Evolution of the car ride
(note: after reading this, it appears this is more of an evolution of MY car rides with John, not the other way around. :))
- Stage one (newborn) – although we did not really go anywhere more than 10 minutes away, it was really hit or miss at this age. It was either sleeping or screaming, and nothing I could do about it. He was of course facing backward and behind the drivers seat. If Carl was with us, I was always in the back seat with him.
- Stage two (infant – crawler) – still hit or miss, either loving it or hating it. Towards the end of this stage, we were doing all we could to keep him awake in the car. He would decide that a 10 minute snooze in the car was all he really needed and a nap was inappropriate. But still facing backwards presented a challenge for tossing toys to him or checking the alertness status. I would still sit in the backseat if we were going anywhere more than 15 minutes away.
- Stage three (crawler – walker) – HATED the car, from beginning to end! Unless of course I was in the backseat with him, which proved difficult when it was just the 2 of us. I asked around for advice and Lindsay came to my rescue with suggesting the “wee-sing” toddler CD that Amelia loved. I guess it is something about hearing a little kids voice, but this and many other CD’s have kept the peace between John and I during car rides. This stage also marked the beginning of eating and drinking in the car, which helped to fill the time and keep him awake. Still facing backwards, and I would still sit in the back for extended rides.
- Stage four (walker – forward facing) – I was counting down the days until it was time to turn John around . So much so, that we did it a couple of weeks early. I just KNEW a whole new world would open up and car trips would somehow be “fun”; I was mistaken. In the beginning, there was a little improvement, but the CD’s still kept me sane, and I still dreaded long car rides. We moved him to the middle so he could see out and it was very helpful as far as checking on him, giving him toys, food, drinks, etc. I would still sit in the back on extended trips.
- Stage five (forward facing – talker) – This is where we are now. MAMA GETS TO SIT IN FRONT! Which could not have come sooner, those backseats are NOT comfortable for an extended period of time. This is the fun stage! John and I rode up to Oklahoma on our own and he was an angel! We talked about the things we were going to do, we pointed out all the horses and cows and trucks, etc. We sang songs (he knows the hand motions to most all the songs we sing), ate a snack, watched pieces of The Jungle Book and some of Diego, etc. He did not sleep the whole way there, and was happy as a clam. He still gets a little agitated every now and again, but nothing that a little toddler music won’t help!
I can only imagine what is in store in the next stage?
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Take me out to the ball game....
Carl and I took a last minute trip to NY to watch Game 1 of the World Series a couple of weeks back... I know, odd, right? We were only therefor 24 hours and I have to say it may have been one of my favorite vacations of all time!
I jotted down notes in the car ride to the airport on the way home in hopes of remembering all of the fabulous things I wanted to include in this post. I wish I had a writer I could employ to narrate this post, as I KNOW I will not do it justice.
To start, I want to give a big shout out to Nana and Da, as they kept the monkey basically for 3 days straight. Thank you so much for letting us take advantage of this opportunity and some much needed Mama and Daddy time!
We started early Wednesday morning, leaving the house with a shared bag and coats in hand, we were traveling light but prepared. The airplane had wi-fi!!! YES!!! Not sure why that excites me so much, but it does. Carl had bought us one of those cameras with the views on both sides, so we practiced using it for self portraits on the plane. It is a really cool camera for trips.
When we landed, we followed the masses to the ground transportation and hopped in the car. I heard Carl tell one of his brokers "I will never again complain about Dallas traffic", I adopted that view as I was praying for our safety. Literally cars would swipe each other within inches. And although we were crawling at a snails pace, I think I held my breath the entire time.
The views coming into the city were less than spectacular due to the clouds and rainy weather, but luckily cleared up later that night. The hotel was awesome, we stayed at "The London" which is where Gordon Ramsey is the head chef. We only packed jeans as we were not going to have time for dinner, but next time! It was very swanky and modern; we were on the 43rd floor, so we had a great view.
One of Carl's friends loaned us a 'walking tour' book of NYC. BEST thing that could have happened to us, this was a lifesaver and I will always get one of these going forward. We had, of course, scoured that thing front to back on the plane ride trying to figure out what all we wanted to do in our short time.
