Weirdness abounds...
So it's the kids' spring break. And my parents are here. And my cousin is here. And the weather was actually sunny and warm and spring-like. Weird, weird, weird.
It was also a long day: make breakfast, clean up breakfast, walk to the library and back, make lunch, clean up lunch, take the kids outside, weed the flower beds, put roller blades and pads on all the kids, take roller blades and pads off all the kids, put away various outdoor toys, make snack, clean up snack, go to the grocery store, do laundry, make dinner, clean up dinner, do laundry, give kids baths, put kids to bed, do laundry. All while entertaining guests. I am so exhausted, I don't know how I'm still awake enough to type. (I'm currently waiting for Greg to arrive home from his 2 day business trip.)
I hope tomorrow is a little more calm but somehow I doubt it will be.
As requested, the Easter picture! Sorry you can't see much of my dress (it's a boring sheath dress anyway), Kelly refused to stand still with the other kids. And Emily (purple) and Ally's (pink) dresses are rather hidden as well. Hmm... I really enjoyed sewing my own dress, I probably do that a lot more often in the future. And yes, Kyle is really tall for his age. I can't believe he's only a few inches shorter than the twins either.
I won, I won!
Katie is a stay at home mom of 5! That's right! FIVE! Two of which are twins! Katie scrapbooks, makes clothing, is an aspiring writer, cook, caregiver, wife and friend. Not to mention she is funny, smart, energetic (how, I don't know!) and she ALWAYS makes me smile when I read her blog.Actually I'm only an aspiring cook too... hehe But all kidding aside I am so honored to be the inagural winner of this very cool blog award created by Tammy. She's also taking nominations for the next award so go submit your favorite mommy blogger at her site: Rantings of a Domestic Housewife.
Do you think this means I can get VIP parking at the grocery store?
Linky Love
I finally upgraded my blogrolling account so I can separate my blogroll into groups. Although I'm not sure for $20 a year it was worth it for two lists. I know I could split it up more but I'm crappy at thinking up cute names for the categories. 90% are blogs written by parents but not all are considered "mommy blogs." And then that leaves about 5 non-parent bloggers. And I don't want them to feel all weird being in a miscellaneous section just because they don't have kids. I'm totally not into this whole segregation thing. hehe
Anyway I mention this because I want you to make sure your link works. And if I missed your link, feel free to bonk me over the head in the comments. And then I'll add you and apologize profusely for my oversight.
While we're on the subject of links, I dropped a rank in The TTLB Blogosphere Ecosystem. I "evolved" into a Flappy Bird a few weeks ago but today I noticed I'm a Slithering Reptile again. Not a big deal though, I'm not even sure what the whole thing means. lol It's just one of those blog list things like BlogExplosion and Technorati that I signed up for awhile back. Although I've forgotten the reasons why now.
A day of cleaning inbetween sets of Spring Break guests. I'm in a quiet mood, if I could I wouldn't say one word today. Which is terribly ironic considering I have an appointment with a different therapist (just checking out another one) this afternoon.
The kids are enjoying their Spring Break so far. They were on a sugar buzz yesterday (a step down from a sugar high) and had a great Easter day. Today the weather is rainy (the low area in our back yard is beginning to resemble a pond) so we're stuck inside. I'll probably break out the Play-Doh later.
Quote of the Day: "True silence is the rest of the mind; it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment." -William Penn
The kids are enjoying their Spring Break so far. They were on a sugar buzz yesterday (a step down from a sugar high) and had a great Easter day. Today the weather is rainy (the low area in our back yard is beginning to resemble a pond) so we're stuck inside. I'll probably break out the Play-Doh later.
Quote of the Day: "True silence is the rest of the mind; it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment." -William Penn
Happy Easter everyone!
