July was spent trying to work on my class I was taking of they summer. The class was something that I have to take to keep my teaching licences, but the class is just proving that everything that I am doing in my Read 180 class is backed by research and the right way to teach.
July started with CJ going to Claire's birthday. It was funny how much those girls are growing up. They were sitting around talking about boys. Poor CJ is not really into boys yet, so she had trouble keeping up with the conversations the other girls were having. I felt sorry for her at first but then another girl came to the party that wanted to play and not really talk about boys. I am so glad that she is not into all of that yet. They may be going to middle school but I am glad that she is not growing up to fast.
For the 4th of July I got up early posted all the stuff for my summer class, when to breakfast with the family, we all picked up our new glasses from Walmart, then to Falls park with friends to play in the water. After playing we came home and Jay had Smoked some pork and sausages. My Friend Brittney and the family came over for dinner. It has been a long time since we have had a BBQ for the 4th it was so nice.
On July 10th we picked up our new camper. We found a Gray Wolf. We were so happy and could not wait to take it out camping. On July 13th, I came home and saw that our White truck for hauling the new camper was not in the drive way. I called Jay to find out if he parked it somewhere else. He told me to call the police. The truck had been stolen. Later we would find out that we were not the only ones in the neighborhood that had their trucks stolen that night. This would just be the start of our bad luck. We were just so glad that we had unhooked the new camper and they did not touch that. but there would be not camping in the new camper for a while.
We were very worried about leaving the house as we went on vacation but the day come for our trip to Chicago and Wisconsin and we were to exited to be worried. We took off after Jay got done with work and drove as far as Tennessee. The hotel that we stayed in had bed bugs and we did not know it so Jay had bits all over his arms, but lucky we did not bring them with us. I am not sure how that happened but we were grateful.
The next day we made it to Chicago. We were so excited to be in Chicago. I had never been their and love big cities. The love would soon fade. We got to the hotel and the people were not very friendly. The Hunted hotel was beautiful and the room was so large, but the only person that was nice was the bus boy who helped me with our luggage. We got their so early that we changed our plans we were going to have dinner with an old friend of mine from Crane and in the morning we were going to go to American Girl. We decide that because we were their so early that we would go the American girl that evening and then to dinner with Vanessa. The American Girl Store was only a couple of miles down the road so we decided to walk because parking was so bad and outrageously priced. The hotel was by Grant Park so we walked though the park at first. I was so neat to be places that you have seen on TV for years in movies, but really be there.
The American Girl Store was very nice. It was two stories high and had this cute cafe were I get CJ a cupcake and a smoothy. I surprised CJ with getting Rebecca's ears pierced. She has been wanting her ears pierced ever since she got hers pierced. We got some books as well and CJ played in every display. The people were so nice in the store and it was the best part of Chicago.
Leaving the American Girl Store we were approached by a young boy that did not have shoes on. He looked to be the same age as CJ and was over weight. He tried to get by attention but I was busy trying to set by phone to the walking directions for the restaurant that we were going to. Jay told the boy to go away. The boy looks at Jay and told him that he was not talking to him he was talking to me (pointing to me). Jay told him several times to go away and several times this boy told Jay that he was not talking to him. I finely told the boy to not be rude to my family and that he could go away if he was going to be so rude and have no manners. I said we were southern and we respect manners. Even the beggars in Chicago were rude. We then walked to the restaurant. We picked a pizza place because we said that if you go to Chicago you have to have Chicago style deep dish pizza.
Like every were else we had been in Chicago the people at the pizza place were just as rude. We waited in line to get in for about 40 minutes after being seated the waiter did not say welcome to Gino's, no he said that the deep dish takes an hour to cook so we need to order right now if we are going pizza. We ordered and that was it we did not see much of the waiter after that. We were OK with the hour wait because Vanessa and had 11 years of catching up to do. She had not changed a bit and we had a really great visit. When the pizza came it was not bad but CJ ended up getting some of the cheese stuck in her throat. She ended up throwing up on the table. I could not find a waiter or waitress to help me clean up her plate. I evened up cleaning it myself and taking the place back to the kitchen area myself. There was not anyone that asked if she was OK or if there was anything that the could do to help. I was so upset with the restaurant. We leave said good-bye to Vanessa and headed back to the hotel. Jay had to take a picture by Trump Tower Chicago. The walk was beautiful, but we were surprised at all the kids that were just running the streets. Jay told CJ that she would never be aloud to do that because he was not having his child run-a-muck.
We all decided that we did not like Chicago so instead of staying the next day. We left. We did not even stay for breakfast we just packed up and left. Jay said that we would get breakfast as soon as we get to Wisconsin. As we hit Wisconsin we stopped in Kenosha, WI at the Perkins. As soon as we walked in the door the people were so nice and Jay loved our waitresses accent. He had so much fun saying "You Betcha". The waitresses said that she loved our accents as well.
