Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and so we packed our
stuff and a bunch more into the Escape for the trip back home. Luckily,
we didn't break the rear axle with the load we were hauling back to
North Carolina.
The trip back home certainly wasn't boring in the slightest. Most of
the east coast was heading north on I-95 with us and unlike the run
to Florida, this time we hit nasty traffic snarls as the rule rather
than the exception. There were more than a few accidents to explain
some of the snarls (two in Florida, three in Georgia, five in South
Carolina including a spectacular flipping of a RV just south of Florence,
and a couple in North Carolina). The RV at least timed it's flip
well as there was a flatbed truck with a wench right behind them that
was already tipping the RV back onto it's wheels and the traffic wasn't
all that backed up southbound. But hoo boy, was it packed going north!
We actually had to leave the interstate and go through Florence because
it was so backed up.
Nicholas again proved he is the superior traveler and we ended up
stopping at three McDonald's restaurants along the way. The last one
was right before the turn onto the home stretch of I-40 when it was
patently clear that he wanted WARM FORMULA, DARN IT! Ah...
I almost got to make the turn. Unfortunately, his milk was delayed by
all of the occupants of a tour bus who had turned into this McDonald's
in Benson just before we did. Ugh. It's not fun trying desperately to
get some hot water when there is a sea of humanity round you. But
eventually, the hot water was procured and he was satisfied and it was
smooth sailing the rest of the way home.
This won't come as much of a surprise to the readers, but Mommy was
definitely smarter than Daddy. She had taken the Monday off but Daddy
got to drive to Chapel Hill the next day after driving all of the way
from Florida. At least the drive in the morning was nothing compared
to the day before but I'm pretty sure I did that run on autopilot,
particularly after the Durham Freeway exit. I know I certainly went
through the day on autopilot and was falling asleep on the ride home.
Important lessons for future trips: avoid traveling on the busiest
days and go ahead and burn the sick day for the day after getting home!
It's a lot better than trying to fight your way through the day utterly
zonked...
Today was a special treat for Nicholas. As if the sensory overload
of the trip, Thanksgiving, and Gramps' house wasn't enough for him...
it was time to head over to Orlando for a mega-dose of lights, rides,
and general Disney magic.
First stop was the Golden Corral off Apopka-Vineland road near Disney.
Are you getting the impression that people who come to Gramps' house
and leave hungry are definitely missing the point? This was certainly
a theme of the trip and it's a minor miracle that we were able to move
about at all between feasts. Anywho, we survived their buffet (and
Nicholas liked their mashed potatoes as well) and one diaper change
later, we were on our way! (Editor's Note: Two thumbs
up for Golden Corral having changing stations in both the men's and
women's washrooms!)
One thing to know is that Gramps is probably the best tour guide Disney
couldn't hope to hire. He knows all of the cubby holes, nooks, cranniess,
and paths through their parks. He's also equipped with a
Fast Pass which means he and his entourage can bypass the
30-to-45 minute lines that usually stretch out in front of the various
rides. It was inevitable Disney would resort to a time-ticket system
as their rides are just so popular. But his Fast Pass is even better...
you ride when you want!
After a bit of wandering down Main Street, we encountered a brief parade
near Liberty Square. And I mean brief...it was all of a minute! (The
main body of the parade was on it's way ten minutes later...) Then it
was off to It's a Small World which is hands-down Daddy's
favourite ride in the entire Magic Kingdom (he's also awfully fond of
The Hall of Presidents but that will be saved for when
Nicholas can truly appreciate it). Sure, Space Mountain
is cool and all but there is just something timeless and enchanting
about It's a Small World and it'd be a crying shame if
Disney ever shut it down or radically altered it (like they did with
Country Bear Jamboree). I think it's safe to say that
Nicholas had a bit of sensory overload but you could tell that he was
enjoying the lights and the music.
Next stop, the The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh ride
which is just a hop, skip, and a jump to the Hundred Acre Wood. This
one required two passes to get all of us through and it's a bouncy ride
(reminiscent of you know who) where yes, Tigger is just
as much in evidence as Pooh (once again, showing Tigger's essential
place in the Hundred Acre Wood pantheon!). Nicholas even ended up with
a Pooh blanket to help warm him up on what was a fairly chilly day by
Floridian standards (wind chills to the lower 40°F range).
We then headed to Cinderella's castle for a dinner arrangement Gramps
had put together at Cinderella's Royal Table. This place
is pretty much the hardest reservation in the entire Disney resort to
get as it's often booked several months in advance. And for good
reason...the food there is absolutely outstanding and there is tons of
it that comes your way. It's also one of the prime vantage points for
observing the fireworks display at night as they fire the fireworks
right over the castle. It used to be known as King Stefan's
Banquet Hall but trust me, when they're done with you...you'll
look more like Henry VIII than King Stefan! If you're a
prime rib fan, this is pretty much the place in Central Florida you want
to be. But there are no losers on that menu and the service is
impeccable.
