Summers are for cousin love and spending time together! This is the fourth summer that we've been able to get these kids together for a week of fun! Only this summer it wasn't one but over two weeks of fun had in Florida and Georgia! You'd think they would have been sick of each other but I don't think that was the case, surprisingly we didn't have many melt downs, they got along and played together great! It was a wonderful time for all and lots of memories were made (and lots of pictures taken by Aunt Coco)!
Nana, the girls and I (we had picked up Nana a few days before as she was in Miami) drove over to Orlando (taking it back to the second Saturday in August) to pick up these crazies from their Gammy. They had spent the week on the east coast of Florida and it was time for them to come west for some more fun! The kids were so happy to see each other, they didn't know I was bringing the girls so that was a surprise to them! They all wanted to sit next to each other so trying to figure out seating arrangements at lunch was our first test. I don't think any of them took a breath for air as they were excited to tell us what they had done the last week and everything they looked forward to this next week, I broke the big surprise to them that we would be coming back to Orlando for a night to spend some time at a really cool hotel, they squealed in excitement! When we got home Saturday they made a beeline for the pool, five kids in our pool and it was like a wave pool! Sunday we had a low key day, we hung out at home and swam at the community pool. We had a busy week ahead and we needed to get prepared for all the fun coming their way!
Monday morning we packed up (between food, clothes and all of their stuffed animals the trunk of my minivan was packed) and headed back to Orlando, we decided one night wasn't enough fun so at the last minute we added a second night to our reservation. We got to Orlando around lunch time and stopped at Pei Wei to eat before heading to check-in. I wish I would have been video taping them when I opened the door to the room, they looked like deer in headlights, watching them take it all in and running around like crazies screaming how big the "suite" was was priceless. Suites have been all our girls have talked about since coming back from Dallas and this one sure topped the one there, the seven of us had plenty of space to sleep, eat and play for the next 48ish hours! After unpacking, getting ourselves settled and applying sunscreen for what seemed like twenty minutes we headed for the pirate ship pool! We got in some pool time before an afternoon storm rolled in and headed to the patio area for afternoon trivia, the vacation club was full of planned activities to which we would all earn sand dollars and trade them in at the end of our stay for a prize. The kids were all into earning them and we had to stay on top of the schedule and what all they could get them for! After trivia we checked out a cute game called Silly Street and headed back to the room since it was still raining. We had fun playing and laughed a lot! We had some dinner and the storms finally broke for some evening fun! We played a few holes of putt putt and then headed for the water slide and some night time swimming, they couldn't get Nana on the slide.
Tuesday morning when the kids woke up the first thing they wanted to do, after applying lots of sunscreen, was hit the water slide, it was a hit the night before and they closed it down! They spent the morning sliding and playing at the water playground while Nana did an water aerobics class, at one point a few of the kids joined her as they realized they could earn a sand dollar if they did! We had lunch in the room and then headed back to the water slide for the shoot out, no one made a basket but they had fun trying! The afternoon storms rolled in and we waited them out in the room, Silly Street kept us entertained again! When it cleared up we played some putt putt and waited for dinner and the luau to start. We ordered the kids pizza to the pool and they ate while enjoying some island music. We watched a little bit of the luau but after about 20 minutes they were bored and wanted to head back to the water slide! Nana stayed and finished the show while I took them to slide, once again they closed the slide down and we had to pry them off! We night swam until past 10pm, it was a great day and everyone slept well!
Wednesday morning rolled around and no one was quick to roll out of bed! Although when they finally did wake up they realized they were late for the sidewalk chalk and we had to hurry down before breakfast so they could leave their design and get a sand dollar! We were back at the slide after breakfast and everyone except for G partook in the water aerobics class that morning, we were racking up the sand dollars! They played one round of putt putt before lunch and then headed to play pool side games while I went and got McDonalds for lunch. They took part in the water slide races, these kids had to have been water slided out, before we ended their fun and made them put on some dry clothes. In the two days we were there we had only worn bathing suits and pajamas, we didn't wear half of what all we had packed! The kids made shell necklaces before we left and we went and cashed in all of the sand dollars for a game to take back with us. We got out of Orlando before the traffic started, everyone was tired and were all quiet on the way home!
