What a week. It was so valuable to get away and such a special trip. The balance of school and work and play worked out well for all of us. Better, in fact, than our October trip to NY because my own work schedule was a little less intense this past week.
The house had three bedrooms. One for Penni and two left for the Clines. Each night the kids rotated sleeping with me. On Sunday night, while Sammy was with me, I found Amaya and Steven sleeping like this. Earlier in the night Steven had said to me, “Amaya loves me so much.” She does love her brothers so much.
Monday we got to it! Penni arrived late Sunday and we were all ready to go with our normal routine – but in FL. The kids rotated locations daily – one on the couch and two at the nicely sized kitchen table. I’m truly impressed with their ability to engage and focus on school from anywhere.
Monday was pretty warm and I turned the heat up on the pool to help account for the lack of sun on the pool. Right away, SSA got into the routine of school – swim – school – swim – school swim. Their recess and lunch and specials breaks were long enough to allow for multiple chances to swim throughout the day. Penni was great about working out a plan that gave them the time they needed.
Visiting with Mama while I worked outside.
On Monday the kids managed to swim four times. At one point Steven said, “Wow. It’s a lot warmer in the pool than it is outside. I love it. It’s so nice. I’m just going to relax in the water.”
Steven and Sammy alternated between wearing / not wearing their life jackets. The pool was shallow enough in most places to give them that freedom. I’m so impressed with how far they’ve come with skills and comfort. If you recall, less than 3 months ago – before they started swim class, the boys didn’t even want to put faces in the water. This trip they were going completely under water. I’m so impressed!
We’re lucky the tooth fair is magical because she had to make a special visit to FL when Sammy lost his first tooth!
Tuesday was sunny but colder. As (un)luck would have it, we were in FL for a few unseasonably cold days. The pool heater had to work extra hard to keep up and the nighttime chill didn’t help. Amaya and Steven seemed a lot less bothered by the cold than Sammy who decided to skip a few pool excursions in favor of just playing outside. Fortunately, by later in the day the pool was more comfortable.
Amaya and Steven, singing a FL song.
The screened in lanai was a favorite place to eat (and work).
I’ll keep saying it, but I was so impressed with how Steven, Sammy and Amaya jumped in and out of vacation mode.
Sammy, showing off that space where his tooth used to be.
When it got too cold for him, he worked on sorting some of his incredible shells.
Amaya got busy with her shells, too.
This boy was not deterred by the cooler weather.
Tuesday night the kids and I went out for a nice dinner together. Steven called it “fancy”, which was a fair assessment. The restaurant had beautiful outdoor seating and some much needed strategically placed heaters.
This is Amaya’s dreamy look thinking about the server she “loved”.
Dessert for all of the Cline kids to wrap up a delicious meal.
While we ate outside, so did Daddy back in MI!
Filling in the day’s “hours outside” log.
This trip allowed us to hit our first 50 hours out doors since tracking started. It took us 37 days and Sammy had guessed 35 so he’s our winner for the First 50.
Wednesday was even cooler than Tuesday but a pool tech came out and adjusted the heater to run for more hours to help keep the pool heated in the cold weather. They day included swimming (mostly for Steven and Amaya), lunch together outside, shell sorting and, of course, school and work.
I love the way the sunlight shines through the palm trees. Amaya didn’t miss a chance to swim. This trip she perfected her underwater front and back flips.
So many shells.
Wednesday night we decided to head over for Vanderbilt Beach for dinner and the sunset. It did not disappoint. It was cool, but comfortable, and so beautiful. Despite having lived in Naples, it reminded me of my time living in San Diego – watching the sunset over the Pacific. It was truly magical for Steven, Sammy and Amaya who have never seen anything like it.
Running in circles chanting, “Weenawana weenawana – AVOCADO!” Sammy started it and it caught on quickly.
So beautiful. Sammy particularly enjoyed the orange cloud.
Our one and only pre-bed book of the trip. Gearing up for Hanukkah with “Latka the Lucky Dog.”
On Thursday morning it warmed up and so did the pool. I worked on the lanai as much as possible and got to watch SSA continue to sort and organize their shells.
