Travel Tuesday: Florida Spring Break Edition - Sea World Orlando

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Florida Spring Break: Sea World Orlando

Travel Tuesday: Florida Spring Break Edition - Legoland Orlando

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Florida Spring Break: Legoland Orlando

Travel Tuesday: Florida Spring Break Edition - Cape Canaveral National Seashore

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Florida Spring Break: Cape Canaveral National Seashore

Tuesday Travel - Florida Spring Break Edition: Easter Sunday at the Magic Kingdom

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Florida Spring Break: Easter Sunday at the Magic Kingdom

Travel Tuesday - Florida Spring Break Edition: The Star Wars Exhibit and Downtown Orlando

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Florida Spring Break: The Star Wars Exhibit and Downtown Orlando

Travel Tuesday: Florida Spring Break Edition - The Best Laid Plans & Jungle Adventures

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Florida Spring Break: The Best Laid Plans and Jungle Adventures

Our Florida Road Trip

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Our Florida Road Trip

Road Trip Mentality

Remember that incredible road trip I took last summer? The one I, ummm, never finished telling you about? Yeah, I have to get on that. In fact, it seems to me that it's been since I got home from that trip that I haven't been caught up with anything and I can't keep my head on straight. Hmmm.

Well anyway, I've had that trip on my mind a lot lately, because it was awesome. It was exhausting and a ton of work too, but I miss being on the road and seeing something different every day. Really miss it. I know that a trip of those epic proportions is not happening this summer (we already have four weeks of our summer spoken for - running out of time and it's only February!), but I am thinking of something a little smaller scale for Spring Break.

I am lucky enough to have a brother-in-law who lives in Orlando, in a big awesome house with spare bedrooms and everything. And he LOVES when we visit (right, Rob??). We actually haven't visited in far too long - about two and a half years. Obviously, we are way over-due. And, believe it or not, we have never driven to Florida as a family. So I think the time has come. I've been trying to make this happen for quite awhile, but something always comes up. This is the year it is happening!

For Michiganders, driving to Florida is almost a right of passage. Everybody does it. But we've never done it, and it's time we join the club. For awhile (okay, it's been a few years) it was basically cheaper to fly. But not anymore, especially not with four kids. And plus I'm looking forward to two full days on I-75. Maybe not really, but I'm sure we can find something interesting to look at along the way?! Honestly, I'm already Mapquesting and thinking it might be best to take 1-95 S on the way down, and I-75 N on the way home. That way we can drive through Columbus and Savannah. Or maybe even I-95 both ways? It only adds a very short time onto the trip. And suddenly one overnight each way is not enough! It's times like these that homeschooling sounds like a really great option. (Plus an unlimited budget would be nice.) One week off of school does not give us much time to drive over 1000 miles each way. Maybe missing a day or three of school wouldn't be too much?

I'm getting all sorts of great ideas. Chris LOVES when I get great ideas! What I'm thinking is perhaps a night at Hocking Hills State Park would be a possibility! If Chris reads this, he is going to tell me to stop coming up with great ideas and we'll be lucky if we make it to Florida, much less any "pit stops" along the way. Okay, I'll focus on Florida for now. And I will be happy even if we don't get to stop at Hocking Hills State Park. Or anyplace else. Yes, I will be happy even if we just do a blitzkrieg drive straight down and straight back, only stopping to eat, use the bathroom, and sleep for a few hours.

Back in high school, I went to Florida for the first time with my friend Jen and her family, during Spring Break. We drove all the way to Key West, and also stayed at Disney for a week. Our theme song was "On the Road Again." I will be so, so happy to be on the road again.

Do you have any special plans for Spring Break? I'd love to hear all about them!

Unaccompanied Minor - A Tween Flying Alone

There's been a lot going on, both on this blog and in real life. Last week, I sent my eldest child off on an airplane all by herself. Bethany went to visit Chris's brother in Florida for a few days. Not only did she get to miss school for 3 days, she also got to go to Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Aquatica (Sea World's water park), and La Nouba (Cirque de Soleil). What a spoiled little punk,huh? Sadly I have only a few pictures that my brother-in-law shared on Facebook and texted me. Maybe he will be nice and send me some more...? Obviously she had a fabulous time, I mean how could she not, right?

Putting her on the plane by herself was slightly surreal, but I knew she would do fine, and she did. Bethany is very mature in some ways (not so much in other ways), she can handle herself. Everything went off without a hitch here in Detroit, but when her uncle brought her to the Orlando airport it was a bit of an ordeal. First of all, the lovely gate agent tried to bump my daughter - the unaccompanied minor - from the flight. The very one for whom my brother-in-law paid a hefty fee so she would be specially looked after. He had to argue to get her on the plane. Luckily he has a big mouth (love you Rob!). Then they boarded her last. She was supposed to go on first. Because, as they assured me in Detroit, they try to be as discrete as possible about having an unaccompanied minor on board. And finally, they failed to mention to my brother-in-law that he needed to stay at the gate until the plane was in the air. You see, if everyone has to get off the plane for some reason, and the unaccompanied minor doesn't have her guardian waiting there at the gate, then she has to be released into police custody. This was clearly explained to me in Detroit, nobody said a word in Orlando.

