Inaugural family flight {vacation part one}

IT'S OFFICIAL.  WE HAVE EARNED OUR WINGS. 

LAST WEDNESDAY WE ABANDONED OUR VEHICLE OF CHOICE, THE ODYSSEY, AND BOARDED A PLANE.  FOUR TICKETS.  FOUR SEATS.  BOUND FOR MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

NOT WANTING TO MAKE A ROOKIE MISTAKE, I CONSULTED THE BEST, PACKED STRATEGICALLY, FILLED MY CARRY-ON WITH TREASURES,  SAID A PRAYER, POPPED TWO ZOFRAN (my head and stomach do not tolerate traveling as graciously as I would like) AND HOPED FOR THE BEST.

FOR OUR SWEET ONES, THE AIRPORT TURNED OUT TO BE THE EQUIVALENT OF DISNEY WORLD.  AFTER PASSING SEAMLESSLY THROUGH SECURITY (thank you, Jesus!), WE PARKED OURSELVES IN FRONT OF A WINDOW AND WATCHED PLANE AFTER PLANE TAKE OFF AND LAND.  SQUEALS OF DELIGHT FILLED OUR CORNER OF THE AIRPORT, AS WE MUNCHED ON A GREASY BREAKFAST, MADE LAST MINUTE TRIPS TO THE BATHROOM, AND READIED OURSELVES FOR OUR MAIDEN FAMILY VOYAGE.

THE SLIM LEATHER SEATS, SUDDENLY APPEARED GIGANTIC AS THEY SWALLOWED OUR CHILDREN, THEIR BLANKIES AND AIRPLANE TREASURES.

WE HAD PLANNED TO BUCKLE THE LITTLE MAN SNUG IN HIS CAR SEAT; HOWEVER, THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT HAD OTHER PLANS.  OVERALL, HE TOLERATED THE SEAT BELT, SETTLING FOR LIMITED VIEWS OF THE BLUE SKY AND THE ENTERTAINMENT HIS MOTHER PROVIDED.

THE LITTLE LADY WAS A DREAM CONSIDERING SHE WAS SEATED DIRECTLY BEHIND HER FATHER, AND AN AISLE SEPARATED US.  ONCE HER SEAT BACK TRAY WAS PERFECTLY ORGANIZED, SHE SANG HER WAY TO MILWAUKEE.

"I'M IN THE LORD'S ARMY....YES, SIR!"

APPARENTLY, THIS IS (NOW) HOW WE ROLL.


HATS OFF TO THOSE FAMILIES WHO BRAVE THE BLUE SKIES ON A REGULAR BASIS.
WHILE OUR TRAVELS WERE SMOOTH AND THE SKIES PLEASANT,  I PREFER THE COMFORT OF MY VAN'S CAPTAIN CHAIR AND THE OPEN ROAD.

When toddlers win...

Perhaps a park, let alone a nifty tree house overlooking a creek, is on not the best place to attempt a family picture with two playful children.

Especially, when church bells clang from afar.

And, there are logs and wooden steps to climb up and on.

When busy bodies are asked to sit instead of stand.

And, shoes fall off.

Perhaps THIS

 is as good as it gets when toddlers win.



Encouragement for today...

see HERE

Too cute NOT to post...

Frankly, I take a lot of pictures of our sweet ones, and considering the last post was quite lengthy I decided to include the following pictures from the weekend in a separate post.  

I'll let them speak for themselves.



The Post/Lecocqs

THIS WEEKEND WE WERE BLESSED WITH OUR FIRST VISIT FROM FRIENDS (WHO ARE BASICALLY LIKE FAMILY.)  MARK AND MARIA FLEW IN FRIDAY EVENING FROM CHICAGO, ILLINOIS AFTER A BUSY WEEK OF WORK.  LITTLE DID THEY KNOW OUR WEEKEND WOULD BE EVEN BUSIER, AS WE ATTEMPTED TO FILL EACH MOMENT OF THE WEEKEND WITH EXCITING CLEVELAND ADVENTURES.

ADVENTURE #1: RIDING IN A VAN WITH TODDLERS

Thanks to the ol' Honda Odyssey we were able to shift the second seat to accommodate our guests in the very back of the van (nice) where they were treated to our children's finest outbursts, singing, screeching, laughter, rants, raves and chatter.

Riding. In. Style.

ADVENTURE #2: THE WEST SIDE MARKET

Mark and Maria appreciate fine food, cooking, and eating, which is one of my absolute favorite things about them.  When we visited this market back in July, Jeff and I took one look at all of the fine food stands and agreed that if Mark and Maria were to visit, this would be one of the first places we took them.  We eagerly consumed mammoth apple fritters, sweet cherry donuts, and fresh fruit for breakfast and hand picked a variety of tasty treats to enjoy throughout the afternoon.

Never one to miss a dramatic moment, the little lady communicates her strong desire for a sparkle donut (only minutes after finishing a cherry donut).

As we waited for the men to peruse the market, we killed time with a spontaneous photo shoot.

And, took in some street music.

ADVENTURE #3: DATE NIGHT WITH THE CLEVELAND INDIANS

All fans of  major league baseball, we decided that a trip to Progressive Field would be the perfect way to enjoy an evening out in our new city.  And, while our loyalties lie with other teams (Maria the White Sox, Mark supporting both Chicago teams, and us faithful fans of the Brew Crew) there is nothing like sitting beneath the summer sky with a ball park hot dog, cold brew and good friends.  

