The kiddos had the biggest surprise of their life on Friday afternoon. Their Uncle Bob and Aunt Vanessa surprised them at school and told them they would be spending the night with them.
They spent the afternoon playing in the camper, riding rides at Old Town and feeding deer.
Aaron watched Jill and Bob feed the deer from the golf cart. I don't blame him.
Scott and I were able to go on a date, but it was cut short when Aaron had an exorcist moment and vomited all over Vanessa, himself and Vanessa's purse. When we picked him up he seemed to be doing better and just had an upset stomach.
Aaron stayed home with us for the night and Jill had a sleepover with Bob and Vanessa.
We met them the next morning and went to SeaWorld. We thought the weather was going to be decent, but quickly discovered it would be a soggy day. It didn't stop us from checking out as much as possible. This was what we saw the majority of the day:
It's like we weren't even there.
Like I said, we were caught in the rain most of the day. This is what Scott and I thought of it:
Aside from the rain, it was an awesome day. I know all of us slept in today until almost 9 a.m., which never happens. Like ever.
Scott had a three day weekend and it was fabulous! I cannot tell you the last time he's had that much time off at once. We definitely stayed busy this weekend and took full advantage of the fact that we had three days with him.
Friday we met up with our friends Bob and Vanessa. The kids love them and are actually going to be their flower girl and ring bearer. We did a whole bunch of swimming and may or may not have shut down the kiddie pool because Jill may or may not have swallowed too much water and again, may or may not have thrown up. May or may not.... Anyway, after swimming we hung out and the kiddos got to play with their new puppies. We truly wished we lived closer to Bob and Vanessa so we could spend more time together.
After a day of swimming Scott and I got to head out and go to dinner and a movie. This was the first time we've seen a movie on opening night in I don't even know how long. Usually by the time we get to see a movie it's the week before it comes out of the theaters. We saw Friends with Benefits by the way...hilarious.
Saturday was Paw Paw's birthday so we all went out to dinner and then came back to their house for some cake. Then the boys went to the garage to check out Paw Paw's new project, the model trains. Aaron is in love with them and really enjoys just sitting a spending time watching them.
Sunday we went to SeaWorld because that sounded like an awesome idea. The heat was awful so we really didn't stay that long, just long enough to go see the beluga whales.
Yesterday was the first day that we've all been able to just take a day and hang out, so we headed to SeaWorld. The kiddos love this park and Scott and I love the laid back attitude of the park. We planned it so we were able to catch the dolphin show, Blue Horizons, which is Jill's favorite. Since we had time to kill before the show, Scott was able to snag this photo for Mommy and Me Monday:
I'm pretty sure Jill did not blink at any point during the show and Aaron lost interest whenever the dolphins were not jumping or splashing the people in the front row. We were able to see almost all of the animals yesterday and it worked out really well for us because it seemed to be feeding time at every exhibit we went to.
We've kind of been running around like chickens with our heads cut off for the past few weeks and haven't really had a chance to do much of anything. When Scott got home from work last night I told him we had to go somewhere and do something that wasn't a chore (ie grocery shopping, laundry, watering our amazing garden). We decided to hit Seaworld for a few hours.
We were basically playing beat the storm and only got to see a few things before the rain hit. The kids got to see the beluga whales which was the most important thing. For some reason these are their favorite animals. Aaron was yelling at me (and I was holding him) "Mama da whale! Mama da whale!" I think maybe the whales heard him and they started making noises. I mean really, who didn't hear him? After that we headed to see the killer whales. They had three small whales in the observation area, as opposed to the big daddy (Telly, you know the real killer whale, excuse me, false killer whale). The kids went bananas and would point out the whales every time they came by. Again, it is quite possible that the entire park heard them.
We had to make a mad dash by this point because the rain was starting. Please note we were at the back of the park. Thankfully we made it before the heavy stuff hit. Then we got home and found out our dishwasher of 1.5 years decided to stop working, halfway through a cycle. The bliss of seeing the whales wore off real quick when I realized I will be hand washing dishes until Lowe's gets out here to fix it. Sigh....
