Ch-Ch-Changes

Life here around the ol' homestead just wouldn't be complete without change, right? If you've known B and me long enough, you'll know that we fit squarely into the Gen X/Gen Y mentality when it comes to changing jobs. Predictions state that folks in our respective generation(s) will change jobs/careers no less than 7 times! Count yourself clever if you have figured out that this means B has gotten himself a new job! :)

On Sept 22nd, B started in his new role as User Experience Designer at Apptio. You'll have to ask him just what it is this new company does as the more he changes jobs the less familiar I am with each company. LOL! This role came as kind of a surprise. He talked to the guys there last year, received an offer but turned it down because it just wasn't the right time to make a move. Then out of the blue, B goes to a breakfast meeting with their head of engineering and gets a job offer the very next day! We talked a lot about it over the long weekend (this was over Labor Day weekend) and did a lot of evaluation over the pros and cons. After some salary negotiations, they reached an agreement and B signed the offer letter! (BTW, they will support full telecommuting after 6 mos, so no worries about this impacting our move back to IL!!)

He is in a really good spot career-wise there, and I think he is going to really enjoy the work. It is much better aligned to what he wants to be doing, and they are poised to make a serious impact on the marketplace. All in all, this should be a good move for him!!

Time for Me to Fly

Chicago Trip - Day 15

I knew this was going to be a hectic day and had been nervously anticipating getting through it. I managed to get my day started ahead of Caiden and showered, ate and got in nearly all of the last minute packing while he continued to sleep. Once he got up, I fed him breakfast, packed up the car and hit the road for one last visit with the B's folks before the trip to the airport.

We got down to Joliet in time to settle Caiden down for his nap. I spent an enjoyable couple of hours visiting with Rusti and Larry and consumed a delicious lunch! (Rusti - I need that soup recipe!) I recounted my trip "up north," shared the success of Mom's bday party and copied some photos. Before I knew it, Caiden was waking up and it was time to hit the road for the airport. We said our goodbyes (again, I managed to keep it together!), and Caiden and I were on the road again.

I got to the airport with plenty of time to spare and was able to take my time unloading the car, getting thru security and walking to the gate. I also confirmed that I could indeed take the car seat on board with me! Woo hoo!!!!

Sadly, I did not really think too far ahead about just how I would get Caiden and his car seat on board the plane along with all of the other crap I was carrying. (In addition to the boy and his seat, that included the car seat bag, back pack diaper bag, duffel bag, coat and purse.) I decided to take my chances that the seat would be narrow enough that I could roll it down the aisle of the plane. Um...WRONG. I got no more than 2 feet into the aisle before the car seat was firmly lodged in place. Of course there was a line of passengers stacking up behind me and I'm trying to get the flight attendants attention while simultaneously whacking a seated passenger in the head with my diaper bag back pack. Oops. Luckily, the flight attendant and a very gracious passenger carried Caiden in his car seat down the aisle for me. Of course, the whole situation wouldn't be complete with out one moron muttering: So much for the 1 bag + 1 small item rule. I so wanted to retort with something snarky, but I just didn't have the energy. Technically I was over the limit with the car seat bag (the diaper bag didn't count against my limit), but I thought I'd be using it to gate check the car seat, so what was I to do with it otherwise? ANYwho, we got ourselves settled and buckled in.

For the most part, C did pretty well on the flight. I had to use most of the tricks I'd brought along to keep him quiet and entertained, but I didn't have to resort to any videos - yay! Our flight was smooth, and we even got in early! I was very eager to see B, but I knew it would be best to wait until everyone else was off the plane before I started hauling our stuff to the front.

I huffed it along to the waiting area outside of security and was very happily reunited with a waiting B! We got lots of hugs in all around, and Caiden was pretty excited to see his Da Da. We got the rest of my luggage and it was finally time to head back home.

************************************************

This was definitely an amazing trip! I had such a great time seeing so many people, and it was wonderful not feeling totally rushed. Of course I wish it could've been twice as long and that B was there with us! Heck, I wish we could just be living back in IL already! I think one of the biggest lessons I learned is that renting a car is a lifesaver. What a nice difference it made having one!

Thank you to everyone who made time to see us, and apologies to those we didn't get the chance to see. Can't wait to do this trip again next spring!!

Packing Up

Chicago Trip - Day 14

Today was spent making final preparations for our trip back to Seattle the next day. I still can't believe how quickly the time has passed. I felt like I just got to Chicago, and here I was getting ready to fly back already! Caiden and I were both certainly missing B, but we'd also been having a wonderful time with family and friends in IL.

