A Vacation from Vacation

Voted one of the best beaches in America, we decided to stop over in Hilton Head on our way home from Florida. Truth be told, we needed a vacation from our vacation. It truly has the best white sand (and no sand fleas!) and the warmest water with a constant breeze to keep you cool. I also give this island props for being so clean. However, I have never been to a beach that sounds a horn at the siting of sharks. Today this happened to us. For half an hour we watched the fins of the sharks bob up and down near the shoreline of the hotel. We witnessed helicopters and small boats all doing their best to keep them at bay. For this, I think Hilton Head should also be given the title of "Most Authentic." It was an experience that the boys will not forget - me either for that matter.

Disney World

Loaded with a sack full of meds, our entire kitchen of snack foods, swim gear, backpacks full of toys, DVD player and movies, and oh yeah, our clothes, we made the long drive to Florida. It was a fairly easy drive, even for the the boys, and here are the highlights of our week long stay at Disney World.

1. The meal plan is a must. It saved us tons of money and I didn't have to fret about buying yet another drink when the boys became hot and tired. However, do heed the advice of reserving dinners prior to arrival because a nice sit down dinner is hard to find at any park. We spent countless hours trying to find a place to eat dinner. 

2. If I had a little girl, Magic Kingdom would be the place to go for a princess make-over, but my two boys didn't even want to look at the castle. However, they loved the Buzz Lightyear Ride. I remember riding the Great Mountain Railroad as a kid and it was just as fun as an adult. Yes, we did see Mickey Mouse. We have the pic to prove it. And prior to the ride "Scary Adventures of Snow White", I do not think my boys had heard the story of Snow White, the wicked witch, and the poisonous apple. The apple part of the story was intriguing to the boys. Now all imaginative play includes a poisonous apple.

3. Epcot was by far the best park for all four of us. Mission to Mars was the best ride, according to Evan. Unfortunately, Keagan and I couldn't ride it. The lunch at the German Beer Hall was the best meal we had. We also loved the ride Test Track! Who wouldn't want to go 60 mph around a curve in a race car?

4. Hollywood Studios was a great park for the boys because they were able to meet lots of characters with really short lines. We sang the theme song to Power Rangers for half the day. Evan trained with the Jedi Master and is now an official Padawan. This was the best part of the trip for him.

5. We loved, loved, loved Animal Kingdom and the safari ride. The boys really liked the show "It's Tough to be a Bug" because they were squirted with water and had electronic bugs crawl around their backs. The Tree of Life is amazing with the etching of hundreds of animals.

6. Shamu is big, real big, and he can splash huge waves of water into the audience, much to the boys delight.

7. There is no way to have a good hair day in Florida. The humidity and frequent rain showers make this impossible.

Now for a vacation from our vacation...We are headed to the beach!

Parting Gift

Many thanks are being sent to the student that sent the gift of pharyngitis my way the last week of school. 

1. There is something to be said with the uncanny ability to sweat buckets of water while shivering uncontrollably.

2. It is true that I am a person of few words, but the inability to speak anything for days on end was a special gift for my husband. He didn't hear me nag once about the dirty dishes or laundry to be folded, but I was also unable to articulate any warning for my son who tried to climb the pantry for a juice box.

3. Because of this gift I was able to attempt the skill of gargling milk and lidocaine hydrochloride. Unfortunately, it was not a skill that I perfected. Nor is it one that I would like to try again. However, I have perfected the skill of storing saliva in my cheeks because swallowing was so painful that I avoided it all cost.

4. My boys also learned that the ER at the Fort Belvoir Hospital has a cool playground and an icecream truck that frequents the property. However, the waiting area is not nearly as appealing with police officers, CPS officials, and old ladies claiming to have TB. 

5. Although I always said that I could eat Breyers peach icecream everyday for my entire life, I am pretty certain that I will never again be able to eat it with the same level of satisfaction. For some reason eating it while gritting my teeth with the pain of swallowing removes any enjoyment from eating my favorite dessert.

On second thought perhaps thanks doesn't encompass my true feelings. A few choice words are coming to mind... But it all seriousness, I am thankful to be feeling much better! I did get dressed today and I curled my hair. Things are looking up.

Mickey Letters

How appropriate that our first day of summer vacation has arrived with cards from Mickey Mouse inviting the boys to breakfast with him at Disney World! (A special thanks to the clerk at the local Hallmark store who helped me find the perfect cards!) We leave on Monday and now that the date for the trip is days away instead of months, the boys are more than ready. I am pretty excited myself and thankful that Wes will be going with us. Tonight Keagan asked, "How much dollars does it cost to go to Disney World? Like $15?"

