The Trip Home
Greetings to everyone.
We spent the remainder of our mini vacation relaxing. The hotel had a pool, a splash park and hot tubs.
Xavier first played in the splash area, then came to the pool. Following Mom's and Dad's example, walked down the steps into the water, sitting down on each step while he acclimated to the temperature. The water was cool, but not cold. After a few minutes, he was ready to Xavier-paddle around.
With Dad to support him, we chased Mom from one side of the pool to the other. Then, Xavier looked up at me with wide, expectant eyes which clearly held in them his intent and hope.
"Float," he said. I was somewhat taken aback by such precise and clear word usage. He wanted to float on the water rather than be carried through it. We found a position he liked and I held him at that level, then we bobbed around the pool.
During this time, Mom disappeared; the hot tubs called to her sore feet. Xavier noted Mom was missing. "Mama?" he asked with a concerned inflection. I answered him, "In the hot tub" while pointing in its direction.
Out of the pool and to the hot tub we went. At first, Xavier did not know what to make of it; the water was much warmer than he generally likes. But both Mom and Dad were now soaking in the tub, so he—needing to be a big boy and do whatever his parents did—slowly stepped down the stairs into the water., holding the hand rail all the way.
Once in, he loved it. We bobbed him around the tub (we were the only people in the tub). He explored all parts of it, walking along the circular seating area or sitting on a lap. Then Daddy popped out and turned on the bubbles. Those were the deal clinchers!
The next morning (Tuesday), Xavier waded into the pool, got wet, climbed out and ran to the hot tub (there were two, so he ran back and forth trying to choose which one he liked best). Never again did he go to the pool.
We took it easy Tuesday morning, then packed up and headed to the airport. This airport trip turned out to be more harrowing than in Denver, which is ironic since there were two adults to assist with luggage and Xavier. We were all tired, and a little uncoordinated.
I thought the Miami airport was horribly organized in its security line. Orlando International has Miami beat, no contest—you have to work to be this disorganized. What a wholly random, inefficient mess that was! The only plus was we did not have to remove our shoes.
Xavier and I got through the line, but Rebecca was stopped. Security saw suspicious items in her backpack and the TSA simply had to have a look. Rebecca packed two bottles of Pediasure® for Xavier (when I asked her "why?" she answered "because we spent ten dollars on it.")
After getting through security, we found a food court and ate lunch. Rebecca and I took turns watching Xavier and our carry-on luggage while the other visited the rest room. Then a diaper check/change for Xavier and to the gate.
The plane was about 95% full, but left on time. Half way through the flight, Xavier settled down. We had to move him from the window seat and put him between Rebecca and me for him to quiet down. He slept the rest of the flight. Even when Rebecca had to get out into the aisle, all the jostling did not disturb him that much.
A very tired little boy; the vacation wore him out. He needed to go home and rest.
Sea World
Greetings to everyone.
Now in Orlando, we had tickets to Sea World. We thought it would be something Xavier would like while not overwhelming him, and he could still get his afternoon nap.
A nice secret to this park is buying your parking permit on-line prior to arriving. You get to park up close to the entry gate, and it's cheaper. Rebecca did just that. We parked under some of the few trees in the lot, grabbed our packs and Xavier and headed in.
Rebecca also reserved a stroller, but after the zoo yesterday we learned two things. The first was that Xavier refused the stroller, so it carried our stuff, but never him.
The second was having a stroller made it more difficult to move around the park; it was an unnecessary encumbrance. Our first order of business in the park was to get our $15 back (that, by the way, paid for half our lunch).
Xavier did not find the park that interesting. He was bored by the dolphins (we did not pay for the privilege of getting four and a half minutes of petting the animals. He may have enjoyed that).
He did like the various aquariums. The sea turtles held his attention as did being able to crawl into the viewing area of one of the tanks. Guess who is folded up like a pretzel on the floor in the cramped tunnel and lifting Xavier up into the viewing area.
The web site and several signs in the park itself advertised you could pet a penguin. We have been excited about that since reading it on-line. It was one of the highlights we expected to experience in the park.
We found the penguin exhibit. We stood in line (the same line was both for the ride and the exhibit). We watched the animated propaganda film. We took the shortcut to the exhibit and bypassed the ride. After fifteen minutes, finally, we were through!
Stepping through the doors and into the sub 30 degree exhibit, all of us dressed in light shirts and shorts, we saw the penguins. They were very active. Diving, swimming, leaping from the water, posing for pictures. We walked up and down the exhibit, watching the birds and looking for the ones we could pet.
