Madison wanted a blog for her birthday, so I set one up today. We'll see how long it lasts. :)
It's all about Me!: Vacation!: "When we went on vacation I thought we were going to Yosemite. But we were really going to Disneyland! Mommy and Daddy kept a pretty good sec..."
the story of growing up Scroggins
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
The Final Miles-a melody
This was my first attempt to video and upload with my phone. I have no idea why it's sideways, and I'm not smart enough to fix that part just yet. I'm sure I will master it though-I have faith. This was the last few miles of our roadtrip, driving into Bridgeport to pick up our pizza and singing what had become the theme song of the trip...Roadtrips are just the best.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Wind Energy
We've seen a ton of wind farms on this trip-way more than what I remember as a kid. I like it! And I think they are really pretty.
Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.7
Monday, June 28, 2010
Family Vacation
The bat cave was our last official tourist stop on this marathon family roadtrip. I think it was somehow fitting that we ended our adventure at the same place Todd and I started our last adventure. The last time we sat in that amphitheatre we were on the brink of change as we graduated college and began our careers. In fact, I was hoping to sign a teaching contract at the end if that trip, and I plan to sign one again at the end of this one. We've changed a lot since then...yet somehow sitting there....we feel the same. It's been a good vacation; there have been a few trying moments, but overall one for the scrapbooks.
Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.6
Carlsbad Bats
We FINALLY made it to Carlsbad! I thought we would NEVER be out of the uninhabited desert. But we only made it in time to see the bats-not take a cave tour, which is fine. Todd and I have seen the cave before (on our infamous camping trip), and the kids have already seen quite a few caves in their day. The bats were quite amazing, over half a million flew right after sunset. In fact, maybe I'm extra glad we didn't trek down there with all those sleeping bats!
Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.6
Guadalupe Peak-a driveby
Todd is making plans for a future hike, which supposidly can be done all in one day...hmmm, really?
Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.6
Kids, there's Mexico!
I wanted to just drive on over to say we'd been, but Todd opted out of that plan-something about the dangers of the drug cartel. Oh well, safety first! We'll get to Carlsbad one of these days...
Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.6
Crazy Cousin Carolyn
We stopped in Tucson for the night, and visited with our Crazy Carolyn. She had all kinds of goodies for the kids, and we took a late night swim in her neighborhood pool. She sent us on our way with snacks and full dummies...not to mention hugs and kisses.
Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.6
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Sean and Carter
We left Sean and Carter this morning after a fun filled weekend. The kids loved Pepper, their puppy, and of course you can never go wrong with a Wii. Superfun bonding time! Now we are headed to Tucson to stay the night with Crazy Cousin Carolyn...on the back end of vacation.
Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.6
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Cousin Gena!!
We spent the night with Sean and Carter, and my cousin Gena drove down from Santa Barbara for the day. We went to the Griffeth Observatory (where the kids realized Yes Man was filmed), and saw the Hollywood Sign. It was a great day of relaxing and storytelling, and now we are headed to see Toy Story 3 at an official Disney Theater.
Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.6
Friday, June 25, 2010
Last Day!
We have this down to a science now! We met Tinkerbell, pulled fastpasses for Space Mountain, and are quickly seeing our favorite things one last time before hitting the road and heading to Sean and the set of GREEK!!
Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.5
The boys didn't quite make the light show...
Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.5
We tried, but I left Todd and Madison in line at the World of Color, and the boys and I headed back to the hotel to get cozy and warm. They were officially pooped. I have to give myself a pat on the back for this one-I managed to stroll a sleeping Grady out of the park, find the bus route, and load all 3 of us (folding the stroller in the process) onto the bus without Grady making a peep. Then, with Tanner's help, I unloaded us, popped open the stroller, and successfully got us all back to the hotel with only a few peeps from Grady. That's a far cry from the first debut and field trip with the stroller all those years ago with Baby Madison to meet Sona. I'd say I was pretty much an expert at stroller folding and kid carrying these days. The boys were snoring before I even finished tucking them in, and now I'm trying to assemble all our stuff for the "move out" tomorrow. We plan to head to Disney for the morning, run a few more of our favorite rides, and then we are off to see Sean and Carter and hopefully the set of GREEK. I'm guessing we will also go for an early bedtime tomorrow night-we've all earned it.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Haggard
Well, we've officially worn Madison out.She's been battling fever for two days, and this morning woke up with a full blown cold AND pink eye. We called the amazing Dr. Lovette, and she faxed a prescription to the nearest Walgreens. So, we are slightly behind on Todd's Master Plan, but are tackling Disney's California Adventure today. Right now we are standing in a crazy long line to get Fast Passes to The World of Color Show at 10:30-if we last that long.
Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.5
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Crazy Kids
We took a more low keyed approach today, and the kids were able to hang on just a little longer. The balloon animals helped, too. I mean, who doesn't love a balloon animal?
Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.5
It's a Small World....
afterall...and still one of my very favorites.
Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.5
Tired.
All mickied out. I think we might have overdone today just a bit. We left the park with some pretty exhausted, whiney kids. There's some major snoring going on in this hotel room, and it's pretty funny how Grady goes from jabbering to snoring in 2 seconds flat.
2 more days to go....are we gonna make it?
Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.5
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Beach Bums
We spent the afternoon at the beach playing in the sand and surf. The kids had a blast being trampled by the waves full of freezing water....but once Grady's "titanic" was attacked by the gritty sand, the party was over. We managed to have enough fresh water on hand to avoid complete disaster, and once we got back to the car a bottle of baby powder did the rest. All scroggins titanics are still safe from chafe. I could have stayed there all say just listening to the waves and smelling the salt, but that's just me...off to dinner now.
Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.5
Easing into the Adventure
We walked over to Disney today to pick up our tickets, and get our bearings. Grady was still hesitant about the experience, and Tanner was still super overwhelmed, so we decided to ride the train around the whole park to give them a preview. The train ride did the trick, and once the saw all the fun to be had they were quivering with excitement, and planning what to do next. We also picked up some Minnie Ears for Madison, the boys opting out of that fashion statement. We plan on relaxing the afternoon away by putting our toes in the ocean, and finding a nice little shack for a fish dinner.
Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.5
Our View
The kids are loving the pool, and Todd and I are loving the weather. Why is it that every other place to live is so much cooler than Texas-temperature wise of course. Tanner already said his state was the best one ever. We are headed to the beach today, and plan to pick up our Disney tickets later this afternoon. The Disney Experience starts tomorrow.
Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.5
Surprise!!!!
Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.5
We arrived!!! It was sketchy, but we finally did arrive to our Disneyland Destination-after battling traffic ALL AFTERNOON on the road from Las Vegas. Wow, it's hard to believe that there isn't quite enough to do in CALIFORNIA that half of the state needs to leave for Sin City every weekend. So, by the time we finally made it to the hotel, we were all a little tired of so much togetherness. In fact, Madison and Tanner had decided to stop speaking entirely.
BUT!
I was determined to have the exciting ah-ha moment as we drove up to the Disney Entrance. I asked the kids to look around at all the road signs because we needed to stop at Wal-Mart and pick up a few things. They complied, and Madison was the first one to notice "Disney Way." She asked if we were near Disneyland, and Todd and I played dumb-we're getting good at that. :) When the Disney Experience surrounded our car, we finally gave in and admitted our New Plan! Madison was beside herself, but I think she might have had an inkling to what our little surprise was. Tanner was surprised, but quiet. And, Grady. Well, let's just say he was 100% Grady. He completely lost it, and told us he DID NOT want to go to Disneyland. I wasn't quite sure he understood completely what it was, so I said it was Six Flags, but in California-that excited him a little more, and he was more on board after that.
So, not the super exciting unveiling I had built up in my mind, but after it sunk in, and we heard the fireworks from our fancy hotel pool, the excitement started to build...and at one point during our swim Madison even said, "I have the best family ever."
:) warm fuzzies! fun memories!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Las Vegas
Driving by Las Vegas now...thinking we should have planned a quick stop here. I'm sure the kids would have loved the slot machines, and the hotels are pretty awesome!
Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.4
a dam detour
This morning as we drove out of Kingman, Arizona, we noticed a sign for Hoover Dam, and after some quick mileage calculations and a phone call to check for tours, we decided to throw in another dam tour.
It's an amazing sight, no matter how many times you see it. The kids were pretty impressed, too-not only referencing Optimus Prime and Bumblebee and their visit to the Dam, but also the opportunity to "cuss" about every Dam thing. Funny Stuff.
Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.4
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Mishap #2
Todd just returned from having a long conversation with a locksmith. He locked the keys in the car, after being completely anal with them since we left Decatur-even having another set of keys on site to ensure we had a "back up plan" in case we did inadvertently lock ourselves out.
Oops.
We might be a little off budget now.
Oops.
We might be a little off budget now.
the big hole in the ground
We finally made it to the Grand Canyon, and Todd again bathed in its glory. He told us all about his hike last year, and his favorite parts of the trail. I spent most of the time frantic that Grady was going to fall in. They all thought I was crazy-of course, until Madison saw a book titled "Deaths in the Canyon." See?? I'm not so crazy afterall! I had to admit it was beautiful, and the few moments the kids were speechless as the stood in awe were pretty awesome.
Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.4
Injury Meltdown
The kids and I were getting a little restless, so we finally talked Todd into stopping for a Big A Coke...and a slurpee/icee/slushpuppy combo. While Madison and I were browsing the nearby beaded Indian jewelry stand, Grady fell victim to the sliding door-or rather his thumb did. It bruised for just a minute but we think he pulled out of the incident without any permanent damage.
He did ask how long until we got to the hotel though...he wants to relax.
Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.4
on the road again
and headed toward the big hole in the ground. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MADISON!!!!
Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.4
Friday, June 18, 2010
shhhhhhh....
Don't tell Dad! We've almost made it to our first stop-just a few more miles to go before the HOTEL, which apparently will be the most exciting part of today.
Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.4
First Stop
Stopped at a super fancy rest stop for a picnic lunch. The kids ran around on the playground and were careful to stay away from any slithering creatures per the posted warnings.
Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.4
Stage 1 Complete
We just pulled out of Decatur headed on a 12 day roadtrip to California and Disneyland. The kids think we are going to Yosemite, so the surprise is hopefully going to be fantastic! More to come...
Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.4
Best Swimmer Ever!
We finally finished and survived those swimming lessons! Despite his spastic personality, he managed to soar through 4 levels and almost earned the last patch to be a for real super swimmer. No more floaties for this guy!
Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.4
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
MADISON TURNS NINE!
Friday, we headed out to Lake Nocona with a couple of Madison's friends (Shaela and Payton) for a weekend getaway to celebrate MADISON TURNING NINE! This was our third year to do a smallish slumber party, and I'm guessing it's a little tradition we've started. I still can't believe she is nine years old, going into FOURTH GRADE, and moving on from playing with toys to singing along on 106.1. It's just not right. I love listening to the kids when they have their friends in the car-their conversations are so enlightening. This ride proved no different, and I was privy to all kinds of information on Justin Beiber and his "hotness." It was hilarious, especially Madison's take on the entire topic.
Payton: "Justin is soooooooo hot!"
Shaela: "I know! I soooooooooooo think he's hot too!"
Payton: "He's as hot as the sun!"
Shaela: "No, he's as hot as Jupiter!"
Madison: "Actually, if he's as hot as a planet, he should be as hot as Mercury or Venus. Jupiter's actually pretty cold."
I admit, I laughed out loud when I heard this conversation go down. Madison's "just not that into" boys yet--but planet? We know planets. That girl beats to a different drummer, a true free spirit for sure.
Once we got to the lake, the girls quickly dove right in, swimming, playing with Marley, and taking lessons on tubing. They just about wore themselves out on Friday night with a whole day to go! But, we finally drug them into the camper for the night, and they grooved on "having a place for themselves." I'm not sure what they talked about, but they talked and talked and talked...
Saturday, everyone woke up early to start the fun. We feasted on a little watermelon to get the party started, and sadly it did not agree with Payton's tummy. :( But, she was a trooper and hooked onto the tube again and again. I think they spent at least 4 hours spinning around the lake, either behind the jet ski or behind the boat. We did have a little technical difficulty with the boat, but powered through the bump in the road with more swimming, great snacking, and tie-dying!
I was super-pumped at how they turned out!! It was exhausting though, and there was some much needed relaxing to recover. :)
After a fancy hot dog and grilled corn dinner, Todd helped assemble a proper water balloon fight. The boys were really excited to get back at the girls for all injustices. ever. Payton proved to be the best water balloon filler and tie-er! She tried to pass along her skills, and I'm hoping they stuck! We've got reunion here in just a little over a month!
It wouldn't be a birthday party without a cake! Gran made her famous Chocolate Cake per Madison's request, and even though the heat tried to beat it, we all thought it was still delicious! We managed to block the wind long enough for Madison to make a very serious wish, too. She wouldn't share what she wished for, but I could tell it was for something big. Hmmm...
After a round of showers, the girls settled back in the camper for a quiet movie, and to rest their sore bones. They were glad for a little downtime after a day full of fun, and of course-there's always time for more talking and discussing of Justin Beiber's hotness!
Today, the girls woke up still tired, and quickly got started beading some little creatures Shaela had given Madison. They were a big hit, and luckily Madison's cousin Cameron was around to tutor everyone in exactly where and how to bead the little guys-many more take home treasures for all!
All in all a successful birthday weekend, despite our little setbacks. :) I guess there aren't many things that can get in the way of celebrating NINE! And the best part of the celebration was watching the girls and all that talking. I just love watching them have fun and develop hopefully truly wonderful friendships.
Happy Birthday Little Girl! I hope the year of NINE is the best one yet!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)