Unpacking=No Fun

My house is so trashed.  I took J to school today and he was SO happy and excited.  I took my mom flowers to work because she spent 5 hours cleaning my house - just because - while we were gone.  I know - who does that!? My mom does.  :)  Then, I ran a few more errands.... then headed back to feed my baby who was very upset about missing his morning nap by all the in and out traveling... And then - I got him down for a nap and tried to catch up on emails and mail and other stuff... oh!  And unpacking!  What a mess.  I'm really glad to be home though - like they say, there's no place like home!  :)

Jackson woke up this morning and his eye was a little puffy... he was complaining about it last night.  Then, today - when I picked him up from school - they mentioned that he was complaining about both eyes and itching them but they weren't red in the middle, just on the outside... I think it's just some allergy he must have picked up on our last days there or something.... I don't know.  Poor guy - his eyes are super puffy today.

Home Sweet Home!

What a LOOOOOOOONG drive!  We are home - safe and sound.  We got up at 430am - woke up the boys at 500am and hit the road at 530am.  We were home by 600p.  We actually had a better drive back than there - Ethan doesn't usually start getting cranky til 500p or so - so it was imperative that we leave early so we didn't have a screaming child in the car!  I am writing this as Ryan and I are sitting up catching up on the 2 episodes of Survivor that we have on DVR while our sweet boys are sleeping so happily in their own beds!  Priorities!!  :-)  More pics tomorrow!  :-)

Chicago and me!

So it was just me and Chicago today - all day long!  We both got along so great too!  :-)  Ryan got up early this morning - around 5am so he could head to the office and get some work done.  His meeting that he came up here for was at 100p, but he's been off work since Thursday and just wanted to do some catch up.  So I said good bye to him, went back to sleep.  Slept til 730am... tried to sleep some more but my body is just used to waking up then!  So I ordered room service at 800am (yep, sure did!) and watched ALL of the "Today" show - which I never ever get to do! Then, I read one of my books for a few hours and got sleepy so I laid back down - woke up at noon.. awh, this is the life!  So I got dressed and found the gym in the hotel... I got on the treadmill and did 6 miles but my knees were hurting... I meant to do 8 but I don't want to injure myself, so I stopped at 6... besides, I knew my time in Chi-town was short, so I hurried upstairs and stretched, showered and decided to cruise down Michigan Ave.  I found a store that sold Cubs hats, etc for kids - so i got both Ethan and Jackson matching Cubs caps.  :-) so cute!  As I was walking back, Ryan called me saying he was at the hotel ready to head out!  We stopped and had lunch/dinner at Chipotle first (boy, I miss those from living in Dallas!) and now we're back in Milwaukee.  I missed my boys, but I'm feeling like a new woman, besides my knees hurting!  :-)  I hope there are many more "work" days like this in our future! haha! Thanks Ma for keeping the boys!  I'm glad they were good for you! These pics I took right before we left - this was the view from our room!

We leave tomorrow, super early, to head home!  It's been such a fun and eventful trip! 

Milwaukee, Day 4... and some Chicago!

 

So today was the MOST fun!  This morning, we visited the Milwaukee Zoo!  There was basically no one there and that was AWESOME!  Jackson told us before we went that the elephant is his favorite animal at the zoo - so we were bummed when we thought they weren't out but we did get to see them behind some glass.. It was a bit chilly for them outside, I guess.  It was chilly for us too!  Jackson had to wear Ethan's little panda hat because it's all we had in the car!  Can I just brag on my little baby for a second?  Again, Ethan was "on the go" during one of his naps - just like when we were at Discovery World... and he totally just crashed in the stroller!  No fuss - just good night.  Wow!  Jackson NEVER did that for us!  If he wasn't in a car seat or bed, he wouldn't sleep - just scream... but Ethan is a different story!  That guy is so sweet - he just goes w/ the flow! After we got back and had some lunch - Carol was kind enough to keep the boys and let me go with Ryan to Chicago for the night!  We drove in (it's only about an hour away) and Ryan had booked up a sweet room on the 22nd floor of the Westin on Michigan Avenue - overlooking the beautiful lake!  I felt like a princess!  It was beautiful in Chicago - but really chilly - and I forgot my coat... which Ryan thought I did on purpose but I promise I didn't!  Either way, we were on Michigan Ave, so there were lots of opportunities for me to buy! haha! We decided to eat at Sushi Samba - this restaurant Ryan had eaten at before and thought I'd like and we had the best dinner!  It was so nice to just be able to sit and talk and still actually have a great conversation with each other - even after nearly 9 years of marriage!  Then, we walked over to Millennium Park and saw the "bean" which I hadn't seen before... and then we walked over to Ghiradelli and had yummy hot chocolates!  I told Ryan it was the best date EVER!  I just never get tired of hanging out w/ Ryan - and it's cool how much he loves Chicago... makes me love it too!  Finally, we retired to our room... Ryan has to work tomorrow, but I get to lounge around til he gets back and we jet back to Milwaukee... Awh, finally a day to myself!  :)

Jackson saying "ROAR" to the lions!

