A little time away

Sometimes it is a good thing to take breaks. I find it refreshing to return to the routine after a good, long break. This is one reason I love vacation and travel.

Lucky for me, we got to go to Florida this summer for a week. Steve, the boys, Kathy Barrett, and I flew to Fort Walton Beach, which is right next to Destin. And then we planted ourselves on the beach and pretty much didn't move until we had to leave. It was wonderful!

We were very lucky weather-wise. As we boarded our plane to Pensacola that Monday, we weren't sure if we would arrive in the middle of Tropical Storm Debby or sweet Florida sunshine. We found the sunshine, and in fact, the weather was nicer in Florida that week than it was here at home in Chicagoland!

There are lots of fun stories from vacation, but I have so much to write about and so many pictures to include tonight, that I will summarize with our favorites.

Jack's favorite - the hot tub. Luckily, he abided by the the five-minute limit we gave him! He would have stayed there all day if we had let him, but I did not want a Jack-boil!



Steve's favorite - the waves of the Gulf/the beach. My joke with Kathy was that every day when it was time to clean up and head back to the room, Steve would disappear to the water for one last swim. He just didn't want to leave.



Reid's favorite - the pool. This kid loves to sit and splash. We probably didn't spend as much time as he would have liked at the pool, but he loved every second we were there.



Karen's favorite - sitting on the beach under the umbrella watching the boys play and holding Reid while he fell asleep. Just watching the waves crash on the shore was mesmerizing and relaxing. There is also something to be said for just sitting.



I also had a close second favorite - getting to see my dear friend Amy. In an amazing coincidence, Amy was on a girls' trip staying at a resort just 30 minutes away. She was so sweet to drive over to spend an afternoon with us, and I loved every second of getting to chat with her in person.



And now for a barrage of vacation photos. Enjoy!

Sand creations








Family photos


















We returned from our beach vacation just in time for a heat wave and July 4th. We had some family over to our house for a low-key barbeque to celebrate our Independence. Due to the weather, we went outside only long enough to splash around in the baby pool. We had a lovely picnic indoors in the air conditioning.





Love Grandma's face in this one!


Yep, he's jumping off of the playset into the pool




Notice how they both have the Unger tongue hanging out? They were concentrating on hitting Uncle Awesome


Uncle Awesome's reaction


Boat races


At the end of the night, Jack felt very strongly that we put out the rest of the American flags. He had "planted" one earlier in the day, but he wanted to make sure that they all got out there. Jack loves the American Flag, so of course, I indulged him. We'll talk more about flag code and the dark when he gets older.





So now we our getting back into a regular routine. I'm trying to take advantage of the opportunity to establish new routines. We will see how that goes. I've got some research to do on kids activities, but stay tuned here for more about our new "pizza garden" and some science experiments we are trying out!

Baby Updates - a new one and a 7-month-old one

Hooray! My sister Susie gave birth to another beautiful baby boy this morning! He waited around until his due date. He's a man of punctutality.

Christopher George Nustra was born at 6:07 a.m. weighing in at 8 lbs and 1/2 ounce and 20 inches long. He's just gorgeous! And don't you just love his name? I do. We can call him Chris, too; I asked.



Susie is quite the amazing woman. She went through the entire birth without meds. And when I saw her at 10:45 a.m., she looked wonderful. I can't imagine going without sleep for that long (her water broke last night around 11) and giving birth without an epidural and looking as great as she did. I admire her. Don't worry, Peter looked great too! Unfortunately, I did not get pictures of them with Chris. I did, however, get pictures of Chris with Uncle Awesome and Grandma Sue.





So now Reid has someone to play with when Jack and Nick play together!

Speaking of Reid, he's 7 months old already! He officially turned 7-months on Tuesday, but I had so much to write about last night, that I thought I'd give him a separate post today. I guess he still has to share the limelight though.



Reid is rolling over both back to front and front to back. Although he still looks a little surprised when he goes from front to back. He also can spin around on his belly. It's not a fast spin, but a controlled spin. This has made it much easier for him to move around the room. I've even caught him bonking his head on the furniture as he explores. He can push up pretty high on those arms now, and I think he's getting a little frustrated that he hasn't figured out the leg part yet. You can almost see the irritation in his face when he's pushing up and can't move forward.