While Caiden napped, I spent the afternoon packing and organizing. Mom, Caiden and I ate dinner together and then I got to hear about Dave's first day at his new job. I hung out with Mom and Caiden for a little bit downstairs and then before we knew it, Caiden was getting his bath. I put him to bed, and both Mom and I were ready to pass out not long after. Since I knew I wouldn't see her the next morning, we said our goodbyes that night. I managed to keep it together, but I was still sad that our trip was nearing its end.

Campus Tour

Chicago Trip - Day 13

Sadly, our time in DeKalb inevitably came to an end, but our tour of family had yet to continue! Next stops: pick up my sister Karla at her house in Roselle and then on to visit my niece Katie's dorm and campus at Elmhurst College.

The college is only about 20 min away, but since I had to stick to Caiden's nap schedule, we were under a time crunch. :( I did really enjoy walking around the campus tho and seeing where Katie hangs out! The campus is pretty compact which makes it awesome for being able to get around easily. They are also nice and close to the Metra and downtown Elmhurst. Her dorm is pretty new despite the college being over 100 years old. I got to see her room and meet her roomie. They did a great job coordinating their room and made it feel really cozy. I was never that clever with my roommates! :P

I dropped Karla back at her house and then motored back out to my Mom's house. Caiden was more than ready for his nap by the time we got there! The rest of the evening was pretty quiet and relaxing.

Orchard Fun!

Chicago Trip - Day 12

Today was our trip to the Jonamac Orchard in Malta, IL! We got really lucky with the weather and had an absolutely beautiful day for apple picking! Amanda made the trip out to join us which made the day extra special!

For those of you in the area, you must make a trip out to this orchard - especially if you have kids. There is so much to do there besides pick apples! There is a petting zoo, corn maze, hay ride, a silo filled with dried corn that makes it like a sand box...only with, well, corn! (That was probably Caiden's and my favorite thing there.) There is also a bazillion varieties of apples to pick, tons of apple products to purchase (Can I just say I had the best caramel apple I've ever tasted there?), an apple launcher and oh so many photo opportunities! I took so many dang photos while we were there, that there is no way I could put them all in this entry. So instead, I combined them into a slide show for your viewing pleasure!

The corn silo was so neat to play in! It also felt heavenly on my feet! Sort of like a mini foot massage. Caiden could've spent the entire day in there if given the opportunity! We also spent quite a bit of time in the petting zoo. Cathy could not stop hysterically laughing at Caiden's various reactions as the animals kept rushing up to him. He got a little nervous, but overall he took it all in stride and had fun petting and feeding the animals! Amanda got to pick up a chicken, had a goat jump up on her and I had goats trying to eat my shirt and umbrella!

I so wish I could've picked some apples there, but I knew I wouldn't be able to bring them back home with me. I did have fun watching Cathy and Amanda pick tho! They each approached the picking process with vastly different methods. Amanda opted for the grab and pick as many as she could possibly stuff into her bag, while Cathy very meticulously evaluated each apple seeking perfection in every choice. LOL! Caiden even got into the action and picked his very own apple off the tree. He wasted no time in sinking his teeth right into it!

Here are some of my favorite photos.

You can click the image below to see bigger pictures.

After our fun day at the orchard, we went back to C&B's house for dinner. We had some of the aforementioned beef brisket (love that cranberry brisket recipe Karen B!!), and Amanda stayed for dinner with us.

Later that evening, it was time for some hi jinks in computer/music room at the house. Bryan turned on the mic and Caiden just cracked us up with his "Da da's!" Nearly every time we tried to get Caiden to say something, he'd respond with "da da." I just love the way he pauses, and then leans into the mic to speak! I haven't seen something this funny in a long time! I don't know what it is, but every time I watch this video, I just crack up!

Another end to another fantastic day with family. I am especially glad Amanda could join us! Her presence just made the day all the more fun! I'm so glad both of my families get along and enjoy one another's company. :)

Cous Cous?

