Day 7: Peoria, IL

I fell asleep last night just after Mike said he was going to go out and take some pictures of Chicago's skyline from the pier. They turned out fabulous! He also stopped at Fox & Obel, a fresh market. He picked me up some rootbeer to bring back to me. Imagine his disappointment when he got back and I was sound asleep! I slept so good. Until I was awakened by a horrible dream. I was teaching again and the children were all the age of Jay! The teachers around me were talking behind my back about how bad a teacher I was and the children were running off and playing in streets and near water. ACK!!!!

We ate a great breakfast in the lobby and arrived early before the mob house let out again for free breakfast! I had a made to order omelet and gave 3/4 of it to mike and opted for the huge cream doughnut. Hmmm, imagine! He says to me after I nearly finished it, I guess that doughnut was good?? hehe

We packed up and went and sat in the lobby...well, I sat and Jay climbed on the couch and then kept walking circles around the planter while Michael packed the car up. It wasn't too much longer and we were out and on the road. A time I do not have as the car is set to Eastern time and we are in Central time, and yes...this many days later I am still having difficulty with time! However, Jay napped and we drove through rain as the weather has turned cold and rainy.
After he awoke from his nap, Jay decided he did not want to be in the car. I held him off awhile with the DVD player and playing games. Then, he started pulling stuff out of the food box and generally becoming cantankerous. I get the good idea to put my heavy diaper bag up on the box to stop it. What was I thinking?? No sooner had I placed it up there and turned around to relax, I hear giggling. There's Jay, grabbing out the sunscreen and squirting it over his shoulder!! All Over my car! ACK! So, I grab it and I was all hollering at him and he is screaming at an equally high level and squeezing it and it's squirting all over and then I get it turned around and sure enough he and I pulling on it squirted it in my eye and all over me! All this driving down the highway...

Crisis over and cleaned up.

Moments later we arrive at the Pere Marquette, Mike's Uncle's Hotel. We were given a suite on the top floor overlooking the Civic Center and gorgeous old church!
Bill met us for lunch in the hotel and Jay took only a few moments to warm up to Bill and then he three two spoons across the table. Don't you worry, I was moving to remove him from the table when the second one went flying. We took a little side trip to the bathroom for a little talk and some discipline. It worked. Back at the table he was much better! We played a little and then we started whispering in each others ears. He liked playing secrets! He garbled, I said, use your good manners! We had an amazing meal! Michael had a buffalo style chicken sandwich and I had a pork loin sandwich. Mmmm so good. They take a pork loin and flatten it and fry it! Delish! Luckily, Bill shared mine with me, because I could never have finished it on my own! Jay shared mine, but nibbled on the fries and chose to suck the ketchup off the fries instead. Yeah, it was not his best moment manner wise.
Bill kept saying Jy should spend the afternoon with him, Mike and I looked at each other and said in unison. It would last one minute before you were calling for us to come get him! hahahaha
He still thought he needed to hang out with him! Wish we had planned to spend two days here! I am not sure if it is the pull I feel to explore the city or to lavish around here in luxury!!!
Dinner is planned for Bill and Susan's house this evening. Jack is looking forward to seeing Jay.

We are dreading the stairs...
It was raining all afternoon, but we took a walk over to the Caterpillar store and Jay got his first CAT earth mover. He called it a "beebage truck". AKA-garbage truck.
Mike got a hat. Imagine...
:o)

We left for Bill and Susan’s house at 530 pm and arrived shortly there after. Their home is beautiful and so homey feeling! Susan had prepared some amazing hor dourves. We had brie and blackberries, bacon wrapped water chestnuts, strawberries and cocktails! Let me tell you, I was in desperate need of some lively spirits after the past week with Jay! The wine was flowing, laughter abounding, and family reconnecting!
Jay was having a ball after his token shy period. Susan said, he is fine on his own he can’t hurt anything. In no time, he had pulled down the fire place tools with a loud crash and was walking around with the poker poking the floor. ACK!!! Jack had a hard time sharing with Jay and was near mortified when Jay attacked his toy box and took out two wrestlers. Let me tell you, it is not easy dealing with Jay…right down to the moment he walked over to Jack’s dinner tray and took his glass of juice and drank from it~spilling it down his shirt and on the couch. So yeah, Jack had a right to be fed up! Although, Jay was also very kind to Jack and vice versa.
Dinner was out of this world at Bill and Susan’s~Beef Tenderloin, cooked to complete and utter perfection!
We are still claiming this as the best meal we have had so far or in a long time for that matter!!!
Home late and tipsy with some wine, there was no way I could blog about our day!