westward bound

After years of saying we were going to take our vacation over spring break, we're finally actually doing it! The western road trip of our dreams (and possibly nightmares) is happening. Brace yourselves!

First stop: St. Louis. We checked into our hotel a little on the late side, and then immediately walked back out to stretch our legs on the way to meet my dear friend Tricia and her daughter, Ella, for dinner. I haven't seen Trish in so long -- probably since Liam was a baby and he and I flew to St. Louis for her baby shower when she was pregnant with Ella, who is now almost 12. I was, as usual, worried that it would be awkward or we wouldn't know what to say to each other after so long, and also as usual, I couldn't have been more wrong about that. It was pretty much perfect. We ate fancy burgers (mine was topped with mac and cheese) and drank beer and chatted away. The kids all got along really well too, bonding over Pokemon Go and ranging out from there.

After dinner, we walked back to the hotel, stopping along the way to admire the Gateway Arch, which kind of shimmers at night. Oh, a word about the hotel: FANCY. I picked it because it was right next to the Arch, right off the expressway, had enough beds for all of us, and was affordable. I don't think I even looked at any pictures. So when we dragged our road-weary selves past the fountain and under the massive chandeliers and into a luxurious suite, it was a surprise to us all. Max actually hugged me and thanked me for booking such a wonderful place. I felt a little bad telling him it was total happenstance, but I wanted to be honest with him, mostly in case the next hotel turned out to be a total rat trap.

In the morning, after an appropriately fancy (and thankfully complimentary!) breakfast in the hotel restaurant, we set off to do a little exploring. We got as close to the Arch as possible, which was difficult because it's under construction, and then we checked out the Old Courthouse, aka the Dred Scott Courthouse, which gave us another nice opportunity to talk to the boys about the more troubling parts of American history, and how decisions made so long ago still have effects today.

Then we drove to our primary target for St. Louis, City Museum, which is less museum and more confusing and scary and exciting and massive playground. It's such a great concept, building a fantastical space using things reclaimed from all around the city. There are caves to squeeze through and slides that go from floor to floor and rebar structures to climb on and ropes to swing from and all manner of oddities. On the downside, though, it was CROWDED and LOUD. As you may know, those are two characteristics that will never make my favorite things list. We stayed for a few hours, but Max wasn't feeling great, so we decided to hit the road with everyone sweaty and exhausted. Onward to the next adventure!

the good life

Check these kids out. Spring break just started, and after a rocky Monday (honestly, probably the most stressful non-surgery-related day of my parenting career), they all got to do some special things. We met up with Erin and the kids Monday afternoon at Bethany's house, and the boys got to show Lucy, Richie, and Jesse how to feed the baby cow and baby goats, then we wandered through the woods to my parents' house, where my mom had some old cookies to give to the pot-bellied pig and (surprisingly?) the goat, and Lucy and Liam found some fresh eggs in the coop. It was a pretty quick visit, but so much fun!

After that, the boys split up. Liam went to spend the night at my mom's house, then he accompanied Loni and Jack to Indianapolis to the Children's Museum for the day Tuesday. Reports are that they had tons of fun there, and followed it up with a visit to TGI Friday's, where they have a $10 endless appetizer deal that Liam took FULL advantage of.

Meanwhile, Max and Henry went back to Illinois with Erin and spent the night in Western Springs. Tuesday morning they were treated to waffles for breakfast, then Barb joined them and they all went to the Museum of Science and Industry for the day. By the time I picked them up early that evening, they were exhausted but full of stories about the cousins and how much fun they had together.

I'm not gonna lie; the four-hour round trip to pick them up after a full work day was kind of hard on me. But I've got to say that it's totally worth it. My boys get to spend real time (by which I mean a lot of time, not just a rushed and hectic visit here and there) with their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. They'll have great memories of all this, and hopefully someday they'll appreciate the effort that went into making it happen. And that's worth all the driving.

in a lull

 Friends, there hasn't been much of interest to report on lately. We've all been saying that we're exhausted and sore and wondering if we're coming down with something (I mean, for weeks now!), but I think the truth is we're all suffering from some sort of seasonal malaise. Nobody has wanted to go hiking or have any adventures (trust me, I've offered). Mostly, we all just want to sit around and watch TV and take naps (and occasionally bake cookies).

The one bright spot lately has been that the boys have spent a ton of time at my mom and dad's house. Now that she's retired, my mom is rediscovering the joys of being a grandma, and she's done things like pick them up on Presidents Day and take them to her house for a "work day" (cleaning windows and helping with Jack) so I wouldn't have to worry about breaking up fights during my own workday. Henry has a reward program at school, where he earns stickers and then gets to choose a time-based reward. He usually chooses to have us take him (sans brothers) to the local ice cream parlor for a scoop of his favorite (Graham Central Station), but last week he asked if he could have time with Yami and Papaw instead, so he got to spend the night and a whole Sunday there, running back and forth between my parents' house, where he helped my dad with the "dirty work" of digging up stumps, and Bethany's house, where he helped feed the animals (which include a new cow and five new goats). And just last night (yes, on a school night!) Max got to spend the night there, along with some time playing in the snow with Jack, because my mom saved my bacon by taking him to the orthodontist this morning.

Spring is coming, or so I'm told, and adventures await us soon, but in the meantime, please excuse our lack of anything truly fun to post about.

dora, 2002-2017

After Mike and I had been dating for a while and had gotten used to having Greta around, we decided it was time for another kitten, so back we went to my parents' farm, where conveniently, Greta's mom, Tina, had just had another litter, and we brought Dora back home to my tiny apartment. After some initial skepticism on both sides, the two cats got along really well, though I can't say it went so smoothly once we started introducing kids and a dog to the mix.

Like I said, Dora and Greta really liked each other, but other than that, the only creature Dora really liked was Mike. Actually, liked is not a strong enough word. Dora loved Mike, enough so that whenever possible, she was right there to rub against him and demand to be petted. Enough that she would brave entering a room that also contained one of the boys, or the dog. She put up with me, but Mike was her person from the start.

This year has been rough for Dora. She was getting older and had lost her best friend, and she was physically going downhill. Eventually, we had to make the painful decision that it was her time to go, and this weekend, Mike and I took her to the vet for the last time and stayed with her until the very end. It was hard, and we will miss her, but it's comforting to know that she had a long and good life with her sister, her person, and some other humans she mostly tolerated. Rest in peace, Dora.