Chicago Trip - Day 11

Since we stayed up good and late the night before, we got a bit of a slow start on Friday. Eventually we got ourselves cleaned up and set out for a tour of Sycamore - the town that B and I hope to move to when we get back to IL! Some of the old houses there are just gorgeous. I wish we could move into one of those! But I suspect they are pretty far out of our price range. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't incredibly cooperative, so we couldn't really get out and walk around, but I still enjoyed what we got to see. :)

On our way back to C&B's house, we made a stop at her neighborhood meat market. They have the most amazing selection of seasoned chicken! I picked out some lemon rosemary chicken and it was melt in your mouth delicious! Cathy also picked up the brisket for the next day's dinner. Can I just say holy crap? They smallest cut they could make was SEVEN POUNDS! The woman came out cradling it in her arms! Cathy wasn't quite sure what to make of it - we were both so surprised at the size of it! We only needed 3 pounds! Anywho, I was also thrilled to find my favorite cider there - Blackthorn Dry. Mmmm....I used to drink this all the time in England! I think I also made the wine/beer/cider guy's day in my exuberance over finding this tasty delight! I think he appreciated my sentiments towards this cider.

Dinner was super yummy and Caiden got to join us at the table like a big kid. I got one of those portable strap in booster seats (in place of hauling around the high chair) and set him up at the table. He looked like an old pro sitting at the table!

But by far my favorite moment of the whole night was Caiden learning yet another new word. I just about fell out of my chair over how cute he sounds. And very fortunately, I was able to catch it on video!

Destination DeKalb!

Chicago Trip - Day 10

Today I packed up the car and the kid and drove out to DeKalb to spend a few days with my sister Cathy and her hubby Bryan. I'd been really looking forward to this part of the trip! Aunt Cathy just adores her nephew, and I knew we'd have a really fun time. :) We got there in the late afternoon and after I got the car unloaded, we walked down to her neighborhood park. Caiden enjoyed some swinging, sliding and digging in the sand while Cathy and I started catching up.

Bryan was out of town on business that night, so it was just us girls and the boy. I helped Cathy make some hamburger patties for dinner and she slapped them on the grill. I'm still impressed by folks who can grill since I had not one iota of a clue as to how to work one myself! The flame was a little on the high side, so the burgers got done real quick. :D They were still very tasty tho!

Of course we stayed up way too late - not that I was surprised! LOL! We had a great time sharing stories, munching cookies and being silly.

Grandma Gets to Show Off Her Grandson

Chicago Trip - Day 9

In the afternoon, Caiden and I got to drive down to my Mom's office to finally introduce him to all of her coworkers. They've gotten to know him pretty well thru this blog, but still hadn't met him in person yet!

Wouldn't you know it, the moment he walked in, he had quite the audience catering to his every whim. Agnes even found him a beloved vacuum to play with!! He impressed all the ladies with how quickly he figured out how to turn it on and off. Everyone was asking when they could book him to come over and vacuum their houses. :)

What cracked me up the most was watching the president of the company get a kick out of playing with Caiden! He kept giving him high fives and Caiden would keep calling out to him to get his attention again. So cute!

Later that afternoon, I made my requisite trip to SWM and got some fixings for dinner. I made some salsa chicken, cous cous and broccoli for Mom and Dave. It was really nice cook for them and have a nice dinner together.

Mom, Caiden and I headed out for another walk around the block with the dog. Caiden kept asking to hold the leash, so we passed it over to him and he had the best time getting pulled along by her! I so wish I had a video camera with me! He'd be holding on to her leash, she would get eager to move along and give him a little yank, and he'd let out a peal of laughter in delight! It was just the cutest darn thing! While out on our walk, we also encountered six frogs! Most of them were itty bitty little things, but we also saw a tennis ball sized one near the end of our walk! Even Jackie was freaking out over it! Caiden had no problem bending over and picking up one of the little guys. He held it for a few seconds and then gently placed it into the grass. Again - so wish I had the dang camera!

After our walk, I left Caiden with Grandma and went over to Niko's restaurant to meet up with Jerry and Linda who are expecting their first baby on the first of the new year. I hadn't seen them since I was pregnant with Caiden and it was great catching up with them! Always lots of great laughs with those two! I wish we could've hung out longer, but I had to get home to put Caiden to bed.

Mmm...Potbelly!

Chicago Trip - Day 8

The morning started off eerily quiet. Normally we sleep with a fan, but at some point in the wee hours of the morning, the fan up and conked out. So of course it was too quiet for Caiden and I to sleep, and it wasn't long before he was awake too. I knew he'd need a fan for his morning nap, so after breakfast we trekked over to Walmart.

Have I mentioned that my Mom lives 5 minutes from a Super Walmart? Yes - 5 teeny tiny minutes. I think we visited SWM every day. It was SO convenient (and yes, cheap)! I was in heaven. I also knew I'd be missing it dearly when I got back home.