The pollen is out of control over here and I feel like my eyes are about to swell shut, so this is going to be quick.
Yesterday we went to Seaworld and it was kind of crazy. Spring break sucks in Florida, no offense. Plus, it was apparently field trip day which was out of control. The kids had an awesome time though, we got to check out some of the street musicians when we got there:
We got to check out the beluga whales this time. The last time we went their exhibit was under rehab so it was nice to check them out. The only other exhibit we went into was the penguin/puffin exhibit. Everything else was out of control because the shows were emptying as we were going towards the exhibits.
Now I have to tell you something because it definitely made me feel, um, awkward. Unless you've been living under a rock, you probably know about what happened at Seaworld a few weeks ago. So we were walking around and there are these banners on the light poles and the one said (very serious here) "False Killer Whales". Um, awkward.....
Before I get to our day I want to share this with you, it's to the montage they did today at Seaworld in honor of Dawn Brancheau, the trainer that was killed this week:
The kids are very much into story time right now and have a favorite book called "Bless Me: A Child's Good Night Prayer". It's a really cute book and I think they like it because of the rhyming, and of course because they get to say "AMEN!" at the end. Another favorite of ours is Chickachicka boom boom, which I used to read to my niece when she was little (she's 20 now, my oh my). Today when I was putting their laundry away they decided to sit in the glider and take turns telling each other stories. Aaron pretended to read from the book:
And Jill acted it out:
She also tried to blame her brother for coloring on the window. She just needs to make sure he actually has a crayon in his hand next time.
Scott umpired his first little league game today, and I'm happy to say he only got hit twice! My friend Jenn took some photos so I'm just waiting on those and then I will post them on here. He definitely made me laugh though when he got home and said "Do you know how short those kids are?!" Scott is 6'1", the average height of a little leaguerer (is that a word?) is what, 5'0"? It should prove to be an interesting season, which reminds me I need to put some ice packs in the freezer....
The weather really bit the big one today so we ended up going a little stir crazy tonight:
Let's start with the awesome news first...Mimi was discharged from the hospital today! Turns out she did not have a stroke (thank God!), a lot of what was going on is from the medication she is on. She's home now and we got to spend the afternoon with her to make sure she was doing well. Thank you everyone for all your kind thoughts, words and prayers!
Now onto the rest of our day. We spent this morning at Seaworld with the Lyons crew. The weather was beautiful and it didn't seem like it was too crowded, well expect for everywhere that we went. I highly encourage you check out any photos Lani puts up because I have a feeling they will be hilarious.
We got to see the puffins and the man cleaning the puffins habitat:
And then we went to see the sharks, or as my kids call them the "fishhhhhhhhhhhhhh". We stopped to look at one of the tanks while Scott ran to get the camera and it was really nice, nobody was there, and Lani caught this cute photo of us.
Then out of nowhere this crowd swarmed us. I have never felt so claustrophobic in my life and nobody would move out of the way to let me and the kids out.
It was definitely not awesome, so we took off to try and ditch the crowd.
When you get off the conveyor belt they have jaws from actual sharks on display which my daughter and son told me say "ROARRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!". I had no idea that's what sharks said, I'm glad I have these experts with me at all times.
Outside of the shark exhibit they have a pool with some of the smaller sharks swimming around so my experts had to check out those fishhhhhhhhhhhhh that say "ROAR!"
Then we saw Shamu. Oh my goodness, the reactions from all the kids made what happened next totally worth it.
The next I was referring to was the squirrel attack. Yup, squirrel attack. The squirrels at Seaworld are vicious, vicious I tell you! I was standing with the kids, admiring Shamu when I hear Lani call out my name, but in the oh my God you need to look over here. I turned my head and saw the squirrel thisclosetome. I wonder if Lani got a photo of my expression, because it had to have been priceless. The squirrel was not intimidated by us though and almost let Lily pet him/her. Needless to say our Shamu time was cut short.
After all the animal fun we got our traditional end of the day at the park sugar cookies, Lani's kiddos joined in on the fun too!
All in all it was an awesome day! Hope yours was great as well!
