Captiva 2012: Favorite Pictures and Moments

I was planning on going through all the pictures I had of the trip and making posts about certain events or days, but with three cameras coming into play the pictures ended up loading all out of order and it was becoming a headache more than it was a joy.  This space isn't about headaches or have-tos so I ditched the play-by-play and decided to just share my favorite pictures and moments with you.  Here they are ...

We took some family photos with my aunt, uncle, and cousin our second night there, and while my sister and I were posing with our sixteen year-old cousin Delaney, we lamented about how much shorter than her we were.  Quickly we decided to even things out in the next picture and stood on our tip toes to get closer to our height ... of course, she noticed right away and did the same.  We all ended up laughing, and that was the image captured.  Love it!

Aren't they gorgeous?  Just look at those baby blues!

Every time Baylor encountered sand, he'd crouch down, pick some up, and give it a quick toss.  I loved that he was taking time to explore the newness around him.

We took a windy walk on the beach one day ... Mollie's not always a snuggler, but she will in a heartbeat if it's windy.

I bought disposable cameras so the kids could take their own pictures of the trip (and get to experience an actual film camera), and Baylor tried so hard to take pictures of the things around him.

Hilariously, at the last minute he'd always turn the camera towards himself and end up taking a picture of his face.  Some have questioned why on earth I bought cameras for my two and three year-olds given how crappy the pictures turned out, but moments like this make me smile and make it all worth it.

Mollie loved the "little pool" ... she even got airborne once!

I believe I can safely say that this was Baylor's favorite sign in Florida.  He asked to see it often.

We hadn't had our family picture taken in a while, so I requested one while we were there ... this might have been the best one.  *sigh*

She's such a sun-shiney morning person!

Baylor loved the beach.  He was totally content to get all sorts of sandy and make/oversee sandcastles and take it all in.  It was great!  (Mollie, on the other hand, hated the sand and would cling to whomever would hold her while we were on the beach.)

There weren't many games geared toward younger children at the condo we were staying at, so we picked up a beginner's Uno game while we were out one day.  Baylor instantly fell in love with it and picked up on it in no time.

These signs were everywhere and Baylor couldn't get enough of them.  He is still pointing them out now that we are home!

Did I mention Baylor woke up early every morning?  Usually by 6:45 he was awake and ready to start the day ... and since he was sleeping on the floor not five feet from me, I was the one he called for and the one who got up with him.  At first we tried hanging out in the living room downstairs, but it was right outside my parents' bedroom door so that wasn't working.  So one morning I decided to take the little man for a walk.  Yes, it was early and I didn't really want to be up (or walking around in public in my pajama top and capris) but it was so nice to spend time with my little guy.  We walked on the beach and tossed some sand.

And smiled ... a lot.

 Another morning we walked along the water and stopped so Baylor could have a banana.

It was a gorgeous morning.

My mom, out for a bike ride, met up with us and got to enjoy the sunrise a bit.

She went with us to the docks to visit the Ships Store and look for manatees, but while we were in the Ships Store our little guy had an accident.  Of course, I didn't have a change of clothes with us ... so I improvised and bought some.  This was all they had ... and I was so glad!

He looked like an adorable little old man, relaxing in his Hawaiian print shirt AND shorts and bucket hat.  Add in some putt putt golf and we have the perfect image.

Mom, Aunt Cynthia, Delaney, and I went parasailing on the last day we saw them.  That's Delaney and I way up there!

And those two crazy cats above the boat are none other than my mom and aunt!

I love this picture.  It epitomizes the differences between the sisters.  They both had a blast, they just showed it in different ways and that's awesome.

When we got off the boat, this guy was trolling the t-dock for some newly caught fish.  He let me get close enough to take a pretty good picture, and I was thrilled.

I think it was a lot of fun for the kids to have Oma, Grandpa E, and Aunt Christine around all the time, but especially before bed (and in the morning).  Plus, new, fun things happen when new people are around for your routine!  Like Grandpa E stealing Dollie and Sleep Sheep and hiding them in his shirt.

See, back to the windy day at the beach.  Someone else's camera so everything's all out of order.  *sigh*

I digress.

Aren't they cute, just hanging out by the rocks?

For as much as Mollie wanted to be close to others while on the beach, Baylor wanted just as much to be exploring everything around him.  If you hadn't noticed yet, the kid loves signs ... even ones that are incredibly bleached out by the sun.

He also loved watching what happened when you run at birds.  I think it boggled his mind to think that something is afraid of him ... afraid enough to fly away.

Why not take a picture of my face?   There's nothing else around here to take a picture of, right?

It was so windy that day, we felt safe enough to walk the length of the golf course.  We were in no one's way, and it was great!

Then we took our first ride on the trolley!  Everyone had fun, but Baylor especially enjoyed it.

The company wasn't bad either.

The condo we stay at has an elevator that Baylor adores, so we had to put some restrictions on it this year, only using it for actual transportation, not for "rides".  He still got to ride it plenty and we didn't end up losing our minds over it.  Win/win!

This was the first time Mollie got to use her Puddle Jumper and she adored it!  I love that it gives her such freedom in the pool.  No, I don't just toss her in and leave her there; she is still able to put her head in the water and actually really loves to drink the pool water, much to my chagrin and protests.  But it does allow her to have lots of extra time in the pool because we don't have to get out early because my arms are too tired to hold her up anymore.  And it has encouraged her to learn to kick on her own a bit, which is always nice to see.  I so want my kids to be good swimmers!  It makes summer so much more fun!

