Game Time Baby!

1 Year, 38 Weeks.


I couldn't believe it.  Did I just witness a miracle?

I had been experiencing the longest heart attack during the entire 2nd half of the Broncos/Steelers wildcard game last Sunday.  After watching a 20-6 halftime lead disintegrate like a broken heart, I cringed as I saw Pittsburgh march down the field with just seconds left, needing only a field goal to win and end the Broncos', and essentially Tim Tebow's, amazing run this season.  I could barely watch the TV screen, and yet, I sat there transfixed, paralyzed in both fear and awe at the unfolding drama in front of me.  All they needed was a few more yards for a field goal ~ basically just one more play.  But what's this?  The ball was knocked down but recovered by Pittsburgh, for a loss of yardage!  Time for the hail Mary.   But the Broncos pressure the pocket and end up sacking Roethlisberger!  We're going to overtime!

Somewhat relieved but still very much concerned, I couldn't believe we had almost given away the game like that.  And playing with extra time doesn't ensure a victory either, as with new overtime rules during the playoffs, it was anybody's game.  And it seemed like Pittsburgh had the momentum and confidence entering the new quarter.  I'm sure every Bronco fan held their breath in anticipation.

And then this happened:

Call it lucky.  Call it a miracle.  Even call it divine intervention.  Whatever it was, it was redonkulous! 

So we survive another week and move on to face another team, namely, the New England Patriots. We lost to them a month ago in Denver and honestly, the Broncos may have met their match with this one, but nevertheless it will be a great game to watch.  We've just got to "Keep Believin'!"

Tebowing ~ the latest craze!

Okay, so what happened this past week?

Last Friday we did our weekly stop to Costco, because we had gone to Legoland the day before.  We stocked up on some much needed fresh fruit for snacks, as well as purchasing the new Turbo Tax software for our taxes this year, which ran us back eighty bucks.  It was a  quiet afternoon with naps after picking Braelyn up from school, with the only drama happening in the evening when Madelyn dropped one of Tangie's work shoes in a box where big sister was hiding, hitting Braelyn under her right eye.  Ouch.  She'll have a small but defined bruise there for a few days.

Everything was all fine and giggles until...

the shoe attack!

We got her distracted with some games on Mommy's iPhone.

Sabbath came and we attended Sabbath School.  It was our first trip to church since coming back from Denver, so it was nice to see our friends and catch up.  We had a nice lunch at home on the patio and then it was time for naps.  When we woke up Lolo and Lala had arrived from Avon Park to spend the night with us.  They were excited to see the grandkids and catch up with us on our trip.  Granted, they had already read the blog post about the trip (it took Lala 2½ hours to read it!) but it was nice to get the kids' perspectives.  They are also going to be spending time with my brother Mike as he and his wife are getting ready to welcome their baby boy into the world, in the next couple of weeks or so, so this would be the last time they would see the children for at least a month or more.  We also wanted to combine some celebrations together:  Lolo's birthday, Christmas, New Year's, and Lala's retirement, so we took them out for dinner that evening.  But where can you have a nice dinner and still provide entertainment for little kids besides Chucky Cheese?  Where else better than Downtown Disney!  We decided to eat at T-Rex, a prehistoric dinosaur themed eating establishment along the lines of the Rainforest Cafe, where the children were both mesmerized and curious with the animatronic creatures. The atmosphere was very colorful and delightful, but it was also very loud.  We had waited over an hour to get in and were starving, so we scarfed our food once it arrived.  The children were definitely ready for bed when we got home, and Lala and I had a Skype session with Mike and Gen in California to end the evening.

Kohlden enamored with the bubbles.

They brought out the industrial bubble maker for this one.

The older sisters in their Adventurer's uniforms.

Lolo and Lala with the twins in Legoland, Downtown Disney, while we wait for our number to be called.

Braelyn in her fashionable leopard print shows off her creation.

Our table at T-Rex.

One side, a prehistoric underwater scene.

Eating underneath an ice cave!

So happy after dinner!

Afterwards the children decided to dig up some fossils.

Waiting for the archeologists to finish up.

Sunday morning Tangie and I were able to sleep in until 9 courtesy of my parents, and then it was time for work.  I mowed the lawn as it hadn't been done in 4 weeks and was starting to show it, while Tangie packed and prepared for her overnight trip to Pensacola for a meeting Monday morning she had with her client up there.  Lolo and Lala stayed for lunch and left once the kids were down for naps, around 2.  Tangie had already left for the airport, so now I, after being surrounded by adults and support the entire weekend, was left completely alone to take care of the kids.  Oh well, here was my opportunity to teach them about football!  We had a good evening, although Braelyn did get homesick for Mommy, I mean truly, gut wrenching homesick, where we had to call Tangie a couple of times, just to hear her voice!  Sometimes you just have to have Mommy!

Lunch outside on the patio.

Lolo and Lala enjoying their time with the children.

After sending everyone off I came back to the kitchen to this!  I had accidentally put hand soap in the dishwater and the end result was overflowing with suds!  Note to self...

Kohl chilling with his snack.

Playing peek-a-box.

I gave Braelyn the day off on Monday and skipped school, just because I didn't want to have to get the twins up so early to drive out to downtown, and then turn around to go back and pick her back up.  So instead we went park hopping.  Not the amusement parks or resort parks, but playground parks.  We found this hidden gem of a park in Ocoee, where the ground was artificial turf and the equipment was brand spanking new!  And not another kid in sight, we had that thing to ourselves.  We also ran a few errands and got some needed supplies for the week.  After very long naps we went to another park by Lake Apopka and got ourselves tired and exhausted, ready for bed.  Tangie would arrive home later that evening, and Braelyn surprised us by coming downstairs to greet her after being put to bed over an hour earlier...she missed her so much!

