viva Las Vegas

What happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas.
Or more accurately "whatever happens in Vegas, comes back with you from Vegas"
i.e.. 3-5 extra pounds....
So we just got back from a long weekend in Las Vegas visiting my in-laws.
Their second home.
They don't call my M.I.L. Bingo Betty for nothin.
She absolutely loves it there and has been going there several times a year for the past forty years.
Big daddy practically grew up in the various casinos in Nevada.
Okay, a slight exaggeration, but not too far off.
But he has nothing but fond memories from all those trips in the seventies and eighties with his wacky family.
I love hearing all the hilarious stories from his childhood in Vegas.

My family was totally the opposite.
We were big nature lovers and spent most vacations on road trips camping, hiking or canoeing across North America.
My parents aren't gamblers at all.
Big daddy was really looking forward to reliving his childhood, by taking Lulu and I there to experience it.
It was a really fun weekend, though a bit of a whirlwind.
We got really lucky on the flight down and back by getting the last available free seat for Lulu.
bonus.
In a few more months we'll have to start buying an extra seat for her.
My in-laws booked us all a huge suite at the Mirage which was perfect.
Well except for the cigarette smoke everywhere, but other than that it was super fun.

I've never been a big fan of buffets, but I must admit, it really came in handy with a 22 month old.
Not that she ate much, but it was a great way to try to get her to sample a bunch of stuff.
No sitting around waiting for the food either, which is also super convenient.
The food was really great, but all the selection was pretty overwhelming.
I was actually really good and didn't go overboard and eat too much.
The trick is to always start with a big salad.
It's shocking how much some people can consume.
The amount of wasted food and gluttony is pretty crazy.
We did manage to go to a nice a la carte Italian restaurant, but the portions were over the top.
I love American restaurants for the most part.
They do it right in the States, excellent service & great ambience, but man, the portions are always such a shocker.
I ordered a half order of Linguini with a red clam sauce and still only ate maybe a quarter of it.
It was pretty awesome though, even if I was stuffed to the max when we left.
Thank god for yoga pants..
Lulu was really sweet while we were there, kissing her grandma and grandpa, and saying "Luv you" to both of them.
It was really adorable, and it was really nice to watch.
I was a little nervous that she would be a bit shy around them, seeing as she has only met them twice.
Once when she was 10 days old and last summer when she was around 14 months.
But she was great.
We went to the "secret garden" at The Mirage, and she watched the dolphins and lions and cheetahs.
She loved that.

We also took her to FAO Shwartz at Caesars where she got to be totally spoiled by her grandma.
I think she did get to a point where it was a bit of sensory overload.
I could relate.
It's so much noise and action for a little person, but all in all she was so well behaved and I think she had fun.
She was pretty excited to get on that plane last night though, and kept saying "home" "home".
It was really nice to visit with big daddy's parents in a different environment with just the five of us.
When we visit them at their place out west it's always a bit hectic, trying to fit in visits with other brothers and relatives.
So it was great to finally be able to have some one on one time with them.
Big daddy is the youngest of four boys so I have alot of respect for his mother.
I find just one child to be overwhelming some days, I can't imagine four BOYS!
I admit it's taken a few years to get used to her quirkiness, but now I actually find her to be pretty hilarious.
I also love that I can talk to her about pretty much everything, this woman shoots from the hip and isn't into B.S.
I find that really refreshing.
But mostly I'm grateful to them for raising such a great son.
So who knows, maybe we will have to continue the tradition and do an annual trip to Vegas.
as long as we off set it with some trips that involve maybe the odd bit of fresh air..