Wordless Wednesday

"Our Adventure"

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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.

Craft night in Maine

Grandma hosts two craft nights per year; one for all the girl cousins, who have been doing it for many years now, and for the past two years, one for the boys who were born in 1997 (and E, even though he's younger, because "he's my grandson"). So we headed up to Maine on Saturday after both boys' basketball was done, and arrived near bedtime.

Sunday morning found us at a diner having breakfast with E's namesake, and Aunt Debbie.
Sunday afternoon was filled with crafts.
Unfortunately, like last year, one of the cousins couldn't make it. Different cousin at least. Everyone had a wonderful time anyway, and Grandma found out that her thought that no one was really into it, was far off the mark.

My sister and I did some shopping and had an enjoyable lunch at Applebees during the crafts, since it's strictly a drop-off party. We arrived back early enough to ensure that we got a photo of all the attendees.




While in Maine, we also enjoyed the 12 inches of snow which had fallen before we arrived. The boys love going down the steps along side the house, down into Grandma's backyard. It's a good hill and the bumpiness is enjoyable; at least that's what I hear.











They also worked hard to make a tunnel in the plowed snow, and were very proud to get it done before we had to come home.

Grandma ventured down into her backyard to explain to the boys how her new pier is going to look when it's done.
We enjoyed some shopping with Grandma on Monday, and then when Aunt Debbie got out of work at four, a movie. We went to Smitty's, where dinner is served before the movie, and enjoyed some pizza, chicken nuggets, chicken quesadillas, and french fries before watching Enchanted. Heads up to parents of little ones, the ending of this movie is scary. It was very contradictory to the tone of the rest of the movie, and the previews gave no indication that it would end this way, so if you have kids who are sensitive to that sort of thing, beware.
We enjoyed it though, although it wasn't as funny as the boys had hoped. "They took all the funniest parts and showed them in the advertisement." A good lesson in marketing.

We also enjoyed some fun with my nephew Mikey. The boys had a blast playing with their little cousin, and E loved when Mikey wore E's Sponge Bob slippers as long as he did. What a cutie. I'm so glad he enjoyed being with the boys as much as they enjoyed him.
His dad, my brother, had gastric bypass surgery while we were there. I got to see him in the hospital, and other than a grouchiness which demonstrates the disappointment that his idea that the whole thing was going to be a walk in the park was wrong, he is doing fine. Unfortunately though, bringing him his belongings meant that we got a late start home, and missed R's soccer practice. Not ones to waste an opportunity, we stopped into the West Farms Mall, and got some Christmas shopping done for B, and a quick heely around both floors of the entire mall, before continuing home.

I've learned the beauty of listening to audio books while driving to Maine alone. I can listen to whatever I want since the boys watch the DVD player, and the three and a half hour drive zips right by. I still have two discs to finish though! Ender's Game has been great so far. I will probably pick up the next one (it's a trilogy) in book form.

B was making hamburgers when we arrived home, so when they were done we all sat and visited and recounted our weekend. We all had a really enjoyable time.

Family Reunion in Maine

We went to Maine on Thursday, and had an easy going afternoon visiting with Grandma. The trip up was tough since we did not use the DVD player in the car. B has been getting sick of all the complaining about who has to clean it all up when we get back home, so he put the cabash on bringing it this time. R sat in the back row of the van listening to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (yes, he is starting them all over from the beginning), and E tried to keep busy with the tons of activities I had packed for him. He actually did a great job.

That evening she had to go out, so B and I enjoyed some of Lost, on a DVD we had brought, while the boys slept.

Friday morning we took a tour of Tom's of Maine. The company moved to my mom's town a couple of years ago (which I hadn't heard till now) and gives tours of the factory.
I was really bummed that they wouldn't let us take photos, but here's one I swiped from their website. We couldn't actually go into the room where they were making the toothpaste, but we saw the enormous tubes it was squished through along the ceiling into the room we were allowed in, saw it being squirted into the tubes, and the tubes being crimped shut. Then the machine put them into the boxes.

They make toothpaste every day, but alternate days on their other machine, between mouthwash and deodorant. Unfortunately we got there at break time though, and that machine wasn't on. The factory is so close to my mom's house though, that we will go back and see them make deodorant another time.

