Las Vegas

Ahhhh, the joys of travel with kids! Actually, it was really a very nice trip. I have few complaints and am VERY glad that we did it.

First, my mom -- aka: Best Namma Ever -- flew up to Chicago in order to drive back to St. Louis with me and the two munchkins. I planned to drive to StL on my own, but she worries. And why stay at home worrying when she can get out and do something instead! And why turn down an extra set of hands?

The next day, we all loaded up and drove to StL. Then the munchkins got baths and were off to bed. I didn't sleep. When you know that you HAVE to get up REALLY EARLY and that you CANNOT mess it up, it makes for a restless night. Sharing a bed with a 4-year-old who seems to dream that she is a badmitton-playing windmill doesn't help.

So it was up at an ungodly hour and off to the airport for an 8am flight. The goodbyes to little 13-month-old J went more smoothly than I thought, and C & I were off for our adventure. After getting into line for the wrong SWA flight (note to self: there are multiple planes leaving for Vegas simultaneously!), we got our bearings. We colored, watched Dora videos and snoozed the rest of our way there.

Wow, what a town! This big-city girl was momentarily mezmerized by the signage. Ok, I was momentarily mezmerized by the "Thunder From Down Under" signage.

We connected with our friends who had flown out earlier directly from Chicago, plus our friends that we were out there to visit and headed over to Circus Circus for the Adventuredome. What fun! An indoor amusement park for kiddies. The kids rode airplanes, a ferris wheel, a roller coaster, played mini-golf, and still only saw a fraction of the place. C & I did not get to the Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier this year, so it was a real gift to be able to enjoy the Adventuredome.

Later, we went to a show featuring a guy named Popovitch and his trained dogs and cats. Yes, trained cats. Don't ask. I don't know. But the kids dug it, so who cares?

While out there, we also went to see the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay. Ohhhh, how the homeschool mom in me wanted to break out! But we were on vacation. Just watch and enjoy. Let her punch in the numbers that she wants for the displays that she wants on her little audio guide thingy. And she and her little buddy who lives out there lingered for a looooong time over the touch-pool. Good fun.

We also wandered through the garden at the Bellagio, which had a Chinese New Year theme. Pretty.

That night, we got a sitter. How did our hostess find a sitter who would take 3 4-year-olds? Again, I don't know. But she did beautifully. All three were zonked out when we got home. If she had a bottle of Benadryl in her purse, I wouldn't blame here... In the meantime, the grown-ups went to see Cirque du Soleil's Mystere. A friend of mine had never seen any Cirque du Soleil's before and knew nothing about what she was getting into. It was a treat to sit with someone who was beyond astonished at what she was seeing! Also, there were taiko drummers in this show, something that I have always loved. I'd love to see O, the water-based one -- a reason to plan another trip, I suppose!

One day, we took the kids for a hike and a frolic in the hot tub at home. Burn off that energy, kiddies. Burn it off!

Details on the trip back home to Chicago tomorrow (via StL to pick up little J from Best Namma Ever). But it was great to get out of the winter weather for a while and shake off a few doldrums in a colorful, fun place with colorful, fun friends!

Haven't done a shameless plug lately, something that I'd like to do somewhat regularly. Here's the link for the Cirque du Soleil that we saw: http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/showstickets/mystere/mystere-Las-Vegas.htm

Maybe I'll get ambitious tomorrow and try to post an actual picture of something!