The Easter bunny visited and now we're going to the in-laws for lunch. And hopefully if the rain clears a bit, an Easter egg hunt for the kids outdoors. Don't forget to eat the ears off the chocolate bunnies! hehe
Feeling rather crabby at the moment. Why can't Kelly look at the scrapbooks nicely like her older brothers and sisters? I leave the room for 2 seconds and she pulls the pages out of the protectors and rips them apart. So far the damage is 1 picture, 2 foam snowflakes, a piece of ribbon, and 4 paper pieced pumpkins. And countless slightly bent layouts from her roughly turning pages. I hate to put the scrapbooks completely out of the kids' reach because like I said, the other kids aren't destructive and love to look at them. And it's not her age because the twins and Kyle were 2 or younger when they started looking at their scrapbooks by themselves. *grumbles*
Oh Lord, why am I even awake? I went to bed early (11) too and I'm terribly groggy this morning. I doubt the gloomy rainy weather is helping much either.
The dress... The dress is actually going really well. Although I hit a bit of a snag last night that Steph had pointed out earlier. How does one fit one's dress by oneself? With lots of pin sticks, that's how. My fingers feel like an acupuncturist went crazy on them. And oh yeah, it is blue (am I that predictable?) and the fabric, thread, and zipper cost $30.12 (I already had the pattern). It should be finished today, all I need to do is put the zipper in, hand sew the lining in a few places, and hem the bottom. Is slightly above the knee okay this season? I pay about as much attention to the "in" skirt lenth as I do who JLo is married to at the moment.
And now I have to buy new shoes. I forgot that one of the heels on my strappy white sandals is slightly broken. It's bent forward a bit and so makes for some unstable walking at times if I'm not careful and do the "toe, heel" step (ladies I'm sure you know what I'm talking about). And chasing after kids who start egg hunting a little too close to the street while wearing wobbly heels? Not a good thing.
So my news of the day: "Yippee, shoe shopping!" I think I'll wait until my sister gets here tomorrow and drag her out with me. Because she loves shopping! *evil grin*
Quote of the Day: "Arthur blinked at the screens and felt he was missing something important. Suddenly he realized what it was. 'Is there any tea on this spaceship?' he asked." -The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Oh yeah, I sew...
It's an odd talent I have, I'm one of those completely self-taught annoying type people. My expertise is little girl's dresses, give me a familiar pattern and I can easily whip up a dress in a day. Which is fabulous considering I have 3 girls and it's usually cheaper to make than buy. Although I didn't do so well this time around, the average price per dress this year was $20. It's usually closer to $10-$15.
Besides Kelly's Easter dress pictured below, what else have I sewn, you might ask? Halloween costumes (although you can't see Zach's coat well, it has gold trim and buttons). The twin's skorts in the khaki and white family picture. Last year's Easter dresses and hats. My sister's wedding dress and wedding party's dresses (that's me on the right, 7 months pregnant with Kelly). In this picture, the burgundy slipcover on the sofa. Don't forget the kids' quilts and Greg's quilt. And then more Christmas and Easter dresses than you ever care to see, lol.
But back to the point of this whole post (really, I'm not just bragging), the funny thing is that I don't sew for myself (other than the bridesmaid dress above). Which makes absolutely no sense because the same issues that I have with buying little girl's dresses off the rack (sizes, colors, design) are the same issues that I have when buying my own clothes.
Therefore I'm going to the fabric store this afternoon so I can make my own Easter dress. I need to finish Ally's dress this morning (didn't get to it yesterday) and Thursday evening my first Spring Break guests arrive. Which means I'm insane. No wait, it means I have tonight and tomorrow to sew my dress. (Thursday morning I will be playing "maid service".) Yep, probably insane. But I work best under pressure really. *winks*
*sniff, sniff* Either my allergies have kicked in 120% or I have a killer head cold. Or maybe both. I want to put the vacuum hose up my nose and suck all the snot out of my head. (I know that rhymes but I'm too tired and cranky to figure out how not to make it rhyme). Ow, the pressure...
My To Do List today includes taking out the trash, cleaning the guinea pig cage (in perfect world that would happen before taking out the trash but the garbage collectors will be here soon), paying bills, grocery shopping, laundry, finishing Ally's Easter dress (I finished Em's last night), and oh yeah, taking care of 5 kids. Yee-hah...
First item on the grocery list: Kleenex.
