Bonus!

An unexpected holiday is always extra fun! Last week, Neil had to head to Medline corporate in Chicago for some training. The boys and I tagged along, and we were able to turn it into a midweek getaway. Bonus! We hit up Ikea on Tuesday afternoon, which was (unexpectedly) one of the highlights of the trip for Iain. (And for me too, although that was to be expected!) I have no pictures of that part, but if I did, they'd be of him riding the escalators to his heart's content, running up and down the wide aisles, and generally being overwhelmed by the oversize goodness of Ikea in general. We bought some Christmas gifts, some storage apparatuses and some cheap handy stuff (inevitable at Ikea). Then we got some yummy Indian food for dinner, went back to the hotel, played in the pool and had a good time! Most fun Tuesday evening we've had in a while!

We attempted our first "we're a family of four sleeping in one room" overnight, and it went very smoothly! Neil left early, did his training class, and was back in tine for lunch. We packed up, and headed to Noodles and Company to eat. I'm so thankful that Iain's favorite food is currently pasta! It makes it all that much more "sensible" to find a Noodles whenever we can!

Our plan was to find an apple orchard or pumpkin patch to visit on our way home. We almost reconsidered when we saw the frigid temperatures, cold drizzle, and blustery wind, but decided that since we were there anyway, we might as well give it a shot. After a quick stop at Old Navy for some emergency hats for the boys (call me unprepared, but the day we left was 75 degrees!) we were on our way to All Seasons Apple Orchard and Pumpkin Patch. We found it online, and thought it looked fun and less commercialized, less crowded, and less over the top than some others in the area. We also figured it would be less busy since it was a weekday. I'm not sure if it's because it was a Wednesday, or more the fact that it was freezing, but I'm telling you! The place was deserted! Even the workers stayed indoors, so that ruled out some things (like the wagon ride) and made others (like the cow-train ride) considerably less fun! But since a nice office worker let me borrow her coat, I wasn't one to complain! And really, we were just there to get a pumpkin, so we figured anything else was a bonus! We had our run of the place...and we really did run!! We saw the animals, rode the pedal cars and the train, did the giant slide and picked out a pumpkin in about fifteen minutes flat.

I think this is where Iain was saying "Mama, I need my mittens!"

And here's where his vastly unprepared mother answered "I don't have any Buddy! I'm sorry!"

Riding the pedal cars...still fun in the cold! We could barely get him off, cold hands and all!!
Face in hole!

Still having fun on the (non-functioning) cow train, despite looking painfully cold!

Checking out the goats, llamas, and sheep!

Giant slide! We were shocked (SHOCKED.) that Iain climbed right up and slid right down with no fuss at all!

"This apple is happy!"

Choosing our own "great pumpkin"!

"Where was Liam this entire time?" you might ask. He was enjoying watching from a distance, as he kept warm in the shelter of the stroller.

He wasn't so sure about his new stroller-mate, but otherwise he had a good time too. He even got to sample an apple cider doughnut in the "Country Kitchen" afterward.

We'd really like to go back to All-Seasons when we have more time. They have a wagon ride out to the orchard, and you can pick apples. You can go to the pumpkin patch and choose a pumpkin and see how they grow. There's often live music, food and drinks (I can vouch for the cider and doughnuts!) and even a corn maze. All the (short-sleeved, warm looking) people in their online photos appear to be having a great time, and the things we did do were a lot of fun! Maybe we'd be better off going earlier in the season, or bundling up more thoroughly! All I know is that after our 15 minutes, we sure were ready to warm up at the GAC chili cook-off that night! I don't think we're ready for winter at all!

Two Little Monkeys

Iain Monkey

(Big Monkey, Curious George, Big Curious George, Silly Monkey...)

Liam Monkey

(Little Monkey, Little Curious George, Chunky Monkey, Tired Little Monkey...)

More photos and details about our Halloween extravaganza to come! I figured I would get their cute little monkey mugs posted as soon as possible though!

A Cookin' Pottin' Celebration!

This weekend marked the end of another successful volleyball season. It's always bittersweet to see another season come to a close; sweet because it sure will be nice to have Neil home earlier. The boys are excited to play with Daddy in the evenings. And I'm looking forward to getting our feet back under us, doing some things that we've been putting off for the last few months, and finally having time to breathe! And Neil can finally get caught up on some sleep! But bitter too, because after three months, we love these girls! Weekends filled with volleyball are a part of our weekly routine. Iain has a whole volleyball team of new best friends, and I don't know what Liam will do without his fan club! We've gotten to know them and appreciate them, and we never know who will be back for next season, so in a way, it's always very sad to see the season end.

Friday night was the last game, and to finish the season in style, we hosted a cookin' pottin' party Saturday night! If you know us well, you've probably heard us talk about the magical cookin' pottin' experience! Maybe you've even done it, or been promised a turn! Basically, we chop up a ton of meat and veggies, put out every sauce and spice we have in our fridge and cupboard, and let everyone go to town! You have a mini frying pan, and each person cooks their own stir-fry at the table. It's awesome! The girls were good sports and really got into it, trying new things and cooking up a storm! It's always fun to cookin' pot with new people, and with a big group, and with 16 people, I think we set a record!

Neil's parents were kind enough to let us use their house to host so we'd have enough room for everyone, and with the fireplace and the candles, it was a perfect, cozy autumn evening! We finished off with lots of yummy fall desserts (peach crisp, pumpkin cheesecake, and apple-raisin "last resort" bread pudding) and games. It was a great way to end the season!

We documented the night by taking pictures of each girl's "record"; the number of pans cooked and eaten! I think the girls had a great time, and I'll let their photos speak for themselves.


Thanks for a great party, and a great season girls! We'll miss our "extended family" of Eagles! Come visit, and keep in touch! And in Iain's words..."Go EAGULLLLLS!!!"