Great Wolf Lodge

All our good buddy wanted for his birthday was a trip to Great Wolf Lodge with his best buds.  We were thrilled to be invited along for the fun!

Monday, around noon, we loaded the car (5 kids, three adults) and headed to GWL, just about 2 hours away.  It was an easy, albeit LOUD car ride.  We were pumped when we got there! Had to take a group pic:

We checked in to the rooms and dealt with a minor snafu (there are no adjoining rooms, so we were across the hall from the boys-- which isn't really a big deal...unless your kiddo needed you in the night and was out wandering the halls looking for you......which didn't happen.  But the thought of it possibly happening kept all three moms up all night long- ha!).

After dropping bags, the boys were changed and ready to go in seconds.  It took the moms a few minutes to get situated and gets drinks made #priorities.  And then we were ready for the park!

Okay, so here's the thing about this place-- we were all kind of dreading it and thinking ughhhhh, but we knew the kids were excited.  We actually had just as much fun as the kiddos did, I swear.  Andy was super nervous and apprehensive when we got in the park and wouldn't leave my side.  Kris asked him if he would feel better if all the moms rode a ride with him.  He said it would, so off we all went.  And we didn't stop there-- Andy gained confidence and went off on his own and the moms spent the day riding ride after ride, laughing our heads off.  

We picked a central location for our stuff that was easy for the boys to get to, and every now and then they would come find us and ask us to ride a ride with them- which was SO fun.  I think they got a huge kick out of us screaming like crazy on the rides- haha

We all played hard until about 7, when we made the boys stop to eat dinner- still in the park.  They devoured the first pizza and then we ordered a second one.  While we were waiting on that one, they went and did a few more runs.  

We stayed in the park until it closed at 8:30.   It was basically empty and we had to whole place to ourselves-- amazing! No lines!



We headed back to the rooms and showered up and got the kids in bed.  The moms say in the hallway with a bottle of wine waiting for them to go to bed.  Finally it was quiet about 11 and by 11:30, we were out cold too.  But we were up soon there after listening for little boys looking for us-- which they never did.... of course. 

As I tucked them in that night, Andy was still wearing his wolf ears, which they get at check in....

And Cal was all snuggled up with that toothless smile.  Melt me.  

 The next morning we were up and got breakfast for everyone.  The boys were excited to his the arcade.  Andy played this game first and hit the jackpot on his first attempt and got 1000 tickets.  Immediately.  Oh, and wolf ears still on....

 Cal was like a ADHD child on red bull in there, running from one thing to the next, so most of my pictures are with Andy, who preferred I stick close to him. 

He turned in his tickets and got a wold tail key chain, some candy and a blaze toy....which he LOVES.  

We hit the pool for a bit more until we had to check out at 11.  We went back to the rooms and packed up and then hit the road to head back home.  Wolf ears still on!

We had a LOT of fun! And the memories the boys made are priceless.  I think we did it right-- there for just one night, just under 24 hours.... no need to be there longer than that, I don't think! I also suggest if you are going, go ahead and ride all the rides.  I would have been bored out of my mind if I just sat there for 8 hours! There's my unsolicited advice about Great Wolf Lodge.  I do think we will be going back-- Eddie is dying to try these rides we've been talking about!



 

Life Lately

This week has been mega catch- up week! We got home and I have been working like crazy getting stuff accomplished.  It's been errands and to do lists and cleaning out drawers and trips to goodwill.  You know, all the really fun stuff- haha

We have had some fun going on this week.... here is a look at life lately....

Sweet Cal lost his front tooth at the beach, and his second front tooth got knocked by a toothbrush when he was brushing it one night in Turks.  It was already loose, but the toothbrush got to close to ready to come out.  We were SO sick of seeing it wiggle and dangle that we sent him to our neighbor's house-- the one who is the orthodontist who pulled his last one on the beach.  Cal was super scared walking up the front steps. 

 I took a picture thinking I would be documenting the time Cal walked next door to get his tooth pulled.  But nope.  Cal walked inside, the doctor looked at it and said "this is ready to come out today" and then refused to let him pull it.  He screamed and cried.  The sweet sweet neighbor wouldn't go near a screaming kid, so we left, tooth barely hanging on.  Have I mentioned my dislike of wiggly teeth?????

Because of his flat out refusal to lose his tooth, he lost all electronics (such a great mom....) which resulted in a lot of times like this below.... brother wrestling on the couch and Bruce beyond nervous someone would get hurt. 

 In case anyone was wondering about Andy's tummy troubles, they are still here.  In full force.  He didn't "go" once while we were in Turks.  He went the Wednesday before we left and didn't go again until the following Friday...as in nine days later.  A little bath time eased the tummy pains.  Bruce was SO upset for his boy to be in that much pain. 

 They are super close, these two.  I love it. 

Saturday was Meet The Heels day downtown.  We were working on stuff around the house so we weren't going to go.  Cal got invited to go with the neighbors:

 Andy Andy was having his first real sleep over (not at our house and not at grandma's house!) so he got to go meet the heels with Lee!!!

 Thankfully, Lee's mommy knows I like a lot of pictures of my babies, so she took good care of me! He seems pretty happy to me!


I love this next picture-- getting some autographs from the big boys!

Love!!! Nug came home FREAKING out about them "bringing the number 23 back! Just like Jordan!" I love the whole idea behind it.  Smart thinking, people who think of stuff.....

How cute are these two all snug in bed?!?!?! You think they look happy?? My word! Their smiles could just melt me! And, they BOTH slept all the way through the night.  GO FIGURE.  I asked Meredith if Andy could just move in there.  