Quote of the Day: "I've got a theory that if you give 100 percent all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end." -Larry Bird
Does anyone know why my upper arms ache today? Biceps or something or another. And it's both of them, not just the right one like when I hold Kelly for 25 hours of the day. I've been trying to go over yesterday's events to find the answer:
Drive the kids to school- harmless enough although my right foot may eventually suffer repeat stress syndrome
Surf the internet
Surf the internet
Surf the internet- you should see the muscles in my left click finger
Kill some ants- stupid ants
Make lunch
Buy a Mountain Dew
Talk on my cell phone
Talk on my cell phone
Talk on my cell phone- brain tumor in the making
Pick the kids up from school
Vacuum
Make dinner
Go to the therapist- interesting but difficult
Take Zach to his Tiger Cub Scout meeting
Put the kids to bed
Talk on my cell phone
Surf the internet
Go to bed
So as the only two things that differ from my usual daily schedule were killing ants and going to the therapist, one of those must be the culprit. Which doesn't make any sense because killing the ants involved a spray bottle (go left click finger!) and I certainly wasn't doing push-ups at the therapist's office. There I was just trying not to disappear into the overly plush gigantic leather sofa. Maybe it's an odd side effect, spill your guts to a total stranger and get aches and pains in odd parts of your anatomy!
I'll just go back to surfing the internet and talking on my cell phone now.
Chez Fleck: Your Spring Break Destination!
Chez Fleck is the first and only super inclusive resort in *silly little town in the Midwest*. This beautiful resort, with 9 rooms (4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths), is situated on a quiet stretch of suburbia. And though we're only forty minutes from the airport, you'll feel as if you've entered a whole new world. Here, beside the brown dead grass, you can listen to the call of 5 children fighting over one Etch-a-Sketch and feel your worries drift away as you realize the peace and quiet you are missing at home. At night, a short stroll along the chain link fence takes you to the excitement of the neighbor's 2 Jack Russell terriers.
Entertainment
Sing along with Laurie Berkner, famed Noggin songstress, in the Family Room. Rock the night away with Dance, Dance, Revolution. Enjoy a variety of movies via cable and play Nintendo 64 (7 great games to choice from!) in the privacy of your own room or jam with live entertainment by our resident band, 5 Tone-Deaf Kids, in every other area of the resort.
Family Room
Enjoy the mindless chatter of preschool shows on Noggin, 8am to 6pm.
Shake your groove thing on our two player Dance, Dance, Revolution set, times to be announced.
Bars
Enjoy a lovely selection of Top of the Fridge liquors. House specialties: Mudslides and Long Island Ice Teas. Operating 8pm to 6 hours before the kids wake up.
Live Entertainment
Jam with live entertainment by our resident band, 5 Tone-Deaf Kids, singing on request from 8am to 8pm. Enjoy DJ Greg's iPod mix after 8pm.
Parties
Chez Fleck will also have various theme nights during the week:
Princess Dress Up Clothes
PJ Days
Movie Night with Popcorn
Afternoon Tea (bring a stuffed animal or doll)
Dining
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served buffet-style at our air-conditioned main dining room. Depending on the weather, dinner is also served in casual elegance on the Back Yard Porch, where you'll experience a two course meal set on a concrete slab surrounded by mulch gardens. Snacks are available at 3pm in the Kitchen. No dress code or reservations required but "first come, first serve" seating is observed.
Activities
WatersportsAccommodations
At Chez Fleck you can enjoy long leisurely soaks with the garden hose and for some Native excitement, mud puddle stomping. A lovely Army Corp of Engineers man made lake is only a short 10 minute drive away where you can experience 10 feet of coarse sand and invigerating chilled, murky brown water.
Landsports
Find the kid in you again on our wooden swingset with monkey bars, two tier clubhouse, slide and 2 swings (reservations need to be made 24 hours in advance for swings). Enjoy a lively round of Corn Hole with 3 of your friends! Play fetch with our resident Labrador Retriever! (Disclaimer: not guaranteed to retrieve)
Beaches/Pools/Jacuzzis
Ha! What does this look like? Club Med?
Fitness Center
Get your heart rate going with your choice of 3 "< body part >Of Steel" tapes and 2lb weights.
Indoor Activities
Explore our Toy Room with every toy imaginable for children ages 0 to 7. Relax in the Family Room with our 57" high def big screen TV, surround sound, cable, VCR, and Dvd. Surf the internet on your choice of 3 computers, all with high speed internet cable modem access.