As would got to Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls I thought that I would remember were everything was and did not need the GPS. Everything had changed, all I did was get my family so lost. I was so stressed because I did not know were anything was. Roads that I lived on drove everyday did not existed. New buildings and highways were everywhere. Jay and CJ told me not to worry but I felt so bad that I was getting them so lost and did not know were I was. Also everything that was new when I left or lived there was old. The new Kmart was closed and abandon, the new Farm and Fleet and Shopko was old and Shopko was going out of business, My friend from high school, Rhonda, got a a room and it was really nice. After we got settled in I took them to were I went to school. Showed them my Elementary school, High school, and middle school. My high school and Middle school had not changed at all.
I then took them to one of my favorite restaurants out of Lake Wissota. It is a drive in restaurant that had the best Cheese curds. My family meet us at the restaurant. CJ had fun playing with her second cousins. I got to meet RJ's new baby, but she was very fussy and they had to leave early. I had told my family that it maybe very cold in Wisconsin and to being jackets. CJ and I even went out and go new Jackets for the trip. The whole time that we were there they had record breaking heat and humidity. Everyone told me that I brought the heat with me.
After dinner we went to my step daughter McKinley's houses. We got to see her and her son. It was so good to see her again. I have not seen her since she was 8 years old. She told me a lot of things that happened to her after I left my ex that was very sad. CJ was so exited to finely meet her. She has seen so many picture of her and it was nice to see her in person. She walked around for the next couple of months talking about her sister in Wisconsin.
The next day I took Jay and CJ to a restaurant that I like to go to on Saturday mornings. It is one of those dive places that only the locals now about. We found while we were their that they college kids had now found the place.
I then took them to UWEC. I showed them were I went to College and we spent some time walking around campus. This on Campus had changed so much. Davis Center had been torn down and rebuild in a different spot. I did have them walk the bridge. They did not want to because it was so hot but I made them do it anyway.
After we left the College I took them to Carson Park. This is were I went as a kid and took McKinley when she was little to play. We also toured the Chippewa Valley Museum. The museum was bigger and had more activities in it then I remember when I would go. It also cost. Years ago it was free to get in. I had to laugh when I saw the Union area for Uniroyal when they were talking about Michelin taking their jobs because Michelin is such a large employer here in South Carolina.
We then went to Irvine Park were again I played as a kid and an Adult. McKinley joined us with Ivan and CJ play at the water park with him. She was so great with him. She loves little kids and is very good with them. Also my friend from Middle School came and joined us. We talked and got caught up.
We went to dinner with RJ and his family that night. Abby had to into Jay to the Cheese curds at her work, because she thought they were the best. My friend Shari come out and joined us at Abby's restaurant. Shari had not changed much and we had fun getting caught up.
Rhonda told Jay that he had to try the cheese curds at Calver's. So we went to Calver's. Jay loved the food at Calver's and the idea of the butter burgers. With trying all these Cheese curds I am going to turn Jay into a cheese head yet.
The next day we were planning on leaving but the day got away from us and we stayed an extra night. So I meet Wendy and the kids at the park so that CJ could see the zoo. CJ and Payton even played in the Chippewa river for a while.
Last that afternoon we went to my friend Kathy's house for dinner. I could not wait for CJ and Jay to meet Kathy. I was Kathy's babysitter for years and she was like a second mom to me. Kathy made hot beef sandwiches for me at my request. We talked and got caught up on 15 years of not seeing each other. Her daughter Katy came, but I was sad that I was not able to see her son Steve.
After we left Kathy's I took Jay and CJ down to Olson ice cream parlor. I could not take them to Chippewa Falls with out taking them to Olson's. I do not know if I just had bad ice cream or it was just not as good as I remember.
The next morning we got up and took off to go home. We drove for about 9 hours before we just had to stop for the night. Jay had to call into work and take an extra day. It was such a nice trip to short but fun getting to show them all the places that I hung out when I was growing up.
When we got home we found out that they had not found our truck but the insurance was going to pay off. Thank goodness for State Farm, even though every time Jay turned around he was saying I need this, oh ya that was in the truck. We were then on the hunt for a new truck for hauling the camper. Also our washer and drying went out so we wanted to use some of the insurance money to get a new washer and dryer.
On CJ's Birthday she wanted to take some friends and go to the water park. I told her that she could not have a birthday party because we sent to Chicago as her birthday adventure. So just having friends over for some cake and a day at the water park so OK with her. They played and I was glad to have Brittney there so I had someone to talk with. CJ got a new swim suit for her birthday and I made peanut butter cup cupcakes for all the girls.
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