Last Week's Happenings

Tim's parents took the Big 3 on a three-day Disney cruise to the Bahamas last week. They were originally going to take just the girls but back in November, right before they were going to break the news, Timmy just happened to say in front of everyone, "I wish I could go on a Disney cruise." We had honestly never mentioned a word of it -- he must have seen a commercial. All the adults exchanged wide-eyed looks and Tim Sr was on the phone with his travel agent that night. Bringing along another little body meant quite the upgrade in ship accommodations so Timmy should feel very special. Right after they got back Tim Sr remarked to me something along the lines of, there was no way they could have taken the girls and left Timmy. This instance, along with Annie's sad scene when Delaney went back with him and Alexa to Massachusetts this past summer, has me thinking that more and more, when it comes to family stuff at least, these three are a package deal.

Here are some of my favorite pictures Tim Sr took. It was hard waiting until they got home to see pictures. I've gotten so accustomed to instant gratification with texting and Facebook, but they were in airplane mode from the time the ship left Florida until it came back. I had to just imagine all the fun they were having and hope no one was seasick. If they were, there was nothing I could do about it anyway.

They had lots of fun with their cousins Sofia and Natalie.

They came back to their room and found Timmy's underwear on a towel monkey -- so funny!

Of course they couldn't be bothered to smile the one and only time their grandparents were in the frame with them. Stinkers.

Meanwhile back here, Tim took a few days off work to hang out with Joey and me. With three-quarters of our brood out of the house we seized the opportunity to clean and de-clutter a couple of kids' rooms, and I mopped the floors. Then they stayed clean .. ahhh. Joey hates car rides so we had to limit our excursions to only a couple. We had a successful visit to the outlets 45 minutes away, and I got some new workout and lounge clothes -- Fun! Then Joey cried every time we stopped at a light all the way home. (Never knew how many freaking lights there were..) We spent a fun morning walking around Savannah one day. Savannah is an hour away but with fewer lights between here and there so less crying for Joey. One thing we did not do during this time was eat dinner at a restaurant. We remembered all too well what a fiasco it had been last time when I don't even think I tasted the food I was scarfing down, I was so stressed. Instead, Tim cooked some awesome dinners that we ate at our own table with boxed wine while a baby napped in his bed.

Savannah, such a pretty city

One night Joey went to bed early, and for the first time in two months we watched a show on Netflix. Season 1 Episode 1 of The Walking Dead. That is a show we would love to watch again, but Joey has not gone to bed early since. Also, we can't agree on how to watch it now that the other kids are back. I say we watch it on the laptop so that when Timmy wanders out of his bedroom as he is wont to do occasionally (like every night), he won't see or hear anything gory. Tim only wants to watch it on the big screen noisy TV. We're at an impasse. Oh well, who knows when we'll get another chance to watch anyway.

They got back on Sunday and the kids came in the door with sun-kissed cheeks talking all at once about how much fun they'd had, and showing us the things they'd brought home. We were so happy for them. After dinner we sang happy birthday to Tim Sr whose birthday is on the 26th. 

They left this morning to go to St. Augustine for a couple days, and then back to Massachusetts. We'll see them again in July.

And now it's back to reality.

Our vacation -- the happy part :)

Now that you've enjoyed my impotent rantings about the challenges we faced on this vacation, I'm moving on to what made it awesome.  We had beautiful weather and we had so much fun together.  I loved watching the kids get to know their Ohio family all over again.  I loved seeing my newest nephew cling to my sister like a baby koala.  I loved staying up way past my bedtime talking on the balcony with my sisters, then listening to the waves as I drifted off to sleep.  I loved having Mom make me dinner again too.  Thanks, Mom!

It took me a couple days to get over the funk I descended into the minute we all drove away last Saturday.  I miss them all so very much, but I'm so happy we got to have this week together.  It was an adventure, that's for sure.  And now we have a visit from Grace to look forward to in a couple weeks!

Timmy and my dad (aka Papaw)

Annie, Delaney and Jaden (age 5)

My sister Grace, Timmy and my dad on our last morning in the "house of horrors" -- you can see it looming in the background on the right.

Delaney with the boogie board -- she never got tired of the rough waves.

Annie, Timmy and I

Annie loved to wallow in the surf and sand.

Aspen (age 7) digging a hole for Timmy

Jaden and Delaney

My sister Sophie and her son Damien (9 mos)

Mom and Timmy

Timmy was tossing a rubber frog that he knew Scotty (with the green floatie on) was a little scared of.  He was amusing himself very much.