No time to waste, we freshened up and headed down for some lunch. We were determined to try all the authentic foods we could (or at least the ones we see on the Food Network). As luck would have it, there was a restaurant right across the street that had been featured in one of the Food TV shows. The restaurant was called "The Stage". NY has HUGE proportions, and a price to go along with it. After eating less than half our sandwiches, we HAD to get a slice of NY cheesecake. Good stuff.
Our hotel was on 54th street between 6th and 7th, we only had a little time before we needed to hit the subway for the game, so we walked to the famous shopping on 5th avenue. It was raining so we had to stop at one of the many corner stores and buy umbrellas. Having an umbrella opened up a whole new dimension to a city that walks everywhere.... Carl is pretty sure I poked several eyes out on our walk, but I was just tying to flow with the crowd. I actually liked having the umbrellas as it gave me a sense of personal space! The only shopping we did was at F.A.O. Schwartz for a Mickey Mouse and a Polar Bear for John (two big hits in our house right now). And I had to stop at a news stand, because I felt like that was what I should do. I bought Mentos. Carl thought this was really weird.
After realizing I had forgotten my license (shout out to Lindsey Marino!), we ran up to the hotel and then to the subway. The subway was JUST like the movies; EVERYTHING was just like the movies, everywhere we went I could see a scene in a movie, I discovered I am more star struck than I would like to admit.
Sorry for the side note... on to the subway story.... Of all the things I was looking forward to, riding on the subway was high on my list! Everyone on the subway was either sleeping, reading, listening to headphones or eating (nasty!). I am SURE we stood out like sore thumb to the locals, I could not quit smiling, and I don't know why!
We got to Yankee stadium SUPER early due to the fear of the unknown and public transportation, etc. This is the first world series played in the new stadium, so it was cool to be at this game. First thing we did was buy a hot dog and a beer, yep, cliche, I know. It was not very good and we had high expectations.
The atmosphere at the game was incredible, I don't know if it was the people, the ballpark, the energy, or what, I can't quite describe why or how, it just was amazing. I of course choked back the tears during the National Anthem. It was cold, but not unbearable. A very heavy mist stated during the game, but luckily we were under the overhang, so we stayed dry.
It was really cool to me to be in the same company as A-Rod (we are tight like that), Kate Hudson, Mathew McConeghy, The First and Second Ladies, Yogi Berra, Derek Jeter and many more I am sure. Our seats were great, 2nd section above the Phillies batters box. Unfortunately the Yankees lost that game, but went on to win the 2009 World Series.
During the game we tried another hot dog and some fries, everything was disappointing expect for the beer. :)
We left the game and headed for the subway, which was a MUCH different experience this time. It was shoulder to shoulder, literally. We followed the masses and shoved our way into a subway car. Only to discover we really did not know what stop we wanted. As people started to get off at all the stops, I started to get a little nervous. Luckily we asked this lady JUST in time and got off at the right stop.
It was late, but we were determined to see the city that never sleeps. We went to Times Square (still hoping at 2:00 in the morning). We stopped and got some "street meat" from a sidewalk vendor - BEST hot dog, finally! Walking around the city at night was again, just like the movies, with the weirdo people, the steam coming from the man hole covers, the subway rattling underneath you, the lights, etc. We jumped in a horse drawn carriage and went for a ride around the area. One thing that I was surprised by was the amount of trash bags in the street. The trash must come every day and at very odd hours. The sheer volume was incredible. I tried to take pictures, but I was not familiar with the flash on the camera so they did not turn out well. The horse took us right to our hotel.
We set the alarm for 7am (WHAT?!?!?). There was still so much to see. Quick shower and off to the subway again - we had no idea and no masses to follow this time. We asked a couple of people, but decided to basically guess, so we did, and without getting into details, I am pretty sure we were lost and on the wrong trains, but in the end we made it to the Financial District.
