Pet Da Pooch

218/365

As excited as we are to be home to see Daddy, I missed Fina too. Chris asked me yesterday as we were driving to the airport, what we were going to do tomorrow (being today). I proudly said, "Nothing." Nothing? He did not like that idea. Imagine, to give up vacationing in Florida to go home and do nothing. I can see how it would not necesarily be pleasant. So I started listing off things we were going to do, like See Daddy! (My #1) or hang out on our couch, take a shower in my own tub, and Pet the Pooch. When I said, "Pet Da Pooch" just like in Beauty in the Beast, Chris just laughed and laughed.
I am not laughing now, just smiling, because yes, I am petting the pooch, and curling up for nice nap with her.

Coming Home

217/365

Yesterday we came home from Florida. Bittersweet, really.

We spent most of the morning packing, and doing laundry. I even cleaned up the trailor, even the toilets, and I don't even do my own toilets!

As we were driving away, we drove by an orange grove, right across the street from the Trailor park. I had fully intended to go over there and take some pictures. I didn't get that chance, but I did lean out the window of the car. ;) We thought there weren't any oranges this time of year. But we were wrong. They aren't oranges, they're Greens!



Also intended to catch some time under the lovely trees that were dripping with Spanish Moss. But since they are so plentiful, I saw plenty on the way to the airport. Grandpa took the scenic route escorting us to the airport, which was notsomuch appreciated on the night our of arrival, we were so tired, but was a lovely way to go as we departed.



As you can imagine, we were all quite hot, sweaty, and tired by the time we got on the plane.
At least the kids were in good moods....for a while.
Having Grandma on the flight home was a lot more fun than just Mommy on the way out. Chris was having a great time playing with her neck cushion, which never did make it around her neck, but it was a great toy for Chris!



We knew Sam was tired during the trip, but he would not sleep. Sam altered between extreme sweet giggly boy, checking out the sights, and Fuss. There wasn't much in between.



All in all, even with the fuss, it was still a much more enjoyable flight home than down. Not nearly as many timeouts, tantrums, or explosions of poo. Success!

I didn't take any pictures of our homecoming with Eric. Let's just say it was Great. We were standing on the curb: hot, exhausted, hands numb from luggage lugging, and there he was, coming around the corner, our hero, our Knight in Blue armor! DADDY!
The airport really isn't conducive to great reunions anymore; they yell at you if you daudle too much loading up cars in the pick up zone, no time for silly things like Hugs. Yes, we got yelled at by a security guard on one of those little one man ridey things. But we were all so happy as we pulled away. Sam kept asking Mommy? Mommy Sa Daddy. Like he was telling us it was Daddy, too good to be true. Then he almost started singing Mommy Mommy Daddy. Reminded me of that old tune, "Peanut....Peanut Butter...And Jelly." Just Mommy...Mommy..And Daddy! Together at last!

It was refreshing even to just see our yard when we got home. Chris didn't want to go inside, he immediately noticed our leafless lilies, aka Naked Ladies. Me too!



Happy Flowers made me happier to come home.

Last Day of Play

216/365

Wednesday we began preparations for our trip home. Bummer.
So we hung out at the trailor park. We did some laundry, Mom and Grandpa ran some errands. The highlight of our day were a couple visits to the pool. Yes, we went Twice!

First we got a nap in before lunch, Chris and Grandma were having Seahorse races, where they rode the swimmy noodles like ponies. Chris was really good at balancing!



We were doing all kinds of horsing around. Someone really enjoyed playing horsey!



Sam loved the new splat balls that Grandma gave him as a pool toy. He loved to squeeze the water out of them. When we learned that he was drinking the water out of them we began playing catch with him. He decided he was done being in the pool, but there were always balls to throw. He'd throw them, and we'd toss them back.



After supper with Great Grandma and Great Grandpa, we opted to go for an evening swim. Just happened to get there to watch the sun go down over the ridge beyond the trailor park. Nice View.



Even with the dark clouds coming in, we had plenty of light to swim by. Once again, we broke out the swim noodles. Even Sam got one!



Chris is becoming a much more confident swimmer, especially with his "floaty suit". This time, I got to play pony and turtle.



At last, the sun went down on our trip to Florida. :(




We went home and got to bed earlier than we had all week, the kids were in bed by 8:30...not sleeping of course, but in bed!

Seeing Sea World, Pt 2

Sea World is Awesome! I wanted to write more about our trip on the evening we went, but Chris threw up instead, dehydration we think, but he'd had diarrhea the day before, and still hadn't eaten much, but it became clear we needed to go 'home' and go to bed rather than let Mommy play on the computer.

However, the day got off to a great start. We arrived just after our lunch, some folks were leaving, but we got in just in time to head to Shamu Stadium first thing and see the Shamu show.



It was Hot. Yes, we were crazy to be going during the heat of the day, but we thought the boys would sleep on the drive in, they really didn't. That didn't stop us from having a great time, but it was HOT! Even in the shady pavilion, where there weren't fans, it was hot. But got cooler as the show started, and the splashing began.



