Our Vacation in West Palm Beach, Florida

I took our laptop on vacation with us, so I was able to write while I was away. So here's what happened during our vacation. Remember to click on the photos if you want to see them larger...


Thursday, January 24th

I am so glad I brought the laptop to Florida with us. This way I can write everything down and just transfer it over onto my blog when I get home. I also brought a USB flash drive, so I'll copy this onto that and maybe at the library along the way I can upload it all.

I'm glad I got most of the packing done on Tuesday. Yesterday I only had to worry about toiletries and cameras, books, and games; that sort of stuff. So we were able to go to playgroup as usual. It was a very enjoyable day. Strange though, that even at 35 degrees I was able to stand outside without a jacket; just a turtle neck. Most likely when I arrive back home I'll be used to this warm weather and will be bundled up with hats, scarves and gloves, like everyone else!

So we flew out of Westchester, New York on Jet Blue at 8pm. The boys loved it since there is free TV the whole way. They watched Sponge Bob and George of the Jungle and Mythbusters. As it got later though it was hard to find appropriate material. They ended up on HGTV and Animal Planet. I enjoyed Project Runway on Bravo. We don't have broadcast TV at our house (only do DVD's and videos) so watching TV was fun for us all.

The flight was uneventful. At one point R thought he might have to make use of the "barf bag" (he loves that name by the way) but he ended up fine once we leveled off. I was pretty upset to have my ears clog up again and not have them unclog...although I still had lots of coughing up of gunk every day, my cold was finally, after six weeks, lessening. I was quite distressed to have my ears become as clogged as they were on my worst days. I went to bed with clogged ears too. Fortunately, by mid morning today they were clear.

Today we had an easy going day. We took our time getting moving and started out at the pool in Grandma's condo developement. Then we did running around looking to purchase flip flops for the boys since I forgot to pack them. Also a few toiletries I forgot. We had lunch at a cool place called CiCi's; an all you can eat buffet of pizza. Salad too. And dessert. It was a good lunch, and the boys ate an enormous amount of food.

We headed to the grocery store after that for some kid friendly snacks to have around.

When we got back the boys took off for another dip in the pool and I sat down here.

Our vacation is off to a really wonderful start!


Monday, January 28th

Well we did end up at the library on Friday, where Grandma borrowed a couple of DVD's for the boys, and a few books for E to read to her. (R didn't realize we were taking books.) I never did get myself signed up to use a computer. The boys both did though and had fun playing Webkinz at the same time for once. Since we only have one computer with internet access at home, they have never had the opportunity to play games against each other before, and they had a fun time doing so.

We spent the weekend basically lounging around Grandma's condo. We've been taking a dip in the heated pool late morning every day for about an hour. Then we head inside, have some lunch and head out for some shopping; one of Grandma's favorite endeavors. We've hit Walmart twice, Target, a dollar store, Good Will, and Big Lots, so far.

We've been specifically looking for some pool toys. They do not allow jumping or diving into the pool, and since jumping into pools has been the whole point of going in one till now, the boys are not all that thrilled. My mother expected that we would spend all day at the pool, but without jumping; no way. So we've looked for pool toys. Noodles are allowed, and we've had races across the pool several times. We also found some cheap plastic boats at Walmart which have provided entertainment. But because it's winter, despite the fact that the weather says otherwise, pool stuff is off-season and stores don't have it. So we haven't been able to find those things you throw in that sink to the bottom for kids to dive for.

We did do some miniature golf yesterday. That was lots of fun. The four of us (the boys and Grandma and I) played the moderately difficult course and then after that the two boys went on (at a reduced rate) to play the difficult course. They had a terrific time.

I've been really enjoying all the plant life here. I've always enjoyed gardening at home, but never realized that the enjoyment would extend beyond my own backyard. I've been admiring all the different kinds of palm trees; it never occurred to me that there would be more than one. The variety is just amazing! I've been using up lots of memory sticks on palm trees and flowers. It's also been really cool to see shrubs in people's backyards, of things which we only grow as indoor plants in Connecticut. I've only been to Disney World and Ft. Lauderdale (at age 21) in Florida before, and I guess at those times I was too busy to notice the plant life. But this time around we are in a neighborhood rather than a tourist area, so it's been very noticeable to me. Walking to the library was such an enjoyable experience. I loved looking at everyone's front gardens. It's so strange to see Aloe Vera and Cacti and orange trees in landscaping! And like I said, the variety of palm trees is beautiful. What an enjoyment it's been for me to find this door open to step through!

