Day 19- Who Changed the Playlist in Soak City?

I let the boys sleep in today, until nearly 11. Right now thats proven to be a bad decision, as its 12:30 and nobody appears all that tired. I guess it was too much to ask to have them adjust to the time change in one day. It's a work in progress, I suppose. Peyton has even caught on, and is using the excuse of pacific time. When I told them it was midnight, they needed to at least try and go to sleep, he said 'but mom, it's only 9 in Seattle. And 8 in Alaska. That's obviously why we aren't tired.' *sigh*

After sleeping in so late, I couldn't get them to want lunch until about 2. Sadly, I had to make myself and the boys lunch. Such a peon I am again. Then I had to dump the ice trays, and wash the dishes. Isn't life just miserable? It was a good 18 days while it lasted, I suppose.

I decided I would take the boys to soak city today, because it was the only day I would be able to while I still had Calib with me. I didn't want to spend the money for an all day pass(especially when they didn't even get up and around until lunch time), so I just did starlight. Peyton was rather excited that he was over 52 inches, and there was no requirement to wear a lifejacket in the lilly pad pool area. Peyton and Calib went off and rode water slides while Hayden played in the little kid areas, and then we all went on Renegade River (it's a lazy river but with waterfalls, and a wave area for those of you not familiar). They LOVED this. We went around four times, until I told them we had to stop because the waves were making me motion sick. Imagine that. Hayden and I were in a two person tube, and I let him direct. He thought it was hilarious to shove me under the waterfalls. I did not find it nearly as enjoyable, and told him as much. But he just laughed and laughed.

I'm glad I was coming from Alaska, and not Florida. It wasn't very warm today, only into the 70's. Had I just been in Florida, I would never have felt like it was warm enough to swim. Coming from Alaska though, this was like an oven. Break out the sunscreen, it's a heat wave! At one point some kid about Calib's age struck up a conversation with him. He asked if Calib was staying in the hotel or the campgrounds. When Calib replied with neither, he asked him if he lived near here. Calib said 'my grandma does' and the boy says 'well, I'm on vacation, I get to stay in the campgrounds. I'm from all the way in Tennessee, where are you from?' Calib told him, and the boy said 'Oh, how long are you here for'. Then Calib said 'well, I'm here for four weeks, but I just spent a week in Seattle, and two weeks in Alaska on a cruise ship'. (his measurement was a bit off, but you get the picture). The boy then says 'oh, now thats a vacation'. I saw the look on the boys face like, well crap, my vacation suddenly doesn't sound so awesome. I wonder if this is what will happen when they go back to school in the fall and report back on what they did all summer. They are having quite the vacation, some may even call it epic.

Two staples of cedar point/soak city: cheese fries and the beach boys. Now, I was happily surprised when they were selling a new kind of fries. They are somewhere between the happy friar cheese fries, and stockade ones. For those of you who don't know, those are the upper class and lower class of cheese fries, respectively. They used to only have the stockade ones at soak city, the same ones they feed the employees. My disappointment came when I never once heard the beach boys. What is summer without hearing the god awful lyrics of 'California Girls' to bring back memories of seagull poop, whiney Sneak Peekers, and dark rooms. Whoever changed that playlist should be fired, and forced to listen to California Girls on repeat.

After Cedar Point, I drove them down the back way with all the big houses. They ooo-ed and ahhh-ed at all of them. Which I found hilarious, because when they were little we drove that way a couple times a week and they never once said anything about the houses. We also drove past our old house in Huron, and neither of them really remembered that either. Peyton said 'we're we poor then?' Now, first of all, I think the house looked a little better when we rented it. And second of all, it was half the price of our house today. When I told him these two things he said 'well, you sure get what you pay for, huh?' But seriously, that house wasn't all that bad. I suppose when you compare it to a subdivision in Florida with a palm tree out front, it doesn't really compete. Perhaps now he'll be a little more grateful for the house we have. (Not that my kids are ungrateful- they are the please police lately).

We went to Jim's Pizza Box to get dinner. Before the house, I used to live above it. Now that was a cute apartment. The boys had all been very good (I know what you're thinking-- sleeping in late, going to soak city, eating the heaven on earth that is cedar point cheese fries, how could they not be well behaved? But trust me, it's possible). I made a deal if no X's were dished out I would get them all slushies with their dinner. The Smitty Sub was just as delicious as I remembered, but I was quite disappointed in the taco salad. Now, these two things I miss having in Florida, so I try to duplicate them at home as best I can. I now think I make the better taco salad. But hey, thanks for the inspiration Pizza Box.

We took the food and had a picnic dinner down at the boat basin, and watched Shrek. It was part of their summer movie series where they have the movie on a screen outside. Although, I guess you can't take Florida completely out of our blood, because it was probably in the low 60s while we were out there, and they were huddled in their hoodies under blankets, complaining about how cold they were.

On the way home we tried to stop and get a cake for my mom, since it's her birthday tomorrow-- well, I guess today. They had the whole case of ice cream and desserts empty. Apparently, the freezer broke, and you couldn't get anything that went in there. The guy tried to direct me to the bakery for a cake. I explained to him that my mom was turning 61, and every since I remembered she had the same cake, so I couldn't just get any old one. I guess I'll have to go out tomorrow to find one.

I did take a self taken picture of myself today. I figure I will take one at the end of every day dipicting how I feel at the end of the day. Today, I am smiling. We had no melt downs, no major incidents. My ears are still clogged from the plane, and I feel a cold coming on, but overall I'm still smiling. Can't melt down yet, I still have over a week to go!

Homesick meter: 6.5

The only mention of missing home was Peyton this morning (or I guess afternoon since we got up so late), saying getting the wii out of the box I sent would make him feel better. Although it may just have been a rouse to get me to set up the wii.

Next Up: Why Celebrating another birthday of course. Although this time sadly, there will be no unlimited free cake and ice cream.