Tuesday morning when the kids woke up the first thing they wanted to do, after applying lots of sunscreen, was hit the water slide, it was a hit the night before and they closed it down! They spent the morning sliding and playing at the water playground while Nana did an water aerobics class, at one point a few of the kids joined her as they realized they could earn a sand dollar if they did! We had lunch in the room and then headed back to the water slide for the shoot out, no one made a basket but they had fun trying! The afternoon storms rolled in and we waited them out in the room, Silly Street kept us entertained again! When it cleared up we played some putt putt and waited for dinner and the luau to start. We ordered the kids pizza to the pool and they ate while enjoying some island music. We watched a little bit of the luau but after about 20 minutes they were bored and wanted to head back to the water slide! Nana stayed and finished the show while I took them to slide, once again they closed the slide down and we had to pry them off! We night swam until past 10pm, it was a great day and everyone slept well!
Wednesday morning rolled around and no one was quick to roll out of bed! Although when they finally did wake up they realized they were late for the sidewalk chalk and we had to hurry down before breakfast so they could leave their design and get a sand dollar! We were back at the slide after breakfast and everyone except for G partook in the water aerobics class that morning, we were racking up the sand dollars! They played one round of putt putt before lunch and then headed to play pool side games while I went and got McDonalds for lunch. They took part in the water slide races, these kids had to have been water slided out, before we ended their fun and made them put on some dry clothes. In the two days we were there we had only worn bathing suits and pajamas, we didn't wear half of what all we had packed! The kids made shell necklaces before we left and we went and cashed in all of the sand dollars for a game to take back with us. We got out of Orlando before the traffic started, everyone was tired and were all quiet on the way home!
Thursday was another busy day and a day that they all had been counting down for the last couple of months, it was our see Winter day! Ever since the girls watched the Dolphin Tale movies all they had talked about was getting to see the real Winter. We introduced the cousins to the movies and they too were hooked and couldn't wait to see her too! Our mall happened to have an ocean themed event that morning and we went and checked it out, the kids got to make some ocean sand art, they made sea life masks and the girls got their faces painted, they all chose dolphins of course since we were headed to see Winter! About mid-afternoon we headed to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium (I felt like all we were doing was driving these kids all over creation) to spend the afternoon and early evening there. We had a little over two hours to see the aquarium and then were taking a sunset cruise to see if we could find some real dolphins. We saw the sea turtles that were rehabilitating there, Nicholas the male dolphin and attended a presentation on Winter and how her story differs from that of the movie, we even got to hold one of her old tails. We saw the sharks, pelicans, otters, more turtles (and the one who played Mavis in the movie), but the biggest excitement was when we saw Winter, Hope and PJ! The kids were so excited to see them and were talking miles a minute! We sat through a training presentation with them and got to learn more about them, how to tell them apart and how they work with Winter daily to keep her exercising. It was a lot to take in in the little time we were there, I think a few of the kids would have spent all day there reading everything that was all over the walls and asking questions until they had no more! Around 7pm we headed out for our sunset cruise, the water was beautiful and what had looked to have been a shower earlier as a rainbow in the sky. The kids enjoyed the sights and when we finally got to see a wild mommy dolphin and her baby it made the day complete!
Friday morning we did something we hadn't done all week, we chilled at home and didn't get out of jammies until close to lunch! The kids enjoyed playing legos, coloring, watching TV/movies and just hanging out with nothing to do. Later in the afternoon the girls headed over to G&G's for their fun and sleepover. They went to a fancy dinner at the Grove restaurant, shared a GIANT piece of chocolate cake and went shopping at Walmart for a new toy, they aren't spoiled at all. We took the boys (and Nana) to the Rays game, it was their first game outside of a Braves game and since the Rays are AL they decided they could be fans and root for them too, I had gotten them Rays shirts for the outing. We went to Fergs for a pregame drink and snack and then walked over to the stadium, the AC inside could not come soon enough, it's the only way we got Nana to go, baseball in AC is amazing! Once inside we had to go to the fan store to get them a set of baseball cards and a mini bat to add to their collection.We went and say the sting rays at the touch tank in center field and then made our way to our seats for the game. We ate pizza and ice cream for dinner while watching the game. Unfortunately the game was pretty boring and the storms were rolling in so we left in the seventh inning to beat the rain. The boys had a great time which is what matters and they can now say they have been to a stadium other than the Braves. They even went to bed that night wearing their Rays bandanas on their heads :)
Saturday morning Grandpa took the girls for donuts and I took the boys on a donut date. Around lunch time everyone was together for one last Florida swim before and we couldn't let the week go by with out BBQing with G&G, we had been busy all week and had hardly seen them! We had a great afternoon swimming and dancing when the rain rolled in. These are the memories the kids (and adults) are going to remember. We had an amazing week in Florida...to be continued in Georgia.
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