Now we start the vacation countdown. Yea!!!
But first, we need to recap our first few days minus parents!!! Let the spoiling begin!!!
On Wednesday, we went to see RV. The critics, as usual, were thinking with there ##### when they said it was a waste of Robin Williams. We have not laughed that hard in a long time. Anyone that owns an RV, NEEDS to see this movie. However, I did tell our group that the issues in this movie were NOT options for our trip. Hey mom & dad, guess what, no candy for this movie. Even grandpa was candyless!! We must have been recovering!!!
By Thursday, our energy level was returning and we made up for some of the time we had missed. The boys and grandpa went to Fat City (indoor amusement center) while Kayla and I had a “girls” afternoon. We went to have our nails done and then to lunch at an authentic English Tea House. Kayla was not too sure about the food or the English tea. I took Kayla to join the boys and swapped out with grandpa, so he could teach a diving class, and that is where we finished the evening or closed down the place would be more appropriate. Bowling, laser tag, miniature golf, arcade games and more games. Fat City is a great place with an excellent security group and a wonderful staff to work with. As usual, there is a lesson to be everywhere. Grandpa paid for all of us and when he left, I thought he said I had $10 of game money on my card, so when it did not work I went to the desk and spoke to a manager. I must have looked like an honest person because after a short discussion and my insistence that their system was in error, he put $24 on my card. They had a buy $10 get $10 promotion. Off we went to have fun where Kayla learned that bowling is a bit hard on newly manicured nails. When grandpa returned, much to my horror, I learned that he had not put any money on my card. Now comes the dilemma, do I admit my error and pay them the money or keep my mouth shut. It never ceases to amaze me that this dilemma even exists because I felt so guilty, especially looking at three young children that I would teach to do the right thing, that I looked around until I found the say manager I had spoken to earlier. I insisted three times that I needed to right my mistake and give them the $$$ they were due only to be told, “don’t worry about”, “it has already been discounted and will make our registers out of balance”, and the one that finally ended the conversation, “did you have a good time this evening? ...That is all that matters.” Needless to say, I am still in shock. Of course the look on his and an associates face, while we were have this discussion, was a combination of being stunned and shock. But, as I was ready to walk away, he said, “Thank you for telling me.” I hope it gave him a little more faith in people and a warm feeling to end his night on. The night for us drew to an end with a picnic, at midnight, in Lowes parking lot behind Del Taco. I wished I had taken a picture of Tyler and Kayla sitting in the back of the PT Cruiser with the hatch open with their food on the raised shelf like fine dining.
Friday reminded us why we do not get up early after a late night. Aunt Shannon came to spend time with the kids before we left, which was great. However, she had to be to work at 4 pm so she planned to arrive at 9 am. Yawn, yawn, groan, groan…. The children set their alarm and were actually up by 9 am. God Bless their little hearts!! I, of course, jumped out of bed like a mad woman when all of a sudden from next to my bed I heard, “good morning mom”, and it was 10 am. Aunts are wonderful people, especially when they take you to IHOP and stop for donuts (for grandpa) on the way back. After a game of crazy eight's, which Aunt Shannon won, she sadly wished us a safe trip and headed off to work. Dinner was at the Old Spaghetti Factory, which I thought some young people were too tired to care about until the balloon lady showed up!! It is amazing how you forget all the heart-stoppers you experienced when your children, and then when all is quiet in the car on the way home, a balloon pops!!! It did not just pop, it sounded like a gunshot shattering glass. Once our hearts restarted, including the kids, it was quite humorous. What a way to end an evening!
Saturday was packing day. Finish the laundry, look for everyone’s “stuff”, inventory the motorhome to make sure we had at least most of what we needed, pack the “stuff”, it was then off to the IHOP with a starving crew. The children are learning that they need to say “I am hungry” because when grandpa and I get busy we can easily overlook a small thing like eating until the children are ready to drop. Needless to say, we left somewhat later than we had planned, what a surprise, arrived in Pueblo at 10:30 pm, and had still not gone grocery shopping. Al least setting up a motor home at 11:30 is much easier than our older trailer use to be!!! It was funny moving a sound asleep Daniel from my bed, after his changing into pajamas, to his bed only to have Gwenny (our puppy) decide to jump on him and start licking him. I thought the dog was going flying and I am not sure Daniel even knew where he was. Finally parked and settled, we bid you goodnight.
To be continued…… Love and blessings to all. Thank you for the prayers and keep them coming. Grandpa leaves us tomorrow and the children and I are on our own.
