Laissez les bons temps rouler!

After struggling to keep my head above water last week (hence my absence here) . . . making it until the weekend was a true reason to celebrate.  Lucky for us, we also had the marriage of our friends, Laura and Jimmy (Laura is Bassam's nurse practitioner), to celebrate. So while my parents graciously kept the kids and Charlie, we were off to New Orleans for a few days.

I had never been before, so for me, it was a whole new experience.  We hit as many of the big tourist attractions as we could in 2 days . . . the World War II museum, beignets at Cafe du Monde,  a show at Preservation Hall, hurricanes at Pat O'Briens, Bourbon Street, Jackson Square and seeing floats built at Mardi Gras World.  We stayed right in the French Quarter so we were able to walk everywhere, which was good because we ate a lot of really delicious (and non-healthy) food. Not-so-fun fact, there are 527 calories in a 3 beignets serving of Cafe Du Monde Beignets.  Thankfully, I only ate two! 

All in all, a very fun weekend.  Very glad to be home, although a beignet sounds really good right now. 

Viva la Garth!

For once, my lag in blogging is a result of being to busy doing exciting things.  You know, not because I don't have anything to say or am just can't get around to sitting down to type something up.

You see, last Friday I took my very first trip to Las Vegas.  

Yes, it was Tammy and I for three days in Sin City, the Gambling Capital of the World and "What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas."   Why Las Vegas?  Neither of us gamble or drink more than on occasional glass of win, so it's not the girls trip you might expect.

Two words:  Garth Brooks

Of course, one might also wonder why we had to go all the way out to Nevada to see Garth, but apparently "politics" often keep some of the biggest stars in country music from performing right here in Music City.  #letthemsing   #Ihatepolitics 

But let me tell you, it was worth every mile because Garth was AMAZING!

Tammy scored some amazing seats right on the floor, so it was an event better experience.   The only bummer was we had tickets to the second of two shows that night, which meant it started at 10:30 pm.   Of course, the first show ran long, so by the time the emptied out the arena from that one and then got all of us in, the concert didn't start until 11:15.

 #earlybedtime  #noyawninginVegas

But the dark circles under my eyes were worth it, because he performed until 2:15 am.   3 solid hours of amazing, sing-a-long music!

Of course, we had two days to amuse ourselves before the concert, so we spent time in the spa, toured all the hotels, visited the fancy-schmancy stores, saw of Rock of Ages (omigosh---LOVE!!), ate at some fabulous restaurants and enjoyed some of the best people watching around.

#skirtsshouldcoveryourbutt  #whydoeseveryonesmoke  #kidsoutpastmidnight

Now that I've seen Vegas, I'm not sure I have the desire to go back.  Loud, hot and crowded is not really my scene.  But our trip was one I will NEVER forget.

And less you think we completely bypassed all the casinos, know that we both plunked $1 into a slot machine.  

And lost.

I guess what happens in Vegas really does stay in Las Vegas.

Fall Break!

I was a little tied up trying to free my son, hence my absence from the blog the last few days.

I'm sure him giving the "thumbs up" really shows how much he wants out, don't you think? 

We traveled to Virginia last Thursday afternoon to enjoy our Fall Break with the Clark family! We hadn't seen them since our trip to Washington, DC two summers ago, so catching up was long overdue!  We were so excited to see their new house (new to us, not new to them since they've been there over 4 years!) in Richmond, plus spend a couple days in Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown. 

Neither Bassam or I had been to Williamsburg in eons, so we enjoyed it as much as the kids.  There is so much to see!   Jamestown was even more exciting because in addition to visiting the Jamestown Settlement, we went to the actual Jamestown site.   Although the site had long thought to be in the James River, in the mid 1990's archeologists discovered evidence of the actual James Fort underground along the river.    So in addition to having one of the best tour guides EVER give us a tour of Jamestown, they were hosting a special Archeology Day and we also got a tour from one of the archeologists at the site who took us all around the grounds, telling us what they had found where. We even got to peek down in to an active dig site. 

Needless to say, everyone's inner geek came out! I highly recommend this website if you want to learn more. It is incredibly fascinating!

It was a great long weekend, spent doing fun things with amazing friends.  What more could you ask for?

Hello, Dolly!

As I mentioned earlier this week, my kids enjoyed a long weekend with my parents in Pigeon Forge this past weekend.   Matt and Gracie had a BALL and have been talking about it NON STOP since they got home.  Yes, non-stop.  Bassam and I had bounced around the idea of Dollywood in the past, but it never came to pass.   

And this is Tennessee.  We love all things Dolly.   Based on the pictures my mom sent, it seems she was the official photographer and my dad was on "ride duty" with the kids.  

Gus even did the roller coasters with daredevil Matt, ignoring my advice to wait in line with him and then step through the ride car to meet him afterwards.  Matthew loved very single ride (and described them in intricate detail).  I'm not sure my dad was quite as enthused, but he gets a gold star (or ten) for being such a good sport.