Today we went to Lion Country Safari. I have to admit that I had thought it was going to be a tourist trap, but boy was I wrong! At first I was pretty miffed at the entrance price until I experienced the whole thing, and it was well worth the price. In fact, if we lived around here we would definitely have a membership to this place. It's one of those places where you drive through the safari in your own car. All the animals roam free and you can stop and look at them through your windows at your leisure. They provide a (free) CD to accompany visitors through the park, which is incredibly informative and well done. We got to see animals closer than we ever could at the Bronx Zoo!

It took us about 45 minutes to drive through the whole thing, and then afterwards we went into the "Safari World Amusement Park", which was excellent. They had an nice assortment of animals. We saw flamingos and toucans and a giant python; iguanas and all sorts of monkeys and macaws. We listened to a small talk around the "Alligator Moat", where we learned quite a bit about alligators, including how to tell them apart from crocodiles. The best two things though were definitely feeding the Lory Birds, small parrots which live mostly in Australia (and which was worth every penny of the $2 they charged for an obscenely small amount of nectar) and seeing the giraffe's up close in their feeding area. We did not spend the $2.50 for four crackers to feed them, but really did not need to; the woman on the platform was feeding them carrots and broccoli, and keeping them close by to the feeding area, so we got to see giraffes literally eye to eye. It was my favorite thing in the entire place. What a wonderful and meditative experience. Really incredible.

They also had a few rides there, mostly for the little kids. E did enjoy the Dumbo type ride though, and we all enjoyed the very modest ferris wheel and certainly the Safari Queen boat ride, which was very brief. Grandma also enjoyed having R and E paddle her around in a paddle boat, but it was getting close to the end of the day and the boys were getting tired, so that didn't last long.

They also had a miniature golf course there, which E insisted we do. He was even okay with the possibility of getting home too late to swim if we played. (He's been very insistent that we swim every day.) What a fantastic day we had today. Next time we come down to visit Grandma and go here, we will bring bathing suits so the boys can enjoy the Safari Splash Water Playground. It looked like lots of fun and they hated having to miss it. We did every single other thing they had there though. Except spend money on food for us to eat. Yay us!

I'm really bummed that I seem to be missing a 128MB stick; my largest one! I've taken 248MB worth of photos already and I am out of memory! Hopefully that stick is somewhere sitting near my computer at home because they don't make this size anymore. I'm kicking myself because I didn't bring the cable to connect the camera to this laptop and so I can't upload the photos and clear off my memory sticks. I think we will stop at the store tomorrow and pick one up, despite the fact that I already have two at home. We haven't even reached the half way mark of our visit here though and I certainly can't go the rest of the way without a camera.

We've been eating out quite a bit. R was very proud that he was able to order a second plate of the "all you can eat pancakes" we ordered at IHOP (International House of Pancakes). He had to call Dad and tell him all about it. We've also enjoyed trying Checkers, a fast food place which is popular here. It has no dining room. They have a drive through and a walk up window. R said his cheeseburger was excellent and wants to eat there again. The spicy fries were enjoyed by all. This evening we tried the all you can eat buffet at Kentucky Fried Chicken, where we have never eaten before. The buffet was pretty decent and we certainly got our money's worth.

So far we are having a really excellent vacation. I am even allowing the sun to touch my face by not wearing my hat, which is pretty much glued to my head all summer at home. Probably no one but B and maybe my dad will notice my "tan" but that's okay. It feels good to have the sun on my face, rosacea be damned.


Wednesday, January 30th

Well, it's officially one week now. I'm so glad we get to stay two weeks because it's taken me this long to adjust to all the sun. I've been so tired from it, despite eight or nine hours of sleep a night, but now I'm finally feeling myself again.

