Look at me! It's a blog in a timely manner. So, how was your week? What have you been up to? Sounds awesome. Us? Well, we've had birthday parties, puke bowls, and a continuous penguin cam running. It's been quite a week, and we're gearing up for Spring Break- so I've been busy planning, planning, planning. We've got an itinerary. A bit larger than an 'index card o fun' but the same idea, a shopping list in hand, groupons printed out, and passes on hand to all our favorite parks.
Here in Florida, at the Waterstraut household, our birthdays are kind of a big deal. We don't do birthdays- we do Birthday Extrava-freakin-ganza's! Since Sunday was the big 2-9 for my favorite grown up in the whole wide world, we started the celebration Friday night with 'movie' night, which turned out not so much to be a movie- as we introduced the boys to Modern Family. It's a pretty great sitcom, and they loved it. So it was one hulu plus episode after another, until late into the evening. We even drug all the mattresses out to the front room and had a sleepover. *Sigh* 'The front room'.. I tried so hard to label our two living spaces the living room and the family room- but they've ended up as the 'front room' and the 'playroom'. I've given in, and accepted the terms and conditions.
Saturday we went to Aquatica for the very first time. This time Seaworld and Aquatica are included in our passes - for a great deal/value! I am still partial to the Disney waterparks- you cannot beat a ride on the toboggan racers, an ice cream bucket, and a walk across the ice burgs at Blizzard Beach- but Aquatica is SO super cool. My mom is going to have to make a trip with us next time she comes. Somehow I sense she'll be brave and go on the slide that takes you THROUGH the dolphin habitat. Yes, as cool as it sounds. Combine that with an over the top bucket/waterslide/jungle gym area, the huge fish tank you float by on the lazy river, and the river that takes you on a massive ride with a strong current- and you have yourself a really fun day.
Highlight of the trip, however, was Hayden being a brave big boy! He's been terrified to go on- well, lets put it this way- the Grover coaster at Busch Garden's is too wild for him. He decided he would go on the big family slide, and despite my skepticism, he totally went through with it. THEN, he went on the even more frightening 'family' slide, that even I didn't want to do. He was feeling pretty brave, brave enough to walk all the way up the stairs to the Aquatica version of the toboggan racers- but, not brave enough to actually go down. Thats ok, it's a work in progress.
I had packed us some uncrustables, and snacks, so we ate those in the car and then headed over to Epcot in the afternoon. It's currently the Flower and Garden festival, so I took some pictures to entice my mom to come visit for it next year..
See, isn't it pretty? I LOVE the Flower and Garden festival, but it isn't quite the Food and Wine Festival. Oh, Epcot- I love you- possibly even more than the Magic Kingdom. (Although the new section is open, so we're going to have to go check that out).
Anyway, we made our usual stop by at Club Cool, where sadly they were out of all the free Chinese Coke, which is Asa's favorite. He's even been known to fill up our water bottle with the stuff. (He's also been known not to screw on the top on said water bottle, and end up with pop all over himself) We made a trip through the butterfly house- and over to the playground where Hayden continued his 'I can do this' mantra, and climbed through all the circles all by himself.
Since it was Asa's birthday, we had to make a stop in Germany for a brat. He claims it's because him and my dad always used to get one whenever they went through there together. I suspect that might be his way of getting me to be ok with a $7 brat- either way, he probably needed something to wash down the saki he had in japan. Because someone was feeling pretty happy at that point. So much alcohol in that little saki cup. We wandered around the world, and made sure to stop at spaceship earth, because Hayden is convinced that spaceship earth is called 'Epcot'- and when we say 'we're going to epcot' he expects a stop here.
Sunday was Asa's actual birthday, and I had been collecting groupons for the event. We got up, had breakfast, and went out to airheads. It's a trampoline gym- and Calib and Asa, especially, LOVE it. For me, I tend to get motion sickness almost immediately. Since the groupon was only for 4 people, I sat this one out. But, I did manage to take some fun pictures. That's Peyton there in the yellow shirt- he was getting some serious air. But boy- at the end of the hour- are those boys ever sweaty!
Afterwards we went over to Burger 21 for lunch. They have ny favorite- sweet potato fries! Plus all kinds of yummy burgers. The weather all weekend had been so wonderful (in Florida this time of year that means little to no humidity), so we ate outside and enjoyed our burgers, shakes and fries.
We had been busy most of the weekend, and Asa loves some good lazy time, so he wanted to go home and get in some video games and relaxation. On the way home we stopped by the market and used our groupons to get some steak for dinner. Then we had a nice night at home, having a cookout, cake (complete with 29 candles), and ice cream.
By Monday the busy weekend had taken it's toll on 2/3 of the kids. Asa had scheduled the day off, and we were going to go to use another groupon and have a date day. Unfortunately, Peyton's stomach, and Hayden's throat had other ideas. In all honesty, Peyton's best friend at school went home throwing up on Friday- so I had pretty much seen this coming. I was just hoping it wouldn't happen over the birthday weekend. The sad part about it, Hayden missed his kindergarten concert at school that I was SO looking forward to. No performance of freight train, sadly, was in the cards for us.
