Sunday, February 16, 2014
Hooliganting: Florida: Doing nothing and trying to be good at it...
Hooliganting: Florida: Doing nothing and trying to be good at it...: The post-traumatic stress syndrome of traveling blues usually leads to sleep deprivation of some sort. This journey was no exception, but I ...
Florida: Doing nothing and trying to be good at it.
The post-traumatic stress syndrome of traveling blues usually leads to sleep deprivation of some sort. This journey was no exception, but I was stunned to find out that this morning, I was the first to wake up. Really. That never happens by accident and I am usually offended when it has to happen on purpose. However, this morning I woke up bleary eyed at 11:45 am and realized that yes, I was awake. Yes, I was in Florida. Yes, that was sunshine outside and yes, I was wasting it. Snuggling in to try and get more sleep, that information went to my brain and no, more sleep was not possible.
Getting everyone out of bed, showered, clothed and breakfast/lunched, it was time to catch up on the Olympics. There was a hockey game on between Canada and Finland so that finished my motivation. We watched and then went for a walk through the resort. I tried ignoring the sunshine but it didn't work. We are at the Mystic Dune Resort which has a lovely vast expanse of golf course to walk. There are hills and fountains, plus three pools. For the children, we found the activity centre and the mini golf course. There were even two ducks.
In the midst of trying to enjoy the surroundings, I found the front desk and lodged my complaint about the buglings. They are a sweet ant, apparently and while they have sprayed, they are not gone. They seem to be attached in some way to the toaster. I love the beauty of the resort and the spaciousness and the rooms are gorgeous. I hate the ants in the kitchen. I have nicely expressed my concerns and well...that timeshare presentation tomorrow? I am NOT going. However, if this is the worst part of the accomodation, I guess I can lump it. I am only a pretend princess after all. After strolling back to the room, it was time for some poolside fun. The pool is shallow enough that I can gleefully wander into a book and only have to glance at them from time to time.
It was lovely and warm. However, in the process, I discovered that my eldest had outgrown her shoes. Now, I only packed last week. Last week, her feet were sized 5.5. This week, they are definately a 6 to 6.5. Gak. Areosoles was beckoning and so that let to outlet shopping for the family. We took four hours at the Premium Outlet Mall looking for shoes, watches, t-shirts and hats. I am also sulking because I managed to leave my credit card at the last store. It's a good thing that I don't really need it here. Sigh. It is cancelled now, and I will just have to make do.
Around 9:00, supper became a concern. We Yelped restaurants and came up with the Smokey Bones as a choice place to go. Ummm...great plan but the traffic had other ideas. So, we stopped at another Yelped place called Carrabbas - which served very yummy Italian. Service was relatively quick and the bill was relatively painless. I would recommend it for families that are traveling anyway as all kids seem to be welcome there.
So, today was a day of doing essentially nothing. But, a day of doing nothing seemed to be counter productive so in the end, we did quite a lot. The groceries are also done as we stopped on the way home. I have to say, the elder girl is very helpful in the grocery store, remembering all the things that I was forgetting. She schelps bags and organizes the counter too. All in all, it was a great day. St. Augustine will be tomorrow.
Hooliganting: Florida: Traveling there
Hooliganting: Florida: Traveling there: Traveling with children is no small feat. It takes patience, wisdom and a sense of humor. You have to plan for the things that no one else t...
Florida: Traveling there
Traveling with children is no small feat. It takes patience, wisdom and a sense of humor. You have to plan for the things that no one else thinks of and you have plan for hiccups. Yesterday,was the first time in a long time that I have had to travel with children through airports and security by myself. No other friends or family to cast an eye and while it is perfectly doable...there are those moments when you wish you had an extra set of hands.
Our flight left late but arrived on time into Toronto. I maintain, that hands down, if you are going to have flight issues, this is the airport to have them in. We were welcomed at the gate by Air Canada crew and were hustled over to Secure Connections area F for passport control. We arrived at 6:50, were in the area at 7:05. Our boarding passes were scanned and then we waited. Waited. Waited and watched the clock tick over. Boarding for our flight was at 8:05. The girls had done their job by running through the airport with the luggage and were more or less not fighting. Finally, I walked over to the Air Canada desk and said, I have now got 20 minutes to clear customs, security and get to the gate.