Baylor got a bit tired in the pool on that first trip, so he was quite content to lay down next to his Oma and chat for a bit in the sun.

One rainy day, my mom, sister, and I headed out for a little shopping trip.  While we were there, we encountered a Vera Bradley outlet store and bought Mollie her very own purse!  She took to it quite nicely.  Ah, our budding fashionista!

They were such good kids on the trip!  I couldn't be more proud of them for behaving so well and being so happy in spite of all the changes to their routines.

Mollie got a kick out of getting out onto the screened-in porch, climbing into her stroller, and buckling herself in, all ready to go out and on the town.  The downside was that we weren't always going out right then or even at all.  And she couldn't unbuckle herself.  So she'd sit there and holler until someone got her.  It was actually quite cute.

We had a great time in Florida, but as everyone knows ... all good things must come to an end.  So we flew home.  

And while it was wonderful being on vacation, it is oh so good to be home!

Captiva 2012: It's Curtins (and Cartwrights) For You!

After a quick breakfast at the hotel, we packed up our things and made our way over to Sanibel Island to see our beloved Mainers, the Cartwright/Curtin family!  We said our hellos, enjoyed some long-awaited hugs, and suited and slathered up to take a walk on the beach.  It was a gorgeous day!

Baylor got to see the ocean for the first time in a while and he was definitely intrigued.  (Yes, I know it is the Gulf of Mexico, but isn't it still part of the Atlantic Ocean?  Whatever ...)

This was also the beginning of one long conversation Baylor would have with anyone who would listen/was in a confined area with him.  It's amazing how much my little man can gab!  He ALWAYS has something to say!

After getting a look at the lighthouse we turned back.

Mollie went off to walk with some other family members and I got to chat with Baylor.

And then he got tired.  (Oh, and it's right about here that I got a lovely sunburn on my back.  Thirty years-old and you'd think I'd have enough sense to ask for help when applying sunscreen!)

Of course, he perked up a bit when we passed by the pool and was revived enough to enjoy a quick dip before lunch.

It was so nice to see Laura, albeit for a very short time, and we're now greatly anticipating seeing her over the Christmas holidays.  It was also nice to see Aunt Cynthia, Uncle Andy, and Delaney as well, though we got to enjoy their company a few more times during our Florida stay.

After our visit, we split up.  Mom and Christine headed off to do the grocery shopping, and the rest of us made our way to the condo to check in and settle in as much as possible.

Mollie, for her part, got all sorts of dolled up in Florida gear.

Let's give smiling a try, shall we?

There ya go!

The first day is always a bit much - the unpacking, the figuring out where everyone (namely Baylor) is going to sleep, the upset of schedules - but we made it through quite smoothly.  I know I'm biased, but the kids were absolute champs and I can't imagine having any other little travel companions!

Captiva 2012: We're Off!

A couple weeks ago we left for a fun family vacation to Captiva Island, Florida.  As we reminisced about years passed, I realized that I have been visiting this spot, this little divine slice of earth for over twenty years!  Honestly, it's hard to imagine I have been doing any one thing - besides living, breathing, and using the potty - for more than twenty years.  But here I am.

Anyhow, we left and took the route we did last year ... Grand Rapids to Atlanta to Ft. Myers.  Baylor loved it because it was familiar and the rest of us loved it because we had an idea of how to navigate the airport with only a thirty-five minute layover.  We nearly missed our connecting flight, but somehow we made it and our trip began without a hitch.

Mollie, poor girl, had to sit in her car seat on the plane.  

Which was all fine and dandy until you realized she only had a few inches of leg room.  Needless to say, I was constantly badgering her to get her feet off the seat in front of her and made very apologetic eyes to the unfortunate passenger in it.

Baylor got to sit in a seat like a big kid for the first time and he enjoyed it thoroughly.  Thank goodness for Finding Nemo on my parents' iPad!

Mollie got stuck sitting next to me on every leg of our journey, there and back, and was left to enjoy sticker and story books on repeat.

Baylor loved flying from the takeoff to the landing, and I honestly couldn't be more relieved; I detest flying, especially the takeoffs and landings, and I was so worried my anxieties would rub off on the kids.  So far, so good!

Once in Ft. Myers, we grabbed our bags and headed off to our hotel.  Usually we depart early in the morning and make our way to Captiva immediately after landing, but this time we were going to have the chance to see one of my cousins the next morning (Hi, Laura!) and getting the kids up at o'dark early isn't really much fun so we did the late night flight instead.  Luckily, this option was well-received by the kiddos and they were beyond geeked to get to spend the night in a hotel and basically have a sleepover with Mommy and Daddy.

The next morning Baylor woke us up setting the mood for the rest of the trip, though I didn't know it at the time.  After getting them ready and getting the okay from my parents and sister, we opened up the adjoining door and let the kids enjoy their first morning with Oma, Grandpa E, and Aunt Christine.  Of course, all the kids wanted to do was play safe cracker/burglar.

Then Baylor decided to make like Curious George (who he had just seen on t.v. doing this very thing) and play with the microwave.

It was a new way to spend the first day of our vacation, but it certainly was a welcome change for the kids.  Hotels are a blast when you're that young!

Canon Shredding

This is amazing.  Just look at the guy's fingers as he plays this.  It's awesome.

Just had to share!