We saw the Statue of Liberty from a far (no time for the fairy) and then walked down Wall Street, this was super cool to me. Street vendor coffee and donuts (again, we wanted the full experience!) got us through the morning. We walked and walked and walked. We saw the site of the World Trade Centers, which right now just looks like a big construction site. As we were taking pictures, the wall that Carl was leaning against started to open - it was a fire station and the truck was coming back. The side of the truck and the names of the firefighters lost on 09/11, there were a lot and it was very surreal knowing that some of those very men that we saw could have experienced the tragedy first hand. We also saw a Best Buy commercial being filmed in City Hall Park. Another thing that stood out to me was the grave yards that are smack dab in the center of the concrete jungle. It makes you remember how old this place really is!
On to the next "big city" experience - we hailed a cab (hee hee) and went back down to Rockefeller Center. I wanted to be on The Today Show!!! Unfortunately we had missed the main news time, so they were not outside anymore, but I think we were on TV through the windows. We walked back up 6th street, saw the NY Invesco office, grabbed some lunch, and then back to the hotel and then the airport.
Other things I learned and/or loved about New York
- In a city where walking is one of the main forms of transportation, they should have rules of pedestrianism posted somewhere (if they don't exist, they should!). You must have a death wish if you try crossing the street at the wrong time, walking against the crowd or walking too close the subway tracks - talk about SCARY!
- Rain boots can be very stylish and come in a variety of colors and designs.
- Tights with long shirts, short dresses or skirts and boots are in this season.
- The "GP" (general public) in New York is very different than the midwest. People are not mean, but they are not nice either. Also very international.
- I would be in GREAT shape if I lived in NY, my body hurt from all the walking.
- There is SO much to do in NY and I can not wait to go back!
I jotted down notes in the car ride to the airport on the way home in hopes of remembering all of the fabulous things I wanted to include in this post. I wish I had a writer I could employ to narrate this post, as I KNOW I will not do it justice.
To start, I want to give a big shout out to Nana and Da, as they kept the monkey basically for 3 days straight. Thank you so much for letting us take advantage of this opportunity and some much needed Mama and Daddy time!
We started early Wednesday morning, leaving the house with a shared bag and coats in hand, we were traveling light but prepared. The airplane had wi-fi!!! YES!!! Not sure why that excites me so much, but it does. Carl had bought us one of those cameras with the views on both sides, so we practiced using it for self portraits on the plane. It is a really cool camera for trips.
When we landed, we followed the masses to the ground transportation and hopped in the car. I heard Carl tell one of his brokers "I will never again complain about Dallas traffic", I adopted that view as I was praying for our safety. Literally cars would swipe each other within inches. And although we were crawling at a snails pace, I think I held my breath the entire time.
The views coming into the city were less than spectacular due to the clouds and rainy weather, but luckily cleared up later that night. The hotel was awesome, we stayed at "The London" which is where Gordon Ramsey is the head chef. We only packed jeans as we were not going to have time for dinner, but next time! It was very swanky and modern; we were on the 43rd floor, so we had a great view.
One of Carl's friends loaned us a 'walking tour' book of NYC. BEST thing that could have happened to us, this was a lifesaver and I will always get one of these going forward. We had, of course, scoured that thing front to back on the plane ride trying to figure out what all we wanted to do in our short time.
No time to waste, we freshened up and headed down for some lunch. We were determined to try all the authentic foods we could (or at least the ones we see on the Food Network). As luck would have it, there was a restaurant right across the street that had been featured in one of the Food TV shows. The restaurant was called "The Stage". NY has HUGE proportions, and a price to go along with it. After eating less than half our sandwiches, we HAD to get a slice of NY cheesecake. Good stuff.
Our hotel was on 54th street between 6th and 7th, we only had a little time before we needed to hit the subway for the game, so we walked to the famous shopping on 5th avenue. It was raining so we had to stop at one of the many corner stores and buy umbrellas. Having an umbrella opened up a whole new dimension to a city that walks everywhere.... Carl is pretty sure I poked several eyes out on our walk, but I was just tying to flow with the crowd. I actually liked having the umbrellas as it gave me a sense of personal space! The only shopping we did was at F.A.O. Schwartz for a Mickey Mouse and a Polar Bear for John (two big hits in our house right now). And I had to stop at a news stand, because I felt like that was what I should do. I bought Mentos. Carl thought this was really weird.
