I Got the Sweetest Hangover…

 

…I don’t wanna get over! HA! HA! You all know that I have often referred to my “fun hangovers” that happen after special events, like Derby, milestone birthdays, weddings, reunions and those other fun things!

This time, my sweet (fun) hangover comes after a weekend full of Gabriel & Adrian, my loves from Pittsburgh! Those boys are my heart and watching them interact with my Katie & Anthony, AND their great-grandparents and great Uncles and great Aunt…WOW!

I got a quick visit with them on Friday night as they have a rule to go straight to their accommodations on travel days. I could not believe how much they had changed since my last visit in mid-January. My family had not seen them since Thanksgiving so I was anxious to have them arrive at the house on Saturday morning…early!

Just as planned and expected, they arrived after their early breakfast and I promptly showed them where I had setup the new toys…Under the dining room table, kind of like a fort, so they could play without anyone bothering them. Adrian was still trying to take it all in, but Gabriel was quickly involved in his make-believe playtime with the zoo, the farm, and the other Playmobil toys I had snatched up from eBay.

Soon, it was time for a second breakfast of Frosted Flakes and a chat about the birthday party we would be having for Uncle Steve later that day. Once they finished their mid-morning snack, both of the boys went under the table to play.

It wasn’t long before Gabriel remembered the Chevy Truck (battery operated!) that was parallel parked in the garage. He was anxious to get out of the house and drive that car!!! We had held him off long enough so out we went. It was quite cold, but he bundled up and took off.

That kid was great about the safety rules. He stopped at the end of the driveway, looked both ways and said, “no cars coming.” Then he waited for one of us to tell him he could go into the street. Fortunately, we are on a short, dead-end road, so it was easy to manage.

We set a turnaround spot at the end of the street, where the yellow line was for the stop sign. He abruptly stopped when he got to that yellow line. Put the car in reverse and turned around to head in the other direction. If we would not have set a timer, we would still be out there. I logged a few steps on my Fitbit that day too.

Adrian was napping and playing inside, not realizing what he was missing. In between the playing and napping and truck driving, lunch and snacks were served….there was even chocolate milk!! These are all treats that Mom and Dad don’t have around the house for obvious reasons, but at CeCe’s house, treats are always a sweet smile away!

Then we did the pizza and birthday party for Uncle Steve. Party hats donned the table and what kid does not love pizza? Shortly after that, Katie, Anthony & Adrian went to the hotel and the Gabriel overnight with CeCe was on!

A fun-filled game of Hi Ho Cherry-O was on! Gabriel mastered the game quickly and with a little help, he won three out of the four games! BAM! He was a champ! Then we went into my room and I asked him what he would like to watch before going to sleep. He said, “Cocomelon” which is when I thought I’d lose my mind! That show is the worst! My apologies to anyone who uses this as a special time with their grandchildren but it is still the worst! Fortunately, Gabriel fell asleep before it was actually over so I was able to shut it down. He slept like an angel, in the middle of my bed, while I was hanging on for dear life on the side, with my arm around him, to make sure he didn’t roll over and break down the barricade that I had built on the other side.

In the morning, around 6:30am, we woke up and he was ready to go potty and watch another show! Lucky for him, I found something much more exciting and only 10-15 minutes per episode. Donuts showed up at 9am and the sugar fest began!

Katie, Anthony and Adrian headed in with the donuts. There was some playing outside and then time for another birthday cake, for Betty Boop! Gabriel and Adrian loved singing and clapping. My sweet Gabriel had made two homemade cards (one for Steve and one for my Mom).  

Friends of ours came over to babysit so we could have an adult evening for Mom to celebrate her and I gotta say, those boys and our friends became quick friends. The kids were worn out (as were the adults) and they headed back to the hotel and I knew that they’d be leaving the next morning, so our goodbyes were tearful!

Watching the boys with my parents was so special…Gabriel remembered how fragile my Mom is so he hugged her very gently (so sweet!) and Adrian blew kisses to everyone like they were bubbles! My Dad let Adrian squeeze his nose and giggled when my Dad made a silly honking noise.

All of this fun and love (and sugar!) brought on a ridiculously exhausting Monday for me, that turned into a rough Monday at work and a terrible overnight. My stomach, my muscles, and my head…could not get enough relief! I totally know it was due to the ridiculous eating and drinking we did (not a lot of protein involved!).

My muscles did things they haven’t done in a long time, but it was so fun, chasing, lifting, crawling, and playing the bouncy game on my knees! Those boys weigh a little bit more than they used to!!

I was better on Tuesday but today, I am feeling my shoulder blades, my ribs, my back and my hips saying, “Take it easy, CeCe!” Thankfully, today was National Goof Off Day so I was able to justify hanging in my room and doing paperwork, computer work, and making a few phone calls.

Thanks for indulging me with this blow-by-blow of my buddies! I need to start working on my weight- lifting efforts and get in better shape because I’m headed up to Pittsburgh at the end of April for some boys and CeCe time! But for the next few hours, I think I’ll just goof off!! xoxoxxo