Whirlwind Week in Illinois

This past week we drove to Illinois to celebrate Christmas with our family.  It was easier than previous years because we were able to split up the celebrations so there was one day per family (both our parents are divorced which equates to FOUR Christmases).  In the past, everyone wanted to celebrate ON Christmas Eve or ON Christmas Day.  That meant splitting up the visits into 4 hours in the morning and 4 hours in the evening on both days.  Crazy.  

It's been three years since we were in our hometown.  It was Alex' high school graduation.  Aiden wasn't even a year old yet.  It was strange to see the area.  It has changed so much since we were there last.  Tons of new construction.  It was sort of like playing an old video game.  I had some muscle memory about how to get around, but I couldn't lay out a map of the area in my head.

I spent a couple days with my friend Chrissie, who I miss dearly.  We have been best friends since I was in 3rd grade (she was in 1st).  We both live busy lives filled with work, family and a social life, so we don't spend a lot of time talking on the phone.  What I love about her is we can go months without talking, but when we do find a moment when we are both free to chat it's like no time has past.  Neither of us holds a grudge against the other for being out of touch because we are in the same chaotic boat of life.  It's the same way when we see each other.  We can immediately talk to each other about anything.  No limitations, no judgement.  It's liberating, really.  I hate that we don't get to do that every weekend. 

Thursday night Travis and I left the kids with my dad and went out for dinner and drinks with Alex, his girlfriend Laura, Chrissie and her husband Jordan.  We had SO much fun.  We went to a Mongolian barbeque place called 301 Mongolia in downtown Champaign.  Its a stir fry buffet where you physically pick out what you want (rice vs noodles, veggies, meat, sauce) then hand it to the cook.  The server brings it out to you when you're done.  After dinner we walked down the block to a bar where we drank more wine and played pool.  We skipped over to a pub at some point and tried a few fancy beers.  We finished the night at some greasy diner.  Despite both of us having a terrible cold, we were able to really enjoy ourselves.  It was fabulous.

I will have to post separately about our drive there and back.  For now, here's the rest of the week in photos:

Aiden, Travis, Alex and Callaway played in what little snow they could find.

Grandpa Ken and Mila really hit it off.

Aiden showed everyone his new LeapPad from Gpa.

Gaga and Mila meet.

"Christmas" dinner at Dad's

All bundled up with places to go.

Aiden and his Uncle Sean were best buds.

Damn smokers (Travis is just faking)

Christmas at Gpa's - his place is tiny, but it's homey.

Chistmas at Grandma Carol's - great food and tons of grandchild spoiling.

Last Outing of the Break

This past Sunday we made plans to meet the Yeager's at the park.  I really wanted to get Aiden out of the house and I was feeling a little guilty that he hadn't had much of a chance to play with friends over my break.  I think he appreciated the afternoon out with Luke, even if it was a bit chilly (for Texas).

Aiden is getting more and more bold these days.  I still prefer a spotter for certain feats.

I'm super bummed that I can't get these photos to stay rotated after loading.  Sorry for the crick in your neck!

Zach and Luke (Aiden is learning adult's names now)

Static Head

Luke in a tube

Linsey and Kenley - feeding time!

After feeding the non-existent turtles in the pond (I'm pretty sure they were staying warm at the bottom of the water), we decided to go out for dinner.  We just happened to be near a Cracker Barrel, which I haven't been to in years.  Decades maybe.  I know it was while I was still in high school, could have been before that.  The only time I've ever been was with my friend's family for breakfast after I stayed the night at her house.  I'm pretty sure the last time I stayed the night at her house was Freshman year of high school.  I'd never been for dinner.  Of course, I had to reminisce with breakfast for dinner.  I'm a little ashamed to say I ate half of my plate and half of Aiden's.  Those grits really hit the spot!  Aiden's favorite meal is breakfast, so we ordered pancakes and bacon for him.  He went to town.