The second day was spent at WonderWorks.   I think this was the highlight for all four of them.   Honestly, I want to go there after hearing about it. . . . rock climbing, ropes courses and more all in an upside down building?!?  So fun!

 

They also spent lots of time in the hotel  pool, which included a lazy river and slides, plus they did dinner at the Dixie Stampede.    If it hadn't happened yet, I'm fairly certain after a weekend in Pigeon Forge, my parents have been fully indoctrinated to the South. 

 

I love that my kids have gotten to have so many adventures with my parents.  Those are such special memories that the kids will carry with them always.    I've said it here before, nothing about traveling with kids is relaxing, especially sharing one hotel room with kids who snore, talk and laugh in their sleep.  Yet, my parents seem to do it with ease. . . . maybe because they know in a few short days they will be dropping them back with us.

 

Thanks, Mom and Dad.

I'm goin' to Graceland . . . .

Paul Simon wrote about it back in 1986, but it took me another 28 years (almost 11 of which were spent living in Tennessee) to get there myself.



 

The kids were spending the weekend with GG and Gus in Pigeon Forge (more on that another day), in place of what was formerly known as "Camp GG and Gus."  Now that my parents are living in TN, the week of Chicago adventures is no more . . .but they were up for a road trip, so off they went. 

A couple days kid-free, Bassam and I decided to have our own road trip, although ours was just a quick overnighter to Memphis.   And let me tell you, Graceland is everything I thought it would be . . . a tacky time-warp of mirrored walls and shag carpet.   And you know what?  I loved it!

I'm not going to lie.   Bassam was not thrilled by my suggestion of Memphis.  He's seen Graceland (and admittedly, you only need to see it once), but when planning process moved to where we might eat and we talked about ribs at the world-famous Rendezvous, he came around.

The Rendezevous was also everything I thought it would be. . . . a bit of a dive, packed with locals and tourists alike and serving up AMAZING ribs.  Even Prices William and Harry ate there when they were in town earlier this year.  It's a thing.

We stayed at the Peabody Hotel, which is southern institution. Built in the 1920's, it is a grand old hotel AND it has ducks.   Since the 1930's, the Peabody has had 5 ducks who swim in their lobby fountain (obviously, different ducks now than back in the 30's!).  At 5 pm, the ducks march, yes, MARCH from the fountain through the lobby to the elevator and ride up to the roof to the $200,000 Duck Palace.    Then at 11 am, they march down to the lobby and take their place in the fountain and the start the day over again.  We should all be so lucky to only work from 11 to 5.  The Duck Palace is a 24 by 12 foot enclosure with granite flooring, ceiling fans, and a fountain decorated with a pair of bronze ducks.   Pretty good living for 5 ducks in Memphis.

The rooftop "Duck Palace"

The march of the ducks is a huge to-do!  People start scoring places to sit in the lobby well before 4 o'clock, which undoubtedly means lots of customers like us at the bar!   The whole thing only lasts a few minutes, but it was worth it.  Besides, when in Rome . . . .

 

We didn't get to cruise Beale Street, because shortly after dinner the skies opened up and it stormed all night long, in fact it was still pouring when we left at 8 am!    Despite that, we had a great time.  Not sure we'll be back any time soon, but now I can say I've seen Graceland!

 

 

You stay classy, San Diego!

We are home from our Spring Break getaway in beautiful San Diego, California!  

We rolled in to Nashvegas around 2 pm this afternoon.  Since then, I've done 4 loads of laundry, downloaded 400 pictures and tried to keep the house from looking like the tornado ran through it, leaving souvenirs  and other whatnot strewn in it's path.

It hasn't been easy.

It was the first trip to San Diego for all of us.  I don't know about you, but a place that gets 12 inches of rain  A YEAR and boasts sunny days and temperatures in the mid 70's is my kinda place.  And hello . . .I have never been to a beach where you weren't dealing with the issues of crazy humidity and the toil it takes on your hair (girls, you know what I'm talking about!).

We had four full days in Cali and didn't waste a moment. We hit the San Diego Zoo, the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier, LEGOLAND, Old Town, the San Diego Zoo Safari, and SeaWorld.  We dipped our toes in the Pacific (water is too cold to swim, but the hotel pool was a lovely 78 degrees!), we ate seafood and lots of Mexican!

Our traveling was seamless, we even got to pre-board because of my knee brace.   I was able to sit in the front row both ways, which gave some extra leg room.  And you know you can stream free TV on your phone or iPad on Southwest courtesy of DISH these days?   Sure, I'll be getting emails from DISH until the end of the time, but I watched 2 hours of Long Island Medium on the way to California which was a nice distraction from the dude who sat across from me and coughed, snorted snot and grunted for the entire 4 hours. 