On Thursdays the kids have a longer lunch break due to the timing of their zoom meetings and specials. This week we decided not to worry about art, music or Spanish in favor of more PE in the pool. Knowing that the kids had a longer break on Thursday I was also able to arrange my schedule for a lunch time swim with the kids. When I had to get out, Penni joined in. It was phenomenal.
On Thursday afternoon, in honor of the first night of Hanukkah, Mrs. O’Neil did a Hanukkah lesson with the kids’ class. They were absolutely thrilled.
After school the kids swam in the pool until they couldn’t stand the Hanukkah excitement anymore and were ready to light the menorah and celebrate Hanukkah. (Gifts! They really wanted gifts!)
Hanukkah Time! We traveled down with one menorah and a few candles to get us through the first two nights of the holiday.
For months and months, Sammy has been asking for a Nintendo Switch. Maybe 9 or 10 months, to be honest. Thursday night was the night and this boy was (not surprised but) so excited! He was even dressed for his first adventure with Super Mario Odyssey.
Amaya got ice cream earrings, which was her #1 request, and a new sewing kit.
Steven’s first gifts were a stuffed pterodactyl and a new Vtech digital camera. The pterodactyl is brown with orange eyes so he named it “Brownarooah” because “arooah” is how you say “orange” on Moso.
Happy, busy kids.
Amaya’s ice cream earrings.
Amaya loves sleep masks so her first project was a new sleep mask. It’s adorable and well crafted. 🙂
On Friday, between classes and as part of a half day for all of us, the kids played an intense game of Jenga. I’ve truly never seen a Jenga tower built that tall. We were all on edge.
And it got bigger from here!
The kids and I all took a half day so we could spend our last, gorgeous day back at the beach. It’s this beach – where they warn you about alligators. Yikes.
This beach (at Delnor Wiggens Pass State Park, parking lot 4) is amazing. The sand bar goes out so far that you are at water no deeper than your calf for an incredibly long distance and it was so still. Like a wading pool.
For SSA, the highlight of this visit was Crabby – a sand crab that Steven found. For probably a good 90 minutes the kids following crabby around, building it a home and saving it from nearby seagulls.
Crabby’s home
After an amazing day at the beach we headed back to the house for a final swim. We all got in and had so much fun. Sammy even learned how to jump into the deep end of the pool!
Wrapping up as the sun went down.
Our final activity was night 2 of Hanukkah where the kids got gifts from Aunt Sara and Uncle Dave. A Scruffaluv family for Amaya. A unicorn stone garden for Steven. Super Mario Party for Sammy.
Last morning. 🙁 Honestly, as I type this, it’s hard to believe I took this picture yesterday. It already feels so long ago! But we had a wonderful trip and made so many memories that will carry us into winter.
On the way to the airport we stopped by the condo I owned when I lived in Naples. I left 14 years ago and never could have imagined the life I’d build in MI when I headed to Ann Arbor to work for Borders. <3
Off we went! Steven was my luggage helper. Our flight was on time and easy with my expert fliers.
DADDY!!! <3
We had a relaxing late afternoon & evening at home with night 3 of Hanukkah and family time. Steven got his big gift – a huge Lego police station.
Amaya worked on a heart stepping stone from Auntie and Dod Shuki.
Today was busy! We had Hebrew School online, zoom Hanukkah with our Goldstein cousins, zoom Hanukkah with Grandma Sunshine and Aunt Annette, a zoom date with Nana, Papa the Goldbergs, Austin and Krissy and then a school friend stopped by (outside only) to carol with her mom and sister and drop off some cookies.
In our Tyner Religious School To-Go box we had a dreidel making activity where the kids literally made a dreidel out of clay.
Goldsteins! (Before Spencer and Co joined.)
Grandma Sunshine and Aunt Annette!
Aunt Annette – keeping up the tradition of giving the kids fun winter hats!
Somehow, in all this, Sammy and I found time to make dinner. He’s our raw chicken guy.
Caroling. 🙂 Claire and her sister sang Jingle Bells and Frosty the Snowman. They asked if we had a Hanukkah song we’d like to sing and Amaya sang “I Have a Little Dreidel.” Cookies were gifted and, in turn, each girl got a shell from Florida. It was really sweet. I’m sorry it’s so difficult for SSA to socialize. Hopefully they’ll be a few mild days where we can do playground meet ups.
Finally, night four!
Have a great week and Happy Hanukkah to everyone who celebrates!