Before heading upstairs, we had some time to warm up in the vestibule.
They have a massive Christmas tree and an equally massive throne in
place and if you look carefully near the ceiling, you'll find a couple
of Cinderella's friends Jaq and Gus guarding the rafters.
Of course, we were in time to meet Her Royal Highness...Cinderella
herself. I'm pretty sure you can guess what happened next! Three
guesses and the first two don't count is the order of the day. Yep,
you could see it coming a mile away...
MUST ENGAGE CUTE BABY MODE!!!!! CUTE BABY MODE ARMED AND
READY...
The boy certainly has a talent there and more girlfriends in seven
months than Daddy had in thirty-three years! He's not terribly picky,
either...a couple of weeks to, well, let's just say bit older than
that. Peasants and commoners to royalty and people inhabiting high
office. But he certainly hit the jackpot here by charming a certain
lovely princess who couldn't help but be drawn into the irresistable
power of cute baby mode. I don't think she'll ever have
quite the same eyes for her prince ever again...not after the shameless
cute baby mode display we got right there in her own
castle!
Dinner was the usual grand affair and quite impeccable. It's rather
amazing we were able to move afterwards but move we did for the
obligatory pass through the souvenir shops on the way out of the parks
and back to Port Orange.
Now that we've all recovered from a long trip and the effects of the
tremendous feast on Thanksgiving, it's time to head out and brave the
shopping crowds on the day after Thanksgiving. The busiest shopping day
of the year. There is only one phrase that adequately describes this
situation...oy gevalt (Yiddish for may a great power
intervene on my behalf).
Anywho, before the day was out, we'd see headlines about a shopper
getting trampled in an Orange City Wal-Mart in a frenzied rush to buy
a $29 DVD player. Let's face it...the DVD player just isn't worth that
much but when you've got the herd mentality thing going, it's rather
hard to stop it! (Editor's note: this shopper has had
numerous injury claims against Wal-Mart which she used to work at in the
late 1990's so whilst we don't condone trampling shoppers in search of
magnificent bargains, this particular shopper seems a bit too unlucky
for it to be mere coincidence!)
Fortunately, the local Wally World had tons of shoppers but nothing
approaching the running of the bulls in Orange City. Our first stop
would see us getting some family pictures at their photo centre. I use
that word advisedly because in point of fact, our storage bin at our
offsite storage is larger than the area these poor ladies have to work
with. They certainly deserve combat pay for the larger parties that
come in for pictures as it can get to be like the black hole of Calcutta
back there in the studio area. (We found out there was a party of
fourteen due later that evening...we were falling all
over ourselves with four and a baby! Oy!)
After pictures, it was time to head out to a local institution for lunch...
Aunt Catfish's on the River.
The next time you stop by Port Orange, you owe yourself a trip to this
joint right on the Halifax River near the Port Orange Causeway. The
views are spectacular and the food even more so. They don't serve you
those wimpy portions...oh, no! Grandma Carol was kind enough to join us
and a good time was had by all. And so were a few takeaway containers
as well as Gramps had done his usual I'm feeding the multitudes
thing for breakfast just a couple of hours prior. Nicholas took a
particular liking to the mashed potatoes they served which were far
and away better than the Gerber version (the only food we've tried him
on that he genuinely hated!).
After lunch, we wandered about in Moby Dodge to see some of the sights
on the peninsula. First stop was Causeway Park right under the huge
bridge that replaced the original Port Orange Causeway (the kind with a
drawbridge that would back up traffic mightily when a ship was going
through!). The new Causeway is a high-rise bridge that could probably
handle a big cruise ship (if it wasn't for the fact that the Halifax
River is pretty much for shallow-draft vessels only except near Ponce
Inlet). What's really nifty about Causeway Park is the
salt marsh rabbits that live there. These little guys
drink the brackish water from the river and sneeze out salt crystals
and you can generally see them at dusk. Unfortunately, no such luck
in the early afternoon.
Another cool hangout is
Haulover Canal which is on the northern end of the
Canaveral National Seashore. This is normally where we
take people to see manatees but late fall and winter are not good
viewing times as the manatees have moved on for warmer water. There's
good eating not too far from here at the famous
Dixie Crossroads in
Titusville. Next time we head down there, it may well be time for a
Dixie Crossroads fix but for now, we were still pretty stuffed!