And let's be honest, that Long Island Medium pulls at the heartstrings.  I'm not gonna lie. . . . I teared up several times. 

Speaking of the knee (which I was prior to the digression on the guy with the mucous issues and reality shows about mediums), I managed pretty well, although there was definitely no down time, which is what my orthopedist said I really needed. According to my FitBit, we walked between 7-9 miles each day . . .and who knew San Diego was so hilly?  Not me!   Admittedly, nights were not super restful. We stayed in a Sheraton, which while they had very comfy beds and pillows, the beds were noisy. I guess it was the bedding, but anytime anyone turned over, it sure made a whole lot of noise.  Plus, both kids are sleep-talkers/yellers/singers, which makes for some interesting (and entertaining) middle-of-the-night wake up calls.

Moral of the story?  We need a condo or a suite.   The single hotel room thing isn't cutting it, at least not for more than a night or two.

Lack of sleep and sore knees aside, this was an amazing trip.  We all had a ball and made so many great memories as a family. 

From Nashville to Chicago and back again . . . .

The kids and I are back at home after a wonderful, adventure-filled week in Illinois.   Bassam had to miss this trip as he worked all week and is on call the entire Thanksgiving weekend.  Poor guy.  I think we had been in the house exactly 30 minutes tonight before he had to get in the car and go back to work.

Luckily he made back in time to chef up some yummy salmon for dinner.  I'm not going to lie, I wasn't much in the mood for cooking, but was even the less in the mood for going out.   8 hours in the car kind of takes it out of you.

Which is precisely why I would never make it as a truck driver, cab driver or the driver of the Google maps car.

I was almost tempted to get in the car after checking my email and seeing that everything at the Gap was 50% off for Black Friday, but instead I sat on the couch with the iPad and ordered online.  

Life is good.

Here's a quick recap of adventures our adventures in Chicago . . . . .

We arrived on Sunday night.  We ate dinner and I think I went to sleep shortly thereafter.  Exhausted. See comments above about careers I will not be pursuing.

On Monday morning we were up early and drove downtown with the masses.  However, while they headed to work, we had something more fun on the agenda.   My mom, Gracie and I went to American Girl on Michigan Avenue.  Despite thinking we were "One and done" with dolls, it's really the only thing Gracie wants for Christmas,so I caved and she picked out Kit Kittredge doll.    And maybe a few other things.

Two and through!    That's it!

We also enjoyed a delicious and froofy lunch in the American Girl dining room.  I've said it before, these people don't miss a trick.  Everything is beautiful and no detail is overlooked!

 

While I was emptying my wallet, my dad and Matthew headed over to the Adler Planetarium.  No pictures of that outing but Matthew tells me it was an awesome "guys' day" and I think he rather enjoyed choosing what they would see and when.   The Planetarium's cafeteria is the best of all the museums (think Panini's made to order instead of cafeteria hamburgers!) and the dining room is windows all around overlooking Lake Michigan.

Monday night I was able to catch up with my high school pals at Betsy's house.  Good wine, good friends and yummy lasagna.  What could be better? 

On Tuesday we were off to LEGOLAND in Schaumburg.  The kids had been a couple times before, but I was a newbie!  Wow!  It does not disappoint.  Despite there being scads of buses of kids visiting on a field trip (Seriously!??!   I'm fairly certain I NEVER went on a field trip like that!), we were easily able to see and do everything we wanted!   That place is impressive--and I'm fairly certain, also a gold mine!

When we returned from our daily adventures, the kids got really in to playing cards.  They aren't quite the card shark I was at that age playing euchre, rummy  and 500 with my cousins and grandparents, but there were some ultra competitive games of go-fish and crazy 8's. 

On Wednesday, Gus, the kids and I gave GG some Thanksgiving-prep time and took the kids to Bass Pro Shop for some fun in their holiday kids area.   Not only did they have fun with the guns, bows and arrows and remote control cards and monster trucks (nothing says Christmas like that, right?!?), but we bought a Christmas present for Bassam while we were there.   And no, it's not camouflage or a weapon of any kind!

Afterwards we went to IKEA and cruised around there for an hour or so AND had lunch.  Can't beat IKEA's Swedish meatballs!

Later on Wednesday, the kids headed out with Aunt Amy for their traditional trip to Enchanted Castle and dinner at Omega.  They apparently won thousands of tickets and came home with loads of plastic trinkets and candy, half of the former can undoubtedly be found under the seats of my car!

Thursday was Thanksgiving!   So much to be thankful this year!  My mom made a wonderful feast and we were joined by Amy, my Uncle Harry and cousins Erik and Alicia.  It was the first Thanksgiving without my Aunt Jeanine. She was definitely missed, but I'm sure she was watching down on us and smiling.

So that was my week in a nutshell. We are now home and are admittedly, happy to be back in the more temperate winter Nashville climate.   There are still bags to be unpacked,  mail to be sorted (I don't think Bassam opened anything while I was gone)  and Christmas presents to put away . . .but we'll get it all done. . . .eventually!

