You know how I said I hadn't taken hardly any pictures this year, and had not much to report? Well the opposite can be said for this weekend. So buckle up and get ready for an onslaught of pictures like you haven't seen in months. Credit given where it's due, these pictures come from a whole bunch of different people, and a whole bunch of different places!
I've known for awhile this was going to be a bit of a crazy weekend for us. When I discovered Asa's graduation ceremony, Hayden's birthday and the Super Bowl were all on the same weekend, I was totally aware that that meant lots of fun- but also a lot of organization on my part. We had tons of fun (which you'll see below in all the pictures), but my gosh, I'm ready for a few days at home with nothing much on my plate.
Friday morning we packed up and headed over to Disney. Asa actually earned his diploma back in June, and he could have gone to the graduation WGU held in July. But, he purposefully drug his feet a little on applying for graduation, so he could go to the winter 2016 commencement instead. Why? Well because Winter Commencement is held at Disney World (Summer is in Utah). My mom had said she wanted to come down and treat us all to a weekend at Disney to celebrate. But, that was long before we added Ellie to our family. Our doggies usually get to stay at home while we're gone and someone just checks on them, but we're not ready to do that with Ellie yet, so she had to go to the kennel. I was really stressed about it (what with her being a shelter dog and all), but I decided if she had to go to a kennel, a Disney World one had to be a pretty good one to go to. And, I paid extra for a premium bed. So Ellie got to come along on a car trip.
She did ok when we dropped her off, though she was definitely unsure, and we headed over to the Art of Animation resort. It's considered a value resort, but the suites sleep six, and we let Hayden pick the place- since it was his birthday weekend too. You can choose from a couple different themed rooms, but Hayden went with the Lion King. Mom had flown in to the Orlando airport, so she was already waiting for us.
The room had a living room area....
And a dining area, plus a master bedroom.
You also get two bathrooms, which is nice with six people.
And I loved the theme of it all. The stools had the lyrics to "Hakuna Matata" and "I Just Can't Wait To Be King" printed on them!
We had a view of the lake, and the Little Mermaid wing.
We were also right next to the elevators which was convenient.
After we checked out the room, we went down to the pool. It was pretty cold, but we decided we would swim later, since you need a registered Magic Band to get into this pool-- there is no sneaking in to the "Big Blue Pool".
We played some ping pong (Mom and I were much better at it than the boys)....
...and checked out the pool bar.
Then we headed over to the Cars section to climb around. The value resorts have the best Disney themes, which the boys appreciate more than some of the fancier places.
Then we headed over to Animation Hall to look around, and window shop.
For dinner on Friday we ate at the Landscape of Flavors food court. Our Tables in Wonderland works there, so we were able to score our discount at a counter service restaurant- which is the first time we did that. Unfortunately, Tables in Wonderland nearly doubled in price, so I don't think we'll renew- which means Asa and I need to have a Disney Restaurant bucket list to work our way through before the end of June! (Why is everything getting so much more expensive?! They nearly increased our Bucs Season tickets by 50 percent, so we won't be renewing those either!)
We spent the evening playing some games...
And we went to go check on Ellie Belly at the Kennel. She was very happy to see us. Another perk of her being at Disney, we got to visit her several times!
We wanted to get to bed early on Friday, because we had to be up early on Saturday. So, I said the room sleeps 6- obviously, the bedroom sleeps 2, then this table actually folds down...
(and it's really easy to do!)
...and you have another bed!
Plus the couch pulls out.
Saturday morning Asa and Mom headed over to Coronado Springs for Asa's graduation. Asa checked in, and mom saved seats while I got the boys up and around.
We were seated towards the back, but right next to the graduates.
By sheer luck, Asa came through the right set of doors and walked right past us. Our friend Doris was also graduating, so she's right behind Asa there.
He wasn't seated too far away from us either.
The boys did good sitting through all of it. The speakers were really good, and not too long winded. But the reading of names is always something to sit through. And Asa was in the last 15 or so, out of over 700 graduates present.
There he is on the left side of the screen. They announced the graduates name, degree, and hometown while they were featured on the screen, and then Asa got the folder for his diploma. Like I said, he's had that since June.
Back in Toledo, Grandma and Aunt Patti were watching via webcast!
Since they couldn't be here, that was the next best thing! And thanks for Aunt Patti coming all the way from Seattle to hang out with grandma while mom was visiting!
