past week’s Banga adventure

So this past week we had a visit from Andy, Janette, Lauren and Aaron Banga who came down from Ontario to see us and meet Jan. We started off the adventures right away with a visit to our friends, the Marsdens’ pool. The next day was a shopping extravaganza; I think we hit all the shopping highlights South Bend has to offer and Aaron bought a lure. The next day was the truly adventuresome part of the week. We got up and headed off to Chicago where we went to the Shedd Aquarium. For most folks, this is a great place, but for someone with fish mania, like Aaron, it was bliss. I was particularly pleased to see everything since the Oceanarium is closing in September for nearly a year. Naturally, this is the year we decided to get memberships. Oh well. The rest was great too. Then we drove up to the Baxter Bed and Breakfast, otherwise known as my parents’ house. They set everything up as though it were a hotel; the fam was quite impressed. Then there was more shopping. The next day, it was off to Six Flags Great America. Wow. A jillion people, lots of exciting rides. I have to say, the new Superman (well, new to me anyway) was pretty cool and I loved the Raging Bull as always and it never fails to surprise me how some of the oldest rides are still fun. There is a new waterpark there and Lauren loved it and spent pretty much all day there. Aaron was ecstatic to ride his very first roller coaster ever, the Superman. Incidentally, I had to look up how to say “roller coaster” in French (montagnes russes) and there is a whole interesting history to it here .  I think even Jan had a good time, although he was so sick and tired of being in his stroller, I can’t believe he wasn’t grumpier.  As it was, he was great; I can’t believe how good, in fact.  I know I was tired enough to be grumpy.  There was tonnes of traffic through Chicago on the way home; we actually were hit from behind, but thankfully, there was no damage.

Right before, somewhat during and right after all these adventures, David worked on our new flooring.  This flooring isn’t what we thought it would be (nor what it was advertised as being) and as a result of it being delivered a month late and being 3000 square feet of a mistake, the company gave us a gigantic refund that means we spent half of what the original price was.  Boy, did they ever lose money on us.  They said it was engineered hardwood, but it is all laminate.  It is really top quality laminate, though, so not all is lost.  There will be many photos posted very soon of all this.

I can’t believe school starts in 2 weeks.  In spite of an extra 6 weeks at the beginning of this summer, this has been, without question, the fastest summer of my life.  wow.