No glow

It's official, the post-vacation glow is gone.

If I had to guess, I'd say it's probably somewhere in my mini-van, but that's only because I've spent a lot of time in it lately.

On Saturday morning, B and I got up and started on our trek to fetch the kids from "Camp GG and Gus."   Our first stop was Champaign, IL.  We rolled in to town around 3 pm.  I dragged Bassam on a nostalgia tour of my college days, snapping pictures of this, that and the other before stopping the bookstore to update the family's collection of Illini gear. 

Lucky we came when we did.   Alma Mater over here on the left is being taken down soon.  Unlike Joe Paterno's statue, this lovely lady is being restored but will be back on campus for graduation in May.  I would have been bummed had I popped over for a photo op and she was missing.

The old homestead looked the same.  I spent all 4 years at Illinois living in ISR.   2 years in 609 and 2 years in 213.  I'm fairly certain the room looks exactly the same as they did when I left in 1995, which is nice because when I lived there it looked exactly the same as it did when my Aunt Jane lived there 30 years earlier. 

Bassam was less than thrilled with this photo op.   Fellow Illini will recognize the Morrow Plots, which is the oldest experimental field established back in 1876.  It's on the National Registry of Historic Places and because of it, our undergraduate library is located underground, because as the song goes, "you can't throw shade on the corn."   Regardless, given my husband's obsession with corn futures (fed by my father, might I add), I felt it was appropriate that we snap this picture.

At dinner time we hooked up with my dear friend, Kendra who I met working in the news department at the radio station way back in 1991. Since Kendra works for UIUC, we did some more touring of campus after dinner and a stroll through downtown Champaign, which is far less dingy and much more hip than it was when I left college.    We finished the evening off at one of my favorite places, Jarling's Custard Cup.  And who should I run in to but my cousin, Don (who only the day before had returned from a 16 month deployment in Saudi Arabia) and his family!  A wonderful, small world!

The next morning, we were off to fabulous El Paso, Illinois for the Gustafson family reunion.   While I was bummed by the absence of many of my cousins, I was thrilled to be reunited with Matthew and Gracie and see my parents, aunts, uncles and other relatives.  The kids were talking a mile a minute about all the things they had done with GG and Gus and then were off to play with the gaggle of second cousins who were there.  I love how they only see each other once a year at the most, but pick up like old friends when they are together. 

Unfortunately for us, it was to be a short visit since we decided we would need to hit the road by 2:00, since we were driving all the way back to Tennessee that afternoon/evening.  Of course 2:00 turned in to 2:35, but thanks to a single stop for gas and food and no traffic/construction, we got home shortly after 9.   Still, it was a looooong day.

Today, we resumed our somewhat chaotic schedule.  I made it to 4:45 bootcamp.  Bassam was back to work.   The contractors arrived at 8 am.  And the kids headed off to Encore (an enrichment camp at their school) for the day, only after showing off each and every souvenir and trinket they got in Chicago (Seriously, Mom and Dad . . .is there a gift shop they DIDN'T go in!??)  and leaving them around the family room.  Then after school, we headed over to B's parents to see Lina and the boys who are in for the week.

And maybe with all that, you'll understand why the vacation glow is gone.

Gone, but not forgotten.

Grand Cayman Island

Have you missed me?

It has been a crazy 5 or 6 days, which will undoubtedly be followed by another 10 crazy days. 

But no complaints, crazy can be good.   

Last Sunday, I met my parents up in Indianapolis for the kids annual vacation at "Camp GG and Gus."  It's one week of non-stop activity that only be accomplished in a city (and it's outskirts) as great as Chicago with grandparents who are as energy-filled (and slightly crazy) as mine.

Safe to say, they are having a FABULOUS time.  

But B and I were having a pretty good time, too.   Bassam was able to snag a great deal on a 3 night getaway to the Cayman Islands.   This was my first time using my passport (my only other time leaving the country was a high school band trip to Canada and our honeymoon to Mexico, which was pre-9/11 when passports weren't required to cross the border), which was kind of exciting and Grand Cayman Island did not disappoint.  It was beautiful, the weather was amazing, the people were nice and the food was yummy.  What more could you ask for? 

We were able to talk to the kids each day, but kept our conversations quick since calls ran us $1.99 a minute.  I don't look forward to the phone bill, but it was worth it.  I missed being with them and loved hearing about their adventures.  We talked to them last night on our way home while on layover in Miami.  I was glad to be back in the U.S. because Matthew decided to give me a play-by-play description of what happened on the Wheel of Fortune that night.

Oh, Pat and Vanna . . . how he has missed you.

Enjoying the benefits of coconut water!

