We are fully consumed with election mania here! Last Sunday we celebrated the last presidential debate of the season with debate bingo, and prohibition cocktails!
Hayden and Peyton were our bingo winners. Calib was last, by a mile. He didn't pick a great card. This election is particularly important for the boys to learn all about the process, because next election both Calib AND Peyton will be able to vote. (As you can see, Ellie is unimpressed with this years candidates)
We won't be here on election night to theme our dinner and dessert, since we're headed to Universal for a couple nights, so we took the night of the last debate to theme our food; very patriotic!
Last election, Peyton was the only one of our kids who was home schooled. Since home schooling, he has been really very interested in history and politics. Then, we did that thing, where we celebrated every single president's birthday. Oh, and then we actually got to shake hands with a former president. My point is, he's totally into this election stuff. Last time around, we went to rallies for both Romney and Obama. (You should totally click on that link, Peyton is so little!) Anyway, back in 2012, ten year old Peyton told me we should try and go to both rallies every election. We are lucky enough to live in a swing state. But more than that, we are part of the I-4 corridor, where the state, (and sometimes the whole election if it's close) is decided. Northern Florida will go red, southern Florida will go blue, so it's really up to the Tampa/Orlando area to decide who wins Florida. What that means, is that the candidates will swing through here, giving us the opportunity to see them both.
Here's the thing with this election, after all my presidential studies, I have become aware that every candidate and president for that matter, has had their ups and downs. (Except of course for my man James Knox Polk. Love him.) I don't believe any candidate, or any party for that matter is all good, or all bad. But, before I go any further, I have to full disclosure here. I am a registered independent, but I have always voted for a Democratic president because I just align more with that party. This time, when it became apparent Hillary was going to be the nominee, I really was hoping for the Republican Party to nominate someone moderate I could get behind. But, I am just not a Trump fan. I wouldn't call myself a Hillary fan, but come election day, I will be a Hillary Clinton voter.
Perception is reality, especially in an election year. I've tried to instill this in myself, but also in the boys. You can't just dismiss someone because their beliefs or ideas are different than yours. Nobody is right or wrong, just different, and you have to be respectful. Perception is reality. That's important to remember.
But, here's where I have a problem with Trump and his campaign. Every single birthday we celebrated, I told the boys there is no right or wrong belief, or stance on the issues. Every. Single. Time. However, every single time there was always an exception to that rule: 'Unless you're being discriminatory.' I still don't believe Trump is all wrong, but it is MY perception, that he has been discriminatory. And to me, that's just disqualifying for MY vote. I harbor no ill will to you if that isn't your perception, or if it is but just not disqualifying. I know that Hillary is also disqualifying to a lot of people. That's your choice, that's your perception, and this is America, so have at it. I totally respect that. I don't like the 'us' against 'them' attitude elections bring out. I know it's part of the process, but it's just so divisive.
I tell you all of this, again, so you know, that as unbiased as I may have tried to be at this rally, and I'm obviously going to tell you how I saw things, I'm sure it will seem like some bias is coming through. I accept that, and I hope nobody takes offense. Despite all of this, I did try my best to come in with an open mind, and to take it all in.
And on to it we go.
Peyton and I tried to go to a Trump rally a couple of weeks ago, in Lakeland. But, we got stuck in traffic for quite some time, couldn't find a parking spot, and bailed. The location there was not great, with just a single lane road all around the venue. We hoped Trump would come closer, or even to Tampa, and we'd try to make it to rally again. I got the email on Saturday that he was going to be in Tampa on Monday, so we signed up. The venue this time, I knew would be better: the Florida State Fairgrounds. It's right off the highway with plenty of lanes, and tons of parking. We still decided it would be wise to get there early. Doors opened at 4, so we arrived at three. The line was already kind of crazy.
Remember, I went to the Republican rally 4 years ago. That rally was held at the Land O Lakes high school, and the demographic that showed up to that rally was very different than the demographic that showed up to this Republican rally. I think there in lies the problem with not only the Republican Party, but the two party system. (I have a friend who is hard core against the two party system, so that's my nod to him. My argument, however, is that until the electoral college is modified or abolished, a 3rd party has no chance.) Anyway, it was obvious to me the Republicans of four years ago who came out to Romney's rally was not the same part of the Republican party who were showing up for Trump.