He loves to make noises and "talk" lately too. He sticks out his tongue all the time, and he likes to make raspberries and spit. It's been hard to explain to Jack why Reid gets to spit and he doesn't. Reid's laugh is getting to be much stronger. He loves to be tickled, and his neck is a good place to get him giggling.

He has cut his first two teeth, both on the bottom, and both at the same time. He loves to play with them with his tongue. This could be why he sticks his tongue out all of the time. The teeth have not made eating much easier though. He has finally conquered green beans, sweet potatoes and peas. We are working on carrots now. He eats about half a tub at dinner. I'm not sure he really gets the whole eating solids yet. Although I did let him suck on a piece of apple once, and he seemed to like that a lot. Maybe he's just waiting for the real food and saying forget the liquidy stuff.

Sleep still eludes us. He goes to bed around 7 or 7:30 every night. Lately, he's been waking up around midnight and then again between 3 and 4 to eat. Then he wakes up at 6 a.m. for the day. I'll be very happy once we reach the sleeping for 12 hours at night routine. I wish I could remember when that starts! He does nap pretty well during the day. He takes a solid hour nap in the morning. And then depending on our afternoon activities, he'll sleep for an hour or two then. He also takes a third nap on occasion.

I think Reid's favorite discovery in his 7th month was the pool. He loves to splash and play. He doesn't even mind when Jack jumps in and splashes us in the face. So my plans for a summer spent at the pool look like they will stick!

Lego Building, Switzerland, Dentists, etc

Today, I picked up a Lego set for Jack while we were at Target. We went to Target to buy cheese, and I left with several other things. I guess that's how it goes at Target.

About a year and a half ago, we bought the game Creationary, which is basically pictionary but with legos. Jack has been playing with those legos lately, so that's what prompted my purchase today. I wanted him to have a few more blocks to work with. What I learned is that I also love to build with Legos (with the instructions or a picture to build from, I like recipes).





Today, we built a monster truck, a tractor with a trailer, a tree, a farmhouse, a barn, a bull, a dog/horse/cow, and a combination of the above. While Reid slept, Jack and I played for a good 30 minutes. During that time, we both commented on how much fun we were having. Over the course of the day, Jack played with the lego set several times by himself too. This is huge if you know Jack. There are not many activities that Jack likes to do alone.





Steve's trip to Switzerland was a success travelwise. He brought back chocolates for me and a hat and T-shirt for Jack. Okay, that's not why it was a success. He got to run along the original Lake Geneva, which was beautiful. He got to watch Big Bang Theory in French. He got to drink fantastic wine. Overall, a pretty interesting trip. He did say he wouldn't want to live in Morges, Switzerland (Morges is pronounced in one syllable). Most activity around the area was done by 8 p.m. and everyone smokes there. On the bright side, he really liked the people and the culture. They have a culture of respect, as they describe it. During his five days there, he didn't see one cigarette butt or piece of litter. When he ran through town, cars stopped for him – every time. Sounds kind of nice to me!







Last Thursday, we went back to the awesome dentist for our cleanings. Jack and I had cleanings at the same time, so Steve went into the room with Jack, and Reid kept me company. When we were done, Jack and I walked to the Thai place for lunch while Steve and Reid took the car over. On our walk, I asked Jack what his favorite part of the dentist visit was. "Everything!" was his reply. He got to wear sunglasses. He got to try out the water sprayer (and said "I made a mess!"). The dentist used Mr. Thirsty. She counted his teeth. She cleaned his teeth with bubble gum toothpaste. Yeah, I think we found the right dental office.

Have to get a good look at the television




This says it all


Now, for a funny little story. The boys and I have a pretty solid routine for Tuesday mornings. We go to Jazzercise and then the library. Last week, Jack carried my mat out to the car for me after Jazzercise and wanted to hold it in his lap on the way to the library. I thought it was a very kind gesture. On the way to the library, he had fun pulling the mat up over his face and trying to talk to me. He thought it was funny that I couldn't understand him. He also thought it was cool that the mat blocked the wind from his window.