Yeah, we got free samples. Toothpaste and floss. We also got to write our names on the wall of their factory tour visitor's room. Definitely a very cool (and free) tour, which we will do again.

After the tour we went to the movies at Smitty's, which is a movie theater and restaurant combined. We had lunch and watched Underdog, which was a riot.

After that we went and did some blueberry picking. Blueberries are just coming into season in Maine, and it was easy pickin's. It started to rain though, so we needed to cut it short.

We spent an easy evening at home, since we knew the next day would be busy. We had a really fun family day. B and I did comment, at one point during the movies, that it was nice to just be doing easy going, enjoyable things, out together as a family.

Saturday was our family reunion. It was at a park nearby my mom's house.
My grandmother likes to remind everyone that she is in her "90th year", I guess so that when she plans something people show up. She is concerned that the family will drift apart (she has eight children, 17 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren) when she dies, so she likes to get us together as often as she can arrange (and pay!) for it.

R and B started their day playing some par 3 golf with Aunt Debbie and Uncle Rob. It meant they'd be late for the reunion, but R really wanted to fit it in. So B took my mom's car and I took my mom and E, and all the people my mom always picks up for things like this. We were one of the first ones there and helped to set up.

I volunteered to provide the music for this gathering, and I have to admit, I did a great job. I got compliments all day. A little something for everyone. I put together six CD's worth of music, and more than one person asked me for copies at the end of the day.

Everyone had a fun time, and the boys didn't want to leave when it was over. Both boys love playing with all of their cousins. R was the first of five boys born into our family in 1997, so there's a lot of fun to be had. They had a wonderful time swimming in the lake and learning to play horseshoes, which E is totally into now.

Sunday we spent some time with Grandma (my mom) and Aunt Debbie before heading home. Grandma treated us to lunch at the Applebees which recently opened in her town (and which was surprisingly very good), gave the boys each their requisite $5 to spend at Dollar Tree, and we did some more blueberry picking.

A very enjoyable weekend!

Camping

It took two hours and 50 minutes to get to our Vermont campground. What a gorgeous drive.

We had an enjoyable weekend, despite the rain, which at times on Saturday, was heavy. It stopped both nights (Friday and Saturday) in times for s'mores though.

The boys had a fabulous time swimming in the river. Yes, I swam too, on Friday night after setting up camp, and Sunday afternoon after breaking down camp. The water in the river was beautiful, but all those rocks really hurt my butt. And today (Monday) my ankles are killing me too. Okay, thanks to D, here's a photo of me trying to get comfortable out there on a rock, to let the water flow over my back the way I was instructed:

Yeah, I nearly killed myself doing it, but my kids will always have the memory of me giggling my way up the river. Even if it meant a few bruises along the way.

I'm pretty proud of the progress I'm making with my scarf. Even if there are gaping holes all over the place. L was good about fixing up some of my mistakes, and it was also cool to watch her knit for a few moments, and compare her technique with her mom's. She was also very good in telling me that some people do lots of mistakes like mine on purpose for a certain "look". I wish I could remember the term she used, it was really cute.

I don't know that I'll ever get those tiny finger movements down, that both D and L do, but I'm perfectly happy with "good enough". Will I get the bug? I honestly don't know. For now, I'll finish up my scarf and see if I miss doing it when it's done.

Our friends camp at this place pretty regularly, and L has become friendly with one of the women who work there. So she ended up marching in a local parade representing the state park. The parade was about ten minutes long, and was about as hokey as they come. What a hoot. I especially enjoyed the Cairo Hillbillies Clan, and bagpipe group consisting of one man. The boys especially liked the ridiculous amounts of candy they got (kind of bummed here that candy is what parades have become all about for them; I don't remember candy at parades when I was a kid).

Overall we had a fun weekend. My only regret is that our campsites, although next to each other, were further apart from our friends' than I had hoped. Which meant that once the boys were in bed, we couldn't go next door for some grown-up visiting.

Lots more photos can be seen here. Or by clicking on the link at the right.

