Cute Story

I've been meaning to write this down somewhere so I don't forget it later in life.  Kaitlyn will definitely want to hear this one!  This blog is the perfect place.

A few weeks ago, I was pulling in the driveway with the girls after work.  It was maybe a week after Halloween, and we had put up orange and red lights for Halloween.  Now, they were taken down and Nicole immediately noticed when we pulled in.  "Where are the lights?"  I told her that we took them down but not to worry that in a few weeks there would be much better Christmas lights up.  She refused.  She didn't "want" Christmas lights.  She didn't "like" Christmas lights.  She wanted Halloween lights.  Knowing that I wasn't going to win this argument, we dropped it and went inside.

Maybe 15 minutes later over dinner, I thought that I'd try to hype up Christmas a little more.  (What parent needs to hype Christmas by the way....don't think I'll ever have to do it again...it's having quite the impact this year?)  Anyway, I start to talk to them about the events that lead up to Christmas.  I mention the twinkle lights all over town that we get to look at.  I mention that we'll go sit on Santa's lap.  Then, I feel like it would be bad parenting to not mention the real reason for the holiday, so I talk about how it's exciting and fun to go to church on Christmas Eve and sing songs to celebrate Baby Jesus' birthday.  The girls both get excited which makes me feel good.  They even ask if they get to sing Happy Birthday to Baby Jesus.  How cute.

Ok, so we move past church to the rest of Christmas Eve...the putting the cookies and carrots out, getting in our Christmas PJs and going to bed.  Then, Santa comes while we sleep, and when we wake up, we run downstairs and there are lots of presents to open.

After my story, I feel good, and Nicole has forgotten about Halloween.  But I want to make sure that the real message of the holiday was received and that they know this is really all about baby Jesus.  So, I ask them, "What is Christmas for?  Why do we celebrate Christmas?"  They both got it right...Baby Jesus' birthday!

Long story getting longer, and you're wondering where is the cute or funny part, right?  Well, here it comes.

Another 5 minutes or so goes by and I want to test them again to make sure they've got it.  So, I ask again.  Here's how that goes:

Nicole:  It's not a birthday.
Me:  Yes it is.
Nicole:  No, it's not a birthday.
Me:  Yes it is.
Nicole:  If it's a birthday, then it's my birthday.
Me:  No it's not your birthday.
Nicole:  Yes it is.

At this point, I'm frustrated and decide to move to my other kid.  So, I turn to Kaitlyn and ask:

Me:  What is Christmas about?
Kaitlyn:  (drum roll please) It's Chuck E Cheese's birthday!!!!
Kaitlyn:  (immediately following that statement)  No, whose birthday is it?  (At least she recognized that Chuck E Cheese wasn't the right answer!!!!)
Me:  Baby Jesus
Kaitlyn:  Oh yeah, Baby Jesus.

So, that will forever be the joke in my head:  that Christmas is Chuck E Cheese's birthday.  And truly, you can see how she would get confused.  Say them over and over and back to back.  The "Jesus" kind of sounds like "Cheesus" ie. Chuck E Cheesus.  Cute, cute, cute!!!

Cagle's Dairy Farm

Still no cruise photos.  Sorry.  The problem is that they're still on my camera.  Once I get them downloaded, that's half the task!  Enjoy these photos instead. 

Last weekend, we went to Cagle's Dairy Farm.  I really wanted to do a corn maze with the girls (which was nothing like I pictured it to be).  The girls still had fun, but I think I pictured in my head a real maze where there's only one way in and one way out and you actually hit dead ends and stuff.  Mike said I guess I was picturing something like The Shining.  Yep, that's a lot more like what I thought.  This was more like a plethera of trails through a field of corn that intersect often.  No real "wrong ways" in this maze.  Anyway, it was still fun.  We didn't make it to a corn maze before Halloween, but this one is open still through this weekend, so we made sure to get up there last weekend.

They also had a jumpy pillow.  It was awesome.  HUGE!  And adults could jump, so I bounced for a few minutes too. 

Finally, for an additional fee, there were pony rides.  What a bargain at FIVE DOLLARS EACH!  Geez...for a 5 minute ride.  Whatever.  And once the kids see the ponies, it's really hard to say no.  She was cash only too, and I NEVER have cash, but by some miracle, I had $11 in my wallet, so the girls lucked out.  I grabbed my blackberry and snapped a few photos to commemerate the expensive experience.  :-)  We hadn't even brought our regular camera.  Didn't figure this would be a photo op, so I was glad I had the blackberry. 

Oh, and on the way home, we ran out of gas on I-575 South!  Too funny!!!  We both couldn't help but laugh.  How does that happen?  Mike apparently knew the car was low from the day before, but we both swear that the whole way up to the Farm, we never once heard the car beeping at us and definitely not after we were done with the Farm to start our way home.  When the tank is literally almost dry, why wasn't the car doing all kinds of warnings????  Seriously...like blinking, beeping, whatever.  I was proud of us for handling it so well.  No one even "blamed" the other one.  :-)  And in case you're wondernig who walked the 1.2 miles back to the on ramp to a gas station, that was me.  Despite all kinds of childhood warnings about strangers, I think we figured it was more likely for someone to stop and pick me up on my way back to the car and drive me.  And I was right...after I got the gas, I literally wasn't 20 feet on to the on ramp to start my treck back to the car when a mother and daugher stopped.

More Sea World

We got a deal on a 2-day ticket that included Sea World and Aquatica (water park = no camera = no blog photos).  So, we went back to Sea World again for our last day in Orlando in the afternoon/evening.  We did the water park in the morning.  Kind of a shame to use a full day ticket on two 1/2 days, but it was our last day, and all considered, it was still a good deal.  And the girls had a blast the whole week.  

We, of course, saw the evening whale show, Shamu Rocks.  There are photos below.  Enjoy!  And I included some animal life in these photos this time too.  Just thought everyone might enjoy seeing the Orca Whales as much as we did.

And that wraps up our Orlando trip this July.  On to some more recent things next post.  Maybe I'll make it all the way to September to tell you all about our Disney cruise.