Back Patio + Bayside

First off, some pictures of our back patio. When we moved in it was a complete JUNGLE back there. It was hot and muggy and horrible and rainy and we never went back there because there was no space to play and there were HORRENDOUS mosquitoes. Also, when I did send the kids back there, my kids weren't really old enough to play by themselves, so it just felt cramped and crowded. 

I wish I would have taken 'before' pictures, because about a month ago I decided the four feet of overgrowth needed to go. I bought a massive hedge clipper at Home Depot, that could probably take off limbs, and went to town. For two hours. Just cutting down the trees and vines and plants. We had to make a 6 ft x 6 ft pile on our front street for landscaping to pick up. It was intense. And now there is enough space to play! Not only that, but we are finally getting cool enough days that if my kids go out in the morning, right after breakfast they can play and it's not too hot(which is perfect because I can hear them from my upstairs bedroom, directly above, and get ready while they happily play--also, Ruthie can open the door and let themselves back in if she needs to)! With the overgrowth all cut back there is actually room to be back there and they are old enough now that they will occupy themselves for up to an hour. It is seriously the greatest. The mosquito problem has not been resolved, although I did buy expensive bags to hang up in the corners that supposedly attract and kill mosquitoes. Mostly I just spray them all before they head out and we just constantly smell like mosquito spray around here. Which, for an hour of happy kid time where they are entertaining themselves, is a pretty small price. 

You can actually see fence all the way around. That is a new thing for us!

Moving on to our SECOND date night in TWO weeks. This is more date nights than the last six months combined. What can I say, we had free babysitting offers, and who are we to say no to that?!?! 

This week we decided to go back to Bayside Market sans kids. It was pretty fun. We probably could have planned it better. But as it was, we relaxed, enjoyed ourselves, enjoyed fresh seafood (fried), and had a really great time. 

I took the metro by myself to meet up with Sterling in the big city. It has been SO wet today and every time the metro moved forward, rivers of water would flow off the windows. It was sweet.

Riding above the city.

I love walking around the ocean. It felt less Miami-ish and more New England-ish with the rain and below ninety weather! So beautiful!

Sterling's classmates recommend Bubba Gump's. It was ALL about Forrest Gump. Our waiter even tested us on movie trivia. We failed miserably. My only excuse is that I'm too young for that movie's popularity?!?! I remember my older siblings knowing it. Anyway, the restaurant itself was ALL decked out with memorabilia and hilarious quotes and we loved the vibe.

We ordered the giant seafood fry or something like that. We got fried shrimp, fried fresh fish, and fish hush puppies with fries. We shared and I am SO glad we did. They had this incredible dipping sauce along with cocktail and tartar sauce that was SO delish. The fish hush puppies made me wish my brother Wyatt was there SOOOO bad. He used to ask my mom to make corn fritters all the time and he LOOOOVES seafood like no one I have ever met (and his wife is allergic--of all the twisted things!) and the fish hush puppies were pretty much corn fritters with pieces of shrimp and fish all throughout. I loved them. A lot. 

To end we ordered an IBC rootbeer float to share. We had to specify 'kid' instead of 'adult'--meaning, no alcohol. We didn't realize that meant we got the kid cup---but we were pretty excited to bring our prize home to show our kids, hahaaahaaahaaahaa!!!!

See the lights at the bottom? They are like a disco ball. It is pretty intense, believe me. Haha. 

Such a fun restaurant! I'm so glad we tried it out! Also, something about seafood and rainy days just goes together.

Bayside Celebrity Walk. They have a bunch of stones on the sidewalk with celebrity names. 

We discovered our next date night. A little pop-up a la carte dinner! It was to die for picturesque complete with a Spanish band!

The entrance.

You better believe we walked all throughout it even though we had already eaten and had no plans of purchasing anything!

That little bag of eggs!

I offered to take a cute couples picture for them, so then they offered the same. So nice! And it was around 80 degrees outside, but it was VERY rainy--my jacket is poncho material, not heavy at all. Don't let it deceive you, haha.

Sterling and I were trying to take a picture of the lady dancing on the building (the purple one on the left) but I thought the sign was hilarious too. 

I live in a CITY?!?!

Again, I LIVE IN A CITY?!?! Haha. This is riding the metro-mover which is free around downtown. It's weird because there are no seats, just open space with poles to hold onto. I tried to take a picture of one from the outside, but it was too dark and didn't really show up. 

We had a really great time. I had recently watched several podcasts of a Power of Moms conference and so had SO MUCH to spew at Sterling of things I want to do. Luckily, he's awesome and just listened to all of my excitement. It was a nice night. Also, Summer was watching my kids and that is just SOOO relaxing. My kids LOVE her and LOVE her kids (she has five, and only one boy--he worships Will and wishes Will was his own brother) and are always so sad to leave her house. While we were on our date they had grilled cheese sandwiches, played 'camping', ate cookies, pulled out blankets, and watched Mary Poppins while eating popcorn. Who wouldn't love that?!!?! I feel so lucky that we have been blessed to meet all the wonderful people in Miami that we have. 

Also, when I told Summer that it still made me nervous to ride the metro by myself, she laughed. She told me she's only ridden once and it was with her husband. She scanned her card to walk through the security gates, but it opened up on the opposite lane from the one she was standing on and the person standing in that line just looked and walked through without scanning his card (stealing her money and pass basically). Luckily, a security guard saw and let her through. THEN she did it AGAIN coming home!!! BAAHAAHAA! That totally made my day. At her expense. Us country girls trying to pretend we are city girls is just too hilarious sometimes. Plus, I just love her. Huge shout out to her for taking such great care of my kids and loving them like her own! From telling me who I should get as an OB before moving here, to babysitting my kids when I had Molly and she didn't even know me, to babysitting tonight, she has always been such a huge lifesaver. Some people are just real life angels. 

I have to clean my house tomorrow. And fold the five baskets of clean laundry that have sat in my room for the past three days. Sigh. The end.