After graduation we had the obligatory pictures.
(I told Asa I didn't get his hat in the first picture- so he put it on me instead, even though it was backwards, I think it's a cute picture).
And when we got back to our hotel we did the graduation dip kiss picture, even though it was raining.
The boys all put on Asa's graduation cap and did their dad impressions.
It was still sprinkling, but I was determined to swim in the pool, partly because they pump in music for you to hear underwater! I had to hear it, so I got in along with Hayden, Asa, and mom. (Although Peyton stuck his head in the water just so he could hear the music!)
It was somewhere in the 60's, so there weren't too many people in the pool.
And while the water wasn't bad (it's heated to 82 degrees), when you got out, it sure was cold.
But, not too cold that you can't stop by the pool bar for celebratory drinks.
After that, I had to run an errand, to get a present for Asa (from Aunt Patti). She had asked if there was anything he would like, so I suggested something from Japan at Epcot (since he always ooohs and ahhhs over stuff there), but Aunt Patti wasn't able to order it online, so I went off in the rain back to Japan in Epcot to get it. (They didn't have exactly what we were looking for- but it worked out ok anyway).
Meanwhile the boys and mom hung out and relaxed.
I met up with them and we went over to Disney Springs for dinner. Mom offered to take us wherever Asa wanted to go, so he picked the Boathouse. It's relatively new, and it is rather pricey, so we hadn't been yet.
Celebratory drinks in a souvenir cup!
Asa got andouille sausage and shrimp mac & cheese, Calib got a club sandwich, Peyton got filet mignon sliders, and mom and I got coconut shrimp with truffle fries! It was all amazing.
Mom had arranged a special dessert from a family friend who works as a manager at the Boathouse. He wasn't there, but he left a note on our reservation and we were very well taken care of as a result. (Thanks Steve! Sorry we missed you!)
This dessert is one of the most impressive things I've ever seen. It's a s'mores baked alaska and it is gigantic.
Plus, the "Congratulations Asa" written in chocolate on the plate was a great touch!
Our awesome waiter, Shawn, carved it all up for us when we were done taking pictures.
But we barely made a dent in the thing. The Boathouse totally lived up to the hype. The food was great, and the service was top notch.
After dinner, even in the rain, we made time to go check on Ellie. The kennel has the walking trail, but they also have a nice dog park for running around.
When we got back to the hotel, we got on skype with grandma and Aunt Patti for presents.
Asa was surprised, he apparently didn't know graduation garnered you so much attention and gifts. Thanks to everyone for the cards and gifts. And Asa was really excited about his Saki set I picked up for him in Japan, so it was totally worth the two hour trek in the rain to get it.
We took a picture of all of us on our end, and Aunt Patti did the same on her end!
After a long day, another round of the bean game, and some of the Republican debate for the New Hampshire primaries, we were ready for bed.
The next morning we had more to celebrate- it was Hayden's 10th Birthday! Since we had to pick up Ellie by noon, we had to make a breakfast reservation earlier than we would have liked to, which meant we had to wake up Calib and Peyton earlier than we normally would have. Below you can see the trying to wake up Peyton sequence.
Mom had some cards from Aunt Bonnie and Grandma to give to Hayden on his birthday, so he got those first thing in the morning.
Which meant he had some money to spend. So, when we headed over to the Animal Kingdom Lodge for breakfast Hayden spent some of his money in the gift shop.
Hayden got to pick the breakfast spot, and he went with Boma. Asa and I had just been, and I certainly didn't mind going again.
Breakfast at Boma is probably my favorite. You guys, plantains! And goat cheese eggs! And french toast bread pudding with praline maple syrup.
We tried to go out and check out the animals on the Savannah, but it was cold, and nobody was out.
Then we were off to pick up Ellie.
They sent us an email from Ellie telling us what a good time she had (complete with a cute picture!) And then we got a report card for her. She was a very good girl, but she was also thrilled to be coming home.
We picked up a new toy for her at the kennel too, as a reward. We'll see how long this stuffed frog lasts. Usually she has those things in pieces in days.
She was very happy to be home. She spent most of the evening on Sunday sleeping on all of us (but especially Asa- she's a bit of an Asa dog).
When we got home, there was still lots to do. Hayden got to open his presents from grandma first.