Gambling
Major casinos are an hour away in another state. On select Fridays and Saturdays, you can play no limit Texas Hold'em for a $10 buy-in (location undisclosed).
Special Activities
Lego tower building, Hot Wheel car races, Twister, book reading, Uno, coloring with crayons, computer gaming, Play Station 2, beginner scrapbooking classes, Play-Doh, Thomas the Tank train sets, daily trips to the grocery store.
*activities and times subject to change
Chez Fleck has three stories, the upper level with fantastic views of the neighbors' yards, the ground level with easy access to the outside, and the lower level, our "Entertainment Level". Feel safe and secure with our 3 wooden gates, located at each set of stairs and kitchen entrance. 9 air conditioned rooms include 2 children's rooms, 1 master suite with full bath, and guest/toy room with half bath. Amenities include cable TV, direct dial telephones, CD player, iron & ironing board, coffee maker, and hair dryer. King size, double, futon, twin, or toddler sized beds in each sleeping room. On site laundry facilities, dry cleaner service available.In summary, you've waited a lifetime for your dream vacation. Now it's time to start enjoying it. Chez Fleck is the new Midwest escape made just for you! Fun, entertaining, active. And super inclusive, which means that virtually everything you can eat, drink and do is included in one simple upfront price. At Chez Fleck, it's all included. All for you.
Driving home after dropping Emily and Zach off at school...
Kyle: Remember when we picked Kelly out at the baby store?
Me: Hmm... *remembering Kelly's 3:46 in the morning delivery by the nurse and myself*
Kyle: *sighs, Mommy can't remember anything!* We all went to the baby store and picked out Kelly.
Me: Why did we pick Kelly?
Kyle: Because she loves us.
Me: *heart melts*
Kyle: And we love her.
Me: *misty eyes*
Kyle: I had to find her, she was in a gold and pink crib.
Me: Aww... You wanted a little sister then?
Kyle: Yep! She's the bestest little sister.
Me: *wonders how long that will last*
Quote of the Day: "I smile because you're my sister. I laugh because there's nothing you can do about it." -Author Unknown
Oh boy! I was on a money spending roll today. And now I'm sick. Cause I hate to spend money. I can shop all day long but when it comes to actually purchasing the items... I have something like "pre-buyers remorse." Let's survey the damage:
Gas station $33. 29: and that's not even a full tank. $2.12 per gallon about made me throw up. So 15 gallons and a 20oz Mountain Dew.
Dry cleaners $2.97: two shirts for Greg. Which in theory I could wash, dry, and iron but have you seen my laundry pile? A buck fifty is so worth it.
Target Ah... Target. Target is my Wal-Mart, my Costco, my Waterloo, the place where it's nearly impossible for me to spend less than $100 a trip. And today was no different. $123.26 (ouch): brown dress shoes for Zach, brown dress shoes for Kyle, underwear & socks for Kyle, underwear & socks for Greg, a swiffer duster as requested by Greg, 2 pairs of PJ's for me (although I'll probably return one), and Easter candy & gifts. My one spurge, a pencil holder on clearance for Zach at $1.48 Parting with money is such sweet sorrow...
JoAnn Fabric Store $6.10: although they didn't have exactly what I wanted (1/4" wide double fold bias tape in "Bright Pink" and "Plum"), I think I can make due with 1/2" extra wide double fold bias tape in "Bright Pink" and "Plum."
Pet store $33.85: litter and a giant plastic running ball for the guinea pig. Who is the most expensive "free" pet I've ever received.
Post office Nothing! Now that's my kind of spending. I received some books in the mail from Quality Paperback Book Club (I signed up with them awhile back because they offered lots of "free" books) that I didn't order (stupid "automatic shipments" if you don't return the card or click "no, thanks" on their website). The postal lady said if I didn't open the package (I didn't), I can write "Refused" and even put it back in my mailbox. Learn something new everyday.
So now I'm going on an anti-spending spree. You can't make me spend money until at least Monday. That's when I have to go grocery shopping or the CPS will come after me. Although with the rising food prices, it's tempting... *winks*
haha! Typepad servers are currently down. So there all you ship jumpers who left Blogger because Typepad is so much better. *gloats* hehe
Off to shop at Target, see ya later!
