Spider-Man ride at Universal Studios, reviewed

Better weekend than we thought!

Boyd watching me try on shoes at Kohl's.

The kids were in a good mood, so I told them to pose.

So these photos are all from a weekend... three weekends ago?

The weekend started off with Boyd's basketball team, the "Dynamite Cobras," getting destroyed... about 58-8. No mercy rule, baby! Take your whoppin' and move on! The opposing team thankfully told their best player to start passing the ball instead of shooting... and then he was dishing dimes, the nerdy kid in goggles who hadn't scored all season suddenly went off for eight points, and their fans were losing their minds... that was our team... we should have been the Dynamite Enablers.

So we get home, and what's next? The dog was nervous, worried that Coach Seth was looking for something to kick (I would never kick an animal, but I would shove one off me that is trying to snuggle, as Evey will angrily attest.)

What's next is... Kohl's, bah-bay!!!

Evey, Boyd and I all groan. Mom has a 30-percent off coupon, or something.

Adrianne asks out loud, "how is this going to go?" I laugh and tell her it will end badly... but I need some new clothes... so let's get in the car.

***

Straight to Kohl's, we're all laughing in the car. Get to Kohl's and we split up: boys/girls.

Boyd is doing a combination of helping me find/size clothes and using the cart as his own race car. But he's having fun. And I'm finding DEALS!

Evey and Adro are shopping. They find some deals. We all meet, a little later than any of us expected... and we get a $hit ton of clothes/shoes for not much money. I'm kind of stunned, and excited to wear my new stuff. I even got a KU Jayhawks pint glass for the heck of it, and a KU St. Patty's Day shirt!

Again, they were having fun Saturday night, so
I asked the kids to strike a pose. They went with the
dramatic look...

We all head out, triumphant. What's for lunch? Boyd has been Jonesing for a cheeseburger ever since he has been bouncing back from Strep throat... and all I did was buy him a gross, dry burger from Dairy Queen when he was home sick.

So I suggested FREDDY'S!

We went, it was packed. But we got in, and got our burgers, and they were AMAZING!

We got back home, kicked off our gear and got on our pajamas. I cracked open a cold one and started reading my Beastie Boys book. Everyone else started doing what they wanted to do (TV/Kindle/laundry, whatever.)

We thought back at it... turns out we actually had a FUN day going to Kohl's, shopping, and hanging out together. We were all happy.

Sometimes weekends come and go, and you feel like you didn't get anything out of them. This was a weekend where we unexpectedly had a blast together. No hard chores or anything, just hanging out as a family... and that was so much fun!

How do you Sonic?

We nervously Sonic, awaiting chili dogs, tots and fries, after Boyd's practices.

Evey nailed it!

Congrats Evey! She had an AMAZING performance in her 6th grade play, "The Box."

She had multiple parts in the play and I think she was perfect throughout. She worked hard, and even picked up an extra part on the day of the play when a kid got sick.

I've got a few videos I'll try to post soon.

A couple old photos

Boyd's smile right now is really similar to Evey's in the below photo...

Sugar never tasted so good, Pt. 1

Adrianne and I at dinner the first night.

The view from our back patio.

Adrianne and I are back from an AMAZING trip... we spent four days at Sugar Beach Resort in Soufriere, St. Lucia.  

I'll try not to go crazy here about the trip, but I will try to post all the relevant photos, and a few stories, mixed in with other random stories. 

We went with a big group, several of my co-workers and I, and our wives. Travel there wasn't bad! A flight to Atlanta, then a flight to St. Lucia, a 23-mile-long island, that took 4.5 hours. We flew in with two other couples and shared a van to the resort. The drive in was winding and on the wrong side of the road, but fun. Our driver stopped midway (about a 45-minute drive) and grabbed us all beers. 

The room came with its own pool!

The room was amazing. Everything was first class all the way. We arrived just before sunset so we were able to take in the views from our room before heading out to dinner with the group.

It was so exciting seeing everyone for the first time in St. Lucia. I was a little wore out from travel, but the energy level was still high. We had a meal that first night that just never ended... dessert was three courses! I was so stuffed, and every meal I had there was excellent, the whole trip.

The first morning we took a cruise two hours up the island to a place great for snorkeling. The ride out there was a blast, and so was snorkeling... this was the first time I ever did it. I only swallowed a little salt water, not bad!

On a booze cruise to a snorkeling excursion, the Pitons behind us.

The ride back was glamorous... Adrianne and I lounged on the netting on the front of the catamaran and drank the local light beer, Piton, while music blasted from the speakers. It was a fun ride in, one that could have gone on longer... but after I pulled the last Piton out of the cooler, I realized it was a good thing the ride was about to come to an end!

We all took some time to chill after lunch on the beach. Then another dinner... I'll post more photos and a little detail about that dinner next time.

***

Boyd got sick while we were gone... I took him to the doctor (to see Stacey) this morning, and it turns out the poor guy had strep throat! He did well while we were gone, he didn't complain much, Judy told us. Also, Judy told us he had a great nurse watching over him... Evey!

I was so proud of our kids while we were gone... Evey was so worried about her Bubba, and Boyd kept on a tough guy face while his mom was gone. We'd Facetime or call, and we couldn't help but be sad that we weren't there to help out. But Boyd improved a little each day...