Around the dinner table that night: "What was your favorite thing about this weekend?".
Me: Making s'mores around the campfire with our friends.
B: Fishing.
R: Swimming in the river.
E: Everything.

B in Alaska

It was torture to be without a camera while B was away. It was also difficult to be without him. It was a lonely and long week for all of us. I got a good taste of life as a single parent - ew.

We did do some fun things though.

We got a very cool invite to do some swimming with friends in Glastonbury at an awesome spot. (Thanks for the photos, Debbie.)

We spent some time with Nagy Papa. He joined us one night for Chinese food and a Steel Drum Band performance at the Torrington Public Library, which was excellent. The guys who did it not only performed but informed, as well. Great show.

R had tennis lessons every day at 8 am. Yeah, that's 8 am.

We attended three birthday parties, the last of which B joined us for. His flight was delayed for a whole day since they were fogged in, or he could've attended two.

Yes, he had an incredibly amazing time. Check out his photos by clicking on the link on the right. In the meantime, here's a clue:
Two hundred and sixty pounds. Getting that thing in was a group effort, but I understand that Matt did most of the work.

And now I have 100 pounds of halibut in my freezer, a fish which is relatively high in mercury and that we shouldn't eat more than once a month. Whoever you are, next time you see us, expect to get some fish!

B is in Alaska, fishing

His first day he caught a 67 pound halibut. He's also caught some salmon (which I am glad of since it has less mercury than halibut). He's having an amazing time. He took my camera, so hopefully we'll have some good photos to look at when he returns. Luckily he gets phone service if he stands "just so" outside his lodge, so we've been able to speak to him every morning, despite the four hour time difference. Having that cell phone from work has been handy.

That first day I spoke to him, he called from Juneau and said there were five cruise ships in the harbour. I was glad to hear it as this was the main reason I could not muster up excitement to organize a trip for the rest of us to go. It would have been like going to Disney World during vacation week in February. R and I have discussed it and someday we will get out there together. It is a place I will see before I die.

It's been tough living without a camera here at home.

Our Niagara Falls Vacation

Next time I will spend the extra money on a hotel with free internet service so that I can get my blogging in every night. Looking back, I wish I had at least typed it all into B's laptop each night so I could just transfer it over when we got home. Happily, I do still remember it all though. I've got to get it all down before it starts slipping though. Old age is not agreeing with me...

We had utilized the TripTik function on the AAA site to plan our trip. Very very cool. If you are taking a driving trip and are looking for things to do along the way, I highly recommend it.
The green pushpin represents our starting location, the red represents the finish, and the yellow our stops along the way.

First stop on Saturday: The Springfield Museums in Massachusetts. We've been here many times and have always enjoy it.
No matter what's going on inside these four museums though, our favorite thing is always interacting with all of the Dr. Seuss statues outside.

We had dinner at Calamari's Seafood Grill in West Springfield. I found it on the AAA site. I'm so glad I did, because it wasn't the best looking place from the outside, so we never would have chosen it otherwise. But the food was absolutely fantastic.

We spent the night in West Springfield too. A Days Inn. Which didn't have a pool. Big mistake on my part.


Morning two (Sunday) found us driving 45 miles to the Norman Rockwell Museum, which in terms of seeing things, was a definite highlight of the vacation for me. I have wanted to go here for a long time, and am so glad I had the opportunity to do so.

I have made a habit of keeping "picture books" on individual artists in the back seat of our car, for the boys to look through during time spent there. I found a hardcover Norman Rockwell book at the Glastonbury Book Sale for $3 a couple of years ago, so the boys are very familiar with his work, which is incredibly detailed and realistic looking.

The museum offers free guided tours every hour, but it was crowded so we skipped that. Instead, R and I paid for the audio tour, which was excellent, while B and E enjoyed the well-done scavenger hunt flyer they so thoughtfully provide for younger kids. I even bought myself a print. I wanted to spend the $80 on a framed one, but I went for the print only, for $20 and will frame it myself.

We had lunch out of our cooler in the parking lot. I'm so glad I packed that thing; it came in so handy. I didn't even care so much about the money we were saving, but it saved an awful lot of time. Sitting, being served, waiting for a check, etc. can take a chunk out of the day.

