Fort Lauderdale
Yesterday we dropped my mom and sister and her kids off at the airport, to head back to California. I felt really depressed to see them go, and I’m still feeling that way today. Ingrid is fine, though, so that helps. It’s wonderful how children deal only with what is in front of them.
One thing that is helping is the change of scenery. We moved to a beautiful county park, Easterlin, this morning. I think I was fortunate to get a spot. It’s less than half the price of the last place, and it’s tropical and cozy and the playground looks fun. There are lots of kids around too. The weather finally warmed up and so Ingrid is out front having a picnic under the awning. I see that she placed her stuffed animals everywhere. Chip and Dale are climbing one of the trees and I saw some some leopards in the bushes. Her new dog Pinky, given to her by her much loved cousin Bella, is sprawled out getting a tan.
My family’s visit was short. They stayed only four days, and unfortunately the weather was cold for Florida on all four of those days. We did get some breaks in the middle part of the day where the sun was beating down nice and warm and we were warmed up on the beach, but us adults kept our regular clothes on the whole time. The kids on the other hand seemed not to notice the weather at all, and were in their swimsuits and splashing in the waves everyday. They happily played on the sand, building houses and castles, and decorating them with shells and branches and whatever they could find. They buried Nathan, they played queen and her servants, they chased each other. Nathan played some private games with the ocean. I saw him talking to it and shaking his fist at it, sometimes kicking it. Then he would look around quickly to make sure no one was watching. The beach was lined with restaurants and gift shops and the kids loved running down the path. We didn’t try to stop them since we knew they had only four days together and we wanted them to make the most of their time. They did a great job of getting along.
We spent time in the hotel a bit, and the kids had diaper throwing wars, forts were built, Oliver loved having Ingrid there. He kept sneaking little adoring looks at her and she loved being able to touch him and kiss him and help him. Ingrid slept over one night and I hear it was lots of fun. We also had a fun and exotic time at the Everglades Alligator Farm, about an hour south near Miami. The car trip was long but very much worth it. We saw tons of alligators, some ten feet long, plus a snake and alligator show. Nathan was picked to hold a snake for one of the shows. We also took the airboat ride along the Everglades. Oliver wasn’t happy at first but toward the end he was wanting the boatman to go faster, waving his little arms and legs in excitement. It’s a really unique experience and I wish the ride had been longer. They take you through these narrow channels where you see alligators and big birds just a few feet away from the boat. The boat itself is a trip, because it just glides over everything. It seemed to me that it was just floating above the water, and sometimes over tall grass with only a little bit of water there. I kept expecting it to bump on the land but it was completely smooth. When we got out to the clearings the driver would spin the boat 360 degrees and everyone would scream in silence (we were wearing heavy duty ear protection). The kids loved it, the baby loved it, even my mom loved it!
On the way home we stopped at Robert is Here, a famous fruit stand. There we got some amazing shakes. I don’t know what they put in there other than fresh fruit and ice cream, but the taste is incredible. I highly recommend them if you’re ever in the area.
Now that the weather is finally warm, we hope to snorkel and enjoy some beach time. I can’t believe it’s almost March. Soon it will be time to head back to California for Syncro de Mayo and Carnaval.
