Empty Fridge

Since there is only half of the family here we have had meals low key.  I don't ever remember seeing the fridge like this except maybe when we bought it.

She was eating Cheerios until she saw me take this small bag of candies out.  I gave them to her and this is what I found after I finished the dishes.  Breakfast of champions, NOT.  She is a character.

Weekend Fun

We always start with fridays because it is fun friday with Caleb out of school.  My cousin Mindy and beau, Sean were in Orlando but headed home so I offered a ride to the airport.  Great to see her even for the short ride.  Then off to hang out with Bonney and her family at their hotel/resort.  The kids loved the pool, waterslides and lazy river.  Bonney's parents took the big boys mini golf while the little ones recovered from the pool.  Sorry no photos, camera on vacation.  :(  We headed home after Martha made us a yummy mac-n-cheese dinner.  Thanks for having us.

Saturday, we took the kids for D and D then 4x4 by the Gandy bridge.  They both loved it, the bumps and going thru large puddles. A trip to Target to pick up some dora undies.  (Felicia does ok, I haven't changed a poopy diaper in a week but the pee still needs work.)  After we hung out and did some house stuff.  Cleaning up and building some things we needed, a place to store the kayak.  Chris bought pcp pipe and check it out.  Then he and Caleb started building Boomer's dog house.  We picked up and got ready for our night out.  We got a sitter and friend for Caleb and went to the Rays game which had Pat Benatar in concert after.  OMG!!!  it was so awesome.  Chris is the best for taking me and sitting thru it.

Sunday Caleb, Felicia and I said goodbye to Chris for 3 weeks,  we miss him.

JC and Patrick's Visit

We picked the guys up Saturday and haven't stopped for too long since.  After I dropped Felicia with the sitter, we headed off to Dayne's 7th birthday party at Astroskate.  Yes we tied on the skates and had a blast.  Chris took the boys for Sonic, something Patrick doesn't get anymore since he used to live here.  We all had a great time.

Sunday we went to breakfast at our favorite place in Clearwater, Lenny's.  The balloon guy made each of the kids a hat and they eat a ton.  When we got home we packed up the boat and headed to Shell Key.  We played on the sandbar for a few hours then moved to our spot on the island to kayak and fish.  It is always a good day.  They fish were jumping and I took Johnathen on the kayak to see the dolphins, they were only a paddles length away from us.  Dinner was Papa John's delivery for Patrick, another favorite.

Monday, all of us took Caleb to school and ate breakfast with him and got books for joining the school for breakfast and books.  The kids hung out while I cleaned up from the weekend and we got Caleb from school and took them to Jonathen's favorite place to visit, Chuck-E-Cheese and spent the afternoon there.  I made us dinner and to our surprise Chris arrived in time to eat with us.  First time in weeks he has been at the table for dinner.

Tuesday, was pool day at the Elks.  Everyone's favorite time but poor Patrick couldn't keep up with us.  He got tired faster than the kids but stayed at the pool anyway, yeah Patrick.  Patrick and Johnathen stayed home while I took the kids to Felicia's swim lesson and they went to fitblast.  Dinner was Chick-fil-a of course.

Wednesday after dropping off Caleb I took the rest of them to the airport.  I was so sad to see them go but Felicia cried when the got on the tram.  She couldn't understand where her boys were going.  I miss then.

Chick-fil-A

After swim class for Felicia and fitblast for the boys we went to eat.  Of course we go to Chick-fil-A every tuesday but tonight was special, customer appreciation week.  There were 2 face painters, 2 balloon artists, a cartoonist, 2 bounce houses, a game for free food(I have an entire breakfast), nail painting and dunk the cow.  Oh yeah and mom forgot the camera so I am going to figure out how to use the phone camera I just got.  Dayne and Eagan got spider man faces while Felicia was a flower princess.  Caleb got a black dragon on his arm.  We did eat and then off to bounce.  Caleb dunked the cow in 1 shot, Eagan 2 and Dayne 4, he needed to get his mojo going.  While the boys bounced Felicia got bright, no neon pink toes and was so happy.  Unfortunately the dunk tank was in her sight and she didn't take her eyes off that cow, afraid it would come to her.  3 cows were there a regular one, one is a red shirt and a new girl with a purple shirt, you can imagine Felicia dismay as the the number of cows that surrounded her.  Very funny.

Weekend Fun

Friday we went to a town water park with friends the Davis' and Hempels and a family from mom's linc, Tammie.  The kids had a  blast!!  We go to the playground next door because it is covered by trees for lunch      perfect day.

Saturday we just divided the kids up and ran errands.  I took D and F while Chris had C and E to find trailer parts.  We ended the evening with an hour at the pool to cool off.  It is so refreshing.

Sunday we had a rocky start but got out on the boat and enjoyed Weedon Island with Tripp and his dogs, Calvin and Latte.  The kids used the kick boards and Felicia swam and floated all around.  I caught a fish on the sabiki rod but when we used it as bait it got away, oh well.  It was a nice day.  Felicia fell asleep on the way home.  Eagan drove us under the bridge at St Raphaels and part way to the dock.