We met a mother with her four year old looking for the same thing. She also read the web site and saw the signs. We found no place where penguins could be touched. I decided to ask one of the staff. After all, we had come all this way and we were amped for Xavier to pet a penguin.
"Oh, yeah. You can do that behind the scene if you want to pay for that tour" was the answer. We did not pay; it was already too late in the day and the cost was not trivial, nor the timing convenient.
Xavier did enjoy the killer whale show with Shamoo. He liked the splashing and the whales jumping. It kept his attention the whole show.
As an editorial note, the show was so much better forty years ago. A lot more action then, as well as a lot more tricks by the animals. And, forty years ago, there was none of the "One Ocean, One People" world view the show spent its energy trying to convince the audience to embrace.
All of us were growing tired. We found a shaded area, bought some ice cream and took a few minutes to relax before returning to the hotel. At least Rebecca and I relaxed. Xavier thought the squirrel behind us needed to share his ice cream. The squirrel did not agree, but Xavier insisted and kept the animal cornered for a while.
When the squirrel at last managed its escape, Xavier turned to the sparrows in the bushes to share his ice cream with. They had the same reaction as the squirrel. Finally, he decided to share his ice cream with himself.
A New Zoo to Review
Hello to everyone.
Today, we toured a local zoo. The website led us to believe that there were nearly 100 different animals you could touch and interact with. We thought Xavier would love that.
As it turned out, the 100 of different animals was something of a gray area. The actual petting zoo had all the stock (and boring) animals like a giant tortoise, a llama, some goats. The armadillo was not available; that would have been something interesting. Xavier found the goat pooping as it ate the most interesting. We had to hold him back from examining and "petting" the fresh goat droppings.
Xavier and Rebecca did feed a giraffe. The zoo had a high platform the giraffes could wonder over to should they choose. The platform put them at eye level with child-sized people. One dollar bought you two slices of sweet potato. You could hear Xavier squeal with delight when the giraffe's big gray tongue wrapped his potato and pulled it in. No petting of the animals was allowed, however.
Later on, Xavier fed a deer. Twenty-five cents bought a handful of deer feed. Xavier had fun both feeding the deer and petting it. He even sampled the food pellets for himself.
Xavier got to pet three other animals: a spiny hedgehog, a small turtle and a bearded lizard. These animals appeared throughout the park, their handlers roaming the grounds and answering questions.
We ended our tour of the zoo by walking through an art exhibit where the art was constructed from trash that washed up on the beach. The art was billed as an educational mechanism. Still, most of the sculptures were interesting. Xavier found the giant penguin the most interesting.
From the zoo, we drove from Cocoa Beach to Orlando. Xavier napped in the car (he needed it!). We decided to have dinner at a Disney-owned restaurant named The Rain Forest Cafe. From its description, we thought all the animatronics, sights and sounds it would hold Xavier's attention. They did; they distracted him enough he did not eat a thing. By the time we got back to the hotel, he was starving.
A Day at the Beach
Greetings to everyone.
Our hotel in Cocoa Beach was right on the beach. So, today we spent several hours playing in the surf. It was Xavier's first time at the beach and his first time to see the Atlantic Ocean.
We did a quick visit to the beach in the morning before going to breakfast. It was gray and overcast and a little cool. Rebecca and Xavier dared the surf to wet their feet. Xavier did not know what to make of that; he was cautious. Then he saw the seagulls and chased them. Suddenly, getting his feet wet was not so much a concern!
After breakfast (we had to divert to a Plan B breakfast spot. The one Rebecca wanted to take us to had a wait time of nearly an hour), we returned to our room and suited up. And for Xavier, that also means lathering up with SPF 15 or higher sun blocker.
The late morning and early afternoon had clear skies and sun. Rebecca found a small tent for the beach, a meager $20 purchase, but a nice one. Big enough to fit supplies and seat one person. We set it up, then opened Xavier's sand toys we bought for him yesterday. Xavier took to his shovel and started digging. He loved it. Then, Rebecca lead him into the surf.
From that point on, the sand toys held no interest for him. He loved the surf! He ran in it. I showed him how to jump in it. He would grab hold of parents' fingers and hang over the waves washing in. Even when a big one would knock him over and fill his mouth with sea water (and sometimes his nose), still he shook it off and went right back at it.
It was a fine day, and probably if he were able to articulate it, Xavier's favorite day of the mini vacation. We say dolphins hunting fish in the swells of the waves and pelicans diving for fish.
