We got to join Jim on another one of his trainings for a good 3+ weeks in Pensacola. I was very excited about it, but also nervous - thinking about having the boys by myself every day in a hotel room, trying to take them to the beach and the pool, etc. But it. was. AWESOME!
We seemed to get into a good little routine. Mason loved eating breakfast in the lobby each morning. All of their food was so crappy (fruit loops, high sugar yogurt, waffles with syrup, white bagels, danishes, etc) that I finally got smart a week or so into it and told him he could pick either fruit loops or a waffle each day, and then I brought Greek yogurt and wheat bagels down from our room and sometimes even scrambled eggs. Then we would either go down to the beach for the morning, or go visit my friend Amber (from grad school) who lives there and has two little girls. The boys would take a pretty solid nap in the middle of the day (and I would too! I was exhausted by then!) and then it would be about time for Jim to come home! We would try to do fun things together in the evening as a family, tried out a few tasty restaurants (but even cooked a few healthy meals in our lodge!) and then we would start all over again the next day. It was really nice! AND VERY HOT!!
We had a midnight flight out, so we had the whole day to kill before heading to the airport. Jackson worked on some "Hoot Hoot"
Then both boys snuggled in for a quick 4 hour sleep from WA to TX.
Bummer for a layover that woke - and kept everyone up.
Bummer for a layover that woke - and kept everyone up.
The boys suitcase didn't make it to FL with us, so while I waited in line for about an hour to track it down, they got to play in this demo Blue Angels plane. Thank goodness for that! Clearly they loved it.
Daddy had already scoped out the goods, so we dove straight in to a ChicFilA picnic dinner our first night. So much awesome!
We made Mason a fun little tent for his bunk bed - Covered with blankets all around it.
Occasionally with a little iPad viewing. :)
Occasionally with a little iPad viewing. :)
Can't remember the last time THIS happened!
No nap for Mason meant a sleep on my shoulder through most of dinner!
No nap for Mason meant a sleep on my shoulder through most of dinner!
Me trying to prove to Mason that he wasn't going to win anything out of the claw machine, prepping him for disappointment and telling him he was ONLY going to get one try, NO MORE coins. And... he won a bear! He was SOOO excited! He kept asking me, "Mom, why did you think I wasn't going to get anything?"
The view from our Lodge balcony, and the great park right below!
We were also walking distance to the Museum of Naval Flight, which is QUITE amazing...
and AIR CONDITIONED! and FREE!
We went many times. The first was too overwhelming for me to get any pictures.
and AIR CONDITIONED! and FREE!
We went many times. The first was too overwhelming for me to get any pictures.
Here is trip #2.
I believe we've discussed Mason's fascination with "blowing cigarettes"?
That was his FAVORITE part of the flight museum... seeing the display near the movie theater demo of candy and cigarettes!
That was his FAVORITE part of the flight museum... seeing the display near the movie theater demo of candy and cigarettes!
Mommy's favorite: M&M cookie ice cream sandwiches!
Clearly the boys enjoyed too... look at Jackson, ha!
Mason said, "When I'm a Daddy, I'm going to buy these for my kids!" Sweetness!
Mason said, "When I'm a Daddy, I'm going to buy these for my kids!" Sweetness!
For the first weekend, we packed up and headed 6 hours east to Pappy Z's house!
With a longer-than-expected detour for some delicious Sonic.
With a longer-than-expected detour for some delicious Sonic.
They have an awesome pool, so that's where we spent the majority of our weekend!
Both boys really started getting comfortable in the water!
Mason was AWESOME with those arm floaties (which we were initially so against!)!. He would jump in all by himself, dip under water for a second, and swim ALL OVER the pool!
Mason was AWESOME with those arm floaties (which we were initially so against!)!. He would jump in all by himself, dip under water for a second, and swim ALL OVER the pool!
Even Jack Jack had lots of fun!
We got to go out for a delicious Father's Day brunch with Pappy Z
Then it was time to head back. I sat in the back to help keep Jackson entertained and fed...
none of us were really having as much fun as this picture looks!
none of us were really having as much fun as this picture looks!
Back in Pensacola, it was time to cool off!
There's an awesome splash park that is ONLY for people who live in the neighborhood (we got kicked out, hmph!) and a favorite find: Dave's Sno Balls!
