Florida Vacation Chapter 2

I have a few minutes before I crash tonight, so I thought I'd share about our day. We had the best one yet!

I have been having lots of restaurant food since Saturday...for me, that means lots of corn (to which I'm allergic). So, I've been feeling impatient, cranky, down and irritable for several days. It just makes for long days when I don't feel well and the kids and I pay for it. (I don't consciously choose to be irritable, it just ends up happening and I don't really see it.) Yesterday I did a lot better and ate food with no/less corn and in turn, felt so much better today! Aaaah...what a blessing!

Monday and Tuesday we spent most of our tijme at the pool, only going down to the beach in the evenings. Today Kjirstin wanted to spend some time on the sand before she had to go home tonight, so we went there instead of the pool. We had a great time! Jacob actually played in the gulf with us (with 3-5' waves!!) in his life jacket floating all by himself!! It took some encouragement to begin with as he was really nervous, but I let him hang on for dear life for awhile and he got used to it. I was so proud of him! He was floating up and down like a pro by the end of it! Mattie loved it too...no surprise there. :) She got quite a few face-fulls of water and took it in stride. These two are definitely polar opposites with water!!

While we were out in the gulf, Jacob got a lot of salt water in his mouth too. And he didn't handle it so, um, gracefully at first. Tonight at bedtime I was telling him he should just keep his mouth closed when he's out there and then he wouldn't get saltwater in his mouth. He just said, "But I just have so many questions I want to ask you, Mom." Is that Jacob or is that Jacob?!?! We all got a good chuckle out of that one!

After the ocean we went into the pool where Jacob got brave and decided to follow in Mattie's footsteps and jump off the side with no lifevest...getting his head wet! (I know...very boring to some of you to read, but this is major in my daily life!) He decided this isn't so bad for now. But we might be starting all over tomorrow...

Mattie is getting darker by the minute, I believe. She has not needed sunscreen yet, in spite of the fact that all of us are needing SPF 4-30 in varying degrees to keep from frying. This is day 3. I think by day 10 she's going to look like we picked her up in Mexico.

I must say on these trips I realize how much I count on Robert on a daily basis. Mom, Dad and Kjirstin are a huge help with the kids, but there is a difference when there is another parent around. It's different when he's working out of town, because it's all pretty controllable at home. But being out at restaurants, stores, and lots of public places is just tiring without him. What a blessing he is to me!

Off to relish a few quiet minutes while I can still keep my eyes open...