Day One of Vacation

Adventures on our family trip...Day 1

As we are flying out of Houston and reach high altitude...this is the world according to Ikester.

Ike:  Daddy, is this heaven?  (Looking out of the window) He looked mighty disappointed.  

Five minutes later he drops something on the floor, Joe suggests that he take off his seatbelt and get it. 

Ike:  Are you nuts?  I’m NOT getting sucked out of this plane!

Looking out of the window, Ike:  Where are we going to land?  All I see is water! 

I took Ike to bathroom and yes, I have to stand in the tiny bathroom stall on the plane with him (I am slightly claustrophobic).  The only way I can stand is facing the door with my face practically pressed up against the door.  We hit turbulence (this does not concern Ike at all) and I grab his shirt (from behind my back).  Ike:  What are you doing?  You can’t help me!”  (Like I wanted to “hold it” or something.....ewwww) The door opens and the flight attendant is cracking up. 

A God thing....I met a lovely young woman named Barbara.  She and I chatted for the last 15 minutes of a very bumpy flight.  She talked about how she worked as a flight attendant for 10 years and now she works for Disney.  Barbara confessed that she had a fear of flying all of a sudden-she guessed it was because she had 2 kids now and a lot to live for.  I told her I had no fear now.  I had Stage Four Cancer-a lot to live for... in a bigger way.  At the end of the plane ride, before we got our baggage, she ran up to me and put a phone number in my hand.  “If you call me Mon-Wed. I will get your entire family in for free to Disney Land.”  She winked at me and said, “I learned a lot about life from you today.” I really liked her.  Don’t think I will go to Disney Land-not because I don’t want my kids to go there but because I have this wheezing in my left lung.  It reminds me I might not be a great Disney traveler. I hope I see her again one day.

Waiting for the rental car, it was early Sunday morning and no one was in the rental place.  A disclaimer needed-we were bored.  Sherry entertained us by turning graceful cart wheels in the long carpeted waiting room.  This was followed by half-round offs by Ethan and round off/flips by Ike with Cassidy and Tanner shaking their heads in embarrassment. Ok, I admit, this does not usually depict great parenting but Joe was taking a LONG time to check out the van.  Ike was on “no meds” and we were about to “dial up the crazy” sooooo when bored let them to cartwheels in front of strangers.

In the car toward beach, the kids are telling jokes.  Sherry must have said something about Helen Keller to which Ethan said, “Awww. Don’t talk about Helen Keller-that’s just wrong.”   Tanner said, “Why? It isn’t like she can hear you!”  Peels of laughter rip through the car:)

In Wendy’s at our lunch pit stop-I realized I was a bit stressed when I took Ike’s ADHD meds by mistake.  More laughter followed this mishap, but somehow I’m rather chilled out.  (Imagine Crush on the movie Nemo....not quite that chill but close.)

Driving to the condo, it looked like something out of a tropical paradise.  Very different than Navarre or Orange Beach (Alabama).  Lots of jungle type flowers, trees, and green....so beautiful.  The sand is called “black sand” and is also different than our other trips to Florida.  The sea is pea green and clear.  I think a storm is approaching.  We’ll see how long it lasts.  

 All of us were on about 4 hours of sleep or less so I am not sure how we had so much energy but the kids took off for the beach as soon as we got there. I had time to spray some of them down as they flew to the sand. I could almost hear them curse my wielding of the sunscreen.  Too bad.  Our second boogie board broke in Ethan’s face as he caught a great wave.  I think it was damaged on the flight.  (Joe replaced it during his trip to get groceries) Ike got more daring as we spent more time there and finally ventured into about chest deep water.  I had to show him where the “Do not disturb” areas where for turtle nests.  They are taped off like police tape.  Locals informed me that flashlights are not permitted at night because the turtles come up, lay eggs and then return to sea in the morning.  Guess I will be asked to go to the shore in the morning to find turtles fleeing their nests.  Hope they have been Ike-proofed.

Currently, it is 4 pm and three of the kids are passed out.  NOT Ike though.  He is prowling around looking for sweets.  (I am hiding the oreos) Ethan has retreated to my bed and is talking about baseball in his sleep.  Haha  “I’m on deck. Where are my batting gloves?” Yes, these are things I am laughing at as I type.  My boy would play baseball all year round and all day if he could.