In the meantime, we had made friends with another family who was traveling with small children and all the infant gear. Grinning, I just suggested that having us misconnect might cause more problems and could they hold the flight and help? They agreed. Relief, and then our names and numbers came up. Through clearance 3 and to customs. Then, drama ensued as Keelin realized her stuffy was MIA. After tears, and heated argument, I gave up and left the girls in line while I weaved back to look. I was met by a gentleman in a yellow vest who had the stuffy. He was waiting for me to figure it out. Thank you!
Back I weaved to the line, which hadn't moved. It is now 8:00 and our flight is about to board. 8:30 comes and the line has not moved. We are pulled from the line and taken to the front with our other friends. We clear customs and then have to beg and plead to head to the family line. At every security point, our bags, hands and pat downs occured as we were selected. Fabulous. Eyes rolling, I noticed the other family was still struggling with shoes and strollers so again, we ran. It was about 8:45 and our flight was leaving at 8:40. I was never so happy to see a ticket agent just standing there waiting for us.
We flew Air Canada Rouge. It was interesting as it felt like they were trying to be West Jet. They were warm and friendly and really pleasant. The seats are more crowded and not as comfortable but very clean and the seats have way more storage. Food costs a fortune so next time, I am packing a picnic of allowed food before leaving the house. I didn't this time and because our connection was so tight, I had no time to feed the girls in the airport. I spent over 50 dollars on airline food. Ouch. It wasn't bad but ouch. Another note to self, make sure that the Air Canada application is downloaded onto your Ipod/Ipad devices. There are no Air Canada in flight entertainment options if you do not. That leads to bored and cranky children.
We landed into Orlando at midnight and then found and I hop. Pancakes at midnight. That can't be wrong can it?
We are now at our resort: the Mystic Dunes. We have a kitchen and a beautiful spacious suite that comes complete with little buglings in the kitchen. Everything else is gorgeous but not sure about cooking. Maintenance has been called and so we wait and blog. I guess I should explore the resort too but there is a hockey game on. It is the Olymipics after all. The girls love the two queen beds in their room and are in heaven.
Welcome to the Florida blog.
Our flight left late but arrived on time into Toronto. I maintain, that hands down, if you are going to have flight issues, this is the airport to have them in. We were welcomed at the gate by Air Canada crew and were hustled over to Secure Connections area F for passport control. We arrived at 6:50, were in the area at 7:05. Our boarding passes were scanned and then we waited. Waited. Waited and watched the clock tick over. Boarding for our flight was at 8:05. The girls had done their job by running through the airport with the luggage and were more or less not fighting. Finally, I walked over to the Air Canada desk and said, I have now got 20 minutes to clear customs, security and get to the gate.
In the meantime, we had made friends with another family who was traveling with small children and all the infant gear. Grinning, I just suggested that having us misconnect might cause more problems and could they hold the flight and help? They agreed. Relief, and then our names and numbers came up. Through clearance 3 and to customs. Then, drama ensued as Keelin realized her stuffy was MIA. After tears, and heated argument, I gave up and left the girls in line while I weaved back to look. I was met by a gentleman in a yellow vest who had the stuffy. He was waiting for me to figure it out. Thank you!
Back I weaved to the line, which hadn't moved. It is now 8:00 and our flight is about to board. 8:30 comes and the line has not moved. We are pulled from the line and taken to the front with our other friends. We clear customs and then have to beg and plead to head to the family line. At every security point, our bags, hands and pat downs occured as we were selected. Fabulous. Eyes rolling, I noticed the other family was still struggling with shoes and strollers so again, we ran. It was about 8:45 and our flight was leaving at 8:40. I was never so happy to see a ticket agent just standing there waiting for us.