Off to shop at Target, see ya later!
Another fun filled day at Chez Fleck! Laundry, Easter dresses, taking out the trash, ignoring the rest of the housework, grocery shopping, finding a therapist...
For those of you who know me well, you're probably thinking, "About time that crazy girl got some help! I can't believe she's deluded herself into thinking she was sane all these years." For those of you who don't know me as well, sorry you are SOL on the complete details. (family to protect, not fit for internet consumption, yadda, yadda, yadda.)
This is not going to be easy for me. I've fought depression in the past and while I'm not depressed now (unless I have a really weird version that involves optimism and good will), I still have issues and these issues are hurting those I love. The second hardest step is admitting I'm not perfect and that I need help. The first hardest step is the phone calls...
I hate the phone. Even worse I hate answering machines. Although with close friends and family, I'm usually okay. But when calling a complete stranger, I become tongue tied and sound like an idiot:
"Hi, this is uh, Katie Fleck. My um... company, err I mean insurance company, referred me to you. I have these issues < insert badly described and confusing problems here >. Also do you < insert dreadfully phrased questions with dangling participles here >? My number is ###-#, oops I mean ###-####. Area code ###. Please call me if you think you could uh, help, um, me."
That lovely message was left on 4 of the 5 numbers I called. For the 5th and only live person I reached, I went through my whole awful speech above (minus the phone number). The recipionist paused before replying, "We're a family medical practice, we don't handle problems like yours here." Me: *squeak* "My insurance company messed up, sorry." *dies of embarrassment*
My motto is currently "I can do this." I can ask for help, I can get better, I can become a person without issues. Except maybe the phone one. I'm not sure that one is treatable.
Quote of the Day: "The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they're okay, then it's you." -Rita Mae Brown
Sewing Easter dresses! Have a nice Sunday!
Quote of the Day: "I'd like mornings better if they started later." -Author Unknown
Blogging for Books #9: write a blog post about any incident in your life in the style of your favorite author. The author can specialize in either fiction or nonfiction, and can even be another blogger.
I adore Mindy's "Fun with IM" posts so I chose to write my Blogging for Books entry in that style. Since I don't IM very often anymore, him: is completely fictional but the events on my side of the conversation are true.
him: hey, how's it going?
me: it's going
me: you?
him: can't complain
me: the kids are on another 2 hour delay this morning
me: stupid snow
him: are you suppose to get alot?
me: no
me: just enough to delay school because whoever is in charge freaks when white stuff starts falling from the sky
him: yuck
me: and the kids have only asked to go out and play in it 5 bazillion times
him: ha
him: so are you going to let them?
me: hell NO!
me: Zach wrote a paper at school about what our family does in the snow
me: something like "the kids make snow angels and snow balls, Daddy shovels the snow on the driveway, and Mommy NEVER goes out in the snow"
him: lol
him: your kids are all going to move to Canada since you never let them play in the snow as children
me: ARGH! lol
me: I need to move someplace warm. like Bali
him: the fitness club?
me: *snort*
me: no
me: isn't that spelled Bally?
him: maybe
me: hmm, my self-conscious is probably trying to tell me I need to work out
him: *crickets*
me: hey! *pouts*
him: the kids any better at the Y?
me: no
me: Kyle and Kelly both scream bloody murder the second they see the babysitting room *sigh*
me: I guess I should go more often, they'd get used to eventually
him: yeah like a tolerance to rat poison
me: ?
him: it happens
me: you are so weird
him: have you seen this? http://www.whattheheck.com/ebay/
him: ain't eBay grand?
me: ha! I could sell my snow!
me: oh wait, that auction didn't sell...
me: I thought about selling all the kids' Halloween candy on eBay
him: heh
me: but I figured that was a bit too mean
him: they got that much huh?
me: oh lord... 5 kids times 2 nights of trick or treating plus 2 Halloween parties
him: 5(2+2)=
me: way too much freaking candy
me: hehe
me: did I tell you Zach's doing algebra in school?
him: really?
me: yeah, just the simple stuff like x+4=7
him: if it's got letters, it's algebra
me: hehe
him: how are the twins doing in different kindergarten classes?
