t behaving, all Mimi had
to say was “Abby, we aren’t going to stay and visit Nacho if you don’t stop”
and you’d straighten right up.
We had such a fun trip, Abs, and I am soooo glad
that your mommy decided to let you go with us.
It would not have been the same without you. I love your personality and the energy you
bring with you wherever you go. Your
outgoing personality and your big smile brighten up any room you walk in. Clara Lee loves you so much, and I am so glad
that the two of you have the chance to make all of these memories
together. Both of you will remember this
trip, as well as all of the other many memories you make together, for a
lifetime. We love you, Abby-doodle-doo!!!
Always,
Ash Ash
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