A Mini-Vacation...Just for Adults!

Last week, David and I took a fun mini-vacation down to St. Petersburg, FL...without the kids (well, without two of them, anyway)! He was attending a Raymond James conference and I was just along for the ride (and the delicious food). We had never been to that part of Florida, and it was beautiful. We stayed in an old hotel (the Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club) that had been refurbished years ago, and it was just gorgeous! It was right on the water of Tampa Bay, and there was a beautiful park nearby. I spent a lot of time sitting in the park reading (yes, a real book!) and watching the boats out on the water.

Apparently, the Vinoy is where the pro teams stay when they come to the Tampa/St. Pete area, and as luck would have it, we were there during the American League playoffs between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox. When we arrived at the hotel, the Red Sox were staying there. Two days later, after they lost the series in game 7 to the Rays, they left town and in came the Philadelphia Phillies for the World Series. I was sitting on the verandah of the hotel reading my book when four chartered buses arrived and off walked these young, athletic men in suits. At the end of the line were some wives carrying a "Go Phillies!" sign...so then I knew who they were! Although David and I don't really follow baseball, we caught the fever when in St. Pete so we are now rooting for the Rays (although as of this evening, it's not looking good for them!).

I must say that I was so impressed on this trip...David had made arrangements for several activities during our stay and surprised me with them! We went on a carriage ride, a sunset cruise on a sailboat, and ate at the best restaurants on the water. We really did have a wonderful time! I'm already looking forward to going back (although for me, it probably won't be next year...mommy duty calls!)! :)

Flu Shot Fun

Today the girls and I got our flu shots...yes, a fun adventure. After I got mine, Katie and Lauren started fighting over who had to go next. Finally, I grabbed Katie and plopped her down on the table. A little screaming, a couple of tears, and it was over. Then it was Lauren's turn, and she is usually the "tough" one. Well, not so much today. She cried when she got the shot, she cried after the shot, she cried while I tried to put her shoes back on (the shoes had nothing to do with getting the shot, she was just entertaining herself while waiting for the nurse to come in). Finally, when it was time for the sticker, she calmed down and all was well with her world. The nurse explained that, since she was under age three, she was given a different dosage than Katie and I were, and it might have burned more than ours did.

Well, tonight while I was giving Katie a bath, she explained to me that Lauren had not wanted to take off her Band-Aid during her bath because she had gotten the "patriotic" shot. I asked her, "Lauren got the patriotic shot?" And she said, "Yes, she got the patriotic shot and it probably hurt more than ours did!" She was right...Lauren had gotten the pediatric version of the shot!

Have You Heard??

Well, have you heard the news? Our family is growing! Yes, Baby Shoesmith is on the way. He/she is due May 9th. The picture above was taken at 10 weeks (David says you can't even tell...but I sure can! HA!). The girls are so excited. They don't quite realize that it will be a long time before the baby arrives. A couple of days ago, Katie asked me, "Mom, when is that baby gonna pop out of your tummy?" If only it were that easy!

Fall Fun at the Pumpkin Patch

This past Saturday we went to the Pumpkin Patch here in Bartlesville. I'm not sure who has more fun there...the kids or myself. To me, it's just the perfect place to visit in the fall. We were very lucky because the weather was BEAUTIFUL...sunny and warm (but not hot). David was along for the ride but not quite as enthused as the rest of us. Something about allergies and hay...

Here Come the Brides

This past weekend we had a lot of fun attending the wedding of a relative in Arkansas. The girls just idolized April, the bride and our second (or third?) cousin. They followed her around during the reception and wanted to dance when she was dancing. The next day, April's mom gave the girls each one of the bridesmaids' bouquets to take home. Once we arrived back in Bartlesville, Katie immediately put the flowers in some water and told us, "Now the flowers will be ready for us when Lauren and I get married!" David tried to explain that, even in water, the flowers wouldn't quite live for another thirty years or so! :)

Class Field Trip

Today Katie's preschool class went on a field trip to the library. Since they were walking there, the teachers asked for some parent volunteers to help corral the kids so Lauren and I tagged along. It was a perfect, sunny day for a walk through downtown Bartlesville. Lauren even had a t-shirt that matched the "older" kids, so she felt like (and looked like) a big kid, too.

Labor Day Fun

We had a nice, relaxing Labor Day weekend. Most of it was spent with David's family as his grandparents from Topeka and his sister and her family from St. Louis were visiting. The girls enjoyed playing with Cousin Emily and Cousin Andrew; the kids went to Kiddie Park on Saturday night...always a fun time!

David took the girls to the lake for a little tubing on Monday. He told Katie she needed a hat...so, she went to her room and came back wearing a stocking cap David brought her from Chicago when he went on a business trip. We tried to explain that type of hat would just be too hot to wear, but she wasn't convinced. Sometimes they just have to learn the hard way...