The Johnson's: Dec 8 - 14: From SeaWorld to the Sea

I've decided that the reason it is so hard for me to update this blog is that I can't add entries to the blog just by thinking of them! If only that would work!! I promise you that I spend considerable time during the week thinking of what I'm going to write on this blog; unfortunately, my thinking is generally done outside the vicinity of a computer!

We had a very busy week this week starting with Kent's Christmas work party that was held at SeaWorld on Sunday morning. It started with a brunch at one of SeaWorld's pavilions and then we had free tickets to the park for the day. Kent and I surprised ourselves by leaving the house with plenty of time to arrive before the breakfast began. We made it all the way through downtown Orlando before realizing that we had left our tickets and parking pass on the kitchen counter. Oops!! Back home we went and subsequently arrived at the breakfast in our usual fashion - late! One of these days, we will get it figured out. Erik had a wonderful time at SeaWorld; we started out on the Polar Express experience (where we met Santa) and then spent quite a bit of time in the Happy Harbor children's area. Kent got to go on all the rides with Erik while I took Elin to the Baby Care house and spent some quality time in the Mother's room. We watched the Clyde & Seamore show (always a favorite) as well as checking out the shark exhibit and feeding the seals & sea lions. Has anyone ever been "targeted" by the mime/clown at the start of the Clyde show?! I had sent Kent & Erik into the stadium while I stayed with the stroller since Elin was napping. Since she woke up before the show started, I grabbed her and the diaper bag and walked in to try & find the guys. I assumed that they would have just walked in and found seats right away on the edge of the stadium, but I couldn't find them. Then I see the mime approaching... uh oh, I hate being put on the spot and being the target of someone else's humor. I thought briefly about turning around and running away, but decided I was made of sterner stuff. The mime pulled me into the stadium and "helped" me look for Kent - by taking my cell phone and listening to Kent talk. I'm frantically scanning the audience for Kent & Erik, but can't see him due to all the other men that have now stood up, holding their cell phones to their ears. When I finally got my phone back, Kent gives me helpful tips on how to find him - like "Turn this way" and "No, look further this way" and "I'm over here". Hello!!! I was hoping for literal directions - right, left, past the pole, behind the guy in the purple polka dot shirt, something to work with!!! I finally did find Kent, but I was sweating it for a bit. We attempted to see the penguins at the new Antarctica exhibit, but the line was too long. Then it was time to head home for naps.

On Monday, Erik's school was closed for Parent-Teacher meetings. Kent & I both made the meeting (Kent was only 1 of a couple Dad's that were able to attend, which pleased the teachers); we learned that Erik is overall a good kid at school but has some trouble sitting still during circle time or assemblies - he gets distracted easily and often has to sit next to or in between the teachers! Thankfully, we didn't hear anything too earth-shattering; we were told that the next PT meeting would include a more comprehensive overview of his skill set and abilities.

On Thursday, my work group held a Farewell Party for me to make my "retirement" official. They had a wonderful spread of Mexican food (my favorite) as well as salad, fruit and chocolate cupcakes (another favorite). They requested that I bring both kids to the party so that everyone could see them. Thankfully, both kids did great and Elin only fussed near the end after she had been passed around for awhile. Erik also started going a bit crazy just before we left as he started to battle his sleepiness (he has started to walk/spin in circles when he is tired - he must think it helps to stay alert - maybe I should try it!!) There was Christmas candy on the table that Erik desperately wanted, but we were able to divert his attention. First, Auntie Amy made faces whenever Erik held a candy up to her asking if he could have it. He thought this was great fun and did it long past when Amy was done with the game, I'm sure. Then several of us convinced him to take the tin of candy and give a piece to everyone in the room. I wasn't sure if he would do it, but sure enough, he took that tin and handed everyone a piece of candy. It was a great way to help empty out the tin because who can say no to a cute 2 year-old handing out candy?! We also sent Erik around the room giving everyone high-fives to keep him occupied. While I'm glad that both kids behaved themselves and that everyone at work got to see them, I do regret that I wasn't able to have any long - or rather, any complete - conversations with my co-workers. I know that I left at least 3-4 conversations mid-stream to deal with a child. I hope everyone at work knows how much I value the time I spent with them and how much I miss them!!

On Thursday night after Kent got home from work, we packed up the car and headed off to meet my parents at the Atlantic Ocean for a long weekend at Hammock Beach Resort in Palm City. This was our 2nd annual trip to Hammock Beach and I warned Kent that I may want to make a tradition of it. The resort was nearly empty with only 20 guests there when we checked in - or they were at 20% occupancy, can't remember which. We stayed in a different part of the resort this year, the Main Tower rather than the Villas, and we were all quite pleased with everything. We had a 3 bedroom suite with a full kitchen and a wonderful view of the ocean & golf course. It was only a short walk to the pools or to the beach. Erik was able to entice lots of walks out of all the adults there. The weather wasn't the greatest for a beach trip, but it only rained a little bit on Sabbath afternoon. Otherwise, it was fairly pleasant and since the pools are all heated, we didn't have to curtail the water sports! We had a wonderful time with my parents, especially letting them play with the kids while I napped!! While we were together, I decided to pull my new stunt and force everyone to dress alike and take pictures. :) My suggestions to take photos kept getting pushed back, but I finally persevered and we took some family photos on Sunday morning before having to pack up and leave. I've included some samples below. I think they turned out pretty well, considering that Erik cried whenever someone other than Kent tried to hold him.

Elin's favorite new thing this week is to blow raspberries!! She has certainly discovered her tongue and loves to make noise with it. She has frequently responded to questions or comments with a little "phssst" as well as spraying anyone close enough!! She has also been making some "mmmmm" sounds and trying to pop her lips! She is a very vocal child and loves to squeal, laugh, "talk" and hum herself to sleep. It's interesting that I can usually tell Elin's cries apart in regards to hunger, sleepiness or boredom whereas I could never do that with Erik. Elin is nearly sitting up on her own. She goes from being on her hands & knees and somehow gets onto her bum. I've watched her do it a few times and still can't quite describe how she does it. She also does manage to get herself around even though she is not yet crawling - she does a roll, twist, roll, twist combination to get from point A to point B. She is extremely fascinated with all of Erik's toys, especially his legos.