Happy New Year!

1 Year, 37 Weeks.


Do you remember when New Year's Eve was a hardcore event?  Something we looked forward to? When you always had a place to go, or a party to attend, or host one yourself, for the culmination of the busy holiday season?  When the nostalgia of the final moments collide with the imminent tick tick countdown of the secondhand until at last, the year becomes another chapter in the memory books? Remember the anticipation?  The fireworks and the bubbly?  The lingering celebration afterwards?

Those days seem so long ago!

New Year's Eve for us was pretty quiet and low key.  The main reason was that we had just arrived from Denver not less than 24 hours the morning of and were still pretty exhausted.  And the fact we were desperately trying to get the kids back to their normal schedule, as it had been messed up over the past two weeks with the time change and activities.  But more so because we just wanted a quiet night, after non-stop action had left us completely spent.

I put together an obstacle course of sorts with their tunnels and tents.

Picnic at the park.  Sabbath was a glorious day.

Smiles...

all...

around!

We had originally accepted an invitation to attend a neighbor's block party they have each year, but then we would have had to get all dressed up, and take turns attending since the twins were in bed by 9 pm, so that wouldn't be as fun.  So instead, we made a quick trip to Publix to get ingredients for homemade pizza, as well as dipping elements for some chocolate fondue.   Braelyn and I did go to the block party to make a polite appearance and greet the hosts, and I allowed her to jump on the trampoline all the kids were on for just a few minutes.  We slipped back home unnoticed and  got ready for story time and sleep, me coming down the stairs minutes before the ball dropped down in Times Square.  A smooch at midnight from the wife and then it was time to turn in.  I know, boring stuff.

Tangie shaping the pizza dough like a pro!

Opening up yet more Christmas gifts!

Our Christmas card wall this year.

We had a lazy morning; the kids slept in until 9 so that was nice.  I made some breakfast as the gang opened some leftover presents we had waiting for them after our trip.  We caught up on laundry.  We continued unpacking.  Tangie and Braelyn ran some errands while I stayed home as the twins napped. We did manage to make a trip out to the east side of town for dinner at the Grodack's residence.  Corey hosted with haystacks and we caught up with them and their trip to Boston over the holidays.  It was nice to swap stories and adventures, amidst the chaos and pandemonium of the six wonderful while yelling/screaming/laughing/crying/whining kids.  Yes Corey, one day we all will look back on this and reminisce.  Just not today.  We had a great time with them, as usual.  The children exchanged Christmas gifts with each other and then we changed them into their pj's before heading home, around 9 pm, and successfully transferred the sleeping children to their beds.

Maddy checks out the two big boxes.

Tangie bought the bikes on Black Friday and therefore earned the right to put them together!

At the Grodack's for dinner, the children just flocked to Tangie.

Waiting patiently for Aunt Corey to cut up more fruit.

Madalot was mad about something!

The boys just chilling on the sofa.

All 4 girls ready in their pajamas.

Monday was still considered part of the holiday weekend, and with both Tangie and Braelyn off we took the opportunity for one last hurrah and took the children for a day at Sea World.  Remember when we got the year passes the Sunday before our trip?  Now it's paying off!  It wasn't too crowded, but there were still a lot of people there, as we had to park a lot further than where we normally would have had to park, and you could just tell where ever you went.  I guess everyone else had the same idea.  But a lot more tourists, than locals.  Most likely here on their holiday vacation.  The kids had a good time and were tired when we decided it was time go home.  Unfortunately we had skipped out on naps but were hoping they wouldn't stay up until 9 like they had in Denver, and go to bed at their usual time of 7:30.  Kohlden especially was pooped, as by the time we got to the car from the park he was fast asleep!  He did wake up in time for dinner and baths, before turning around and heading back to bed.

I can't tell if he's smiling or not.

On the spinning shells ride.

Mommy with the twins on the carousel.

Braelyn had to hit the ropes course.