So once Bethany was on the plane, and my brother-in-law saw it leaving the gate, he went home. And not long after that, Bethany called me from the airplane to tell me the flight was delayed due to weather problems. They didn't know how long, she knew nothing except the plane had not left the ground yet. At this point I assumed her uncle was still at the airport so I wasn't overly concerned, and Bethany sounded fine, although anxious to get home. A little while later I called into the the airline's automated line to see if they'd released the new departure and arrival times yet. Hmmm, odd. The automated message said that the plane had departed already, 20 minutes before I talked to Bethany. I knew that couldn't be right, so I jumped through lots of hoops to finally get a live person on the phone, and it was confirmed that the plane was still on the runway and they didn't know when it was leaving.

Somewhere in the midst of all this mess I learned that my brother-in-law was no longer at the airport. I was assured that they (they being AirTran, in case you were wondering) never bump unaccompanied minors from flights, they always board the unaccompanied minors first, and that my brother-in-law should have never left the gate (even though no one told him to stay, and the airline's gate attendants left). They ended up calling him and telling him he had to come back, but by the time everything got all sorted out, the plane had left already (over an hour late). Everything worked out fine in the end, but I was ticked. I feel like I put my daughter's life, her safety and well-being, in the hands of AirTran, and they failed me. Although I voiced my concerns to the woman helping me on the phone, I received only a simple cursory apology. Don't get me wrong, she was helpful and did her best. But I will be calling the customer service department to voice my concerns, because obviously they have a training fail somewhere along the line. I feel like this is an area where there is no room for error. They were lax, and when you're talking about a child traveling alone, that is just not acceptable.

I feel like my temper has cooled off considerably since Sunday evening, so tomorrow will probably be a good time to call. Am I crazy? I really don't think so, but please let me know if you think otherwise! Has your child ever traveled as an unaccompanied minor? If so, what was your experience?

Piece of Heaven

Crazy busy, that's where I've been. Play dates, a school concert, shopping, cleaning, laundry, driving, a preschool meeting, coffee dates, reading, planning, cooking, learning to crochet, birthday parties...the list goes on.

This past weekend we had some special guests - 3 little girls who stayed with us while their parents and older sister went on an exciting star-studded trip to Toronto. I should have taken some pictures, but I was too busy with several of the items from the above list. We had a fantastic weekend, and I'm pretty sure all 6 girls were thrilled to have unlimited time together for two whole days and nights. Notice I didn't mention Connor, who spent most of the time he was home (I kindly arranged a sleepover for him Saturday night, plus he had a birthday party Sunday afternoon) hiding out in his bedroom, only coming out to eat and use the bathroom. I maintain that someday he will be overjoyed to have our home overtaken by pretty girls, but for now...sorry son. We do love you.

One of our guests just happens to be a talented (10-year old) crocheter, and she kindly and patiently walked me through crocheting a flower. 

I have since done a few more, and I think I'm getting the hang of it. I am perhaps unreasonably excited by this slight accomplishment, but there you have it. What I will do with these flowers I'm crocheting remains a mystery, but I know one person who might like some to put on hats for cancer patients for her charitable organization she is just getting up and running, Creating Smiles For Hope.

Spring Break is upon us next week, however much it does not feel like Spring. Last year we spent a few days during the break at Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio, which was seriously one of the most magical places we have ever visited. We thought about returning this year, but then remembered the dangerously lacking safety standards and the fact that we now have a very feisty and high energy almost-2-year old who would not take kindly to being toted around in a Baby Bjorn. Nor would my back take kindly to it. So Hocking Hills will have to wait for another year. The kids and I will be taking a short trip with my mother-in-law, and hoping for some kinda almost decent weather so we can at least be outside some of the time.


What I'm really daydreaming about is another of my most favorite places in the whole wide world, Captiva Island, Florida. We haven't been there in a few years, and oh how I miss it. I would like to be lying on its beach right now, reading a book and watching dolphins frolic in the waves. You can walk from the boat docks on one side of the island, where manatees are almost within arm's reach, to the beach side of the island, which is literally covered in beautiful sea shells, in about 5-10 minutes. Sea urchins, starfish, sand dollars, crabs...all right there.

Lucy sitting on thousands of shells

Back when we had 3 kids

One of our many beach finds

I would love to share more pictures of Captiva Island, but naturally I can't seem to find anymore at the moment. It's a miracle, really, that I found a disc with these few on it (at 2 o'clock in the morning). I love that there are no McDonald's or any other fast food, no Walmart or any other big chain store. I love having breakfast outside at the Key Lime Bistro, I love the Christmas tree on the beach at The Mucky Duck and I love ordering 5 kinds of cake from The Bubble Room and having a little taste of each. You know how some vacations don't really seem like vacations at all, and after a few days you're more than ready to go home? Well after 2 weeks on Captiva Island, I am ready to stay for 2 more weeks. At least. I think I could live there, even though it's a 45 minute drive to the mainland (and groceries that don't cost an arm and a leg). I could just alternate between pool and beach, take turns at all the wonderful restaurants, browse the little shops, stare at the sea life, take a boat ride every now and again...for a very long time. Someday, Captiva Island, I'll be back.  


