Jeff and I just spent the weekend in Las Vegas visiting with Ethan at Jeff's parents house! We had a fantastic time!
We spent very little time on the strip, except for a quick trip to Circus Circus where Ethan won a full animal managerie that is keeping the Cowie (Ethan has a thing for cows and Cowie is his best and softest friend!) that lives at our house company! We also dined at The Rainforest Cafe and enjoyed seeing lots of big cats and dolphins at Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden and at The MGM hotel!
But really, the highlight's were, Ethan and I building a rocket ship out of the box that the motorcycle that Jeff's mom bought him came in, while the battery charged, (for 18 hours!)! The rocket ship had a pointy, very rocket like top and flames at the bottom that Ethan added. It also had a door with a handle. Jeff and Ethan decorated the rocket ship with glitter because, in Ethan's words, "It's a rocket, we need it to have BILLIONS of glitter!"
Jeff and I also took him to a wonderful park with tons of climbing walls, slides and various types of swings. We all had a great time playing in the desert sun!
Later that day we took Ethan bumper bowling! We all had a great time bowling, wearing funny shoes and dancing! It is important to mention that Ethan spent the ENTIRE weekend in his new astronaut suit, also courtesy of Grandi, Jeff's mom! So, the bowling, dancing , climbing, sliding, dolphin and lion spotting astronaut got lots of attention!
Jeff, Grandi and I took Ethan to his first Vegas buffet for dinner on Friday night. Ethan ate lots of mac and cheese, corn, broccoli and pizza and then really enjoyed eating/playing/creating with lots of dessert items; While making a chocolate ice cream, cherry, M&M soup composition Ethan said, "Look, I'm flattening it, I'm a flatterer!" Hilarious!
On Saturday morning Jeff started a game with Ethan where Ethan kept making Jeff uncover him and them hug and tickle him and then do it again! When Jeff went to take a shower, I continued the "blanket mountain game"- only this time there were lots of mysterious animals under the blanket and I had to guess which ones they were and then tickle them! I have now tickled a marmoset, an ocelot, a lion and a three toed sloth, among other animals!
At one point Ethan told me he was going to go see what Grandi and Gramples (Ethan's name for Jeff's stepfather) were doing. He started to make his way down the hallway and then quickly turned around and came back to peek around the corner at me saying, "...but I love you!" Precious!
Ethan loved it when we went to see a magic show and Jeff and I ended up getting "volunteered" to go onstage and take part in a card trick! I could hear him from the audience saying "That's my daddy and my 'Viva!"
When we were getting ready to take Ethan back to the hotel where Ethan's Mother and Grandmother were staying, in preparation for a very early Sunday morning flight back to Ohio, Andi, Jeff's Mom said, we have to take you back to Mommy now, Ethan(who was melting down from tiredness and the upcoming transition, at this point) said, "Which one?"
Andi, laughing asked, "How many Mommies do you have?" Ethan's response was wonderful, with a huge smile on his face he said, "One and one 'Viva!"
So wonderful that Ethan is getting a sense of his place in his Portland and Las Vegas based family.
It was wonderful to see Ethan and of course it made us look forward to the next time!
Ethan and I with a bag o' Passover plague masks, courtesy of Mom, in Las Vegas!
Bowling with Ethan the astronaut in Las Vegas!
Ethan at his first Vegas buffet, yes- he fully enjoyed dessert!
