Where do I start?

Category: Daily Happenings | Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 4:25 am

I guess I can start with Wednesday. Anticipating the kids arrival we were up early and getting last minute things done. When they arrived we hugged and all talked at once except the boys. They were a bit shy because they hadn't seen us for two years and Ben was just seven and Jacob was just three. Now, Ben will be nine in August and Jacob will be five in July. Ben is more outgoing than Jacob but he remembered us some and Jacob didn't. We walked around the yard and stopped at the fence to see Chance. We couldn't let the boys into the yard because Chance jumps on people. Just enthusiastic greeting but too much for little boys. Jacob very much likes dogs and enjoyed putting his hand by the gate so Chance could lick it. Ben is afraid of dogs and didn't want to go close. Jacob would like a dog but Ben doesn't want one so they've been putting off getting one for Jacob. Ben told Jacob he could have a dog if it's just a little one. I think he meant one that would stay little, not a puppy who will grow big. We decided to go to the Sharlott Hall Museum in Prescott. Prescott was the Territorial Capital of Arizona. When Arizona became a state, the capital moved down to the valley. Sharlott Hall Museum was started, of course, by Sharlott Hall who was afraid all the early history would be lost in the new statehood. There's the first governer's mansion and several other houses, a school and the gift shop. Jacob was interested in seeing everything but Ben didn't want to see anything. Andy said he had an attitude because they discovered the hotel had a swimming pool and they wanted to go swimming instead of going to grandma's house. We went to lunch and then drove over to Camp Verde to Montezuma's castle. That's a set of cliff dwellings. They are high up in the rocks. Of course, our camera was at home but Andy had his. I hope he's sending us some of his pictures. We picked up a Golden Passport. It only costs ten dollars and is good for any Federal Park or Monument or Sightseeing place. It gets in 4 adults and children are free with it. It is good for lifetime. It's for seniors and disabled people.
We came home then because it was getting on toward evening and they had promised the boys they would take the swimming before they went to bed.
Thursday, they spent with Wendy's Aunt Mary. They went to the Phoenix zoo and to an amusement place that Mary thought they should visit. They finally got to go swimming in the pool at Mary's Community Pool which is heated. The pool at the hotel was not heated and the boys found it too cold.
On Friday morning we got up and drove down to Phoenix. We had to stop at Maxine's to drop off eggs and cookies. Maxine is my next youngest sister. Wannabe(Rosie) is my next oldest sister. They were getting ready to go to get their hair done. Maxine's daughter is a hairdresser with her own business. We got on the freeway and made our way across the city to the hotel. It is called Wingate Inn. Everyone was up and dressed and the boys were busy playing with things Mary bought them on Thursday and things they got at the amusement place. We found that our camera which we had remembered to take needed new batteries. So Andy and Brian went to the shopping center across the way and bought batteries. We all loaded into their rental van and went to the Science Museum. It's hands-on and kids love it. Adults, too. They reserve one Friday a month just for adults. It was instant noise from the minute we walked inside until we left several hours later. It is a place where school children visit in large groups. They rum pell mell from one exhibit to another trying everything. They do it at the top of their voice. Ben and Jacob joined right in with them. Wendy accompanied Jacob and Andy went with Ben. They tried everything, everything that is, that was on the first floor. There are four floors. But, we had to go to the I-Max and see the movie about the human body which was educational. It was a bit strange to say the least but it was mostly loud and in your face. The boys were not thrilled with it. After we wanted to have lunch but didn't know the area so we got on the freeway and went back to the hotel. We had lunch at a place called, "Islanders" Lots of loud surfing music and noise. Then, we went back to the hotel and we checked ourselves in and put our suitcase, etc in the room. By the way, that's where our camera resided all day. We tried to remember what the address was for ChuckE Cheese's was and finally decided it was on the West side and we were on the East side so it was a forty minute drive and of course since we were supposed to be there at four o'clock it was 4:05 when we got started. We found the place but it was not next door to a new Super WalMart which is what we were told to look out for. It was next to a Super KMart which is just called KMart. Everyone had to get a stamp going in the door. It was an invisible stamp. Going out the door, the girl runs an ultra violet light over the stamp. The children's stamp has to match the parent's stamp or the children can't leave with them.
That place was another wild place with children running pell mell here and there with tokens for all the game machines and there were play rides and what looked like extra large heat ducts that were painted bright colors running all over up near the ceiling. These were accessible at different areas and would around and up and down. There were down slides and port holes and cargo nets and all sorts of traps for the wary kids. But they loved it. It's the first thing Ben and Jacob wanted to do. The kids put tokens in the game machines and play the game and the machine spits out tickets according to the points they won in the game. At the end of the evening they trade the tickets in for prizes or toys. dr called it training ground for casino's. Wendy's mom calls it the "Kiddie Casino's" What ever it's called it's done with extremely loud noise on the part of the children and the machines. The pizza is mediocre and mostly cold. As we had just had lunch we refrained from eating and just had sodas. Our camera of course was still residing in the hotel room. At o'dark thirty we went back to the motel. Oh, all the niece's and nephews and an odd assortment of kids were there and a lot of other people, too. Back at the hotel Andy and I played Scrabble. Ben was fascinated. He thought he could do that and wanted to be included in the next round. I got beat 365 to 257. Off to bed we went. My knee was hurting pretty bad because I had been on it all day and half the night. Took extra pain medication. So, that brings us to today. More on that tomorrow. It's been a very tiring day. Dooley

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katsback wrote on Sun Apr 15, 2007 4:34 am:

Sounds like your having a great time with the kids! I know its tiring too,rest up for tomorrow,lol..have fun!

glendann wrote on Sun Apr 15, 2007 4:51 am:

The noise would have got me and it sounds like it did you.It would have been enjoyable to me as I am interested in History of any kind.I'm sure you enjoyed your time with your kids a grandkids.Its always good to get back home.Glad your back safe I hope your knee is ok.