We got to the library, did our thing there, and then got back in the car to head for home. Jack tried to play with the mat again. It did not work as well this time. He couldn't get it up over his head, and he was getting pretty frustrated. He asked for help, but as I was driving, I told him he would have to wait until we got home for help from me. He continued to try. Then he says...

"Mom, you are destroying my life!"

Yep, I about busted out laughing too. When I asked how I was destroying his life, he explained that my driving home was making the mat not work. I tried to explain that this was not actually the case, but he didn't want to hear it.

That night, I had Jack tell Steve the story at dinner. Jack has a great memory, and he told the story quite accurately including the quote. When Steve and I both laughed at the "destroying my laugh" part, Jack joined in the laughter. So now we have a little joke. Jack likes to tell me I'm destroying his life to get me to laugh. Little does he know that I have barely begun destroying his life. We'll see what he has to say about this once he gets to middle school.

And to end this fabulous post, how about some pictures of the boys. Enjoy!

Go with your gut

I have a confession. I have not been to the dentist for at least a year and a half, but probably closer to two years. I know I should go every six months. I want to go every six months. But I didn't like my dentist, and I was afraid.

So I finally faced my fear. I got on Angie's List and researched my previous dentist as well as Steve's dentist. I then made an appointment with Steve's dentist, James Street Dental. The office had excellent reviews in addition to Steve's raving about them.

Today, I went to the dentist. And it awesome.

Growing up, I had a great dentist, Dr. Raak. Many of my family still go to him. But he's in Arlington Heights, and the drive was getting inconvenient. So four or five years ago, I looked for a new dentist closer to home. I found one, and I made my appointment.

I had never had trouble with my teeth (other than orthodontic work). At my first appointment at the new dentist, I was told my gums were not in good shape and I should come in for a cleaning every three months. Over the course of the next two years, my gums never got any better. In fact, they supposedly got worse. At my last appointment, I was told I needed a "deep cleaning."

In addition to the gum issues, I also had a crown put in. I don't remember exactly why anymore, but I did have trouble with the crown once it was done. It's still sensitive to cold. I didn't feel good about that treatment either.

Throughout the course of my treatment there, I always felt uneasy. I was afraid of what was happening in my mouth, and I was afraid of what would be wrong next. And I didn't understand why my teeth and gums were so bad.

It turns out my previous dentist office wasn't such an ethical practice. When I got on Angie's list, I found out that the "deep cleaning" was recommended to lots of other people who hadn't had issues before either. Several of those people got second opinions and found out the cleaning wasn't necessary. I also read about others having issues with crowns they had done there.

Today, at James Street Dental, I found out my teeth and gums are healthy. Other than the buildup  from not having a professional cleaning in almost two years, everything looked good. Even the crown looked good except for what seems to be a little cement left that might be irritating the gums there. They are going to help me fix that.

The receptionist, hygienist, and dentist all were incredibly kind to me and my boys. With Steve in Switzerland, I had to bring the boys with me. Jack played with toys and got to look around the exam room at the equipment and even my x-rays. Reid smiled at everyone and laughed when the dentist used the suction on his toes. They didn't even flinch when I had to take a break to feed Reid. This office is amazing.

Jack gets to go for his first dental exam next week. And I am so glad that his first experience will be with Dr. Slavik and Dee at James Street Dental. Hopefully, he won't ever have the fear of the dentist that I did.

And the moral of this story - don't wait around; go with your gut about the people giving you care. That, and Angie's List is worth every penny!

Vacation Food

My love of food is no secret. And I've decided that my love of travel goes hand in hand with my love of food.

As we were driving to Michigan, Steve and I talked about his upcoming trip to Switzerland and the chocolate he would encounter. We also talked about how we both would like to go to Germany. Steve thought it would be fun to check out Octoberfest there. I thought it would be fun to find spaetzel. It was then that I realized one of the major things I love about traveling is eating yummy things in a new location.

Our trip to Ludington filled this bill as well. On our drive up, we needed to make a stop for dinner. As I tried to find restaurants using the map app on my iPhone, Steve read the billboards passing by. He saw a billboard for Crane's Pie Pantry. I found the "What-not Inn." We decided that Steve's find sounded much tastier, and we were well rewarded.