The people in line we're plenty nice enough to us. When we go to rallies, we really immerse ourselves in it. I don't enjoy confrontation, so I just tried to blend in, and smile and nod at whatever was told me to me, or offered to me. This was their rally, I was just there to observe, not make waves. (It's worth noting, there was not one protester, nobody there saying anything negative about Trump, not one Hillary supporter trying to sway votes.) But, we overheard some things that just blew our minds. Things like 'We have to get the Muslims out. But not the Hindu's. The Hindu's hate the Muslims, they can stay.' To me, my perception, I categorize that as discriminatory. Things like that just went on and on.
The rally was also really different from any others that I had been to, with all the vendors selling Trump merchandise. Sure, the other rallies I had been to had people selling t-shirts and buttons. But this was tent after tent of whole shops of books, and posters, and buttons and hats, and pennants and flags. The excitement for him is real, people. Everyone was eating this up.
There was even a cardboard Donald Trump!
No matter who I'm voting for this election, I needed a campaign button from both of the candidates, so Peyton and I each got a couple.
Some of the buttons were super cute. I loved the Republican Elephant with Trump hair, so I got that one. Plus, I had to get one with 'Make America Great Again.' since it's been such a huge slogan this election season. We also thanked the guy handing out 'I'm a Christian and I'm voting' stickers, because, you know, smile and nod.
I don't consider myself as someone who has to be politically correct. But, there were multiple statements in line that bothered me. Hillary and her supporters were relentlessly bashed. There were signs/T-shirts/banners of Hillary Clinton in the cross hairs and things I won't write, or repeat we're said about Bill Clinton and his um... indiscretions.You can hate her/them, but that seemed harsh. And then, there was the clear embrace of the phrase 'Deplorables'. Look, I get it, Hillary Clinton's rally had 'Bad Hombre's for Clinton', and 'Nasty Women for Clinton' button's and t-shirts. I wasn't a fan of those either. But, when Clinton said Deplorables, in the same breath she gave her definition of the phrase: the racist, homophobic, sexist, xenophobic, ect.
I think that was a terrible thing to say, that half of Trump's supporters are those things. But, there are some, given by what I heard in line, who would fit into that category. Certainly not half. And every campaign is going to have unsavory supporters. But, the way they embrace it knowing that is the definition she gave it, bothers me. And it blew Peyton's mind. He would just look at me and say 'Do they not care they're implying they're racist?' Our perception is that they are embracing discrimination. Again, that's just us. But, it was said over and over again, as if it was a term of endearment. That calling someone racist was something to be proud of. People on stage would say things like 'How are my deplorables doing? It was just really off putting to me. But again, I don't believe all Trump supporters are those things. I know plenty of them, and that doesn't represent them. And, I think they're just trying to be funny and cute about it. I don't think everyone who embraces the 'deplorables' is any of those things Hillary said. It just rubbed me the wrong way.
There was a woman dressed as Hillary Clinton, sporting a prison outfit, and that Trump vs. Tramp sign was also one of more tame homemade signs that we saw. There were a lot that I wouldn't take a picture of. Seriously. Some words should just never be put on a sign, no matter how passionate you may be about something. Just because you have the right to freedom of speech, doesn't mean you have to push the envelope. Look, Peyton is 14. He internets. I'm sure he's seen plenty of those words before. But, I have to say, I am glad that Hayden didn't come. I was also wildly uncomfortable with people talking about how there was no other way to raise their kids than Republican. The guy in front of us with his daughter bought a 'Dad's against Daughters Dating Democrats' Button. I'm sure it's all in good fun, but after dedicating last year to teaching the boys to see beyond party lines, it made me cringe a little. I don't care if I'm raising Republicans, or Democrats, or Independents. I want to raise kids who think for themselves, and make up their own minds.
But my gosh, the size of the crowd. Trump isn't lying when he says he draws a huge crowd. He does. There's no way to take a picture of the madness. People are everywhere, and they LOVE him. People who have never voted before, are now excited about voting. That's worth noting. Whether it's his celebrity or his rhetoric, he's bringing people into this Democracy who felt like that weren't heard or represented before, and I think that's important. I commend him for that. There's no denying he has a serious, dedicated group of supporters.
We made our way through security, and were immediately handed signs. The rally itself was held at a great location, the Amphitheater. Even the concessions were open, it was like a full blown event.
