Back To The Future

From deconstructed tacos to antique musket balls this certainly was an adventurous weekend! We started Friday night with another awesome meal at ING. We've been there once before for their Nightmare Before Christmas Menu and was equally impressed with their newest menu, Street Foods.

The food was totally inventive and explored famous street dishes from all over the world! What a great night with friends and to be out of the house without kids was definitely something I needed. That zombie drink you see below helped too!

Check it, they garnished the drink with a gelatinous brain and accompanied it with a syringe filled with "blood" that I needed to add to the drink. So cool!

On Saturday, we stepped back in time and got our fur trade on...

A River Thru History is a re-creation of life in the Des Plaines Valley during the Fur Trade Era, where traders would barter supplies with local tribes. This "rendezvous" would sometimes last as long as two weeks, where they'd meet to socialize, dance, sing, eat, drink, fight and race canoes. Sounds like a bender!

Bella, who has become quite the expert on this time period (and pretty much every major historical event because of the Magic Treehouse books) was in major awe.

The participants were hardcore with their costumes and my kids ate it up! Literally.

She loved the apple butter. 

I always poke fun of those who participate in re-enactments and I realize it's because I've never actually been to one. I gotta admit it was so intriguing to watch from afar. 

Dude, they shot a cannonball.

With the utmost curiosity my kids learned about life without Crayola markers.

And marveled at the ruffles and capris. 

On men.

And listened to the tunes of our history...

They each picked out a souvenir.

Um, yeah, I think Mia missed the boat when she went for the CHINESE UMBRELLA, HELLO???!!!

Chance's wooden King Cobra. Trust me, it's a lot better than the rifle he was eyeing. 

Ahhh, the good child. Rock out with your pan flute, girl!

I wondered what type of pioneer mom I would have been as I pushed my stroller past tent after homemade tent. Sure, the whole churning my own butter would annoy the shit outta me, but I also wouldn't have Facebook taking me away from my kids either. 

Childrearing of the past was mainly centered around a work-based approach, 

which let's face it, isn't my strong suit. Life would have been a lot harder back then, that's for sure.

But for a VERY brief moment, I envied those participating--I mean I have to give them credit for the committment factor. As a young girl, I'd spend hours dreaming of what life was like in a Laura Ingalls Wilder book. My 9 year old self would have totally rocked that bonnet and fetched a pail of water. 

But I do know this, whether its 1813 or 2013, I would have loved just the same.