The Thing About Long Car Trips. . .

. . . is that you usually end up eating in the car. When we started our long journey last Friday night, we went through the drivethrough at Portillo's. There's nothing like hot dogs and cheese fries to start off a 5 hour journey in a rented minivan.

The other thing about car trips with kids is that they tend to sleep while the vehicle is moving. Grandma Toni and Aunt Sarah went with us on our journey north, and that meant each child had a treasured relative to wait on him hand and foot. (At least as much as is possible while squished into a minivan packed to the ceiling with the various accoutrements of infancy and toddlerhood.)

Aunt Sarah sat next to baby Henry and fed him a bottle. This was why we rented a minivan, so that someone could stick a bottle in Henry's mouth when he got hungry. It worked like a charm. Soon, he fell asleep, and before long, both of my boys were completely out. They slept most of the way, and we arrived at our hotel room before midnight.

But the other thing about long car trips is that when little boys sleep for five hours in the car, they think it's morning time when we try to go to bed at the hotel. Henry, for example, kept Greg and I awake most of the night. We turned out the lights, settled down, and then Henry started cooing. He was wide awake, ready to play, and happy as a clam. All. Night.

A similar situation happened on the way back, and Henry kept me up from about 2 a.m. to 6 a.m., my prime sleeping times. So that is why I'm exhausted today.

The thing about long car trips is that they are exhausting.

More 4th of July Fun

We did our fireworks on the 3rd of July, but on the 4th we stayed home and had company. Grandma Toni and Aunt Sarah visited, and Greg made homemade burgers and fries for dinner.

Nick and I, well, we made cookies. It's just what we do. I'm pretty sure when he is an adult, he'll have very distinctive cookie-baking memories. Recently, I've been reading a book called Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking, by Michael Ruhlman. It breaks down cooking and baking into simple ratios, and shows you how to cook without a recipe. I like the way it's written, and I've been wanting to try some of the un-recipes in the book. You see, they're not really recipes, just ratios of how much fat/sugar/flour to add to make different things.

The cookies we made for the 4th of July are probably closest to shortbread cookies. They are called "The Essence of a Cookie Coookie" or 1-2-3 Cookies, because of their ratio: 1 part sugar, two parts fat, and three parts flour. I also added just a bit of vanilla and salt. They were delicious.

Basically, we mixed the ingredients by hand, then rolled the dough and put it in the refrigerator. I let Nick cut the cookies (with a butter knife, of course. I'm not crazy) and put on all the sprinkles. He did add a lot of sprinkles.

Henry, unfortunately, is not big enough to help bake cookies. See how upset he looks about that? What a face.

Henry didn't last too long without peeing in his holiday onesie.  I'm not sure how he does it, but he pees outside of his diaper all the time. In the picture below he peed in the front, but lately he's been doing this weird trick where he skips getting his diaper wet and somehow pees up his back, near his shoulder. Seriously, how does a baby pee on the back of his shoulder without getting his diaper wet? It is a mystery to me.

Anyway, Nick and Henry had some quality time with their Aunt Sarah, too.

Then, for dessert, we got to enjoy 4th of July cookies made by a two-year-old. They were pretty good, if not exactly uniform in shape or sprinkles.

An Unexpected Trip to Northern Wisconsin

On Thursday morning, we set out on a journey that we hadn't planned on taking. Greg's grandmother passed away, and we went to Merrill, Wisconsin, for the funeral. The drive up there takes at least 5 hours, more if you stop for food and bathroom breaks. We left around noon and didn't arrive at our hotel until nearly 7 p.m.  Crabby two-year-old plus mourning driver plus pregnant lady equals a challenging ride.

When we arrived at our hotel, it only took Nick about three seconds to find the phone and figure out how to dial it. I have no idea where he learned this; we only have cell-phones and I haven't had a corded landline since. . . well, since I was in college. But he somehow knew what to do, so we had to unplug the phone so that he wouldn't randomly start dialing people.

All of our previous trips have been for fun, but this one was (obviously) tinged with sadness. At the service, the minister talked about Grandma Marie's four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, with one on the way. It occurred to me then that she would never meet her great-grandson, and that was tough to think about, especially with all of the pregnancy horomones running through my body. Greg and I walked around and looked at all of the pictures from her life, and I think that helped him with the grieving process.  Living 96 years is quite an accomplishment, and it was impressive to see all of the things she was able to accomplish in her life.