Sorry this is so late, but still lots to be thankful for! This week I am thankful for:
Scott's encouraging words
Both of my kiddos saying "I love you"
Awesome family around us who are always there!
Our staycation that is coming up in a few weeks!
All those coupon sites out there, seriously you have slashed my grocery bill! Today I got Method all purpose spray for 49cents at Target AND got my groceries at Publix for half price, seriously!
Being in the kind of mood that can find the phrase "Not for profit hospital" on my Orlando Health bill humorous. Uh huh, totally explains the $24 for a dose of Motrin, maybe you need to visit the above mentioned coupon sites, just sayin'.
The Clydesdale not smashing any of our feet yesterday when we were at Seaworld!
Today we took the kiddos to Seaworld. We haven't been there in a while and wanted to check it out before the crowds began to arrive. I completely forgot that they have the Polar Express Experience back in the Wild Arctic area and couldn't wait to check it out! The kids are really into "choo-choo's" now so I knew it was going to be well worth it!
We stopped to see the penguins first, which all three of kids liked. ;) Aaron was signing/saying bird like crazy the whole time we were in there and Jill just laughed when they would swim up to the window.
On our way to Wild Arctic we stopped by the stables to see the Clydesdale's. Jill went bananas when she saw them. I can only imagine what was running through their minds when they saw these humongous horses!
We lucked out when we went to Wild Arctic because the Shamu show was still going on, so everyone in that general area was in the show. Because it's the Polar Express right now the whole area is decorated for Christmas and has scenes from the movie all around. You start by going into a room and watching a clip from Polar Express (there is another room that is motion activated, but until they hit 42 inches we will be in the non-motion section).
Jill immediately started hollaring (seriously) "CHOO-CHOO!!!!" and Aaron was pointing the whole time "what's that?! CHOO-CHOO!" I think they would have been satisfied sitting in that room the rest of the day. What I didn't know was that Santa was there! Seriously! I thought we were just going to see the beluga whales, polar bear, and walruses. Now this Santa...he's ok. I've seen better. But the kids did so good with him! No tears, no pulling away, nothing! Yahoo! PS Aaron's expression...priceless...
All the animals were up and about, which we really hadn't seen any other time we had been there. Aaron went crazy when he saw the polar bear. He was signing and shouting "BEAR! BEAR! BEAR!" It reminded me of that scene in The Great Outdoors, "Big bear, big bear chase, big bear chase me!" (If you've never seen this movie, shame! Go rent it!).
We went underneath to view the walruses and whales which was awesome. The walruses swim right up the window, and they seriously make you wonder if that glass would hold. Aaron and Jill weren't that impressed with them so we moved on to the belugas. The belugas seemed to be swimming afar and then BAM! One came right up to the window, and seriously I had to check Aaron's diaper. He almost jumped out of my arms!
After Wild Arctic we went to see the Pets Ahoy! show, which is basically a show with animal tricks. Aaron and Jill went nuts the moment we walked in and they saw all the dogs. They both clapped along and told us when the dogs came out (in case we couldn't see them, you know). Jill even made commentary when two dogs came out in a car with wedding bells (she made her "oh my goodness!" face). These kids are getting funnier and funnier as the days go by!
We went to Seaworld today to check out the Shamu show. The kids and I have never seen it before so we were all excited! We had pretty good seats, way out of the way of the soak zone. And can I just say this....you know you're in the soak zone, it says it on your seat, so why must you act surprised when you get soaked????
Anyway, the show was great and the kids LOVED it! Jill would wave every time Shamu "waved" at the crowd. Both of them danced and clapped and just had a great time! Here are some photos and video:
After the show the kids were pretty wiped out so we just walked around until they fell asleep and then left. I love having the annual pass there as well! It's great to be able to just go in for a show and then head home.
For dinner tonight I finally made Melissa d'Arabian's Potato Bacon Torte (click on the link for the recipe). Oh my word it was delicious! Seriously, little bites of heaven! I did cheat though and use store bought pie crust, but it was really easy to make and like I've said a million times, really delicious, see:
That's about it over here. Scott will be making his second and third degree with Knights of Columbus tomorrow, very exciting! I am so proud of him for being a part of such a great organization and that he is moving forward in it!