We were successful in our quest for a replacement fan and returned in time for his nap. Later that afternoon, Caiden and I ventured out to the Huntley Outlets, did a bit of shopping and he got to play on the little playground there. Del Webb is understandably a tad short on tot sized play areas, so we took advantage of what we could!

Mom tried to meet up with us at the Outlets, but the timing was just a little off. We met up back at her house and Caiden napped while Mom and I chatted. I was looking forward to the evening for dinner at Potbelly's and hanging out with the Ptaks! Yay! We met up at their house where Caiden began to figure out that every garage has a shop vac. It took all of 30 seconds to spot it hanging on the wall. Jim was kind enough to pull it down so Caiden could get his fill of playing with it.

As per usual, Potbelly's was delish and the company was excellent. :) Caiden got his first taste of Potbelly and seemed to enjoy it! Afterward, we went back to the Ptaks' and hung out for a little while. Caiden even got to show off one of his new words - choo choo. There are plenty of trains going by in the area blaring their whistles. As soon as he would hear it, he'd point to his ear and cock his head. I'd tell him what it was and say choo choo to him. It wasn't long before he learned what it meant and how to say it!

Flurry of Friends Begins

Chicago Trip - Day 7

Today I got to meet up for lunch with my old friend Eric E. After not seeing each other for 10 years, we've hung out twice in the last few months! Eric very generously treated Caiden and me to lunch at Big Bowl in Schaumburg. We got caught up on what's going on in each other's respective lives. He is finally getting to really live his dream of being a professional drummer! I think that is just amazing and am so happy for him! I hope I get to see him play one day soon. I would have liked to catch his show out here in the PNW, but B & I just couldn't quite make it happen.

After lunch, we wandered around The Streets of Woodfield for a little bit. I had intended to pay Woodfield proper a little visit, but by the time we parted ways, I realized I didn't have enough time to wander Woodfield and get Caiden home in time for his afternoon nap.

So instead, we headed back to Mom's, I got him settled for his nap and then enjoyed a nice long chat with Mom. It was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon. :) Later that evening, Mom, Caiden and I took her dog Jackie for a walk around the block. Would you believe Caiden walked the whole entire thing?! I totally didn't need to bring along the stroller! I was so impressed that he was able to do that!

Racking My Brain

Chicago Trip - Day 6

I am trying to remember what we did on Sunday! I think it was a pretty low key day - mostly spent recovering from a 2nd late night. Amy and I got to hang out some more in the morning which I really enjoyed. I really do miss spending time with her. I had so much fun during her visit over the weekend! I look forward to having more weekends like that when we finally move back.

Sometime after Amy and Jerry left for home, Caiden discovered Grandma's duster. He had plenty of fun wandering around the house dusting various items!

Grandma also sneaked him a couple bites of ice cream. Getting spoiled already! And right under my nose! LOL!

Caiden is signing "cold" here.After he lost interest in the duster, Caiden moved on to the little people house. For some reason, he seemed to think he was little enough to squeeze inside!

I have no idea what he is trying to say here, but his face cracks me up!

Happy Birthday to Mom!

Chicago Trip - Day 5 (cont'd)

Finally time to celebrate! :) Amy and I decided to carpool together after I finally convinced her it wouldn't be too much hassle to move Jerry's car seat over into my car. The boys got to entertain each other while Amy and I got to catch up on some more girl talk. On the way to dinner, I made a quick stop at the grocery store to pick up a corsage for Mom and a couple of balloons for the boys. I should've given Cathy a quick call before doing so, cuz she had the exact same idea! LOL! So the boys got extra balloons and Mom got to wear two corsages. Fortunately they matched well, and one was for her wrist and the other was pinned on.

Dinner was absolutely fantastic, and we were looking nicely coordinated as Amy suggested we all try to wear something red which is Mom's favorite color. :)

Lisa, Mom and Amy

The Misura clan and Mom

Caiden and MommyCathy and Bryan

(Sorry Gasparis! Didn't get any pictures of you at dinner! D'oh!!)

After dinner we all piled into our various cars and headed over to Cathy & Bryan's house for cake, presents and....the PRESENTATION.

Once everyone arrived and staked out seats in the family room, we started to bust out the computer, the projector and the screen. Mom had no idea what was going on and was starting to get really curious about what we were up to. Before we got started, Cathy presented her with a wrapped up box of Kleenex. Mom got a good laugh out of that when she opened it, and with that we kicked off the presentation!