After realizing I had forgotten my license (shout out to Lindsey Marino!), we ran up to the hotel and then to the subway. The subway was JUST like the movies; EVERYTHING was just like the movies, everywhere we went I could see a scene in a movie, I discovered I am more star struck than I would like to admit.
Sorry for the side note... on to the subway story.... Of all the things I was looking forward to, riding on the subway was high on my list! Everyone on the subway was either sleeping, reading, listening to headphones or eating (nasty!). I am SURE we stood out like sore thumb to the locals, I could not quit smiling, and I don't know why!
We got to Yankee stadium SUPER early due to the fear of the unknown and public transportation, etc. This is the first world series played in the new stadium, so it was cool to be at this game. First thing we did was buy a hot dog and a beer, yep, cliche, I know. It was not very good and we had high expectations.
The atmosphere at the game was incredible, I don't know if it was the people, the ballpark, the energy, or what, I can't quite describe why or how, it just was amazing. I of course choked back the tears during the National Anthem. It was cold, but not unbearable. A very heavy mist stated during the game, but luckily we were under the overhang, so we stayed dry.
It was really cool to me to be in the same company as A-Rod (we are tight like that), Kate Hudson, Mathew McConeghy, The First and Second Ladies, Yogi Berra, Derek Jeter and many more I am sure. Our seats were great, 2nd section above the Phillies batters box. Unfortunately the Yankees lost that game, but went on to win the 2009 World Series.
During the game we tried another hot dog and some fries, everything was disappointing expect for the beer. :)
We left the game and headed for the subway, which was a MUCH different experience this time. It was shoulder to shoulder, literally. We followed the masses and shoved our way into a subway car. Only to discover we really did not know what stop we wanted. As people started to get off at all the stops, I started to get a little nervous. Luckily we asked this lady JUST in time and got off at the right stop.
It was late, but we were determined to see the city that never sleeps. We went to Times Square (still hoping at 2:00 in the morning). We stopped and got some "street meat" from a sidewalk vendor - BEST hot dog, finally! Walking around the city at night was again, just like the movies, with the weirdo people, the steam coming from the man hole covers, the subway rattling underneath you, the lights, etc. We jumped in a horse drawn carriage and went for a ride around the area. One thing that I was surprised by was the amount of trash bags in the street. The trash must come every day and at very odd hours. The sheer volume was incredible. I tried to take pictures, but I was not familiar with the flash on the camera so they did not turn out well. The horse took us right to our hotel.
We set the alarm for 7am (WHAT?!?!?). There was still so much to see. Quick shower and off to the subway again - we had no idea and no masses to follow this time. We asked a couple of people, but decided to basically guess, so we did, and without getting into details, I am pretty sure we were lost and on the wrong trains, but in the end we made it to the Financial District.
We saw the Statue of Liberty from a far (no time for the fairy) and then walked down Wall Street, this was super cool to me. Street vendor coffee and donuts (again, we wanted the full experience!) got us through the morning. We walked and walked and walked. We saw the site of the World Trade Centers, which right now just looks like a big construction site. As we were taking pictures, the wall that Carl was leaning against started to open - it was a fire station and the truck was coming back. The side of the truck and the names of the firefighters lost on 09/11, there were a lot and it was very surreal knowing that some of those very men that we saw could have experienced the tragedy first hand. We also saw a Best Buy commercial being filmed in City Hall Park. Another thing that stood out to me was the grave yards that are smack dab in the center of the concrete jungle. It makes you remember how old this place really is!
On to the next "big city" experience - we hailed a cab (hee hee) and went back down to Rockefeller Center. I wanted to be on The Today Show!!! Unfortunately we had missed the main news time, so they were not outside anymore, but I think we were on TV through the windows. We walked back up 6th street, saw the NY Invesco office, grabbed some lunch, and then back to the hotel and then the airport.