The place itself was cool. It was like a more authentic Cracker Barrel. We sat in a room that had all kinds of model airplanes hanging from the ceiling. The waitress offered Jack a "booster" seat. It was very similar to the high chair my grandmother had in her house when I was growing up - the wooden kind with beautifully carved spindles.

For dinner, I had a creamy tortilla soup that was awesome. It wasn't too spicy, but it was full of flavor. Steve and Jack had apple cider. After they started drinking it, Steve saw a sign that said the cider was unpasteurized and might not be safe to drink for children or adults with weakened immune systems. Jack was fine. They both enjoyed the cider. Steve also raved about Jack's grilled cheese.

We decided to take dessert to go since it was already getting late and we still had at least two more hours in our drive. We bought an apple pie, hot fudge, and blueberry preserves - all homemade. We have eaten the blueberry preserves every morning for breakfast since. I have also enjoyed the hot fudge every day since. The pie was nothing short of exactly what you would want in an iconic apple pie.



Luckily, Crane's offers online shopping and shipping. I might have to add a budget for this.

Once we got to Ludington, the eating options were mixed. Saturday's lunch was the bummer. We ate at Luciano's in town after someone had written nice things about it in the guest book at the house. We are not sure what those people ate at Luciano's because everything we were served would have made for a great episode of Kitchen Nightmare's with Chef Ramsey.

Luckily, dinner that night was pizza from the Chuck Wagon. While not Lou Malnati's, it certainly renewed our faith in the idea that Ludington can offer a decent restaurant.

Amanda and Kurt had gone shopping, so when we cooked out on Sunday night, we ate well. Hot dogs, bratwurst, corn on the cob, asparagus: it was all fantastic.

Breakfast was also a hit. Kurt and Amanda purchased sugar-cured bacon. So Steve cooked this bacon each morning, and then made eggs cooked in the bacon fat. It tasted as good as sugar-cured bacon sounds. Add toast with the blueberry preserves, and you can see why breakfast was amazing.

Unfortunately, we left the oft-recommended House of Flavors ice cream shop unvisited. Somehow, we did not have time to visit town again for dessert. It could be because we liked our pie so much we just kept eating it. House of Flavors will be on the list of must-dos next time.

So now we are home, and I am back to meal-planning and trying to eat healthy again. Jack and I had a cheese and fruit plate for dinner last night. Tonight was hot dogs and vegetables. Luckily, we still have a little of the preserves and hot fudge left to keep the vacation feeling lingering, but I doubt it will last past tomorrow!

Sandcastles

The Ludington Beach was definitely the highlight of our trip. It's where we spent most of our time. For Jack, that time was spent running in and out of the lake to get water and up and down the beach to get sand. He spent a lot of time filling buckets and scraping the beach. Through this, we learned a little about building sandcastles. And now that we are back home, I learned a little more through some research.

We are just starting our foray into sandcastle building, so we are clearly novices. We fill buckets with wet sand, dump them over, try to remove the bucket, and admire our work. Then someone jumps on the tower and we all laugh. It's a good time, no question. But our creations are less than architectural wonders. It's also really hard to get the sand to come out of the bucket correctly.

Amanda, our vacation MVP, did try to help step up our game. She was an engineer, after all, in a former career. She got the boys to dig a moat around their buildings.

What I learned after we got home was that we were doing it all wrong. Apparently, even Martha Stewart knows how to build a sandcastle. She has an article on her website that goes through the techniques. Her techniques even include a melon baller. I would expect nothing less.

So the expert way of building a sandcastle is to mound up sand and then create a bowl in the mound that you fill with water. Then you get to jump around in the water and pound the sand and water together. This is the step that got me interested. I could see us having lots of fun jumping around in water and sand. And you are supposed to do this over and over until the bowl is filled with wet, packed sand. Once you have a stable base, then you get to add towers by using a bottomless mold. This is where we got it wrong. Our buckets for building towers had bottoms. And since there is no way for the water to escape, the bucket, sand and water create a vacuum that ruins your perfectly nice tower.

So now I feel prepared for our summer trip to Florida, where we will once again be on a beach. I wonder if it will be more fun to kick down a well-built sandcastle than it is to kick over our already-toppling ones?



Mike was the best at getting a nice tower out of the bucket