me: alright
me: I kinda wish they were in the same class though because one or the other is always having a big meltdown because the other has homework and she doesn't
him: that'll be reversed in a few years
me: probably
me: oh geez, what happens if one gets asked out on a date before the other in high school?
me: can I move to Bali now?
him: heh
him: but don't work out 24/7
me: no problems there
me: and I have the flab to prove it
me: you still running?
him: a bit. the weather's been decent so I've been getting out in the morning instead of going to the gym
me: unlike here. stupid snow
me: Greg probably won't let the girls date until they are 30 anyways
him: got his shot gun ready?
me: hehe, yeah
me: I just hope they don't grow up like me
him: lol
me: they look more like Greg anyways, should be interesting
him: none of them really look like you
me: *sigh* I know
me: although Kyle acts like my side of the family
me: he'll probably blow up the high chemistry lab
him: heh I almost did that once
me: really?
him: turned the gas on for a bunsen burner and forgot about it
him: lab table next to me lit a match for their burner
me: oooo
him: yeah, the teacher wasn't thrilled
me: hehe, I can imagine
him: but it was really cool
me: men... fire... *rolls eyes*
him: yep
me: speaking of school...
me: time to drop off the munchkins
him: be careful driving in all that snow
me: *snort*
him: hehe
me: lol
me: see ya later
him: bye
Thanks for all the great comments on yesterday's post. Reality bites. hehe Actually yesterday was pretty good after I shipped all the kids off to school. I think writing it down helps to get it out of my system so I can move on. And thank you for no bitch-slaps: "You were just in the Bahamas, you ungrateful woman!" hehe
Today the kids are off school. Don't check your calendars, it is Friday not Saturday. Something about someone winning something at the school. We used to do that back in my hometown when the high school boys basketball team won tourneys. (I grew up in Indiana, what did you expect?)
So it's my first full day of having all the kids at home alone since returning from vacation (Greg's out for the day). *cue scary music* The plans? Fabric store, out to lunch, library, pet store. But not necessarily in that order. Lunch might be held out for last as a bribe to keep them all on their semi-best behavior. Should be interesting...
Quote of the Day: "I personally believe we developed language because of our deep inner need to complain." -Jane Wagner
Today the kids are off school. Don't check your calendars, it is Friday not Saturday. Something about someone winning something at the school. We used to do that back in my hometown when the high school boys basketball team won tourneys. (I grew up in Indiana, what did you expect?)
So it's my first full day of having all the kids at home alone since returning from vacation (Greg's out for the day). *cue scary music* The plans? Fabric store, out to lunch, library, pet store. But not necessarily in that order. Lunch might be held out for last as a bribe to keep them all on their semi-best behavior. Should be interesting...
Quote of the Day: "I personally believe we developed language because of our deep inner need to complain." -Jane Wagner
Okay back to the business at hand, getting into the mommy swing of things again. Which has been as hard as I expected. It's odd because as much as I enjoy taking a break, I hate taking a break because it's so difficult for me to return to all the stuff I needed a break from. You know, laundry, cooking meals (or as Greg will probably point out since we've returned, ordering pizza and heating up food in the microwave), the whining, the fighting, housework, running the kids to and from school, and all the other annoying stay at home mom crap I do. Anyone have a spare motivational pep talk? Oh and the worst? The kids and the sun have been rising between 6:30-7am. As much as I hate the whole concept of Daylight Savings time, we seriously need to be on "summer" time now.
It's all backwards. I feel like I should come back from a vacation and feel rested and ready to deal with all the mundane aspects of my life. Instead I feel... Well, resentful. Which is bad, very bad and causes mommy guilt. Every time I hear someone whine "Mommy!", I want to scream. I think instead of refilling my nearly bottomless pit of patience, the vacation completely emptied and demolished it.
I really don't want to delve too deeply and think that maybe this issue has come up because of some fundamental problems with my life. And I don't even want to think about the changes that would need to be made to fix it if that's the case and I'm not just being a self-centered bitch at the moment. Hiring a maid, a cook, and a nanny would be the easy way out and I don't see that happening. Do they have a de-whining class I can sign the kids up for? And a laundry fairy? I'll shove all the laundry under the bed and it'll magically be cleaned and folded when I wake up. Forget the cabana boys, I now have laundry fairies in my fantasy world.