Grandma and Jackson

me and my little guys!

 

This is what happens when you say "Jackson! Jackson!!!! Jackson - stop looking down!  Jackson - look up and say cheese to daddy! Jackson!"  haha! This was the 6th (and final) try!

Milwaukee, Day 3

Today was a good "chill" day in Milwaukee!  The weather was great here today - about 78 and sunny!  Ryan's Aunt Lisa and her partner Pam and Ryan's Aunt Corky and Uncle Barry came over this morning and Lisa made us some yummy champagne cocktails - with these special "bitters" that she learned about from a cocktail tasting class!  Ryan and I went for a run outside since the weather was so great... but I'm still sick and although I know that's no excuse, I just don't feel at my best at all.  I'm really struggling with this half marathon coming up and knowing that I am SO FAR behind the eight-ball on my training... We only got 3.5 mi in and I was dead!  Bummer.  Anyway, afterward, Ryan's cousin Jason and his wife Danielle came over for Ned's Pizza (a must-have in Milwaukee - think: Tiny Tim's in Fayetteville - YUM!) and after the boys finally went to bed, we got to just chill and catch up w/ them - which is SO NICE!  I hope they come visit us soon in NWA!  It was another great day in Milwaukee!  I think we'll take the boys to the zoo tomorrow!

Jackson got a kick out of this pic with Pam giving him bunny ears... So then he wanted to do bunny ears on me!

One of 4 outfits we had to change Ethan into due to HUGE spit ups.

 

Milwaukee, Day 2

Another fun day in Millywaukey!  :-)  Today we got to catch up with most of the family!  Ryan's Aunt Sharon and Uncle Alex (fresh in from Brazil!) drove in from Chicago with 2 of her grandchildren - Karina and Lucas.  Lucas is one month to the day older than Jackson - so they had a LOT of fun!  While they were here visiting, Aunt Karen and her fiancee Dave came over with Ryan's cousin Justin and his girlfriend.... Then after Ethan's nap, we all went over to Grandma and Grandpa Stearle's house to see them!  It was their first time meeting their latest great grandchild - Ethan!  We SOOOOO enjoyed today - this is what it's all about!

Aunt Karen and Ryan's cousin Jenna with Ethan

Jenna did NOT want her picture taken, but Ry convinced her!

Lucas and Jackson with one of the monster trucks they got from Aunt Karen!

Aunt Sharon and Ethan

Grandpa Stearle, Ryan and Ethan

They are super sweet hugging cousins!

Karina w/ Ethan

Grandma Stearle, Ryan and Ethan

Jackson and Lucas had fun with Grandma's walker - pushing each other around in it.. pretty cute!



GGma and GGpa w/ Stearle boys!




The gang!

 When we got home,  we put both boys to bed by 700p.  Jackson hasn't had a nap during the day since Wednesday.  This makes for a cranky child.... So he went to bed early in hopes of a good night's sleep. And of course the night could not be complete w/o some yummy white wine and a game of Phase 10 after an AMAZING tilapia dinner (thanks Ma!).... of course, I won.  :-)

Milwaukee, Day 1

Today was our first full day in Milwaukee!  Both boys slept GREAT - seriously EXCELLENT last night.  We got in around 630p yesterday and both kids didn't get to sleep until a little past their bedtime, but they were great sports!  Today, we woke up, had breakfast and got ready to go to Discovery World! This place was incredible and both kids did awesome!  Thanks Ma for taking us there!  Tonight, we had a great dinner and Ryan's cousin Jason came over and hung out w/ us!  What an awesome first day!!

One of the first items on the agenda, building a new track!

Grandma got J a fishing pole w/ a "gooy fish" whom he calls BooBot.

At Discovery World

Grandma, Ryan and the grandboys.

Me and my boys!

I love these guys so much!

Milwaukee!

Ethan actually fell asleep in my arms and we successfully transferred him to the stroller! This is a first for me since J would have never ever allowed me to do something like this!  Go Ethan!

Jackson and Jason, tonight.