Yesterday we went to the Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop. According to my 2006 edition of Fodor's book on Florida, it was to have been a "180,000 square-foot shopping-entertainment complex on 88 acres...a small midway with a Ferris wheel, a giant video arcade, and eateries...13 screen Swap Drop Drive-In...Hanneford Family circus still appearing several times daily." Well I wish I had taken the time to confirm all this on the Travelocity message boards before we went. No midway. No circus. A pathetic little flea market with four out of five vendors selling identical new things, and the rest selling fun junk. I did manage to find a used USB cable for my camera for $2. E got a couple of action figures and some large super balls. And a new baseball hat with a skull on it. R bought a couple of used Disney videos. Grandma got Uncle E a new leather belt for two bucks. What they did have was pretty cool, but I was expecting WAY more. They did have an indoor area which probably could have used some more exploring. The boys spent some money on arcade games and we had some pretty good fish and chips for lunch. We also enjoyed watching this fellow make hats and flowers out of coconut tree leaves. Grandma bought a few things and E will be going home with a very cool hand-made hat. Unfortunately there was not one movie playing on any of those 13 screens which was appropriate for us to see. Argh. That's actually two drive-ins close by which we haven't been able to take advantage of!

Today there was a lot of swimming. The boys and Grandma headed out to the pool bright and early, while I enjoyed an hour to myself watching repeats of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report from it seemed like two nights ago, since Jon was referring to the State of the Union Address. Have to say I really miss those guys.

Anyhow, after their swim we all headed to the library. Happily Aunt Debbie was available during her lunch hour back in Maine to play some Webkinz games with both of her nephews at the same time. The boys had a great time. I also took the opportunity to sign up for internet time to answer some email. I considered copying some of this onto my blog, but then decided I'll do it all at once when I get home. Then I can add photos too.

After the library we visited Checkers again for lunch, then went to the beach. Yes, the ocean. Lake Worth Beach, to be specific. We had a fantastic time, and I even got some photos and video of Grandma out there riding the waves with the boys. I rode them too; the ocean was so warm. We had actually stopped by the beach one day over the weekend, just to check it out. E had worn his bathing suit "just in case" and he and R ended up in the water (R with his long pants on), despite the cool weather. We stayed for only 20 minutes or so, but today we stayed for four hours. It was wonderful; 76 degrees outside the water and 73 degrees inside of it. Pure heaven.

Now R is enjoying a new episode of Mythbusters. We have all loved having TV again, I have to admit. I'm so psyched that B and I finished up watching season three of Lost on DVD before I left. Now I can watch the season premiere of season four tomorrow! And luckily, abc is the only station we actually get in our house, so B can watch it too.


Friday, February 1st

This is the life - sitting by the pool with a laptop while the boys swim. I don't know how long I'll have before they ask me to start throwing the diving rings for them though.


Tuesday, February 5th

Well "this is the life" didn't last very long. The battery on this laptop needs to be replaced, I guess. Oh well. Rather than write in here, I used the time to listen to some of the podcasts I had on my ipod. At some point I'll write a list of my favorites and post them on my other blog.

It's been a long time since I've been on a "vacation" like this; not since I was a kid and we went to Maine every summer, actually. Since I've been in charge of my own vacations, they have always been trips to someplace I've never been, to see and experience and learn about wherever that may be. Vacation has meant daily adventures. What we have here now is really just a taste of what it's like to live someplace else. I appreciate both kinds of vacations, but I really do actually like where I live, so living someplace else is only fun for ten days or so. So while we are really here to see Grandma, which never gets old, we are all looking forward to getting home and settled back into our own lives. R is such a social boy and he is really looking forward to seeing his friends. And we all miss Dad a lot.

Well even living at home we get out and do things, and on Friday we went to Morikami Japanese Gardens and Museum. What a lovely place. I really do wish I had a good camera. I got a few good shots but proportional to the amount I took, I didn't do too well. Still I got good stuff for several Wordless Wednesdays to come. I know that no one else enjoyed this place as much as I did. My mother wished she had her cell phone so she could "use the time" to make calls, but I'm glad she didn't; definitely would have harshed my mellow. The boys seemed okay with it; they enjoyed the different gardens and had fun running back to me and telling me "wait'll you see this, you'll love to take pictures of this". I'm glad we rented two of the audio guides, which were of the wand type and easy to share between the four of us. I think (hope) they added to my mother's enjoyment. They were informative and very well done. I was disappointed to not see as many flowers as I had hoped, but felt a lot better about it after listening to the program. A very enjoyable afternoon for me.