Cleaning Day

Today we clean up the playroom and office among other things.  Tents were made in the living room, seems to be a theme mom left us this summer.  Caleb got a call from his friend Greg so he felt us at noon.  The rest of us eat lunch and rested before taking Felicia to swim lessons and the boys to fitblast.  C came home after the Y.  Pizza from Piasono's that Chris brought home for us the other night.  A somewhat slow day at the Baldwin house.

Fun Times

Felicia sat thru the whole free movie space chimps yesterday.  I think she enjoyed herself or was just afraid of the dog collecting money for cancer.  Either way the boys won by staying in the theatre.  She was looking at the door and pointing no, so I say the dog was part of it.  She is in swimming class again and loves it.

Today we hit the pool with the Cooks which is our favorite thing to do during the summer.  So much fun.  The kids gathered together and played marco polo while Felicia played with a bucket and make up brush.  Eagan and Juju played all kinds of games.  Lunch and nap when we got home.  The big boys played LIFE, how cute.  They actually got along for more than an hour.  HOORAY for mommy she got an hour nap.

Chuck E Cheese

With the rain this morning I decided to head to the RAT.  They have been asking and Caleb's schedule is limited starting next week so I took the opportunity to have fun at kiddie vegas.  We meet my friend, Karen and her boys David and James.  They are Eagan and Felicia's ages.

Later after naps we went to the Y and had a crock pot dinner.  I got bathrooms cleaned and laundry started, yeah for mom.

Summer Fun

I am going to try and blog every evening with or without photos to tell about our summer.  Yesterday was the first day we were home, I drove the kids over to Boca and stayed the night to bring Chris home from the conference.  We would have stayed till thursday but let us just say that one boy had hoarding issues and the other crying ones, so in the car we go to get home.  We did drive alligator alley home and saw gators.  Cool.

Today we rode our bike to North Shore Pool, about 2+ miles one way.  We played for an hour and half then rode home.  They were very tired.  Along the route we ran into Caleb's teacher Ms. Deck and they were all excited to say Hi.  After nap time we cleaned up the playroom and office.  Boomer is still at the vet were he stays so we will get him after Felicia wakes up, going on 2 hours now.  I plan on bringing him home and taking the kids to the night out at the Y for a few hours, except Felicia she is too little, so I can get some groceries.  So fun but needed, stocking up for the summer, I make less visits now.

Weekend in Boca Raton

First I have to tell everyone that the GPS took us through every small highway across the state but as always Chris and I made the best of it.  We found many buckets on the road and saw an accident but the best was when he told me he saw alligators in the ditch.  I started to look after he saw 2 them he yelled look but it was a tire.  We joked that it is there new camouflage pretend to be a tire, hehe!  The love bugs were so bad I could hardly see but my awesome hubby washed them off and decided he would drive, no more bugs just heavy rain at the end of the trip.  We enjoyed a cool dinner at Zed 451, they had a buffet and then keeped bringing meat on a sticks to your table.  I was very happy, even tried lamb and veal (not so much).

Saturday I was treated to a facial and pedicure... AHHHHHH! enough said.  The owner of the Dolphins was getting a pedicure near me, strange but cool.  We meet another couple to go to lunch at the Whales Rib recommended by our driver the night before.  It was featured on diners, drives-in and dives, which we love.  Great meal and drinks.  Oh as they pulled my suburban around I went to get it and they tried to give me this little rav 4 and I said no the big girl is mine and 3 valets walked away surprised.  YEAH BABY!!! I love that.  We got trinkets for the kids, cool t-shirts and went out for a movie.  It is a luxury to see one when you have kids, Star Trek.  It was awesome and recommend it to anyone.

Sunday we all walked down to D and D for breakfast, the walk was fun 6 adults and one baby.  The day was rainy and the conference started so Chris, Christine and I went shopping, I wanted to trade my phone for a more durable one.  Water and shock proof, yeah and it is orange, it rocks.  We all meet at the opening dinner party, we took our picture with the Caterpillar car and I got a cool girlie hat from them.  Meet some of the vendors Chris works with, played the good helper work wife role.  I was on my best behavior, well maybe.  Later we ate at the restraint, Cielo, in the tower which is run by a winner of Hell's Kitchen, good.  My serving size was "gourmet" but he waiter was too funny.  He totally got our humor and wasn't intimated by us.  We did have people move there table away from us, not sure if it was the baby or just us having a great time laughing and caring on.  Who cares life is short and time like that unpredictable so enjoy the moments when they come.

Monday I drove home.  It was nice driving by myself, I hadn't done that since college.

Tuesday I drove back with the kids, it was their last day of school.  I let them play at the pool for a bit and David and Christine took the boys to the beach for half and hour.  We hired a sitter with Aaron and Katrina for Claire and our kids to go to dinner with a George, he is a vendor of Chris'.  We ate at the beach club resturaunt, it was good but the view was wonderful.  I like our side of Florida better, the water on our side it just beautiful.

Wednesday we ate breakfast at the hotel and I took the kids to the pool.  Chris joined us when he finished just before lunch.  After playing for almost 3 hours, I took the kids to the room to nap and rest.  Eagan and Felicia napped but Dayne cried in the bathroom so we packed it up and went home.  Our free hotel ended because kids can't share the free goodies from the conference.  Oh well, maybe next year.