Day 4: Jacksonville Zoo

After lots of big hugs and tearful goodbyes, we loaded up and headed northward toward home.  Just when we thought we couldn't drive another mile, we stopped at the Jacksonville Zoo and ran around.  What a great zoo!  We loved seeing all of the animals, feeding the giraffes, riding the train and carousel, visiting the Dino exhibit, and playing in the splash park.  Mom and I could not get enough of the anteater with a baby on her back whom she couldn't shake off for anything.... Sounded vaguely familiar....

After that, it was just a few hours before home and a reunion with Daddy and a delicious welcome home dinner.... Home sweet home!

Day 3: Vero Beach

After good night sleeps for everyone (including two girls in sleeping bags!) and breakfast at Gram's, she shared lots of fun treats with the girls--legos, Mr. Potato Head, Uno, Stomp Rockets--and we played for a bit a her place which is of course perfectly decorated and lovely.  Her grounds are also gorgeous and the facility includes exercise equipment, a games room, a pool, a putt-putt course, shuffleboard, ponds, even turtles.  Everyone there stopped and spoke with us and shared wonderful words about Gram.

We headed out for a picnic and visit to the splash park for lunch pre-naps.  The girls clearly wore themselves out and were able to nap side-by-side in their sleeping bags that afternoon before drinks and dinner with Gram--this time at the scenic Lobster Shanty, close enough to the pier for a sunset run.  

We loved seeing Gram and visiting with her and hope to again soon!

Day 2: Our Real Destination--A Reunion for Four Generations

After departing Orlando (with the Titos who nearly stayed tucked under Elsie's pillow at the Nickelodeon Suites Hotel), we headed south to Vero Beach to our ultimate destination: Gram's place.  We were all beyond thrilled to see her and give her big hugs.  She looks stunning of course--and I certainly hope she passed on her genes along with her name to me.  She hosted us at her beautiful home housing my girls and me in the luxurious guest apartment on the third floor--the elevator was also a huge hit!  That Tuesday evening, she took us to a dynamite dinner at Mr. Manatee's.  Everyone ate well and the hospitality from everyone we encountered was extraordinary.  It was the start of a magical visit.  

Day 1: The Nickelodeon Suites Hotel

So on Monday, May 23rd, Mom and I headed out a a grand road trip.... Now, we had done road trips before: many to HHI from ATL in her vanagon in the 80s, many to soccer camps-games-tournaments during that same decade, a college trip to Notre Dame, a few trips to Florida to see her parents in the 90s, and a really amazing long weekend in NYC not long before Elsie full of shows, dining, and decadent adventure... and probably a few I can't remember.  And for all of these road trips, she was an excellent mother duck or wingman as needed...  This trip was no different.  She was beyond a champ...  

But this road trip was different: this was road-tripping toddler-style, a road trip bursting with Disney DVDs and goldfish snacks with the first stop at the Orlando Nickelodeon Suites Hotel.  We needed a stop to break up the drive to south Florida and Orlando seemed a good distance, but we weren't ready for Disney yet with Kit at 2 and winced at the equally high price tag for Sea World for girls not quite giving up the nap.  The Nickelodeon had Dora and Diego, had characters, had breakfast with characters, had two pools and water parks, had themed bunk bed suites in all the rooms, had a 4D movie theater, had a tattoo parlor and hairwrap salon, and it was a hotel with an ice machine--all of these things seemed exciting and eye-opening for our little first time Orlando visitors.  And we were right.... they were blown away by it all.... we couldn't do it all enough or fast enough or long enough.  They eagerly embraced it all and Kit cannot stop talking about the "slime time" with the giant bucket of slime gushing down after the countdown over the crowd chanting "we want slime."  Since we have returned, she has carried a bent postcard around with a picture of the sliming to share with anyone who will listen.  If you see her, you should... it is simply priceless....

Happy 2nd Birthday Tad!

Tad got to celebrate his birthday and birthday week at Hilton Head with his parents, his Aunt Megan and Uncle Travis, and his cousins Cooper, Brady, and Henry.  They were kind enough to invite us over for some yummy lunch and cake on Sunday the 22nd to celebrate birthday #2 with the big guy!  Daddy was on call, but Grammy was in town so we enjoyed a lovely beach day and birthday fun!