Other things I learned and/or loved about New York
- In a city where walking is one of the main forms of transportation, they should have rules of pedestrianism posted somewhere (if they don't exist, they should!). You must have a death wish if you try crossing the street at the wrong time, walking against the crowd or walking too close the subway tracks - talk about SCARY!
- Rain boots can be very stylish and come in a variety of colors and designs.
- Tights with long shirts, short dresses or skirts and boots are in this season.
- The "GP" (general public) in New York is very different than the midwest. People are not mean, but they are not nice either. Also very international.
- I would be in GREAT shape if I lived in NY, my body hurt from all the walking.
- There is SO much to do in NY and I can not wait to go back!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Seaworld
We will be making Seaworld a regular trip! I loved it and I am pretty sure everyone else did too! It was sort of like the safari day, where John seemed sort of out of it the whole time, but I know he loved it. I can tell by the way he reacts to his new stuffed mammals/souvenirs (whale, 3 penguins and a dolphin). And he INSISTS on reading his whale book every night, nothing else will do.
We flew down with John on Friday, it was only a 45 minute flight, easy! He played with the window shade most of the time and then games/videos on the iphone. Once we landed, Nana and Da were there to swoop us up and head over to the RV. The park was literally 2 minute drive to the front gate of Seaworld, it was THE way to go!
After nap and lunch, we headed out for John's favorite dinner.... Mexican! After dinner, we headed home and tried to go down for an early night, but John had other plans....I think he was finally asleep around 10:30 or so, but was up and ready to go in the morning! I did not get a picture of it, but I bought this zip up travel bed thing. I recommend it for when you have limited space, although I think it is meant for a little smaller baby, it was perfect because John loves to curl up.
Saturday morning, after breakfast, we headed out to park. I of course had looked up the schedule and all the exhibits and had a general plan for the day (no I am not horrible to travel with!). Only to find out that the online show schedule was not updated! I panicked to myself for a split second and then moved on :). We spent the morning walking around to all the exhibits, we fed the dolphins, went through the shark tanks, bought flip flops for Nana, saw the alligators, fed the ducks, and lastly went to see our friend Pete the penguin.
Especially after lack of sleep, we headed to the RV for lunch and nap. I seriously had to dance him to the car to keep him awake. After nap - back to Seaworld.
We practically RAN to the dolphin show because I was BOUND and DETERMINED John was going to see that show! :) It was full of acrobatics with a little dolphin thrown in. It was okay, but I think I was expecting more. John stood on the bleachers or in one of our laps and sucked his thumb, but reacted when the dolphins went away; he wanted them to come back. He has never sat still for 30 minutes, so I am pretty sure he was into it.
Next up - SHAMU!
After Daddy poured water on his head and cooled him off a bit, I think John was more comfortable. When we got into the show, John sucked his thumb and starred at the all the people (I like to people watch too). Once the whales came out, he loved it, he laughed and pointed and kept saying "more" when they would go under water, etc. His reaction to Shamu was worth it all!
As soon as we got back to the RV, he was himself again. I am not sure if it was the heat or all the new things and the crowds that had him overwhelmed, but I was glad to see a smile on his face. He was back to normal in the RV; hats off to Nana and Da for making it so comfortable and easy!
We flew home on Sunday, another event less flight, he is such a good little flyer!
Here are some pics.
We flew down with John on Friday, it was only a 45 minute flight, easy! He played with the window shade most of the time and then games/videos on the iphone. Once we landed, Nana and Da were there to swoop us up and head over to the RV. The park was literally 2 minute drive to the front gate of Seaworld, it was THE way to go!
After nap and lunch, we headed out for John's favorite dinner.... Mexican! After dinner, we headed home and tried to go down for an early night, but John had other plans....I think he was finally asleep around 10:30 or so, but was up and ready to go in the morning! I did not get a picture of it, but I bought this zip up travel bed thing. I recommend it for when you have limited space, although I think it is meant for a little smaller baby, it was perfect because John loves to curl up.