After lunch we drove 82 miles to Howe Caverns.
I couldn't gauge reaction to this place while we were there, but when we came home R explained about all the different kind of rocks to Nagy Papa, so I guess he got a lot out of it. He was more enthusiastic explaining it later than when we were there. E got bored half way through, but I wasn't really paying attention because I had my own problems.

The most exciting part of the day for me was when, about half way through the tour, I dropped my eye glasses into the depths below. Our tourguide said he'd inform maintenance about it when the tour was over, but I have to admit it made it difficult for me to enjoy the rest of the tour. My glasses had been in my pocket with my camera (I know I don't take very good care of them) and when I pulled out my camera the glasses came flying out and down. It worked out fine though. One of the off-duty tourguides walked back down with me later, and climbed down to look for them. Luckily they were found!

After all that excitement we drove to the next town over, Cobeskill, and found an excellent pizza place where I had one of the best eggplant parmesan subs (grinders, hero's) I've ever had. Our waitress explained that her grandmother makes and freezes all their food every Sunday. Boy, it was good. Then we drove 118 miles to our Super 8 motel in Syracuse.

Morning three (Monday, Labor Day) we drove 46 miles to the Women's Rights National Historical Park. I had wanted to visit this place ever since we studied the Women's Rights movement with our Time Travelers Club several years ago. This was definitely another highlight for me. We started at the Wesleyan Chapel and then made our way into the visitor center. Not so fun for the boys, but B kept them busy while I absorbed it all. It was powerful stuff; a place every woman should get to in her lifetime.


We skipped the National Women's Hall of Fame right down the street, which had been on the schedule. I couldn't be that selfish. Instead we had our lunch and played some soccer in a park nearby. Then we drove 67 miles to the Jell-o Museum. Yes, there is such a thing, and B had been the one to insist I put it on the schedule. I'm glad I did. It was "cheesy" but it was fun.


After that we drove 70 miles to the Days Inn in Ontario, Canada. When we got there we found a message from some friends. They had gone to Buffalo for a family function and headed to the falls for a couple of nights before heading home. Turns out they were staying in the hotel right across the street from ours!

After checking in, and checking out the pool, we drove around and found a place for dinner. We found a place with a parking lot packed with Ontario-plated cars, but once we ate there we wondered why. Outrageous prices for poor food. Anyhow, after dinner we joined our friends for our first look at the falls. Not all that impressive at night. But it was a great beginning, and we did get to spend some time with friends before they headed home the next morning.

Next morning (Tuesday) we headed across the street for breakfast. The hotel had given us 20% off coupons for the all-you-can-eat buffet. We ate there again the next day too. Food in the area is outrageously expensive, and frankly not worth it.

After breakfast we went to the Skylon Tower which offers a gorgeous overhead view of the falls. We don't have a panoramic camera, but here's two photos put together. It sure was breathtaking, and elicited the oohs and aahs which had been missing from the contrivedly lit falls the night before.

We were very glad that the incredibly crowded streets from the night before, which was Labor Day, had completely emptied. Other than that hour or so that night, we had everything almost to ourselves, just as we homeschoolers love it. And the people we did share space with were all well-behaved adults. It was awesome.

After the Skylon Tower, we headed to the Journey Behind the Falls, which is exactly what its name implies. We walked along the man-made caves behind the horseshoe falls, and looked out open "windows" to the water flowing down.
Next was the Whirlpool Aerocar; an 11-minute cable car ride back and forth over the section of the Niagara River which turns sharply and makes a huge whirlpool in the area where it does. The view was spectacular and we learned about fishing in the area. Apparently fishermen fight for the best spots here.

We headed back to the hotel for a swim and a rest before heading to the dinner theater we had scheduled. Oh Canada, eh? (pronounced aye) was expensive and worth every penny. We had great seats and the boys were the center of attention more than once when the cast came down to interact with the audience. It was goofy and fun and the food was excellent. Going to Niagara Falls? This is a don't miss. However, wait till you get there to purchase tickets so you can utilize the kids-get-in-free coupons in the hotel lobby for a substantial savings. Call or stop in for tickets as soon as you have those coupons though because seating is based on who buys tickets first.

