You guys know I love living in Florida, but I just really REALLY LOVE living in Florida. We got home last night, and this morning I spent unpacking and then running errands. I felt like one of the lizards in my front yard, soaking in the warm air and sunshine. I'm just SO HAPPY to be home. Just slipping on ye old flipper floppers, grabbing my purse and running out the door made me so happy- no locating of hats, gloves, coats was WONDERFUL. Ohio is not my thing, for so many reasons. I don't like the pressure I'm under by certain people while I'm there, and some put-downs I seem to incur every single time (I think this is probably the main reason), but I also don't like the lack of activities to do (especially in the winter), and I especially don't like weather (including all the things that come with it- the boys losing hats, gloves, even coats, the dry skin, the static in my hair, the way the lack of seeing the sun makes me feel, the inability to ever feel all that comfortable-- it's either too cold or too hot, the scraping off of cars-- just all of that), and then the small things that after awhile irritate me, like the inability to get internet upstairs at my moms house. Then there's the fact that I seem to get sick every. single. time. I go to Ohio. (I haven't yet though, despite my nephew sneezing directly in my face, so cross your fingers that stays away!) So why do I go to Ohio you ask? Well, The boys always tell me how it gives them perspective though, and that's a good thing. But, it's really just because most of my family is still there, and despite my intense loathing for the place, those people outweigh the bad. So I suffer through. In all honesty, the summer isn't so bad. There's lots more to do, we can fill our time- and take some day trips. The winter just depresses me. But, now I'm home, and I won't be seeing the yucky winter for a whole other year!
My title this week is brought to you by the opening of every Bucs game. They play this video on the big screen with less than flattering pictures of other games around the country, and talks about how great it is to live in Tampa Bay (go ahead and make fun of our sucky team this year- at least we still get to live here!) Anyway, here it is:
I've seen the rain in Seattle,
The frozen fields of Green Bay.
The gray skies of motor city,
And soldier field on game day.
The metro dome is old.
Cowboy stadium is too expensive.
Philly fans are annoying.
Raider Nation is offensive.
We like it hot with blue skies,
Bikinis and speedboats.
We love plastic beads, suntans,
White sand, and Gasparilla floats.
So stay in the north,
In your cold and your grime.
We'll hold down the coast,
Where its warm and its bright.
We live here by choice.
We dig the sun and the sea.
We feel bad for the rest of ya'll,
Because its a Bucs Life for me!
So we land, and this is what we see. So Calib immediately says "I've seen the grey skies of the motor city". Such a funny guy he is. FYI, that's a mid-day shot. I almost think the lack of sun bothers me more than the cold weather. Yuck.
We started out last Thursday in sunny Tampa. It was brown shoes day at PDQ- where you get a free three piece chicken tenders just for wearing brown shoes. Our plane left at noon, so it was a little early for lunch, but how can you pass up a deal like that?
And since we left on a Thursday, Asa took us to the airport. He stopped on the way back and got another free three piece!
We flew out of airside A (I used to work there- lots of fun memories!)
It was weird when we landed, because nobody was there to pick us up. Since I got my crazy $34 flights (YES- $34 EACH WAY!!), I had to fly on certain dates. Mom was gone on a conference so we just picked up her car at the Detroit airport, since she had flown out earlier that morning- and drove to Fremont ourselves. We stopped by my grandma's in Toledo for some chit chat, and a couple of presents.
Then I took the boys to the Pizza Palace for dinner. It's usually on their 'must eat while in Ohio' list.
The next day, I couldn't really get them motivated to do much. I think the dreaery weather has an effect on them too. But, they did play outside. For all the annoying things about the house I grew up in, it does have a pretty great backyard.
Hayden and I went to run some errands. Because of brown shoe day at PDQ, we all wore our brown sandals and then changed into our northern shoes, I didn't realize he didn't bring anything and was wearing sandals until we got to the gate, so we had to go out and get him some new tennis shoes, we all needed some socks- that sort of thing- and then we stopped for some cappuccino's. I used to think Speedways were pretty decent, but they have nothing on Racetrack and their free coffee week.
On Saturday, Calib and Peyton stayed at gigi's house, while Hayden and I went back up to Detroit to pick up my mom.
Then we met up with all the Sattler's for lunch for my grandpa's birthday. Jake even came home from college, even though he's not done for a few more days. It's always fun to see them.
(And it must be in the Sattler genes, but my cousin Nathan might ALMOST be better at taking self taken pictures than me)
Happy Birthday, Grandpa!