Maybe it'll get better in a few days. Maybe I could continue being a rotten mom and buy earplugs and stock in Lunchables. Okay, so maybe I shouldn't go as far as the Lunchables. It's probably just as difficult for the kids to adjust to not having a constant play mate babysitter and ice cream with every meal. Still... I wish I could believe in laundry fairies.
Let's see if I can write out a coherent post on our Bahamas vacation in two thousand words or less...
First, we stayed at the Breezes, an all-inclusive resort. And it was okay. For me, the "free" food and drinks were probably good plan because I hate paying outrageous restaurant/bar prices. I ate next to nothing in NYC last March for that exact reason and lost a few pounds. This vacation... *cringes* Those 5 pounds I lost beforehand are back. Oh well...
The crowd at the Breezes was interesting. There were some early spring breakers (Paris Hilton wannabes, seriously all the girls wore her signature short ruffle skirt and tummy baring tank top) but then there were many middle aged couples and senior citizens. It was a bit odd.
Sadly I found out that I really hate fruity drinks. I'm not a big fruit juice fan in the first place and duh, all the mixed drinks of course had some sort of orange, pineapple, mango, coconut, lime, and lemon juice in them. Their margarita mix was awful so I ended up drinking amaretto sours the whole weekend.
Like I said before Friday was dreary and depressing with low temps and rain. So we visited the Wyndham Casino (like a block from our resort) and then took "the ghetto limo" (it was the saddest excuse for a limo ever, wish I had a picture of it) to the Atlantis. Which is "wow!" Non-guests are only allowed to see so much of the aquariums but they are really cool. And the hotel is huge, the first level is practically a mall plus they have a large casino. The pools looked neat although no one was out since the weather was so icky.
Saturday was perfect though. We laid out on the beach, napped in our room with the balcony door open so we could hear the ocean, and then laid out on the beach some more. It was exactly as I had hoped.
Sunday we went on a "sailing and snorkeling cruise", the Flying Cloud. I've never been on a catamaran before, it was fun. Snorkeling was a blast, again my first time. I was really surprised at myself because I can barely swim as is and the water often makes me nervous. But I got the hang of breathing through the snorkel quickly and seeing everything under the water was too cool. I told Greg that we definitely have to do that again sometime.
And then Monday we came home. While I wouldn't have minded another lazy day on the beach like Saturday, I was ready to be home.
Bahamas
Another view from our room at Breezes Resort
The lobby of Breezes Resort
Looking towards the Wyndham Hotel from Breezes Resort beach
Flying Cloud catamaran
Greg in his snorkeling gear
Me!
Coral and a blue fish
More coral
School of Parrot Fish
A picture of the beach on Rose Island
Another picture from Rose Island
Greg and I on Rose Island
Another view from our room at Breezes Resort
The lobby of Breezes Resort
Looking towards the Wyndham Hotel from Breezes Resort beach
Flying Cloud catamaran
Greg in his snorkeling gear
Me!
Coral and a blue fish
More coral
School of Parrot Fish
A picture of the beach on Rose Island
Another picture from Rose Island
Greg and I on Rose Island
We're home! And we had a great trip. It started off a bit shaky because we didn't arrive until after sundown on Thursday and Friday's weather was overcast, rainy and 55 degrees. Very dreary... Thankfully Saturday and Sunday were beautiful, sunny and 70 some degrees. And I missed the kids the moment we pulled out of town. But they were fine and the babysitter is still talking to us so all is good.
I'll go into more details and pictures later (I need to get a roll of film developed from our snorkeling trip) but here's the view from our room (we had an "ocean front" one):
See ya Monday!
Quote of the Day: "Pleasure is the flower that passes; remembrance, the lasting perfume." -Jean de Boufflers
A quick update before I run to the dentist. I'm down to cleaning the house, laundry, pedicure, bookstore, vacuum the van, and packing. Sheesh it sounds like I haven't done anything at all! lol It seems like I'm trying to do a normal 5 days worth of work in 2. Anyway I'd love to stay and chat but gotta go! ;)
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