Back from the Trip!

Dear Vinny,

We got back from our trip yesterday. Aside from the riding in the car, you seemed to enjoy yourself. On our way up to the Chicago area, we stopped at Granny and Granddad's so that they could see you for a few hours. They were really happy to see you, and you were really happy to be out of the car for a while! Granny held you while Granddad, Daddy, and I had our dinner. You were pretty annoyed with us when we took you back out in the car and kept driving. We stopped just outside of Indianapolis because you were so mad, and probably hungry. Daddy fed you in the car while I went and got us a hotel room. I slept with you on one bed and Daddy slept in another. Did you know that you crawl in your sleep? I slept with one eye open all night, out of fear that you would crawl off the bed.

The next morning we moved on. You slept some in the car, but for the last hour or so you were pretty upset. When we got to the hotel, there were lots of family members already there and they were really excited to see you. But you were hungry and sleepy so Daddy took you to the room to feed you. That evening, you and I went to a Mexican restaurant with one of my graduate school classmates and her family. I had known from Tia's cooking that you liked refried beans, so I fed you some of my refried beans. What I hadn't realized was that you loved refried beans! You ate all my frijoles, and you would have eaten even more if there had been any more.

The next day was the big reunion day. You and Daddy stayed back at the hotel during the really big Patterson family reunion, but you joined us for dinner at a huge Chinese buffet. They had all kinds of food there, more than I'd ever seen at a buffet before. We gave you some white rice to eat with your hands, which you were neutral about. I noticed that they had some sweet potatoes there so I got a piece of one and mashed it up for you to try. You loved it, almost as much as you loved refried beans! So I made a mental note to get you some sweet potatoes when we got home.

You were a big hit with the family. You met all your great-aunts and -uncles on my side, and they all loved you. You also met some of my cousins and some of your second cousins. My cousins Margaret, Victoria, and Charlotte, and my cousin Glenna were crazy about you! Glenna rode in the back seat with you all the way to Urbana on Sunday.

On Monday, I gave a seminar at the university, and after my seminar, Daddy dropped you off and you joined me and my old research group for lunch. We went to a Mexican restaurant, so I was sure to order something with frijoles and once again you ate them all! You were a big with them, and also with Jodi, my former advisor's secretary.

That evening, we went to a Chinese restaurant with our friend Dave. You had some white rice which you weren't too excited about, preferring instead to reach for Daddy's food. Daddy let you have a little of his meat.

On Tuesday, we left for home. By that time we had figured out that you were much happier if somebody sat in the back seat with you, so I sat next to you while Daddy drove. On our way South, we stopped at our favorite Amish grocery, and you were intrigued by all the products they had to offer. You were also very happy when we stopped at a rest area and let you eat while we took a break from the car.

We stayed overnight in Clarksville and you had a great time crawling around the room and onto the tile floor in the bathroom. I don't think you'd ever seen a tile floor before. You were unhappy to get back in the car but you were quite pleased to be home when we finally got here.

Thanks for being such a good travel companion!

Love,
Mommy