And then he had a Dragon Ball Z hunt from us to find his presents. Usually he does a pirate map treasure hunt for his birthday, but this year he asked for something a little different. Since I don't watch Dragon Ball Z, I had to defer to Asa on this one.
Basically each present had a dragon ball attached to it (and he had to wear those goggle like thing to see them). We gave him the first one, but every one after that had a picture of where he could find the next present. It was close up, so he had to figure out where it was.
So there was Hayden opening up presents in the kitchen, the bedrooms, the bathroom, the family room and the living room.
His favorite present is my favorite too. He got a tote box full of crafting supplies so he can stop stealing mine!
He really cleaned up though, there was lots of Star Wars stuff for him this year.
Then at his request, we played hot lava. You know, where the floor is hot lava and the last person to fall in, wins. Everyone gathered their supplies and built their towns/forts/pillow pools (including grandma!)
She also came prepared with her reading materials.
I had a lantern in case of emergency, a nerf gun for protection, and a couple of pillows to enable travel.
I also made sure to have my safety goggles. Safety first!
Asa meanwhile set up a whole village in the living room.
Calib appeared with food rations, but if you notice he was also armed.
Peyton was the first to declare himself an enemy of the state, and in he went.
Mom was the next in, she just put her hand in the hot lava on her own. Asa took away my stepping stone while I was traveling, and I fell in. Then Calib took out Asa...
...and as usual, the birthday boy was the winner.
Since we had been gone, I had to get Hayden's cake in the oven as soon as we got home. He didn't seem to mind having a one layer cake. Since the snackadium also gets a cake, I just split the mixture.
But I thought the M&Ms were a fun addition.
We all sang Happy Birthday and had cake before dinner, which was a fun birthday perk for Hayden.
Madison also made Hayden some birthday brownies and a very nice card and brought them over.
Then we filled up the snackadium to prepare for the Super Bowl.
Usually, we have a Super Bowl Party, but this year it was just us. With everything going on, I thought it might be a bit much.
Plus, Peyton my Broncos fan was emotionally invested.
Good thing mom was here, because she entertained Hayden while the rest of us watched the game.
So, my emotionally invested kid was totally freaked out about this game, and I can't say I blame him. My Peyton is (understandably) a big Peyton Manning fan. (I mean they share a name!) In 2011, the Colts and Manning were coming to Tampa. We bought tickets. My Peyton was thrilled. But then, Peyton Manning got injured and was out for the season. We still went to the game, but there was no Peyton Manning and the Colts lost.
Fast forward to Peyton Manning on the Broncos. My Peyton got a new jersey, learned all kinds of new players on a new team, and saw the Broncos ride an amazing season all the way to the Super Bowl. I promised Peyton if they won, I would take him to Disney to see the Super Bowl MVP (Like we had done so many times before), and he could finally see Peyton Manning in person!
But, then, that Super Bowl went terribly, horribly wrong. And by halftime we had turned off the game. So, I made Peyton a promise. I told him the closest Peyton Manning came to us, I would take him. We waited for the schedule to come out, hoping the Broncos at Cincinnati game would work. But, that was Christmas weekend, and wasn't an option. So, to Saint Louis we went. We took a whole weekend, and traveled 1000 miles. And the Bronocs lost.
This year Peyton picked the Broncos to go to the Super Bowl (back in July when we made our predictions), but I don't think he thought it would actually happen. So once they made it, Peyton was thrilled- but totally nervous.
But this time around, things were a lot different.
And a lot more cheers, even if they were apprehensive.
And oh my gosh, was he excited.
Fun fact: Since Peyton got that jersey signed he's hardly worn it, because he doesn't want anything to happen to it. But, he wore it the entire playoffs this year, so since that jersey has been signed, every time Peyton has worn it, the Broncos have won. It's a good luck charm.
So that was that, the Broncos finally won a Super Bowl. Peyton Manning is likely retiring and going out on this win, and my Peyton is thrilled with that. He even told me he was glad the way it worked out, because otherwise he wouldn't have gotten to see Peyton Manning in person. I did make Peyton one other promise, too. I told him I'll take him to Canton when Peyton Manning is inducted into the hall of fame.
And when I took apart the snackadium, I saved Peyton the Broncos sideline.
Everyone was pretty wound up that evening, I think we all finally settled down around 1. But hey, look at Ellie not being shy and playing with my mom. She did so good with having a visitor.