Cal and Charlie have been hard at work organizing a football camp in the neighborhood.  They have been going door knocking to recruit people to play.  LOVE this.  

While Andy was at his sleep over Saturday night, we let Cal organize a night for us.  First stop was the driving range (actually, my first stop was the bar, but that's neither here nor there....).

After a little golf, we went to the tennis courts.  We sort of hit with Cal and then we made Cal take a seat so Eddie and I could battle it out.  I won the first set and Eddie won the second.  We decided to stop there to keep a happy marriage.   #wearesmart


On Monday, the boys and I headed to Great Wolf with some GREAT buddies.  The GWL post will be coming up next week (this post is already too long!), BUT I had to mention, on the way there, Cal's tooth FINALLY came out! I am not exaggerating when I say it was dangling.  GAH-ROSS.  

 His toothless grin MELTS me.  He could ask me for a car right now and I would do whatever I could to get him a car- hahaha. 

 That's life lately! Up on the agenda we've got golf which started this week, haircuts which are so necessary, and some back to school shopping for the bozos! And two birthday parties this weekend!



 




 

Book Report

With all this traveling, I have been doing some READING!

The Identicals

 Loved loved loved this one!!! Add it to your must read list! I sort of thought it would be like a "parent trap" kind of book, but it was so so much better! Identical twin sisters have had a massive fall out and stopped speaking.  But due to certain events, they start speaking again... and switch islands (Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard) and in doing so learn a lot about the other.  And so much more.  Loved this one! Finished in just over one day. 

The Guest Cottage

 This was my first book from this author, and I've already started another one by her-- I really enjoyed this book! The main character finds out her husband is leaving her for another woman.  She takes some inheritance and her two kids and rents a cottage on the island of Nantucket (there's been a theme with me lately.....).  Turns out the flukey friend she rented the house from has a cousin who also rented it to a man and his son.  You can predict what happens next, but it is a great story the way it unfolds. 

All Summer Long

 I wanted to like this one.....but I didn't.  Well, I like the last 10% of it.... but the first 90.....uhhhhh.... I just kept reading because I was hoping it would get better! I like this author and have read other books by her.  But this one seemed to drag on... and made me wonder the point.  And at one point, there were several characters that I didn't even know who was who and which was which.  The last part was good though-- maybe it was a good book and I just struggled to get into it?

The Light in Summer

This book was recommended to me by Amazon and I really liked it! When it popped up as a suggestion, I clicked on it because, duh, the dog.  The main character's interest is a guy named Cal, so of course I was intrigued and her dog's name is Murphy (which was my parents' dog's name, and is my mom's maiden name), so I took it as a sign.  This was a light and easy read and I really liked it! Nothing too intense (at all!) and a great beach read.  Billie, the main character is a single mom whose son has started acting up and she is struggling with how to handle him.  Cal is a guy from out of town, who comes in town to visit his sister.  Predictable, again, but the son wants to meet the dad... so there's a little kink in the predictability. 




 

Turks: part three (and done!)

Here we go! The FINAL post about our trip! I took a ton of pictures, clearly, and they would be way to much to have in just one post.  So, thanks for the patience!

Here is the end of our trip:

Ready for action!!! Love these two little surfer dudes! Fun tip for ya-- they always chafe at the beach- these shorts are better than those with liners, but they still have the problem...especially Andy.  I brought their swim team jammers to wear under their suits and we had ZERO chaffing the entire trip! AMAZING.  One day Nug didn't wear them, and we were back in the room pretty quickly to put them on.  

a BIG day with my girl! The kids went to kids club for an hour this day and we got it done in the hour!

That night we went to Da Conch Shack for dinner.  Eddie and I had been before, and we wanted everyone else to see it too! It was yummy and love the atmosphere.  

 A perfect picnic table for them!

The next day was our last day and we started out strong! 

 We played hard pool side until about 1:30 and then the kids wanted to go back to kids club-- whatever the activity was that day was something the kids were dying to do. 

 This guy.  His top tooth is dangling by a thread.  It is disgusting and cute at the same time.  Needs to come out.  He won't pull it. 

 "cocktails" before our last dinner (on the beach again!).  I didn't wear shoes pretty much the whole week!

 Dabbing was a theme on this trip. 

 Sweet family picture on our way to dinner!

Andrea and I tried to get a picture an then right as Cal was about to take it, Beckett popped his head through-- I was cracking up...

Thankful he brought the fam on this trip.  

The adults!

They had a face painter there, which is just what you want the night before you go home....

 My boys have never been very into face painting....at all.... but this, they were ALLLLLL about.  And I thought it was hilarious.  Eddie was not a fan- hahahaha especially when we had to scrub it off to go to bed. 

There was a dance floor and some serious dancing taking place before we had to leave. 

The next morning, we were up and out EARLY: his face says it all.  

 We flew through Miami and had a LONG layover.  They were cooked by the end of it. 

 Both boys fell sound asleep on me on the way home. 

 Drool and all!

And now we are HOME! I am almost caught up on laundry....and have started doing all the things.  All the fall sports signups are happening and that has been stressing me out.  I think Andy is taking a break from soccer this go 'round, and Cal is picking up swim.... what in the world have I gotten myself in to?!
Anyway: traveling with kids isn't really a vacation.... it is work.  You don't just sit there and relax, but that's okay... I enjoy having them there and really, they are SUCH good little travelers.  And they are getting easier and easier. 

Okay, that's all I've got! phew!