Galena Anniversary Tour

Shawn had a Black Friday party at National Karate in the morning. It was probably planned to give parents a chance to shop sans kids for a couple of hours, but neither Raj nor I are very excited about dodging elbows to score a deal, so Shawn partied while Raj saw a couple of patients.

I found myself in terrible shape with food poisoning-like symptoms, yet no one else was affected and we all ate the same thing, which was only slightly reassuring. Along with the awful intestinal/stomach issues, I was dehydrated and having low blood sugar issues to top it off. Lovely! I spent all morning laying on the bathroom floor with my feet propped up on the side of the bathtub. I felt like I had been run over by a truck!

By around 1:00, I was able to stand upright again and felt much better, though far from 'normal.' Still, I was determined to will myself healthy - we were going to Galena!! I was NOT going to miss that!

I slept in the car and felt a little better when we got to our cabin at the Goldmoor Inn. After we unpacked the car and settled in, I couldn't help but giggle as Lilly danced around the cabin repeating, "Mommy happy! Daddy happy! Shawn happy! Baron happy!" (She recently started to put 2 words together and I love her simple sentences!)

(This microwave is a running joke between Raj and me because it's been here for years
and it reaffirms that it really is the land that time forgot!)

We relaxed and soaked in the peacefulness. We decided to go into town for dinner (there aren't many other options). Unfortunately, the drive through the hills sent me back into dizziness, and I had to sit for a few minutes when we parked in town. We picked a nearby restaurant so I wouldn't have to walk far, but the menu didn't have much that I thought I could handle, so I nibbled on crackers and sipped 7-Up. They did let me bring home a cup of soup from the salad bar, which they made sure we knew was against policy (because of their all-you-can-eat special). Luckily, I was able to eat it later back at the cabin. That night I felt significantly better, but still on the road to recovery. I have to admit, just being at the cabin was a great place to feel better!

Shawn slept in a fort made of 2 arm chairs facing each other with a comforter thrown over their tops. He loved it! Lilly slept with Raj and me in the king sized bed. Baron slept by my bedside, keeping an eye on me all night. It was a very quiet and restful night for everyone.

Saturday we had breakfast delivered to us and we ate in bed: yogurt parfait, creme brûlée french toast, sausage, baked apples, coffee, tea, milk, orange juice... I was relieved I could eat again! I would've hated to miss all that!

We spent the day walking around downtown. We visited our regular stops: Galena Canning Company (one of Raj's favorites), an art gallery (we picked out a scene from our drive to the cabin - I've been wanting a local art piece for years!), an old fashioned toy store, a candy store (both favorites for Shawn)... We picked out gourmet caramel apples and chocolates, Christmas ornaments for both kids and a bird feeder for the backyard. It was disheartening to see how many of the businesses were closing their doors by the end of the year; however, hopefully they'll have new merchants move in to keep the town going. It'll be interesting to see how it's changed next year. New businesses could be a good thing, too.

 Shawn found a house that we've never noticed before very close to the main street. It turned out to be the oldest house in Galena and we were able to go on a guided tour. The timing was perfect for Lilly's nap. We learned that it was an 1826 trading post downstairs and the owner, Mr. Dowling and his family, lived upstairs (though he had to go outside to get there - no direct access back then).
"Most folks come to Galena, Illinois, to shop for antiques and arts and crafts and jewelry, dine at some very good restaurants and maybe soak up the history of a town that produced U.S. Grant and eight other Civil War generals. But almost hidden at the far end of Main Street, at a fork in the road known as Diagonal Street, is the home of John Dowling, arguably the first citizen of Galena. His house is the oldest in the town, dating to the early 1800s. It also is the oldest stone structure in Illinois. The narrated tour of Dowling's house and the Galena Territory Trading Post is filled with 1826 furnishings and pottery, which makes it all a very interesting comparison to the Washburne and Belvedere mansions that were constructed later in the century." Shawn loved the tour and our guide admitted she was impressed by his behavior on a 'grown-up' tour (???) I'm bot sure what she was expecting or what her past experience has been with kids, but Shawn smiled from the compliment.

(Copied from http://home.comcast.net/~mywebfiles/galena/galena_002.htm)

We also walked through a small welcome center that honored U.S. Grant and had shelves of memorabilia, history, and archives. Shawn wasn't as enthusiastic about this history lesson, but it was getting late in the day, so his interest was fading in general.

We caught the last half of a holiday parade. Santa brought up the end with a horse drawn carriage. (We had tried to see him all day at a little hut in the center of town, but it turned out that we were looking for him at the wrong place. By the time we realized where he had been all day, he was gone. Oops.)