We all took turns reading aloud the various slides. There was plenty of laughter, some tears and lots of reminiscing. Overall, the presentation went really well and we all loved seeing everyone's contributions. We even got to see some live action footage of the Beckers (who we missed dearly). Afterward, Mom got to blow out the candles on her cake and then Karla presented her with the scrapbook. The scrapbook contained many of the letters, memories and photos that were in the presentation. Karla did an absolutely amazing job on the book and we all enjoyed taking turns paging through it. It will certainly be something Mom can cherish for years to come.

Before we knew it, it was time to head home. Despite being in fairly good spirits, the boys were up WAY too late. Cathy & Bryan donated all the balloons from the party to the boys. There were so many balloons in the car that we could hardly see the boys!!

It was a truly fabulous celebration and I enjoyed every minute of it! I hope everyone else did too!

If you'd like to see the presentation, you can visit here for the link.

The Big Day

Chicago Trip - Day 5

This was the day the whole family had been anxiously waiting for! We are gathering tonight to celebrate Mom's 70th birthday. Mom didn't want a big to-do, so we planned on having a nice family dinner that Cathy put together at Nat's on Maple out in Sycamore. Unbeknownst to Mom, we kids had been working hard over the last 2 months on a big project to honor her on her big day. We reached out to many of her friends and extended family and asked them to submit letters/memories they had of Mom. These memories were turned into a PowerPoint presentation that Dave and I worked on while Karla created a beautiful scrapbook with them. After all of the hard work we put into this project, we couldn't wait to unveil it to Mom!

That morning, Amy and I were furtively gathering last minute family photos for the presentation while Mom was otherwise occupied and the boys played together.

I loved seeing Jerry and Caiden play together. Jerry is almost 2 years older than Caiden, but now that Caiden is walking he and Jerry play pretty well together! And as a bonus for Amy, she didn't have to spend a lot of extra time entertaining Jerry! Woo hoo! Caiden just loves watching older kids, so I am sure he was in his element not only watching Jerry, but getting to play with him too!

Huntely Arrival

Chicago Trip - Day 4 (cont'd)

We got up to my mom's place late Friday afternoon. I took a little detour on the way and drove by the home I grew up in. I hadn't seen it in person in several years, so I experienced a bit of a shock when I got there. I think what threw me most was seeing how big the trees in the backyard had gotten. I remember when my dad planted those trees. Now they just seem enormous! It's funny how certain images of things stick in your head and how your brain responds when you see what it really looks like. I still wish mom lived there. It was a great house and in a such a good location. It's hard for me to let go of that house.

Anywho, we got up to mom's place in Huntley and began the process of unloading the car all over again. While we were waiting for Amy and Jerry to arrive, Dave and I tackled the microwave project. I thought it would be a simple swap out, but boy was I ever mistaken! Three hours later, mom's microwaving capabilities were restored! Woo hoo!

We had a late dinner of some delicious pizza, put the boys to bed and then mom, Amy and I all stayed up foolishly late. Mom hit the hay around 1am, and Amy and I pushed it for another hour later. I think we were all pretty exhausted the next morning!

Headed North

Chicago Trip - Day 4

Today was our last day with G-Ma and G-Dad before heading north to visit with my family. During Caiden's nap, Rusti and I made a quick trip over to an amazing children's resale shop called Once Upon a Child. I kept exclaiming over and over how much I wished we had such a great place near where we live!! The place was huge, well organized and had just tons of stuff! I found Caiden's Halloween costume, some new shirts, two jackets and toys to keep at Grandma M's house. I would've bought tons more had I the means to cart it all home!

While I worked on getting packed up, Caiden got in some extra outside time with his grandparents.

We got the car packed up, said our goodbyes and hit the road to Huntley. I have to tell you, renting a car is one of the best things I could've done. It was so convenient to have and really made such a huge difference on this trip. I would've had a much more difficult time getting around without it!

Caiden and I really enjoyed our time with B's folks. I just love watching them with Caiden and seeing how much they adore him. It was also really nice to spend some solo time with them - something I don't get to do nearly often enough. I cannot wait until we are living in IL again!

Busy Day in Crystal Lawns

Chicago Trip - Day 3

Thursday morning Caiden got to enjoy some play time with friends Madeline and baby Ben.


Later that afternoon, Caiden got to go for a ride around the yard with G-Dad and G-Ma in Daddy's old wagon! He totally LOVED it! He was so cute riding around and holding on to the sides. He also found a big stick that he made sure to hold on tight too.

One of my new favorite photos!

