When the Cobbs arrived in Chicago, we were not only taxed by the short flight made long by two children who refused to fall asleep, but then we had to wait. And at 9:30pm, the kids were ticking time bombs in 40 degree weather.
Eventually we arrived at the rental car facility thinking we'd get off at the Gold Member drop. Fail. Our name was on the board with an asterisks which meant we had to go to the main office. This led to more waiting but David eyed a shorter line off to the side and got the service we needed. We'd forgotten about previously double booking cars—large and larger—to fit our family and later Bree and Jeorgia. The large was a mini van. The larger, a Ford Expedition, Ecoboost. Somehow we were talked into the latter—part pontoon with the sway of a grandparent's Buick or Cadillac and all the hope that there is a self-park button somewhere in the cabin.
This is how we visit Chicago. Quick weekend whirlwind tours with little to no vacation days added. In and out. Enough meaningful conversation to not bore anyone with our day-to-day waves of joy and despair. Couple hours here. Couple hours there.
Saturday was drafted to be a long day with multiple family visits scheduled back-to-back, no different from any of the other visits over the years. The first party was half an hour NW of where we were staying. The party after that, another half an hour more NW. From the inner burbs, to the outer burbs, to the... wait, did I just see Wilson and Tom Hanks float by?
And there we were, navigating our way back SE late Saturday night after all the family parties, rocking along in the boat, cruising through the back roads. Ethan and David were leaning on each other sleeping in the third row. Ella and Jeorgia in the second row, crashed out. Me as Captain manning the wheel and First Mate Bree chatting or rasping through tired breath—we left early-ish because Bree was running a fever and needed to be horizontal. Cargo stuffed in every part of the floorboard and back. Feeling full and very tired.
Visiting family is fun, especially at the pace we maintain. Those chocolate chip cookies Ethan and I had two possibly three too many of... worth it.