I didn't take many pictures, because it somehow seemed inappropriate to snap pictures of Nick and his cousins running around and playing at the visitation. Plus, Nick decided to perform like a typical two-year-old during our trip. He barely slept at night, refused to nap, would only eat junk food, and threw countless fits. So pulling out my camera was not even on my mind. Thank goodness for Grandma Toni, who, along with Nick's Aunt Sarah, helped me distract Nick. When Nick started having constant tantrums right before the service, Grandma Toni offered to take him back to the hotel room. I think I have the best mother-in-law in the whole world! I don't know what we would've done otherwise.

One bright spot in a sad trip was the hot tub at the hotel. There was a pool, too, but only Greg was brave (and cold-tolerant enough) to take Nick there.

The rest of us opted to stay in the hot tub. I would like constant access to a hot tub. I think Nick agrees, because through our whole trip, he would randomly start asking, "I go in the hot tub?! I go in hot water!"

You would think that would've tired him out, but no. Even though he never had a nap and is usually asleep by 8:15, Nick was still screaming at the top of his lungs, refusing to sleep, at 11:30. Nothing would stop his screaming. Lately, he does this thing where he'll throw his blanket, his Elmo, or his stuffed dog out of the crib, then scream for it back. The exchange goes something like this:

Nick (throwing his Elmo out of the crib): I no like Elmo. Elmo out!
Mommy: Okay, honey. Elmo can sleep with me.
Nick: Want Elmo! Elmo! I want Elmo!
Mommy (handing him Elmo): Here you go.
Nick (throwing Elmo out again): No want Elmo! Elmo out!

The situation repeated itself for several hours, with Nick's pillow, blanket, book, and stuffed dog. I could not find anything that would stop his screaming. I know better than to play the throwing game with him, but it's hard not to give in when I would've done anything to get the yelling to stop. When he screamed for a straight hour, I was really afraid someone in the hotel was going to complain and we'd be kicked out. No one ever complained, but I feel really, really bad for anyone with rooms near ours.

Nick's incessant screaming plus my severe allergies made for a very long night, with an all-day car ride today to top it off. He did sleep in the car, though, and today he was better overall. Hopefully being back in his bed tonight and back to his regular schedule (and diet) will put him back on track.

Belated Recap: Valentine's Day

I just realized I forgot to finish blogging about how Greg and I celebrated our Valentine's Day. It was a pretty good one, too. We went back to Barolo Ristorante in Joliet, because we remembered how good the food was when we went there in December. It was just as good this time. It is possible that it was even better, because we were able to truly enjoy our meal this time.

You see, Nick's Grandma Toni and Aunt Sarah came over last Sunday so that Greg and I could go out. Eating a meal without worrying about anyone throwing noodles at us is an amazing thing. The table stayed relatively clean, and not once did I have to wrestle anyone onto the changing table in the ladies room. Lately, Nick has been finishing his food more quickly than us lately. Then he tends to yell, "I all done!" until we let him get down. There was no rushing over this meal.

Instead, we lingered and concentrated on the food. We started with calamari, which is always one of my favorites. Greg actually ordered the same dish I had last time, while I decided to try something new: I ordered the free range lamb chops with bok choi and whipped sweet potatoes. I do think this was the best darned lamb I have ever tasted. . .

or perhaps it was just the peace and quiet that we enjoyed. Nah, it was the lamb. It was so tender and just perfectly seasoned. It was a lovely meal, but my favorite part was the dessert. I always want to order tiramisu at Italian restaurants. I adore it because it is creamy and flavorful, but not too sweet. This tiramisu was excellent. I wish I had some tonight.

Oh, and the presents? I think Greg and I both did a super job. I got him a gift certificate for us to take a couples cooking class at Flavour Cooking School in Forest Park. Sometime in the next month or two, we'll take a three hour class where we'll learn special techniques and learn to cook a very fancy dinner. The evening ends with a romantic meal where we'll get to eat what we made. Since Greg and I both love to cook, I figured it'd be nice to actually do something together. He's sure excited about going. Plus, it'll be another kid-free night out where we can enjoy our meal.

His present wasn't too shabby, either. I got a gift certificate for a 60 minute pregnancy massage at the Herrington Inn and Spa in Geneva. I'm torn as to when I should cash this one in. It would be so nice now, because I've been having some back pain, especially in my tailbone. But I know that if I wait a month or two, it'll be that much worse and I'll be glad I waited to get this massage. We'll see what I finally decide. Either way, I love this Valentine's Day gift!

Greg is usually pretty good at the romantic gifts, but this one was just perfect. I guess it proves he really was listening to me when I've been complaining about my aching back. That means a lot.  :)

I hope your Valentine's Day was as good as mine.

