Wedding in Louisville

We had kind of an interesting weekend.  One of Dave's cousins got married in Louisville this weekend.  Since we haven't found a vet/dog hotel yet, I didn't go, I stayed with the dogs in Chicago when they drove down on Saturday morning.  Apparently Nico was a peach and a half.  For serious.  Here is one of the few good pics from the wedding, where Nico and his cousin Darby are apparently having a blast.  Even though I told Nico NO HAVING ANY FUN without me.  

Me?  Well, I got a workout in, plus I got a massage and saw a movie.  I headed up to Michigan on Sunday to see Uncle Scott.  In all, it was a great weekend.  Not long enough.  Not enough of the house is unpacked.  But I guess it will do. 

Engine 82

This week has been crazy.  I took Monday and Wednesday off of work... Monday to go to the doctor and Wednesday to hang out with Nico.  When I went to the doctor, I tried to have the conversation with him about replacing my left knee.  He doesn't seem to think that is a good idea, since I can still play my sports.  Says I ought to consider doing different sports.  What is weird is that he was completely different with Dave, wants to help Dave get his shoulder squared away, so he can keep doing judo.  This was very strange.

A couple of nights ago Nico and I were pretending to be EMS workers:


Isn't that adorable?

This was also the same night that the Blackhawks lost to the Bruins.  Here are some of Nico's thoughts:


Isn't he funny?

Dave and Nico are headed to a wedding in Louisville this weekend.  I am going to stay at home with the dogs.  I am hoping to be very productive.  But I might go see a movie.  Or two.  :)

Nico in the K'Zoo...

On Wednesday, Dave took Nico to the Children's Museum.  Which is apparently, the best place on earth.  While there are things to learn there, the place is mostly for play.  Including this:

Doesn't that look like fun?  Can't wait for the cousins to visit... think they will love it!!

Yesterday Nico and I drove up to Kalamazoo to see Uncle Scott.  It's an easy, if somewhat boring drive.  Which is saying something, because I figure I have driven every inch of Florida's interstates, plus the turnpike.  Uncle Scott is having surgery today on his arm, which he broke in the car accident last week.  

Nico was a gem, except for a 2 minute meltdown he had when we left because he wanted to cuddle with me.  So, we swung by my grandparents old house on Lorraine Ave (literally a street away Scott's).  I sat in the back seat and cuddled the boy while a bunch of nosy-body neighbors wondered what the hell was going on.   

To me, this is a very "Michigan" house.  I can't even explain why.  

We had to stop three times on the way home so Nico could pee.  Including once in a traffic jam.  We pulled onto the left shoulder.  Nico totally peed outside... with lots of slow traffic driving by.  As we were getting back in the car, a tow truck pulled in front of us.  And then I had to explain what we were doing there.  Apparently, Chicago drivers take disabled vehicles seriously, because a bunch had apparently called to report a disabled vehicle on the shoulder of the westbound Edens.  See what I did there?  I just referred to 94 as the Edens.  In the 2 months I have been here, I have listened to the weather report on WBEZ and have had NO IDEA what was going on.  But apparently it's like this: The Edens=I-94, The Stevenson=I-55, The Kennedy=I-90, The Drive=Lakeshore Drive.  Yeah, I am really figuring things out.  

Trashy?

Not much new going on around here.  Nico and I are going up to Kalamazoo on Thursday to see Uncle Scott.  Should be fun.  It's nice to be able to drive 2 hours and see family.

Dave has been working on setting up work space in the basement.  Which is awesome.  Seriously, when you are in the basement, it's easy to settle into a nice little zone work-wise.  

I found the missing piece to the bed.  But for the life of me, I can't figure out how to put the damn thing together again.  Seriously.  We put it together last night, but it was not right.  I heard loud creaks and bangs from the bed frame this morning and it definitely has an unnatural slant to the middle of the bed.  I think we may just get rid of the damn thing and keep the box springs on the floor.  Is that trashy?

Holy Weekend!

We had a bit of a wild weekend!  Dave's boss Craig was in town, so I took Friday off to hang with Nico and Craig's daughter Lila.  We started off by going to Lincoln Park Zoo.  Which is awesome.  It's free, so it wasnt that annoying when Nico decided 20 minutes after being there that he wanted to go.

After the zoo, we headed back to their hotel, where the kids went swimming in the indoor pool.  We also had Giordano's pizza for lunch.  It was amazing.  It's what deepdish was always meant to be.  Sooo good.

Saturday we had kind of a chill day.  I went to a fitness class in the morning and Dave and Nico went on a drive about.  They went up to Niles and Lincolnwood to check things out.  When they got back, we caught a quick nap and then headed over to the lake for a late picnic.  It was a bit cool, but not too bad.

