Greetings from Toledo, Ohio

Rain, Rain, Go Away, Come Back Another Day, the Oliver Cast wants to Play! It has been raining here for two days.....I mean really raining to the point where Q and I bought boots from the store and John bought boots and a poncho just to make the trek back to the hotel more bearable. (Poor Mikey, no boots in his size.) We arrived here Thursday, November 13th and after the show Mikey, John, Q and I went to have a bite to eat at "Jeds." Many of the cast members showed up in the same place and we really had to keep the boys at our table to give the cast some grown-up time. The boys really like hanging out with the ladies of the cast. At the recommendation of the waitress we had the best steak we had in a long time and the price was very reasonable. It was so good, Mikey starting stealing pieces off my plate and keeps asking to go back so he can have his own. (As many of you know this is a kid that doesn't like to eat that much.) The boys were really impressed with all the flat screen televisions in the place including in the booths. For a little while they deserted John and I to sit in a booth that had one of there shows on. On Friday John, Missy and I brought the kids to Friendly's for an early dinner before the show. We were all very bad in that we could not resist the desserts. Although Colin and Missy were better in that they shared their dessert. I had an Apple Pie Carmel Sunday and was not about to share with ANYONE! It was as good as it sounds. Today it was raining so hard when we trekked to breakfast at Brandy's Diner. I was very jealous of John's new poncho and wished I had bought one for myself. It is really nice being in one place for five days but we wish it would stop raining. It could be worst I guess, it could be snow.....then again, I think I rather walk in snow then this soaking, windy, rain. There are six shows here so the cast is very busy. We enjoyed having an almost day off yesterday because they did not have to go to the theater until 7pm. John, Q, Mikey and I risked getting wet and took the hike to Miejer's Department Store so the hotel walls did not close in on us. (Boy... will I appreciate my car when I go home.) The store was like a Super-Walmart and we got some good stuff that we needed (and some we didn't) including the boots mentioned above. I found a great buy on the shoes I was looking for and Mikey picked out a nice, cute, pretty gymnastic's outfit for his sister. He also made a deal with me to do an extra page of Math in a practice book I bought for him if I would get him a Star Wars set. Mikey and Q were really having fun playing with them at dinner yesterday and breakfast today. It was nice watching them just being kids and having fun. With there imaginations put together it was quite a production. They had a lot of energy in the show last night and an audience of about 2,000 really enjoyed the show at the Stranahan Theater. It was packed both nights so far. John and Q had guests in the audience and the kids really enjoyed the compliments they recieved after the show. Today, John, being the gentlmen he is, gave Missy and I an afternoon off and took the boys to the theater for us. That is why I have time to update this blog. I am really enjoying alone time in the room as I am sure my buddy Missy is. Mikey just phone me from the theater very excited to tell me that Spencer (the tour manger's 13 month old) is so cute and that he is having crawling contests with him in the hallway. He was very excited that Spencer hugged him for a long time. I think Mikey misses his little sister's hugs. Mikey and I are getting excited because Dad and Maria are flying to Dallas on Wednesday to spend five days off with us. We plan to make it like a little vacation and tour Dallas including going to six flags. I just got off the phone with Maria and she is very excited. She also has big news in that she got a new haircut today and I can't wait to see her. Today is my niece Kasey's birthday and nephew Sean's graduation so Maria is happy to be going to their party. Mikey and I wish we could be there and we called them both yesterday to congratulate them. I still can't get over how proud I am of Kasey making her High School JV Basketball Team. She is awesome! Well since I am starting to babble I will say goodbye for now.....