Wordless Wednesday: Christmas Post #3 (Chaos and Joy at Grandma Toni's House)

More Birthday Traditions and an Ice Cream Mess

In my husband's family, it is customary to take the birthday girl or boy out to dinner to celebrate. Hey, if you're getting another year older, you might as well have a nice meal, a naughty dessert, and some company for commiseration. They also do this for mother's and father's day, and for any special event that seems important enough to warrant a meal. I actually really like this tradition, because it means we get to go out to eat a lot. I've even started spreading this tradition around by taking my family members out to dinner to celebrate their bithdays.

My mother-in-law took us out to celebrate my birthday, which was very nice of her. I chose Meson Sabika, which is my all time favorite restaurant. Check out this picture, though. The waitress took it, so I guess I can't blame it on my bad photography skills. Sarah and Nick look great, but the rest of us are making some very interesting facial expressions. I do not like the way I'm squinting in this picture, but it's the only one we have with all of us in it. I'm not sure what type of face Greg was making, or whether it was intentional or not. I suppose it must be hard to get five people all smiling nicely at the same time.

One of the reasons I love Meson Sabika so much is the beautiful building and grounds. Nick enjoys throwing mulch into the koi ponds and attempting to go swimming. I love the gorgeous flowers and the historic building. Nick attempted to drink the oddly green water from the pretty fountain. Greg attempted to block him from doing so. . . Ah, such is an evening out as parents.

Here's another classic facial expression from my sexy husband.  : )

This time at Meson Sabika, the waitress asked us if Nick would like his own bowl of ice cream, and we actually agreed. (!) He ate almost all of it himself, with a spoon.  We were very proud. Then, when most of the ice cream was melted. . . Well, see for yourself what he did. Don't worry, we forgave him, even though Greg did have to strip him down to his diaper, because he got ice cream on all of his clothes. His little tummy and legs were very, very sticky.

Greg's Birthday Celebration

Today was Greg's 36th Birthday. It was a great day. We started out by having brunch at Meson Sabika this morning with Greg's dad and stepmom. It's funny how families have different birthday traditions. In Greg's family, there are cards but no actual presents, just a very nice meal. I like that tradition, especially when it involves tapas. Ever since I stayed in Spain for a month back in 2004, I've jumped at any chance to eat my favorite foods, like gambas al ajillo, and calamari a ala plancha, and champinones. (shrimp with garlic, grilled calamari, and stuffed mushrooms). We ate until we burst, and everything was delicious. Nick especially loved the fresh fruit, the shrimp, and the rice pudding. Oh, and he got a real kick out of the cup they gave him with the straw.

Ever since Nick was born, I've been using pictures of him to make my own cards for people. Basically, I take a picture of Nick and stick a hat and some props on him. It only takes a few minutes, and my family and friends really seem to appreciate a personalized card with a special message from Nick. There will come a point when he's old enough to forbid me to use his pictures in such a way. Not yet, though.  :)

Nick and I got Greg some new jeans, several very nice bottles of wine (A nice Pinot Noir and a few bottles of Australian Chardonnay), a new watch, and an ice cream cake. Can you see the excitement on both of their faces when they saw the ice cream cake?

I think Greg ended up with a pretty good birthday weekend. Friday, we went out with his mom and sister to Hugo's Frog Bar in Naperville. The food was superb, but they didn't seat us until 7:30 for a 7 pm reservation. Also, they didn't have a changing table. Of course, Nick had a dirty diaper. That's just Murphy's Law. Nick's Aunt Sarah and I were going to walk down to the Border's to change him, but Greg grabbed Nick and said he'd take care of it. I'm not sure what kind of miracle he finagled, but Nick got a clean diaper.

I think the funniest part of the day was when Nick got to demolish the ice cream cake. It was only a tiny piece, but boy, did he make a mess. Then daddy gave Nick a nice bubble bath, to get the chocolate out of his ears. Nice way to end a birthday celebration.

Wordless Wednesday

Christmas #3--Christmas Day with Grandma Toni and Aunt Sarah

On the third day of Christmas. . . Grandma Toni let us sleep late, and Greg slept until 9 a.m., which he hasn't done in years. I slept even later. That was the best present. Nick was clapping for the presents. All of the presents. :) Note to self: Next year, take a shower and get out of your pajamas before the whole picture taking/present opening thing. Oh, and put on some makeup.

Yay! A rotary-dial phone! Very retro. Nick actually really likes it; he was pulling it all around the house yesterday. I was trying to remember if even I had seen rotary dial phones before.

He kept pulling ornaments off of the tree. That and eating wrapping paper. We spent the whole day at Grandma Toni's, then set off for home, where more presents (from Santa, and mommy, and daddy) were waiting. I'm not sure why I look so surprised here--I'm the one who bought the book. I look more surprised than Nick! :)

Greg looks surprised, too, but I think he was surprised that Nick was opening the present himself. After 40 plus presents, he finally got the hang of it.