JJ's Hotel

If you've been a Team Sullivan blog follower since this spring/summer, you will know that during March through July each year we travel like crazy with the teams in Jake's basketball program. We go all around the Midwest, occasionally venturing out to the East side of the U.S. cheering on Jake's teams, watching him coach, spending days in hotels, going out to eat for every meal, and living out of suitcases! Well, just recently we've found out just how much JJ misses these traveling trips. So much so, that with that little imagination of his, he has decided to re-create the traveling days....

"Dad, you want to go to the hotel?" JJ pleaded with a smile a few Saturdays ago.

"Huh?" Jake took his eyes off his beloved college football game marathon to see a sweet little boy waiting to play. "Uh, sure," he said, not really knowing what this was all about (oh, but I did, and I grinned as I watched it all unfold)

"Better get packed up," JJ hollered as he headed downstairs. "It's getting dark out. Gonna be late." A few minutes later we hear JJ huffing and puffing as he struggles to bring our two biggest suitcases up from the basement. "Help Daddy!" he yells.

Jake looks at me and smiles. Oh, just wait, I think.

The next 10 minutes are spent 'packing up'. (side note, I have since limited JJ's pretend packing to 3 shirts from everyone's closets, b/c it can get a little excessive!). Not only does JJ pack up the clothes, but also the swimsuits, some of Jake's folders, oh, a can of sweetened condensed milk, a basketball, and anything else that comes to mind to throw in there.

Then, they are out the door to load up the car and head to the hotel.
Looks like everyone is having fun on the drive!

After about 5 minutes of driving and blasting the music JJ announces "We're here!".

They get out of the car and walk to the hotel.

Isn't Jake a trooper?

Don't worry, Jayla is bringin up the rear!

Oh, they made it to the hotel - THE ELECTRICAL BOX (!!!!!!!!!!)

"Key please."

Time to unpack.

Oh yes, this boy goes all out with his pretend play. And, he really, seriously came up with this entire thing all on his own. Jake said the other day that when they played 'hotel' the cooler was the swimming pool and all of a sudden JJ stripped down out there in the open to put his swimming trunks on. Then he jumped in the cooler! Oh, if I could have only gotten a picture of THAT!

JJ has also been asking Jake EVERY SINGLE DAY when they are going to go and pick up the 'red one' and the 'white one'......he is talking about the 16 passenger vans that we sometimes take on the trips. Well, we won't be renting vans again until spring, and I think we will have to answer this question every day until then! Luckily we have a few tournaments coming up in November, so JJ won't have to wait too much longer to get back into the hotel groove. :)