I was originally handed a 'Make America Great Again' sign, but they took it back and said 'Oh no, wait, you have to have one of these.' They were making sure every single woman had a 'Women for Trump' sign. I did come home and give the sign to my neighbor, who is very excited about Trump though, so she was happy to have it. After we took this picture, a lady behind us said to me 'And they say women don't like Trump'. I just nodded and smiled. My goal (especially with my social anxiety), again was to just blend in.
We were towards the front of the line, so we kind of had our pick of the seats. Doors open three hours before the event, so we opted to sit further back, in the cushioned seats, since our butts were going to be sitting in them for awhile. We could have opted to stand down in the pit at the the bottom, and maybe shake Trump's hand. But again, cushioney seats for three hours sounded much more appealing.
For the next three hours, we sat there, collected our Pokestops, and even met up with Justin who found us in the crowd with no help, which I thought was pretty impressive. We also just took it all in. The crowd seemed to be a bit of an older crowd. But there were some kids. One of which said 'we can't let Hillary take our guns.' Again, I cringed. Not because of the statement, but because it was a kid younger than Hayden saying it. It just didn't sit well with me. I will note, since Trump is polling poorly with minorities, that the crowd was overwhelming white people. There was a group of about 5 people who were wearing shirts that said 'Chinese American's for Trump', and they wandered the venue taking pictures with anyone and everyone. It was kind of bazaar.
Our tickets said no homemade signs were allowed, but plenty got through. There were a lot complaining about the media and their bias.
When it was time for the 6 o'clock news, everyone stood up to boo in the background. It was pretty hostile. Like angry mob, hostile. But, it settled down pretty quickly when the newscasters stopped broadcasting. Then nobody paid too much attention to them.
While we waited, commercial after commercial, all bashing Hillary were shown on the big screen. I get it, attack ads are part of the process. But, couldn't we get one 'this is what Trump will do for you' ad's on the screen? I know they exist. I've seen a few of them. These were all anti-Hillary ads, with no pro-Trump. I was discouraged. But, the crowd was enthused. They went WILD for these. It seriously felt like a concert. People were super excited. But it was certainly a lot of 'angry cheers' if that's a thing. You could hear random people yelling things about Hillary and Bill, that I just don't even want to repeat.
Before Trump spoke, we got Pam Bondi, Florida's Attorney General, who I also did not vote for. She's got her own scandals. Though, who is politics doesn't, I suppose. She used the tag line 'Eight Years is Enough' about eight times too many. This woman seriously lacks charisma. But, we also heard from former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden. He is loved around the state, and people were very excited about him. He was met with loud cheers. We also heard from a pastor and some other local people who are supporting Trump. But, another really weird moment occured when one guy on stage went on and on about abortion and telling us 'Hillary Clinton has murdered too many black babies'. Look, I get abortion is a hot button issue too, but there were kids in the audience, and he went on and on about it. In detail. And it was weird. It was also noted to the crowd, that everyone stood for the National Anthem. I have my own feelings on this, but the way that it was presented, was just another jab at 'the others' which was the theme of the rally, in my opinion.
Trump was pretty punctual, the Amphitheater which holds 10,000 people under the canopy was full, and people went CRAZY when he came out. Trump really soaks it up, pacing the stage clapping, and at one point hugging the flag. I think for us, he stuck mostly to the teleprompter. I've notice he seems to do much better when he has that sticking to the issues.
He does certainly have some stances on the issues I can get behind. He talked about 'draining the swamp'. That's cool. I can applaud term limits in Congress, and getting a handle on lobbying. I don't really have huge opinion on Obamacare, except that it's kept my insurance from going up. If he has a better plan, I'm all for it. My problem though, is that he talks in hyperbole's, with 'We're going to repeal and replace Obamacare with something so great, you'll have low rates and the best coverage ever. It'll be amazing.' Whoa, awesome. Sounds fabulous. But, really, how?!
His attacks on Hillary Clinton's honestly and handling of her emails is not without merit. Although, I think the frequent chants of 'lock her up' was a little much (This happened for hours, you guys). He does have things he can bring up about her, to put doubt in voters minds. I told you, I'm not a Hillary fan. But, Trump just sidetracks. He often trails off and speaks in sentence fragments that become hard to follow. We heard about the rigged election, which I believe is just ludicrous. I know there is *some* voter fraud. But, it's my belief that it is not widespread enough to tip an election. And I think saying you're not sure if you'll except the results is also terrible, even if he was being sarcastic. Hearing him talk about it in person, and the following cheers was off-putting. He didn't address the woman who have accused him of sexual assault at our rally, which I think was good. I didn't want to hear about that. He said his peace, either you believe him, or you don't. He certainly shouldn't spend his time focused on giving more airtime to his scandals.