While in the Caymans we went kayaking, snorkeling and my favorite, paddle boarding, which we did three times.  I would love to show you loads photos from some of these activities, but our camera (we brought our old point and shoot) mysteriously stopped working on our first full day there.  UGH!!   Admittedly, the camera has no place at some of those water activities and pictures never seem to capture the beauty of a beautiful beach and water as clear as a swimming pool . . . but it would have been nice to try. I have a few before the camera debacle (although we are currently having major problems getting them off the memory card) and a handful I took on my iPhone.  Better than nothing.

Traveling home last night was a bit of an adventure.  As if the whole passport control, customs and transferring your luggage wasn't hassle enough, our flight to Nashville was diverted to Huntsville due to severe thunderstorms at home.   We never deplaned in Huntsville, but sat on the runway for close to 90 minutes before getting back in the air and waiting for a small clearing in the storm to land in Nashville.   All of this occurred while sitting directly behind the three loudest people in America who talked non-stop.   Safe to say, when we arrived home shortly after 1 am, we were simply exhausted.   

But there was no long rest for the weary, our contractor arrived at the house at 8 am sharp to talk about the kitchen.

But that is a post for another day.



K-State girls in The D!

My Southern friends find a lot of humor the fact that in the middle of January I willingly travel to the cold state of Michigan for FUN!

And while it was very cold, it was very, very, very fun!

Amy, Dana and I have been doing these annual shopping weekends since about a year or so after we finished graduate school.  Yeah, that's a long time!    Every year, we rotate the location to one of our houses---which if you think about it, just with my various moves put us in 3 different states.  Then add Kansas and Michigan to the mix -- plus a couple different houses in each of those states for Amy and Dana, and it's never the same adventure twice.

Amy and I flew in to Detroit on Thursday night and spent the next two and a half days talking, eating, drinking and of course, shopping.  We started on Friday  in Milford, MI, where Dana's sister has an awesome shop called HOOT and wrapped up on Sunday afternoon at Home Goods.  In between?   Two huge outlet malls, a trip to Kohls, TJ Maxx  and a handful of small boutique stores.   

Going up, I brought my small suitcase packed with my clothes and toiletries and packed that inside my large suitcase.   Needless to say, I returned home with both bags full!   Although I bought less than in previous years, I definitely snagged some amazing deals, especially on clothes for the kiddos for next year.  But have no fear, there were also plenty of goodies for me, too (and a few for Bassam).  

Now I'm back home, enjoying a day to catch up with the kiddos who are off for MLK Day (incidentally, they were home for a Faux Snow Day on Friday, much to Bassam's chagrin).   I'm missing my friends already, but looking forward to heading to Kansas in 2013!

Did someone say SNOW?

Kids all over town are excited. . . anxiously awaiting the day, the moment . . . when a phone call comes from Williamson County Schools Communication Director, Carol Birdsong.

Yes, the word "SNOW" has entered the forecast in Middle Tennessee.

If you listen a few moments longer, you will also hear the high today is 46 degree and while the temperature will drop through the afternoon, there is no expectation of accumulation.    Wet mess?   Very possibly.   Crappy traffic?   Definitely.  Folks can't even drive in rain down here.   But canceling school and spending the afternoon sledding?    Not a chance.    But it doesn't matter.    We hear the word "snow" down here and immediately everyone runs out to the grocery to stock up on milk, bread and adult beverages.

Not necessarily in that order.

It also doesn't matter that on the typical snow day, you will find every single museum, movie theater and mall slap-packed with parents and kids. See, you can get to those places . . . just not the grocery store for milk, bread and adult beverages.

Of course, as I am traveling tonight, seeing this snow finally roll in across several parts of the country is not good news. Anything that potentially hinders my travel plans or makes this already nervous traveler, a little more nervous is a BAD thing.

Plus I really don't like cold weather anymore.   12 years of Southern living will do that to you.   Occasional snow days are fun (or as they generally are down here, faux snow days -- 2 inches or less), but constant cold temperatures and snow that sticks around so long that the piles in parking lots turn grayish-black are not.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY and musings from the reunion . . . .

First and foremost, happy birthday to this guy!

Yeah, it's Bassam's birthday and he is 39 today.  And really, he's 39.   He's not one of those people who refuses to turn 40.    At least I don't think so.  Check in with me a year from now and we'll know for sure.

I flew back in to Nashville this morning after a whirlwind trip to Illinois for my 20th high school reunion.   A smaller crowd gathered for this one, but we really did have a great time.    The gathering was held aboard the Spirit of Chicago and we got to enjoy the Saturday night fireworks in Chicago. 

Bassam and the kids stayed behind in Tennessee while I flew up and and then headed to the reunion with Heather and Beth, who were also going solo.  Actually, it seemed like a decent amount of our classmates came sans spouse.    Between the timing right before school (at least for who has moved South of Illinois), the cost of travel  and the reunion, and the boredom I'm sure some husbands and wives feel if they aren't from the same school . . . . it's probably not surprising it was the case. 

