Family Vacation

Well we went on a Family Vacation, a semi-big one that involved planes, buses, and rental cars, thankfully no trains. Hubby had been scheduled for a while to go down to Melbourne FL for some training, I had declined to go due to school and I really didn't think the weather would be that great there. Old man winter though had been mean to me and a couple of weeks ago I decided to go. Due to my ill timing we could not get tickets on Hubby's flights so I ended up with Hubby on the flights right after mine on the way down and just after his on the way up. We took the kids. Not really a good idea, read more about that here. However it was some good memories for the kids. We did spend a day out on the beach and the only pictures taken are on my phone and I'm not technologically gifted enough to get them off. Despite the boys and I being coated liberally in SPF 50 several times during the day, I got NO sun at all, Sonny Boy turned brown as a little indian, and Igor turned pink.

Since Blogger won't let me re-arrange the pictures these are a little out of the order I would prefer. Our last day is first, the next to the last day is second.

Before we headed out we went to Merritt Island National Wildlife refuge. Hubby and the boys on the nature boardwalk.

We saw some manatees, but they don't photograph so well, I like this one that was in the airport as she's fancier.

Lots of birds. This is a blue heron (I think)

We saw quite a few alligators as well. We saw several bigger than this one, but he posed the nicest for the camera.

On Thursday we went to JFK space center....

and the kids met astronaut John Blaha

I have to admit I didn't really know who he was other than an astronut until I just googled him to give you a link. Wow, what an impressive resume. I knew astronauts were accomplished people but that man has some extreme brain power in his head.

the kids also met this astronaut -likely just some random shmuck in a costume but they liked him.

Rode a moon buggy

and waited on big brother while he was sent in the ride with a friendly Canadian family. Kids had to be 44" tall to ride. Igor measured up at 42". I had been told this was the coolest thing at Kennedy and I wanted Sonny Boy to be able to do it. I didn't quite know what to do so we went to a briefing thing that told all about the current space missions, Igor was less than impressed with that, Sonny Boy was bored but behaved. Anyway while ignoring Igor's whining the idea came to me to find a family with a bunch of kids and ask if Sonny Boy could ride with them. Yes, I sent my child into a building with complete strangers the say "eh" at the end of every sentence, but what do you do? They were very nice though and took Sonny Boy right in with them while Igor and I waited at the exit. Sonny boy came out thrilled and agreed it was the best thing at Kennedy. Too bad Mom didn't get to ride.

At Kennedy there is the visitor center where all the above stuff is and then you get on buses to move around in the secured areas. The took us to an observation platform that was as close as the public could get to the launch pads (about a mile) I'm impressed my camera took such a good picture, of course it's as zoomed in as it gets and I had steadied it on a railing. The space shuttle is on the pad, if you look close you can see the white and brown tips of the solid rocket boosters. The "orbiter" or as you and I call it the shuttle is behind a sheild to protect it until 24 hours before lift-off. This will be the next to the last space shuttle mission before the space shuttles are retired and we rely on the Russians to get us to the International Space Station for a while.

I can't tell you what I think of Kennedy. If your into space stuff like Sonny Boy it's likely the coolest place in the world. I thought it was neat and educational, probably would have slowed down a little and looked at few things more closely without the kids but it won't be on my to do list again anytime in the near future.

We landed late on Friday evening. Igor had fell asleep on the plane, and refused to wake up and walk off. Sonny Boy and I were loaded with luggage and I was trying to figure out a way to haul him down the aisle, we had a stroller waiting in the jetway. Since we were the last ones on the plane the flight attendant picked up Igor and got him to the stroller which was great. Off we went, Sonny Boy pushing Igor in the cheap little umbrella I had picked up for travel. Igor was still so out out it he was sitting straight up with his mouth open out cold being pushed through the Milwaukee airport. It was quite a sight.

Sunday afternoon we made a return trip to the airport and dropped off Hubby for a two week stint in Dallas. Yay.

This week I'm busy making a wedding cake. No, haven't been commisioned, I'm entering it in a local cake decorating contest. I about have the first tier done. I keep looking at it trying to decide if I should pull the fondant off and try again. I'm using styrofoam cake dummies. (it's allowed) However fondant ain't cheap, and my inner tightwad is screaming at me, but I know I can do better so I'm having a hard time making the call. I don't even know what the prize is for the contest, likely just my name in the paper but it's a pride thing ya know?

Anyhow back to reality. Florida was nice, sunny, warm couldn't have asked for nicer weather. As I type I hear rain and wind beating at the windows, it's about 34 F. Think I might go back to FL, will you keep the kids?