A lot of things he said, I just didn't agree with. Not that he's wrong, I just don't think that way. I am someone who detests 'Corporate America', and he's just part of that. That's not his fault, he's built a brand, it's just not something I personally enjoy in a politician. His speech was a lot of what we've heard and seen, nothing too new to me. We heard about his wall (And of course the whole crowd screamed back 'Mexico' when he asked who would pay for it), we heard about his tax plan. All kind of par for the course.
But, what bothered me most about the whole rally was his treatment of the media. The media was contained to this one area, they were never really seen mingling in the crowd, and just kept to themselves in their fenced in area. But, at one point, early on his speech he pointed right at the media and called them crooked, and complained that they never show how big his crowds are. He demanded they turn their cameras around and pan the crowd. Then people started angrily booing. More than that, people next to me, got up, ran over to the fenced in area and started screaming in reporters and camera guys faces. At one point, one of them yelled back ' We're just trying to do our jobs!'. It was ugly. It was terrible. It was everything that I feel is wrong with Trump's campaign, and it made me feel sick. I looked over at Peyton, and his mouth was gaping open. He was SHOCKED. This wasn't the only time this happened in his speech. Several times he pointed out the media, and people screamed at them all over again. It reminded me of the angry mob who goes hunting for the beast in Beauty and the Beast. (Leave me alone, I don't watch a lot of movies, that's the best I have).
Here's the thing. I don't think every person who supports Trump is an angry person who would get in someone's face for just doing their job. But, there are a lot of people who really see Trump as their savior in Washington, and they will follow him to the ends of the earth. He needs to see that as a responsibility to set an example to them. To promote hope for what he can do for them, instead of directing their hate and anger at other people. He seems to focus on a group of people, and direct all the hate he can muster from his most avid supporters, at that group. The group is always changing, and lately the needle has landed on the media. I saw that, and I didn't like it. If I had written this blog the night I got back, or even the day after, I would have been even more down on my experience at the rally. Again, I don't think I'm a sensitive person. I don't think I'm worried about being too politically correct. But, maybe I am. And maybe my perception about that is wrong. But what I saw, was just awful. Seeing it in person isn't like hearing about it on the news. It's unsettling. It's hateful. It's alarming.
These views weren't just mine. A lot of these observations I shared with you came from Peyton. Asa said he loved the whole thing, because it was the best people watching he's ever done. It's important to note, this was just one rally. Other's might be less hostile. Other's might be more positive. I just went to this one. I do think, though, it's important that the people who are this angry, who feel so under-represented are paid attention to, and have their voices heard. And if anything, that's what I got out of that rally. It was certainly an experience that I'll never forget.
We stopped at PDQ for a very late dinner on the way home, and caught some of the Broncos game, which my Broncos fan was happy about.
Wednesday, Hillary Clinton was in Tampa. This go around, Calib wanted to go, which meant Hayden was also along for the ride. Calib has anxiety about some social settings like I do, and a Donald Trump rally is not exactly the easiest place to be a wall flower, so he opted out of the Trump rally.
Her rally was being held in downtown Tampa at Curtis Hixon Park. We got there an hour before the gates open, and to our surprise, there was already quite the line. Given how much we hear about her smaller crowds, we were surprised.
We thought we could show up much later, and we had planned on going to lunch, but when we saw how many people were already there, we hopped in the line, and Asa and Calib went over to a little cafe to pick up some lunch we could have in line.
There, of course, were all kinds of people selling t-shirts and buttons. But, it was much less the spectical. There were no tents, and only one table at the very front. Everyone else was selling out of wagons. And, fun fact, it was the SAME PEOPLE who had been selling stuff at the Trump rallies. Some of them even sporting the same American Flag gear as two days earlier. Yay capitalism!
Everyone wanted buttons, so we stocked up. Every kid got one, and I got some for my collection.
And look who we saw again! The Hillary in a prison outfit. She got a much better reception at the Trump rally. She was met with all kinds of cheers, where as, at the Hillary rally she was pretty much ignored.
