Sarah in Texas: Day 1

Yesterday Sarah and William boarded an airplane for Texas, where they'll spend the next few days with Auntie Emily, Uncle Shock, and Cousin Libby. Daddy called for reinforcements, and together with "Fink" (that's what the kids call my dad), we're holding down the fort till mommy's return. Grandma-Great offered her contribution to the keep-daddy-sane effort with a bag of Cuties, below. The girls discovered them immediately upon waking up this morning....

Bea, undaunted by Fink's new beard, feeds him grapes for breakfast.

After we got dressed , we all piled in the van and headed downtown--to the Shedd Aquarium. "Hish, hish!" Inga loves fish.

Inga had a blast swinging on the railings all day long.

Here's Graham, checking out the Tiger Stingrays.

Inga squeals with delight as a ray puckers up for a kiss on the glass.

"Inga, put on your life preserver RIGHT NOW!"

Inga cooks up a second breakfast for her siblings.

An Alligator Turtle--possibly the kids' favorite animal attraction at the aquarium.

Penguins. What fun.

By far the biggest hit of the day, however, was the play submarine in the underwater display in the bowels of the aquarium. It nearly took a crowbar to get Graham out of here.

Run silent, run deep....


Bea takes the boat up to periscope depth.


Listening to the girls try to pronounce "anemone" was worth the trip all by itself.


Bea was enamored of the...

Belugas. Of course.