Spring Break review

We were once talking about going to Colorado on our spring break this year.  Unfortunately when you live in Florida spring break is NOT the time to be flying in or out of the state because everyone else is flying in to Florida in a desperate attempt to leave cold weather behind.  The airlines know this and jack up the prices.  For us to fly to Colorado was going to be over $500 a person, and despite the fact that we began planning this in December, what with the prices and my mother's health it just didn't work out.  Plus, I'm not an avid ski or cold weather fanatic.  I also was holding out hope that my husband would allow our family to go with our school on its annual international trip, and so I admit, I didn't push all that hard to go skiing. (Sorry Boos clan!)

Because of this we were stuck here in Florida with no family coming, and I was determined to make some side trips and hit the beach often to show the girls a good time.  Best laid plans....

Friday - 1/2 day of school so one of the girls' classmates had her birthday party at the beach.  It happened to be Kelly's part of the beach, and so I picked up four girls after school, parked at Kelly's and hit the beach.  I lathered my two girls up with sunscreen and applied it to my upper body.  There were 18 kids there and at one time all 18 of them were playing together in the water on rafts and noodles.  The parents had brought pizza and cake and we ended up there for four hours.  We also ended up with sunburn.  Madison and Darcy's backs and cheeks were burned.  My feet were so burned they swelled up along with my toes.  I also burned my knees and left leg.  We definitely looked like tourists.  We came home miserable and tired.  Darcy's friend Natalie spent the night.  She too was sunburned.  We figured it would all be better in the morning. 

Saturday - It wasn't.  The next day we were even redder.  We had turned on the pool heater the night before and so Darcy and Natalie went swimming, but the sun beating down on them made the sunburn worse and so they only lasted an hour.  Back inside they came to plop on the couch and watch television.  Madison sat reading all day.  I sat with my feet propped up to help with the swelling.  We decided that Sunday would be the day we attempted the beach again because surely our sunburn would be better.

Sunday - It wasn't.  But it didn't matter because the sun had disappeared and it was overcast all day.  Darcy had spent the night at Natalie's house.  She rode bikes to the ice cream shop, had her nails done, and played basketball with her friend's brother.  Madison and Tom went to Tampa.  Kelly and I watched NCAA basketball and ate.  After church the other two girls came back to our house.  Natalie brought her boogie board in hopes of beaching it the next day.  We decided that Monday would be our new start of spring break!

Monday - Yep, the start of our new spring break started with pouring rain.  It rained off and on the entire day.  Madison had a doctor's appointment where she got a shot.  Natalie was tired and we took her home.  The girls and I visited Grandma Connie.  We picked up Madison' buddy Gabby to spend the night.  The girls came home and played Barbies and board games while the rain poured.  I watched television.

Tuesday - We awoke to another overcast day, but the sun was trying to peer out off and on.  Darcy and I headed to her appointment with the Foot God and then we got bagels and coffee.  We all enjoyed breakfast and a walk with the dog before the rain returned.  We spent the day playing more board games.  We went to Target.  We made fried ice cream and sat and talked with Gabby and her mother.  They left at midnight and the two girls and I fell into bed after one.

Wednesday - It was overcast again, but not raining.  We picked up Darcy's friend Savanna and headed up to take Grandma Connie to see the Foot God.  The weather held up for her to sit/crawl her way down the stairs and then again up the stairs on our return.  We did some errands for her, and by the time we left her it was pouring down rain. 

We had an early dinner and then went to see the new Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie.  By the time we drove home the rain was coming down so hard some streets were flooding.  We played board games until one and went to bed.

Thursday - Still pouring.  The wind was quite fierce.  Phone call #1 - my mother telling me not to come up to her house that night because the weather was going to be bad.  Phone call #2 - Savanna's mother to discuss pick-up arrangements.  Phone call #3 - my husband telling me bad weather was about to pass by me and not to panic that it wouldn't last long.  Phone call #4 - my friend Veronica telling me a tornado was coming through my area.  I turned on the television.  Apparently the tornado had already passed me by while I was talking on the phone and was heading down the road toward where Kelly and my husband work.  Phone text #1 - Kelly telling me she was out of power at work.  Phone text #2 - my husband telling me the sheriff's radio tower was down.  Phone call #5 - my friend Ann calling to see if I was alright since a tornado had come through my area.  Phone text #3 - my friend Krista answering my text to her because I knew she was out camping.  She said she was (*&^% crazy and getting quite wet.  The tornado was heading toward them so they were all inside the rec center.  Phone call #6 - a person looking for swimming lessons.  Hmmm?  The rain make her think of that?  Phone call #7 - my mother checking in with me.  Phone call # 8 - Savanna's mother calling to report on the damage in the area while she and her husband rode around town.  Phone call # 9 - Kelly to say she was being sent home and did I want some food?  Savanna's father appeared to check on us.  Kelly appeared with food.  The three of us watched television on the tornado and weather update.  The three girls were playing board games and watching television.  Phone call #10 - Savanna's mother checking in.  Phone call #11 - school business, but since I was still on the phone with call #10 she left a message.  At least she was busy.  Kelly and Jim left.  Phone text #4 - my friend Cindy asking me a question regarding the school business.  No mention of weather.  Phone text #5 - Kelly telling me no one should be driving in this weather.  Or texting and driving in this weather.  Phone call # 12 - my friend Sharon who was planning on meeting me at Connie's to discuss us not meeting.  Phone call #13 - Susan checking in knowing we had a tornado and because she was bored.  Phone call #14 - my calling Connie to check in again.  Phone call #15 - Savanna's mother checking in to pick up her daughter.  Phone call #16 - a solicitor wanting me to donate money.  Phone call #17 - my husband telling me he was working late on a no power problem. 

Meanwhile from morning through night the rain poured and poured and poured.  If it stopped for two seconds we ran the dog outside to potty.  Then it poured again.  And thundered.  And lightning hit.  And it poured again.  We watched more television and played more board games.  The girls cooked inventions in my kitchen.  Savanna's mother drove over to chat and to drop off more clothes so Savanna could stay overnight again.  We went to bed listening to the rain on our roof.

Friday - I woke up to a ringing phone and SUN!  The sun was shining, shining, shining and a little cold front had come through and the weather was so perfect.  I got the two girls up and insisted we walk the dog.  Darcy suggested the dog beach, and since the word beach was part of that sentence I agreed.  We picked up donuts and hit the dog beach.  Then we returned home and hit the pool.  Madison and Savanna worked on math homework poolside while Darcy cooked pasta for lunch.  Finally a day to remember. 
And then Darcy sat on Natalie's boogie board that she had left here.  It slid out from under Darcy in the pool and smacked Savanna right in her nose.  Blood came pouring out of this little nose.  It took some time, but I got it stopped.  Darcy got her cleaned up.  Her dad came to pick her up. 

I've heard it is suppose to be a beautiful weekend.  We are determined to make it so....