For dinner, we went to The Woodstone Restaurant at Eagle Ridge Resort. It's on the outskirts of town, which we pass each year when we arrive. Food was good, but nothing special.

Back at the cabin, I turned my phone back on (I enjoy being unplugged while in Galena), but only for the camera mode. I figured out how to set a delay and we got a family picture in one of our favorite places.

Then, the kids got silly playing with stuff in the cabin.

Look out! There's a bear behind you!	Row, row, row your boat...
Taking a closer look	He's my size!

Kiss on the nose!

Awww, I love it. Stories before bedtime.

On Sunday, we enjoyed our breakfast in bed again: ham soufflé, yogurt parfait, fresh fruit, coffee, tea, milk, orange juice... Yum. After we packed up the car, we headed back into town just to make sure we didn't miss anything. We also went for a short hike near the Galena River. It was cold, so my efforts to defer our departure didn't last long. Luckily, Shawn helped postpone our trip home by suggesting we get lunch first. We found a little cafe (that was only serving breakfast) and filled up before driving back to St. Charles.

Back home, Raj must've been inspired by our getaway because he threw himself into holiday decorating mode. We don't have a tree yet and we're getting help to put lights outside, but the inside of our house is beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

As much as I enjoy Galena and hate to leave our peaceful retreat, I do love our home. (Plus, I'm feeling significantly better than a few days ago!)

Thanksgiving 2014

Shawn's had all week off of school. It's been nice to have him around. (I'm sure the day will come when I look forward to having the kids return to school, but that day hasn't come just yet.) We didn't schedule the week full of lots of special 'days-off' activities - we had some, but it was nice to have a chance to relax a bit.

Raj took Shawn to Dadaji's to hang out for a little while before they all came back for our feast. Lilly stayed home with me and we held a small dance party while I chopped, mixed, and roasted. (Having a double oven made it a lot easier than in past years!)

The Thanksgiving Feast menu:  Green bean casserole with sausage popovers Cheesey corn casserole Creamed spinach (one of Raj's favorites) Stuffing with sausage in the crockpot Garlic mashed potatoes Sweet potato bake layered with marshmallows (I left out the cashews though) Roasted veggies Wild rice blend with cranberries  Cranberry sauce (from a can) Black olives Turkey with gravy
	There was hardly room for our dinner plates! It's good to send plenty of leftovers home with Dadaji.

To initiate the meal, Shawn read a Thanksgiving poem to us. It was the first time Dadaji heard him read. Shawn beamed with pride. (It was cute to watch him practice reading his lines in anticipation of his reading debut!) 

"Gobble, gobble!
Who is that?
Turkey Gobble big and fat.
Gobble, gobble!
What did you say?
Meet me on Thanksgiving Day!"

	Poor Lilly must have overdone it at our mini-dance party earlier because she only lasted long enough to take a bite or two before she just couldn't hold her eyes open any more. She napped through dinner and woke, still a little sleepy, just as we were clearing the table.

Though Raj was still eating and had a fork mid-way to his mouth to take a bite, Dadaji was anxious to get back to his house and go to bed. (I'll never understand his sleep schedule and need for sleeping pills.) Raj had tried to convince him to stay at our house for the night, mainly so he wouldn't have to drive back & forth, but he wouldn't accept the invitation. Raj finished his last few bites before his dad insisted on going home. By the time Raj returned from taking him home, we had cleared the table, packed up the leftovers (aside from what we sent home with Dadaji), washed most of the dishes, set the dishwasher to run, and got the kids into pajamas. After a long but enjoyable day, everyone was ready to crawl into bed.

As Shawn said at bedtime, "Mom, we have a lot to be thankful for! Don't we?"

Yes, we certainly do.

Shawn wears a brain cap

I printed the morning routine checklist that I made for Shawn yesterday and put it in a plastic sleeve so it could be reused.

I don't know if it's the novelty of it or what, but he loved checking off the boxes. I looked in on him once and thought I had caught him stalling under his covers, when in fact he was half dressed already! He was just getting ready under his blankets! (Totally fine with me as long as he gets ready and doesn't fall back to sleep!) By the time I had finished getting ready, he was completely done. Raj was even able to get Shawn breakfast before he went to work. This is a first! Holy cow! (Bonus: Shawn had fun teasing me about how fast he was and that he was waaaaaaaaaiting for me!) What a great way to start the morning - no nagging & no rushing around trying to catch up.