There's an awesome splash park that is ONLY for people who live in the neighborhood (we got kicked out, hmph!) and a favorite find: Dave's Sno Balls!
Getting their faces wet in Amber's neighborhood pool
Breakfast in the lobby... Jackson is INSISTENT on feeding himself! MESSY!!
Mason loved the simulator ride at the Flight Museum.
And we discovered Jackson LOVED scooping sand into the bucket
Then we got thrown off for a few days because I woke up with a horrible eye infection. We found an optometrist, and the boys watched Sesame Street during my appointment.
And some shenanigans went down at ChickFilA while we were waiting for my prescription to be filled.
The next day we were back at the optometrist because Mason had developed the eye gunk.
We had Jackson checked out too, but he was clear (so far). She wrote different Rxs for each of them, so we had one for Jackson just in case he developed it over the weekend.
Another trip to the flight museum!
One day there was thunder, so we weren't allowed to go in the water, but still had fun playing in the sand. But then the sky opened up!
Dinner and swimming at Amber and Collin's.
I just loved seeing these two big boys sitting at the kids table together!
Dinner and swimming at Amber and Collin's.
I just loved seeing these two big boys sitting at the kids table together!
Did I mention we LOVED Dave's Sno-Balls?!
(I even bought a shirt!)
(I even bought a shirt!)
Spidey Sno Cone - Strawberry with chocolate on top - MESSY!
One day we drove to Destin to visit Jim's cousin/extended family (the Gibson crew) who was staying at a beach house there. I had some sweet boys holding hands in the car! First we met a friend of mine from high school/college, Shelby, and her family who were finishing up their trip to Disney and road-tripping back home. We started with Starbucks, and the boys LOVED their strawberries and cream frappucino. Jackson hardly ever took the straw out of his mouth!
Then there was some good play time outside of a shopping area
Then we met the Gibson's for more swimming and beach time!
It was REALLY windy at their beach and the waves were STRONG!
Here is a good picture that someone took that pretty much summed up my experience.
(we did much better up at the pool!)
Here is a good picture that someone took that pretty much summed up my experience.
(we did much better up at the pool!)
Back in Pensacola, there was this cute little alley of food trucks. All of the food looked so good it was hard to choose, but we had some awesome grilled cheese sandwiches, and the boys got to dance around and play on stage :)
And then it was my BIRTHDAY! And the Daigneaults and Lockard's got to Pensacola!
Jackson was ready to go to the beach... "beet! beet! beet!"
And despite sun screen for me the day prior, I was burned pretty bad, so 34-year old Brittanie had to get all covered up for another day in the sun. :o
Jackson was ready to go to the beach... "beet! beet! beet!"
And despite sun screen for me the day prior, I was burned pretty bad, so 34-year old Brittanie had to get all covered up for another day in the sun. :o
The Daigneault crew with a Lockard photobomb! Ha!
It was a really fun beach day with great weather.
The blue angels did an amazing 30 minute show right over our heads!
The blue angels did an amazing 30 minute show right over our heads!
Delightful birthday dinner that night, where the birthday girls (Melissa too) got apple watches!
I would really like to have a Carolina at my house to take care of my boys <3
I would really like to have a Carolina at my house to take care of my boys <3
Carolina's birthday was the day prior. We had gotten her a cake and sparklers to celebrate, but they arrived too late for us to meet up with them. So we celebrated together on my birthday.
Since she turned 7, we put 7 candles on the cake, but in a cluster of "3" and a cluster of "4" to signify 34 for me!
Then it was time to head to Disney! That will have to be a separate post of course.
But here we are, all packed up and ready to go... I was just enjoying a minute of silence outside :)
Can you see both boys in the reflection?
But here we are, all packed up and ready to go... I was just enjoying a minute of silence outside :)
Can you see both boys in the reflection?
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Mason had just said to me, "I don't need rest energy!" the collapsed.
This time with a souvenir :)
We had a long delay in Houston and got into Seattle at 2:30 am.
Mason fell on the airport carpet and scratched his nose. He was crying that he needed a band-aid and another dad gave him one out of his pocket :)
It was a fun, exhausting, action packed trip!
I'd give you Carolina Grace, but I think we would miss her too much. However, when you have a Sadie Mae (not giving up), you will have a Mason and a Jackson who will be awesome help! :)
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