Legoland, take 2

Yesterday we went to Legoland in Carlsbad.
It was open. Stuntman didn't need to take a security guard hostage so we could enjoy the park.
The weather was perfect. It was warm enough so the girls could enjoy Pirate Shores, the little water park inside Legoland. E1 was soaked, but Stuntman bought a towel and she dried... eventually.
E3 is 34 inches tall and was able to ride several rides! He wasn't completely left out of the fun. His favorite was the safari ride. A little car that drives past Lego animals. We went on it 3 times in a row.
I have no idea how Legoland sustains itself. It was empty... the longest line was 5 minutes long, and many rides had no line at all. Sooooo much more enjoyable than crowded Disneyland. Disneyland is always crowded. I've been there weekdays, weekends, summer, winter, you name it... and it is always more crowded than the busiest that I have seen it at Legoland. Legoland isn't for everyone. I can see how it would be boring for kids over 12. Our kids love it. Some of the rides require you to move, so if you're lazy, it's not the park for you either. E1 really liked the Sky Cruiser. You need to pedal the car to move you along the roller coaster-type track. It was a lot of fun, but a workout too. I didn't feel so guilty eating that giant ice cream cone after that. Or after pumping the lever to race the fire truck down the track, and pumping the lever to squirt water to put out the "fire' at the Fun Town Fire Academy.

One odd thing that I noticed, is the different people that I saw at Legoland vs Disneyland. At Disneyland I felt very thin. There were so many large, obese families there. Not just a few. I've noticed that before, and I feel so insensitive even mentioning it. I'm not exactly the picture of fitness myself, but I saw way too many people that were just plain huge. Mom, dad, and all the kids too. When I see a small child that is so fat that he/she can barely walk, it saddens me. How do they gain so much in such a short time on this earth? I'm sure some are because of medical reasons, but not all!
At Legoland, I didn't see one obese family, not one. Odd.

We're the Griswolds

We headed to Legoland today. It's a great place for kids the age of ours, and it rarely has lines during the week.
After a couple hours of "are we there yet?", we finally arrive in Carlsbad. We followed the signs to Legoland... then noticed that the road was closed. Uh Ohhhh... I had checked the website on Sunday... we originally planned to go yesterday... crap... it's closed. Called the park and found out that for a few weeks it is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Man, am I an idiot.
So we drove back up the 5 and went to Disney's California Adventure instead.
The day turned out great. We all had a good time. E1 and E2 had each grown a few inches since our visit last fall and passed the height requirement for additional rides. Everyone was happy.
Note to self: ALWAYS check park hours BEFORE leaving the house.

We were hungry

Stuntman has been home for 1 week and tonight was the first time I cooked him a proper dinner.
We've been sick and not in the mood to cook or eat.
I've really missed cooking for him. I like to cook (and eat), and cooking for the kids just isn't the same. I swear the girls live on air, and most of E3's food ends up on the floor or in the dogs tummy.
I grilled steak and potatoes and had a green salad. Nothing fancy, but it was delicious. I grilled a couple extra steaks and I'll use those for fajitas tomorrow.

E1 and I spent a few hours this afternoon selling Girl Scout cookies outside of a grocery store. I'm rid of over half of the cookies I had in the storeroom. Hopefully we'll sell the remaining ones next weekend. My van was seriously loaded down when I picked up the cookies last weekend... just minutes after Stuntman arrived home actually. Somehow the timing was perfect.

It is crazy windy here right now... has been all day. It wasn't windy at the grocery store, and it's not windy at the end of the block, but here, it's I-think-the-house-is-going-to-lift-off-of-the-foundation windy.

So far, the kids R&R to-do list:
Disneyland
snow
Legoland
beach

Wednesday...

It's Wednesday... I think... the last few days are a blur.
This bug we had was worse than we thought it was going to be.
Monday night, we were in urgent care for E2 and E3. They couldn't even drink water without vomiting it right back up. E3 puked in the waiting room.. on me... missed the bowl we brought with.
They've both improved greatly, but both are very tired. E2 slept all day yesterday and all night. E3 is quietly playing on the living room floor. Not the usual running around the house with limitless energy.
Last night I slept in my bed, without my blankets, because E1 had puked all over them, and her sister last night. It was the first time I slept in my bed since Saturday night.
Stuntman is currently sleeping. He went from the war to the stomach flu... not a good trade.

On other news...
Stuntman was very impressed and touched by the welcome he and the other soldiers received at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport when they arrived. He said it was amazing. Thanks DFW! The USO Girls are at DFW, check out their blog if you haven't before. Thanks Jamie, Lindsay and, Caroline!

Emma has turned out to be a great little dog. She does bark at Stuntman now and then, but snuggles with him on the sofa... she can't make up her mind. She is amazing with the kids... VERY tolerant and no food aggression whatsoever. She gets along great with our dogs and the neighbor's dog. She can weasel her little body out of the yard, but stays in the front yard. We need to work on the escaping.
Still not quite sure what mix of breeds she is. The vet said she was a "cute composite". Maybe pit bull, corgi, dachshund?

Hopefully, we can begin the kids R&R to-do list tomorrow. They want to go to Disneyland, Legoland, the beach, and the snow while Daddy is home.

sleep-deprived

I barely slept at all last night...
and not because of the usual reasons...
I wasn't up all night worried about Stuntman's safety, wondering if he's OK, wondering if I'll have another phone call, or worse.

I was up all night with anticipation. Just like a kid on Christmas Eve.

Stuntman is on his way home.

beer, beef and bras

Checklist for Stuntman’s R&R

Beer. check. (a few good ones are in the fridge, but they didn’t have his favorite at Whole Foods like usual, so I may need to visit BevMo)

Beef. check. Natural-grown rib-eye steaks are in the freezer and the grill is ready.

Bras. check. Visited the lingerie store for a new every-day bra for me and picked up a little something nice for the “honeymoon”.


I told Stuntman that I was making sure that I had all of his favorite snacks in the house while he was here. He asked me to forget a few things so that he would have to make a trip or two to the store. He misses just being able to run to the store for a twinkie or whatever if he wants it. He misses the freedom to come and go as he pleases and the vast selection of things to do and buy. He’s described it as “prison, but without the cable TV”.

*update*
to answer Buck's question.
Stuntman's favorite is Reutberger Export Helle
but there are a few Blue Moon and a few Pyramid Hefe Weizen in the fridge