Letters to Jack & Audrey: Tropical Breeze 2007

Jack,

It's been a long time since I blogged. I can't think of a reason "why" - it's just been the fact.

Since I last blogged, we have been on a week vacation in Florida at Tropical Breeze - a resort that I used to visit as a child with my parents. I have many fond memories of being a kid there, so it was fun to see you there and make some memories with you in that same place - although it looks nothing like it did when I was little.

I have a couple of movies of you at the Ocean, but nothing mind blowing. Your biggest joke during this time was to say "I want some milk" in a deep voice as though that phrase could ever sound manly. It really cracked me up so I tried to get you to say it for the camera as much as possible.

We did swim at the beach, although you much preferred the pool and I can't say that I blame you. I used to prefer the pool, too, because you know in the pool you aren't going to unexpectedly get slammed by a wave of salt water leaving you coughing, sputtering and rubbing your eyes blindly hoping you don't get hammered by another while still recovering from the first. Don't get me wrong - I love you the ocean - but I think it takes an older child to appreciate it's challenges.

Kelly was good enough to make you a sandcastle of Lightning McQueen which I must tell you was incredible. It was sooo clearly him that we had one person approach it and say - Hey, that's a Cars castle! I'd say that's a good job when others can recognize it for what it is.

The highlight of my vacation was a compliment paid by our cabanna boy. He actually told Grandma that if the mother of his child looked as good as I did, he'd be a happy man. What can I say - best $50 I ever spent! :)

You really took to the water on this trip and gathered confidence swimming in floaties. I was really impressed by how well you did. You loved the pool so much that you would be screaming about returning to the pool even as it was dark and I was putting you to bed.

The airline trips left a lot to be desired. I've never been so stressed out. You started resisting the minute we started to walk into the airport and didn't stop until you fell asleep during the plane ride or at all. Not even movies seemed to work to calm you. It was a nightmare. Here's just a sampling of the experience.

You are old enough that you need to sit in your own seat during take off and landings and anytime that the fasten seatbelt light is on. Also, we can't turn on the laptop for movies until it's okay to use electronic devices. Plus, on both flights we were situated over a wing and couldn't see out the window so we didn't even have that for a distraction.

We DID arrange for one day in Orlando and ended up taking you to Disney World's Magical Kingdom.

It was a serious nightmare. The lines to meet the characters were 30 minutes long and you didn't understand why you couldn't approach the characters one-on-one.

Plus, it was hot and sunny and the lines for the rides were prohibitive.

We found some areas you enjoyed playing that were playground-ish.

Not the types of things that you would expect to do in Disneyworld, but you were happy.

We did also manage to go on the It's a Small World ride which you loved with all the singing dancing dolls.

It was fun to do that with you.

All in all - it was a great trip, but it had it's stressors.

You being two, the two summer classes that both Clay and I are taking this summer and the midterms and assignments coming due while on our trip, you settled back into a routine of resistance of sleeping without someone in the bed with you.