>> It's been a fairly busy week this week, so naturally there is a ton to be thankful for! This week, I am thankful for...
Scott and all that he does. Fingers crossed that he gets a call from someone he has sent a resume to!
A great visit with Sandi, Michael and Kaitlyn!
All the American Girl/Bitty Baby furniture that Kaitlyn gave to Jill. And when I say all, I mean open the catalog, point, and we probably have it now. :)
Michael riding Manta with me, so I wouldn't chicken out when I got to the top :)
Mimi and PawPaw treating us to all the awesome dinners over the past week and a half. Most especially last night at Maggiano's!
Mimi and PawPaw letting us take the leftovers from Maggiano's :) Their food is awesome at the restaurant, but it always WAY better the next day!
Jill's new Lion King CD. As Cat told me a few weeks ago, my children are apparently South African, so this CD should be a welcomed gift to them! Thanks Mimi!
The new books the kiddos got from Busia and DziaDzio! I may have to install bookshelves into the walls to store all of the books they have, but that's always a good thing!
Nilla wafers! You are a savior in public places! Most especially restaraunts that take their time bringing out the kiddos food.
The rain this morning, it let us all sleep in a little. Well I got to sleep in a lot, but everyone else slept in too.
Scott allowing me to sleep an extra hour this morning :)
All of Lani's help while I've had family in town. You're the best!
Kelly from GOMOTT finding all those awesome prizes for the raffle (some of which we won! Yahoo!).
April and Melissa making me laugh during the board induction ceremony at Tuesday's meeting. I'm sure those photos of me laughing look awesome....uh huh... :)
My new Seaworld pass (I may have mentioned this last week?). Thanks Mimi and PawPaw!
Anything else I forgot to mention that happened this week. We are truly lucky to have what we have.
Yesterday we finally made it to Seaworld! Scott and I haven't been there is almost 5 years, and quite a bit has changed since then. The crowds weren't too bad, which was nice.
We took the kids to Blue Horizons which is their dolphin show, and they LOVED it! I don't think either one blinked the entire time!
We lucked out weather wise. When it did rain we were in the shows, so none of us got wet. Michael and I decided to go on the new roller coaster, Manta, while everyone else checked out the sting rays, penguins and dolphins. Manta was awesome and totally worth the 45 minute wait, in the air conditioning :) If you are coming down to Seaworld in the near future and like roller coasters definitely check it out. You hang face down the entire time, it is insane! It is unlike any coaster I have been on, and I totally screamed the entire time, not as loud and girly as Michael though.
After Manta we all went to the Clyde and Seamore show, which is a really cute, funny show. I think the kiddos will like it more when they are a little older. I had to laugh though because it seemed like none of the animals wanted to participate and the actors just couldn't keep it together. After the show we had dinner at Sharks, which is their restaurant with a view of, you guessed it, the shark tank. There is something unsettling about eating in front of a shark though, especially when they are staring at you.
While everyone finished dinner Scott and I took the kids out to run around. The area that we were in was playing some pretty decent music so the kids were dancing along, but the icing on the cake was when they played Journey's "Don't stop believing" and Jill stopped and got down with her bad self. I had tears of joy and have never been so proud! (In case you are wondering what the obsession is with this song, besides it being an awesome song, it is the unofficial, official, song for my favorite baseball team the World Series Champion Chicago White Sox, and yes they must be addressed as World Series Champions.) We went into the shark exhibit before we left, and true to form I picked up a creepy follower, no not a shark, a worker. Of course Scott totally started it by telling the guy I was from Chicago, and of course so was this guy. Sigh....he even met me at the exit, it was creeptastic. We were trying to teach the kids to sign fish while we were there, but of course everything was a dog. Jill also sang to the fish a la Little Mermaid and Aaron yelled at them (he just wanted them to hear him through the glass). We left shortly after and didn't stay for the Shamu show. We'll have to go back for that. All in all it was a great day! Hope you are all having a great start to the holiday weekend!
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