Turtle Trek.

All good things come to an end, and that includes our family vacation. Today we are packing up and heading home, leaving the beach that has entranced Robby and Scott since our arrival. I know that they will be sad to leave, but I am ready to go home. Don't get me wrong, I've had a good time. Nothing compares to bearing witness to your children's happiness and unbridled enthusiasm. I have loved watching them both play, learn and have fun over the past few days but I am ready to return to our summer reality at home.

Because of the age difference, Robby and Timmy have few activities in common. Our little family was split for the majority of the vacation, reuniting only for meals and to sleep. Robby and Scott headed towards the ocean, the turtles and the fish while Timmy and I frolicked in the pool and played in the playroom.  I should have been more realistic when I envisioned our vacation. The boys have little in common at home, I'm not sure why I thought that they would play together while we were away. The seven year age difference makes a huge impact on the activities that each child enjoys. I know that it won't always be as glaring, but right now they have little more than lineage in common.

Last night Scott and Robby headed out on the highly anticipated turtle trek. I would be lying if I didn't admit that I was jealous of their experience. I planned the entire vacation around the turtle trek, knowing that Robby would adore watching them hatch and crawl towards the ocean. Throughout my planning I envisioned us going on the excursion together. It wasn't until I read the FAQs for the event that I realized I may not be the best suited chaperone. Walking up to five miles, in the dark through loose sand would be difficult. I  probably could have done it if I had to, but I also realized that I would have suffered the physical consequences for many days. We decided it was best if Scott went with him,

Sometimes being an amputee stinks, and last night was one of those occasions. I sat in the hotel room with Timmy, receiving reports from Robby on the trek.  I was thrilled that he was able to experience his dream coming true, yet the selfish part of me was angry that I wasn't there to bear witness.

The sadness quickly lifted when I as I recognized the pure excitement and delight in Robby's voice. He was living out his dream, and he thought to call and share it with me. I found myself nearly as giddy as him with each phone call reporting on the status of "our" nest. When he called to inform me that he saw and helped 36 turtle hatchlings to the ocean we were both in tears. 

Because turtle hatchlings go towards light, cameras were banned. I understand that a special camera was at the hatching, and a video will be uploaded onto the Turtle Trek webpage.  I'll link when it is live, so that everybody can see "our" nest. 

My little pirate

Have I mentioned how much I abhor sand? No matter how many different ways I try to flush out my foot shell, I continue to snap, crackle and pop with each step. Each time I enter the pool I leave trails of tiny crushed shells in my path. I have come to the conclusion that I might be stowing enough sand in my foot to replenish Timmy's sandbox.

Despite my sandy frustrations, we have been having a great vacation.  Yesterday afternoon Timmy and I embarked on a piratical adventure. We had planned for Scott and Robby to come as well, but the scullywags bailed on us at the last minute. I should have made them walk the plank!

I was frustrated that I had paid for two tickets that were going to go unused when I saw a Mom with a five year old girl. The little girl was awestruck looking at the pirate boat. I could tell that she wanted to board and take part in the excitement. I also recognized the look on the Mom's face. She wasn't going to be able to pay for the pair to go on the adventure. I know that feeling, and it is horrible. Without thinking I walked over and explained that I was left with two extra tickets, with the buccaneer upgrade, that were nonrefundable. Rather than have them to go waste, I would love for her and her daughter to use them. The little girl squealed, which led to Timmy clapping with delight.  The Mom gave me a huge hug and whispered "thank you so much" as we embraced. The ticket agent, who witnessed the entire exchange, comped my parking. Scott and Robby may have missed our adventure, but I have no doubt that their tickets were enjoyed more by our new friends.

It was just Timmy and I, but we had a great time on the pirate boat. He thoroughly enjoyed wearing his new bandana and brandishing his little buccaneer sword. The water canons were a lot of fun until a rogue pirate accidentally shot him in the face. After the unfortunate waterboarding Timmy was content to sit by my side and wave to everybody and anybody on or near a boat. 

Late tonight, Robby and Scott embark on the highly anticipated turtle trek. I'm sure that the morning and afternoon will be filled with more time at the beach, followed by the pool to try to clean my foot shell.  Have I mentioned how much I hate sand?

Fishing!

