July 13, 2010

• Vacation Update, Part 1

  Hello from Michigan! There's so much to write about that I almost decided to bury my head in the sand. Since my last entry, we've:

  • Successfully driven from California to Michigan with the boys
  • Spent a lovely week at the cottage, overlapping with Chris, Victoria and Maddy at the tail end of their vacation here
  • Celebrated both boys' birthdays
  • And, I've taken Jack on our special mother-son four-day weekend to Chicago.

  Whew! I decided it would be a shame not to document all this, even if it's a lot to cover. So that this doesn't become a monstrously long post that no one reads, I'm going to cover the road trip and our first few days at the cottage in this entry, and save the Chicago trip (which was this past weekend) for another entry. Most of you have probably seen the pictures on Facebook already, anyway!

  Road Trip

  So, the road trip went really well! We left the evening of July 1. We wanted to get to Las Vegas so that we could have a full day of driving on Friday (July 2) and not deal with LA traffic. Johnny had to work that day, so we left after dinnertime and rolled into Vegas a little before midnight. June was awesome and met up with us at our hotel (Embassy Suites, so that we could have the boys sleep in their own little living room, where they'd be less disturbed by us), along with Charles, Brian and Andrew, so that they could help us get our stuff up to the hotel room. Let me tell you: Spending just one night in a hotel room, when you have two small kids, entails a lot of gear! We had a cooler with us filled with drinks for the trip, so we lugged that up to the room each night to restock the ice (I also had some fresh fruit in the cooler that I cut up for us each night, to combat the unhealthy food we were eating on the road). Then there was Jack's inflatable twin-size travel bed, plus his pillow, nightlight and stuffed bear from home. Each of us had a duffel bag (the kids shared one) ... you get the idea. Here's a picture of how much stuff we brought up to the hotel room each night:

  Jack insisted on helping to push the luggage cart each morning

  

  But, you know, it was really helpful to have all the stuff -- it helped the kids settle into their sleep routines, even though we were in four different hotels on the trip. Even when we had a room (instead of a suite), and even though it was hours past their bedtimes, they fell and stayed asleep without much of a hitch.

  The kids, tuckered out in one of the hotels. Instead of lugging up our own pack-n-play, I borrowed a hotel from a crib each night. If a room had an extra bed, we had Jack sleep in that instead of on his inflatable bed (one less thing for us to set up)

   

  So, the lodging aspect of the trip went well. The driving part was pretty good, too. We split up our trip like this:

  • July 1: Drive from Torrance to Vegas
  • July 2: Vegas to Glenwood Springs, CO
  • July 3: Glenwood Springs, CO, to Omaha, NE (this was the tedious day ... it was about 12 hours of driving!)
  • July 4: Omaha, NE to Chicago (only about 8 hours ... felt like a breeze!), where we had dinner with Ann and Jared, then stayed at the Sheraton in Evanston
  • July 5: Evanston, IL to Frankfort, MI (such a fun day -- we spent the morning walking around Northwestern, reminiscing about our college days, then took the leisurely drive up to the cottage and arrived around 7 p.m.)

  Our typical day on the road had us getting up around 8 a.m. (the boys slept in until then, or even later, because of how late we rolled into the hotels), eating free breakfast at the hotel, loading up the car, and being on the road by 10 a.m. or a little before. It took some time to repack the trunk and set up Jack with his entertainment for the first leg of the trip. We would then stop for lunch, gas up if needed, then drive again until late afternoon, when we stopped for a snack (or gas) and a potty break. Then we'd drive until dinner, which took place at the boys' usual bedtimes (7 p.m.), then drive until we hit our destination. We usually switched drivers every 200 miles, and we alternated who took the first leg each day, so we ended up taking an equal number of legs. Each day was full of driving (with the exception of the last day), but it was fun -- I'm always awed by how big our country is, and the scenery changes as you drive from West to East. It kind of sucked losing time as we drove through the time zones, but we'll gain it back on the drive home.

  Derek was in what Johnny called "Oregon Trail mode" on the drive: We had expected him to be the more difficult child to deal with, since he doesn't have as many entertainment options, and is rear-facing. But, he was completely happy to nap, look out the window, eat from his Snack Trap (or more accurately, litter his car seat with snacks from the cup), gaze at Jack or just stare into space. He didn't fuss more than a handful of times. Jack was, as predicted, easy to entertain (the portable DVD player was a godsend, as was this collapsible play tray that strapped around his waist to hold puzzle pieces, toys, coloring books and snacks. The Leapster 2 that Ann lent us would have been a godsend, but, after all that prep, I FORGOT TO BRING IT! Johnny will bring it back with him for our return trip). However, the person in the passenger seat definitely had a more difficult job than the person driving, because that person had to reach back to retrieve items that Jack dropped. We did set up some ground rules with Jack beforehand so that he understood that the driver couldn't help him pick up toys, and that the passenger only had limited capacity to help. Jack had a couple of tantrums related to dropping things that we couldn't reach while driving, but time-outs in the car (where we'd ignore Jack for three minutes) really helped with those, and in general he behaved really well. In addition to his toys and stuff, Jack also made up stories along the way -- there was a particularly cute 20 minutes where he made up superheroes, and he and Johnny came up with what their powers might be. Here are some pictures from the trip.

