Sand in the Suitcase
We
did it! The Baileys took a vacation. I'd call it our first 'official'
vacation ever—that wasn't a family wedding, funeral, or campout.
Considering that Elijah is nearly 16, it was about time.
This could become a habit.
We spent a couple of days in Florida, followed by a tour of the
Bahamas via cruise ship. Before leaving town, I mailed off a new fabric
collection—so I could truly relax. Of course, travelling with a baby
isn't always relaxing. His needs accounted for half of our luggage.
There was the crib, the stroller, the diapers, the swim diapers, the
wipes, the formula, the juice boxes, the baby food for excursions (Conch
Salad on shore wasn't going to cut it), the multiple changes of
clothes, the quilt, the diaper bag. It was a workout.
My siblings came along with their kids, so Charlotte and Elijah had a
flock of cousins to hang out with. My mom was there too. We were a big,
noisy group.
Ten stand-out memories:
•
Elijah's glee at the sheer quantity of food he could order at will:
steak, then salmon, then steak, then dessert, and dessert again, then
pizza, and so forth. Teenage-Boy Heaven.
• A run on the beach with my sister at high tide in the dark. The worst/best workout ever.
• Touring the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach—Whoa! I will post more about this one.
Think mini Versailles.
• Siamese cousins at the airport (below).
•
Charlotte teasing the magician during his evening performance. With
hundreds in the audience, he called out in reference to her loud giggles
and taunting, "Now there's the reason some species eat their young."
• Spicy Ginger Beer and Goombay Punch in Lucaya.
• Jogging around the ship's deck during departure.
• The butterflies on the hill below Fort Charlotte in Nassau.
• Not having to miss the U.S. Presidential Debate while onboard.
• Cramming 15 of us into one van, with all of our luggage, for a ride back to the airport.
• Not one of my kids got sunburned—yes!
