The Young and the Restless

Knights Castle

We just got back from an amazing Thanksgiving with my family in Indiana and I've got major picture overload, so bear with me. First of all I wanted to post pics from our little over-nighter in Tucson before we left....
Jason was down in Tucson the week before Thanksgiving and since the kids had school off on that Monday, we decided to tag along. We stopped for dinner at the Cracker Barrell on the way down. It's been FOREVER since I've been there and I thought that the kids would like it there. They liked the rocking chairs on the porch and unfortunately loved the cute little country Christmas store where everything was labled "Fragile, do not touch". Jayden has a new little game where he takes off running to see if I will chase him. If I ignore him he keeps running until I come after him. If I chase him then he just runs faster. I've learned to make him hold my hand in parking lots because I never know when he's going to take off, it scares me to death, but that's another story. So we're sitting there eating dinner and Jayden all of the sudden jumps up and heads over to the store. I give him the look. I hold up my fingers and start the count down to time out. Nothing works. In slow motion he inches closer to the oversized porcelain snowman. It was enough to make me jump out of my seat, with my oven-fresh home made buttermilk biscuit in hand, and chase after him. We caused quite the scene as I chased him through all of the displays with everyone looking at me like I couldn't control my child (which there may be some truth to that at times). Fortunately, I was able to catch him before there was a major catastrophe.

The kids were so excited to stay at the hotel, or as Jayden calls it, the "knight's castle". It started as a game to keep them entertained when we stayed at the hotel last year while Jason was taking his test. Everytime we stay in a hotel we pretend like it's a castle and we go exploring for dragons and princesses. I know it sounds way cheesy, but the kids love it and I always get a kick out of watching them scream and run when they hear a fan or A/C unit kick on and think it's a dragon (not to mention that it's better than having them cooped up for hours watching tv in the 10x10 hotel room). They had fun playing, but I was a little nervous as Jayden ran ahead at one point and climbed in an elevator and the doors closed before I could get on. Panic mode hit as I didn't know what floor he would get off at and I worried that some stranger would get on with him. Kylie and I took off down the stairs and fortunately made it to the next floor just as he was getting off the elevator. He looked so funny because he was in this crouched position looking around nervously, but broke into a huge smile when he saw me. Little stinker. The castle game then ended as he started playing in an ash tray like a sand box.

We spent Monday at the zoo down there that we absolutely love. The animals are really up-close and active, it's great. The kids were happy, cute and well behaved, it was a really fun trip.

(do you think the look on Jayden's face has anything to do with the fanny that's right in his face?)