The RTA has become our transportation of choice when venturing downtown.  We continue to become slightly agitated while driving on Cleveland's roadway systems.

Take me out to the ball game.

ADVENTURE #4: ON THE RISE BAKERY (no surprise here)

Apparently, the little lady and Maria share the same affection for pain au chocolat (aka - chocolate croissants).  Upon hearing this news, it became clear to me that a trip to On the Rise bakery was necessary.  So, day two began with sweet croissants and steaming coffee.

The little lady was thrilled to discover our guests were still in town come Sunday morning, and was eager to spend more time with Mria (her pronunciation of Maria) and "Markie." 

The twinkle in her eye for Mark and Mark alone.

Enjoying the company of our very attentive guests.

ADVENTURE #5: HORSESHOE PARK

In an effort to kill some time, burn off some calories and enjoy the cooler weather, we set off for one of the more unique parks in our area. 

A willing teacher and very eager pupil.

First signs of fall.

ADVENTURE #6: A TRIP TO LITTLE ITALY

Alas, I have no pictures from our little trek through this quaint Italian neighborhood.  We were too busy enjoying the red, white and green flare as we searched for an open restaurant to satisfy our hungry children's mouths.  We did; however, enjoy a leisurely stroll, good conversation, and a light lunch.

ADVENTURE #7: FAMILY NAP TIME

Again no pictures to accompany this sacred time of peace and quiet; however, I sure wish I had one!  Initially, I thought that we would forego naps in favor of spending more time exploring the city.  However, after a late night, early morning, and several hours outdoors it became clear that we all needed some down time.  The kids welcomed their blankets and fell fast asleep, and the four of us adults each found our way to the (extra large) sofa.  With the Brewers/Cubs game playing out quietly on the TV screen, we dropped off one by one, two tired wives sandwiched between two tired husbands.

ADVENTURE #8: DINNER FOR SIX

As the children finished their naps, Maria and I enjoyed a peaceful stroll to the Fresh Market to purchase items for dinner.  Being that we had basically been eating around the clock since 9am, we decided on a light meal of salad, rotisserie chicken and bread.  The little lady was quick to pull up a stool and help prepare the evening meal. 

Tasting Maria's "lunch" of salad greens and lemon vinaigrette.  She refers to all meals as lunch.

After dinner, our sweet ones enjoyed story time with Markie, a sweet and memorable moment.


ADVENTURE #9: MITCHELL'S ICE CREAM
I'm afraid there are no pictures to commemorate our trip to this fantastic ice cream parlor, as we were too busy stuffing our face...once again.






It was such a blessing to have dear friends make the trip to Cleveland, after two months of our being here.  It was a weekend full of laughter, good food, great conversation , and sweet moments as Mark and Maria invested in our little ones.  It is sure to be one of the highlights of our year here.


Thank you M & M!

Sweet Pairing

THESE TWO...

THEY ARE LIKE PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY...

SOFT, STICKY, SWEET, MESSY, AND THE PERFECT COMPLIMENT TO ONE ANOTHER.

WE HAVE DISCOVERED ANOTHER PERFECT PAIRING.

 CROISSANTS FILLED WITH DARK CHOCOLATE.  

CROISSANTS FILLED WITH TART RASPBERRY JAM.

SHE PREFERS THE CHOCOLATE VARIETY...

AND, HE THE SWEET JAM.

HE HAS NO WORDS.

THEY. ARE. THAT. GOOD.

PAUSING TO SAVOR ALL THAT IS GOOD AND PERFECT.

THE SWEETNESS OF THE CROISSANTS ENHANCES THEIR ALREADY SWEET DISPOSITIONS.

Hmmm...

AND, APPARENTLY ENHANCES OTHER AREAS AS WELL.

THE PERFECT PAIRING.



Backpack...check.

WE ARE OFFICIALLY ONE STEP CLOSER TO PRESCHOOL.  THIS WEEK THE LITTLE LADY'S L.L. BEAN ICE BLUE MONOGRAMMED BACKPACK ARRIVED.  (COLOR CHOICE - HERS, AFTER SURVEYING AN ASSORTMENT OF COLORS THAT INCLUDED BLACK, PINK, AND GREEN...ALL OF WHICH SHE CONSIDERED.) I FOUND HER CHOICE TO BE PERFECT, AS IT REMINDED ME OF THIS...

LAST YEAR'S BIRTHDAY CAKE, WHEN HER ONLY REQUEST FOR THE ENTIRE PARTY WAS "A LIGHT BLUE CAKE."

THE BACKPACK IMMEDIATELY FOUND ITS WAY TO HER BACK, WHERE IT REMAINED FOR THE BETTER PART OF THE DAY, FILLED WITH LITTLE TRINKETS "FOR HER CLASS."

IT IS AMAZING HOW ONE LIGHTWEIGHT BACKPACK CAN CHANGE A LITTLE GIRL'S POSTURE, INSPIRING HER TO STAND A LITTLE TALLER AND BEAM A LITTLE BRIGHTER.

AND, WHILE THE LITTLE LADY IS READYING HERSELF FOR ACADEMIA...

...THIS LITTLE GUY IS READY FOR JUST ABOUT ANYTHING, SO LONG AS IT 

INVOLVES ONE RAD BOYISH BACKPACK.

YOU'D THINK HE JUST FOUND OUT HE WAS GOING TO DISNEY WORLD.

(I SWEAR THIS KIDS OWNS SHIRTS.)