Uncle Mike even pulled out a couple magic tricks for my boys. I haven't seen those since I was a kid!
That night, mom was at the Hayes Presidential Center cooking dinner for their Christmas feast, and I rummaged through some of my old stuff. I found this totally useless box of printer media from my Snoopy Photo days, but it made me smile.
Match PJs!
Sunday, Calib and I set off for the Bucs Lions game. It just so happened we had in away game in Detroit while I was there- what are the odds? I'd been there once before with my dad to see Brett Favre play (one of my favorite memories with my dad!) but that was pre-picture in front of every stadium bucket list add on, so I had Calib snap one.
It was cold, but we made it!
I sprang for good seats too. I told him I wanted to pay less than $200 for the seats, but other than that he could sit wherever he wanted- he found these in the endzone, ten rows up from the field.
He's never gotten to be this close before, he was excited. (Despite what it looks like in this picture)
The view from our seats, there was a couple touchdowns right in front of us. And a couple of fumbles too.
And we got the souvenir cup to add to our collection.
Ready for kickoff.
Poor Lovie, he's had it rough this year. No worries, Marcus Mariota is coming to the rescue!
Calib and I were pretty confident the Bucs wouldn't win, but an opportunity to see them on the road, and even to see Megatron play couldn't really be passed up!
This picture is funny because poor Josh McCown-- #12-- is looking pretty stressed out. I don't even blame him- the place was loud, he got sacked a bunch, and there wasn't even enough Bucs fans there to fill a section. It wasn't quite like the games here.
Despite another Bucs loss, Calib and I had a bunch of fun. He told me we should try and go to one road game every year, and start a new tradition. Hey, if my 14 year old wants to keep hanging out with me, I am all for it, so I'm totally on board with that. We picked up pizza on the way home to bring back to Mom, Peyton, and Hayden who had been working on the yard, the house, and the cookies all day.
Trying to make the trip more fun (and because Asa worked so much OT during Thanksgiving, isn't he wonderful), I booked a night at the Great Wolf Lodge in Sandusky. I kept trying to book Tuesday night into Wednesday, but it wouldn't let me. Turns out there are so few people, they close Tuesday at 1pm, and open again on Thursday. Because of that, I had to book Monday night into Tuesday. Since the hours are shortened on Tuesday, they gave us free late check out, and mom's waterpark pass for free. We didn't get the same room as last time (the bunk beds were much pricey-er) but we did have a fireplace and a room that slept six!
(Oh, and the kids all got free wolf ears!)
We headed into the waterpark a little after 2, and there was hardly anyone there. It wasn't as big as the one we had been to in Williamsburg, but it was almost half the price.
After a couple hours at the waterpark, we headed back to our room, and then explored the rest of the hotel a bit. It was really quiet- not a lot of other people there at all.
I had told the boys we could get Fazoli's for dinner since it was right down the street, so I ran out to get it for everyone.
After dinner, it was back to an even emptier water park. (Really, check it out)
Grandma treated us all to some ice cream, too.
Then it was back to the room for some games, warming up by the fireplace, and bedtime.
The next morning I found my mom like this, reading her book trying not to disturb anyone by turning on lights. Isn't she funny? Like anything wakes my kids up.
We did a morning trip to the water park- which was even emptier than the night before. I think there were MAYBE five other families there.
Mom treated us to ice cream yet again. Because who doesn't need an ice cream bucket for breakfast?
We missed Asa though, he loves bottome- of the ice cream bucket- sludge.
I think by the time noon rolled around, there was one other family left in the whole water park, and by the time we left, we were the very last ones.
The waterpark closed at 1, but we had late check out until 2. We heated up lunch in the microwave (Mom took the boys to Kroger and let them all pick out whatever microwave meal they wanted, a snack, and a drink for the trip), and had lunch before packing up and heading out.
I discovered on Tuesday, all movies in Sandusky are just $5. (I later found out they are only $3 in Bowling Green-- we'll have to take advantage of that next time! For those prices, I'll take them to see as many movies as they want!!) The movie theater is practically right next door to the hotel, and it started at 2:10, so it was perfect timing. We saw Big Hero 6.
Keeping with the totally empty, nobody around, theme- we were the ONLY PEOPLE in the theater to watch the movie. I guess there's not too much of a demand for a matinee movie on a random Wednesday in December in Sandusky, Ohio.
After we dropped off our stuff, we went out to pick up grandma's Christmas tree.