  

  The kids enjoyed bathing together at each hotel

  

  We made the most out of our meal and snack stops!

   

  Oh, and a big accomplishment: Jack stayed dry across America! He's done really well on the potty-training front, but this was the ultimate test. We didn't stop that often, but Jack held it, and if he needed to go, he told us (there was one time that we had to stop on the side of windy, very busy highway). I was so proud! I can now definitely declare him potty-trained (during the day, anyway. He still wears a Pull-Up at night, but I don't care about that). For a three-year-old boy, I think he did really well.

  As I mentioned, the last evening of our trip, we met up with Ann and Jared in Chicago. I hadn't ever seen their condo, so we finally did that (it's beautiful!), and then they treated us to dinner at Leona's. It was so wonderful to get together with them -- Ann was literally in her last days of pregnancy (she just had a gorgeous daughter, Audrey, on July 12 ... Jack's birthday!). I hadn't seen Ann in years. It was high time! Unfortunately, in all the excitement, I only got one picture ... it's a cute one of Jared and Derek.

  Derek's usually shy around new people, especially men,but he reached out his arms for Jared immediately. So cute!

  

  The next day, we had breakfast at Clarke's, a restaurant we frequented in our college days. It was surreal to be back there with the boys!

   

  Afterward, we took a sentimental stroll around campus, taking pictures in front of the Delta Zeta house, the arch, the Rock, and the dorm where we met.

   

   

   

  

  It was so special to see Jack bounding along paths that Johnny and I used to walk every day. College felt like it was just yesterday -- shows just how fast time flies.

  Happy Birthday, Jack and Derek!

  We got to the cottage Monday evening and had three full days of overlap with Chris and Victoria, who had been there for almost two weeks already. They left Friday morning, so we had most of the week together (along with my in-laws). We made the most of that time. On Tuesday afternoon, we had a joint birthday party for Derek, Jack and my father-in-law, whose birthdays are July 5, July 12 and July 6, respectively. We had lunch, cupcakes and also did the "fate-grabbing" thing -- it's a fun Chinese tradition where, on a baby's first birthday, you set out a bunch of items in front of him, each symbolizing a career. Whichever one he grabs is what he'll be. Some of you may recall that Jack grabbed money. Let's see what Derek did!

  Getting ready to decide his destiny ...

     

  ... and he grabs the SPATULA! I have a celebrity chef on my hands!

  

  It was so cute. I'm kind of sad that that's the last time I'll get to experience that tradition. That is, until June has kids. Ha.

  Derek and Jack enjoyed the cupcakes. And, look at our family now!

   

  I can't believe Johnny and I are parents to a one-year-old and a three-year-old. They are amazing boys. Sometimes I'm sad that I missed out on a daughter, but then I feel blessed that I have two such wonderful kids, and I think that maybe God or whoever decides these things made Jack and Derek extra-great to make up for the no-girl thing.  I mean, they have their moments, and they definitely keep me on my toes, but the kids have brought us a lot of joy, and Johnny and I are enjoying parenthood -- it's a team effort! We are also extremely fortunate to have such supportive families. I don't know what I'd do without my mom so close by, and without my in-laws' yearly extended visits! Not everyone is lucky enough to have her mom come help out each day.

  Anyway, Jack and Derek have grown so much. Just look at this:

  Newborn Jack on the left, newborn Derek on the right

   

  Ah, and today they're both so big. Sniff, sniff. But, as nostalgic as I am sometimes for those baby days, I am definitely glad not to look like this anymore!

  Other Fun Times at the Cottage

  Aside from the birthday celebrations last week, we also went to the beach, ate a nice dinner out at the country club and just enjoyed quality time together.

  Jack in his beach gear; Derek (aka Water Baby -- he LOVES the water!) and Jack at the beach

   

  Dave, who's very beloved by Jack, patiently let Jack lead him around the beach; a family pic

  

  My in-laws gave the kids adorable batik print clothes from the Bahamas, and we tried (unsuccessfully) to get the cousins to all look at the camera at the same time.

  

  Just a couple of cute pictures:

   

  Last Thursday night, a family friend babysat while we six adults had a lovely dinner at the club.

  

  

  On Friday, I took Jack to Chicago (but will update about that in the next post). Johnny, my in-laws and Derek stayed at the cottage. Johnny left Sunday to fly back to LA (I miss him! But he'll be back in two weeks to spend a few days here and drive back with us), and I returned yesterday. Today, Jack had his first tot tennis lessons, I went for a refreshing run along the lake, and we all went to the beach again.

  Yes, Jack is picking his nose in that second picture

   

   

  

  The original intent had been to take Jack out in the kayak, but it was too choppy today. However, we did get some cute pictures of him in a lifejacket.

   

  OK, that's it for now. I'll try to update about Chicago tomorrow. And, I promise to make it around to my subs soon!

  • 11:12 pm
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