Man, that place is awesome.  I need to remember that place next time someone asks where I want to go to eat.

No Mess Friday

Friday evening, I left Aiden with Auntie Ariel and Uncle Robert for a couple hours after work so I could meet some co-workers for dinner. Travis and I are currently the poorest we have ever been in our entire lives (including our college years), so I had some serious guilt riding my shoulders. But! One of my friends at work who is a student just successfully defended his dissertation and a celebration was in order!

We went to a new restaurant in town called Brickhouse. This is a complete oxymoron, but it was like a classy Hooters. The decor was very sleek and modern. The menu and the servers are definitely aimed at folks of the male persuasion. The food, however, is fabulous. I shared a sandwich with a friend that was amazing. Both the sandwich and the friend. I will definitely go back.

I left the restaurant in time to get Aiden home for bed. As I pulled up in the driveway, I had a moment of excitement where I realized I would not have any animal messes to clean up. Travis had to work a little past 6:30, which meant he got home before us. I got inside and asked Travis what the damage was when he arrived. Nothing. He said NOTHING! The dog didn't tear anything up, the cats didn't poop or puke anywhere. NOT FAIR! The one day Travis had to do it and there was nothing for him to do!! Gah.

Anyhoo, this photo shows what he did to my plants the day he trampled everything. The aloe plant on the steps survived, no problems. The plan in the red pot were all but destroyed. To the left of that pot, you can see a piece of long white plastic. That was a long planter with flowers. I saved three of the plants from that and those in the red pot. They look horrific, without a single full leaf, but I'm giving them a chance. I have worked so hard on my plants this year that I couldn't bare to just throw them out. Besides, we can't afford to replace them at this point.

Logan's 4th

After Logan's T-ball game, we went back to the house. By this point, all the grandparents had arrived, so there was a full house. After about an hour of chatting, we got back on the road to go to Gatti Town. It is an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet (with spaghetti, salad and dessert, etc) with a huge arcade room.

The party started at noon, so we were all hungry by the time we got settled in. I made Aiden and I a plate and then Travis went to get his food. Apparently Aiden was just as hungry as the rest of us because he sat there and ate until we were all finished. I'm sure it helped that Scooby Doo was playing on a huge projector screen in the room.

After we ate, we migrated to the arcade. Aiden was enthralled with all the bright lights, Landry was in awe and Logan quickly ran from game to game, checking everything out.

We saw the largest crane game I've ever seen in my life. I'm pretty sure all the plush toys were larger than Aiden. Oh and all I could think was "the claaaaawwww".

Did you spot Aiden in the photo above? Haha! His favorite game, by far, was the mini bowling.

It was so cute! The lanes were shorter than normal, and the bowling balls were the size of a softball. Aiden kept wanted to throw the ball overhand down the lane. We quickly figured out that the best way was to have him sit down and push the ball. That seemed to eliminate the urge to throw. After the kids had spent some time in the game room, we headed back to the table for cupcakes and presents.

I came across this Lite Brite when I was overwhelmed in the toy aisles at Target. I know Logan is really into action figures, but I never wrote down which ones. So when I was at the store, I was worrying about getting something he already has, or getting the wrong one. In the end, I went for more traditional toys: Lite Brite and Playdoh!

The funny part about this Lite Brite, is that it is a "flat screen". It appears that everyone is going thin and light, even children. The one I had as a child was this huge thing with a back large enough to house an entire normal size light bulb. When I tried to look up a photo of the Lite Brite I had, it was considered vintage. What?! Ugh.

Aiden threw a fit when we left the game room for cake and presents, so Travis stayed in there with him while I went to watch Logan. Afterward, I went to find the rest of my family. I found Travis struggling in a photo booth with Aiden. He did not want to sit still AT ALL. The photo was HILARIOUS. I plan to scan it to show the world, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. We pushed our luck with all three of us in another photo booth. I promise to share as soon as I get them scanned.