It's interesting. The line at the Hillary rally was much quieter. There were chants of 'USA' and 'Hillary' every once in awhile, but they were mostly just because of this one VERY enthusiastic volunteer trying to rev everyone up. For the most part, it was quiet. The guy behind us asked if his friend could come join him, as she is an undocumented immigrant, and was very concerned about secret service apprehending her. It seemed a little dramatic and extreme to me. But, I don't have any experience with that, so I wouldn't know. I overheard people a few other times saying things like 'we don't attack them, why do they attack us'. It was all very 'I'm the victim stuff' which was a little off putting, but much less angry and aggressive than the Trump rally. There were lots of local candidates were canvasing up and down the line, and I was asked no less than 5 times if I had early voted already, and repeatedly given a flyer of where I could go to vote. I didn't encounter any volunteers trying to 'get out the vote' at the Trump rally. The loudest people in line, were the protesters, of which there were many. Again, with some signs that were pretty harsh. But, for the most part, I could at least take pictures of these. They weren't nearly as vulgar.
The line to get people in moved much slower, but once we were in, we were handed complimentary little bottles of water, but no signs. We found one of the last spots near the fence to the right of the stage.
Because it took so long to get through security, the line trickled in. We eventually were asked to move away from fence on the end, because it had to be able to swing open. Of course, we moved, other people came in, took the spots we got kicked out of, and we lost half of our prime spots. This was the BIG downside of this venue, along with being outside. We've had some pretty cool days lately, but Wednesday was not one of them, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.
So we had to sweat in the sun for three hours before we got to see Hillary (it should have been two, but she was late- ugh!)
I noticed the media was much less contained at this rally, they were wandering the crowd, and mingling among the voters. Nobody booed them, nobody bothered them. But then that fits into the rhetoric that they are biased against Trump, and soft on Clinton. There were no commercials on any screens, just your typical 'women empowerment' Katy Perry and Beyonce type songs on the loud speaker. It was, in general, much more positive than negative.
Have you ever been to a political rally? Because here's the reality of it: there is tons and tons of waiting, and it gets kind of boring. But, you never really know how late you can get there and still muster a parking space and get into the rally before the candidate shows up. So, we go early. And we wait. For hours. Sometimes we get to sit, sometimes you stand. Sometimes there's no bathroom, and even if there is, you have to leave your spot and someone will take it. Honestly, unless you get lucky with a venue with seats where your spot is staked out for you, you're likely losing your spot. My kids aren't pushy. All five of us were against the fence hours before Hillary showed up. But by the time she did, Hayden and I had about 18 inches of fence to share, and Asa, Calib, and Peyton were three people back. People are pushy. They get their late, and tell their kids to make their way to the front. It's just like Disney at parade time. It drives me bananas. Just be considerate of others. *End rant*
The crowd grew. I was impressed with it. Don't get me wrong, it was NOWHERE near the people that showed up for Trump, but it wasn't as piddly as the Trump camp makes it out to be either. And, it was also Hillary Clinton's birthday. Which is kind of fun, since we celebrated all those birthdays last year. Fun fact: Hillary shares a birthday with my brother, so her's is easy to remember, should she become president. That would make a whopping 7 presidential birthdays in October. If Trump wins, we'll just have our second June presidential birthday. Either one, we'll be celebrating it next year.
Hillary's rally had many more politicians speaking. The Tampa mayor, Bob Buckhorn was there, so was our senator, Bill Nelson. There were also several local candidates who spoke. And they were a little long winded. Everyone was very positive though. They mentioned Trump by name a few times, but for the most part, they would say things like 'I want a future for my kids where everyone is treated with respect.' It was a jab at his rhetoric for sure, it just wasn't as overt as what we heard two days before.
Oh, and Angela Basset showed up to speak for Hillary. That was kind of random.
Hillary finally came out about an hour late, after the guy who introduced her went on for like half an hour. He was an immigrant who was voting in his first election. But, more than that, he was a chef, who pulled out of Donald Trumps new hotel in D.C. because of the things Trump had said. He would have been much more effective if he hadn't gone on and on. Everyone was getting really fidgety. And then Hillary came out, and the crowd met her very enthusiastically. Although, it didn't really compare to the excitement at Trump's rally. There just wasn't the mass amount of people there.