What a long way up to climb!

At least we had a place to eat...

and share...

and laugh!

Walking and holding hands.  Brae and Maddy fashion new matching hoodies from the Grodacks.

The sisters check out the sea lions.

Mommy putting the kids in their car seats;  I dismantled the stroller seat, with Kohl fast asleep in it.

Tuesday was back to work for all of us, so Christmas break and vacation were both officially over. Back to the daily grind, to the schedule.  To the chores and errands.  To the homework and the home work.  Back to routine.  It was both stressful and a relief to be back in familiar territory.  Not to mention...loud.

Thursday was a preview of things to come:  Imagine beautiful buildings, parks, sculptures and monuments.  Creatures both real and imaginary.  Vehicles of every make and model, of every mode of transportation.  People, places, and things from both the past and the present.  Imagine them all in one place, all accessible, just fingers' reach away.  Can you picture it?  Oh yeah, one more thing.  Imagine everything I just wrote about was made of...legos.

The New York skyline...all made from legos!

On Thursday Tangie got a sitter for the twins, while Brae & I joined the entire school of OJA and its student population for a field trip to Legoland Florida, in Winter Haven, where the old Cypress Gardens used to be, for those of you Florida residents that have lived here for a while.  Originally from Denmark and makers of those fun creative snap together blocks I grew up with and enjoyed by billions of children around the globe, The Lego Group opened up their park in October, drawing both locals and visitors away from their competitors Disney and Universal, and is family focused and very much kid oriented.  I was completely blown away, as my first initial reaction was:  "Why would I want to spend $80 for a ticket to go to a place and just play with Legos?"  But the truth is, why wouldn't I?  If not for the fact that I practically grew up absolutely loving to play with those tiny little blocks of many shapes and colors, and creating imaginary cities or fantastic flying vehicles, Legos encouraged me to have fun and be creative.  I wanted Braelyn (and the twins when they grow bigger and know how not to make a huge mess)  to share in the creativity and wonderment.  It was so much fun, especially hanging out with the other parents, to see our children engaging with something we used to amuse ourselves with when we ourselves were little, but then forgot.  And it was amazing to see the many many creations made by just putting together a few trillion lego blocks.  We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly, promising to return again, this time with Mommy and the twins.

Can you tell she was a little excited?

With classmate Leif at the park entrance.

Already goofing off with her friends.

A little young to be acting like college girls!

Shhh!  Next to a sleeping soldier.

Her Pre-K teach Mrs. Berry joined in on the fun.

She even entered a jousting competition!

Lots of playgrounds to run, climb, and slide.

Just horseying around...

Driving the safari jeep.

They even made dinosaurs out of legos!

Getting her driver's permit.

Waiting in line and showing off her new stuffed penguin she won, Penguino.

With her classmate Andy in front of a lego octopus!

The girls in Las Vegas at miniland.

Amazing creations, even in water!

Replica of the Castillo de San Marcos, the Spanish fort in St. Augustine, Florida.

The nation's capital, Washington D.C., with the Washington monument, Capitol building, and Smithsonian in red. 

Braelyn and I visiting the Big Apple.

About to see their 4-D feature show.  I look really Asian with those glasses, don't I?

Braelyn peeks under Darth Vadar.  She would later whisper in my ear:  "Daddy, I saw the black man's butt!"

Pooped.

Quotable quote:

As we left our car and headed to Legoland's entrance I noticed a few sleepies and a slight milk mustache still on Brae's face.  I grabbed her hand and turned around to go back to the car:

     Me:  "Brae, we need to get some water and wipe your face.  You've got some sleepies."

     Brae:  "No!!  (Whiny)  Don't go back to the car!  Just use your mouth!"

     Me:  [Shocked and a little repulsed]  "What?!?  Why?...who does that?!?"

     Brae:  "Mommy."

     Nice.  Whatever works!

Never too old to be a kid!

Have a great weekend!