Finally, Xavier grew hungry and found a box of goldfish in the beach tent. He happily ate them as he ran back down to the surf. Then, he saw what was happening behind him with the goldfish he was leaking.
With a squeal of glee, he started throwing goldfish at the seagulls. The swarm was on! He was very popular amongst these birds—which came out of nowhere! We only saw one or two until goldfish crackers littered the beach, then the gulls came. They came and the came until the crackers stopped flowing.
We went back at dusk to see if we could find crabs, but we did not. Still, Xavier enjoyed shoveling sand helping dig up several crab holes.
Reunited
Greetings to everyone!
No, the title of today's entry is not a reference to the 1978 Peaches and Herb song. After six weeks, our little family reunited at the baggage claim in Orlando International Airport!
I was a little concerned about the flight out. I hoped Xavier would nap on the plane. Instead, he napped for 20 minutes in the car as we drove Pena Boulevard.
Once at the airport, there I had a bigger concern. I had to manage a large checked bag, two carry-ons and Xavier. We had to get from reserved parking, through ticketing/baggage checkin, through security, bathroom break and diaper check, then wait at the gate. I only have two hands. Fortunately, Xavier stepped up.
I woke him from his nap and lifted him out of the car seat after the luggage was staged to roll. Xavier helped get the elevator. He stood quietly in place while checking luggage. He took over his own carry-on waiting in the security line (he did decide to open up his suitcase in the line to examine its content, then let Dad put things back together).
We did the bathroom break where I instructed him a few urinal etiquette rules involving roaming eyes. We changed his diaper, then went to wait at the gate. We had about 15 minutes to wait.
Xavier, however, could not understand why we needed to wait at all. No one was deplaning, the door to the jet way was open. "What's the holdup?" he was thinking. He kept trying to pull me to go down the jet way.
Finally (for him) we got to board. We were standing first in line. They called for handicapped, elderly and families with small children. Except for the lady in the wheelchair ahead of us, we were the first to board the plane. If you have to travel by air, travel with small children (rent one if you have to). They are fast-pass tickets! You do not go through the back-scatter scanner, but through the normal metal detector. The TSA goes out of their way to help you through. You get to board the plane first and have access to all the overhead bin space you need.
Xavier did not sleep on the flight, but he did behave quite well for three and a half hours. We arrived in Orlando International Airport twice. The first time was about 7:30 PM; the second time was about 7:45 PM. The plane was nearly on the runway, one or more wheels may have already touched the ground, then suddenly we were climbing! A steep climb. The official story we were told was there was another plane on the runway.
Over the last six weeks I was concerned (and I know Rebecca had the same concerns) that Xavier would not recognize her. He did not really pay much attention during our nightly Skype calls. Even though I had pictures of Mommy at the dinner table and we went through the family album together and I had Mommy as one of Xavier's speech flash cards, still he seemed uninterested.
When I saw Rebecca walking through the crowd to the baggage carousel, I told Xavier "there's Mommy!" and I pointed. Xavier dropped from my arms and ran calling "Mama! Mama!" The reunion was a success. Throughout the trip, especially the first few days, whenever Mommy disappeared, Xavier grew concerned. "Where's Mama?" he would ask with a concerned look on his face.
On Friday, after Rebecca finished some things on the base, we all went to the pier for lunch. The family was together again!
Saurs
Greetings to everyone.
No, saurs is not the Asian coronavirus. This is the name Xavier calls dinosaurs.
In the early 1990s I worked with a woman who sold Discovery Toys as a second job. This generally meant she would either host a toy party or invite someone to host the party. It was like a Tupperware party, only with educational children's toys. She also fished in the pool of office workers.
I was just thirty at the time, maybe thirty-one. Though unmarried and with no prospects at the time, still I imagined myself taking a wife and having children of my own. I entertained such an idea from my very young years. To that end, even into my mid thirties, I kept many of my toys I had as a child: my collections of Lego, Hot Wheels cities, a castle with siege equipment, children's books.
When Liz circulated a catalog at work, a set of Mini-Dinos caught my eye. I thought, "My son would love those! We could learn to count with them, learn colors, study set theory, and just have fun with them." (yes, those thoughts actually ran through my mind). So, I bought a box.
As years went on, my prospects of marriage seemed to grow less and less. In my early forties I boxed up all the children's books I had been saving, the Hot Wheels city, the castle, the Lego and nearly everything else and gave it to my then seven year old nephew. I held on to the Mini-Dinos, however.
