Vacation Day 5

I had to take a couple of days off from blogging.  We’ve been busy celebrating Father’s Day, getting ready for the kids’ big third birthday party coming up next weekend, and potty training.  So, back to our regularly scheduled vacation blog posts. . . .

Friday before last was our fifth day on vacation.  It was also the day that Gary’s and my seminar started in the afternoon (our trip was really half work).  That morning we got up and ate breakfast (fried eggs and some fruit for the kids), then we headed to the neighborhood pool.  Same thing as every other day, and this time I didn’t even take photos.  The only difference is that after the pool on this day, Gary and I both got ready and left while the kids were eating lunch with Nana to go to the seminar.

Papa had decided that he was coming down on Friday.  He called us that morning to let us know that he was on the road and that he was bringing us a surprise.  That surprise was my 5-year-old niece Sydney and my almost-2-year-old niece Laramy.  After our seminar that afternoon, Gary and I got home and discovered that during the kids’ “nap” they had downed a huge potted palm that was in their bedroom.  And there was potting soil EVERYWHERE in their room.  Gary and I had to do a full cleaning and wash the sheets and everything.  The amount of potting soil that we found in that room looked like far more potting soil than would have filled up the pot in the first place.

After that, in connection with the work seminar, a “family cocktail reception” was scheduled.  We took the kids to the reception while Nana, Papa, Sydney, and Laramy went to the beach and to eat.  Since our reception was poolside near the beach, we decided to go early so that I could get some beach photos in our nice clothes.  Unfortunately, it was about an hour too early sun-wise and there were way too many people on the beach to really get good shots.  Something totally takes away from your daughter’s soulful gaze out at the water when there is someone right behind her wearing a bikini (who inevitably is someone who shouldn’t be wearing a bikini).  I ended up with a few decent shots, but next time we go down I’ll put a little more thought into it beforehand and schedule things out better.  At least the kids had fun chasing birds and making face-prints in the sand.

We didn’t stay at the reception very long because we could tell that the kids were fast approaching “that point” (you know, where everyone has meltdowns), so we left and stopped at a Sonic for some cherry limeades and milkshakes. 

And the beach photos. . . .

One more full day left, plus the travel day. . . .