Spring is here....

Wow...it has been a while since my last post.  I have been really busy and got lost in the process of going to work, going to school and tutoring, writing a bajillion lesson plans and trying to keep my head above water.  In these weeks' time, Spring has sprung!  Not only has it started to green up everywhere I look, but the weather has gotten HOT.  Unbearable for March, if I do say so myself.  We could not take it any longer and the air conditioning went on a week ago.  UGH!  This is the time that I really miss home...when it is too hot for too long and people start acting...well, like Floridians.  I know that some people love it here; and at first I did too.  But seriously?!  What is up with these people lately?!

Moe and I have been busy in the yard (well, Moe mostly....who am I kidding!).  He planted some flowers for me that have been blooming like crazy.  We invested in two new Azaleas that have been doing well and we can't wait for the lilies to blossom.  I love all of the color and new life, and tonight it finally rained.  An honest to goodness thunderstorm :)

With this in my path it has been hard to focus on school work.  This has been my Spring Break week from work and I have had to go to school at night twice.  I have to spend the day in St. Pete tomorrow at a seminar for interns, making my "break" pretty broken.  It looked like it would be pretty good, having three Spring Breaks this year (one for PHCC - where my classes are held, one for USF - where I go to school, and one for the school district - where I work) but they did not coincide and they did not make for relaxation as I was NEVER really off for any time :/

So, as I am sitting home waiting for the hubby to come home and watching TV, I am listening to the rain on the roof and reflecting on my past year.  It has been really busy for us and these few days off have been a gift!

Disney, Treasure Island and the Freak Show Circus

So this week, my friend and her kids came to Florida to visit me from Chicago.  It was a whirlwind vacation and ended way too soon as usual.

We had a blast!  We visited Downtown Disney where we promptly hit the Lego store.  Matt brought some really cool boxes with him to stuff with Lego parts from the open stock wall.  In true fashion, the kids and I grabbed, stuffed and arranged the pieces in the boxes, almost had to tape them shut and didn't even have to pay for them!

After our Lego extravaganza, our little entourage ventured to DD "West Side" where we tried our hand at Disney geocaching.  Sadly, geocaching at Disney is electronic only, as you cannot stuff things into hiding spaces at the happiest place on Earth.

Finding this out, we found our way to the Candy Cauldron where we got delicious treats that were prepared with Disney love <3.  http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/destinations/downtown-disney/



 That night, we stayed in Orlando at the Coco Key Resort and Water Park (http://www.cocokeyorlando.com/coco-key-water-park/).  We pulled up to the hotel and showed the kids the water park....body slides, tube slides and a HUGE play area.  They were pretty excited and so were Rachael and I!!!  We spent the day hanging out at the pool, climbing the stairs and sliding down the HUGE "half pipe" tube slide and enjoying the gorgeous weather!

Later in the week, we went to Treasure Island with the kids.  It was the last of the nice weather days.  We had a hotel literally ON the beach (http://www.islandinnresort.com/).  It was amazing and the weather the first day was perfect.  The kids had a great time jumping in the waves and hanging out a the WARM pool :)  We had dinner at Caddy's on the Beach (http://www.caddysotb.com/), even though it was windy and cold and spent the next day trying to stay warm!  The wind picked up and the temperature did not rise above 65 degrees all day.



It was a perfect transition to the Freak Show Circus!

This is really Boyett's Grove,  a citrus attraction in Brooksville that the kids LOVE to visit every time they come (http://www.boyettsgrove.com/)!  This place has been open since 1966 and has things inside that have probably been there since its grand opening.  There are random animals, exhibits of skeletons, a dinosaur cave and an ice cream bar.  It is seriously the weirdest place that I have EVER been to and it reminds me of the restaurant in "The Goonies".

Sadly, her vacation had to end and Rach went home.  It was a wonderful trip and we were able to catch up, hang out and have a fabulous time together.  Because I have not been home since 2006, it feels good to see some friends from my hometown and spend time catching up.  I miss the people that make me feel happy and centered and want them to be nearby all the time.  :)