But first, we need to recap our first few days minus parents!!! Let the spoiling begin!!!
On Wednesday, we went to see RV. The critics, as usual, were thinking with there ##### when they said it was a waste of Robin Williams. We have not laughed that hard in a long time. Anyone that owns an RV, NEEDS to see this movie. However, I did tell our group that the issues in this movie were NOT options for our trip. Hey mom & dad, guess what, no candy for this movie. Even grandpa was candyless!! We must have been recovering!!!
By Thursday, our energy level was returning and we made up for some of the time we had missed. The boys and grandpa went to Fat City (indoor amusement center) while Kayla and I had a “girls” afternoon. We went to have our nails done and then to lunch at an authentic English Tea House. Kayla was not too sure about the food or the English tea. I took Kayla to join the boys and swapped out with grandpa, so he could teach a diving class, and that is where we finished the evening or closed down the place would be more appropriate. Bowling, laser tag, miniature golf, arcade games and more games. Fat City is a great place with an excellent security group and a wonderful staff to work with. As usual, there is a lesson to be everywhere. Grandpa paid for all of us and when he left, I thought he said I had $10 of game money on my card, so when it did not work I went to the desk and spoke to a manager. I must have looked like an honest person because after a short discussion and my insistence that their system was in error, he put $24 on my card. They had a buy $10 get $10 promotion. Off we went to have fun where Kayla learned that bowling is a bit hard on newly manicured nails. When grandpa returned, much to my horror, I learned that he had not put any money on my card. Now comes the dilemma, do I admit my error and pay them the money or keep my mouth shut. It never ceases to amaze me that this dilemma even exists because I felt so guilty, especially looking at three young children that I would teach to do the right thing, that I looked around until I found the say manager I had spoken to earlier. I insisted three times that I needed to right my mistake and give them the $$$ they were due only to be told, “don’t worry about”, “it has already been discounted and will make our registers out of balance”, and the one that finally ended the conversation, “did you have a good time this evening? ...That is all that matters.” Needless to say, I am still in shock. Of course the look on his and an associates face, while we were have this discussion, was a combination of being stunned and shock. But, as I was ready to walk away, he said, “Thank you for telling me.” I hope it gave him a little more faith in people and a warm feeling to end his night on. The night for us drew to an end with a picnic, at midnight, in Lowes parking lot behind Del Taco. I wished I had taken a picture of Tyler and Kayla sitting in the back of the PT Cruiser with the hatch open with their food on the raised shelf like fine dining.
Friday reminded us why we do not get up early after a late night. Aunt Shannon came to spend time with the kids before we left, which was great. However, she had to be to work at 4 pm so she planned to arrive at 9 am. Yawn, yawn, groan, groan…. The children set their alarm and were actually up by 9 am. God Bless their little hearts!! I, of course, jumped out of bed like a mad woman when all of a sudden from next to my bed I heard, “good morning mom”, and it was 10 am. Aunts are wonderful people, especially when they take you to IHOP and stop for donuts (for grandpa) on the way back. After a game of crazy eight's, which Aunt Shannon won, she sadly wished us a safe trip and headed off to work. Dinner was at the Old Spaghetti Factory, which I thought some young people were too tired to care about until the balloon lady showed up!! It is amazing how you forget all the heart-stoppers you experienced when your children, and then when all is quiet in the car on the way home, a balloon pops!!! It did not just pop, it sounded like a gunshot shattering glass. Once our hearts restarted, including the kids, it was quite humorous. What a way to end an evening!
Saturday was packing day. Finish the laundry, look for everyone’s “stuff”, inventory the motorhome to make sure we had at least most of what we needed, pack the “stuff”, it was then off to the IHOP with a starving crew. The children are learning that they need to say “I am hungry” because when grandpa and I get busy we can easily overlook a small thing like eating until the children are ready to drop. Needless to say, we left somewhat later than we had planned, what a surprise, arrived in Pueblo at 10:30 pm, and had still not gone grocery shopping. Al least setting up a motor home at 11:30 is much easier than our older trailer use to be!!! It was funny moving a sound asleep Daniel from my bed, after his changing into pajamas, to his bed only to have Gwenny (our puppy) decide to jump on him and start licking him. I thought the dog was going flying and I am not sure Daniel even knew where he was. Finally parked and settled, we bid you goodnight.
To be continued…… Love and blessings to all. Thank you for the prayers and keep them coming. Grandpa leaves us tomorrow and the children and I are on our own.