While Caiden had taken his afternoon nap, I finally got to go for a spin with Larry in his brand new truck! Of course Caiden had to be introduced to the truck as well! I think he got quite a kick out of hanging out in the bed. :)

We had some extra time to spare, so Larry and I pulled Caiden along in the wagon to visit B's old elementary school and playground. I loved watching Caiden and his G-Dad interact and snapped plenty of pictures. :)

Another favorite shot

Caiden had fun with G-Dad putting wood chips on the slide

After another delicious dinner, G-Ma and Caiden settled in for some pre-bath reading. Another fabulous end to a fabulous day!

Hanging Out w/ the Grandparents

Chicago Trip - Day 2

Wednesday was a beautiful day! Caiden and G-Dad spent lots of time exploring outside, and Caiden even got to play around on Daddy's old tricycle! He's just a wee bit too short to reach the pedals, but he really loved trying it out!

Later that afternoon, we made a much needed trip over to Boozle B's for Caiden's haircut. He did so well on this haircut (#3), and barely got upset! I am continually impressed by how quickly they cut kids hair. Talk about talent! :) As always, they did a beautiful job, and Caiden was sporting a spiffy new cut. Normally they give out helium balloons after the haircut, but they were out of balloons! Lucky for Caiden, I had some extra balloons (!!) in my purse so he walked out an extra happy boy.

After we got home, Caiden and G-Dad did some more outside exploring and then settled in for a reading marathon on the couch. So cute!

Destination Chicago!

Back in July I was so frustrated with the rental situation that when I saw a decent deal roll in on Southwest, I decided to book a nice long trip for Caiden and me. Plenty of time to see friends and family without feeling rushed - woo hoo!!

Of course I spent plenty of time procrastinating about packing (haaaate), but eventually I got my butt in gear and got us all set to go! I was SO nervous about this trip as I opted to chance getting an open seat for Caiden without having to buy a ticket (gotta milk this whole fly free until 2 years old as long as I can!). I was super worried about having to entertain him while keeping him in my lap for the long 3.5 hour flight to Chicago. I've flown solo with him before, but it's been on shorter flights to AZ and also when he was less mobile. I made sure to pack plenty of activities to keep him occupied/distracted and just left the rest up to fate. :P

B dropped us at the airport and after many hugs and kisses, Caiden and I were on our way. Once we got to the gate, I asked if there was space for me to bring his car seat on board. I was dismayed to learn that the flight was in fact completely full and that I would have to gate check the seat. Ug - time to tire him out as much as possible! I freed him from his car seat confines and let him run around for as long as possible. Before long, it was time to board. I got around to chatting with the woman in line just ahead of me, and she graciously offered to save me a seat and help me with Caiden while I got settled.

Once we made it on board, I found her and started getting organized while she played with Caiden. For the time being, we had an open seat between us, so I plopped him there for a little bit. After I got everything set, I pulled him into my lap and continued to listen to the overhead announcements telling passengers to grab the first seat they see as the flight is completely full. Well, people kept passing by and the throng started getting thinner and thinner. A flight attendant came by and asked if Caiden was a ticketed passenger or a lap child. I confirmed he was on my lap, and she moved on. Well, next thing I knew, they were closing the door and the seat next to me remained EMPTY! We very luckily wound up next to the ONLY empty seat on the whole plane! WOO HOO!! Can you feel my relief?

Overall, the flight went very well, and Caiden did wonderfully. Even tho he didn't sleep at all, I didn't have to use many of the distractions I'd packed. The time went by pretty quickly, and before I knew it, it was time to land! I got us packed up and off the plane pretty well, but I was just carrying too much stuff. Not far from the gate, I spied my saving grace - the luggage cart. I swear, it was THE BEST $3 I ever spent. I pushed the cart with one hand and pulled C along in his car seat (with the specially attached wheels and handle) with the other.

I navigated down to baggage claim, got our rental car and was on the road to G-Ma & G-Dad's house in Plainfield within an hour. Within minutes, Caiden was completely passed out. Poor guy was so tired! As soon as we pulled into G-Ma and G-Dad's driveway, his eyes popped open. G-Dad wasted no time greeting the little guy and getting him out of his seat. :D We got all of our gear hauled into the house and enjoyed some much needed winding down from our travels.

Caiden wasted no time investigating and promptly made friends with B's old rocking horse (handmade by C's great-gramps!).


After a little fun and some dinner, I got C into bath and then bed. He had a really hard time falling asleep and after my 5th visit in, I gave him a bit of a stern talking too and could hardly believe that it worked! I didn't hear a peep out of him the rest of the night!