My Uncle E (my E's namesake) arrived Friday evening. He and my mother usually come together for the month of February. This is the first year my mom came down in January as well, but Uncle E came down just for February. I've never heard a definitive reason for the way my Uncle E is. My grandmother says that he suffered brain damage when he had scarlet fever at age three. Who knows? It's not Down Syndrome, and it's not the classic symptoms of Autism, but he's as my mother calls "learning disabled". To me he's always just been a perpetual 8-year-old who has trouble keeping his voice down.

I lived in the same household with Uncle E for several years. After my parents got divorced we moved to my grandparents' house, who then took off and left Uncle E (my mother's one year senior) and Uncle Larry (then 16) behind, while they retired to this very condo in sunny W. Palm Beach. My grandparents' house in New York was changed into a two family with Uncle E and Uncle Larry living upstairs and my family living in the bottom half. So I got to know Uncle E as if he were more of a brother. He's a cool guy, and I was looking forward for my boys to get to know him. Unfortunately Uncle E is easily excited (and as a result, loud), so whenever we see him at family functions, he's not at his best. So the boys have never gotten to know the man I do. And here we all are.

It's been mostly a good experience, although R doesn't have the patience I had expected. E loves his namesake and they have been having a great time blowing straw wrappers at eachother, blowing bubbles through straws into their drinks and laughing over fart jokes together. Like I said, perpetual 8-year-old. Come to think of it, I guess it's understandable that R doesn't have much patience for 8-year-olds these days.

On Sunday Grandma took the three boys to play miniature golf again (I stayed behind and caught up on some sleep). She herself was surprised at what a sore loser Uncle E is, and my E was thrilled to have Grandma to beat. She is such a willing loser.

R was glad to have someone to watch the Superbowl with. E and Grandma and I left the "men" to their pizza bagels and soda and Doritos, and headed over to Friendly's. E was really upset at not being allowed to stay and watch with them, despite the fact that the game would hold his attention for probably all of three minutes, so I knew food was the answer. E had some kind of giant blue drink along with his grilled cheese and french fries, and a "Monster Sundae" for dessert. That contentedness lasted all through a shopping excursion to a Bells outlet (sort of like Marhalls, but only their clearance section) where he also walked away with a Transformer action figure.

We came here with no toys at all (very very dumb move on my part) and looking over the laptop into the livingroom I count 13 Matchbox cars, a six-inch long metal car, two action figures in addition to the Transformer, three bouncy balls, and a blue spiky thing out of a claw machine. Grandma takes care of her kids!

Yesterday we went to the beach again, sans Uncle E who is the whitest person I know, and afraid of the water. Grandma and I both swam again; the water was warm. At the end of the day as we were leaving so many man o' war washed up to shore. They were so beautiful and sad all at once.

We checked out a pawn shop today. They are all over the place down here, and I've never been in one. Since my mom hadn't either, we went in to check one out. Disappointingly over priced. I wonder how they make any money, really.

They are all over playing shuffleboard now. I stayed behind for a little quiet. I think my mother wanted to, and I so appreciate her appreciating that I need it. E is constant enough; two of them together has been challenging for me, however much I love them both.


Sunday, February 9th

On Wednesday we took a final swim in Grandma's pool. Then we all played some shuffleboard together, taking turns keeping score. We wished we had discovered shuffleboard a lot sooner, because we all really enjoyed playing it. Unfortunately though, Grandma had done such a good job of allowing everyone else to win at all the stuff we had done the last two weeks, that no one wanted to be on her team!

Grandma took the boys to Checker's for milk shakes while I finished up the packing.

Our plane was about 45 minutes delayed in boarding, so we parked ourselves near a window at the airport and watched planes take off. The flight itself was a repeat of the one there; lots of TV. The boys squished in their last episodes of Spongebob, and I watched repeats (which I had never seen) of Project Runway, which I am totally in love with. Unfortunately their website has lots of crap on it, but no streaming of episodes, so I'll have to follow who wins by reading about it. Ugh.

It was really wonderful to see B waiting for us in the airport. We had an excellent time on our vacation, but we are really glad to be home with him.