hanging out in oklahoma.

After 10 days away in Oklahoma, we are back on Canadian soil! We even brought Ryan home with us after more than 3 weeks of working away.  I have to say that while I'll miss the shopping and plethora of junk food not available here, it's good to be home.  It sounds rather relaxing to spend your days in a nice hotel with little to do besides watch TV, wander Walmart, go for sunny walks or hang out in the swimming pool. It probably would be, until I remember the fact that I have a tiny little 9 month old monster who never sits still, ever. She climbed the furniture, falling several times per day and accumulating new bruises and goose eggs along the way.  

She tried to eat absolutely everything that she stumbled upon, be it dead grasshoppers or bobby pins.  Take it from me, what is truly relaxing is a gated off living room in the comfort of my own home.  

Nevertheless, we enjoyed our time in Oklahoma as it meant that we were with Ryan every evening.  After long days of trying to entertain both myself and a baby, it was a relief when he would finally return at the end of the day. There was little in walking distance of our hotel aside from Walmart and Sonic Drive In. We spent our evenings eating delicious greasy dinners consisting primarily of fried items. It just seems necessary when you are in the most obese country in the world.  

Ryan was only fortunate enough to have one and a half days off of work during our entire stay. We made the most of these days by shopping like maniacs, exploring the touristy spots in Oklahoma City, and driving through a couple of communities that were devastated by EF5 tornadoes a year prior.  As someone who is very afraid of severe storms, I spent each morning tuned into the weather channel. We saw a few thunderstorms, but nothing more. 

 It was sad to see the destruction that can occur, particularly in the city of Moore. Massive trees were uprooted, a school was being rebuilt, and spots where homes once stood were now nothing more than concrete foundations. 

We also visited the Oklahoma City bombing memorial, which was a beautiful tribute to another tragic event. 

To lighten the mood after the somber sights, we headed for dinner at Toby Keith's "I Love This Bar and Grill".   We ordered far too much food, once again failing to remember that we were in America where portions are generally gigantic.  There is nothing wrong with leftover buffalo wings and chilli for breakfast, right? 

On the last day of our trip, Ryan caught a ride to work and left the keys to the rental car for me.  After days of being cooped up in a hotel, I was excited to get out into the exciting tiny town of Stillwater.  I buckled Aaralee in and we set off. Our first stop was Starbucks, because I'd survived solely on hotel coffee for days and needed a dose of espresso.  It was a gorgeous sunny day, perfect for walks and naps in the stroller.  We wandered through the crafty megastore Hobby Lobby, which was basically paradise. We went for lunch at Panera and continued shopping the nearby stores.  With hours to spare before Ryan finished work, I decided to take Aaralee to the children's museum. She was far too young to get much out of it, but there was a room just for kids under the age of 2 full of all sorts of fun things that were actually suitable for a baby to play with.  Rather than constantly saying "Aaralee, no!" as I'd been doing in the hotel room, I was able to sit back and watch her go wild. She climbed everything and turned the room into a mess of balls and toys.  Her favourite part was diving down sloped foam mats and laughing crazy baby belly laughs. My kid has no fear. 

Far too early on Friday morning we checked out of the hotel and drove to the Tulsa airport.  Though travelling with an infant is always a lot of work, I was happy to have Ryan with me to help out this time... unlike the trip down. Aaralee is a great traveler for the most part, and I couldn't be more thankful for that.  It was a long day, but we finally made it home where we were happy to reunite with our furbaby after his very own vacation just down the street at our neighbour's house!   Until we meet again, Oklahoma! Thank you for your southern hospitality.