random instagram photos...

It's been pure craziness around here this week already!!  It's not even the kids' activities (those are slowing down)... it's just other random crazy things.  More about those later.

A week ago, I took Clara and her friend down to rehearsal for Cinderella, here are the girls on the train...

 To entertain themselves, they played with their phones....

I think this was Tuesday, or maybe last Wednesday, but I got to sit with Alex while he had his dinner...

Oh!  It was Tuesday... I remember now... I didn't eat because I had eaten with the girls earlier.  It's all coming back to me now!  :-)

Opening night of Cinderella...

 After Saturday night's show of Cinderella...

Notice anything different?  Yes... significantly more make-up!  She had on a ton by the last show.  Her teacher told her that she was a bug not human and proceeded to add more blue eyeshadow.

Monday night, Clara's ballet classes were cancelled, so we got to see the boy in his show...

The theater was very dark, so the photo is VERY grainy.

This was the day our fun began this week.  As you may know, NATO is coming to Chicago this weekend.  Everything is sort of out of whack due to this.  Right as Alex's show was to begin, they announced that the police were shutting down the building in half an hour.  We could stay for the show, but the doors would be locked and we would have to leave as a group.  We had no idea why or what we would be walking out into after the show.  Still not entirely sure what was going on as it seemed really quiet (almost eerily quiet) out on the streets as we left (and it ended up that we didn't have to leave any special way).  The building was shut down though (it also houses a branch of the library and a visitors' center)... everything was dark and locked up.  All very strange.

While we waited for Jeff to pick us up, Alex showed me his elephant he had made out of clay...

Today's excitement started with a motorcyclist wiping out right in front of us as Clara and I were on our way to get Alex.  He insisted that he was okay and didn't need any help.  He didn't look injured but his bike left a trail of parts.

Then... Alex left his phone on one of the city buses!!!!  I had no idea until Jeff called and said that he had just received a call from a man who had Alex's phone.  I called him and we arranged to meet for me to get Alex's phone back.  Alex was at his music lessons and had figured out his phone was missing and was in quite a state.  I walked over to let him know that it was okay and I was going to get his phone back later.  He was relieved, but so upset.  After Clara's dance class, we ran up and met the very nice man who had picked up Alex's phone and tracked us down to give it back.  All in all, everything has turned out much better than expected.... but I could do with a little less excitement the rest of this week!  :-)