Another year older.

My birthday friend Dylan just recently turned 11, and the boys and I were lucky to be able to attend his party this past weekend. We flew in on Friday night and were able to watch Dylan's last football game of the season on Saturday...an exciting nail biter! The final score didn't favor his team, but they definitely outplayed their opponents.

Dylan's party was a really good time! The Bacon's know how to throw a seriously fun party! They rented a mobile gaming unit equipped with XBOXs connected to 5 flat screens and 2 rows of seating. On the outside there was another pair of screens connected to Wii consoles. There were some very loud and happy young men in that trailer including one on the much younger side. :)

 

 

 

In addition to the trailer, there was also the big hamster ball in the backyard. I don't think there was ever a time there wasn't a line to get into the thing. It was so funny to watch all the kids get in and roll up and down the yard. Ben had a blast in it and would turn around and get in line as soon as he finished his turn.

 

Between watching the boys have so much fun, I also enjoyed myself and all the great company they had at the party. I thought it might be awhile before I saw a lot of those faces there, so it was an extra bonus to be able to see everyone all together at the same time.

Patti killed another cake. She made Dylan an XBOX cake and everyone was very, very impressed. I think it was a friend or a parent that called Patti the Cake Boss of Florida.

 

I definitely didn't think we'd be able to get back to Florida so soon, but I'm so glad it worked out to where we could. It was such a fun weekend! We were able to get our Bacon fix to hold us over until our next visit. Thanks again Team Bacon for putting us up and giving us a great weekend! Love you all so much!

 

Mini Vader

So the boys started out with Dark Mater and have moved on to Dark Vader/Vater, so we're almost to the correct title of Darth Vader now. It was thanks to Patti that Zach was able to meet Vader in person at Hollywood Studios this past Friday. Annually the park hosts Star Wars weekends for a month or so where all kinds of Star Wars fun goes down.

Patti picked us up early, and the boys were super excited when they found out their surprise was a visit to the park. She knew right where to take us to find Darth Vader. Ben immediately freaked out when he saw him, and had absolutely no intention of getting up close to him. Probably had something to do with his first encounter on Halloween. Zach on the other hand patiently waited in a long line for his chance and would tell me how handsome Vader was and how he wanted to give him a kiss and say "Nice to meet you." To top it all off, I had packed the boys' Vader capes and masks and Zach enthusiastically wore his in line and in his photo.

Later we checked out a MASSIVE makeshift store specifically constructed to house all things related to Star Wars right down to Darth Vader cupcakes. Wow! I was nearly speechless walking through the doors, and I'm not even a huge Star Wars fan. After we left the Star Wars Emporium, the rain started to pick up and we were content to leave.

The rest of the day we spent at the Bacons' new home, which they were busy moving into when the boys and I were headed out to Utah. It had been a month since we'd seen the Bacons, and it was so nice to be with all of them again in their new house and see how it looked with everything moved in. Their home is beautiful and in a really nice neighborhood. In back of their property is a nature preserve which is super busy with wildlife! In the evening while we ate dinner, we saw nearly 20 deer and 2 baby raccoons, one which came right up to the back door. Other interesting house guests are the tree frogs that climb up the sliding glass doors leading into their backyard. After days/nights where there is a lot of rain, the frogs (for some strange reason) scramble up the glass doors....probably by the hundreds! I got a peek at a few dozen of them while I was there. It's fascinating but also a little gross.


Just a fraction of the deer we saw.

The boys had lots of fun at the new house and had plenty of room to run around. I enjoyed a couple of pool games with Dylan and Patti and was thrilled for lots of time to hold Emma. A month away was too long! We missed our Bacons!

Baby, Brother, Baseball, Boys & Baskets

Honey requested that I update my blog so that when she checks it the next time she isn't looking at a photo of herself anymore. I actually have another very sweet photo of her holding Emma that I came really close to placing at the top just to give her a hard time, but I'll leave it for the end!