Today is Shawn's last day of participating in BioTots this year. He was really excited to work with Evan again and earn his 'paycheck.' They did number & word games, drumming & clapping rhythm tests, cortical tests, phonological tests, and working memory tests.

Here's a copy of all of the assessments they've done during our 3 visits this year. They were busy! Some are familiar to me from my teaching days, but others are foreign. I'm sure some are unique to this study, too. (I'm hoping Evan can get me the results! I think it would be interesting to see how Shawn changes over time according to data.)

The session ended with Shawn hooked up to 36 'buttons' to study his brainwaves. Getting the cap on & having gel squirted into each of the 36 individual contact points was probably the least comfortable of the experience.  Once it was on though, it really didn't seem to bother Shawn at all. The hardest part was not moving very much while it was on while he watched a movie. Last year he was not a fan of this part, even when they used fewer buttons, because there's an earpiece whispering distractions while he watches the movie and the movie's volume isn't very loud - loud enough, but maybe not when you've got extra noises in one ear. None of that seemed to bother him this year. More mature? Better focus/ignoring skills? Male selective hearing already kicking in? I wonder...
The gel for the contact points left Shawn with an interesting hairdo when the cap came off! We joked that Raj has always wanted to put gel in his hair & give him a spiked look, but this isn't what he had in mind!

Shawn had fun, earned $30, and got a new t-shirt. It was a little disappointing that he's done for a year. Shawn's had a good time working/playing with Evan. Hopefully Shawn will be able to continue participating as the years go by.

Today we celebrated an early St. Martinstag!

Tuesday is a really busy day and today had a much lighter schedule.

We started with a family breakfast, which we rarely have. I made scrambled eggs, streusel toast (from Costco), sausage, orange slices, and strawberries for breakfast. Raj reorganized the mud room - a project he's been talking about for months and is very pleased to have gotten it done.

Shawn made a new lantern. He designed it after the German Flag. I tried to help Lilly make a new lantern, too, but she fell asleep and I still have one I made a few years ago, so that was just fine.

a crayon and water color German flag Laterne

Lilly "helping"

The boys got haircuts and ran a few errands while Lilly napped. When they got home, we went to a Rainbow play set showroom to look for a replacement for the one that's in poor condition in our backyard. Shawn and Lilly treated it like an indoor park, which was encouraged. They climbed, swung, slid, ran... and burned energy testing a variety of play set models. We didn't buy anything today, but got some good ideas and prices.

Back home, I made dinner:
Schweinebraten (with roasted carrots, onions, apples, and gravy)
Chuffed and Roasted Potatoes
Green beans
The meal got rave reviews, even though there was no sausage, sauerkraut, or spaetzle!

After dinner, Lilly helped me prep pretzel dough (an Auntie Anne's mix from a fundraiser).
While it rested, we bundled up, put glow sticks in our lanterns, and went outside for a little while.

By the time we came back in and pajamas were on, Lilly helped add salt to our pretzels and then our pretzel men were baked. We found cinnamon - honey butter at Costco and it was a super tasty topping to the funny looking pretzels. Even after the big meal, Shawn and Lilly had no problem polishing off their own full pretzel saints! (Raj and I were expecting to share with them - NOPE!)

It was past bedtime, but everyone headed to sleep without any protests. The kids were serenaded to sleep by an owl! It was definitely noticeable, but not loud enough to be disturbing at bedtime. It's hoot seemed to echo off the houses, so it was hard to tell where it was coming from. Our guess is in the trees around the stream behind the houses across the street. Very cool. (It's still funny to me how little wild life we've actually encountered out here, considering all the raccoons, opossum, and skunks we had in Roselle! I guess we simply have more space to coexist without being in each other's faces out here!)

As the owl hooted, the Puris drifted off to sleep. Except me. I had to make an AVIC art presentation for Shawn's class tomorrow. I took advantage of the quiet house with no interruptions and burned the midnight oil. Now, I'm all set for tomorrow to introduce Winslow Homer and his Blue Boat to 27 kindergardeners. Wish me luck!

Happy 77th* Birthday, Dadaji!

*We think. Due to a fire in India years ago, official records (like birth certificates) were lost. Plus, Ramesh was born in his grandmother's home, not in a hospital. The funny thing is, as a result of the lack of official documents, the United States has the wrong birth year on all of his papers, which makes him younger than his younger brother! Since there's no proof, no one ever bothered to fix it.

So, if Ramesh was born in 1939, we celebrated his 75th birthday today. However, if he was actually born in 1937, then we celebrated his 77th birthday today. Or something like that! (We didn't get a straight answer out of him today!)

