Our Trip to Las Vegas

Edward holding the Limousine Sign from the Airport

Us infront of the Las Vegas Sign

Edward having a Coney Island Dog at the New York, New York (he ate almost all of it)

Edward and Kirk at the Luxor (for those who do not know this, Kirk is sort of a Egypt buff)

Edward at the Luxor

More Pictures From Our Trip To Las Vegas

Edward with one of the M&M Guys at M&M World

Edward with the Coca~Cola Bear at Coca~Cola World

Kirk and Edward with the Wax Replicas of the Blue Man Group (we saw them in concert)

A Living Statue at the Venetian

Gondola Ride at the Venetian

No Bump My Bumper Car

Instead of opting to stay home this past Memorial Day Weekend, at the last minute we opted to take Edward to Kansas City, MO to go to Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun. We had a blast. We are so glad that we decided to go somewhere after all then staying home all weekend. Trust me there were things around the house we could have gotten done but we needed a little time away as a family too. Edward has a blast. He rode lots of rides and we played for hours in the water park (Oceans of Fun). He loved riding on the Go Karts with Daddy and the kiddy bumper cars. He absolutely was funny on the bumper cars, He was a very cautious driver and didn't like having other "bump" into him. He would actually "chew" them out for bumping into his car. All he wanted to do was "drive" not "bump" the car. Needless to say we all got a little to much sun this weekend and I am the one paying the most for it. Yes, I took sunblock I just forgot the first day when I changed into my swimming suit to put reapply the block the the areas covered by my t-shirt when I orginally applied it. Trust me, I remembered the 2nd day. Well now we are back home and ready for a unusually busy week with 2 doctors appointments for me, a homeschool seminar and convention. I think that they only day I don't have something going on personally is Friday. Next week Edward starts back to bowling for the summer.

Little Gentleman

I have to share this with everyone, I know I am about to be boastful & prideful .... I pray God will forgive me for my boastfulness & pride. We (Edward and I) were in Washington State on vacation for 2 weeks over Easter and my mom's birthday. We were staying in an extended stay hotel over by my grandma's. We had just gotten back on evening from visiting my Grandma (I believe...could have been my mom or both), we were walking up to the front door of the hotel where we encountered a very pregnant mommy, her daughter (about Edwards age....maybe a little older), and her little boy (about a year or so old...he was walking). The mom was trying to coax the toddler inside (it was raining out...I know big shocker in Washington state), when Edward without saying a thing walks over to her takes one of her 2 rolling suitcases out of her hands and proceeds to open the door for them, and pushes her suitcase up to the elevator. He pushes the button, the mom says to him thank you and that she could take the suitcase back. Edward looks at her and says "No Ma'me, I want to help you." He walks into the elevator, we all follow. He asks what floor (they ended up on the same floor as us, actually just 2 doors down on the opposite side of the hall), pushes the button. We get to the floor, he is still pulling the suitcase, she says she can take it. He says "No I want to take it to the room for you, ma'me." So we follow her to her room. He gives over her suitcase to her at her door. She says thank you. I was so touched by my son's insightfulness to this mom's situation and that she needed an extra hand. I must say I was proud of him and almost brought to tears by his thoughtfulness. I know that by this act alone that we are at least doing 1 thing right in raising him. Just had to share this story.

Is It Still The Same???

Is it still the same thing to say that I have been in Tiffany's and Prada, as owning something from them? While I was in Las Vegas, I went into their stores there. I must say, I know why people buy knock offs. Talk about costly. Now I can understand why Tiffany's is expensive after all you dealing with precious metals and gems. I wouldn't mind buying something there if I could afford it....however, I was looking at a simple 14K tiny gold cross necklace and it was almost $600.00 and the chain was one of those flimsy little ones that break and get knotted real easily. I went into Prada to look around, it was almost $300.00 for a coin purse. There was a Prada silver keychain there and I thought well that can't cost but 10 or 20 dollars.....LOL was I wrong, try $150.00 for a keychain. OIE VEY!!!! I think I will just look there. There was a Gucci store there to, but after the whole Prada things I was way to afraid to go in there to even look around....no I didn't take Edward into these stores with me...I would have been mortified if he even thought about touching something in one of them.

Things I learned while being laid over on a flight

Things I learned about having a flight being over booked and having to be laid over for a flight the next morning in Phoenix. . . .

1. Try to carry a travel size toothbrush, toothpaste, a packet of wool lite, and deodorant in your carry on and probably an extra pair of undies and socks might be good too...but if you don't have the undies and socks that is where the wool lite comes in....you can wash the undies that you are wearing in the sink at the hotel and re wear your socks (most likely they wont be dry enough to wear in the morning if you wash them too).