We rushed back to the hotel and watched Rockstar Supernova. R and I had been enjoying it for several weeks, and were disappointed that we couldn't vote. We were happy to have found it to watch though.

On Wednesday we took a break from the falls and spent the day at Marineland, which is Canada's answer to SeaWorld. The marine life was amazing.
We saw a very entertaining dolphin /seal /walrus show, extremely large amounts of Beluga whales being fed and touched by those willing to pay large amounts to do so, and our favorite, the killer whales, who went around their tank splashing spectators. We liked that event so much that we saw it twice. The Beluga whale photo came out the best though. There were so many of them!

We also enjoyed the rides. E especially, who we discovered is a daredevil and is not afraid of anything. R on the other hand, congratulated himself on making it through the very conservative rollercoaster with no minimum height requirements.

There were a couple of animal exhibits that I did not feel good about. One was the black bears who I couldn't help feeling sorry for. I hate seeing animals having their dignity taken away from them, and it especially hurts when those animals are otherwise so independent and proud.

The other group which disturbed me was the deer "petting zoo". Check this out, it is only about a fifth of what was there. I mean, how could this not be disturbing? Even the boys seemed surprised and not sure how to react. It was incredible to see all the deer attack anyone who purchased food to feed them. The whole deer experience was quite bizarre, and when B wanted to go back to videotape it because he had missed it earlier, R and I agreed that it wasn't necessary, that we'd remember it just fine without the video.

We skipped the elk exhibit since we have a season pass to the Bronx Zoo, and because it was so darn far away. Everything was so darn far away. Final crappy thing about this place is that it's way too spread out. Way way way too spread out. In the summer when it is packed with millions of people it probably doesn't feel quite so sparse, but when we had the whole place to ourselves we could definitely see it needed some more attractions between the ones they have. Their website says they are working on new stuff, but until they have that stuff up and running you should just be aware that if you go, you will be doing a lot of walking for three good aquarium shows and some very spread out, but adequate rides. And in the end you will be exhausted from all the walking.

However your children will have a wonderful time if you do not point out the negative aspects.

We were thrilled to find a restaurant called Zappi's Pizza and Subs at the corners of Stanley Avenue and Dunn Street. We finally managed to feed the four of us for less than $30 (and we're talking every meal,) and the food was excellent. B and I split an Italian Veggie sub and a Chicken Parm sub, and the boys had pizza. We were tired so we took our food "home" to the hotel, where we enjoyed it while watching some TV.

Thursday the 7th, our sixth day, we headed over to the New York side. We went up to the Power Vista, which is a must-see for any self-respecting homeschooling family. It is all about how the power of the river is harnessed for hydro-electricity at that site. The woman who normally gives schools their tours was dying to give us a personal tour once she found out we were homeschoolers, and it was exceptionally cool when she brought E and R up in front of a small lecture area and made E's hair stand on end, and R make a handful of styrofoam peanuts fly away when he let them go. It was even cooler when a group of seniors walked by and joined in the fun. What an awesome place and a terrific visit. No photos though; it's all on video.

We headed down to Goat Island next, and all agreed that Three Sisters Island was one of our favorite spots. You could go right up to the river and touch it and really feel the power of the river at its peak before it hits the falls. Extra clothes for E would've been a smart move.

Lastly on Thursday we went to the Cave of the Winds. This is where you can go down beside the falls and actually stand within 15 feet of them. Lots of splashing going on here. Wear the outfit they give you and roll up your pants as high as you can. In fact, do the Maid of the Mist first and keep their slickers to wear here, since those are longer.

This was my and E's favorite activity at the falls (R's was the Skylon Tower, and B never decided) since you could actually stand close enough to feel like you were really under them, and get down "directly" beneath them to feel them beating down on you. Fifteen feet away the power was enormous. It was very cool.

While on the island we also enjoyed the trolley ride which was dirt cheap. In New York the falls are actually a state park, so things they were in charge of were reasonably priced. Had I known that the American side was so nice, we would have planned for more time there. The state park is lovely and we could have definitely enjoyed that more than we did. We wished we had our bikes.

