We flew in on Wednesday evening; Tia was there to pick us up in her pretty new CRV and was happy to see us. We loaded the car in record speed and were out of the pick up lane in just a few minutes. It wasn’t until we were a good 15 minutes away that I realized we’d left the Pack-N-Play at the airport, whoops, sorry Tia! Clare was a trooper, she did exceptionally well on the plane, she had her own seat, and didn’t fuss at all. I was armed with new toys, snacks, Bunny, an iPad full of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and more snacks.
Our final destination was Sarah’s house, everyone was tucked in their beds, but they kindly left the door unlocked for us. Only 4 trips from the car to the door and we were ‘home’. Jeff set up the PNP while I got Clare ready for bed, she was out in no time, it was late! After searching the basement for the aerobed and scrounging the kitchen for some dinner we headed to bed, we knew Maggie and Jack would be up early to play.
I knew Maggie and Jack would be up early, which of course meant I couldn’t sleep. It turned out to be a good thing as Clare started throwing up at about 5:00am; her poor tummy must have been so upset. I am forever grateful for my sister’s washing machine, nothing like starting a load of sheets at 5:00am. Clare finally fell back asleep with Jeff on his air mattress and I ‘slept’ some until I heard everyone in the living room, the fun was about to begin.
Thursday was an extra special day, Maggie was off of school, Sarah ended up not having to work, Jack stayed home and Grammy came up (she was there to stay with Maggie, but Sarah ended up having the day off at the last minute), it was a regular party!! Clare woke up and immediately started playing with her cousins; she didn’t even want breakfast.
Maggie and Jack were happy to share their toys and show Clare all the neat stuff. Clare was especially interested in Jack’s Lego’s and Maggie’s American Girl Dolls. Jack seemed interested by Clare’s LeapTop computer, Maggie was quick to get dressed just like her Maggie doll, they have the same outfit! Mom, Sarah and I just enjoyed chatting and watching the kids; it was a wonderful morning.
After playing for an hour or two Clare was clearly still tired, she found a spot on the dining room floor and laid down for a nap, poor girl was worn out! I moved her into the room where Jeff was still sleeping, it wasn’t long after she fell asleep that she woke up and threw up all over the bed, so much for feeling better. Another load of wash was started while everyone else ventured out to the park at HB. I took the quiet moment to take a shower and clean up a bit, it’s amazing the mess three kids can make in such a short amount of time. Before long everyone was back with Chick-Fil-A for lunch. After lunch was more playing and a trip to the mall for Mom, Tia and myself, we girls love to shop! When we got home Clare had just gotten up from her nap and was eating a few nuggets, she wasn’t much interested in lunch, she wanted to play!!
Later in the afternoon Maggie and Jack wanted to play outside, and Clare always wants to be outside so out we went. Jeff was happy to pitch the ball to anyone that wanted a chance at bat; Maggie is quite the hitter!! Jack also did a great job, he’s working on his timing, it’s hard to watch the ball and swing at the right time. Clare was good about cheering everyone on and staying out of the way. I suggested to Sarah that maybe we could walk to the bread store, the moment that was said the bat was dropped and we were on our way, they never turn up the opportunity for a cookie! I can’t imagine having a delicious bakery within walking distance; I’d have a hard time not walking for a cookie everyday!
Maggie and Jack have their very own swing set in their backyard, how cool is that!!!
Clare was a tired little girl after her cookie.
Clare enjoyed her cookie, as did Maggie and Jack. It was nice to get out of the house and go for a walk, even if it was cool and drizzly. Of course, when we got back Maggie and Jack wanted a little more batting practice, Jeff was happy to pitch, good thing since both Sarah and I aren’t all that great when it comes to pitching. Maggie then had the idea to rider her bike to the park at HB, Jack didn’t want to go so Sarah and Maggie set off while Jack and I patrolled the front, making sure that anyone walking by the house knew this was his Bat Cave and nobody was getting thru him! Paul was able to break thru and enter, but only because he was in a car bigger than Jack’s big wheel. At this point Clare was on her second nap, she was clearly exhausted from traveling.
Aunt Sarah taught Clare how to use the microwave, she was fascinated by it being on her level.
Dinner was Thai for the adults and Mac-n-Cheese for the kids, buttered noodles for Maggie actually. Clare loved being part of the big kids, she loved sitting at the little table and chairs, something she’d never done before, and now we know why. I’d been thinking maybe I’d get rid of the high chair and set up a small table and chairs for her, this test run indicated to me that we need to wait on this idea, she had more fun climbing in and out of the chair than eating. After dinner was bedtime for the kids, the adults weren’t far behind.
Tia, Peter and Gracie joined us for dinner on Thursday evening; it was nice to see them. Gracie was happy to talk field hockey and Tia enjoyed batting clean up on the Mac-n-cheese, Peter had to leave early in order to get his workout in, something we probably could have all benefited from, maybe he exercised for me a little. After dinner I went with Tia back to her house, she was graciously going to let us use her car on Friday since everyone had to work and walking to the Rapid wasn’t really an option. Going to Tia’s house is always fun, she always has good catalogs and mail to read and something interesting to look at, this trip was no different. Gracie was busy preparing for a field hockey dinner she was hosting on Friday, her cupcakes looked delicious! Margaret also came home from class while I was there, seeing her was nice, I haven’t seen her since Mary’s wedding two years ago!
