Orlando, FL....again

A man should never neglect his family for business. ~~Walt Disney

We had already scheduled a trip to Orlando for the weekend so that we could make good use of the annual passes that we purchased. Our plans were to meet up with Thomas, Nicola and their children for the weekend. As it turned out, I was requested to stay the following week for business so Jeff and the children stayed with me and we enjoyed Orlando for the entire week.

We spent the weekend with Thomas, Nicola, Britney (& Ricky, Britney's boyfriend), Trenton, and Trevor (aka "The Bear"). We arrived Friday afternoon. We spent Saturday at the Magic Kingdom and Sunday at MGM Studios. Thomas and family joined us at Fort Wilderness Sunday evening for dinner at our camper. We grilled burgers and hotdogs and then spent a short time at the Fort Wilderness outdoor theater enjoying s'mores.

Thomas and family returned home on Monday and we continued our stay through the week. We went to Sea World on Monday. We ate lunch at the Sharks Grill and the girls enjoyed the water play area in the afternoon. We sat in the splash zone for the Shamu show and Rachel was panicking at first. We were high enough that we didn't get wet but she was still fretting over it for the beginning of the show.




For the remainder of the week, we hit various parks as time allowed after I was done with work Tuesday-Thursday. Some firsts for us on this trip included Splash Mountain at the Magic Kingdom. We never did this ride previously because we were there when the weather was cooler and a water ride never seemed appealing. Anna loved the ride. Rachel hated it and vows to never get on it again. Rachel isn't too keen about getting water in her face and she got pretty wet on the ride.

I took Anna on the Kali River Rapids ride at the Animal Kingdom. We both got soaked but loved the ride anyway. Rachel rode Mount Everest at the Animal Kingdom on this trip. She loved the ride and keeps calling it "Mount Neverest." And, we all rode Test Track together at Epcot for the first time on this trip. The children weren't tall enough to ride it with us before this trip. Rachel, Jeff and I all rode Mission Space on this trip as well. Anna was still too small to ride Mission Space. I did the wimpy version with Rachel and Jeff did the full version alone. Honestly, there are much better rides than Mission Space. I've flown in a real aircraft and pulled real Gs. I don't need a simulator for this thrill and I knew it would make me nauseous anyway. I've never been able to stomach the simulator rides very well or any ride that goes fast backwards.

Our friend, Roger, joined us a few nights and hung out with us as well. It's always great to see Roger!
We also watched the Spectro Magic Parade one night at the Magic Kingdom. It reminded me a lot of the electric light parade of old. It was nice to see once but overall we skip many of the parades...if you've seen one....you've seen 'em all pretty much. We'd rather be on the rides!

Rachel also got to meet Captain Jack Sparrow on this trip and she was dubbed an honorary pirate. She's pretty proud of her certificate. And, I have to admit, the cast member looked just like Captain Jack Sparrow.


Having annual passes has been great. It removes the pressure to squeeze everything in to a short period. And, honestly, you can't see everything in a short period anyway. There is just too much to see and do at each of the parks. I could spend days at the Magic Kingdom and Epcot alone. We had planned to return this summer for the Star Wars time period at MGM but I think we have reconsidered that trip. I just can't imagine standing in 100 degree heat when its packed beyond belief.

I received notification while we were out of town that Anna was selected for the 4-year old pre-k program at the local public school for the fall. Children locally are selected by lottery for the 4-year old program so we were one of the lucky families selected. Now, Rachel and Anna will both be going to the same school and Rachel will be starting kindergarten in the fall. I'm glad we got the annual passes this year so we could really get our moneys worth from them. When they are both in school full time, we won't have the luxury of going any time of the year that we want like we have done this year.

In the end, I think Walt had it right when he said, "a man should never neglect his family for business." Life is too doggone short and in my case, I actually got to to mix a little bit of business and family together this past week and it made for a nice long visit with Mr. Disney's theme parks. We had a blast!

The Clueless Parent of the Year Award Goes To....

The Clueless Parent of the Year Award Goes To....Me!

We left over a week ago to go to Orlando for a vacation. I packed up the RV prior to leaving.

As usual, I packed some snacks including Anna's favorite snack...cheetos.I bought the baked crunchy type of cheetos and never noticed anything else unusual about the bag. However, each time Anna ate the cheetos, I always noticed this blueish-green coloring around her mouth. I kept thinking maybe she had wiped marker across her mouth. Our children have the washable markers and its not unusual for Anna to wear as much color as she puts on paper. But, it seemed so unusual that the timing of the blueish green color on her mouth to coincide with a snack or meal. I guess this happened about three times over the course of eight days.