Last night the boys and I hung out at the Bacon's so that I could help babysit Emma, although I can't really claim that I did much babysitting. Emma's big brother totally monopolized her for much of the evening. The only things he didn't do were change diapers and make bottles. I knew before that Dylan was all about his little sister, but seeing him in action with her firsthand, I understand now just how partial he is to her. I was beyond impressed to see how good he was with her. Emma is so fortunate to have an older brother that adores her.

Much of our evening was spent watching a very long Rays and Yankees game. The Bacon clan is a bunch of Rays fans, so I was the lone Yankees fan who cheered on the losing team.....and I'm afraid they didn't fare any better in today's match up either. Oh well, at least baseball season is under way, and I'm beyond thrilled that my favorite player came out of retirement and will hopefully be back on the mound come May!

Our Easter has been a quiet day at home. If Zach was a cartoon you would be seeing him watering at the mouth, tongue hanging out, with chocolate eggs for eyes. Ben on the other hand is sitting next to me snacking on a healthy banana. They are so opposite! After last year's egg hunt, I wasn't about to subject the boys to another this year, so instead I hid Dino eggs around the house. So far they have only found 2. I'm curious as to how much time will go by before they find the rest of them.

Happy Spring!

Newest Addition

Ben and I visited the Bacon household yesterday afternoon while Darius and Zach stayed home and napped. Since Emma's arrival, Ben has been very timid on arrival, shuffling his feet and lingering near the door instead of his usual stampede inside. Next to Emma on the couch, he sat on my lap and clung to me, which is something totally uncharacteristic of Ben. I will admit that I enjoyed it since it's rare that Ben will just sit on my lap with his arms wrapped around my neck. Patti eventually got him to release his grip by asking him to keep an eye out for Dylan coming home from school. After the initial squirreliness, Ben enjoyed sitting next to Emma on the couch and repeatedly asked to hold her. A good portion of the rest of our visit consisted of him sweeping the floors.

The face of a big brother that absolutely adores his baby sister.

I finally had the presence of mind to snap a couple of photos of Emma during our visit. I know the boys weren't any bigger than she was when they were new, but I forgot just how small they really were until Emma reminded me. I'm so happy that we're here to see her start out, and I'm so looking forward to watching her grow.

After our visit, Ben and I headed to the store for a little secret shopping mission. I'm starting to see now how nice it is to have a little one-on-one time with the boys separately. So much of their time is spent together, and it's refreshing to be able to focus my attention on them individually. Ben and Zach may be twins, but to me that's hardly a term I ever use to describe them. They are brothers who are the same age and roughly the same size, but that's about as twin as they get. They do pretty well to get along as well as they do and as often as they do. I can't speak for them, but I have a feeling that a break from each other is probably something they don't mind too much.

November Leftovers

What happened to November!?! I guess I need to recap most of the month....

The first couple of weeks we kept busy with unpacking, moving stuff around, buying stuff so we could unpack more stuff, and just getting comfortable with our new place and neighborhood. Darius finished up his job training and so far is enjoying his work.

Our couch is officially broken in. It looks as if we've had it a year already.

We joined our local YMCA and are happy to be adding regular workouts to our days. We love the facility and all its amenities. It's especially nice that we can take the boys with us. They very much enjoy playing in the Child Development Center while we workout. They ask us almost everyday if they can go to the Y and often scream bloody murder when it's time to leave.

Zach got his first black eye. No dramatic story here, just horseplay with his brother. Blankets over the heads...one head meets the other's face. Zach had fun telling his aunts he had a shiner.

For Thanksgiving we joined the Bacons at their home for a delicious feast. The past couple of years it was just our little group of 4 for the holiday, so we were happy to be able to spend the day with our friends!

Our Thanksgiving Day entertainment....poems read by a turkey.

Nothing says Thanksgiving like a post dinner nap.

I didn't really have plans to do any crazy, late-night, pre-Black Friday shopping, but Patti had a few stores she was going to hit Thursday night, and I was eyeing a great deal on a sewing machine and kitchen mat, so I decided to tag along.

