Where we went: West Palm Beach, FL
Why we went: Matt had a conference to attend, and since it let out at noon everyday, we decided it would be a good time for Jilly and I to tag along. We also realized that since number two will be here in a few months, it was probably time for us to learn to take longer trips involving air travel with one child before we have to do so with two! Thanks to tips I got from friends who travel often with their toddlers, I had several tricks up my sleeve that helped to make the time more bearable. Jillian exceeded my expectations and did fairly well on the planes.
Where we stayed: The Breakers. Matt and I decided it is named as such because it will financially break you. Good grief. It was quite the experience with interesting clientele who lead lives I could never imagine. A fellow Midwestern mom I met (husband also attending the conference) and I joked that we were the only families who were staying at the resort who didn't bring an entourage of staff along to care for said children. I would not classify the resort as child friendly, though they market it as such. The staff, however, were fabulous and Jillian charmed everyone with her personality and friendly spirit. She knew all our waiter's names at breakfast, and they went out of their way to bring her special toys and catered to her requests for "baby pancakes" every single morning. The resort is truly a beautiful piece of historical property, and it did offer lots of space to roam around.
A quick shot of the lobby
Beautiful flowers were everywhere, and Jillian could not pass by a single one without stopping to smell them.
Lots of palm trees
Lovely outdoor dining spaces waiting to charge you $75 for a light lunch of salads and a kids meal cheeseburger
Walkway to pools, and eventually, the beach
Jilly finds her way back to our room via the brick pathway
Lots of green space
A beautiful private beach
The Breakers at night
What we did:
Jillian and I spent most mornings at the pool while Matt was in conference. She took a short moment to soak it all in
Playing with other kids' toys. What kind of mother doesn't pack pool toys for their two year old?? (I guess one who was told she could only pack one suitcase for both she and the child. Something had to go!)
Wandering in the pools. I should also report that Jillian really advanced her swimming skills on this trip. She started putting her face in the water, and began working on trying to swim to us by kicking her feet and moving her arms (not together, that is sort of a problem).
The real attraction of the trip was the beach, of course. We played this up for several weeks and Jillian was excited to play in the sand, find shells, see crabs (luckily, we did!), and play in the ocean. We were not at all surprised when she showed absolutely zero fear of the ocean. I was sort of glad when the lifeguard reported he spotted a large shark in the shallows one morning, because we were able to play that up and finally instill a bit of caution in her.
It was a bit cool the first evening, but we had to immediately take the wild child to meet the beach. She and her daddy rolled up their pants and hit the sand after dinner.
Happy girl on the beach
Considering all the possibilities
Running from the waves (a favorite game)
Chasing the birds
Finding shells
Posing with daddy...
...and Mommy
Proof that we all were actually there together.
Jillian also enjoyed living the high life on this trip. Here she is relaxing on the bed, remote control close by, snacking on M&Ms (a vacation-only treat) while watching her Elmo Potty DVD on the large flat screen in our room.
Another Elmo viewing, this time after a full day at the beach. This is a rare shot of a zoned-out wild child. We intentionally did not put her down for a nap so as not to miss the warm afternoon sun. Selfish? Perhaps.
That strategy actually paid off big for us. On three consecutive evenings, Jillian fell asleep in the stroller on the short 10 minute walk to dinner. She proceeded to sleep entirely through the meal (don't worry, we fed her later), allowing Matt and I some unexpected quiet, peaceful meals. A real treat!
Lastly, just because I found it cute, here is what high humidity does to the wild child's hair!
Overall, it was a great trip and we all enjoyed our time away. We did not, however, enjoy the three hours spent stuck in Detroit on the way home thanks to a mechanical problem. It was a true trial of patience as we were all tired and cranky. This translates into high energy and defiance in a 2 year old, and exasperation in parents. Not a good combo. When we finally arrived in Minneapolis, Jillian threw an enormous fit because we weren't in Florida anymore, screaming: "I can't go home, I want to go to Fwo-wida!" She was out like a light 10 minutes later for the drive home.
3 comments:
Looks like you all 3 had a great time, but especially Jilly! No wonder she wants to go back. Love the curls too!!!
What fun and great pictures. I think she is a natural traveler. The hair is so cute!
I am impressed with the rapid posting. Looks like it was a good time! So glad Jilly loved it. And I agree with Paula and Meg, those curls are too cute!
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