Damien

Delaney and Annie

Aspen

My brother Scotty and his wife Faith enjoying a margarita on the beach.  They made me one too.  It was yummy.

Timmy and Scotty (just turned 3 this month)

Grace and I

All the siblings except Anna.  (I'm really glad Faith told me to hold my frozen yogurt cone lower!  I would have looked ridiculous.)

Grace, Damien and Annie

Mom and Dad

We might have to send her back

Tim and Delaney made a surprise trip for just a few days, to Massachusetts.  Tim hadn't been there in two years.  Delaney was so excited to go on this trip with her daddy, and I was thrilled for her.  Every day she asked, "How many more days..?"  until finally it was THE DAY!

Proud of her packing job the night before

At the airport bright and early

FaceTime with Annie during their layover in Charlotte

The first airplane trip she'll remember

Landing  in Providence, RI

The BEST photo

A wan smile because they're headed home

Highlights of their four-night stay included a big family cookout, another one with old friends of Tim's, a slumber party with her cousins, and a lot of swimming.

Throughout the day and especially in the evenings, I would wait eagerly for Tim's updates on how things were going, and how much fun Delaney was having.  She was certainly having a lot of fun, and at times, too much.  Sometimes Tim would tell me that she was "completely exhausted, done.. never seen her this way.."  Then after all that she wouldn't even sleep well.  I almost think they needed to stay longer, so it wouldn't be so much in such a short amount of time.

As for how Annie, Timmy and I did with them gone.. well, things were a little different.  Bedtimes were quiet.  No arguing and loud noises coming from the girls' room.  The morning after their first night gone, we all got up at 8.  The second morning it was around 8:10.  And the third, about 8:20. I would hear a little noise, look at the clock, go 'wow,' and then walk across the house to see what they were up to.  Annie would be just sitting on her bed with a goofy grin when I opened her door.  Timmy would be lying in his crib making little noises and sucking his thumb.  They might have been awake since 7 for all I knew; but without Tim and Delaney there to motivate them, they had no need to bound out of bed the minute the clock turned yellow.  So that was nice.

Annie was a little bit lost without her sidekick.  We went to Chick-Fil-A for dinner the first night, and Annie was excited to go into the playroom there, when she was done with her food.  When I told her she could go, she took off her sandals and stood there, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, unsure of what to do next.  I led her to the room, and she played, but only for about five minutes.

Annie was glad when it came time to pick them up this past Tuesday at around noon.  She chattered happily all the way to the airport.  I had been warned already by Tim that Delaney was sad to be coming home, but I still thought she'd be a little bit glad to see us.  I was not prepared for what I saw when I pulled up to the curb to pick them up.  There was Delaney, shoulders sagging, feet dragging, wearing the biggest frown.  She looked like a person resigned to prison for the rest of her life.  She wouldn't even look at me when I was buckling her into her carseat.

The rest of the afternoon was horrible, just horrible.  She whined, fought with her sister, and told us more than once that she just wanted to go back to Massachusetts.  I knew she would miss everybody there, but geez, I didn't think it was that bad here. 

Today was only a little better.  It's like a cloud is hanging over us.  I never dreamed when we were imagining how much fun their trip would be, how chaotic and stressful their first couple days back would be.  Bedtime is war again, worse than ever.  Delaney has had more time-outs today than in the last six months (two, I think).  Her offenses have been whining, being disobedient, and not using her manners.  I want to pout and whine too.

I guess it is impossible for a five-year-old to understand that you can enjoy going places and seeing other loved ones, but you have to be able to understand that home is home.  It is not easy for any of us to be deprived of our big families, but we make the most of it.  I think we do a really good job.  I really and truly see home as wherever we the five of us happen to be.  We are comfortable and happy and healthy, and we have each other.  We have a lot.  It is too much to expect for a little girl to have that perspective.  I know I shouldn't take it so personally how devastated she was to be coming back here, and how moody and difficult she's been since.  She is just a little girl.  

Maybe tomorrow will be a normal day, and she'll be her happy-go-lucky self.  I hope!  I wonder if I ever gave my mom grief after staying for a few days at Aunt Mary Lee's wonderful house with a pool, fancy perfume bottles, Cracklin' Oat Bran, cousins, and as many pretzels and pop in front of the TV as I wanted.  If so, I'm sorry for that.