Happy New Year 2020!

And we're back! Happy 2020, everyone! I know it's just a man-made calendar year, but it's always kind of fun to be like... "and here we go!" like you're about to start some fun new ride (which really you have no idea if it'll be a boom or a bust- but you're here for it, anyway!) 

New Years Eve we celebrated with one more food spread. I used up a lot of the last of everything, trying to get the holiday food out of the hosue for the new year. Plus, my mom will be here in a month and that means it's time to eat out of the freezer! 

Anyway, we had our snacks and we headed to the blanket fort to hang out.

There were games, of course. Not as many board games as I would have liked, but Calib was in Italy, and Peyton is only into a select few games. 

And there were books of course. I'm more excited than anyone else that we're doing the presidents again, and I have completely gone overboard with the presidents books. I have so many of them, and I still checked some out of the library. This one is amazing, and I highly recommend it. I read it in like two days. 

Equally as amazing: reading books IN a blanket fort. Put on some Disney movie you don't really have to pay attention to because you've seen it so much, pur yourself a drink, and you have yourself the best way to spend the last day of the year. 

With New Years comes fireworks. And with fireworks comes the most terrified Etta. She is scared of everything. But she is especially scared of fireworks. It was, however, the first time I have ever seen her crawl up and cuddle up next to Ellie for comfort. Ellie, of course, slept through the whole thing. 

So that's how we spent our quiet New Years Eve. Out with 2019, in with 2020. I know I've said it before, but I am SO excited about 2020- it's an election year, which I love- and I've already got people on board for the Candy Bar Election. We're doing the President's Birthdays again, and if there's one thing I love it's a good year long project. PLUS, it's a summer Olympic year AND a Leap Day Year (where we can bury our leap day time capsule in the ground, since we actually own our house and we know we'll be here in four years to dig it back up). All very exciting. Plus, Asa and I will be married a whole decade this year, there's talk of going to the embassy tours, and Peyton is pretty excited for his cruise with grandma and Uncle Cort & Aunt Holly. 

Plus, I have been uber productive this year. I had all the outdoor Christmas lights taken down on the first, and the tree too. It looked pretty with all the lights and ornaments on it, but once I took them all down, I was like 'oh, THERE'S the ugly tree we chopped down!' 

I made the cookie thing to celebrate the new year, and to finish up the ice cream in the freezer. 

Asa and I went out to run a bunch of errands, and we discovered something amazing- they're putting in a Five Guys over by Costco. If you're not from here, you don't know a few years ago our exit off 75 was just a bunch of open pasture and cows. But, it got built up. We have an outlet mall, a Costco, a Blaze, a bunch of fastfood and sit down resturants, Earth Fare, Hobby Lobby.. you know, all kinds of stuff like that. And for years I've been saying they need to put in a Five Guys. The other nearest one is like 40 minutes away. So, when we drove past I was just like 'IT'S HAPPENING!' Of course, it's not like I'll eat there a lot (Oh, the calories!) But, it's good to know it'll be there. 

Peyton hasn't made too much of an appearence in this blog- but that's probably because he doesn't make too much appearence's outside his room these days (you know, teenagers). But, he got a Game Cube for Christmas, to "relive his childhood" (because that's something a 17 year old gets to say these days, apparently) and one day I climbed into the blanket for to see him playing Mario Sunshine sitting on his knees. When he first met Asa, Asa had a Game Cube and he introduced Peyton to it. Peyton was in love. He'd never seen video games before. And a little tiny Peyton, clad in nothing but his diaper, would sit just like this and play Mario Sunshine. The more things change, the more they stay the same. 

Hayden, meanwhile, has been my super helpful kid lately. With Calib gone, and Peyton doing his own thing, Asa, Hayden and I have become a bit like the Three Muskateers. I told him it's not so bad, as the youngest it happened to me too- but I got to go on fun vacations with just my parents as a result. Anyway, Costco has this vinyl wood like flooring that I've been eyeing for years. It went on sale for the new year, and I thought it would be nice to put it in Calib's room and surprise him with it when he was gone. His carpet was bad, he had this giant bleached out spot- just bad, plus he has the smallest room in the house so I figured we'd try it in there first. Hayden helped us empty out Calib's room and pull up the carpet. 

We also took the boys to Top Golf. We had a not so great experience a couple of months ago, and when the survey came we filled it out honestly. Not like a scathing review or anything, but they called us and told us we could have two hours of free golfing on them anytime we wanted. Normally, I'd feel bad about using something like that without Calib, but he was in Italy, and I wanted Peyton and Hayden to get to do something special too. 

So we golfed, and since that was free, I told the boys to order whatever they wanted for dinner. It was super fun, and they treated us like VIPs. Everyone was checking on us constantly, our drinks were always refilled, our food came super fast, and everyone was so friendly. They certainly redeemed themselves. 

Plus since we had all that time for golfing we played a few more games than jsut the usual Top Golf. My favorite was where you had to hit all nine goals in one target. 

