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. 

Medieval Times

At the risk of sounding like a braggart, I hit yesterday's adventure out of the park. The trip to Medieval Times, with VIP "King's Court" access, was sure to become a highlight of the year. All of the kids had a blast from the moment and were awestruck by the splendor of the show and the special doting and perks flowered upon them throughout the afternoon.

As we mulled around the castle entrance, waiting for the gates to open for the show, the cousins were having a great time looking at the suits of armor and playing with their new wooden swords and shields. The kids were surprised when they heard their names called over the loudspeaker.  Unsure and apprehensive, they reluctantly approached the stage. The looks of utter delight on their faces when they realized that they were being publicly "knighted" is one that I will never forget. To add to my own personal amusement, the King read a proclamation with each Knighting, declaring that the honor was bestowed to celebrate Aunt Peggy's Week of Fun.

Our seats were in the first row, in the center of the ring. We were seated in the Yellow and Red Knight's section, and instructed to cheer for him and to jeer the opponents. We all embraced the experience, and our voices were hoarse by the time the show was over.  We dined on roasted dragon, toasted with "virgin" ale and fully immersed ourselves in the theme. The kids even tried to speak in British accents. 

By the time the show was over our voices were hoarse from cheering and jeering.  The kids were smiling so broadly I was certain their cheeks had to ache, and they chatted nonstop on the drive home as they recounted everything they had just experienced. It's been a long time since I have had so much fun!

When we arrived home the cousins took to reenacting the show. They spent the evening choreographic and performing versions of their favorite scenes. I'm sure that yesterday is a day that will be remembered by everybody.

 

A Bit of a Slip

Well, yesterday's Aunt Peggy adventure was not the rousing success I had anticipated. I was excited when I discovered a kid's themed tour of the Gettysburg Battlefields. I thought for sure that everybody would love learning about the Civil War through a kid's perspective. After all, who wouldn't love learning about the Battlefield in such an interactive fashion?

It turns out that only two out of the four enjoyed the tour. The other two, who are not history buffs, complained of being bored. I got to the point where I asked them to keep their complaints to themselves so that the other tourists did not become as annoyed as me hearing the lamenting. Oh well, even Aunt Peggy can't hit a home run every time. 

Today we have another adventure, not history related, that is sure to please everybody. We are headed to Medieval Times and will be seated in the "King's Royal Court." The kids will be seated ringside for the show, will be able to interact with the jousters before the performance and will be privy to a variety of special perks throughout the afternoon. I'm sure that everybody will thoroughly enjoy today's adventure. If they don't, Aunt Peggy may need to rethink her Week of Fun strategy.

Week of Fun Day 2

Yesterday we spent the afternoon at the local science center and the kids had a blast. While the big kids were running through the three story facility as a pack, I spent the majority of my time with Timmy. He was thrilled to be included in our adventure but the majority of the activities were too advanced for him.

I thought that Timmy would enjoy the heavily publicized dinosaur exhibit. We were roaring and stomping through the house as we prepared for the adventure. The dino fun stopped as soon as he laid eyes on the imposing animatronic figures.  Although we all tried to convince him that he was safe, he was terrified.  We abandoned our dino aspirations and gravitated toward the toddler zone. Filled with a huge interactive water table and a variety of toys and play structures, he was a happy little boy.

After playing and exploring most of the afternoon we returned home for dinner. After I put Timmy down for the night we piled into the car for another adventure. We went to paint ceramics. They were all proud of their masterpieces and had a fantastic time painting, talking and laughing.

This morning we are leaving early for another adventure.  Stay tuned, this is going to be a great day!

Aunt Peggy's Week of Fun

For the past few years, I have tried to take one week every summer to devote to having fun with my kids and my niece and nephews. I strive to do a different adventure everyday and while the adventures don't have to be grand, I try to make them interesting and we always have fun. Our special week has become a tradition that we look forward to and we reflect upon our adventures throughout the year. Aunt Peggy's Week of Fun is one of my favorite weeks of the year!

Our adventures have a few ground rules.  First of all, the kids never know what we will be doing or where we will be going.  They know to go to the car when asked, and that begging for hints is fruitless. We never go to the same place twice, and experiences are not repeated.  Each adventure is unique and new. When we are not on an adventure they spend time playing, resting and anticipating the next time I call them all to the car.

I spend a lot of time throughout the year planning the adventures. It is hard finding new experiences and activities for tweens, but it is a challenge I thoroughly enjoy. I keep a running list of interesting destinations, tours and activities that I discover online and hear about through friends. I probably spend as much time planning the adventures as the kids do anticipating them!

Yesterday morning Aunt Peggy's Week of Fun officially kicked off with a big breakfast surprise- a full sheet cake. The kids were delighted when I placed the enormous, sugar laden confection on the kitchen table. After they were thoroughly hyped on the sweet stuff we packed up and headed out on our first adventure.

We visited and toured a coal mine. After taking a steam train ride to tour the old company town, we loaded into the coal cars and were driven deep into the mountain. All of the kids were fascinated by the tour and tickled to be inside a real mine.  I have to admit that I found it interesting as well.  Being allowed to push the fuse, causing an explosion, was definitely the highlight.

The weather didn't cooperate with the second part of my planned adventure, but we decided to improvise. Instead of visiting the small amusement park close to the mine the cousins ended up playing, splashing and dancing in the rain. While everybody else was seeking shelter, we were having a blast in the heavy downpour.

Today the adventures continue. (I won't post any spoilers because the kids are now old enough to start to snoop. It is only a matter of time before one of them checks this blog for clues.) Per my rules, the adventure always has to be a surprise.  Stay tuned tomorrow for updates on today's installment of Aunt Peggy's Week of Fun!

Handling Insensitivity.

Last night Dave and I recorded our weekly podcast. Since January we have dedicated ourselves to maintaining a recording schedule, regardless of our personal situations. We have poured countless hours into researching and recording podcasts as well as creating and uploading new resources for the limb loss community.  Although it wasn't necessary, Dave's dedication to amp'd was reinforced by his determination to maintain our schedule while he is on vacation.  Yesterday evening he managed to escape his family fun for an hour to log onto wifi with the singular purpose of recording our weekly episode. 

Although we had a few technical hiccups, our newest episode was fun to record.  Suffering from political fatigue, we opted to focus on a lighter issue. We settled on discussing and comparing odd and/ or rude encounters with strangers concerning our amputations. As we were preparing to record we both noted one glaring reality: I have had more frequent and considerably ruder encounters than him. 

I hypothesize that strangers feel more comfortable approaching me with their judgmental rhetoric because I am a female. Dave is shielded from the direct verbal judgment simply because he is a male and looks more imposing. I invite you to listen to our latest episode.  (It's short, I promise!) 

After you have listened, drop me a note and let me know your reaction. What do you think of our female confrontation theory?  Have you had rude encounters with strangers, and why do you think these individuals felt compelled to confront you?