Super cool! Thought it was funny that he was doing the jump right in front of the big screen showing his giant leap.



How does something so big flop so Gracefully?



Beautiful. Pretty Face.



After the Shamu Show, we ran into a band. The boys loved these guys as they bounced around on jumpy shows, to a groovy beat. Not sure which they liked more, the bouncy gymnastics, or the band!



Chris told us he wanted to "do the boats". We encountered some pink flamingo paddle boats, Grandma stayed with Sam while Mommy and Boy took to the water. Vests and All!



Chris was bummed his feet couldn't control the paddle pedals, but he did pretty well steering...we didn't hit Anyone!



Mommy wanted to do a smidge of shopping, I love to get 1 piece of jewelry, my trip bawble while on vacation, so I wanted to peruse the pearl diving hut. For $$ (which we didn't do) they would dive down to the bottom of the pool, and pick up an oyster, guaranteed to have a pearl, and then they'd crack into it, showing the pearl within. They sold a lot of nifty pearl jewelry. I got a new pair of pearl stud earrings in silver. Chris LOVED watching the Pearl Divers.



From there we went to the Manta area; there was giant roller coaster called the Manta, which we did NOT ride, but underneath was an aquarium. On the way there we found some nifty ducks. Sam really liked the many different kinds; my favorite of which had a blue beak!



When we got to the aquarium, we were hypnotized by the giant group of stingrays, or Mr. Rays as Chris called them.



And we Found Nemo.



Loved Sea World, and we didn't touch half of it, gotta go back!

Seeing Sea World, Pt. 1

215/365

We went to Sea World today, and I just don't have time to go into it. But we did it, we were hot, and we had fun.

Until tomorrow.

There and Back Again

214/365

Yesterday morning, we left Aunt Teri's in Tampa and headed back to our "hotel house" or the trailor in Grandma and Grandpa's neighborhood outside of Orlando. Chris wanted to swim, but he discovered the tv at Great Grandpa's house and didn't move for hours. But he was feeling better, and we wanted do something vacation-y.

So we took the boys to Medieval Times.



Chris fell asleep on the way, and was Mad when he woke up. He didn't get happy until we started looking at swords. And he was ecstatic when I bought him a sword.



Sam was interested in the chain mail.



When the lights went low and the action started, the boys were mesmerized.



And afterwards, Chris got a chance to meet our knight, The Green Knight. He told him, I Have a Sword. Multiple times. He was a little proud of the sword. ;)

Like Crossing the Street

213/365

This was not one of our best days on our trip to Florida. I went to bed late last night, and only got about 3 hours sleep when Sam decided to wake up and scream his head off for a couple hours. Finally after a diaper change, which I didn't really think he needed but I was at my wit's end, he said thank you, (Day Du) and let me put him back to bed, meaning at which point he only whimpered instead of full body screaming. An hour and a half later, Chris woke up Freaking Out, covered in Poo. Much laundry and bathing resulted. We kept saying we were going to go swimming, but Mom and Aunt Teri found productive things to keep them busy around the house.

One of my favorite of which was when Aunt Teri showed Chris her stethoscope, "A Real One" and let him try it on, and listen. He said he could hear. Then they played with the hammer...his reflexes were spot on, if not a little artificially enhanced.



After much poo, and much fighting by Sam in denial of sleep. He didn't want me to put him down. He was either wanting in my lap, or circling around between bites of crackers. We never got Sam dressed for the day. I had wanted to get out to a nature preserve and take some pictures, or a park. But after Chris threw up his dinner, it became clear we were not leaving the house today, not for an evening swim, or anything. All the clothes came off the boys because Chris got pajamified early, and Sam just covered his in pudding. I took Sam on a flower walk around the house, as it began to darken, not for sunset, but because a storm began gathering around us. I got out while the getting was good, and we walked around the house. We didn't make it much more than across the street.



Sun being obscured by clouds across the street.



Chris wanted to watch Wall-E, so we parked him in his freshly made bed with the DVD player, and let him. He even kept some water down. He was happy but drowsy when I went in to put him to bed. His diaper needed changing again, he complained something was hurting his bottoms, and I noticed some redness. But he was screaming and crying and shaking in pain just like the days when I'd change his ostomy bag. It was like the old time, where I'd try to be gentle and have to yell at him to be heard over him. We don't know what it is, but I can't let him swim, and though the plan is to go visit the grandparents again tomorrow, I can't let him near them, since they are so susceptible. He's been so upset today over strange things.
Once he went down again, he was quick to fall asleep, and Mommy was quick to drink some wine.
He just woke up again with another 'burny poo' forcing me to change his diaper, and to torture him again, even though he was half asleep and it's not nearly as much dirt as this morning, it must be hurting him bad. I didn't think we'd have to get back into the old habits that we used to in the old ostomy days, but it's kind of like getting back on a disliked old bicycle.

Time to break out the baby oil and cotton balls.... it's going to be a bumpy night.