This was my first experience at Black Friday madness, and it definitely didn't disappoint! Darius and Michael had gone ahead to scout out Walmart to see if any lines were forming for a certain item Patti and Michael were looking to buy. Turns out we hadn't planned to leave soon enough, so we headed over to meet up with them. Darius had been busy checking stuff out for the boys and found some awesome deals, so I unexpectedly ended up stalking some ride-on toys for a couple of hours before the clock struck NUTS! I can't even describe the madness that ensued. I ended up leaving with all limbs in tact and the boys Christmas shopping pretty much all done.

Black shopping is definitely not for the timid, and although I'm not a shopper at heart...and no where near a competitive shopper, I must admit I found it strangely fun. Patti said it best..."it's an adrenaline rush"...so true.

We've been transitioning into Christmas mode this weekend, and we've got our tree and lights up, but we can't seem to move past that yet. I'm kind of preoccupied with baby shower stuff, and I guess with that and Darius' birthday coming up next weekend, I'm content with putting it on the back burner for now.

This is the part that obviously plugs into the wall, and where did I put it? Yep, at the top of the tree. Doesn't everyone have an outlet on the ceiling?

Moved in..mostly and FOOD!

It's been just about a week now, and we're almost there with the unpacking. Last Tuesday was our move-in date, and the Bacon's were awesome to help us out. Michael helped Darius with the heavy lifting, and Patti watched the boys for us while we unpacked the first day and a half. I started running out of steam after about the third day, and those final few pesky boxes are still lingering, and I'm still avoiding them! I guess I kind of got sidetracked by some post-birthday fun the last couple of days.

Patti, Michael, and Dylan gifted me with a visit to Epcot for their annual Food & Wine Festival. Michael, Dylan, and Honey watched the boys while Patti took me to spend the afternoon sampling world cuisine and drink. It was SO much fun! They know me well, and the route to my heart is much like the way it is to a man's...through the stomach!

We started out with a stop to the Craft Beers tent where I sampled the Full Sail IPA. We killed some time at a couple of shops while we waited for an afternoon rain shower to pass, and by the time we finished our sampling from Greece (Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki...YUM) and Moosehead Beer from Canada, the rain had stopped and we enjoyed perfect weather the rest of the day. We moved on and tried a cheese plate from Ireland, (Yes Carrie....Ireland does have delightful dairy!) a 16th Anniversary Festival Beer from Samuel Adams, a Harissa Chicken Roll and Baklava from Morocco.

We perused the shops at the different countries to give our food time to settle before moving on to Schofferhofer Weizen beer from Germany's Brewer's Collection, to warm caramel popcorn from the Werther's Original sweet shop, to a Strawberry Lime Margarita from Mexico, to a Beef Empanada from Argentina, to a Frozen Rock Coconut Mojito from the Caribbean (RIDICULOUS!), to Mahi Mahi with Coconut-Lime Sauce from Brazil, to a Lamington from Australia, and finally one last stop to the Craft Beers tent before we called it a day. Note: My sweet friend is carrying some precious cargo and was unable to indulge in the drink with me. I think she wishes she could have though...especially that insane mojito! Next year Patti....

So I know what you're thinking now...."Wow! What a lush little piggy you are Ruth!" Hmm...yes a little, but in my defense I was drinking 6 oz pours, eating small samples, and doing a lot of walking inbetween, so it's not nearly as bad as it sounds!

It was such a fun outing with my dear friend Patti....thank you, thank you, thank you! My belly and I thank you (and all the other Bacon's too)!

As if that wasn't enough culinary fun to last me for a year, I got another treat today. Darius took the boys and I into the restaurant he's working at for a nice belated birthday dinner. I'm embarrased to admit it, but I wasn't looking forward to our meal tonight....and not because I didn't want to try the food, but because I was a little freaked out by taking the boys into a really nice restaurant. I should have just relaxed and enjoyed myself more...it was dinner, the boys were fine, and the restaurant was still standing when we left.

