Rewind to May - St. Louis Trip

Please allow me to rewind for just a moment. In the middle of May, we made the 7 hour drive to see my sister officially receive her PhD. She successfully defended her dissertation much earlier in the academic year but the ceremony was in May. I was not about to miss it! I could never have done what she did so I am pretty sure I was the proudest big sister in the building.

Her ceremony was Friday morning and D couldn't take Thursday off work so we left as soon as he got home that afternoon. The plan was to keep LB entertained for several hours, make a stop and let him run around a bit and then get on the road again with the hopes that he would fall asleep for the final few hours of the drive. Well... he decided that was not a good plan and stayed awake the ENTIRE time. We didn't pull into the hotel until 10:30pm local time, which is actually 11:30pm Ohio time, and he was wide awake ready to see St. Louis and his grandparents, who were waiting for us at the hotel. I was bummed we didn't get a few hours of quiet but LB really did awesome. He didn't cry the whole drive. He kept himself happy. He did ask a million times, "Where is St. Louis?" But he was a trooper.

Yes, at one point he resorted to smelling his feet as an activity. Whatever works. And, here are some photos LB took of the road trip.

I have to say that I love finding his pictures on my phone. It's always good to get his perspective.

The next morning we headed to the Washington University campus and sort of watched the main graduation ceremony. The big part for my sister was the hooding ceremony, which would take place after graduation. Thankfully, LB liked all the clapping and cheering and there was plenty of space for him to run around. He kept calling the graduation ceremony "the show," which it kind of is. And he loved all the caps and gown. I think he was disappointed my sister didn't wear her's the whole weekend. "Why you not wearing the green, Bebe?"

It was great to see LB run to my sister once we spotted her after the graduation. We then headed over to the building for my sister's hooding ceremony. To hear them call my sister's name was a moment I won't forget. I got all teary beforehand but pulled it together for the actual moment. LB got impatient at times and D and I both had to take him out once to run around a bit but we were all there to see my sister walk across the stage. LB was happy for her, even though he looks less than enthused in the below photo.

LB took the photo of D and me. Not bad. I'm so glad we were there.

Sadly, we only stayed the rest of the day Friday, all day Saturday and then made the drive back to Ohio on Sunday. But we filled in a lot of family fun on those two days. We went to a great park, visited the St. Louis Zoo and ate some delicious meals at Schlafly Bottleworks and Pi Pizzeria.

It was too short but fun. LB did pretty well on the drive home too. He had one or two not so great moments but they were short lived and he napped the final two hours of the drive. Ahhhh. A napping kid in the car is such a treat. 

A few days after we got back we were reading a book called, Iggy Peck Architect. My sister got it for him a while ago and LB really likes it. At one point in the book Iggy Peck builds the St. Louis Arch. LB exclaimed "I go to St. Louis. My St. Louis had a bed." Ha! From his perspective, St. Louis was our hotel room. So funny how kids process and understand things. 

Congrats to Aunt Bebe!! We are all proud of you!!