The girls enjoyed the see-saw.

Kohlden on the other end.

We never had parks this nice growing up!

This is what happens when you're tired, hungry, and frustrated!

All better after lunch, Maddy poses for a picture.

Exploring park #2.

Brae & Kohl enjoying themselves, with a view of Lake Apopka in the background.

Capturing joy on her face.

Kohl sliding off into the sunset.

Ah, the wonders of advancement in technology!  So Tuesday Tangie had to work late; She had several clients with year end closings happening on the same week, therefore, crunch time for her and her teams.  But Braelyn insisted that Mommy read her bedtime story that evening.  So after Braelyn chose her story, I took pictures of the pages on my phone and sent them to Tangie.  She printed them off and then we did FaceTime (Apple's version of Skype) so she could read to her "face to face!"  We sure have come along way from the 1800's!

So nice when they're both happy!

We enjoyed lunch on the patio all week!

Zonked out.

The most peaceful time of the day.

On Wednesday we met up with Jared and Isabella for our weekly man date to story time at the Winter Garden Library.  We hadn't been for almost a month, due in part because he was gone for a shoot in California and then we were gone to Denver for the holidays.  So it was nice to get back into the groove and break up the week like we had before.  We had graduated to the 18-36 month toddler group now, so it met 30 minutes earlier than the time we used to attend.  We were pleasantly surprised to see not only how much bigger the group was (safety in numbers), but that there were 8 dads there as well! (again, safety in numbers!)  And since we had an extra 30 minutes with the earlier start time, we took the children downtown to the historic district and got some take out lunch from the French restaurant Sweet Traditions.  After naps and picking Braelyn up, I gave the children their baths before shooting out to Forest Lake to switch cars with Tangie, as I accompanied Braelyn to her Adventurer's meeting.

Maddy decided to sit in Isabella's seat.

Listening to the story.

Waiting for our lunch at Sweet Traditions.

These two are a ham whenever they get together.

See what I mean?

Braelyn was a little quicker on the draw.

Brae's rendition of herself with her two former pets:  Zoe the dog and Chloe (deceased).    Uncanny how she seems to resemble Dora the Explorer in her picture.

Thursday morning I shared a very tender moment with my son.  As I was changing him from his pajamas to his day clothes, I took a short pause and just looked at his face.  For some reason or other, I gazed into his eyes, and for a fleeting moment I was transported back to my own childhood.  I smiled as I pondered on how, just a mere thirty five years ago, I was probably doing the same thing as Kohlden ~ gazing at my own dad's face as he performed his fatherly duties.  But then, unprompted, Kohlden said "I wuv... YOU!"  and took me completely by surprise.  At that point I got a little overcome with emotion and, I'm not ashamed to admit it, I grabbed him close and shed a tear.  Or two. Or three...hundred.   It was very touching, to say the least.

That evening Tangie and I did another switcharoo with the cars and children, as Braelyn and I headed out to meet up with the Bergherms (minus Bruce) and the Grodacks to see the opening night of the greatest show on earth:  Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus at the Amway Center.  It had been decades since my last visit to the circus, and Braelyn had never been, and with opening night tickets a mere $15 per person, it was the perfect opportunity.  We got there a little early to mingle with the performers, parking in the adjoining garage to avoid the crowd of protestors at the front entrance, carrying their picket signs with pictures of bloodied elephants and protesting against animal cruelty.  Of course, we don't support that!  We're just here to see the... clowns!  Brae did enjoy playing in the inflatable bouncy house with Blake and Evan.  The performance was a typical circus act, cheesy at best.  At least Duncan and I kept each other entertained with sarcastic remarks and obnoxious quips: "Sure, the Shaolin monks show extreme focus, strength, skill, and pain tolerance...but can they dance?"  The show lasted two and a half hours, which, unfortunately for Braelyn, was way too late for her to enjoy it all.  She zoned out for the last hour, actually falling asleep in my arms into the finale. Oh well, at least I didn't have to pony up $12 for a bag of cotton candy.  Unbelievable price gouging!  But we'll do it again, when the twins are older and ready.

Picking Brae up from school, Maddy insisted in carrying sister's backpack.

Braelyn watches the Shaolin monks with their pre-show routine.

Blake and Brae in the bouncy house.

The clowns added some pre-show entertainment.

The front foyer entrance to the Amway Center.

Duncan & Brady ready for the show to begin.

Our entire group anticipates the show.

An evening at the circus with Daddy.

Did you know elephants have pretty good balance?

A few randoms:

Dora the Explorer's empire is apparently spreading out to include other industries.

I hope it's a good lock company...

I saw this on someone's driveway and burst out laughing! 

Are people just plain lazy?  "Can't seem to find a trash can, I'll just stick it on a branch..."

A couple dinners:

Chicken Pad Thai.

Beef Tenderloin with grilled sweet peppers and rice.

Quotable quote:

On Tuesday on the way to school with Tangie, Braelyn saw a layer of clouds that were in front of the sun: 

     Braelyn:  "Mommy, is Jesus in those clouds?  It's really bright."

     Tangie:  "Nah,  probably not".

     Braelyn:  "Why not?"

     Tangie:  "He'll come when we aren't expecting it"

     Braelyn:  "To scare us?"

     Tangie:  [with a chuckle] "No, he'll want to surprise us."

     Braelyn:  "That will be so much fun!  We'll get to fly in clouds!"

     Tangie:    "Yes indeed!"

Have a great weekend!