We're baaaaaaccckkkkkk!

Well, we are back from Iowa. The girls had SO much fun (thanks to Grandpa). We arrived about 6:30 yesterday. In little girl talk, that means 1 hour in the POOL before it closes!!! Good ol Grandpa took them, while Grandma, Grandma Mary and Mommy "went to work". We hit the casino and guess what! I lost- everything I had "planned to spend yesterday night." Oh well. At least the bed will be comfty tonight.

When we met up and all talked about our losses, we headed back for the rooms. Grandpa was assigned to sleep with Erin, and I was assigned the bed next to them with Renee. Well, no one really assigned, but who really wants to sleep next to the only one who will most likely wake up in the middle of the night! Well, 9:00 and no one is asleep. Grandpa goes off "to work" and Grandma and Grandma Mary turned in for the night. Magically, the sleeping fairy came and Renee was sleeping in no time. Then, Aaahhhhhhhh, Mommy fell asleep. Who knows when Erin fell asleep, she was busy playing her DS. I do know that by the time Grandpa came in (about 1 AM) Erin was sleeping. Grandpa did well!

Today, we had a yummy breakfast, then we went back "to work". Last time we came here and told Erin some of the names of the games we were playing, she wanted to go see them, so now, we tell her we went to work. no questions asked, she doesn't want to work! Grandpa had quite the itinerary for them. First the pool, then to McDonalds, and then playtime at the park. How Erin stayed awake the whole ride home, I'll never know!

I went back to the game I lost on yesterday, the penny slots of "The Wizard of Oz"

It is amazing... I mean the idea of slot machines. On the "old fashioned" machines.... the ones that don't require a monitor and you still have the opportunity to pull handle, you search for the one you feel is ready to pay off next. Everyone has their own idea of which ones those are. My favorites, the ones on the end. Specifically I like the "Deluxe" games. They are ones that have arrows on the symbols. If it is close to the win line, and it has an arrow, it will bounce to the win line and, well, MAYBE you will win something! So, after a losing morning, I was ready to head back home. I did good on a dollar machine. So, I carefully watch the machine... OH! The symbols to win the top prize keep showing up.... this machine MUST be ready to pay off. Yeah, right, 60 bucks later, not paying. Back to my original game...."The Wizard of Oz"- the same one I lost on yesterday (now there's logic, huh?) Well, the machine I had yesterday and of course the only machine open today is the one with no sound. It just isn't as much fun. This is one of the new kind of slot machine. It is more like a computer and when you win, you have absolutely no way of knowing why you won. You can bet anything from one penny (good luck winning anythign with that) all teh way to $3.00. Finally the person next to me moves. Make a long story short.... I WON!!!! Enough to break even and have left overs to pay for a certain little girls 6th birthday party coming up, well, maybe, OK, maybe a new pair of shoes for her too...... OK, maybe for her sister too.

We're home. Erin can't wait to be back in Iowa. Aaahhhhhh. The fond memories she is gathering of being a kid! At least Renee fell asleep on the way home.

By the way, Casey hung in there while we were gone. Tomorrow I will call the vet cause she is chewing on her bandage and leg. Hopefully they will take it off tomorrow.

Scott is still alive too. He is happy we are home, for sure. Now to figure out dinner........