We flew Air Canada Rouge. It was interesting as it felt like they were trying to be West Jet. They were warm and friendly and really pleasant. The seats are more crowded and not as comfortable but very clean and the seats have way more storage. Food costs a fortune so next time, I am packing a picnic of allowed food before leaving the house. I didn't this time and because our connection was so tight, I had no time to feed the girls in the airport. I spent over 50 dollars on airline food. Ouch. It wasn't bad but ouch. Another note to self, make sure that the Air Canada application is downloaded onto your Ipod/Ipad devices. There are no Air Canada in flight entertainment options if you do not. That leads to bored and cranky children.
We landed into Orlando at midnight and then found and I hop. Pancakes at midnight. That can't be wrong can it?
We are now at our resort: the Mystic Dunes. We have a kitchen and a beautiful spacious suite that comes complete with little buglings in the kitchen. Everything else is gorgeous but not sure about cooking. Maintenance has been called and so we wait and blog. I guess I should explore the resort too but there is a hockey game on. It is the Olymipics after all. The girls love the two queen beds in their room and are in heaven.
Welcome to the Florida blog.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Hooliganting: Taking All the Time in the World
Hooliganting: Taking All the Time in the World: Living life in the moment is not as easy as it sounds. Remarkably, I have been living life full throttle and intend to continue to do so but...
Taking All the Time in the World
Living life in the moment is not as easy as it sounds. Remarkably, I have been living life full throttle and intend to continue to do so but now and then, I slow down to think, to ponder and take all the time in the world. It might not look like it, in fact I am sure that it doesn't, but I do.
Tomorrow, the great adventures of Florida begin for me and my extended family and friends. I have been plotting and scheming activities and suitcases. I have slowly packed and repacked until I minimized the luggage and maximized the timeline to still allow for relaxing time. The house is going to be well tended and is clean, and for the moment, all those pesky details like laundry and dishes are done. I usually pack the night before but this time, I have taken two weeks to sort and think.
I have taken time by making appointments with myself to go to the gym and dance, despite the workload and knowing that I need to put more time in at the office. The girls and I had a whole weekend at a hip hop dance convention last weekend that stretched the muscles, mind and imagination. By the end of the weekend, we had learned about house, hip hop, breaking, popping, video choreo versus stage shows and freestyle battles. Wow. Surrounded by talent, I loved the teaching and gentle instruction that was offered. This was time that I borrowed for myself to learn and dance. There is something about the sheer joy of movement and musicality that I appreciate and love. There is a reason that while at Starbucks for coffee, I accidently found myself dancing. Blushing, I said thank you when another lady commented "I like your groove." I hadn't even realized I was dancing in the line. Through dance and the gym, I am focusing on health and mental well being. It is a priority that only happens when I take the time. And it is the easiest time to give away to those that want it.
Sometimes, the to do list can wait. I have taken some time away from writing even, which usually relaxes me and helps me to process my thoughts. However, my usually quirky organized self has had some issues with thinking happy thoughts and quite frankly, I don't usually share the darker shades of blue. Instead, I decided that it was OK to take the time to think and to ponder life. Life is fluid, and full of changes. I have been watching the Canadians participate in the Olympics and have seen some incredible things. I love it when an athlete does their best. The ski being given by the Canadian coach to the Russian skier was amazing. The story of the Swiss skier waiting for the Peruvian skier to finish was tear jerking for me. The sportsmanship and drive is wonderful to watch while the freestyle and snowboarding sports are fun to watch for the tricks and commentary. Only in Canada does our silver medalist apologize. (Read the book How to Be A Canadian by Will Ferguson sometime - there is a whole chapter on how Canadians say sorry). It was a SILVER MEDAL. YAY! I certainly couldn't do it.
Despite the stress of my work week and trying to get ready for a big trip, I still took time with my family to watch my friends' young ladies perform in Les Miserables. The music of the show with the fabulous community acting was tremendous. Sometimes, by being supportive, you are richly blessed and for our town, this was truly a triumph of hard work and dedication. My youngest asked good historical questions and my eldest was fascinated by the sets. In addition, there was an art show and we spent time looking at the lovely prints. My artistic child was so fascinated by one print that it seemed to belong to us, and now it is on our wall. It was titled Corsage from the Secret Garden exhibition.