On the whole, the class of 1991 is looking good.   The consensus was that the girls mostly looked the same (if not better, of course!  Ha ha!), where the guys had changed more.   Hair (or lack thereof) played a big part in that opinion, I think.   I was especially thrilled to see my old friends Shweta, who I have known since the 5th grade (but hadn't seen since I was pregnant with Matthew!) and Karl, who I have known since 2nd grade and we were in youth group together at church. 

Safe to say, I was far from well-rested this morning when we left for the airport at 7 am.   But was glad to be back in Nashville to be with my kids for this last weekend before school starts and Bassam's birthday!

By the way, my right ear won't pop--despite having been off the airplane for 5 hours.    I've tried drinking, chewing gum, Sudafed, blowing my nose---all to no avail.   Suggestions?

Tales from Illinois . . . .

Tonight, we are all back under one roof.   The kids have entertained us with non-stop stories about their Illinois adventures (some of which make more sense than others).   I love that they had such a great time and got to do so many fun things.   In just 5 days they managed to make trips to the Adler Planetarium, Field Museum, DuPage Children's Museum, Morton Arboretum, MagiQuest, Broookfield Zoo and Enchanted Castle, plus took in the DG July 4th parade and multiple trips to the park.   My kids are worn out --so I can only  imagine how my parents are feeling.  Safe to say, all four of them will probably sleep well tonight (and hopefully past 6 am tomorrow!).

I unpacked their bags as soon as we got home (my attempt to ensure the clean rooms stay that way) and had two observations:

1.  My mom is awesome and sent home all of their clothes, minus the PJs they wore last night, CLEAN!!    Whoo hoo!
2.  I don't think my kids missed a single gift shop the whole week.   Seriously.  They could practically open their own souvenir shop with all the loot they brought home. 

Other things I learned . . . .

Matthew would like to be a contestant on Wheel of Fortune when he grows up. Apparently GG and Gus "watch it every night" and he thinks it's awesome.    Before he left, he told me he wanted to go to Harvard.  Now he wants to be on the Wheel?!   Pat and Vanna, what have you done to my son? 

My kids conned GG and Gus in to thinking I let them chew gum.    I am surprised, because they aren't usually easily tricked, plus I have documented my no-gum policy here on this blog.  And as I look back to that entry, I realize I didn't even mention my big fear of gum in the hair.    I had to get a couple of unfortunately "haircuts" due to that very problem, and don't wish it for my kids either.   Since they  successfully chewed gum (read:  they didn't swallow it) in Illinois and are enamored with Aunt Amy's huge bubble blowing talent, they are gunning for more gum.   Truth be told, I don't actually have a problem with the occasional piece of gum, but just in case a swallowed piece of gum does stay in your stomach for 7 years, we're not going to make a habit of it. 

Finally, Gracie's slow poke habits at the kitchen table seem to be a home -specific problem.    Apparently she gulped down her milk lickety-split every morning at my parents and pretty much ate everything she was served.  While I am very pleased by that (because we have stressed the importance of good manners at other people's houses, especially during meals), I'm really hoping (but not particularly hopeful) that it will carry over to home.   I guess I'll know tomorrow when I pour her a glass of milk, right? 

Thank you, Mom and Dad, for giving the kids such an amazing week! 

On the road again . . .

I'm back!

Just returned from a little road trip to Central Illinois last night.   My beautiful cousin, Angela, was married near Bloomington, IL on Saturday and we drove up on Friday to join in the festivities.  I'm so glad we were able to go.   Not only was it a wonderful  wedding, but it was awesome to see so many of my aunts, uncles and cousins.  You have to take advantage of these happy times to gather, you know?

It usually takes me 7.5 hours to get to my parents house, so I was thoroughly disappointed to find it takes 6.5 hours to get to Bloomington.  Really.  Seems to me there should have been about a 2 hour difference, since that's how long it takes to get from Bloomington to my parents.    But alas, that's not quite how it works.  The kids were complete troopers on the trip up.  Since we ate before we started and I packed a slew of snacks, were were able to get up there with just one stop.  They read, played their video games and watched a slew of videos.  Bassam was behind the wheel and I was probably the antsiest one in the car.  Somehow it goes much faster for me when I'm the driver.   I swear, I was checking the GPS every fifteen minutes to check our progress. 

We arrived in Bloomington around 6:30, checked in the hotel and headed out to dinner (pizza at Monicals . . . yum yum yum!).  We also had a to make a stop at Target.     Shortly after we got on the road, Gracie realized she forgot Baa Baa.   She had gathered him with all her stuff, but somehow didn't make it out to the car.    Safe to say, this opened a floodgate of tears.  This went on for a good 15 minutes, before I was able to calm her down by telling her  we would stop at a store and get her a new cuddly when we got to Bloomington.   This thrilled her because Bassam has told her no more stuffed animals, and she has never met one she didn't love.   But of course, Baa Baa is her first love.  I don't think she has ever spent a night without him.   She lamented his absence several times during our trip, but we reminded her Baa Baa was watching over the house since Charlie was away at "camp" (aka the kennel).    Anyways, we purchased a new horse who has since been named Beezus and were able to settle in to sleep at the hotel. 