Well, today, my next door neighbor's 13 year old daughter, Landon, ate lunch with us. And, during the course of the meal we were joking that Anna had that color on her mouth again. Now, Jeff and I were wondering if she had been sucking on a marker. We could not figure out where in the heck she was getting this coloring from.Landon said, "I wonder if Anna is eating the new Shrek cheetos?" She went on to say "they've been advertising it a lot on TV." Jeff and I rarely watch TV...much less commercials. We don't even have cable or satellite service because we just don't watch much TV. So, we had not seen any of the commercials.

Sure enough....I had bought the Shrek cheetos and right on the front of the package are the words "Turn thy tongue Shrek Green." The cheetos look like normal cheetos in the bag. But, once saliva touches them, the cheesy powder turns green. Duh!!!!! I am so not with it these days.

On the road again.....

On the road again. Just can't wait to get on the road again. The life I love is makin' music with my friends. And I can't wait to get on the road again. On the road again. Goin' places that I've never been. Seein' things that I may never see again, And I can't wait to get on the road again.~~Lyrics from "On the Road Again" by Willie Nelson

Just a quick post to note that we are heading out this weekend after a long hiatus from traveling in our motorhome. It will be great to get the RV "on the road" again. We wanted to take it to Birmingham last weekend but the weather forecast made us concerned about bringing it there. As it turned out, the weather wasn't stormy at all....overcast at best. But, boy were the winds strong coming home. Jeff would've been fighting with the RV the whole way.

We're off to Florida for a week. I can't wait!

Frogs

Grandmas hold our tiny hands for just a little while.....but our hearts forever. ~~Author Unknown

Since we got a late start, we decided to not travel through Atlanta. We stopped at a restaurant in Alabama for dinner. It was there that I introduced Rachel and Anna to buttercups. They had a blast sniffing them and rubbing the yellow pollen on their noses and ours.
For a 90 year old woman, Frog still has some spunk. Her mind is sharp but her body is getting weaker with each passing day. Even still...she keeps on going. And, there is nothing she loves more than spending time with her grandchildren. And, that's a good thing as she has quite a few grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Frog was the sixth (out of 10) child born to Papa John and Mama Nancy. And, she is the only remaining sibling at this point. She married a man named Joe at Saint Anthony's Catholic Church in Ensley, AL, in 1905. She was introduced to him by a friend, Sam (who was married to Joseph's sister). Joe was the only man she ever dated before marriage. And, she never remarried after he died of a massive heart attack in his early 50s. Together, Joe and Mary had five children.
Years ago, it was socially unacceptable to have a child outside of marriage. And, one of Mary's sisters, Angelina, became pregnant and she was unmarried. Angelina lived in a Catholic Home for unwed mothers in Mobile, AL, during the final months of her pregnancy and gave birth to a baby girl in February 1942. That baby girl was named Mary, and she is my mother. Mary was adopted by Joe and Frog. So, while Mary has no biological ties to Joe's side of the family. She does, and I have, biological ties to Frog's side of the family. Frog, my Grandmother, raised her five children alone after Joe died. She had some assistance from Joe's sisters (one, Rose, who never married, and another, Mary, who was the widow of Sam). Jointly, these three ladies helped one another through life. And, these same ladies played a large role in my life as a child.My Grandma worked as a nursing assistant in a local nursing home until she retired. After that, she spent her time taking care of her grandchildren until her arthritis got so bad that she no longer felt able to look after them properly. She is a devout Catholic. She is up every morning watching mass on TV and saying the rosary daily. And, like the mailman, nothing stops her short of hospitalization from showing up for mass on Saturday night. One interesting note...she never learned to drive. Interestingly enough, one of my husband's grandmothers never learned to drive either.
Three years ago, we had a large party for Frog. Her big party in 2004 was a surprise for her. We even made it a family reunion so that the entire family would be there. It is her 87th birthday party in 2004 that prompted me to take the cake decorating classes. I made her the most equisite cakes for that party. This was for a woman who never had a baby shower. She never had a fancy wedding cake. But for her 87th birthday, she had cakes that would make the most pampered bride jealous. I wanted her to feel the love that she has given so freely to all of us through the years. I wanted her to feel special. And, she did. She was the belle of the ball that day with over 100 guests in attendance to honor her. She may not be rich in material wealth but she is rich in love. And, at almost 90 years of age, I hope I can say the same some day.

This year, her cake wasn't as fancy but it was still made with as much love. I was glad to have a kitchen again where I could bake cakes comfortably. That is one thing I missed while living in the RV.

(Four generations in the pictured above, from left-right, my mom, Rachel, Frog, Anna and me)

Why did I title this entry "Frogs?" That is because "Frog" is my Grandma's nickname. She has what we call "knock knees." The knee joints in her legs turn inwardly creating a curved effect to her legs. A long time ago, everyone began to call her "Frog" as a result. My younger daughter has the same knock knees. My Grandma has never taken this name to be an insult. If you call her "Frog," she will proudly answer.