Tuesday Hayden seemed to be doing better- but Peyton still appeared under the weather. I took Calib and Hayden to school, and Peyton slept until about 11. After that we did the usual sick kid home from school thing- and watched the Price is Right and ate soup for lunch. Peyton seemed all better after that, and pretty much confessed that he wasn't feeling awesome, but probably could have gone to school. He had to switch teachers mid-way through, because his teacher had to go on medical leave. His new teacher is not fabulous. Case and point: Peyton got a strike for not having his planner signed- on the days he was ABSENT. It didn't even cross my mind I'd have to sign it, he wasn't even there. But sure enough, the teacher said we had to sign it anyway for good 'teacher=parent communication', despite the fact that if Peyton is good theres nothing in his planner- like there is for Calib and Hayden- but I still sign it then. My kids have been going to the same school for four years now, and I've never heard of this before. Yea, I'm definitely not happy with her. Couple that with the poems he's being forced to write, his class as a whole being punished for a few bad apples, and his best friend announcing she's moving to California- and his desire to go to school is near an all-time low. He seems to be snapping out of it now though.
I did get a ton of projects done on Tuesday even though Peyton was home with me. I finally made Asa's Madden Desks (I covered our computer desks in instructions and covers from even single Madden game ever made). It's pretty awesome the way it turned out, actually. It was his birthday present, so I wanted to get it done asap. I had to wait awhile to find Madden '92. Not so hard to find the game- but pretty difficult to find one with the original artwork.
I also finally got up passwords for Hayden. They are his sight words, and he has to say them as passwords to get into rooms/things. I laminated some cute scrapbooking paper I had so they are dry erase, and much cuter than notebook paper taped to the wall. Not only did I put them on doors to everywhere- he also has them on the fridge, freezer, and pantry. It's pretty funny when he's looking for a snack and you hear him mumbling random words.
And, I made a cute new thing for our weekly menu- dry erase and all.
By Wednesday everyone was back at school, and Asa was working from home. He's been swapping out half days on the weekend for working the other half at home. It helps them out- and he's saving money on gas, and getting to work from home. It's a win win for everyone. (Especially next week, he's going to be able to do most of my Spring Break Index Card O Fun with us!) Justin has also been privy to this little arrangement, so he came over for lunch on Wednesday and visited while the kids were at school. It was a very low key day. I spent most of it in Asa's comfy thrift store find leather chair we got when we first moved in, reading my kindle while listening to the boys play rock band.
This morning I went to get the kids up, and couldn't find Hayden anywhere, after starting to get panicked, I found him under a blanket under Denali's cage- laughing hysterically. I don't know at what point he got up and went under there to wait to freak me out, but he thought his little plan was SO funny. I wasn't so amused. Then I told Asa about it. Lets just say, that laughing hysterically thing is hereditary.
Tonight we had the Book Fair and Art Show at the boys school. Usually the book fair is a mess with kids wandering around not really knowing what they want to get, but it went surprisingly smooth. Peyton has really been into learning about the Titanic, so he picked up a book about that and was set to go. Hayden found the much anticipated Pout Pout Fish in the Big Big Dark, and Calib got the first in a series written by the same guy that did the Percy Jackson novels. Afterwards we walked the courtyard to see their artwork. Hayden saw Olivia and Riley from his class, and they were just all about him. In Asa's words 'Whoa, I didn't think a kindergartner could flirt'. We also found out Olivia is actually a twin. Peyton told Hayden "That's awesome, Hayden. Hang on to that one." When leaving we ran into Ciara, and she went out of her way to say hello to Peyton. Those two are ladies men, I tell you. I'm going to have some heartbreakers on my hands. Calib on the other hand, I can't get two words out of him about what girl he likes. But I know theres someone. He'll crack one of these days.
Best Discovery of the Week:
The Seaworld Penguin Cam- Running through April! I think one penguin just discovered the camera, he's all close up staring into it. awesome.
Best Song:
Hayden's quacking rendition of 'It's a Small World' to the ducks at Epcot
Biggest Accomplishment:
Asa completing his quest to eat 300 tacos in one year. This is taco #300
And that's Phenom joining in on the festivities with his doggie taco treat. He LOVED it.
Funny Quotes of the week:
Peyton: "My teacher says you have to be responsible for other people"
Asa: "Thats crap. That's called being a parent"
(While Playing the Kung-Fu Card Game)
Hayden: (looking at Asa's cards) 'We should use Invincible"
Asa: "How do you know what that says"
Hayden: "I sounded it out"
Asa: "Good Job"
Hayden: (looks around at all of us) "Not that we have an Invincible card'
(In response to a turtle crossing the street)
Hayden: *gasp* "That is so dangerous! What is he doing? That's so unsafe!'
(After Calib killed a bug)
Peyton: "Rest in Peace"
Calib: "More like, rest in peices!"
Next Up: It's Spring Break, Baby! We're going to party like it's 1997 ad we're on MTV! Well, I mean, not really, but it's going to be a blast!
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