End of Year Soccer Party

Evan's team celebrated another undefeated season tonight with dinner at Fuddrucker's and with the presentation of trophies. It has been a tradition that we meet here for burgers and video games. The boys love it and the parents are still able to enjoy good food. I think it is unusual that competitive parents, and we are all that, get along so well and really have the best interests of all kids in mind. We all have very different lives, but we think of one another as family and treat each other as such. I have said this many times, but we are truly blessed to be a part of this soccer team. At the end of each season our boys are taking more than the game of soccer with them, and as a result, we continue to endure the hectic Sundays of leaving the house at 9:00 AM with a cooler of food, a gym bag stuffed with cleats, and blankets/sunscreen depending on the weather only to return home at 4:30 with red faces, a cooler looking to be emptied and cleaned, and a load of wash to be done.

This year I had the spouse of a guy from Wes's unit make a cake that would highlight our successful season. She created this cake with a 3-D soccer ball. It not only looked fantastic but it tasted great, too. This will definitely be an addition to our seasonal parties.

He Said It

At home we have been discussing the new bodies we will be given when we reach heaven. After running all afternoon and scoring 10 goals at the soccer game, Keagan said, "I don't need a new body. I like the one I have because it is really fast."

Last week Evan was playing a new game on the Wii that requires you to hit a moving target. After missing a couple of times he exclaimed, "Jeremy Christmas this is hard!"

How Does That Make You Feel?

Tonight at JK Graduation, we had dinner with classmates and their families, and we had a very informal ceremony to recognize each student. Ms. Bryn went out of her way to highlight one unique characteristic of each child. Keagan was awarded the coveted Dr. Phil Award for "helping to solve interpersonal conflicts and teaching others to use their words." 

So my door slamming, pouting when-I-don't-get-my-way baby boy is now solving others' problems? A bit ironic I think. I have read that therapists, or anyone that strives to solve the conflicts of others, are often the ones with the most problems themselves. Maybe I should be worried.

See Saw, Tarzan, and Kick and Catch

Today, after mastering the skills of kick and catch, see saw, and tarzan, Evan was awarded the next level in swim class. We took a break this winter and returned to classes just a few weeks ago. It has been amazing to see how it has all clicked for Evan in the last three weeks. His moves are much more fluid than they were six months ago, and he actually likes swim lessons. I promised he could stop lessons once he was able to swim with a stroke, but he has actually requested summer lessons. Now that is one successful swim program!

Party Time with the Animals

Even though we have one more make-up game to play next weekend, the Animals celebrated the end of the season today. With cupcakes and trophies, the team celebrated under a shade tree. 

Keagan and his new friend Ella had an awesome game today. They have begun to learn to pass the ball and work as a team. This is amazing because Keagan is used to being the star player. He is/was the ball hog, and to see him share the ball, pass the ball, and work with other players was wonderful to watch. The plays they devised on the mid-field line worked. Together they scored six points!

Immunizations

Today we received registration confirmation from Little Hands, the pre-school that Keagan will attend next fall. After reading the letter, I told Keagan the good news, and then made the off-hand remark that he will also need to get a shot. While just a few minutes ago there had been laughing, joking, and smiling faces at the kitchen table, there was now complete silence. I looked over my shoulder and saw big tears rolling down Keagan's cheeks, and then he began sobbing, more like yelling, "No! No!" I tried to reassure him that it was just a shot; Evan had the same shot last summer. Even Evan tried to tell him that it was no big deal. The shot only hurt a little bit. I dried the tears on his face that now dripped down the front of his shirt, and he composed himself long enough to say, "Well, just tell me. How big is the gun?"

Star Student

Guess who had to wait three months and three weeks for his name to be drawn from the hat in order to be star student? He was so excited to finally have his name drawn, even if he was the last, that Evan grabbed his pencil box as soon as we got home Friday afternoon and quickly began completing his poster. The poster allows each student to write about themselves. Evan is asked to write three super exciting facts about himself. He wrote: 1. I can put one leg on my scooter. (I think this means that he can do a trick.) 2. I can play soccer. (That's not a secret for anyone who knows us.) 3. I have a loose tooth. (I better put a dollar bill and a stick of gum in a safe place for when it is time for the tooth fairy to visit!)

The highlight of the week is Wednesday when Evan is allowed to take his favorite toy to school.

Song and Dance

Minnieland hosted its annual spring concert, and Keagan's class performed three songs. The youngest kids always steal the show, but Keagan's group was impressive with all of the kids singing all of the words to all of the songs. Although Evan could have chosen to participate with the school aged kids, he isn't much for song and dance. If there is no death, sword fight, or at the least a bad guy, he won't have anything to do with a stage performance. Because Wes was working, Evan had the job of videotaping Keagan's performance while I took pictures. Sadly, he could film no better than I. I am afraid he got more of the tile floor and his hands than he did of the pre-school kids.