Brooke and I got to go to Florida for a long weekend to visit Ammy, Papa and other family there. We had a really nice trip visiting with everyone. Brooke especially liked going to the Jungle Gardens with Ammy and playing with Skippy.
I booked us a condo by the beach for 4 nights so we could have a family vacation this summer. We hoped that Alex would do well traveling now that he was older and he had transitioned into a big boy bed. He did a great job sleeping in a twin bed with Brooke in her own twin bed. They had a lot of fun except Brooke was not very happy to be woken up an hour earlier every morning by him poking her in the face and wanting to play (I guess she didn’t realize that Mommy gets up everyday and plays with him until she finally decides to get up). Both kids had a great time at the beach and we had better than predicted weather. Mostly we stayed at our condo complex and went to the beach and pool everyday. Our condo was north facing and had a great view of the ocean and Back Bay. The great thing about Sandbridge is that with the exception of a few restaurants, one store, and one ice cream place, it is largely residential so it is very quiet and peaceful. One night we went to ice cream and the last night we went to a nearby park. We really enjoyed spending time with each other on vacation, it was relaxing and fun for everyone.
Jackie and I decided to reconnect and take a little break from our daily responsibilities on a moms vacation. We flew in Thursday afternoon and went to see Canal Street and the French Quarter where we had dinner at The Gumbo Shop and of course drinks on Bourbon Street. Friday we walked along the Mississippi and saw the Steamboat Natchez sail while eating hot beignets. We looked at art at Jackson Square and shopped for our kiddos and husbands in the Quarter. We had dinner at Chartres Restaurant on the balcony and I sampled a creole plate. Saturday we explored the art galleries and antique shops of the Garden District after taking the streetcar. We got rained in a bit but still enjoyed a French dinner at Tableau Restaurant our last night in the Quarter with of course hot beignets for dessert and one final beer to top off the night. Sunday we got up early and flew home to our families. I was welcomed home by my adorable family with a beautiful ‘Welcome Home Mommy’ sign.
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We decided to attempt one night overnight stay at Great Wolf Lodge. Alex has great difficulty sleeping when not in his crib at home so we decided to try one night and if playing at a waterpark all afternoon didn’t exhaust him then we would definitely know our state of affairs. The kids had a great time at the park playing in the water and enjoying their evening storytime. We all had a bit of a rough night and were sleepy in the morning and ready to head home.
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Since Alex weaned himself, I decided to take a quick three day trip to Tucson to see Jackie and family. Since I had not been to Tucson in 2 years, I spent some time seeing what has changed at the UofA, watching the sun rise, and mostly hiking and getting my fill of cactus. Of course I bought goodies for AJ and the kids.
