Cantigny Park

It was beautiful out this November morning. We decided to take full advantage of our day off and headed out to the Cantigny Park with Michelle and her crew. This was my first trip to Cantigny and it was a wonderful place!
The kids all concluded that by far, their favorite part of the park was the tanks. They were very fascinating and the kids were allowed to crawl all over them.

We also took the hour tour of McCormick's mansion. It was very interesting to hear the history of the estate. We saw a letter from Abraham Lincoln, appliances from the 1920s, lots of antique furniture, and even a hidden bar from the time of probation.
Kendall did an excellent job asking questions in each area. The kids saw their first dumbwaiter. The tour guide let us go down to the kitchen in the basement to see where the food came from. It was so interesting to see all of the old appliances. Amazing!

On the tour we learned that Robert and Amy McCormick were buried on the estate. The kids were excited to fin the spot afterwards. I think they mostly enjoyed the fox statues by the graves.

We then saw the war museum. This really didn't interest the kids too much. So, we raced through it.
Finally, we enjoyed the tanks.
At some point, Caleb hit his head and ended up with a bruise and goose egg. He drives me crazy, because he just keeps going. By the time I see notice it, he has totally forgotten what happened. So frustrating! At the end of our trip he ended up getting VERY crabby. He threw a full fledged temper tantrum, and threw himself back. Boom, a second bump on the back of his head. I am at the point, that I am now getting worried that the ER will be in our future soon. He is bigger and when he falls, he has the potential to really get hurt. I wish he would just slow down!
The other highlight of our trip was a map in the visitors center. It was actually a model of the entire block underneath pains of glass. The kids loved this as well.

It was a great morning on our day off. I am so thankful for these days to spend with Caleb and Kendall.

Healthy Days are Hear Again!

Here is a picture of our LAST sick day of November. Well, hopefully! Kendall is sitting at the doctor's office waiting to get her cough checked out. She brought her cow pillow pet with her. It was a just a cold and she is all better.
The following day at school, Kendall awoke wanting to be called Princess Kendall. She told Terry that she didn't have to listen to him, because Princesses do not have to listen to adults. She also decided that she needed to wear a tiara to school. (Or crown as she calls it.) What a ham!
I love the new hat that she picked out for this winter. Well, we actually chose 2, but this will be her main hat. She has been wearing it everywhere. Kendall hates the cold weather. In fact, she has told me that it is too cold to play outside. I think it is more that she hates to wear coats, socks, and shoes. We had quite a few time outs or loss of privileges at the beginning of November because she would strip all three items off each time she got in the car. It is so frustrating! I think she is finally retrained to keep them on. I think we are going to have a long winter if she thinks that an unseasonable warm November is cold. She must just be a southern girl at heart.