About ten minutes before Hillary showed up, Peyton started feeling lightheaded. He doesn't really sweat, so his body heats up much faster than the average kid, meaning you have to keep him hydrated. They handed out small bottles of water, but that was hours before hand, He was pale, and I was worried. So, we didn't really stay. Hillary came out, gave a few waves, and told the crowd it was a great way to celebrate her birthday.
We didn't stay to hear her talk. I didn't want Peyton to be one of those people that passed out at a rally (because in every rally I've been to, at least one person has), so we left. I later watched her speech on youtube, just as comparison. Her speech is pretty par for the course too. I think most of her speeches are the same thing over and over again: Free community college for families who make less than $125,000 a year, tax hikes for the wealthy, improving Obamacare, and making sure Donald Trump doesn't get anywhere near the White House. Part of what makes her unappealing to many, besides the investigations, and scandals that we all know about, is her polish as a politician. Her speeches don't hide the fact she is a career politician. She embraces it, for better or for worse, I suppose.
Leaving when we did gave us the unique opportunity to see the people standing to catch a glimpse of the rally from outside the gated areas, the overflow if you will. We also got to catch the huge police presence and motorcade she travels with.
When we got to the top of the parking garage, you could see the crowd. But, there were secret service agents stationed up there. They said we could take a picture, but we couldn't stay up there. Hayden was thrilled to have talked to a Secret Service Agent. It was the highlight of the trip for him.
All in all, her rally was exactly what I know a political rally to be. It was just like Obama's and Romney's in 2012. It was politics. Which, like I said, could be her strength and her weakness with voters. People like Trump because he's an outsider. I get that. People like Trump because he's not Hillary. I get that. Like I said (hours ago when I started writing this blog, I'm really struggling with this one today), I'm not a fan of either candidate. I think Hillary represents a lot of what is wrong with politics. But, I think Trump represents a lot of what I believe is wrong with America. Their rallies did nothing to change that perception for me. But, the negativity and anger at the Trump rally is not the kind of attitude I want my kids to see. And it's not the kind of thing I want my president to bring out in the American people. And, that my friends is my two cents.
On to a much more pressing matter: The Great Candy Election of 2016. We've got our election headquarters set up, and we're ready to start recording votes on Tuesday.
We also recorded a few more videos, and commercials. Poor Calib is the WORST actor I've ever seen in my life. He couldn't deliver lines if his life depended on it. But oh my gosh, do they make for some of the funniest bloopers. I laughed till I cried. You guys are in for a real treat with that blooper reel.
We did stuff some more envelopes too, and our recipients were pretty excited about their fun mail!
In non-political news, Peyton, Hayden and I made it to MarineQuest out at the USF Fish and Wildlife Center in Saint Pete.
Once a year they host a giant marine and science festival. It's totally free, and it's really awesome. We've gone every year since we heard about it. But, we did have a time limit this go around since Asa had to work at noon. That's why we had no Calib with us. Getting him up at 8:45 was not happening. We picked up dead fish, we pet live fish, and we got all kinds of lessons about everything from bacteria to Florida panthers.
Hayden even caught a fish in the catch and release pond.
There's also boats you can climb on, and a beach clean up to take part in. We found quite a bit of trash, especially since there were tons of people cleaning up. But, along with the trash, we found a crab who had made his home in an old Doritos bag. We rescued him, and put him back in the water.
It was much cooler last Saturday, a welcome change, notice the hoodies and longer sleeves. But, it was warming up by the time we left, so we figured a Whatever Pop was in order.
Last Sunday the Bucs actually won. (I know, can you believe it?) We had a baked potato and a chili bar. Asa had a sous-chef in Hayden for the chili.
Oh, and we have had a couple of wildlife visitors this week. Calib has a possum living outside his window that keeps visiting him at night, and we've had a re-occurring visit from this woodpecker too.
I leave you with cute pictures of the Waterstraut pets. Fun fact: the same day I took this picture of Dipper and Ellie hanging out, a picture of Sophie and Dipper hanging out just like that appeared on my 'on this day' on Facebook.
I know I said by the next time I blog, I wanted to have house news for you. But, alas, another week has come and gone. Because of trips and such, we're now hoping we don't hear anything- and can close after November 17, when Calib, Peyton and I get back from Denver. No sense in paying for TWO houses when we won't be at either. Our luck though, we'll close right after we send Novemeber's rent check. That's life, I suppose.
Up Next: The Candy Bar Election and Halloween! I made costumes for both Hayden and Peyton this year, but I'll save all those pictures for the next blog.