We finished up the New York side with dinner at a place called Jade Garden. Someone on TripAdvisor had recommended it, so we checked it out. Well apparently the person who recommended it has never had good chinese food, because to call this good was a huge error in judgment. Or given the benefit of the doubt, a complete lack of experience. Steer clear of this place.

In the midst of all this fun, during the course of the week we were also enjoying the hotel pool quite a bit. Someone had put bubbles in the jacuzzi, and the boys were just loving that. Bubbles and goggles are a fun set of tools.

They also enjoyed playing some pool of the table sort, since there was a pool table right outside the swimming pool room. Along the way one night we got to see a few fireworks from our room too. R heard them first and we had a nice surprise when we looked out the window. It was a nice surprise since fireworks are only scheduled for Fridays and Sundays.

On the seventh and final day of our journey, we went for a swim and packed up the car. We checked out, but left our car in the (free) Days Inn Parking lot while we walked down Clifton Avenue on our final trip to the falls. R chooses not to read well yet, so he had no idea that he was walking past the Guiness Book of World Records museum, Brick City (a lego "museum") and a museum of criminals. We did enjoy Indiana Jones in front of the wax museum, and some other thing with a giant head which spoke to us as we walked by. The boys also enjoyed perusing through an incredibly well thought-out children's souvenir shop. We did manage to escape without buying anything. Boy that one block is a huge money pit. I'm so glad we had managed to avoid it our whole trip thus far. It must look cool all lit up at night though.

We reached the Maid of the Mist tour right when it opened and were the second boat to go out. Again, no waiting. (This homeschooling thing rocks.) Here is a photo of the boat before us; it had departed from the New York side (they alternate). This tour was a really good one for us to finish on. We saw a beautiful rainbow down there, and the mood was definitely a nice reflective one as we discussed our favorite activities during the week, and why they were.

We walked back up Clifton Avenue, luckily saving gawking-time by returning on the same side on which we had come down. Picked up our car and made our last stop before the bridge back to the USA; the duty free shop to get our tax refund, where we not only got $9 in cash back, but E also picked up a fine camera which shows photos of the falls when you look into it.

The drive home was very long. On the way to Niagara Falls we had alternated time with the DVD player and without, but on the way home we just let 'er rip. I have to admit, the drive there had been quite lovely. I had truly enjoyed seeing miles of corn. And soybeans (I think). I noticed the hawk sitting on the fence post beside the highway. I enjoyed seeing cows the likes of which I had never seen before. And The Goo Goo Dolls and Tom Petty were very appropriate accompaniment. But the drive home was long. Very long.

We actually stopped back at Calamari's in West Springfield for dinner again, and were not disappointed in the food. It was crowded though since it was 8 pm instead of 6 pm as last time. We got home late enough for the boys to have fallen asleep in the car.

All the photos are posted. Check out the links on the right. They all go to the same place, but you can at least see what you're looking for. They are here for you too. Hopefully the links here will work. If not, use the one on the side.

• 9.06 Niagara Falls
• 9.06 Jell-o Museum
• 9.06 Women's Rights National Historic Park
• 9.06 Howe Caverns
• 9.06 Norman Rockwell Museum
• 9.06 Springfield Museums

All-in-all we had a wonderful time. It was the perfect vacation for our family. And since we did not spend money flying, and saved an awful lot on hotels by going off-season, it looks like we will be off on another vacation next year, instead of alternating years the way we had been. Woo hoo!

Philadelphia

Our trip to Philadelphia was totally amazing. The drive was not too bad, and once we got there we started at the Information Center, where we learned it was pretty much too late in the day to do much except see the liberty bell. So that's what we did. It was the first time B had ever seen it and his excitement was contagious, although the fact that E wouldn't smile for a stranger holding our camera doesn't really demonstrate it all too well. We stopped into a restaurant for some sandwiches, then at a candy store, supposedly, according to the sign out front, the country's first.
E and R got a gummy snake and worms, respectively, and we took a picture of them enjoying their snacks so we could send it off to Grandma and gross her out. E especially loves "upsetting" Grandma with snakes, since she is terrified of them.

