Vacationing in the Florida Keys
Paul and I were blessed by our parents who watched our kids from March 6-11th so we could go on an annual trip together, without the kiddos. We always choose a warm destination, usually Mexico, but this year we wanted to check out the Florida Keys. Our winter vacation is always restful and full of a lot of laughing, reconnecting, laying in the sun, seeking out new and local restaurants, playing cribbage, and recalling what drew us to fall in love before we had kids in our lives.
This year was a little different because Luke is in Kindergarten, but he was a champ, so brave and courageous, dealing with the changes with little to no anxiety. We were SO proud of him. Sunday night my parents brought the kids back to our house after being in Richmond for the weekend. Grandpa Ernie dropped him off at school that Monday morning and Luke directed Grandpa to his school (because he'd never been there), showed him how to follow the cars around the loop, then jumped out, went about 15 feet, then turned around and gave him a big wave. It was fun to hear Grandpa recount the story. Then on Tuesday morning, after transitioning from Richmond (over the weekend) to Spicer (on Sunday night), to Kerkhoven (starting Monday afternoon), Luke got up and was a champ going to school from Kerkhoven. He had to leave a half an hour earlier. He had to adjust to daylight savings time as well. And he had no problem with the change. Way to go Lukey!
Ben was also a champ, never crying once! I'm so proud of him! He is such a nice boy, so laid back. And Meredith was a champ as well. She had a little moment on the first night we were gone, crying hard while pointing to the coats and yelling "Mama! HOME! Mama! HOME!" Poor, sweet thing. But she was taken care of by her big brothers (especially Luke, who my mom said was so sweet and protective and caring toward her) and grandpa and grandma (she was grandma's little shadow for 3 days straight!) and so the short crying spell ended and after that she had no problems for the rest of the weekend.
It is really hard for a mom to leave her little kids at home and go away on vacation. When my parents brought the kids back to our house on Sunday night, Hannah and Joe were there and so Hannah Face-timed us on her phone. Seeing Luke, Ben, and Meri on the phone made me miss them so much. I thought Luke looked like he was getting teared up, looking up with his eyes like he does to hold off the tears, and that tore me apart. And so I ended up crying after we got off the phone, just because it reminded me of how much I missed them...how much they are a part of my every waking (and sleeping) minute of each day and night. That night, as I was so blue, I asked Paul, "How long do you think it would take before you missed the kids? Like, REALLY missed them?" His response: "Let me think about that and get back to you." Ha! Guys/dads are just so different from moms! Paul loves the kids like crazy, but he just doesn't feel that empty longing that a mom does when she is away from her kids for a few nights.
Well, here are some funny message from my mom, who kept me posted on the happenings around Richmond:
Saturday afternoon, March 7:
Hi, I forgot to tell you that Ben is the proud owner of a meat package from the meat raffle now too. Luke didn't want to go, so Ben stepped up to the plate. Plus he was the winner of a side bet~$2.25. I shudder at what they're learning from their grandfather! But, the Hannigs have food in the freezer again. :) Luke just pooped and wiped his own butt! He's so proud! Only Meri to go. It's going great. Love, Mom
Saturday evening, March 7:
...doing good here...I just checked all your messages. Meri is doing so good and the boys have been just great. They were outside each, digging roads and paths through the snow. Everybody pooped....Ben twice. So all had baths and we washed hair in the kitchen sink. Meri was so calm and funny. Dad got pictures. Luke just had two pieces of bread for his bedtime snack...with the crusts! And it's taken me this long to figure out that Meri is not a big sweet lover...crackers and pretzels are more her style.
Now, enjoy yourself, because everything is great here. Meri had a great night and day, and I'm sure it'll continue.
Love, Mom
Monday March 9th:
Tuesday March 10th from me to my mom:
I talked to Ann last night and asked to talk to the kids but they were too busy to talk to me! So that's good. Luke planned to go to school today and take tomorrow off. I'm wondering how this morning went since he was in a different location for a starting point (Kerkhoven), probably didn't have all of his comfort food to bring in his lunch, and probably was finally exhausted from the time change and lack of sleep. I will let you know if I hear anything. I will tell Benny about the Lego!
Tuesday March 10th:
This year was a little different because Luke is in Kindergarten, but he was a champ, so brave and courageous, dealing with the changes with little to no anxiety. We were SO proud of him. Sunday night my parents brought the kids back to our house after being in Richmond for the weekend. Grandpa Ernie dropped him off at school that Monday morning and Luke directed Grandpa to his school (because he'd never been there), showed him how to follow the cars around the loop, then jumped out, went about 15 feet, then turned around and gave him a big wave. It was fun to hear Grandpa recount the story. Then on Tuesday morning, after transitioning from Richmond (over the weekend) to Spicer (on Sunday night), to Kerkhoven (starting Monday afternoon), Luke got up and was a champ going to school from Kerkhoven. He had to leave a half an hour earlier. He had to adjust to daylight savings time as well. And he had no problem with the change. Way to go Lukey!
Ben was also a champ, never crying once! I'm so proud of him! He is such a nice boy, so laid back. And Meredith was a champ as well. She had a little moment on the first night we were gone, crying hard while pointing to the coats and yelling "Mama! HOME! Mama! HOME!" Poor, sweet thing. But she was taken care of by her big brothers (especially Luke, who my mom said was so sweet and protective and caring toward her) and grandpa and grandma (she was grandma's little shadow for 3 days straight!) and so the short crying spell ended and after that she had no problems for the rest of the weekend.