2. You can use an iron or a blow dry to dry your recently washed undies.....BUT DO NOT USE THE MICROWAVE to dry them as Kirk learned, it will melt your undies and make your hotel room smell like melting plastic.

3. Not all continential breakfasts are alike. Be prepared to pick something up to eat at the airport.

4. Do not pack your battery charger for you laptop or cell phone in your checked luggage.

5. Be prepared for a lay over when it comes to have a little one in tow.

6. USE THE TSA's recommendations on correctly packing your carry ons. It does help save time when going through the TSA check areas.

Cats and Dogs!

Regan (one of the girls I use to nanny for), who is now 12 yrs old, wanted to come and stay with us some this summer. She was suppose to come the first 2 weeks of July but because I was down with Walking Pneumonia. I went and got her on Friday the 13th and she stayed until Wednesday the 25th. Let me tell you, a 4 yr old and 12 yr old do not always get along, they mostly fight, nag at each other, bicker, and antagonize one another. I thought with the huge age difference there wouldn't be so much of that.....boy was I wrong.....LOL!!! All in all though we did have a great time. One bad thing is that Edward ended being treated too for Walking Pneumonia just as a precaution as he ended up with a horrible cough. The first Saturday we had Regan we took her to Yoder, a Amish community that is about 30 minutes Southwest of us. Sunday we didn't go to church because of Edward's cough....I have a pet peeve about spreading germs intentionally. We also ended up skipping Edwards Bowling League, Swimming Lessons and 1st Vacation Bible School at our Church. So from Sunday to Thursday, we kinda just hung out at the house and kept a low profile. Bless Regan's heart. Thursday we walked around town, ran some errands and just had a little fun. Friday we headed out of town. We started off in Salina. We stayed at the Days Inn with the 145 ft water slide. Saturday mid-morning we headed off to Kansas City, Missouri. On the way we stopped by Wamego, KS and went through the Wizard of OZ museum there. There is even a Mexican resturant there called Toto's Tacoz. LOL! Except they don't sell taco's called Toto's Taco. Kirk was kinda disappointed about that. Cute little town though. Kinda uses the Wizard of OZ theme to their advantage. We checked into our Jr. Suite at the hotel around 3pmish. Went to diner shortly there after. We stayed in the room the rest of the night, we watched Meet the Robinson's. Sunday we went to the Legends in Kansas City, KS. It is a shopping Mall. They have a T-Rex Cafe there. Anomatronic Dinosaurs and the only Build A Dino Shop by Build A Bear are in this resturant. The kids did a dino dig, airbrushed off a dinosaur and meandered through some caves. there were other things to do to but off course just about everthing cost money now days. We also went to Dave and Busters for lunch, chose not to go to lunch as the T-Rex Cafe because there was over an hour and a half wait for a table. The kids loved Dave and Busters because they have a game area. Went back the hotel in the evening and hung out in the room. Monday took us to Worlds of Fun Amusement Park. We came home Tuesday evening, and took Regan home to OK (Edward and I, that is) on Wednesday. We had a great time all in all, minus the fighting that is.

What there is participation in this???

We stopped in to see one of those shows at the Worlds of Fun Amusement Park. It was about 60's and some 70's music. After the first song, they were looking for people to dance with so one of the little gals asked Edward if he wanted to dance with her, he freaked out and started to cry. So she didn't force it. The show went on. As the show progressed they did some TV show tunes from that era. They were doing the dating show. They got down and went and found a woman in the audience, whom they called Lucy. Then all of a sudden a different little gal was standing in front of Kirk, say and here's our Ricky. They took Kirk on stage and sang the dating game theme song, then the Love Boat Theme song putting lei's on Kirk and the gal from the audience. Then they moved Kirk and the gal back, opening these doors on their background. On the front of these doors were Sonny and Cher with holes where the faces are suppose to be. Suddenly Kirk's face appeared in the Sonny's hole. They had Kirk and the gal from the Audience singing "I Got You Babe!". It was hilarious. I wish I would have brought my camcorder. I had left my camera in a locker at the Amusement park so it wouldn't get stolen. So I missed getting something that was probably once in a lifetime on tape or film. That will teach me.

Heart Break on the Red Barron

We were in the Camp Snoopy part of the Worlds of Fun Park, Edward asked to ride the Red Barron Ride. Well just before the ride was going to be start a little girl about a year or two older than Edward wanted to ride. She got into Edward's plane (note there were a few empty planes and others with just one child in them). The whole time the ride was, Edward kept turning around talking to the little girl and grinning. When the ride was over he waited to walk out with her, he wanted to go again. He thought the little girl had followed him for another ride. He turned around saying "Follow me, let's ride again." and she was gone.