We also stumbled upon the location where Franklin's home once stood, and visited the printer who currently demonstrates there. And we came across the cemetary where Franklin's body is buried. Later we found out that it is good luck to throw coins on his grave, so we had to return so E could do so. Luckily it is pretty central.

Finally we headed to my cousin Christine's, and her fiance Nate's house. They were gracious enough to allow us to crash there for the couple of nights, which we really appreciate since we saved a couple of hundred dollars. They live about 45 minutes west of the city, depending on the time of day we drove it. It was really wonderful to stay there. Christine is such a super person and B and I have always enjoyed her and Nate's company. I probably wouldn't have invited myself if I didn't like them both so much.

The old country house they rent is totally charming, and their pets are loved as much as any babies could be. Christine was an excellent hostess and made us some yummy broccoli calzones for dinner one evening. I brought the recipe home. Nate is a veterinarian and works long hours, so R and E actually never had the chance to visit with him. But B and I did. I must say visiting with Christine and Nate really added to the enjoyment of the trip for me.

On day two we went right to the visitor's center to get tickets to the Franklin Exhibit at the Constitution Center; the whole reason we journeyed to Philadelphia. We also got tickets for the tour of Independence Hall, where both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were written.

We headed over to Constitution Center and started with Signer's Hall. It had life-sized statues of all the people who signed the Declaration of Independence. We enjoyed walking around hunting for those from Connecticut, and R took a picture of one of the reps from Mass wearing his Red Sox hat. We also enjoyed having the opportunity to sign a copy of the Declaration ourselves.

We saw a little bit of the main exhibit hall before it was time for our visit to the Franklin exhibit. They let new groups of people in every half hour, but I don't know why because we were in there an hour and a half. I don't know how E managed so long, unless he was complaining to B and I didn't hear about it.

In any case, it was an excellent exhibit; lot of his personal belongings were there, and several items written in his own hand. We also enjoyed seeing the armonica; the musical instrument he invented. The curators did a great job keeping it interesting for all ages, there were lots of hands-on things to do. We really learned a lot. I so wish they would have allowed photos to be taken. There is a inkling about it on the website, but not enough to do it justice.

We headed from there to see the multimedia presentation in that building. It was designed to inspire us before heading into the main exhibit hall. The boys seemed to enjoy it, but at that point had had enough, so we skipped seeing the rest and headed out.

We headed over to Independence Hall next. They make you arrive so early for security, but this time of year and that time of day it was not at all crowded, so we hung out in the park before our tour began.Our legs were getting tired and we really needed that time to rest, so it worked out perfectly.

We enjoyed seeing the halls where the important documents of our country were written. But E finally lost patience in those rooms, and our day was over. I was really proud at how he had managed to stay attentive, and at least not disruptive throughout the whole day. I could certainly appreciate the potential for that happening, since his interest in Franklin nowhere near matches that of his brother. On the way back to the car I saw a sign for ice-cream in a dollar store so we stopped and got some. It was probably his favorite part of the day.

On our last day we headed to the Franklin Institute. We were happy to get in free with our membership card from our own Science Center here in Hartford. I have to say that this place is hands down the best science museum we have been to thus far. It was so totally amazing. We did not manage to do it all in one day, despite the five hours we spent there. It was so hands-on and incredibly done.

The section for younger children was disappointingly not well maintained, but there was still lots to do.
If my computer cooperates, I'll post a link to the rest of the photos I took on our trip. I cannot emphasize enough how phenomenal this place was. We are so looking forward to going back.

Our drive home was loooong. I had begun to catch R's cold during the day and B was kind enough to drive the entire way. It took a long time. Mostly because it was hard after a full day of activities.

Our trip was really wonderful. The only thing I would do different is the time of year. We rushed down to see the Franklin exhibit before it closed on April 30th, and I'm so glad we did. However, next time we will be heading down in the autumn when all the kids will be in school, and no field trips are planned. Every place we headed there were swarms of school students without enough supervision.

It made us so sad to see them being torn from exhibits they were really interested in because the class was moving on. We really appreciated being homeschoolers, especially during our tour of the Franklin exhibit. During the hour and a half we took to see it, we witnessed many many different school children being rushed through. We are blessed.