Luke's First Concert and More Summer

It’s been another fun week. We didn’t pick the girls up, because we had plans to go to Lakeland on Sunday morning. But, I drove up on Saturday and we went to lunch at Chili’s. Then, we went to Target, where we bought cute sort of matching necklaces, they are the same style but have different small pendants: a star for Kara, a ladybug for Anna and an anchor for me. Each had a card with the meaning of the symbol attached and we chose the ones we thought best matched us. We concluded our afternoon with a walk a along a boardwalk in a cute little town.

On Sunday, the boys and I went to Lakeland. We had a nice visit with my dad and then went to the Flying Tigers game. On Sunday home games, they have brunch in the 34 Club. We love going to the 34 Club. The food is set up in an air-conditioned space and has unlimited soft drinks; we love having access to the food, drinks, and air-conditioning. Luke forgot his glove, but still hung out on the berm and managed to get one ball thrown to him.

Shadowy, but at least I remembered a picture this time!

Thomas and I took Monday off (for an extra-long weekend after the Independence Day holiday) and we and the boys went out to lunch at Fazzoli’s and then did some shopping. Anna hadn’t been feeling well at camp. On Monday night, she called and said we had to come pick her up on Tuesday at 8am. So, Thomas took the day off from work and had an even longer weekend. Anna seemed okay, just really run down. It was nice having her home for a few days while she recovered. She rested, went to lunch with Jack, and made bracelets.

 
On Saturday morning, Anna and I went to Animal Kingdom. We got there shortly after the park opened at 8am and rode Dinosaur, Everest and the Safari. Then, we walked along Gorilla Trails, where we had a great view of the gorillas. They were very active and we watched the juveniles annoy their mom. We also walked around the Pandora area and the shops. We had a super fun morning and enjoyed being leisurely. Meanwhile, Thomas picked up Kara. The plan was for them to meet us at the parks. But, it was very hot and we decided to meet for lunch instead. So, we all met up at Tijuana Flats for a late lunch.

Sunday was a big day. Kara practiced driving, then we dropped both girls off at camp. It was really hard for Anna to go back. But, she found out she was going to be in a cabin with her best camp friend, so hopefully, her week goes well. 

That night, we took Luke to his first concert—Big Time Rush (BTR)! BTR is a boy-band that had a really cute show that aired from 2009-2013 on Nickelodeon. It was one of the few shows available on the kids' kindles when they were younger and Kara especially loved it. When they started airing reruns on Netflix, she got Luke into it and he became a huge fan. He has watched every episode multiple times. So, when we heard they were doing a tour that would include every song from every episode, we figured we had to take him. It was in Tampa at the same Amphitheater where Kara went to her first concert (Lana del Rey). 

The opening acts were both on the show and they were good, but it was hot and it started late and Luke didn’t know any of their songs, so he was kind of wishing he had stayed home. He has become less of a fan in the 6-months since we bought the tickets. He still likes them, but doesn’t watch the show anymore, so we had told him we could skip the concert, but he still wanted to go. Anyway, after the long drive, incredibly long line to get it, starting late and watching two opening acts with long breaks between them, let’s just say he wasn’t loving the experience. 

Then, BTR came out and everything changed. The crowd, including Luke, were all on their feet. I would guess there were around 15K in attendance (update: it was a sold out crowd of 20k). The majority were 20-something females, but there were people of every demographic and the energy was fantastic. Everyone danced and sang. It was an amazing show! BTR engaged with the crowd and performed all their songs, with a few fun nods to the tv show. There were only two songs that they didn’t play live, using recordings (and show clips) during two outfit changes, unfortunately, one of them was Thomas’ favorite, called 24/7 (we have seen enough episodes to have favorites).  During one of those breaks, Luke and I went to the restroom. They had been bouncing giant balloons around the amphitheater and Luke was disappointed that none had come our way. But, as we were walking, someone hit one and it went into some bushes right next to us, Luke went in and got it and hit it into the crowd, then the wind took it…right into a nearby palm tree, where it got stuck. It was pretty funny. Anyway, we all LOVED the show. Luke was super chatty for about the first hour of the drive home. It was fun to see the experience through his eyes and I am glad Thomas and I were able to experience it with him.

He was dancing and singing, so no good pictures. But, we have lots of fun videos to remember the night by!