Friday we got to working in Calib's room. Asa only works until noon on Thursdays and Fridays so we have lots of time on our hands. So they say this flooring is super easy to install. But, there is a learning curve. Also, we had to take out the baseboards, which we were hoping we could leave, but turns out we couldn't- so we had to figure taking those off as well. Anyway, there were two trips to Lowes and some bad words uttered. At one point I thought we wouldn't be able to do it. 

But then I thought, I'm Rudy Sattler's daughter. I have to have some tiny handy genes in me, somwhere. My dad built a whole freaking addition onto our house. He built the deck. He could make anything. Once we got going, we killed it. It took us about 3-4 hours to lay the floor, and it's not completely perfect, but it's pretty damn close. I'd really love to take it through the hallway and into Peyton and Hayden's room too. It's just easier with all the pets sleeping with the boys, and the trundle in Peyton and Hayden's room would be so much easier to pull out. But, we'll see. It's not expensive as far as flooring goes, but it is expensive as far as budgeting goes. 

Calib's room, however, looks so nice. We put the baseboards back on and swept it up before putting all of his furniture back in. 

But holy geez, was I sore on Saturday. I didn't feel it at all when I was laying the floor. But, the next day I realized in our assembly line (I lmeasured- then I handed the board to Hayden who ran the board to the grage for Asa to cut- and then Hayden ran it back to me, and then I laid it- repeat and repeat) that I had been squatting for a very long time. Sure, occassionally I'd be on my knees, but most the time I squatted. So, Saturday we watched football and enjoyed one last day in the blanket fort. (Can you guys even BELIEVE football this weekend? The Patriots and the Saints both lost- to teams they should have beaten! So now I know no team I hate is going to be in the Super Bowl and that's AWESOME. Too bad it's not next year when the Super Bowl is in Tampa. I don't want any Saints fans ruining my Super Bowl Thunder). 

Calib, meanwhile, had left my mom and brother and sister in law. They traveled home to New York, and Calib flew off to London by himself. When he booked his flight it was much cheaper to do it that way (like $500 LESS!) Some people gave me a little weird look about Calib spending two days in London by himself. But, I figured what's the worst that can happen? He is not a spender, so he has most of the money he made at Papa Johns. I figured if he missed a train, or even his plane, it'd be his cash that would bail him out, not mine. And, he's got a phone, and a battery pack- he's not going to get lost. Plus, it's England, not too much of a language barrier. And besides, I kept a tiny human alive when I was 19, surely he could navigate a city alone. I did, however, tell him to send me 'proof of life' pictures when he was in London alone. So, while I got one of him at Buckingham Palace.. 

....mostly he just sent me pictures of his food and drinks. 

Meanwhile, I was over here in America eating all you can swirl fro-yo. Did you guys here it's back, like permenantly? You can always get a cup of all you can swirl for $2.50. It's a good way to kill time when Hayden is at his libary events. 

But then you can also just go ahead and read through the president's section too. 

We did get Burger King the last night the blanket fort was up as well. It's like the boys favorite thing. We really hardly ever get it, but for some reason it's like a must in the blanket fort. (Or in a pinch on your way home from Disney when you're hungry- I miss Disney. Is it uncrowded yet? I need to go!) 

Hayden slept out in the blanket fort every night it was up. I already miss it. But, it's back to the old grind as they say. I let Hayden have yesterday off school too, and today we're starting back in. 

Because it's a president's birthday! I mean, Millard Fillmore is the first one, so it isn't uber exciting. But I have written 12 of the most riveting pages you've ever read on the guy. I also got my whole station for president's birthdays all set up. I am still waiting on my birthday sign, but I believe that's coming today. 

We have some interactive portions too. We're rating every election on the Sleaze-o-meter! (Unfortunatly Millard Fillmore was never really at the top of the ticket, so we'll have to wait until Thursday to rate Nixon's election) But, I also have made some great First Lady trading cards, and Hayden gets to build his first lady dream team! 

Out in the front room on the chalk board I have set up a velcro line and lamenated little booksmarks of every president. 

Hayden will get to place them on the line, rating every guy from Dumpster Fire to National Treasure. 

We did pick Calib up from the airport on Sunday, so he did survive London by himself. I have lots of pictures of his trip. Clitn already had them together on Snapfish, and my mom posted on Facebook like daily. But, I'm too lazy to go copy them to add them to the blog. Calib did bring back a few things with him, including this hand sewen leather bag from Italy that has his initials. It's pretty sweet. 

And he brought me back magnets! I'm the only one that got anything (his space was very limited). But, I got a little Colloseum from the Colloseum, basically the only magnet they had at the Vatican (Calib said it was borning, but I still liek it), a little gondola from Venice (he took gondola lessons while he was there!), and an all encompassing one from the sites of London. I love them! 

And Calib loved his room! We totally surprised him with it. He was in bed by 9 pm the night he got home, but he's pretty well adjusted back to normal eastern time. 

That's it from here kids. I'm off to gather up my props for Millard Fillmore's birthday. Hayden and Peyton have Anime Club tonight, and Hayden made everyone brownies. So, I have to squeeze Millard's birthday in between lunch and Anime Club. We'll do his dinner tomorrow night, and then Nixon is up on Thursday. 

Next Up: We've got President's birthdays! And, if I'm not back with a normal blog before then, Jake is coming to visit in a week and a half!