Regardless, Shawn made him 2 birthday drawings. We picked up Chinese food on the way to his house (with plenty to leave as leftovers for a few days) and met Raj there after work. We didn't stay too late since he takes his sleeping pill around 7:30 and it kicks in pretty quickly.

The kids working on birthday cards:

(Check out her pencil grasp! Wow!)

Earlier today, I was working with Lilly on saying, "I love you!"
I'm glad she understands my message! She cracks me up! (She enjoys watching that as much as I do!)

Happy Anniversary

Today we celebrate the auspicious occasion of our wedding day 8 years ago. After 15 years together, there has been laughter and smiles and bumps in the road, but there's no one else I'd rather share them with. Happy Anniversary to the love of my life!

Raj was pretty sure I was going to my monthly Mothers & More Board meeting. He had exhilarating plans to get Shawn's knee pads for flag football, which starts Saturday, and baths for the kids... But I had something else in mind to celebrate our 'auspicious day.'

Little did he know that I told my board *last month* that I would not be coming. Last month, I also made arrangements with Melissa, next door, to watch the kids for the evening. And, I made reservations at a highly recommended 'grown-up' restaurant, Bien Trucha, in Geneva. Not bad for a professional procrastinator! (We agreed a long time ago that our retreat to Galena would be in lieu of gifts.)

Raj pulled into the driveway seconds after I dropped the kids off next door. He was confused why I didn't go back to get them when I saw him drive up! Hehehe! I said hello and told him to get changed because we were going out! His look of shock (and relief) was priceless!

Bien Trucha was amazing. The menu is deceiving because it's mostly tacos. What's so special about tacos (other than the yummy drinks that often go with them)? These. Are. The. Fanciest. Tastiest. Tacos. Ever! (The drinks were pretty awesome too.) Now we understand why it's hard to get a reservation and why they have lines outside on the weekends! Yum.

The kids had a great time with the neighbors, too.

 

And the best part of the night: both kids were asleep when we got home. Melissa was laying next to both of them in Shawn's bed, just like I do - Shannon

To top it all, both kids slept. All. Night. Long. I think this might have been a first! (But I'm too sleep deprived to be sure! Ha!)

A happy anniversary indeed!

Rainy day off

It was a rainy day off in honor of Christopher Columbus. Too bad the weather didn't cooperate with the day off of school, but we had plans for the afternoon.

About a month ago, Shawn declared our costume assignments for Halloween. He would be S'mores, Lilly a hot dog, and Raj and I would be campers/boy & girl scouts/ a camp fire... Something along those lines. Amazingly, there was a hot dog costume at the Mothers & More resale and one of the members, who overheard me talking about Shawn's plan, gave me a Frosty the Snowman costume that she made out of a giant stuffed teddy bear. "It's perfect for his marshmallow!" she suggested. She was right.

While Lilly napped, I used pieces of Ikea boxes from Shawn's new desk and made the rest of the S'mores costume. I also needed to cut feet holes in Lilly's sleeping bag style hot dog costume, because, while she could fit inside, it was made for a non-mobile infant. I finished just in time to go to a Trick-or-Treating Nana's Playgroup with Mothers & More. Lots of fun. The senior residents gathered in the lobby and the kids trick-or-treated from walker to wheelchair to cozy couch seats. There was a nice crowd of very sweet grandmas & grandpas with too much candy! The kids also decorated foam pumpkin cutouts with stickers and handed them out to the residents. I'm really glad Shawn had the day off & could come along. (These events are often during the school day.)

Shawn and I agreed that he could go to karate a different day this week so we didn't have to rush around between activities. In the evening, he had his first meeting for Primrose Farm CloverBuds, the precursor to 4-H. Instead of meeting at Primrose Farm though, they opt to meet at Hickory Knolls Nature Center because it's more accommodating to inclement weather - that worked well today! They did some exploring inside the center while parents filled out paperwork. Tonight's main activity was just to get introduced to the pledges (US & 4-H) and to meet each other. The kids sat at a square of tables while parents sat in a row of chairs off to the side. (It's been made clear that this is not a drop off club, but I think it should/could easily be.) The kids made name tags with a picture of favorite thing on back. Introduced themselves & shared their pictures. Lots of pets, games, toys, rainbows... Shawn shared his picture: "Spending time with my mom." I melted. He just grinned at me, knowing exactly what he had done to me. That kid. Geesh!

This is the nametag that Shawn made with the picture of his favorite thing on the back. (It says, "Me and my mom.")