Saturday morning, after breakfast, we headed out to park. I of course had looked up the schedule and all the exhibits and had a general plan for the day (no I am not horrible to travel with!). Only to find out that the online show schedule was not updated! I panicked to myself for a split second and then moved on :). We spent the morning walking around to all the exhibits, we fed the dolphins, went through the shark tanks, bought flip flops for Nana, saw the alligators, fed the ducks, and lastly went to see our friend Pete the penguin.
Especially after lack of sleep, we headed to the RV for lunch and nap. I seriously had to dance him to the car to keep him awake. After nap - back to Seaworld.
We practically RAN to the dolphin show because I was BOUND and DETERMINED John was going to see that show! :) It was full of acrobatics with a little dolphin thrown in. It was okay, but I think I was expecting more. John stood on the bleachers or in one of our laps and sucked his thumb, but reacted when the dolphins went away; he wanted them to come back. He has never sat still for 30 minutes, so I am pretty sure he was into it.
Next up - SHAMU!
After Daddy poured water on his head and cooled him off a bit, I think John was more comfortable. When we got into the show, John sucked his thumb and starred at the all the people (I like to people watch too). Once the whales came out, he loved it, he laughed and pointed and kept saying "more" when they would go under water, etc. His reaction to Shamu was worth it all!
As soon as we got back to the RV, he was himself again. I am not sure if it was the heat or all the new things and the crowds that had him overwhelmed, but I was glad to see a smile on his face. He was back to normal in the RV; hats off to Nana and Da for making it so comfortable and easy!
We flew home on Sunday, another event less flight, he is such a good little flyer!
Here are some pics.
Friday, May 1, 2009
First Family Vacation - Islamorada, Florida
We had our first family vacation this month in Islamorada, Florida. It was amazing! We rented a beach house for the week and packed heavy (big mistake)!
I was TERRIFIED for the flight, imagining John screaming the whole time - but to my surprise, it was a lot easier than expected. Don't get me wrong - it was not relaxing by any stretch of the imagination, but it was not the nightmare I had envisioned. He slept for about an hour both there and back, the rest of the time we read books, ate, watched the ipod with no sound, played with new toys that I packed in the carry on, etc. He LOVED the stewardess, and they loved him. His favorite thing was the introduction of stickers! It was so fun to put them all over Daddy, we were finding elmos face in various laundry throughout the week.
The drive down from Miami to Islamorada was long and slow as the majority of the way is a 2 lane highway "A1A Beachfront Avenue" (if you are an 80's baby, you just sung 'ice ice baby' in your head!). We had to stop 30 miles out for the nearest grocery store. Once we finally got to the house - we were floored! The pictures do not do it justice - it was incredible. I posted a separate slide show with scenery pictures below. This house was super kid friendly, not sure if it was by design, or just the lack of nik naks. The safety gate around the wrap around porch outside was the best thing of the whole trip. John was able to run around out there without us chasing him around telling him to be careful. I won;t describe everything - see pictures below.
We spent most of the week relaxing and playing by the pool/beach. Other trip highlights include:
- Carl and John went out to the ocean and caught a crab (see video below).
- Carl caught a nurse shark off our beach the first day we were there.
- Carl and I chartered a boat and went fishing. Carl caught a huge fish and I spent the 4 hours with my head down trying not to add more chum to the water. Who would have thought I would get sea sick?!?!? we were out the 2 days before and I was fine!
- Carl and I rented a boat and went 8 miles off shore in the middle of the Atlantic and went snorkeling at Alligator Reef - Beautiful!
- John started out the trip with a terrible cold, and then mid week I came down with 103 fever 2 days in a row. John got over his, but I had to go to a SHADY Dr. down there. One shot and a whole lot of antibiotics later - I was fine. Thank goodness I had not heard about the swine flu - or I would have sworn to you I was dieing.
- We went out to a few restaurants and sat outside and enjoyed the views. although we had to watch John carefully as he liked to feed the birds, which our fellow diners did not appreciate!
- John will finally wear a hat! Thank goodness! Oh, and the baby sunscreen worked great along with the swim shirts, hats and shaded porch. He did not get even the slightest pink. More than I can say for Daddy!
