Why, you ask, would you schedule a trip under such tight time constraints? Easy: because a dear friend scheduled her wedding for the next day. She and I went to church together from first grade through, well, I've seen her once or twice at Christmas eve as grown-ups! So on Saturday night I celebrated with one childhood friend as she pledged her life to another while another lifelong friend babysat my children in the home that I grew up in. It was a strange childhood-meets-adulthood day that made my heart happy.
That babysitter was none other than Miss Kristen Ferguson. She lives in Columbus now working as a PA in the ER, which is totally awesome because now I get to see her whenever I visit my parents. And see her I did, several times throughout the week. So awesome to sit and chat, eat desert together, etc. I miss her, and her whole family. Important note: I was preparing Sam for who the sitter would be, "Her name is Kristen, but not Aunt Kristen. Not Molly's Mommy. This is Mommy's Special Friend Kristen..." Sam now calls her "Special Kristen." Quite the upgrade from "Little Kristen!"
The rest of the week: Sam is not big on going to class when out of town, so he hung in Big Church the whole time. Not perfect, but I'm proud of his growth in ability to sit through it. He actually really likes the singing part! One day we went to the mall and played at their "indoor park," and we visited a few outdoor playgrounds as well.
Of course we hit up the Zoo. The Columbus Zoo is the reason I only tolerate the Houston Zoo. I mean, really, there's no comparison. Their special exhibit this summer is a Dinosaur Boat Ride, and that was a big hit with both kids. Sam actually needed to be reassured that the animatronic dinos were pretend (see recent VBS post!). We hit up the playground, and Annabelle experience her first carousal ride. Don't let the picture fool you, she cried through the whole thing. Poor nap-less girl couldn't process it all. No surprise she was asleep in the stroller by the time we made it to the train, so Mommy and Sam rode alone. Oh, we saw animals, too! Annabelle, my little animal lover, spotted, pointed to and greeted with wave and "Hi" ever animal that I saw. My word, we saw Mama Tiger with her 4 little cubs - I kid you not she was playing with them exactly the way I wrestle with my own kids. Fellow zoo patron: "Cutest deadly thing I've ever seen!"
Another morning we went to play at a swing set show room. No really. Ingenious! Company sells high end swing sets, trampolines and basketball nets. You can pay $5 to go play on all their floor models. Sam mostly wanted to play basketball, but was tricked into the trampoline when I showed him the hoop mounted to the cage! He and I had a lot of fun bouncing together! Annabelle got in on it a bit, but that girl is all about the swing.
Sam also played really well with the neighbors' 5-year-old boy. He went out several times hoping to find his buddy in the yard. On the last day, Sam even got to drive his jeep! True story: a few days ago, about a month after we left, neighbor rang my mom's doorbell asking if Sam could come out to play.
We finally made it to the pool (Gommy's neighborhood pool is very kid friendly) on Thursday afternoon. Not gonna lie, it was a chilly experience. Once we were wet, no one wanted to get out of the water. Sam wanted to swim over to the diving boards because walking was too cold. Annabelle splashed for a bit, but was content to be wrapped in her towel after a few minutes. I shouldn't complain, one reason I wanted to spend a week there was to escape the overbearing summer climate here, and escape we did. The kids and I actually wore sweatshirts when we went out to play first thing in the morning! I nice break, but weird for July!
So yes, we played a lot, and I ate desert a lot. Both children were spoiled horribly by their grandparents, and mommy enjoyed the extra adult support as well. It was a great week and Sam is already asking to go back!
Sam asked to peek in the cockpit on our flight home. He was invited in by the pilots, but wouldn't go. This was the closest he would get. Turns out, he was worried because there were soooo many buttons and what if he hit one and the plane started moving or something? So sweet.
So what was Chris up to while we were all gone? Mostly cleaning out the garage, actually. 3 months in the house and we could finally get both cars in the garage! Yes, it is a 3-car garage but there is no length - just enough for my car. I know see that we will never park 3 cars in there! He also checked a few other items off of the never-ending house to-do list. And enjoyed a laid back last week at his old job!
*I can't believe I almost forgot to document Annabelle's love for the cat, Danny. Obsessed, fixated, fascinated. Every time she caught a glimpse of his fur she started waving and calling, "hi, hi, hi, hi, hi, hi, hi, hi..." She was not afraid, but gentle. She would sit in Gommy's lap while he ate, she would pet him, and search for him. The girl is animal obsessed, and having one live with her was like a dream for her!
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