And off to Orlando

Yes, the adventure continues.  Next stop.....Orlando, Florida!!!

We met up with some friends from back home for a few days excursion at the Nick hotel.

Where we got to hang out with...........

Think the kids are a wee bit excited about our stay?  She was jumping up and down and he was dancing a little jig!

Literally within seconds of checking in Simone has found the lagoon pool- and her pal.  And there they stayed, for many many hours....

While the little guy caught up on his zzzz's poolside!

But soon enough we dried off to check out the hotel room. 

And boy was it cool!  We had a sponge bob themed room with cool bunk beds and bikini bottom walls!

The top bunk was a perfect spot for snack & tv time....

And the walls were begging the kids to do a funky dance....

But soon our tummies were grumbling and we headed out to Rainforest Cafe for some yummy grub!  Sammy & pal P made friends with the elephant.

Pretty girls!  It was great Simone had a best friend built into vacation, it kept her entertained and Adam and I had some other adults to help chase Sammy Wei to hang out with.

Sammy was amazed with the restaurant and all the activity.  Every time there was a rain shower he climbed into the nearest lap and pretended to shake.  I think he really loved it....

Oh my handsome fellow!  It looks like he was trying to read the signs to find the ice cream shop.....

So that was our first day in Orlando.  It was a good start to a fun couple of days!

More exciting memories to come......

J

Part 2...the fun continues

Did I mention how much we squeezed into a week....?

Well, believe me when I say that it was a lot of fun stuff.  We were lucky to make it to a park on the water for some morning play before nap time...and before more family arrived to visit!  The kids had a blast playing and I was thrilled to be able to get together with one of my dearest pals and her family!

And have I ever mentioned how Sammy has NO fear and runs any playground like he's been playing there for years?  Well, that's my Sammy Wei...taking over playgrounds near and far.

Thankfully Simone is around to keep him from tumbling too far.  And to rescue him from dinosaurs....

But who is this darling?  Well that's Ms. A and her sassy pigtails!  Sammy seemed to like her and they played around each other quite a bit while seeming to keep their distance.  Very cute!

Weeeee.........

Ms. A and her wonderful Mama! 

Ummm...rocking out to AC/DC?  Or smiling...?
 Either one, it's a typical Sammy face.

And a typical Simone face....lovely!

Still playing "together". 

And Simone's busy doing her thing.
 And then....

She spotted this. 
Which became a crab hunt with a group of other kids!

While these two just kept playing!

What a super fun morning it was!  I am so glad the kids got to see the gulf and play in the sand and water. 

Then the surprise visit from another favorite Uncle!  Yes...and Yay..... it's Uncle Fred!!!!

Both kids were so happy to see him again and had such a great afternoon playing with him.

And Aunt Annie came for a bit again.  Sammy was very happy and gave a lot of hugs and pats.

And since we had built in babysitters...Adam and I got a date night! 

We had a nice dinner and some quiet time together!  Trust me, this is a rare occurrence and we totally enjoyed it!  (Thanks Ma & Pop for this treat!)

And we got to watch the sunset over Dunedin Beach while enjoying a nice glass of vino.

But alas, our time in Clearweater ended very quickly so we could continue our vacation in Orlando!

One last photo with the grandparents and we were on the road again....

But the fun still continues....

J

Spring Break - part 1

It was Spring Break for Simone last week which meant a full week off from school!  And being that we haven't technically "vacationed" since summer Adam & I decided on a road trip to Florida!

Wait, hold on....did I hear a couple of groans out there?

Oh, I see.  Some of you are remembering the disastrous not so great road trip from last year.  Yes...we were a bit uncertain as well - but figured we had nothing better to do so, what the heck, we gave it a try it.

And............It went great.  The kids slept for most of the drive there and were well entertained by that certain purple dinosaur and the yellow sponge dude for the remainder of the trip. 

And really, we are so glad we went since the kids had such a blast in Orlando and we were even able to sneak in a few days to visit family in Clearwater.  It was a week packed full of activity that left Adam and I needing a retreat, but that made some wonderful family memories!  In fact, we packed so much into our time there that it'll probably take a few posts to be able to share it all...so this I name "part 1".

We spent a lot of time with Adam's family and were thrilled to be able to see both his parents and some Aunts, Uncles and cousins!  And we had some free time to meet up quickly with some pals :-) although not nearly enough time to see them all  :-(

On our way out and about we got to drop by to see one of my oldest pals and her family at the ball park.  Her son was pitching that day, so it was such a treat to be able to see him throwing that ball!   And we got a family photo while we were there...

Sammy was very interested in Nick and wanted to get on the field and hit a few of his pitches.  Nick was gracious enough to chat with both kiddos, which made them feel so special!

Sammy liked the ball.  I think...

And the pool was the place to be.  Simone couldn't get enough and swam like a fish!  We were lucky the weather was warm because those kids would not stay out of that water.

And Auntie JoJo and Uncle Marc came for the day.  The kids have missed them so much since they moved back and were beyond thrilled to spend some great time with them. 