The grill is one of those portable/disposable things that we got for our emergency preparedness supplies (in case we ever had to stay at a shelter for a week or two due to a hurricane).  Here is Nico the Firefighter putting out the fire.   

Then on Sunday, I gave Nico a hair cut.  Isn't he just precious?

After, we took Lila and Craig to see the Cubs play!!  As an early Father's Day present, Nico got Dave a new Cubs shirt!  The game was awesome.  They won.  And Nico was really good for the whole game.  Seriously.  He lasted all game.  It was great.  I was very proud of him. Lila left her purse in the stadium, so I went back for it, and they all headed back to the hotel, which was down in The Loop, where there was more swimming.  I think it's probably time for swimming lessons for Nico, because little homey is completely unafraid in the water.  

He's been okay, considering all the change.  He still gives Dave a rough time of it for nap time.  But we haven't had any back sliding in terms of potty training or anything.  He says he's going to start sleeping in his firetruck bed when he turns four (yes he still sleeps with us- dont judge).  

Ice Cream

So, one of the best things about the new place is it's proximity to a Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robins.  When I got home from work yesterday, Nico and I sent Dave to do some work at a coffee shop and we did some stuff around the house.  I tried to put the bed together- but failed because we are, apparently, missing a piece (don't ask me how).  Then we had some dinner and walked to get ice cream.  Isn't that awesome!!

I have biked to work two days this week.  It's a nice ride... about 12.5-13 miles round trip.  Overwhelming though, because I see all these places where I want to go... this bar...this restaurant... this book store.  Its hard to keep my bike going.  It's weird because I used to be so gunshy about riding my bike.  I would go out of my way to stay on bike paths.  And often I would end up lost.  I've finally just said, "to hell with it!" and just got out there with the cars.  I fully expect to get tagged some day... but since I am riding on crowded city streets,  I am banking on the offending driver only going about 20-30 mph when they hit me.  And since I am wearing a helmet, I think I will be okay.  I mean, obviously, it would hurt, which is why I am careful- defensive. When I have questions about other drivers being aware of me- I just hop off my bike and wait for them to go by.  No big deal.  

It's cool. 

I also finished my work for the College of Medicine this weekend.  I had been working half time for the grant since I left in April... helping with presentations and posters and such.  Yesterday was the big annual meeting and I helped pull together the figures for it.  It was a bit unceremonious of an end for me.  The person who took over my position seemed grateful for my help, but my old boss seemed a bit ambivalent about my contribution.  Oh well.  Consider that a life lesson learned.  

All for now. 

In Chicago

We've made it safely to Chicago.  We are still unpacking- hence the no updating.  Nico is loving the crap out of the city.  He likes riding the train (no surprise).  I have been working while Dave and Nico are at home.  This has resulted in this thing where they go do fun stuff without me.  Nico and I have a new thing where I tell them not to have fun without me.  Then at the end of the day, Nico reports on all the fun things they did.

Nico seems to like our new house.  I am so relieved to be past that shitty part... past living apart from my boys, past packing up, past unloading the truck.  Now we are slowly putting together our house.  I have a girl cave.  This is a place for all my craft stuff.  I want to make it a craft space+photography studio+home office space.  Dave says the weird little room in the basement isn't big enough.  I say challenge accepted!!

Our kitchen is tiny.  And apparently, I can't say no to kitchen devices.  Seriously, I just can't do it.  The result is that our painfully small kitchen is spilling out into the dining room.  So I took this island and made it a bar cart.  As soon as we get those plates off of there.   

Thursday I came home from work and scooped up Dave and Nico and went to a German place called Leshatt's Inn.  Was one of the best meals we've had in a long time.  Of course, it's not hard when you have a crazy beer selection.  Afterwards, we stopped for ice cream... which was completely off the chain.  Nico loved it of course.

I found out that four of my five favorite musical acts are touring this summer (Springsteen is touring, but it looks like mostly Europe for now:(  Counting Crows+Wallflowers and Goo Goo Dolls+Matchbox 20 will both be in Chicago this year.  I keep trying to convince my sister and mom to please come to Chicago so they can go with me.  To no avail. 

I think I might suffer from some type of mild manic depression, only with out the depression. Because I get on these whiriling, high energy "must do all the things now!" kicks.  The latest one has produced a new blog... that is separate from the Royse show.  It's more about crafty mccrafterson stuff.  

http://thejbrshow.com/

Basically I just want to blog organization+food+crafty+diy+photography+awesome+memes+chicago stuff for moms who ain't got time for that!!  Still trying to figure out a posting schedule.  But I am working on it.  Especially now that I have a girl cave.