Orlando bills itself as the city where dreams come true. I don't know if mom ever dreamed of swooshing down a water slide. But we made her go down a water raft with us. She kept her eyes shut. I told her it's less scary (it wasn't scary at all) if she had her eyes open. She slid down laughing all the way. How many 72-old-year women have swooshed down a water slide with her adult daughters? I hope she boasts to her friends about it.
I think she sometimes does dream of living with her children again. Not that she really wants to. She's complained that we have different habits, schedules, and preferences so we would not live harmoniously together. But our week in Orlando, we were in sync. We were there for the common purpose of having a good time, the accommodations were beautiful, mom had some of her grandchildren with her, she accepted that Sis and I would plan the excursions, and we knew Sis and I would take care of everything. Mom said she slept well all week. I think that's what vacations are about - you live out a dream for a while.
The Boy said he had a fantastic time. In retrospect, I am glad I took him with us. He shopped and I indulged him. He said he loves Kid1 and Kid2 but didn't want to share a room with them because they went to bed early and would wake him too early. I wouldn't have been able to keep them out of their own room to allow him more sleep so I let The Boy share my room and we slept in the same bed. He rolled up the bed spread and put it down the middle of the bed to separate us, and in case I had the cooties. It was like each of us having our own bed. He enjoyed all the outings because he was with Kid1 and Kid2. At times, he got frustrated with how slow it was to move everyone. At the end of the trip, he said he has a whole new appreciation for why Dad gets grouchy when there are too many people around.
Kid1 and Kid2...they were in heaven having The Boy all to themselves for a whole week. Kid1 improved his game at group Solitaire. He even won a round. Kid2 said her favourite part of the trip was seeing all the nature. Nature? In Orlando? Because there were birds, cranes, and raccoons roaming about at the resort, water animals at Sea World, land animals at Busch Garden, and really really bright lights all over. She thought some of the Christmas light arrangements looked beautiful, like they were part of nature. Kid2 is even more astute and fun to be with than I thought.
I don't know what Sis and her Fiance liked best about the trip. I think Sis liked having a break from work, that she didn't have to cook every night, and that her kids were having a great time.
I just liked being there in the warmish weather, spending time with everyone, seeing The Boy have a good time, and finally taking mom on a real vacation.
Okay, day-by-day highlights:
Day 1 - I ate cheese pizza and got sick. I guess being on vacation is not a good time to test if I am still lactose intolerant.
Day 2 - Sis discovered Kid2 had lice! They spent most of the day delousing. The rest of us sat around. The day was saved for The Boy when we went shopping in malls.
Day 3 - Kid1 had a melt down. He lost his DS Gameboy case containing all his games.
Day 4 - Sis' Fiance arrived.
Day 5 - Life got blurry from this point on...Sis and Fiance attended a timeshare presentation to save us 40% off our theme park tickets. I threw out the slab of vacuum sealed fresh salmon I smuggled across the border because we hadn't cooked it and mom already had a bout of runny tummy and Kid2 had lice. I didn't want to risk further health issues. We made Sis check The Boy and me for lice everyday even though we didn't have any.
Day 7 - Another shopping excursion for The Boy and me.
Day 8 - Homeward bound.
That was as fine a time away as I could hope for.
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`Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'
`That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.
`I don't much care where--' said Alice.`Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.
`--so long as I get somewhere,' Alice added as an explanation.
`Oh, you're sure to do that,' said the Cat, `if you only walk long enough.'
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`In that direction,' the Cat said, waving its right paw round, `lives a Hatter: and in that direction,' waving the other paw, `lives a March Hare. Visit either you like: they're both mad.'
`But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
`Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: `we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.'
`How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice.
`You must be,' said the Cat, `or you wouldn't have come here.'
Alice didn't think that proved it at all; however, she went on `And how do you know that you're mad?'
1 comment:
What I loved most was the peaceful, communal living. The living enactment of "it takes a village to raise a child". So the best part was having all the family there, with the older cousin enjoying the company of the younger cousins and in that way, taking care of them and teaching them play skills. All the adults to watch over them, and keep each other company in the process. There was even a familiar childhood feel, where I got to sit back and feel taken care of by my mother and older sister, not as a guest who has to be polite and feel pressure to contribute to tasks and be entertaining in conversation, but as a family member - where I felt comfortable spending 20 minutes sitting on a toilet whenever I needed to.
I also loved discovering adult aspects of people I know - like how spontaneous and easy going Sylph can be, how really smart and what a good direction sense The Boy has, and how Mom can be forced to enjoy herself, In particular, for the first time since Dad died, to discover that Mom enjoys her life and no longer prefers to die sooner rather than later. I actually caught her watching and smiling at Kid2 and then expressing sadness that she wouldn't be around to know her as an adult.
Thanks Sylph, for letting us make those memories.
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