One of the coolest memories from this trip was the pet that we had for the week. There was 12 foot crocodile that slept in our pool at night! I am not kidding. There was some warning letters when we got there, but then we saw the tracks every morning. We never actually caught her as she would only come when we were asleep, but sure enough, every morning you could see where she had been (there are some pictures of his tracks in the sideshow below)
Islamorada is the sport fishing capital of the world. We heard it described as "spring break without the tourists". That was a pretty accurate description. Everything and everyone is so friendly and mellow. It was an older crowd down there, we found ourselves to be the youngest by at least 20 years in most spots. I am sure there was a nightlife, but we were either too tired, or enjoying our own house too much to venture out. We will be back for sure!
We took over 700 picture while we were there. Here are some of the highlights (sorry, it is long):
Here is the video of Carl and John catching the crab:
Here are some pictures of the house:
I was TERRIFIED for the flight, imagining John screaming the whole time - but to my surprise, it was a lot easier than expected. Don't get me wrong - it was not relaxing by any stretch of the imagination, but it was not the nightmare I had envisioned. He slept for about an hour both there and back, the rest of the time we read books, ate, watched the ipod with no sound, played with new toys that I packed in the carry on, etc. He LOVED the stewardess, and they loved him. His favorite thing was the introduction of stickers! It was so fun to put them all over Daddy, we were finding elmos face in various laundry throughout the week.
The drive down from Miami to Islamorada was long and slow as the majority of the way is a 2 lane highway "A1A Beachfront Avenue" (if you are an 80's baby, you just sung 'ice ice baby' in your head!). We had to stop 30 miles out for the nearest grocery store. Once we finally got to the house - we were floored! The pictures do not do it justice - it was incredible. I posted a separate slide show with scenery pictures below. This house was super kid friendly, not sure if it was by design, or just the lack of nik naks. The safety gate around the wrap around porch outside was the best thing of the whole trip. John was able to run around out there without us chasing him around telling him to be careful. I won;t describe everything - see pictures below.
We spent most of the week relaxing and playing by the pool/beach. Other trip highlights include:
- Carl and John went out to the ocean and caught a crab (see video below).
- Carl caught a nurse shark off our beach the first day we were there.
- Carl and I chartered a boat and went fishing. Carl caught a huge fish and I spent the 4 hours with my head down trying not to add more chum to the water. Who would have thought I would get sea sick?!?!? we were out the 2 days before and I was fine!
- Carl and I rented a boat and went 8 miles off shore in the middle of the Atlantic and went snorkeling at Alligator Reef - Beautiful!
- John started out the trip with a terrible cold, and then mid week I came down with 103 fever 2 days in a row. John got over his, but I had to go to a SHADY Dr. down there. One shot and a whole lot of antibiotics later - I was fine. Thank goodness I had not heard about the swine flu - or I would have sworn to you I was dieing.
- We went out to a few restaurants and sat outside and enjoyed the views. although we had to watch John carefully as he liked to feed the birds, which our fellow diners did not appreciate!
- John will finally wear a hat! Thank goodness! Oh, and the baby sunscreen worked great along with the swim shirts, hats and shaded porch. He did not get even the slightest pink. More than I can say for Daddy!
One of the coolest memories from this trip was the pet that we had for the week. There was 12 foot crocodile that slept in our pool at night! I am not kidding. There was some warning letters when we got there, but then we saw the tracks every morning. We never actually caught her as she would only come when we were asleep, but sure enough, every morning you could see where she had been (there are some pictures of his tracks in the sideshow below)
Islamorada is the sport fishing capital of the world. We heard it described as "spring break without the tourists". That was a pretty accurate description. Everything and everyone is so friendly and mellow. It was an older crowd down there, we found ourselves to be the youngest by at least 20 years in most spots. I am sure there was a nightlife, but we were either too tired, or enjoying our own house too much to venture out. We will be back for sure!
We took over 700 picture while we were there. Here are some of the highlights (sorry, it is long):
Here is the video of Carl and John catching the crab:
Here are some pictures of the house:
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