Byway equals lost

On our way to Kansas City, we say a sign for a historic site for a Rock City. So we excited the freeway. The beginning of the Scenic tour byway was only a few miles from the freeway. We started the Scenic Tour Byway drive, it took us 17 miles from the start through winding roads. We ended the tour in Alta Vista, Kansas, a very small in the middle of no where town. We asked for directions back to I-70. We got lost 3 more times before we finally found the freeway. Kirk kept telling me that it was a byway that it would loop back around into itself. LOL!!! Yeah right, never going to listen to him about that one again. By the way the Rock City was just a bunch of rock walls and farm buildings (like barns) built of rocks. Neat but not worth the 17 mile byway tour to me.

Visited Abilene KS

Today (and last night) we are in Kansas City, Missouri. Yesterday after we left the hotel in Salina, Kansas, we went to Abilene Kansas to take a Historical Train Excurision ride. We learned some very amazing things about Abilene. President Dwight D. Eisenhower was born and raised there. His presidential library is there. We didn't visit that yesterday but we do plan to in the future. It will make a great Homeschooling trip. We learned that Wild Bill Hickok was also the sheriff in Abilene. We got to see some local play acters do a gun slinger shoot out. It was very interesting and loud. Today we are headed to Worlds of Fun, here in Missouri. Then we will be staying overnight here in Kansas City again. Then we will head home tomorrow morning, and be back in Newton Kansas in time for Edward to go to the Birthday party he has been invited too. I do have to tell you that we are staying at the Argosy. We have an awesome room, very classy. Great for a Father's Day Weekend Vacation.

Watery Fun

We are in Salina KS overnight. We are staying in a hotel that has an indoor pool with a huge indoor curvy water slide. This is the first time Edward has ever been on a water slide of any type. HE LOVED IT!!! I rode down with him the 2 times, then I went first, then he came after I was in the water waiting to catch him. Then he went about 4 times by himself with me waiting to catch him at the bottom. Then we went 2 more times where I went first and then he came after I was in the water to catch him. Sorry didn't get pictures, camera not water friendly. Next time I will bring a water proof camera. He has so much fun. Tomorrow we will go to a train museum here in Salina, then we are head to Kansas City overnight so we can go to the Worlds of Fun Amusement Park there, then off to Topeka (maybe not a 100% sure on that one) overnight then home Monday morning in time for swimming lessons.

Back from Vacation...oie vay!!!!!!!!!!!

Oie Vay!!! What a vacation.....20 days might have been a bit to long with a little one in tow. He started missing his daddy about 15 days in. Bless his heart! We stayed in a hotel the last 3 days to give my grandma a break from an active toddler (who is a boy at that...HAHHAHA).....plus she had to go back to work the last 2 days we were there. It was a nice vacation, took Edward on a Ferrie Ride, a Train Ride, to the Woodland Park Zoo, the Space Needle (we went up the observation deck and had lunch in the Resturant), the Pacific Science Center, the Children's Museum, the Ocean (to visit his other grandma, aunts, uncles and cousins on Kirk's side), the rest of the time we just hung out with my mom and the little boy she nannies for. Took tons of pictures (about 800), all digital. Of course once I get the new camera program installed in our computer, I will share a few. So all in all, the vacation was great other than the whole sister-in-law ordeal. Ended up not seeing a lot of them. Which was fine by me. Don't feel we missed much there.

Oh What A Day!!!

Well after quite an interesting day yesterday, we actually arrived in Seattle in one piece. The interesting thing is, is that I did not know what was going on until I arrived at the airport in KS to check in. Imagine my suprise when I found out that all liquid and gels were not permitted to beyond the security check point. Sure you could buy a drink in the airport while you waited for the plane, but you had to dump that too before you board the plane, even though you bought it in the airport. Luckily for me I had packed everything in our check-in luggage but a sippy cup of soda for Edward and a bottle of liquid Motrin. Had to put the Motrin in my Check-On Luggage and dump the soda. No big deal. But that wasn't the end of our excitement for the day. Nope, not at all. Get to Denver for our connection flight, and have almost an hour delay. Luckily it was only a hour delay (I learned that a few flights here and there were cancled completely. ). We arrived in SeaTac only about 40 minutes late. However once I got to the rental car people that was a whole different story. DO NOT RENT FROM ADVANTAGE. Lets just say it was an awful experience and I wanted to cry after the day I had had. Today was much better. We went to the Pacific Science Center, then to the Space Needle for lunch. Then afterwards to the amusement park area of the Seattle Center where they have all the kiddie rides. Let Edward ride a few rides. He had a blast. Could have stayed longer but grandma (mine, edward's great grandma) was getting tired. We also went with my mom and her 2 charges that she Nanny's for. One is 2 1/2 yrs and the other 4 mos old. Well that about it here for now. Will try to keep you updated as we go along with our vacation. God Bless!!!