Darius works at a really nice place! Ocean Prime has some unbelievably good food, and I can see why Darius was anxious to take us in to try it. We had Ahi Tuna Tartar for an appetizer. Darius had Chilean Sea Bass with Whipped Potatoes and Champagne Truffle Sauce, and I devoured the Blackened Snapper with Wilted Spinach & Jalapeno Corn Tartar. The boys had their fill of Macaroni and Cheddar Cheese with glazed carrots, and Mini Sliders with shoestring french fries. They also got to try OP's homemade strawberry sorbet and vanilla ice cream. There wasn't room for dessert, but I knew they had this ridiculous 10 layer carrot cake, and I was happy to take it home after a few bites.

Yup, I think I'm good and full for the next few days...or maybe at least until the carrot cake in the fridge starts calling my name. It's been fun to indulge and enjoy some really awesome food the past couple of days (and weeks)! Time to get back to getting those last few boxes unpacked, and time to add a solid workout to my daily routine!

Have I mentioned yet how good it is to be back?!

A Spider, Dinosaur and Ninja.

Halloween finally arrived after much anticipation from the boys but mostly Zach. He loves everything to do with Halloween from the decorations, to the costumes, to the candy! He's been in and out of his costume for nearly 2 months now, and he and his brother had a blast trick-or-treating with Dylan tonight.

I'm not sure how it started, but Zach has been on a Darth Vader kick lately. He's never seen Star Wars, but I guess because Darth resembles a robot to some degree he immediately became hooked. Out shopping earlier today, Zach saw a Darth Vader pillow and begged us for it.

The funniest moment of our walk through the neighborhood tonight actually involved Darth Vader. There was a man dressed up as Darth sitting in front of his home with a light saber and a bowl of candy. He didn't budge an inch, and at first I almost mistook him for a dummy. Zach, Ben and Dylan made their approach. Zach was super excited and talking up a storm, but the man remained absolutely still. Finally 10-20 seconds later he moves his light saber across his body and asks the boys if they want candy. I've never seen a kid do a 180 and split as fast as Ben did! Obviously not funny to him at all, but the rest of us were howling. Here's the look on Ben's face as he turned to run....

Later when we all got back to the Bacon's house, we passed out candy to a group of kids and mentioned something about the man dressed as Darth Vader in the neighborhood. One of the little girls in the group piped up and told us that was her daddy. They got a good laugh out of Ben's reaction too.

How fun it was to trick-or-treat around the neighborhood with the Bacon's tonight! And how awesome is it that the boys could go swimming a few hours beforehand?! It's great to be back!

Double Digits

I've been in the double digits now for over 20 years now, but my young friend Dylan just reached his first decade today! I love having a birthday buddy, especially one as awesome as Dylan. I'm so happy our travel plans fell the way that they did, so that we could be here in Florida to celebrate our birthdays together this year.

The Bacon's went above and beyond to treat me to a great birthday as well as my own little family. Patti volunteered to watch the boys for Darius and I, so we could do a little shopping. It was definitely a little overwhelming! I forget just how many people (and tourists!) flood shopping centers around here. I struck out, but Darius was able to find what he needed, and we very much enjoyed our day together.

For dinner there was beef-o-plenty! We had awesome steaks and baked potatoes and the yummiest margaritas ever. Dinner was awesome and the key lime pie for dessert made me a very happy 33 years-young lady!

For Dylan's birthday today we got together with their family and friends at the local community pool/park/clubhouse, which is awesome! We enjoyed a great party and beautiful weather that I can't get enough of! We're so happy to be here!

I think the sweetest thing is how much Zach is all about Dylan. He likes to keep tabs on him, and I think I have heard him tell Dylan everyday that he loves him. He even sang Happy Birthday to Dylan all on his own...too sweet.

Thanks to all my family and friends for the birthday calls/emails/cards! I appreciate you all so much

And, Happy Birthday Dylan!! We're so happy we could be here to celebrate with you.