***Don't forget to enter my Nutella giveaway!! The deadline is March 31st!***

They Make It Look So Easy On TV

So, we spent Thanksgiving in Florida, visiting my brother-in-law. By the end of our trip, I was feeling well enough to eat almost normally. The dentist said my one tooth just got pushed up into my gums when I fell on my face, and it may never come back down. He took x-rays and reassured me that my teeth are not in danger of falling out, although there is no way of knowing whether or not they will darken in color at some time in the future, and nothing to do to prevent it. Now they are almost back to normal, although a bit more crooked and uneven than they used to be and there is still a bit of numbness in my nose. I can't yet bite into an apple, but my teeth haven't fallen out, which was my greatest fear. Maybe someday getting braces for myself will become a priority and I can have straight, dreamy teeth.

But anyway, yeah we went to Florida. It was a pretty short trip, since I've developed a bit of a complex about getting those threatening letters from school about truancy court blah blah blah and I only let the kids miss one full day and one half day of school. Gosh those letters are so annoying. But we packed a lot into our five days. We saw the movie "Tangled" (loved it!), spent a stupendous 13 hours at the Magic Kingdom (so much fun), cooked a big Thanksgiving dinner, wandered around downtown Orlando for an afternoon, and drove to Cocoa Beach for a day so the kids could swim in the ocean, even though it was freezing (around 72 degrees) and even raining a little. Lucy was the first to get out, as she told me a "giant wave was approaching" and she got lots of water in her face. 

We totally lucked out with airport security, both ways, and nobody groped us or tried to force us to radiate our bodies while they laughed at our underwear choices in private. Mathilda mostly (maybe I should say somewhat) liked the plane ride, and was even yelling WHEE! during take off. But throughout the trip she started getting sick and coughing a lot. By the time we were flying home, she was coughing a whole lot and feeling pretty lousy (I'm guessing, she didn't actually express to us in words). She also was putting her feet on the seat in front of her. Unfortunately, there wasn't a whole lot I could do about that, she was sitting in her car seat and her feet just kind of went there. An 18-month old doesn't tend to listen very well when you tell her repeatedly to stop kicking the seat. And she cried a little bit. There was a family of three sitting in front of us. At first the mom was sitting in front of Mathilda, but then she wised up and made her kid switch seats with her. The father was sitting in the aisle seat, in front of Bethany, and every time Mathilda had a coughing fit or cried at all, he would whip his head around and glare at me. It was very apparent, Chris noticed it from across the aisle. Sorry dude, not sure what you wanted me to do. It was a short flight, man up. Glad your kid (who was about 10) is perfect, someone should really give you a medal for that. He's probably never been sick, either. And just for the record, my other three children were model passengers. I was a wee bit irritated by the time we landed back in Detroit.  But I'm over it now, really.

The thing is, on the morning of the day we left Florida, something really tragic happened that I just can't shake. My brother-in-law's neighbor and good friend died. But he didn't just die, which would have been sad and depressing enough. I don't think I want to get into details here, but it was a very violent and horrible situation, which he was 100% responsible for. What I can't quite get past is that this guy went to the movies with us and sat next to my daughter. He came over the day we had Thanksgiving dinner and had dessert with us. We saw him several times. He talked to my kids. And then he did this terrible thing. I can't believe we let him around our kids. But we didn't know, and he seemed so normal. Yet we're parents, shouldn't we know when someone is going to completely crack and is perhaps not someone who should be around kids? Honestly it's a little freaky to know someone can look and talk and act normal, even while on the inside they're plotting some horrific event. On television or in movies, people do crazy violent things all the time. They seem to have no qualms about it. It looks so easy and ordinary. But in real life, these senseless acts ruin lives. Real lives.

There's just no making sense of some things, no matter how hard you try.

Christmas is creeping up right around the corner, but I haven't found my holiday spirit quite just yet. It's in there somewhere, I know it is. I really just want to go spend the holidays in Hawaii or something, which I've been saying for years. Santa is global after all. Speaking of which, living a lie is mentally draining and inconvenient. Especially as related to shopping. Oh the things we do for our kids.

One thing I am into this holiday season is eggnog milk shakes. Yum-my! The kids are hooked too. They may not be low-fat/low-cal, but I'm not going there. Calcium is good for you! And protein! Therefore it follows that this frozen deliciousness must be good for you too.

Mathilda is my constant companion and she loves to talk to everyone, everywhere. What she mostly says is "hi" and "bye", while executing the perfect princess wave. And she smiles so big with her sweet dimples, so everyone mostly has to stop and talk to her too. I never know if I should answer for her when strangers ask her questions that she is clearly not capable of answering. So sometimes I do, and sometimes I just smile and move on.