After our time at Causeway Park, we headed over the bridge and drove a
bit on the beach. Unlike beaches in North Carolina, the Volusia County
beaches are hard-packed sand and driving on them is possible. There's
usually fights every few years about allowing driving on the beach
but so far, it's still allowed (you might want a local to take you down
there, though...there are fees to drive the beach though you can avoid
those if you don't mind a bit of a walk from the public parking). Then
it was back to Aunt Catfish's to retrieve Grandma Carol's car and head
(eventually) to the house for some Mexican Train dominoes. Before we
got there, there was time for a quick trip into the local Target where
Gramps also gets magnificent deals (Editor's note: why
doesn't *OUR* Target and Wally World ever discount as much as his does?!?
Grrrrrrr....)
Thanksgiving has always been Daddy's favorite holiday of the year by
far (and believe you me, he knows he's in the minority on this one but
c'est la vie!). It's such a wonderful day to reflect upon the many
blessings that are manifest in our lives on a daily basis but we rarely
give a moment's thought about.
Daddy certainly has lots to be thankful for with the most important
being a beautiful wife and wonderful son. Even though it's been six
months now, it seems like yesterday we were heralding your entry into
the world and wishing for a strong and healthy start to your young life.
As the days became months and the months are progressing toward your
first year and beyond, it's not really hard to remember that feeling of
being thankful that you've come into our lives and really turned them
upside down. It's sometimes hard to remember this when we've not had
the sleep that we might wish to have or that moment's peace and
you've just got to have that bottle and/or food yesterday
but never doubt how thankful we are for these little things even if we
seem a little tired and frustrated. It's amazing what your smile and
your chuckle can do to us and no matter how rotten a day we've had,
we're certainly thankful to come home to someone who loves us
unconditionally and isn't afraid to show it.
You are our immortality and the hope for our future and for that, we
are most thankful that you're healthy and generally happy.
And then there is the glorious gluttony of the day on the day all diets
are suspended by mutual consent, tryptophan naps are the rule and not
the exception, and families come together. certainly had that in
spades this year at Gramps' table.
Anyone who knows him knows he doesn't do anything by halves. No, that
would be too easy...anyone can do it! But it takes something special to
have three turkeys, a spiral cut ham, all the trimmings...and a touch of
Florida with tons of shrimp for a bottomless shrimp cocktail! Where
else would you get a shrimp cocktail for Thanksgiving, eh? How that
dining room table withstood the load of food on top of it, I'll never
know.
What I do know is that the four of us were joined by Aunt Nadine and
Grandma Carol (dressed for the part as a Pilgrim...once on the stage,
always on the stage!) and the biggest pile of food I've ever seen in a
Thanksgiving feast. How we managed to move away from the table
afterward, I'll never know. But move away we ultimately did for
Mexican Train dominoes and a good time was had by all.
That brings us to round two when the St. Clair family from Orlando (who
had adopted Gramps as their grandfather) arrived at the house.
Thankfully they had already had their feast so we didn't have the
temptation toward more gluttony and in the process side-stepped another
family tradition of squabbling over who takes what leftovers. Daddy has
seen treaty negotiations that were less vehement and certainly simpler
but that wasn't a problem this time! After some good games of dominoes
with their daughters (Hannah and Haddy) and all of the leftovers heading
to Orlando, it was time for all of us to just relax.
And let me tell you, we were most thankful for that! :)
Our newest stop on the Magical Mystery Cute Baby Tour is Port Orange,
Florida at Gramps' house about ten miles south of Daytona Beach.
He'd been making the trip every other month and it was time to
show him that I-95 truly did work in both directions! So it is time to
pack all of us and Grammy into the Escape for the magical journey
south.
If you've not driven from North Carolina to Florida, it's generally one
of the more boring drives scenery-wise. The first bit of it is mainly
South of the Border signs with their stereotypical smiling
Mexican Pedro. Once you're past that utterly amazing eyesore
just over the South Carolina state line on I-95, the rest of it is the
occasional fireworks stand. The cops were certainly out in force all
along the way wolfpacking I-95! The only real excitement of the trip
came just north of Jacksonville, Florida where there was an accident
that shut down the southbound lanes of I-95 just north of downtown. We
had a bit of excitement with the police cruisers forcing their way
through the traffic on the line dividing I-95's two lanes to give the
rescue vehicle a clear path. (Last time I checked, passing on the right
on the shoulder is illegal for all non-emergency vehicles but there were
plenty of people doing it anyway). Once past the blockage, traffic
moved pretty much at full speed (and full capacity of the highway) all
the way to Daytona Beach.