Well, kind of. 

My kids love hotels.   But as a parent, I find them completely un-restful.  Since we were in a regular room, we basically had to go to bed when the kids did.  And since there is clearly some kind of hyper-activity gas being pumped in through the vents at hotels, my kids have a very difficult time going to sleep.  They bounce, they giggle, they toss and turn.    And no matter how late he goes to sleep, Matthew is awake at 5:45 am, which means we're ALL awake at 5:45 am.  Nice.

After breakfast, we took the kids swimming and then off to the Children's Museum in downtown Normal (just a block away from our hotel) with my parents.    It was an AWESOME museum.   The kids had a ball and we were able to spend a couple hours there with no problem.  The admission is a bargain at $6 (although my cousin gave us coupons that let us get in for $5), and my parents and the kids were free because they used their membership card from the DuPage Childrens' Museum, which has a reciprocal agreement.

Before you knew it, it was time to get ready for the wedding and then the reception.   This would be a great place to show the scads of pictures I took at the wedding, but alas, I was the person who hauled her camera to the wedding and took a grand total of 4 pictures. Hmmmm . . . not so helpful. I will say that my cousin was a gorgeous bride, the ceremony took place in the very old and beautiful Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Rutland, IL (my dad's church growing up) and the reception was a fun-filled evening of food, dancing and elements from the periodic table.

Yes, you read that right.

Angela and Erick are both scientist-types and when you picked up your seating card, it had an element listed on it to indicate your table.  So clever! I was at the Lithium table, which I thought was cute until Bassam reminded me it was also a medication for people with bi-polar disorder! :)

It was definitely a late night and my kids were on borrowed time.  Still they had a great time, especially Matthew, who fancies himself quite the dancer.   They immediately bonded with their cousins and were running around with Henry, Oliver, AJ and Ethan like old friends.  As I watched them dance and play I realized that's how Amy, Theresa, Paul and I must have looked years earlier when all my Aunt Carol's kids were getting married.

Matthew gave us an early wake up call again on Sunday, so we got dressed, finished packing and had breakfast with my parents.   By 8:00, we were on the road headed back to Nashville.    Unfortunately, the trip home was even longer, as we had to take an out-of-the-way detour to Fairview, TN to pick up a very happy Charlie. 

By 4:00, were were home.  Bassam and the kids were over at the Brown's house (keg and trampoline, respectively) and I was throwing in laundry.  

Yes, things are back to normal.

Space . . .the final frontier.

Still livin' it up in Chicago while Bassam toils away back home.   I think he just wrapped up what is probably the worst  10 days of his job ever.   No need for a long story, but I can sum it up by saying he was the ONLY guy in town last week from his group at Centennial, the pager gave him (and me, for that matter!) no rest and then when he was due to get off call this weekend they guy who was scheduled to take over died.

Yes, died.   Stunk for Bassam because it meant three more nights of call -- but worse because a very nice man died way too young.

In much happier news, we headed downtown today to visit the Adler Planetarium which is Matthew's very favorite place to visit in Chicago.  We sat in on a cool 3D presentation towards the end where Matthew asked questions about the New Horizon space probe, which impressed the Adler staff member giving the talk.  We were planning to head over to the Field afterward, but my mom took a little tumble (ouch!) so we decided to cut our losses and head back to suburbia.  The kids and I hit the park, which was great because today was the nicest weather we're to have here. 

As for me, I'm headed out with the girls tonight which I am soooooo excited about! :) 

Chicken, m'lady?

GG and Gus took the kids and I to Medieval Times today.   So much fun!  I have a vague recollection of going to a similar place during our high school band trip to Florida (can anyone out there remember?), but strangely I more remember what I was wearing (peach leggings and an abstract printed top that my mom brought me from Arizona) than the actual show.  I know, be very scared (both of the outfit and my memory!) . . . it was 1988.

But anyway, Medieval Times was a blast. We were assigned to cheer for the green knight, who was kicking butt, until he ultimately lost to the red knight.  Boo!   He threw Gracie a red carnation at one point in the show, at which point she informed me that if he wasn't married, that she would like to marry him. 

Dinner was yummy  . . . . you know, except for the fact that you don't get silverware!   Soup (drank out of a bowl), garlic bread, chicken, spare ribs, potatoes and apple turnovers.   Our server gave them funky names (i.e., dragon's blood for tomato basil soup), which Matthew thought was hysterical!  The only bummer?  Medieval Times is a Pepsi place!