I think the point is as the winter cold and chills take their toll, and as I have witnessed a wonderful woman navigate her way through grief, and seen others struggle a bit this winter, I have learned the value of thinking things through. For example, before posting lyrics to a fb page, I really listened to my instincts and thought about it for three days before deciding that the message was too good not to share. The words were so resonant with me, that I shared. I have owned my mistakes, and I have made a concious effort to look for the high road. Do or do not, there is no try. Advice has been taken freely and used. I have wise and amazing friends that I really love and appreciate for who they are and as for my girls, sometimes I learn so much from them.
In a wretched debate with my eldest this evening, I found myself losing. She hates her elastics for her braces. They are to be worn when not engaged in eating or sports. The debate raged over breaking the jaw and headgear versus elastics, to which she said she liked her teeth the way they are. Money and health were discussed with vim and the educational qualifications of the orthodontist were showcased to no avail. After all, she doesn't have to wear them for sports. When I stared blankly at her, I was told in no uncertain terms why she didn't have to wear them.
"Life is a Sport."
Ummmm....yeah....I need to think about this some more.
Mom?
Tomorrow, the great adventures of Florida begin for me and my extended family and friends. I have been plotting and scheming activities and suitcases. I have slowly packed and repacked until I minimized the luggage and maximized the timeline to still allow for relaxing time. The house is going to be well tended and is clean, and for the moment, all those pesky details like laundry and dishes are done. I usually pack the night before but this time, I have taken two weeks to sort and think.
I have taken time by making appointments with myself to go to the gym and dance, despite the workload and knowing that I need to put more time in at the office. The girls and I had a whole weekend at a hip hop dance convention last weekend that stretched the muscles, mind and imagination. By the end of the weekend, we had learned about house, hip hop, breaking, popping, video choreo versus stage shows and freestyle battles. Wow. Surrounded by talent, I loved the teaching and gentle instruction that was offered. This was time that I borrowed for myself to learn and dance. There is something about the sheer joy of movement and musicality that I appreciate and love. There is a reason that while at Starbucks for coffee, I accidently found myself dancing. Blushing, I said thank you when another lady commented "I like your groove." I hadn't even realized I was dancing in the line. Through dance and the gym, I am focusing on health and mental well being. It is a priority that only happens when I take the time. And it is the easiest time to give away to those that want it.
Despite the stress of my work week and trying to get ready for a big trip, I still took time with my family to watch my friends' young ladies perform in Les Miserables. The music of the show with the fabulous community acting was tremendous. Sometimes, by being supportive, you are richly blessed and for our town, this was truly a triumph of hard work and dedication. My youngest asked good historical questions and my eldest was fascinated by the sets. In addition, there was an art show and we spent time looking at the lovely prints. My artistic child was so fascinated by one print that it seemed to belong to us, and now it is on our wall. It was titled Corsage from the Secret Garden exhibition.
I think the point is as the winter cold and chills take their toll, and as I have witnessed a wonderful woman navigate her way through grief, and seen others struggle a bit this winter, I have learned the value of thinking things through. For example, before posting lyrics to a fb page, I really listened to my instincts and thought about it for three days before deciding that the message was too good not to share. The words were so resonant with me, that I shared. I have owned my mistakes, and I have made a concious effort to look for the high road. Do or do not, there is no try. Advice has been taken freely and used. I have wise and amazing friends that I really love and appreciate for who they are and as for my girls, sometimes I learn so much from them.
In a wretched debate with my eldest this evening, I found myself losing. She hates her elastics for her braces. They are to be worn when not engaged in eating or sports. The debate raged over breaking the jaw and headgear versus elastics, to which she said she liked her teeth the way they are. Money and health were discussed with vim and the educational qualifications of the orthodontist were showcased to no avail. After all, she doesn't have to wear them for sports. When I stared blankly at her, I was told in no uncertain terms why she didn't have to wear them.
"Life is a Sport."
Ummmm....yeah....I need to think about this some more.
Mom?
Friday, January 31, 2014
Hooliganting: The Elephant in the Room: Pondering Grief
Hooliganting: The Elephant in the Room: Pondering Grief: It is midnight. The house is quiet. Facebook has been meandered through. Chores done and life is pretty normal. Except it isn't. Not for...
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