Friday everyone had to go back to school and work, so we three Sweet’s were on our own. We slept in late; Clare slept till 8:45, and played with all of Maggie and Jack’s toys since it was rainy and cold. I had the idea of visiting the Children’s museum, but someone fell asleep in the car on the way to Giant Eagle so we headed back home for a nap. Jeff and I watched daytime TV while Clare napped, I finally announced at 1:30 that I was going to go crazy if we didn’t do something, so off to Yours Truly for lunch we went. Clare loved the train table; she had fun pushing the trains over the bridge while she waited for her lunch. After lunch we headed over to Play Matters to see if maybe they had some clothes for Bitty Baby or any other toys we couldn’t live without, only a finger puppet cow came home with us, although she was very upset to leave the grocery cart there.
Why don't more restaurants have train tables for kids to play while waiting for their food or their parents eat?
I bet you can guess what happened when we got back home, yup, Clare took a nap. So, more cleaning up, iPad playing and daytime TV watching went on, thankfully it wasn’t long before Maggie and Jack came home from school. Clare woke up to play; she didn’t want to miss a minute with her cousins.
Dinner was laid back, soup for Jack and noodles for Maggie and Clare. We adults had the best dinner, a lamb burger, steak tenderloins and lobster Mac-n-cheese from some hip place over by Case; it was awesome! Per usual, we all stayed up chatting long past bedtime, it was wonderful. Paul and Sarah finally announced they were going to bed, only for Sarah to remember the Estrada that needed to be made for tomorrow when she had a house full of friends coming! After she whipped up a quick dish for her Saturday guests she was off to bed while Jeff and I stayed up and watched some TV, going to bed at 8:00 Denver time is just too early for us.
Maggie and Jack had fun showing Clare all about the tunnel, Jack was more than happy to crawl thru trying to get Clare to follow him.
Saturday was Jeff’s main focus on the trip; he and I were headed to the Buckeye football game. Jeff doesn’t mind visiting Ohio; he just likes to ‘do’ something while we’re there. So, while I made Pumpkin Blondie’s with Maggie and Jack he ventured out with Paul to pick up a rental car.
Clare was going to spend the day with Sarah, Maggie and Jack had skating lessons and a birthday party, so Clare was going to hang with Sarah and play with Finn, Charlie, Charlie’s little brother, Julia, and Elizabeth and their parents (I told you she had a house full of people coming to visit) while Jeff and I cheered on the Bucks. Clare went down for a morning nap and we left while we could, I knew she would be fine and wasn’t worried at all. My parents were headed up to Cleveland to pick up Clare and bring her to Columbus where we would all meet for dinner after the game and stay at the same hotel. Clare was a champ, she woke up and happily ate Estrada and played with everyone, she didn’t miss us at all. Grammy and Grampy arrived to a house full of people and eventually left with Clare just in time for her to take another nap, she slept the entire way to Columbus!!
The Buckeyes didn’t play very well, and it was rainy and cold, but we still had fun. We made it to Columbus in time for some lunch at the Rusty Bucket and a quick stop at the Buckeye Corner for some rain ponchos before parking on West Campus and catching a bus to the Shoe.
Maggie had a carrier for her Maggie, Clare was in awe.
Thank goodness for the iPhone, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse was a hit and kept those under 7 happy while we grown folk talked and finished eating.
Clare kept climbing up onto Grandma's footrest and putting her head down for a nap, she was tired!
Maybe my new favorite picture.
The pool in the background is where it all started 15 years ago, I spent more hours watching that pool than I can imagine, little did I know it was just the beginning.
Going to a Buckeye game at the Shoe is a real experience, if you’ve never been and have the opportunity I highly recommend it, it’s unlike any sporting event I’ve been to. The moment we hit campus you could feel the energy in the air, everywhere you look people are wearing scarlet and grey, the fight song is playing thru someone’s car stereo, tailgates are aplenty, no matter the weather people are out enjoying what is Ohio State Football. We made our way to the Shoe and entered what we thought was a gate close to our seats, it turned out we were on the opposite side of the stadium, so we walked all the way around the stadium to our seats. When we finally reached our seats, B deck, section 26 row 6 seats 29 and 28, we were pleasantly surprised that they were both covered and we didn’t have seat mates, we liked to stretch out. We got settled in our seats just in time to watch TBDBITL (The Best Damn Band in the Land) take the field. The band alone is an experience, it’s the largest all brass band in the country, they really are TBDBITL. After script Ohio and Carmen Ohio the Buckeyes took the field, this was the only time they ‘took’ the field. Despite their not playing well we enjoyed the game. Jeff enjoyed watching the game while I did more people watching than football watching, we both enjoyed Coke’s in our new plastic cups and stayed nice and dry while everyone else got rained on. We ended up leaving early, the Bucks weren’t playing very well and we wanted to beat the rush back to west campus. On our way out of the stadium we heard the Bucks score another touch down, oh well. Our record at OSU games is 0-2.
