Monday, April 05, 2010
Easter Weekend
On Friday we did an accelerated departure, picking up the kids from school and heading out to Omaha, NE to see my Dad and Mary. The ride went quick and easy. The last couple of trips we've been on Anna's complained of being "car sick", but then does great -I think its a kind of protest.
Dad and Mary are always great to see. I used some of my accumulated Holiday Inn points (I've got a quarter million of them from my time in China) to get a couple of adjoining rooms at a close by Crowne Plaza. Pierce and Anna were very excited that they got their own room with their own beds (they usually double-up in a sleeper sofa).
We've formed a semi-tradition of meeting Dad and Mary at the local Friday's for dinner on Friday night when we arrive. Mac and cheese is the meal of choice for the kids. We were early enough that we were able to go back to the apartment to visit for a few hours. Pierce and Anna both had new toys they were eager to show, we had to keep moving them out of the main "traffic" area so we could move around.
Saturday started off a little cool, but turned nice. After a "only-ok" (and complimentary) breakfast at the hotel we headed out to the Dad's apartment for more visiting. The kids started to get a little stir-crazy (so did I), so we packed the whole group up and headed to a local park. There was a good-sized swing set that the kids, Nora and I used, the we went for a nice long walk. There was a miniature airfield near by that we tried to walk to, but never quite found.
Interestingly, Anna invented the concept of "little peoples". It started with her duck walking around the apartment claiming she was a little people. Of course she got Mary, Nora and myself doing it. Over the weekend it morphed into a whole story line, with a little people driving a miniature airplane at the park and living in a small culvert next to the trail we walked.
Saturday night we went to everyone's favorite for dinner, the Amazing Pizza Machine. We got an earlier start than usual (which was good). Dad, Mary, Anna and Nora went crazy on the ticket games and set a new, personal record -almost 1000 tickets. Pierce forewent the go-carts in favor of air hockey and driving games with me.
Easter morning started a little earlier than Nora and I had anticipated with Pierce and Anna waking up at 2:00 am to find their baskets. It took them about 30 minutes to get settled down and back to sleep. We had brunch at Granite City (Dad and Mary's suggestion and treat). It was extremely good and definitely a go-back.
We got back into town around 5:00 pm and, after a quick feeding of dog, headed over to Nora's parent's house. All the grandkids did an Easter egg hunt with plastic eggs hidden in flower beds, car bumpers, deck rails and more. Nora and Nicole did an egg pass after it was all over and found a significant number of "missed" eggs. Dinner, as always, was very good with lots of good food and conversation. We all bowed out around 7:30 pm -its a school night.
-Eric (Dad)
Dad and Mary are always great to see. I used some of my accumulated Holiday Inn points (I've got a quarter million of them from my time in China) to get a couple of adjoining rooms at a close by Crowne Plaza. Pierce and Anna were very excited that they got their own room with their own beds (they usually double-up in a sleeper sofa).
We've formed a semi-tradition of meeting Dad and Mary at the local Friday's for dinner on Friday night when we arrive. Mac and cheese is the meal of choice for the kids. We were early enough that we were able to go back to the apartment to visit for a few hours. Pierce and Anna both had new toys they were eager to show, we had to keep moving them out of the main "traffic" area so we could move around.
Saturday started off a little cool, but turned nice. After a "only-ok" (and complimentary) breakfast at the hotel we headed out to the Dad's apartment for more visiting. The kids started to get a little stir-crazy (so did I), so we packed the whole group up and headed to a local park. There was a good-sized swing set that the kids, Nora and I used, the we went for a nice long walk. There was a miniature airfield near by that we tried to walk to, but never quite found.
Interestingly, Anna invented the concept of "little peoples". It started with her duck walking around the apartment claiming she was a little people. Of course she got Mary, Nora and myself doing it. Over the weekend it morphed into a whole story line, with a little people driving a miniature airplane at the park and living in a small culvert next to the trail we walked.
Saturday night we went to everyone's favorite for dinner, the Amazing Pizza Machine. We got an earlier start than usual (which was good). Dad, Mary, Anna and Nora went crazy on the ticket games and set a new, personal record -almost 1000 tickets. Pierce forewent the go-carts in favor of air hockey and driving games with me.
Easter morning started a little earlier than Nora and I had anticipated with Pierce and Anna waking up at 2:00 am to find their baskets. It took them about 30 minutes to get settled down and back to sleep. We had brunch at Granite City (Dad and Mary's suggestion and treat). It was extremely good and definitely a go-back.
We got back into town around 5:00 pm and, after a quick feeding of dog, headed over to Nora's parent's house. All the grandkids did an Easter egg hunt with plastic eggs hidden in flower beds, car bumpers, deck rails and more. Nora and Nicole did an egg pass after it was all over and found a significant number of "missed" eggs. Dinner, as always, was very good with lots of good food and conversation. We all bowed out around 7:30 pm -its a school night.
-Eric (Dad)
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