World Wide Rolves: Illinois

I couldn't come up with a good title - sorry.

The girls are all at camps this week at a local University. For the next two weeks E1 and E2 are in an all-day creative writing camp, and they alternate between writing classes and recreational activities. Today is a swimming day.

E3 is in a storybook art camp this week and a different art camp next week. Her sessions are only 3 hours each afternoon and she's bummed she doesn't get to swim today. Instead, after we dropped off her sisters, we went to Target for some household items and got her new flip flops to replace the ones she was wearing...because the ones she had on her feet were about a 1/2-inch too small for her actual foot. Then, we stopped at Borders and tracked down Ivy and Bean Take Care of the Babysitter - #4 in the Ivy and Bean series. She still wished she could get wet and we decided the Quad/Plaza/Courtyard/Whatever they call that area of campus needs a splash fountain - E3 feels strongly that college kids would still like to get wet on hot days like this.

Tomorrow we may find the lake...maybe. I don't have many options for cleaning her up after to make her presentable for class. We'll see.

Yesterday, after we left E1 and E2 with their group, she and I sat in the library for a while. I took a few classes at this University back in the day and the first floor of the library is vastly different than what I remember. Computers, and tables at which a person can use their own computer, as far as the eye can see. It surprised me, but it's not really all that surprising, you know? What WAS surprising was that the computer users had drinks right there next to the computers, and were even EATING while at the computer. As someone who worked in the library when I was in college I'm AMAZED they even let food and drinks in the building. That's why there are water fountains - water that is far far away from the books...and electronics.

Speaking of water fountains...they have water fountains here with a separate spout for refilling your water bottle. Just hold the bottle up to the sensor and it goes to work spilling water into your bottle - while displaying the count of plastic bottles that have been saved from the landfills due to reusing bottles instead. Kinda cool.

The library is still quiet, but not as quiet as I remember. No one complained when one of the computer user's cell phone kept chirping to alert her to a new text, and another person walked right past me wishing someone on the other end of her call 'happy birthday'.

Something that hasn't changed? People still sleep on whatever comfy furniture they can find.

It was a bit intimidating trying to find my way around - construction and/or remodeling have changed things enough that many areas are only vaguely familiar. Even E1 and E2 agreed that the food court in the university center was "confusing". However, there were many people - just yesterday alone-I guess they could recognize a lost newbie easily enough - who took a moment to say 'hi' and ask if they could help me find something. Nice.

Illinois Schools observe Casimir Pulaski Day in early March. Missouri Schools don't. Therefore, it's a perfect day for us to go to the zoo!

An extended family member was in Children's Hospital, which borders the east side of Forest Park, so we stopped there first for a quick hello visit.

The penguins were enjoying the sun.

There was a party in Hippo Harbor.

The elephants were front and center.

The river otters were show-offs.

Backstroke!

The stalker chickens are still there. Did I mention the stalker chickens after our last visit? The last time we were at the Children's Zoo there was a new addition - chickens. E1 and I were convinced they were stalking us, as every time we turned around they were THERE. It seemed as though there were even more on this day.