The bus ride back to the car was quick; we beat the rush thankfully. When we reached the car I got a text from Mom saying that they had just arrived at the hotel and were ready for dinner when we got there, perfect timing! Clare had slept all but a few minutes of the trip; she’s such a good little girl. I had anticipated Clare being excited to see us; after all she’d spent the day with everyone else. When we walked in the hotel lobby she was happily playing with Grampy and hardly said hi before going back to playing. Oh well, I’m glad she didn’t miss us. We did a quick diaper change and headed off to the Red Lobster for some dinner.
Sunday Clare and I got up early and met Grammy and Grampy in the hotel lobby for some breakfast with what seemed like everyone else in the hotel. Clare enjoyed some yogurt and a chocolate muffin while I had some fruit. Clare then headed off to their room for some cartoons while I took a shower and got ready for our day. Grampy then took his shower while we ladies went shopping; it’s what we do best. Clare loves a visit to Target and never passes up a trip. Grammy and I had fun shopping and chatting; we picked up a few things and then headed to Starbucks for some coffee.
By the time we got back to the hotel it was time to pack up and head to Grandma’s for lunch. Sarah, Maggie, Jack and Tia came down from Cleveland to meet us for lunch at Grandma’s place. Grandma was happy to see everyone and enjoyed watching the kids play. After visiting in the lobby we made our way to the dining room where we made quite the entrance, it’s hard to take 7 adults and 3 kids anywhere and just slip in the back. We found our table and made ourselves at home, Maggie and Jack could hardly wait to get to the buffet!
Grammy brought a sewing project for Maggie, everyone was interested in what Grammy was doing.
Maggie had a carrier for her Maggie, Clare was in awe.
Thank goodness for the iPhone, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse was a hit and kept those under 7 happy while we grown folk talked and finished eating.
Once we were full of French toast sticks, fruit and dessert we headed up to Grandma’s apartment. Grammy was prepared with some Halloween decorations for Maggie and Jack to put up, Halloween tattoos and glow wands for everyone. Maggie read a bit for Grandma and Jack showed us all how to use Clare’s LeapTop. Clare enjoyed running around and checking everything out, she loved looking at all the pictures and pointing out Mama and Dada in the ones she saw.
Clare had fun wearing Maggie's shoes.
Jack showing off his new tattoos.
Maggie put a tattoo on her foot, but it came off after she put her sock on.
Clare kept climbing up onto Grandma's footrest and putting her head down for a nap, she was tired!
Maggie and Jack also brought their bikes with them, we all headed outside to watch them ride around the walking path in front of Grandma’s building. Before they got too busy we took a few pictures, of course none of them have everyone looking at the camera. As you can see Clare was pretty tired and in need of a nap, so we headed out for a car nap and some shopping while others played and said their goodbyes.
We spent the afternoon letting Clare nap in the car while I went into the best Buckeye shop on campus where I loaded up on gear for the next year. Jeff stayed in the car and then went in after I came back, he only came out with a hat, I guess he thinks he has enough scarlet and grey, hmph.
Clare woke up form her nap and we decided to hit the park. One drawback to being in a town you don’t live in is that you don’t know where everything is, the nearest park I knew of was back in UA, and so Northam Park it was. It was a beautiful fall afternoon, perfect for playing outside. The park was busy with peewee football and kids playing, Clare did a good job of watching the other kids and waiting her turn for the swing.
This frog has been at this park for at least 15 years, maybe longer.
Maybe my new favorite picture.
The pool in the background is where it all started 15 years ago, I spent more hours watching that pool than I can imagine, little did I know it was just the beginning.
After the park we drove over to Easton for dinner before heading to the hotel for the night. Our flight home was at 6am, so we decided to stay close to the airport, this way we were also able to return the rental car the night before. We learned on this trip that Clare HATES the PNP, she screamed bloody murder the moment we put her in there. She did eventually fall asleep on the bed with Jeff while I took the car back.
The flight home was uneventful as well; again we had a free seat for Clare, which was perfect for her napping. We finally arrived in Denver at 7:30am, got our luggage, waited for the shuttle, gathered the dog and headed for home. When we got home we had to turn around and go out to breakfast, someone had scheduled a showing at 9am. After breakfast both Clare and Jeff took naps, I started laundry and cleaned, it was rather nice.
All in all it was a long week, but filled with lots of fun and memories. I like going back to Ohio, it’s home and always will be. I miss being with my family and love the days when we can be together; Thursday was an extra treat. The game was fun even if they didn’t win. Seeing Grandma was nice, I wish we were able to visit more than once a year. Clare had a blast with her cousins; I can’t wait to see them all together at Thanksgiving. Jeff survived another trip to Ohio; we even saw the sun!
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