Nicholas is such a wonderful traveler and he sleeps for most of the
trip. When he's awake, he's utterly fascinated by the sights passing
outside the window. He was certainly lively enough for a feeding at the
Cracker Barrel in Santee/Cooper Lakes (South Carolina) and a Wendy's in
Brunswick, Georgia. We got a tip that the cheapest gas on that routing
is in St. Mary's, Georgia at Exits 1 and 3. (However, we caught Gramps
on that one...the gas was actually three cents cheaper in Brunswick,
Georgia but I'm not complaining...it's still about twenty cents cheaper
than North Carolina and thirty cents cheaper per gallon than Port
Orange).
In spite of lots of traffic, a couple of stops, and an accident...we
arrived in Port Orange safe and sound and that's the most important
thing. Of course, Gramps was there ready and waiting and we were
treated to an extra surprise when Aunt Betty and Uncle Roger came round
to the house to visit (they were heading to Lakeland early Thanksgiving
morning to visit their sons for dinner).
Nicholas had his six month checkup and everything is checking out A-OK
with our little guy. On two of the three measurements, he had shown
a substantial gain on the regular (not adjusted for premature babies)
growth chart. The only measurement lagging a bit was length but we're
not at all concerned about that...he will catch up soon enough!
Part of the day's activities included four shots and he's a real
trooper and is better at taking several shots than Daddy is!
It's so hard to believe that he's six months old and is such a big boy
now...but he is! It has been an amazing six months (and a tiring one!)
and the changes we see in him daily are just out of this world. He's
really into feeling faces and other features to get a feel for the different
textures. Watch out, he's really good at ripping glasses off your face
or grabbing whatever hair happens to be in arm's length. Did we tell you
the boy has a grip? Well, if anything...it's stronger now than it was
before! He's also into kicking his legs and flapping his arms...he eats
like a little eaglet so it's only natural that he'd try to fly like one.
Little one, you've got to crawl before you walk...and walk before
you fly! Trust me on this one...it's nature's rules! You'll be doing
all of those things soon enough and you're free to do it when you're
ready and not a moment sooner.
Freedom is an amazing thing and it's something that we have quite a bit
of but as a society, I don't think we really appreciate just how free
we are in comparison to the rest of the world.
That freedom has a price and the ones who often pay that price so that
we may live free are the brave men in women who have served or are
currently serving their country in the armed forces. Today is the day
we remember those who have come before us who have fought and sometimes
died to defend the rights and freedoms we've come to enjoy these many
years. It's a good day to find a veteran and thank them for standing
on the wall doing the job most people couldn't or wouldn't.
These brave men and women are heroes in the truest sense of the word
in a time where we desperately need heroes and something to believe in...
a greater calling to serve our community and our country. It is a noble
thing to serve the needs of others and these people do it...and do it
well.
So remember to thank them for helping defend the freedoms we have and
enjoy!
Just a little under six months and the little guy is already a political
activist! We always knew he could kick into cute baby mode at
will but who knew it'd affect our Commander-in-Chief and First Lady at
a distance, eh?
Before you guys get the wrong idea and start trying to get us to get you
accomodations in the Lincoln bedroom at the White House...we don't actually
have that kind of pull with the President (though his precessor was happy
to have you stay to the tune of $50K+...if you've got some spare cash,
I'm sure they'd give it a home!).
The welcome card was actually instigated by Gramps who found the ad
in a magazine and figured it'd be a pretty neat card and story when he
grew up to know that the President and First Lady welcomed him to his
country. And they're certainly right about Nicholas' birthday being
a special day of joy...and it was on Mother's Day, to boot. How cool
is that, hmmmm?
Tonight's menu included butternut squash and Nicholas' first taste of
meat...turkey in a jar. We're getting close to Thanksgiving and
figured we'd give him an early start on the road to carnivorous bliss.
We wish that we could report it an unqualified success but alas, we'd be
lying true believers! Imagine if you will the old Keystone Beer
commercials where the young kid slamming a brew suddenly morphs into an
old guy who looks like he got the wrong end of some alum powder. Yeah,
bitter beer face. That should give you an inkling of the
screw face Nicholas put on every time he got a bit of turkey!
Imagine our surprise at this...we knew it'd take him a while to get
used to a different texture and taste but we figured he'd attack it
with the same enthusiasm he has shown with pretty much every other solid
food placed before him. We're used to providing a tag-team feeding to
him because if you're not fast with the spoon, he gets a little prickly.
The really funny part of this was when we'd give in and try to give him
some more squash. He'd give us the bitter beer face as if
to say you're tricking me...you're sucking me in, I know it! It
took a little convincing for him to open up and trust us again.
I'm sure at some point he's going to really come to like meat but for
right now, we're happy knowing that this boy is likely to always want
his vegetables and rice cereal/oatmeal.