Hello from our vacation!

True to his schedule, Timmy woke up early and was raring to go. After distracting him with cartoons and a doughnut until Robby and Scott were awake, we dressed and headed to the beach. I felt a bit like the odd man out. The boys loved the sand and the surf and were carefree and happy. I spent the majority of my time struggling to walk comfortable on the soft sand and maintain my balance in the waves. There is no other way around it;  wearing a prosthetic at the beach stinks! 

After two hours I was able to convince Timmy to leave the beach for a quick swim in the pool. Again I struggled walking across the sand, only this time it was worse because I was also contending with an extremely heavy prosthesis. While I was in the ocean and playing on the beach, sand had filled and packed  in my foot shell. I venture to guess that my leg was at least 1-2 pounds heavier because of the makeshift foot shell cement. (Trust me, a pound or two doesn't sound like a lot until it is strapped to the bottom of your limb.) I was relieved to have the sand float out of my foot shell in the pool.

Robby and Scott went deep sea fishing in the afternoon while Timmy and I repeated our beach and pool pattern. The fishermen had a great time, and came home with enthusiastic stories of huge catches and wonderful sea adventures.  (The highlight was Robby reeling in an imposing fish. He was delighted and quickly named his prized catch Steve. Apparently he was taken aback when the deckhand beheaded Steve and threw him into the "keep" pile.)

 

Timmy had a fun, albeit calmer, day and was sound asleep by 6. The boys returned to the ocean for an evening swim, leaving me in the room with a sleeping toddler. I took advantage of the downtime by enjoying a Jacuzzi bath without interruption!  

Today we are going on a pirate boat, which should be fun.  Stay tuned for more vacation adventures!

A Charming Passenger

Yesterday Hamlet surpassed all of our travel expectations (which granted were set low) by behaving like a little prince. He charmed everybody around him on the plane by flirting and happily playing with his new toy plane. I was both shocked and grateful for his stellar behavior. Hopefully he will continue to employ proper travel manners on our return flight. Who knows, perhaps we are turning the corner on his stubborn tantrums?

We arrived at our hotel in the early afternoon and we decided to forgo packing for the beach.  The water was warm and the soft rolling waves were fun to jump and bob.  We played for a few hours before we headed out for dinner. After we ate we stopped by a grocery store to stock the snack reserves in our room. Timmy was nearly asleep by the time we arrived back at our hotel. 

Robby and I went for a quick walk along the promenade when he saw a turtle nest. He was so excited he almost started to cry.  We went over to investigate, careful not to disturb anything in the area. I'm sure he will return to "his" next nightly until we leave.

Today will be spent at the pool, on the beach and just having fun.  Pictures to follow!

Florida Bound

Greetings from Baltimore!

This morning our little family will be hopping onto a plane and flying to Florida. We are looking forward to a few days at the beach, relaxing in the sun and the surf. The highlight of our trip, and the impetus for the entire vacation, occurs on Thursday night, when Robby and Scott head out on a "turtle trek." Robby has been over-the-moon with excitement since we revealed that he is going to join rescuers on a nighttime turtle egg excursion. He is hoping that luck will go his way and that he will be fortunate enough to witness the hatching and the journey to the water. 

While we are all looking forward to our Florida vacation, I would be remiss if I didn't admit that I feel oddly conflicted because we are using the gift cards given to me by my Dad for our hotel room. I know that he wanted us to use them, but it feels like I am giving up the only thing I have left from him. I have hung onto the cards as if they were a golden treasure since he died. Using them somehow feels like I am saying goodbye again, but I know that allowing the value to expire is silly. I need to redeem his gift, and this feels like a good time to let go. 

I'm sure that swiping the gift card at check-in will feel bittersweet, but I am going to enjoy this vacation because it is what he wanted.  My Dad would be delighted to know that we are going to Florida, and that Robby will be going on a turtle trek because of him. Perhaps the best way to honor him now is to have a fantastic family vacation in his memory.

Of course, in order to have a fantastic vacation we need to reach our destination. Wish us luck flying with Hamlet! This morning is sure to be an adventure, and Scott and I will probably be exhausted and travel weary by the time we reach the hotel.  Hopefully he will behave, but judging from his enthusiasm I'm not overly optimistic.