Yet another interesting tidbit about frogs, on my husband's side of the family, frogs were dubbed good luck figures. So, I guess some fairy tales do come true. I am married to the man of my dreams; my prince who came from a family that values frogs. And, my family has a frog too. Sounds like destiny to me.

And, my frog is our Grandma.

Happy 90th Birthday Frog! We love you!

Annapolis, MD

"Damn the torpedoes, Full speed ahead!"~~Admiral David Glasgow Farragut

I had business trip to Annapolis April 10-11. It had been several years since I visited Annapolis. Of course, one of my favorite reasons for visiting Annapolis is the seafood.

The trip to Annapolis was for our corporate awards banquet in the evening on April 10th. I met with some of our personnel in our headquarters in the afternoon on the 10th and on the morning of the 11th. My flight back home didn't leave until 4 pm on the 11th and I couldn't get an earlier flight so I took the opportunity to do a little sight seeing.

The awards banquet was interesting. One of my coworkers, Vince, was nominated for one of the categories and he was the winner. I have known Vince since we were cadets at Auburn together. I was so happy for him and his wife, Jennifer, who also attended the banquet.

I took a guided tour of the Naval Academy. It was very interesting. I think my favorite part was the chapel. It was absolutely breathtaking. The crypt for John Paul Jones was also interesting. For those who have forgotten their history, Captain John Paul Jones is best known for the words ""I have not yet begun to fight!" said the during the famous battle between Bonhomme Richard and Serapis on 23 September 1779.

I had lunch at the Officer's Club and then headed downtown for a very brief stop. I highly recommend a tour of the Naval Academy if you ever get the opportunity.

While in the historic district, I stopped at the mom and pop restaurant Chick and Ruth's Delly to grab a milkshake to drink during my drive to the airport. If you like the old style restaurant reminiscent of an old soda shop, this is the place for you. And, the milkshake was yummy!

Happy Easter!

Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in spring-time. ~Martin Luther

This has been a wonderful weekend....except the weather. We had been enjoying weather in the 80s and it has been cold all weekend. Other than that, life is good. We finally got our RV back on Friday...just in time for some upcoming trips. Jeff and I both have had the bug to hit the road and it felt so good to have our motorhome back.

Gail and Harold arrived on Wednesday to spend Easter with us. Mary Grace, our niece, joined us on Thursday. The kids spent all day Thursday and Friday with their Grandma and Papa. Thursday, they visited a local orchard and picked strawberries. They brought home two large bags of strawberries and there aren't many left now.

We colored Easter eggs Friday night. I remember the first time I colored Easter eggs with Rachel and Anna. It was not a fun experience. My next door neighbor, Lisa, invited us over to color eggs at her home. She even said I could leave the girls with her. Lisa didn't know what she was asking for...I did. So, I stayed and Lisa understood later that managing my two alone was a daunting job where coloring eggs were concerned. I think the girls were ages 3.5 and 2.5 at that time. Needless to say, she was glad I stayed. This year's coloring event went a bit better but they still didn't grasp the concept of not dropping the eggs in the dye. They didn't understand the eggs would crack as they came in contact with the bottom of the bowl if they weren't placed gently in the liquid.

Saturday evening was busy. Once the girls were in bed, we began hiding plastic Easter eggs all over the house. One year previously, Jeff made paper bunny tracks and placed them all over the house. This year, he made a template and used baby powder to make bunny tracks. The girls enjoyed it when they saw them but they are just a little too bright these days. Both made comments about it looking/smelling like baby powder. At one point, Anna used a sponge to wipe up a sample and bring it to us to prove it was baby powder. We finally got them to drop it when we said the Easter bunny was a baby bunny. Maybe next year we'll use flour instead.

We attended service at a church we had never visited before. We had heard good things about this particular church and thought we'd try it today. We all enjoyed it. It is a non-denominational church and we could understand why it appealed to younger families because of the upbeat music and informal dress. On Easter Sunday, you were hard pressed to find many folks dressed up at this church. Most were in jeans or other casual clothing. They also offered coffee, juice and snacks that could be brought into the sanctuary. It made for a casual environment which we enjoyed; even though we were dressed in our Easter duds. I'm sure we'll visit that church again.

I'll be traveling to Annapolis, MD, this week for business purposes and will be gone a couple of days. On Friday, we'll be heading to Birmingham, AL, in our recently returned RV to visit with family. Our Grandma, who lives there, will be celebrating her 90th birthday this month. We'll be visiting to celebrate her birthday. The weekend after we'll be heading to Orlando, FL. It feels so good to have our home on wheels back so we can hit the road again.

We wish everyone a blessed Easter!