Monday we headed out to the State Fair. This year they have a whole Presidential display. In one of my nerdier moments, I could identify James Polk's china pattern without any labels or anything.
Going during the week made the whole place a lot less busy and crazy and the animals you get to feed were actually hungry!
Those baby goats were between 3 and 4 hours old. And they were the most adorable thing EVER.
We saw some rabbits and chickens, pet some cows, and wandered around the Agriculture building and the Expo hall.
Then we made our way over to cracker country, for some old time Florida lessons.
Hayden even made his own rope!
Mom was pretty excited to be going to a fair in February so it was nice she was able to squeeze it into her visit.
For dinner last night we had grilled cheese and tomato soup. It's usually a Hayden request for his birthday, but with breakfast at Disney and the snackadium, he missed out.
Ronald Reagan's birthday was Saturday, and we celebrated that a few days early. But fun fact, Ronald Reagan and Aaron Burr share a birthday! So, we had a real quick lesson on Aaron Burr (and duels- since he's famous for killing Alexander Hamilton and all). Not only was he TJ's Veep, but he was also a traitor and a lover of the political machine.
For our activity we held Nerf gun duels.
Mom beat Hayden, and he was pretty upset about it.
Calib cheated.
Which meant mom and Peyton faced off for the dueling champion. (We declared mom the winner!)
We've also acquired some cool things in the past few days. We got a Super Bowl paper for Peyton, but what he REALLY wanted was one from Denver, and I just happen to know a guy, and rumor has it we'll have it soon enough (thanks Pagel!)
When I went to stay with my grandma a few weeks ago, she gave me a little spending money and insisted I get something for myself. I'd been looking for Lumiere to go with my Cogsworth, but I hadn't found him-- until this weekend. Now the two can tower over home school central together.
Asa ended up with a new coffee mug (we're getting quite the collection), because I said he should get something for his graduation weekend, and he's had his eye on this one for awhile.
Plus, remember that White House china at the fair? Well, they were selling replica china. My mom talked them down, and bought the plate for me. I would love to someday have a plate from every White House china collection (not every president has their own china). This is Benjamin Harrison's, and I was totally excited about it because of the corn. It's his favorite food! Well, that and oysters. But I knew that, off the top of my head. Isn't that awesome?!
But something else came that was even more exciting. It's a book I made on Shutterfly! I had to split it into two books, because it wouldn't all fit in one (apparently there's 1000 picture limit- something I didn't know until I was on LBJ). But the books go from Washington to Obama, and are pretty amazing. It documents so much of what we did with each president, I wish you could all see every page.
I worked on it nonstop for a couple weeks, but I did a lot of it when I was staying at my grandma's, and she was so excited about- she wanted to surprise my mom with a copy of the books too. So, when I gave mom her copy, I made sure to skype with grandma again! It also means when mom gets back to Toledo, she'll be able to show them off to grandma and Aunt Patti will still be there too!
This is the front page of each of the two books. They feature all 12 months worth of presidents birthdays in order.
I took a picture of some pages, but they are all pretty much the same concept.
The last page in the first book is a nod to all the times we played True American, although the presidents we played as are featured on their pages. The last couple of pages in the second book show our letter from the White House (the other letters are on the respective presidents pages).
And the very last page was at the suggestion of my grandma-- a "Who will be next" nod to the election year we are in! The back cover is a picture I found that I loved. Every president is their own cartoon, and they are amazing.
Mom was leaving around 9:15 this morning, so I knew Calib wouldn't be up to say goodbye, so last night I took her picture with the boys.
She joked she would just take a selfie with Calib in the morning. I told her she had to!
The other boys got up to say goodbye. It was a short visit, but we sure did pack a lot in! Thanks for visiting mom, we had tons of fun! She is off to California for a few days before heading back to Ohio. A globetrotter, that one.
After Asa and I dropped her off at the airport, we went out to breakfast at Brunchies, a place we learned about it our research of our list of Florida places to visit. It totally lived up to the reviews. Guava french toast? Homemade hash & hot sauce? Duck bacon? Yes please!
And that my friends is our crazy weekend. Somehow, we lucked out and had Asa use his vacation days on an office week, so we are back to a work from home week. I'm loving all the time we're getting to spend together.
Next up: We've got tickets to see the Lion King at the Straz! I'm so excited!
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