More Disney

After the baseball game on Thursday, Darius dropped the boys and I off to meet Patti and Dylan at the Animal Kingdom at Disney World. It was our first visit to the park, and we made the most of the time we had in the park before it closed. We got to see a parade, take a jungle safari ride, ride on some adorable triceratops, and Dylan and I took a ride on my first coaster in quite a long time.

After Animal Kingdom, we stopped at Hollywood Studios for dinner at Pizza Planet, visited Lightning McQueen and Mater, and Dylan and I took a ride on the Tower of Terror before we headed out.

We stopped back at Jimy's place to pick up our stuff and say goodbye to Darius. My husband is awesome. He knows how much I was dreading the return to winter, and he was okay with the boys and I staying a little longer. And then there's the awesome Bacon's. They were beyond kind and generous with giving us the green light to stay here longer with them. I feel leaps and bounds beyond lucky.

A whole lot of thanks to you, Darius, Michael, Patti, and Dylan! You've made me one very very very happy woman and mom!

Sweet Moves

I heard from Dylan's parents that he's got some serious moves to a particular song. I finally got a chance to witness these moves firsthand. (Sorry the clip is sideways...technical difficulties).

What else is there to say? I love this kid!

Lunch & Dinner

The boys and I joined Patti for lunch with Dylan at his school this afternoon. We had another beautiful day, so we dined alfresco and then the boys enjoyed running around the school yard with Dylan before he had to go back to class.

After lunch Patti generously offered to watch the boys for Darius and I so we could spend the rest of the day together. We enjoyed an unusually quiet afternoon of a little shopping, and then we stopped at our favorite pizza joint, Mellow Mushroom, for dinner before heading back.

Best pizza...best crust!

It's still a strange feeling to go out without the boys, but we did enjoy ourselves. Even though I always feel a little guilty for leaving the boys, I know it's healthy to have some adult time away from them every so often. It makes for a happier mom and dad! Thanks again Patti & Michael!

Disney

We've enjoyed a fun-packed weekend! Saturday we got an early start and drove to Orlando to hit a couple of the Disney parks. We ended up visiting Epcot and Hollywood Studios. The boys were excited that we were going to see Mickey, and Mickey they saw. We made our way through a little character meet and greet at Epcot, and the boys got to meet Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, and Donald (my favorite). Zach was very social and went right up to all of them after doing his little happy dance. Ben was excited too but preferred to keep his distance.

We enjoyed eating and drinking our way through the countries of Epcot's World Showcase, and the boys really enjoyed The Seas with Nemo & Friends Pavilion. They even helped out with dolphin impersonations at the Turtle Talk with Crush show.

In Hollywood Studios we heard all about Buzz Lightyear from the boys. There was definitely a lot going on with Toy Story 3, and the boys were going a little nuts. They waited "patiently" in line to meet Buzz and Woody (in their Buzz & Woody shirts no less) and then I completely missed my photo op once it came.

Another favorite was the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure. It was a massive play area for the kids to explore, or get lost. It really was like stepping into a bug's shoes. It was a good thing we had Dylan with us to keep up with the boys. With all the kids playing and with the size of the play area, I was surprised anyone could keep tabs on their kids.

Even with all the fun in the parks alone, there was also the additional treat of riding on the parking lot tram, monorail, boat, and bus. All high quality entertainment in Ben and Zach's eyes'.

Another great Disney experience! Thank you so much Michael, Patti, and Dylan for making it happen!

Can't win 'em all

My favorite ball player on my favorite team, I had thought, was supposed to pitch in yesterday's game against Texas. Of course I had expected a win to follow that too. As soon as I saw the wrong pitcher on the mound, I knew someone else got their birthday wish in ahead of mine. As painful of a game as it was to watch, I couldn't help but feel good for Texas winning their way into their first World Series playoff.

Hugs and kisses always make it better, and there's always next year.

Happy Birthday Dylan! Hope you have a great day!