I'm going to try and embed a short video. Someone let me know if this works :)

First week of July

Saturday: We picked up the girls from Elks. I drove so Thomas could enjoy the scenery. We stopped at Steak n Shake for lunch. Jack stayed home and went to cross-country conditioning. Then, he went to a friends house and out on their boat where he tried waterskiing, wakeboarding and something else I can't remember. He had a great time. He is also dog sitting for a neighbor. They are friends of the family, so at some point throughout the weekend, all of us popped in to spend time with the dogs. The girls and I watched the Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and I took them shopping at Burlington after a dinner of Huey Magoo's takeout.

Sunday: We took the girls back to camp. The drive up and back is around 2 hours and 45 minutes, so it takes up a lot of the morning. We stopped at Publix on the way home. Jack did more dog sitting. It was a pretty quiet day. We thought about going to a theme park, but it was a stormy afternoon.

Harley popped over to say hello

Monday: Thomas and I woke up at 420, exercised (separately) and were at work before 6. Luke ran a mile with Jack at 7, then Jack did another 3 miles. We talked to both girls during their break. Kara's counselor has covid, so Kara is on her own for now. Hopefully, the quarantine period is fast. Both girls like their campers. Thomas and I got home around 4. Luke went to a pitching practice. 

Tuesday: After work, Luke, Thomas and I went to Hollywood Studios. We rode Toy Story Mania, Star Tours, and Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway. We also had dinner. Unfortunately, it started to rain so we only stayed a few hours. Meanwhile, Jack filled in on a tutoring session. 

Wednesday: Luke and Jack did a sprint workout. Then, Luke went to a trampoline park with Gael. Jack went to Sam's Club for lunch and then picked up a few things at Aldi. Thomas and I worked and walked to Tropical Smoothie for lunch. I am having an annoying time with one of my coworkers. I am her legal advisor and she doesn't trust my advice. My biggest issue is that she is nice and agreeable when we talk and then she goes behind my back to seek out other opinions; then she sent my supervisor and her supervisor an email asking them to direct me to do something! Fortunately (or obviously :), my advice was correct, but it is frustrating. I don't mind people disagreeing with me or questioning me, I am happy to explain my rationale or reexamine an issue to ensure I haven't missed something. I do mind people who say one thing to my face and then go behind my back. Not cool and not conducive to a good working environment! I will remain professional, but I have no respect for this person.

Speaking of troubles at work... we talked to both girls. Anna has to split her time between two cabins and one of the CITs is terrible. Anna said she won't do anything and this morning, she didn't even bother getting out of bed until after breakfast, leaving Anna to get everyone up and out the door. The girls in that cabin beg Anna to stay with them and it is stressful for Anna (she really likes the girls in both cabins). She said she has spoken to her supervisor, but they are super short-staffed. Meanwhile, two more people quit in Kara's track. Kara has no idea why. It seems like the camp is really well-run, so maybe these are common problems when you hire young teens? 

Thursday: Thomas and I only worked a half day. Luke and Jack went to lunch at Zaxby's. We went to Walmart with Luke to pick out fireworks. Jack did two tutoring sessions and then hung out with his friend, Martin. It is a very rainy day and I am typing this with the sliding door open while  listening to rain and thunder. Anna isn't feeling well, but one of the counselors came off quarantine, so she no longer has to split her time between cabins. Kara's counselor is also off quarantine.

Friday: Independence Day! We went to Leu Gardens, then Target. We watched two movies--The Goonies and Field of Dreams. We had burgers, corn on the cob, chips and watermelon for dinner. Then, we set off the fireworks we'd bought. It was a nice day, even though I missed having the girls at home.

We wanted to see the rose garden in full bloom. These pictures don't do it justice. 

I love the majestic trees lining the old driveway.

That is the end of our week. Thomas exercised every day, alternating between weights and running. The rest of us exercised most days.  I always start my day with Wordle (205 day streak), Connections (13 day streak, 87% win ratio) and the mini crossword. I sometimes try the full crossword, but I always have to cheat on that one, well except Mondays when it is easy. Anna calls everyday and it is always nice talking to her. I asked Jack how often he thought he would call if he goes away to college. Guess his answer??? He doesn't think he will call or text, but he'll send us letters!?!?! That kid is living in the 1800s. Hopefully, his tune will change. I am honestly surprised that our kids don't seem to like us more. Are we not amazing parents???