Last night Xavier found the box in his closet. "Saurs!" he exclaimed. Excitedly, he pulled it from the shelf and wanted me to help him open it. Together, we opened the box and pulled out the thirty-some very colorful dinosaurs. It did not take long for Xavier to identify his favorite ones: the pteranodons.
We played with these the rest of the night. We flew them around the house. They rode on the train Xavier got for Christmas. They hid in caves, then jumped out to scare Daddy. They ate second dinner with Xavier. When Xavier went to bed, he took two of the six with him.
At one point, the pteranodons so inspired Xavier that we both were crawling around on our hands and knees chasing each other and roaring loudly. This with two or three little pteranodons in our hands. We "attacked" one another, crawled through imaginary forests, and not-so-imaginary cloth tunnels, tents and pillow forts. Xavier even put in Ice Age: Age of the Dinosaurs to play in the background as we roared around the basement.
Xavier calls his pteranodons by the same sound his gives them: "Caws." These toys have been educational, indeed. Who knew that pteranodons made a "caw-caw" sound as they flew? I didn't until last night.
Xavier Pulls His Weight
Greetings to everyone.
One of the important bachelor lessons Xavier has learned is that you don't have to live like a slob. This is a great lesson he has picked up.
Xavier initiates vacuuming the carpet. He will tug, push and pull the vacuum, even our heavier one, to where he finds dirt (like his play molding sand) on the floor. He has mastered pulling out the wall socket safety inserts, so he will pull one out of the socket. He unwinds the cord and plugs it into the newly opened socket. Then, away he goes! He finds it easier to use the brush or crevice attachments than to wield the bulky carpet beater around (though he does push it around if he must).
Afterward, when the vacuuming is finished, Xavier winds up the cord (usually needing Dad's help) and returns the vacuum to it storage place. He then replaces the socket safety plug back into the socket.
Not only does Xavier assist with vacuuming, he also washes dishes. Often, he will displace Dad from doing that task. He will take over the washing and the rinsing. It does take him five times as long to clean as he plays in the water at the same time.
Xavier cleans his plate after dinner by taking it to the cupboard under the sink and dumping it into the trash can. When he finds some trash on the floor, he puts it in the trash also.
The other night we were coloring together using a box of eight crayons, which Xavier dumped out on the floor. Xavier left the room then returned. The empty crayon box he left with was no longer in his hand. When our coloring time ended, I asked him "Where is the crayon box?" Xavier ran into the kitchen, got into the trash and extracted the box he threw away.
Now, to teach him how to pick up the food he drops, or the books in his room, or his Hot Wheels (which are everywhere).
Xavier's Maternal Instinct Peeks Out
Greetings to everyone.
Shortly after getting dressed for the day, Xavier ran into Middle Earth to play. I was in the kitchen packing him snacks. Prepping for church, we'd be away for a few hours and the fridge stores were getting low, so I was scrounging.
I turned to watch Xavier place one of his cars into his highchair. He did this after carefully straightening out the seat belt straps. Once convinced the car had no intentions of getting out of the chair, Xavier moved to the refrigerator.
With a slight exertion and a grunt, he pulled open the door. Unlike Dad, he had no problem finding something suitable. He twisted off the top of the container holding his diced cantaloupe. He finger-fed two or three cubes to his car.
Putting away the cantaloupe, he pulled out a bag of pepperoni. Disappearing into Middle Earth again, he returned with a pink lion stuffed animal a friend of ours bought for him. He placed the lion next to the car.
Our son somehow knew that lions eat meat, so he fed the lion pepperoni.
Xavier's First Snow Day
Greeting to everyone.
Rebecca just bought several summer clothing items she found on sale in a Florida shop. Of course, cosmic balance means a snow storm here in Colorado which dumped a significant amount of snow. Enough to close the schools. As a curmudgeonly note: back in my day, snows deeper than today did not close schools.
Excited about the snow day, Xavier woke early. After all, much to do today with no school interrupting the flow. We ate breakfast, then I asked Xavier if he wanted to help me shovel snow.
He ran immediately to get his hat and mittens. In a few minutes both of us were bundled up and ready for action. I stepped out back and got his snow shovel, then both of us put on our game faces and headed for the driveway.
He pushed a path all the way to the street, a path one width of his shovel wide. He then worked at cleaning off the steps. Once finished there, he cleared off the flower pots, then the patio table.
All in all, very helpful. Alas, after twenty minutes, his hands grew too cold and he begged to be let back it to the house before getting a good start on clearing the sidewalks.