It is really hard for a mom to leave her little kids at home and go away on vacation. When my parents brought the kids back to our house on Sunday night, Hannah and Joe were there and so Hannah Face-timed us on her phone. Seeing Luke, Ben, and Meri on the phone made me miss them so much. I thought Luke looked like he was getting teared up, looking up with his eyes like he does to hold off the tears, and that tore me apart. And so I ended up crying after we got off the phone, just because it reminded me of how much I missed them...how much they are a part of my every waking (and sleeping) minute of each day and night. That night, as I was so blue, I asked Paul, "How long do you think it would take before you missed the kids? Like, REALLY missed them?" His response: "Let me think about that and get back to you." Ha! Guys/dads are just so different from moms! Paul loves the kids like crazy, but he just doesn't feel that empty longing that a mom does when she is away from her kids for a few nights.
Well, here are some funny message from my mom, who kept me posted on the happenings around Richmond:
Saturday afternoon, March 7:
Hi, I forgot to tell you that Ben is the proud owner of a meat package from the meat raffle now too. Luke didn't want to go, so Ben stepped up to the plate. Plus he was the winner of a side bet~$2.25. I shudder at what they're learning from their grandfather! But, the Hannigs have food in the freezer again. :) Luke just pooped and wiped his own butt! He's so proud! Only Meri to go. It's going great. Love, Mom
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| Ben at Happy Hour at Haffley's Bar in Richmond |
Saturday evening, March 7:
...doing good here...I just checked all your messages. Meri is doing so good and the boys have been just great. They were outside each, digging roads and paths through the snow. Everybody pooped....Ben twice. So all had baths and we washed hair in the kitchen sink. Meri was so calm and funny. Dad got pictures. Luke just had two pieces of bread for his bedtime snack...with the crusts! And it's taken me this long to figure out that Meri is not a big sweet lover...crackers and pretzels are more her style.
Now, enjoy yourself, because everything is great here. Meri had a great night and day, and I'm sure it'll continue.
Love, Mom
Monday March 9th:
I’m not sure if you get emails on your phone…I think so…just wanted to let you know that now I’m the one that’s blue. I cried all the way back from New London this morning. When we left, Joe was with Meri and Ben…and he is just soooo good….and Meri worships him….but she had that sad look in her eyes…like I was copping out on her. I talked to her and told her Grandma Annie and Grandpa Dave, who “calls you Meredy” would be coming very soon, and “you just have fun with Uncle Joe”, who was doing a tremendous job of making her smile, but I’m still having a tough time with it all. I wanted to just call Joe and see how he did, but Dad said I would be making him feel bad. She was just my little shadow for 3 days, so I maybe should have stayed longer this morning. Anyway, let me know if you hear anything, so I can rest assured that all is well.
They’re opening their gifts after school at Hannigs…and Luke was GREAT this morning. He woke up on his own, so I knew he got “slept out”, ate well, and was all organized, checking that everything was in his back pack. Lunch was a PB & J sandwich, applesauce, cutie, 3 pieces of summer sausage, some fruit strip thing and I stuck a mini choc cupcake that Dad had picked up for the weekend in one of those little Tupperware containers....he probably won’t be able to eat it all. Or maybe he’ll start with the cupcake, and won’t eat anything else. J I’m still not sure if you read him exactly right last night….although I know he really does miss you…but I wonder if it was just that the phone went back to Benny too quickly, and Luke didn’t have time to tell you enough stuff.??? You know him best, though…but I do know that he was great right after that, asking Grandpa tons of questions about the “train” book they were reading… he is a brave little soul, so caring about everyone.
I gotta get some work done…enough. I’ll talk to you on Weds.
Love, Mom
PS Screw the shower door. We’re replacing it.
Tuesday March 10th from me to my mom:
I talked to Ann last night and asked to talk to the kids but they were too busy to talk to me! So that's good. Luke planned to go to school today and take tomorrow off. I'm wondering how this morning went since he was in a different location for a starting point (Kerkhoven), probably didn't have all of his comfort food to bring in his lunch, and probably was finally exhausted from the time change and lack of sleep. I will let you know if I hear anything. I will tell Benny about the Lego!
Tuesday March 10th:
I’m sure Luke did fine. The one thing about him is that he talks everything through, and asks lots of questions…and I’m sure Grandma H found plenty of food for him. And I’m also sure he’s getting plenty of sleep. Sat morning he woke up early, but I think he was so anxious to get that day’s gift opened that he couldn’t keep his eyes closed. Sat night when they went to bed, I told him, that with the time change, he should let his body wake up whenever it wanted to, and we’d probably wait until 10am to open gifts on Sunday anyway. So he did sleep in, and it actually was about 10am before we got to the gifts. I’m sure the Hannigs got him to bed early. He always says he can’t sleep at night, but it doesn’t take him as long as he thinks to fall asleep.
I’m still missing the kids, but glad to hear that everyone was too busy to talk to you…that’s a good thing. Dad doesn’t want me to call the Hannigs, but I just told him that I should be calling the kids and just telling them that I love them to death. But I’ll wait patiently until you’re home, and then run over to hug them. Ooo, I’m getting teary eyed again.
Love, Mom
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Here are some pictures from Florida!
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