4 Days...In A Hotel Room

Our of necessity, I hung some clothes to dry and found beauty in the everyday!

Sunday afternoon we made a quick stop to pick up a rental car for me and the children to have during the four days the Engineer would be working. I wasn't so much thrilled with the idea, but it was important to him that I have a means of transportation in a "strange city." However, upon presentation of our debit card, we were denied. Rental car companies don't take debit cards, only credit. Primarily because of our own lack of self-control, we only use debit cards. Now, I know, we could have "borrowed" a card from a friend or family member. But we aren't really comfortable with that kind of thing. However, we were stunned. The leasing agent explained they'd quit taking debit cards because people would rent a car on the debit card, close the account, and drive off into the sunset. Unfortunately, understandable. So we left, as we came, in one car, which was great by me, and we headed South so the Engineer would be closer to work.

So what exactly does one do in a hotel room with a six and three year old, in the middle of a small town, with nothing worth pursuing in walking distance, for 14-15 hours a day?

Well...you wiggle your tooth until it comes out.

You jump on the bed...

You jump on the bed some more...

You come up with dramatic theatrical productions...

You giggle and have pillow fights galore...

You consume large quantities of decaf coffee...

and wonder if it will stunt your coffee-loving children's growth...

You bum water wings from the maintenance staff...

And splurge on a kick board from Target, because, after all, you are spending hours a day at the pool...

You learn how to play Marco Polo...

You have jumping competitions...

And you do lots of belly flops...

And though I don't have a picture of our daily lunch staple, I must share that our children think Ramen noodles are a delicacy and SUCH a treat! Lunch was a highlight.

And you also do a good bit of exploring. You know, stairwells, elevators, etc. You search for hidden treasure. You watch through the crack under the door that leads to the roof top - just in case "ders bad guys out der.)

When Daddy comes home, you load two exhausted children in the car and go in search of dinner.

And while heading downtown, you get into a long, ahem, discussion, during which your children fall asleep.

Finally you settle on a restaurant. The children, of course, must tour the "facilities." While I marveled at the design, Sister fell in love with the newfangled Dyson Air Dryer. It was pretty awesome. So awesome, in fact, we had to make a few more trips to the bathroom. I put an end to this when she explained she didn't "have to go," but just wanted to play with the dryer.

This was probably our favorite meal out. Simply Fondue. It was pricey. They say everything is bigger in Texas. (I smile.) We shared a cheese appetizer, followed by a steak and veggie plate. It was delicious. The service was amazing. It was a wonderful experience. The children had SO MUCH FUN! As they grow older, I marvel at what neat little people they are. Sitting together in a booth, sharing fondue and stories and ideas...was quite satisfying. Encouraging. Wonderful. I love our children!

After dinner, we strolled the streets of twinkle town.

There were signs up all along the streets that said, "Downtown Fort Worth. Once you're here, you get it."

Downtown Fort Worth glows.

And there is music everywhere...from the guy playing the keyboard to all out shows. You could stand on almost any street corner and hear tunes.

This inspired our children to break out in dance, which I unfortunately, did not capture.

Our rental car had an awesome (I'm kind of teasing) feature...it lit up along the cup liners and floor boards, AND, you could change the light color - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple - or boring white. This feature was an instant HIT with the kids. The Engineer and I joked about it the entire trip.

And at the end of those long, 13-14 hour days, we'd all collapse in bed and catch a little Survivor Man (or one of those survivor shows)...

PS I am thankful for refrigerators. The Engineer discovered you're required to have a license to purchase certain refrigerator parts, since he doesn't have said license, he's scheduled a maintenance man to come by this afternoon. I can't wait!