He's on that pink bubble gum medicine right now, and while it makes him act a little weird, he's bouncing right back. Back to school for you tomorrow, Bub!

***

A huge shout-out to Grandma Judy for watching the kids for the second time in three weeks! I don't know what we'd do without her.

There was a death in Judy's family right before we left and Judy kept our kids, including our sick kid, as the No. 1 priority. That's a tough deal, and the good news is enough family flew in that everyone got taken care of... but Judy had to probably let a few people down because her daughter and son-in-law were vacationing in St. Lucia...

I'm relieved she made it to the funeral, but it wasn't easy on her, based on having to wait for our late return Sunday night.

THANK YOU JUDY!!!

***

We had such a weird day today, all of us. Evey had a weird/bad day at school, Boyd was sick, I had a weird work day, then all of us at home, with the water disconnected for a couple hours due to my screw-up.

We ordered pizza and played a little Monopoly while Boyd bounced around, weird from his meds (I think.) Somehow no one cried, even though I think at least two or three of us were on the verge.

But the good news is the furnace and the water are fixed... Boyd's meds have kicked in so a good night's sleep might await all of us ... time for me to shut down, and hope that my acclimation to Kansas goes better tomorrow than it did today.

Evey and Bub review The Simpsons ride at Universal Studios

Hangin' at Cypress Point

Some cool old photos of Grandma and Grandpa

 Was going through some of Mom's old photos today, and found these... definitely worth scanning + sharing!

The first two were taken in the woods by the old house in Wheatfield. So I'm guessing I'm 3-years-old or so... Sis is maybe 10?

The last photo is from a different collection. I think that one was taken after we moved to Kansas, so 1981, or 1982 or so.

Nice Harley, Grandpa Nick!

... I've got more scans, I'll share them soon.

***

Adrianne and I were in San Diego all week at the 2019 Golf Industry Show. Grandma Judy stayed with the kids all week and took care of them while we were away.

THANK YOU GRANDMA JUDY!!!

Adrianne and I both had a nice week in San Diego. We work very different jobs, but I think it's safe to say it was successful for both of us.

But wow, were we ready to get home! We missed our kiddos!

Grandma reports that the kids were great. They always are, especially Evey. Good news, Boyd got a stellar report this time, too (which is the only wild card when it comes to the kids' behavior.)

***

Judy and the kids got a sweet deal while we were gone... an ice storm! School was cancelled both Thursday and Friday. So the kids got to stay home, and not leave for school. That's a cool deal when we're away... it's nice to know that Grandma and the kids just got to relax all day at the house while we were gone, and Judy didn't have to run from one school to the other to get the kids dropped off/picked up.

When we got home, I saw why... there's a legit layer of sleet/ice on the driveway! Sheesh! I was able to clear off the stairs today. But a lot of the driveway remains a skating rink. Glad they cancelled!

***

We were "dead worms" all weekend. Nice, relaxing weekend. Last night we had a movie night in the basement. We watched Ant-Man and Wasp, which I fell asleep on.

Sleep was the recurrent theme of the weekend. Me and Adrianne needed it! We caught up on it. We got stuff done, then chilled. The kids were happy we were home, but also happy to chill along with us.

It's good to be home. I love being home.

Basketball Jones!

Boyd got his first bucket of the season today!

He's been playing great... just missing 100% of his shots so far (ignore the oxymoron of this sentence.)

Today, it went in!

Nice job, Boyd. I told him, next time — TWO buckets! Then three! Then...

Boyd said, "a win?"

I said, "TEN BUCKETS!"

That’s just gross!

OK, so I bought some weird gifts for Christmas... and really, I only bought like, three gifts for the kids. (Adrianne is the master at Christmas shopping... while I'm the master at making Christmas money, boo-yeah!)

This photo demonstrates how awesome I am at buying Christmas gifts... I bought the kids some stocking stuffers, candy from the local grocery store.

Because Boyd is a boy, I bought him a sucker with a toilet bowl. See photo. I thought he'd like it.

He liked it, but the candy was gross. 

OK, no worries, it's trash.

I also bought Evey some similar candy (but not the toilet candy.) Because she is sweet, I have not heard about this candy again.

I'm sure she felt guilty and sad when she threw it away....

Got to see UV!

BEST EBAY AUCTION EVER!!!

Soon, people of earth... I will share the entire contents of my recent eBay auction...

But for now let me tease u with this tidbit: all the items in the photo (even including the ultra-rare Wings ice scraper) that Evey is modeling...

We're mine for LESS THAN $250!!!

Death of a gingerbread house

This photo is of Boyd Atticus Jones, seemingly proud of his gingerbread house he constructed at school. Note the smile, the excitement.

We're sad to report that the entire gingerbread house... including the recyclables that were inside it, serving as a foundation for the house... were consumed by one Kookie Kokonuts Jones, AKA our dog, while everyone was away from the house.

Furthermore, Koko then got sick and went to the bedroom — mom's side, of course — and lost control of her bowels.

And of course she did all of this while I was on a business trip, BECAUSE.

So nice job on the gingerbread house Boyd. Next year, let's remember: gingerbread houses need to be stored 1) on the roof of the house or 2) in the dumpster.

But nice work!

Pre-game with The Bub

Hard to ever get mad at such a fun love-in' kid!