Oh...all cuddles with Auntie!

 

Last year she never would have jumped in the pool.  But this year......

Naturally Sammy followed suit.....Thankfully JoJo was there to catch him.

Aunt Annie came for dinner with cousin Daniel.  Both kids were so happy to see them again and had so much fun hanging out.

Lot's of giggles on the floor...and Harry dog came with Auntie which made the visit all the better for Sammy!

  To finish we have more cuddles on the couch...

So ends part 1 of our great spring break!  There sure is a bunch more to come....

J

Odds and ends of fun

Life around these parts is as busy as ever, but we have a lot of fun each day!  It's been great with Sammy getting older and being able to do so much more with us.  He's becoming an easy traveler, like his big sis, and he's starting to understand boundaries and is really becoming a much better listener.  So we have been taking more fun day trips with him!

A few weeks ago we went to W*nderworks with some friends.  It's an interactive museum that has a lot of really cool things for the kids (and adults) to explore!   

The kids all loved the space room and enjoyed trying out the spaceship!

And what could be better than a giant keyboard!

Well for this fellow the motorcycles where even more thrilling!  I had to pull him off after about 15 minutes so other people could have a turn.  Luckily there was so much more to explore!

And my brave girl....

 This was a flight simulator that actually closed all the way up and went upside down and all around.  I never thought Simone would do it but she really wanted to!  My pal went in with her since I was holding Sammy Wei-who was VERY unhappy that he was too little to join in on the action.  Simone said it was awesome!

And Simone's class performed in a musical show at school.  It was adorable and very fun to watch.  I loved seeing my big girl out there singing and dancing and totally enjoying herself!

What a little ham....

Sammy liked it too!

But he liked the school mascot even more.  He chased that poor leopard the entire evening, showering it with plenty of hugs and even pulling it's tail!

And on to play time fun!  Some FCC buddies were putting a playhouse up for their daughter and some of us volunteered to help.  Didn't take much to convince us either...an afternoon of fun for the kids and some adult conversation with great pal, well naturally we're in!

Simone just loves SP and treats him like he's her other brother!  And he's such a sweet little guy....

SP & Sammy cleaned up after all the play!

I just love how Sammy has to be in the midst of it all~

There was outdoor fun as well!

"Please take this carrot as a symbol of my friendship...."

Looks like he's saying "ugh, these ladies.....already measuring for curtains!"

The playhouse turned out great and I know it'll get a lot of use!  And what a fun day we all got to have...

I threw this photo in just because I thought it was cute!  He looks so grown up, and yet with his little toes sticking out he still holds that babyness..

So that's my collection of odds and ends.  This week will have many more fun memories made, I am very sure...so I'll be posting about that soon!

J

Just let go.....

That's what Simone told me.

"Just let him go, Mom....it'll be alright" she said.

It was as simple as letting go of Sammy so he could glide down the slide into her waiting arms.  But her words...let go...well, they haunted me and gave me a pit in my stomach. 

It was more than just the slide- of course it was.  It was about this internal struggle I have regularly, this wish to keep him my baby forever but knowing I have to let him grow.  The knowledge that I must be the one to push him forward, to guide him and to not take the easier road, that path where I hold tight to his babyhood and keep him all to myself.  It was all about letting go.

It seemed easier with Simone, almost like a drifting.  We drifted apart, we drifted back.  She never seemed too far away, like I never fully released her.  Maybe it was because I knew there would be another, once she grew a bit I'd have baby #2 to love and cuddle.  But Sammy appears to be it, my last baby. 
Or maybe it was because she was my first child and I was still too naive in not realizing just how quickly they do grow, just how fast I'd lose my baby to childhood.  Now I know better.

I guess what really started me thinking on this path was a remark his new teacher said to me.  Ah, yes...I did say new teacher.  You see, Sammy has started day care, just two days a week.  Two very long days for me.
But back to his teacher.  She told me "Sammy needs to start getting used to others helping him and being here for him.  It's not always going to be Mama doing for him, and he needs to understand that". 

Harsh words?  Or plain honesty....?

Well either way, I felt like telling her how wrong she was.  I wanted to let her know that she didn't understand- that it is my job, my duty and my biggest joy to take care of him.  That's what I do....I tie the shoes, fix the meals, brush the teeth, get the juice, rock to sleep.  I make sure they are happy, fed and clean.  I worry about them, feel pride in their every accomplishment and amaze at all the love I feel for them.  Me- Mama.  

Oh, how I felt like yelling at her "I waited too long for him, prayed too hard for him and wanted so badly to get him.  I can't just let you have him"! 

And I felt like running away from her, from there, and just keeping him all to myself, never letting him go.   I wanted to keep him in these moments, these moments where Mama is all he needs, the only one he wants.   I keep trying to hold on to this stage of his life that passes all to quickly - but I know I can't.  I can't even slow it down.  He'll grow, my Sammy Wei, and soon enough he'll be letting go of me.

So for now I'll just have to trust in those words.
I'll have to just let go....
J