in between vacations

Getting back to Real Life after a tropical vacation in the middle of winter isn't too bad, when you're unpacking the suitcase only to repack it with the same bathing suits.

Real Life is nice, hanging out at home and doing school, mopping the floors, watching 3 year old Lydia play with 2 year old Anne, taking care of the puppies, snuggling the Orange Guy, whom, if he could talk, would say, "Purring is my favorite."

This afternoon I had the opportunity to take Jonathan and Miss Cam for haircuts. Have you ever been absurdly proud of one of your kids? ha, multiply that by sixteen and you know how I feel. Seriously. But today, it was Jonathan. He is such a gentleman. He sat there talking to the haircutting lady (stylist?), Mr. Social. Then we went to the auto store for coolant and oil for the blue minivan, and he also knows how to open the hood and which place to pour them. Driving the blue minivan is no picnic. The mileage is creeping toward 200 thousand, it's a 2008, and if you go over 50, it starts to shake. The heat only works in the front, and there is a headlight out. We bought one, but haven't installed it yet. I told Jon I am not driving anywhere until we do. The red van, also a 2008, is in the shop. One of the coolant hoses came apart. That van only visits us, it really lives at the shop.

Anyway. We also went to Walmart, because we're crazy, and we needed milk and bananas and pizza dough. I got some chocolate for the kids for Valentine's Day, too.

We went into Marshall's while we waited for our appointment, to try to find a swimsuit for Camille. We did find nice sneakers for Jon for ten dollars, and a cute floral top for Cam for Florida for five. I also bought an outfit for Lydia, and one for Anya. :)

Then to the tractor supply store for a huge-0 bag of dog chow, the nice low carb meat and veggie kind.

Then, I ran into the dollar store and bought one box of cereal, one 12 pack of Reese's (for a dollar!), and 3 Pereguina chocolate bars.

Home...ah home. I marinated some chicken breast in lime juice, Montreal chicken seasoning, and olive oil. Suzanne made half moon cookies...oh yumster. I didn't eat any, but oh they're pretty. (they're little cake-like cookies that are usually frosted half chocolate and half vanilla)(but Size wanted them Valentine-y, so one side is white, and the other side pink, but all flavored vanilla). While Cam and Suze baked, I cooked up the chicken in olive oil, chopped peppers and tomatoes and cilantro. Cam warmed up some pasta, and I browned up some corn tortillas. Dinner was: mmm mmm good.

The day flew by.

Tomorrow, I'm supposed to bring Jon to an eye appointment, but the weather forecast....snow, icy rain, freezing rain, more snow...and I only have the blue van.

So...we'll see.

I'd rather stay home. I don't get bored, no sir.

Just a few more days, then it'll be Friday, and off we go...first to Jacksonville for a night at the ocean, then to central Florida the next day, and all week there in the sunshine. Charlotte Claire wants to go to Clearwater beach while we're there, we'll see. We are going to Busch Gardens, yay! I'm not big on roll-y coasters, but still like the parks with the kids, and I can tolerate a few rides, like the water ones.

I'm now only a pound up from before Mexico, so that's good. But I still have a long way to go. But this year is my year, I'm going to lose like fifty pounds. I am also stating just for the record that I am not letting my fatness interfere with my happiness. You could tell me 'til you're blue in the face that being thin wouldn't make me happier, but no sir, I do not believe that at all, I could just...wear.clothes. So it WOULD make me happier. But. At the same time, I'm not going to let it get to me and weigh me down, ha, isn't that a good one?

Grandma is down in Florida waiting for our visit. I hope we don't wear her out too much. So far, only four of the kids are going with Paul and I. One fourth of the kids, ha.

Anyway. I'm thankful for these vacations, and you know, it hasn't always been this way for me, for us. We never went to Florida with the older kids, not until like six years ago. And I never went on a real vacation, a tropical trip, until we were married for 26 years. 35 is coming up next month. Can you believe that?