Is it spring yet?

We had a 40 degree day the other day and everyone's mood was lifted for a day. Nick was convinced Spring was here. "I don't need a coat or boots anymore!" Hard to tell a kid that we're not even close. Sigh. Think the next day of ice convinced him.

Car Show!

Every year we head to the Chicago Auto Show. Love looking at all of the cars and picking our favorite or even our next car. This year my Dad was in town and came with us. Pop Pops favorite car? A snazzy VW concept car. The concept car was cooler than what they finally turned it into.Chris picked out a dreamy Mercedes. He's wanted one since he was a teenager and drove his uncle Don's monster Mercedes. Smoothest ride he'd ever had. And comfortable seats. Important to a tall guy.

A speedy little Audi caught my eye. What I wouldn't give to get it on the road for 10 minutes.

And Nick - loved the race cars. He couldn't figure out why the Nascar only had one seat vs. two. But he seemed especially drawn to a Lotus. Think it's because Pop Pop told him it was the Batmobile. The one at the show was black.

Pop Pop!

We told Nick that Pop was coming to visit after the cruise. So as soon as we got home from vacation last week Nick asked "Is Pop Pop coming tonight?" Uh, give him a few nights. Every morning that week Nick woke up asking about Pop Pop, who came in late Wednesday night. Nick woke up an hour early Thursday morning and yelled from his room "Mom...Dad...Is Pop Pop here?" Finally I got to answer yes and Nick sleepily made his way to the guest room where he climbed into bed with his best friend. The smile on his face was the one I was expected Christmas morning. Too adorable. They've been attached to the hip ever since. Boys through and through.

Favorite Cruise Story

So on cruises (at least the ones I've been on) you usually share a dinner table with another family. We met a really nice family from upstate NY with two kids - Seth (3 1/2) and Riley (7). They skipped dinner the first night, but we met them in full force the second night. Riley was in tears the entire dinner because she had two loose teeth and didn't want to eat. Seth and Nick were happily playing under the dinner table. Riley's tooth fell out about 1/2 way through dinner and we all clapped. Then we heard the crying. Seems Seth had somehow stuck his head through the banister behind our table and another area. Five waiters and 2 dads couldn't get him out. The nice couple at the table next to us suggested olive oil. Uh, ok. They tried lifting his body. By this time, the entire dining room is watching. Finally the head waiter got the great idea to fit his tiny body through the slats rather than trying to get his head out the other way. Worked like a charm.

Every night Nick would ask "Will you tell me the story about the boy who got his head stuck?" Where were the photographers when you needed them?!

Vacation!

Ah, it's been a while. First a week of getting ready for vacation (which really turned into scrambling for everything the day before we left) and then a week of cruising! We hopped on the Navigator of the Seas for a 5 day cruise to Cozomel and Belize. Sunshine and warm weather everyday. Sigh. Just what we needed.

Chris wasn't too excited about a cruise. What part of "relax - you don't have to lift a finger on a cruise" didn't he understand? Once on the ship realized he was opposed to seeing beached whales around the pool. Point noted.

Nick was treated like a King. Chocolate donut and french toast every morning. Hot dog and fries for lunch. Diet coke and ice cream cones anytime he wanted. Oh, and his favorite - the hot tub.

A good time was enjoyed by all. Sun and relaxation in February with the boys. It doesn't get much better than that.

Early Morning Phone Calls

Nick has a routine in the morning. I wake him up at 7 and take him down to lay on the couch. He cozies up with two blankets, his pillow and Pookie, then has some warm milk. Oh, and watches cartoons. What a life. This gives me a chance to get him up and say goodbye and gives Chris a chance to read the sports page and get a shower. But some days, I don’t wake Nick up. Like if he's been really grumpy or tired and just needs some extra sleep. Last week was one of them. Mr. Grumpy was up from 1-3 one night. Turned out to be another ear infection. Anyway, I knew he needed his sleep more than a goodbye. Problem is, when he does wake up and realizes I haven’t said goodbye, he throws a fit. So I told Chris to pop him on the phone next time. Probably 2x a month I get a call from home around 8am at work. I answer and get not a hello, but this little, tired, nasally voice saying to me “I didn’t get to say goodbye to you”. So then we have to say goodbye over the phone and explain why I couldn’t say goodbye. I’ll have to figure out how to get audio on the blog because it really is ridiculous and hilarious to hear.