Top 10

So, a lot has happened since I last blogged in earnest. I could write pages, but for the sake of my kids who I promised to pull out the bubble machine for at 2:30, I'm going to aim for a Top 10 list of sorts (I may only get to 8 . . . or go to 12 . . . who knows?).

1. Bassam started a new job on April 1st. Kind of. He is still with the Surgical Clinic, so that hasn't changed, but will be operating primarily at Centennial Hospital. He loved Skyline and the partner in that office (Greg), but there just wasn't enough work. Centennial is much busier and he is working as a Surgicalist, which means he takes all surgical patients that come in through the ER from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. So far so good!

2. Yes, Bassam is back on chocolate and Coke. Some people use their Lenten sacrfices to make long term changes. He is not among them. Neither am I. I just snarfed up some Easter candy. Yum.

3. Matthew, Gracie and I traveled to Chicago for Easter. We drove. Yes, I'm serious. I willingly drove 8 hours by myself with the kids. I rotted their brains with lots of videos and tried to balance it out with all kinds of educational games, cards, etc. Matthew actually preferred the latter. Gracie will take a video and a snack any day.

4. As we stayed in Illinois through Thursday, we were able to do lots of cool things. Highlights included the Brookfield Zoo, Adler Planetarium, a trip to Enchanted Castle with Aunt Amy, a shopping excursion at IKEA (kids are nuts about their play area), playtime in the park, flying kites, walking to Oberweiss for ice cream after dinner and more. It was so much fun ---but also exhausting.

5. The benefit of driving to Illinois? The Zapppos.com outlet in Shepherdsville, KY. A nice place to get out and stretch your legs---and stock up on some wickedly marked down footwear! Love it!

6. Oh, I forgot to mention we ate PORTILLOS! Yum. Yum. Yummy!

7. Also got to catch up with some of my best girls, Betsy, Beth, Mindy and Kim for dinner! Forgot to bring my camera, but had such a fab time! Got to meet Betsy's main squeeze, Mike! I miss my girlfriends soooo much!

8. Had an embarrassing experience of my oh-so-cute camo skirt from GAP tearing up the back while I was shopping in Nordstrom prior to this dinner. Yes, I'm serious! Didn't even tear on the seam. Clearly it was defective as my butt is not that big (and it was only my second wear). After dashing in to Ann Taylor Loft to purchase some not-on-sale shorts (I was meeting my friends afterwards and was DESPERATE), I hopped down to the GAP in Oakbrook, where they promptly found another one in a store in Chicago Ridge. Shipped and it was waiting on my doorstep when I got home yesterday. Thank you, Gap!

9. Returned home on our 10th wedding anniversary. I seriously cannot believe it's been that long! Our big anniversary dinner included subs at Lenny's and frozen yogurt. I know, not very exciting. We're going out this weekend and taking vacay together this summer! Can't wait!

10. Today was spent running, doing laundry, giving the dog a bath and playing outside. The weather is absolutely fabulous!

Having said that, it is now 2:28 and the bubbles are awaiting . . . . .

Well Toto, I guess we're not in Kansas anymore . . . .

Glad to be back from my trip! Purchases have been showed off and shared, suitcases put away and now it's the sometimes difficult task of getting "back to reality."

Alas, there is a quick trip to the Y, Publix and Old Navy (want to exchange a coat for Bassam if I can) on the agenda. Then I promised the rest of the day would be a "play day" for Matthew and Gracie. They were so cute in the airport running up to me with big hugs. I felt very loved! Plus I was sooooo glad to have some extra hands to help with my bags!! I was welcomed home with new artwork created by Matthew and Gracie, a relatively clean house (yeah Bassam!) and quite a bit of laundry (not so excited about that, but it has been 4 days, I suppose!).

Having said all that, I'm already missing Dana and Amy! We cram a lot of fun into 3 days --but it's hard knowing it'll probably be a full year until I see them!!

There's no place like home --but Kansas is pretty great, too!

Today I'm clicking my ruby red slippers together and heading to Kansas!!

Wish it were that easy, but alas it involves a host of lines, the TSA and cramped seats on an airplane.

I don't care! I'm off to see Amy and Dana! A weekend of girlfriend time and shopping. Can't wait!

My kids are relatively unfazed by my departure. I know that's a good thing. But I'll miss them . . . shouldn't it go both ways?

Home

We are home for our jaunt to Illinois to visit the U of I and my friend Kendra, fetch the kids and attend the Gustafson Reunion.

It was a short but exhausting trip for me and Bassam! More news posted later---plus some pictures. Busy trying to help the kids adjust to "re-entry" back to the real world. It will be interesting to see how they do when life is not one crazy adventure after another with GG and Gus!!

My Mom pointed out I did not give her a shout on July 21st, her birthday! Of course, I did talk to her twice on the phone (including singing her "Hap Birthday song!") and bring her a gift! Alas, I updated my blog!! As long as the wishes keep coming, continue to celebrate your birthday in style, Mom!