Dear Addie,
Spring break has arrived! Finally! With our crazy, nonstop schedules, this is a time we have ALL really been looking forward to! With the anticipation of this glorious break, daddy had booked a much needed, super fun trip to the beach for a little R&R!
I mean a beach trip sounds like fun, sand and sun - who wouldn't love that? Sounds perfect right?! Ha! That last statement is kinda funny because anyone who knows me well knows I have a tremendous fear of sharks...eek! For real though, I even track the tagged sharks in an app on my phone! God bless the researchers for tagging them, because it gives me the inside scoop on where not to go since I don't want to become an appetizer...but then again there's more than just the handful tagged so...back to square one on the anxiety!
It's true, I constantly worry that even in knee deep water (my comfort level) that you will all get gobbled up by a giant megalodon. Add in the fact that you are no Michael Phelps and your love for tasty salt water with your pica deficiency - its stressful.
Sprinkle that with fellow vacationers sharing the same hotel that may not be as compassionate with some of your mannerisms (they are everywhere and I'm still looking for that thick skin to help me out there). All that said, it’s just my anxieties getting the best of me. **Side note: Any anxiety you may have these days, sorry kiddo it probably came from me. Daddy gave you the cute dimples ;).
Lucky for us we have daddy and he has a way of making everything run smooth and coming out on top with fun always being the end result. So one team one dream the beach was happening and we were excited. Even me - heck, we even all got new flip flops!
With our plans happily set for months on this beach trip, the universe somehow felt differently a week beforehand, and unexpectedly the sandy beach vision all started crumble before our eyes. Plans changed for a number of reasons, and our warm sandy beach vacation was going to have to be postponed, as we headed off to the mitten state for a visit with our family. No sand, but plenty of warmth from the love of our family.
You see Ad, some of our elderly family had been really struggling the past few weeks, and a good visit seemed to take precedent to potentially being shark treats. All joking aside, this family is truly blessed with longevity and you have four great-grandparents (yes four!) still living and full of love for you. So it was without question that northward we went.
Being the amazing children you all are, just being together - whether it be at the beach, or in a car for 12 hours, y'all were happy just getting a break from our usual chaos. Y'all are awesome just so you know.
No strangers to a road trip, we packed everything but the kitchen sink - including the dog (and not the little chubby beagle, but rather the 80lb hound dog. Maybe this all was a blessing after all, as Ruby unexpectedly got sick and wasn’t able to be boarded. Next thing you know, she’s in the back of the minivan with you guys.
Onward!
We started driving the opposite direction than previously planned - but we were off! Let's do this! Michigan here we come!
While mommy and daddy's home state is not a new place, and somewhat predictable for you, you can throw us a curve ball at any turn, and we were going to visit some places that we had not previously been, so we were definitely staying on our toes this trip.
First up - the nursing home to visit GG Joy, daddy’s grandma and your great grandmother.
While our family is rather familiar with nursing homes or retirement centers - volunteering our time as often as we can, you my dear have had few visits for very good reason. Predictably unpredictable is probably the most accurate title for your life and any unpredictable squeal or shriek could startle someone (and you never know what could happen). Not to sound horrible, but this is especially true for someone with a heart condition. Things could end badly. We can coach you on using your inside voice, but that coaching becomes white noise in a new and unfamiliar place, so mommy and daddy needed to be on our A game!
Luckily for us this nursing home had a quiet library which we had all to ourselves, and they even brought us ice cream! Score!
Honestly, it was only after visiting all four of your great-grandparents on this trip did we realize how much that they use tissues let alone all the people around them! If there's one thing we know about you is the tissue represents the potential auditory assault of nose blowing. You were ready to pounce no matter their age - I'm happy to report you didn't, but there were a few times it was touch and go.
After a much needed and successful visit with GG, we were headed off in the freezing Michigan rain to the bowling alley for some birthday fun for uncle Nick’s 40th.
To our benefit the bowling alley was relatively empty with only our party and one other that day. It's funny all the years going to bowling alleys (kind of a Supernaw thing), I never realized all the sensory stimuli that exist there until I had you and was more tuned into our surroundings. The lights are low and they had neon swirling lights whirling around the lanes, the sound of balls crashing into the pins, the old smell of what seems like metal and stale smoke embedded into the walls in a only recently smoke free environment. To someone who has challenges in differentiating sensory distraction this can be a lot to take in!
Not sure how all this was going to go, we brought our bag of tricks along to the party just in case. We were ready! Much to our surprise you did great! You only had one setback when I had to run to the car to grab something, and you proceeded to throw yourself to the ground face down on the far from clean bowling alley carpet. Trust me you've done worse. As a side note we also realized very quickly that your need for independence, excessive sensory stimming and carrying a bowling ball don't exactly go together unless you want to lose a few toes or break a foot. Good news no emergency room visits were needed, you kept all your toes and we all successfully bowled! Woohoo!
We were hitting home runs everywhere on this trip, but you were about to throw a curve ball in a reminder that gone are the days of letting you be alone.
While sitting in the living room at nana and papa's the sound of you happily playing in the toy room/basement was echoing through the house, but all of a sudden it sounded like you were splashing and playing in water? Curve ball thrown! Nana busted on the scene to you standing in the washing machine and you had turned it on to fill with water! What in the world?! You were lucky the lid didn't close Addie, very lucky. I truly believe you have an abundance of angels watching over you! For added fun, you also put a box of girl scout cookies in the dryer - and yes turned it on!. Addie what is your obsession with the washer and dryer?! You were safely removed and everything was unplugged! It's safe to say you were never alone for the remainder of the trip. Nor these days are you ever left alone at home either. Sneaky, sneaky Addie.
If I could give parental advice to anyone it would be never say never. All kids will eat and do things you never could have imagined. Promise.
Moving on, Easter!
The Easter bunny happily found us in Michigan - phew! You did a great job finding all the hidden eggs making sure to crack each one of the side of your Easter basket like you were making a cake or something before dropping them in.
Eggs, baskets, too much chocolate - that's our cue it was time for church! Now I know you've figured out by now, but I'm not one to put big puffy Easter dresses on either you or Clara. Just not my style my dear. But it didn't stop me from buying a new Easter outfit for you to look nice in.
Another curve ball is in the line up!
This new one piece flowy pant style outfit for church left you feeling anything but comfortable as you demanded ”a pants! a pants!” It wasn’t tight to your legs so it felt like a skirt and all sorts of uncomfortable to you. So while I was upstairs grabbing leggings to give you the tightness on your legs that you were needing, you wasted no time trying to solve the problem on your own and off to papa's hamper you went. By the time I had returned, you already slipped yourself into a pair of papa's blue jeans to try and make your outfit better - it was quite a get up you put together! Look out Ralph Lauren! You seriously had nana and I in tears laughing!
We went to church where you saw more of the playground than mass, ate Easter Dinner at Grandma Menzo (or "Garara's" as you lovingly call her) and papas, while enjoying all the blessings family brings on such a special day.
We visited family as often as possible, played at parks
and even tried out a swing made out of an upside down tree!
So cool! Memories made - check!
So this spring break didn't exactly go the way we thought it would, but predictably unpredictable is what we are used to, so all was good. Even if we had some curve balls thrown at us.
Love you baby girl!
Love,
Mom
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