Spring Break 2013

This past week was Spring Break. Due to the way Brent's vacation time runs out each year mid-April, this is when we have been taking our annual family vacation. This year we made our way to Florida for some fun in sun. Days 1 & 2 were spent driving, with a stop in Woodstock to spend the night at Grammy and PePaw's house. Days 3 & 4 were at Clearwater Beach. Day 4 was visiting PawPaw and Uncle Bob. Day 5 was LegoLand. Days 6 & 7 were driving home, including a stop to see Aunt Rita and Uncle Don and over night again with Grammy and PePaw. We have quite a few highlights from the trip, but also many lessons learned.

Highlights

• Visiting family who had never met Oliver
• Visiting Grammy and Pepaw
• Many firsts for Oliver, including watching the sun set all the way, getting in the ocean and taking a shower
• Many delicious restaurants, including seafood and steak
• Playing in the sand and splashing in the ocean
• Walking down the strip at the beach
• Watching dolphins jump from the end of the pier
• Visiting the Florida Aquarium in Tampa
• The Florida Botanical Gardens was a great place for a peaceful afternoon walk
• LegoLand was PERFECT! 
• Oliver now speaks in complete sentences, which has fully developed over he course of the last week

Lessons Learned

• More than 7 hours in a car with a toddler in a span of two days is a bad idea
• Stopping to see Grammy and Pepaw is a great idea...they will help give a short break that you can catch your breath!
• Be ready for your toddler to become the perfect definition of "two" when on a trip involving none of his normal routine
• Always be ready to entertain the two-year-old toddler just in case he decides to scream at the top of his lungs for attention, including in the car, in a hotel room, or in a restaurant filled with people 20+ years older than you
• Toddlers do not nap well when parents are in the room, even if the parents are quiet and possibly asleep, or in the car
• If you say you are not beach people, you are probably not beach people
• Taco Bell will give you indigestion. Don't forget it!
• Eating too many sweets, even as an adult, will tear up your stomach!
• Pregnancy-induced insomnia is not helpful, especially when it lasts for 1-3 hours every night of vacation
• If you take away the schedule of a toddler and fill him with sweets he might get sick temporarily, including vomit in the middle of the night. (Thank goodness we were in Woodstock!)
• Taking restaurant advice from the front desk at the hotel can be risky. You could end up with a ridiculous bill at the end of dinner or eating with more elders than you've ever seen in one place in your entire life
• Your grandfather is even better at entertaining kids then you ever remember!

Enjoy the pictures! We took  tons! 

Sleeping on the way from home to Woodstock

At dinner when we got to the beach the first night.
There was live music and a beautiful sunset. Oliver was dancing to the music! 

"Look, Mommy! Elmo's drinking water too!"

Reading Good Morning, Good Night before bed

Eating his breakfast of oatmeal and bananas

Oliver LOVES to point out stars.
You can only imagine how excited he was about the starfish!

This look was on Oliver's face through much of the trip.
And, yes, there are consequences for yelling in public places...

My sweet boy's footprint in the sand

Playing with the train and cars from Pawpaw

Pawpaw's beautiful Easter lillies

Playing with trucks from Uncle Bob

Pawpaw (my grandfather) and Oliver

Playing catch with Uncle Don (Brent's uncle)

Aunt Rita was a great entertainer as well! 

Grammy with her boy!