Then, keeping with a Sattler family tradition, we went to the Chinese Restaurant. For the second year in a row, Bob and Linda Miller joined us for dinner. And for the second year in a row, Mom and Bob both got each other Plum Wine for a Christmas present.
This was my fortune. My cookie must not have been aware how much I hate cold weather.
Of course the boys all got their fortune from the penny scale too. (Something I used to do as a kid!)
When we got back to mom's we put up the tree.
The next morning there was cookie baking on the agenda. I didn't make any in Florida, figuring I would have plenty of time to make them while in Ohio and I wouldn't have to bring them in a suitcase that way.
I also helped my mom with some random projects- like hanging the drapes back up after they went to the dry cleaners.
Meanwhile, Calib put the lights on the tree for the first time ever.
He's still not the best seeing things spatially. If you notice, there's not many at the bottom, and a whole lot at the top. But, you know, grandma's don't mind that type of thing. And it was his first attempt.
Hayden helped me decorate the tree.
We stopped by Kohl's on our way to Toledo that night. I wanted Hayden to get this sweatshirt, but he decided on a different one. My mom was kind enough to get all the boys a new hoodie for an Christmas present.
Because Calib was supposed to go to see the Kettners on Wednesday night we went out to the Lights before Christmas at the zoo pretty early. We thought we'd do all the non-light stuff early and then once it got dark enjoy the lights.
Since there was no snow this trip, when we heard about the ice slide at the zoo, we just HAD to do it. I thought it was funny there was all kinds of cue lines for it, but we were the only ones there.
The boys did it a couple of times, and I went down it once. It was SO. MUCH. FUN.
Then we enjoyed the warm fire, took some fun pictures, and took a peek at the reindeer.
Then we warmed up with some hot chocolate in the lion cages.
By then it was dark enough to enjoy the lights.
And we went to the kids area to check out the trains and some activities in the warm building.
Hayden wanted to stop by to see the polar bears (see how there isn't anyone, it wasn't busy at all while we were there!)
And we stopped by the gift shop on the way out.
My mom bought me the best hat ever. It's a koala! How great is that?
Thursay there was some more baking, and we went to Chud's with one of my friends from grade/high school. Chud Spuds are also on the things to eat while in Ohio list.
Friday, I took the boys up to Toledo and we went to the Bass Pro Shop. They're building a new one in Brandon, and it'll be cool when it's open, they always offer lots of free kids activities.
The boys played some games, we wandered the store and looked at the fish, and got some ice cream and played some checkers.
I treated them to dinner at five guys, and I had some happy boys on my hands.
When we got back to grandmas, Hayden got another Christmas present, while Peyton and I helped address, seal, and stamp my mom's Christmas cards.
Saturday, I took Hayden out to his build and grow class. He didn't want to miss one, so I signed him up for the one in Fremont.
Then we decided we needed an extra bag to bring all our new stuff home in, so grandma treated us to a new suitcase.
Then we went up to gigi's house for cookie day. When we were cleaning up getting things ready, mom asked if the boys wanted to do the wishbone from Thanksgiving. They had never done one before.
I'll let the cookie day pictures speak for themselves. Partially because Asa and I are heading out for date night soon, since we've finally been reunited and we have some Christmas money to spend! But, it was a good time with the Sattler's and Millers, and Ainsworths.
Cort spent like half an hour trying to take apart this chair to move it, Holly walked in the room, googled it and ta-da, a minute later it was moved.
My koala hat might be cool, but Garrett has the best hat.
Then Lily's leash got lost, so mom improvised.
When we got home, mom had a letter from the Ohio Senate congratulating her on being adjunct faculty of the year.
Sunday everyone went to church while I watched Lily and Garrett.
Once everyone got home we had brunch and took some pictures before the Sattler's headed home to Cincinnati.
We got Calib a little while later, and headed to the airport, where we had one of the best flights ever. It was the smoothest ride I've ever had, and the pilot even came on and said "well that was easy" when he landed. It wasn't a full flight either, so the four of us ended up splitting six seats. It was lovely.
We're back home today, and loving the sunshine. We're already unpacked, I've been to the bank and the store, and I even got around to baking the dogs their birthday cake! This year I made cupcakes. Since I missed Pork Chops birthday the day we left, I decided against a cake, and instead did cupcakes where I could add a 4 for Porkchop, and 11's for Sophie and Gracie. Today is Soph's and Grace's actually birthday so we just celebrated them all today.
Next Up: We've got to get ready for Christmas. It's only 10 days away and since we've been gone for the last 11 days we don't have a tree or decorations up, and I have lots more wrapping to do!
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