Getting Some Sun in Florida

We just got back from Florida! Alleluia! We made it! We left Tuesday and got back Saturday. We just went to relax with the kids. No big plans - just played on the beach and in the pool.

Let's just say that this trip has taught me some valuable lessons.

1. Plan for the unexpected. We were told the wrong gate to go to for our flight when we checked in and it made us get to the gate just before the door closed. The flight attendant said we had to wait for the next plane. So Tuesday we didn't get in until late afternoon. The kids did great though and it totally wore us all out. We did get to enjoy an hour on the beach and that was great.

2. Friends on the beach are always fun. My college friend, Shelley and her two kiddos made it to the beach to play with us. Hayley and Kaitlyn had a blast filling up the bucket and looking for seashells. Todd and Jackson were just chill' with us.

3. All you need is a shovel and a floatie. We really didn't need much on the beach. We pretty much used a little shovel to dig with the kids in the sand. And then Kaitlyn loved riding the waves in her round floatie. Of course, I liked having a little umbrella. That was nice when the wind didn't blow it over.

4. It was worth it! Go out to dinner! Since staying in a condo, it does save money on meals - we ate breakfast and lunch there; but going out to dinner was a highlight with the kids. They actually did pretty well too. We went to Yoder's one night. It is a very popular Amish restaurant in Sarasota. (Did you know the Amish go to Siesta Key? Yes, a big community there.) Good, well priced food. We then went to Captain Curt's. The corn fritters were the best and the kids got dinner in keepsake frisbees. And the last one - City Pizza. The pizza was good.

5. Sunsets are wonderfully relaxing with the kids. The kids stayed up a little later and Kaitlyn loved watching the sunsets with us from our porch. The condo was great because we didn't have to be out all the time to enjoy the time there. The screened-in porch allowed us the best views of the beach and sunset!

6. Always make sure you have Children's Tylenol or Motrin. Jackson was teething a ton there, but he didn't let that stop him. I think he could totally be a beach bum. He didn't walk to the ocean his first time, he ran, jumped, played, kicked and laughed!

Here are some of the highlights.

For all of the Florida pics, go here:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=hhuz2tp.5irg6z7l&x=0&y=ajbbh9&localeid=en_US&cm_mmc=site_email-_-site_share-_-core-_-view_photos_album

Play times

So we have really enjoyed playing in our new backyard and the playset. We have already thought up some fun games like pretending to be sleeping beauty and sleeping prince and coming to kiss them to wake up. We also pretend it is our very own ice cream stand. Kaitlyn makes outstanding chocolate ice cream cones. I have to share these pictures of the kiddos. They were so cute on Thursday when I took some shots.

I don't have any really good stories with this entry but since I am putting our bathroom cabinet on craigslist, I thought I would write an entry. We are leaving for Florida on Tuesday and can't wait! There is a 30 percent chance of rain everyday and are praying that it won't rain on the beach!

Oh, can I say how much Brandon has made himself at home in our new neighborhood? Last night I came back from the store and our neighbor was sitting on the couch with Brandon and Spencer having a brewskie. And that was the case with a different neighbor last weekend. I thought that was pretty funny!

A Case of Stage Fright

It has been way too long since I blogged, so I am going to open up with a big event from this weekend - Kaitlyn's First Recital!!!!

This little story will tell you exactly where my mind has been lately - in outer space! A couple of weeks ago we went to the dance studio to just take pictures of Kaitlyn with her dance class and of her in costume. I had planned a little playdate in the morning and didn't even thing about the craziness that would create. We did that and then rushed to get everything we needed for Kaitlyn to get dressed up. Meanwhile, Jackson had to be woken up from his nap to get all the way back to Plano from Flower Mound. Both were not happy about the drive, we get there barely in time and rush to get her costume on since we didn't want it to get wrinkled in the carseat.

Then I watched after Jackson as he was running around the studio while Kaitlyn was taking pictures. She came out and we rushed to get her back into regular clothes while Jackson was hanging on me and running around. We got back in the van without her costume. And we just found out it was lost this past Saturday morning when it was time to start getting ready for the recital.

I was worried sick because I didn't want to be "That Mom" that forgot her daughter's costume. Luckily, the dance studio had it in the office after my dad came early to check in.

Well, long story short, this past Saturday, Kaitlyn was ready for her dance recital. She had been in this class since last August once a week. Some weeks she would be excited about it and some weeks it was like pulling teeth to get to the class. So I knew that she wasn't going to be doing back flips, but I thought she would get a kick out of tapping her shoes. Come to find out, it was a super scary experience. She walked out in the studio in front of everyone and was in tears because of everyone looking at her. She does have a shy streak and I can see how it would be scary for a four year old for the first time.

She warmed up after a teacher came and held her hand the rest of the dance and then they were given different props to skip up and down the room. She did well at that and did well holding hands with everyone in the circle. We are so proud of her. She never left the stage and saw that it could be fun. She even received a ballerina doll and medal at the end of the performance.

Here are some photos.