Continued - Spring Break 2013 in Orange Beach, AL

Thursday 3/28: This morning started off with a lazy morning, even I slept in until about 8am, Bre and Jordyn came out of their room to great me. We all had a doughnut for breakfast, claimed our couches, and waited for the boys to wake up. No one really had any plans or ideas of what to do today, except Joey was meeting up with some friends later, so I grabbed the girls and we headed down the street to the closest coffee shop. I got an iced coffee, while Bre chose a raspberry Italian soda (unfortunately they made it different than Starbucks so it wasn’t red like she was used to), and Jordyn bought a raspberry smoothie (which looked delicious). When we got back to the condo, they boys were still laying around watching tv, so Jordyn and I figured out what pool we wanted to go to and put on our suits, that got the boys excited enough to get off the couches. Everyone but Joey, since he was meeting up with his friends, grabbed our stuff and headed towards the pools by the lazy river (there are six pools and two waterslides in that area)

3 level pool with 2 water slides, upper deck includes another 3 level pool and the lazy river

Jayson braving the water

Surprisingly there really wasn’t anyone out, but we soon discovered why…the wind coming off the bay was freezing!!! After about 20 minutes or so of sitting there and Jordyn and Jayson debating on whether or not to actually get in the water, we decided to head to the outside pool outside of our building. This area only has 2 outdoor pools, 1 waterslide, 1 indoor pool, and 3 hot tubs, BUT we were almost completely blocked from the wind. We ended staying outside for about 5 hours, with a quick (rotating) break to grab some food, turns out our pool became really popular and chairs and lounges were being snatched up instantly. 

Our buildings outdoor pool and waterslide

Our buildings pool only had 2 levels, with the bay in the background

After everyone changed clothes and got settled in, I decided to go try out the gym (surprising I know!). It actually wasn’t bad, a little old school, but enough of machines to get a full workout. Arm workout and running completed, dinner made, everyone fed, dishes done, everyone showered, and now it’s time for some movies and popcorn!

Friday 3/29: Well today is the last day the kids are with us, their mom insisted they be home by 3pm as their community is having an Easter event that started at 4. The kids would have loved to stay until we checked out the next day, but they understood that we were only to have them for half of Spring Break and their mom had already let them stay with us longer than half the week (we did give up our Easter visitation day for the extra days). Joey chose to spend the day hanging out with a group of friends and the other kids chose to hang out at the putting greens and the pool.

The day flew by quickly and before we knew it, it was time for the kids to get ready to go. With everyone showered, fed, and all packed up, Eric walked them to Joeys' car, while Bre and I waved goodbye from our balcony, I think this was the first time the kids actually realized how far up our condo was. After we got them all on their way, it was time for us to do a bit of last minute laundry and start organizing and packing some of our stuff that was no longer needed. During all of this, I was constantly texting Jarom and MyKayla, as their Spring Break starts today and the two of them are heading to Oregon to hang out with my family and so that Jarom can view the University of Washington, his top choice of colleges to transfer (yep transfer!!!) to next year. 

Saturday 3/30: Checkout day BOOOOOO! As one can guess today included sleeping in just a bit, followed by packing, loading up the car, and making our way home. We had discussed having lunch at one of our favorite restaurants on the way home, but this would mean fighting traffic through town, making our way towards Mobile, and then heading home. We opted to ditch lunch and take a different route home, somewhat following the gulf coast line most of the way.

Lessons occur even on vacation

Wednesday 3/27: Another lazy day at the condo due to low temps and freezing winds. It’s the last day for Joey’s baseball tournament and today he has a double header so he and Eric left around 11, while the rest of us watched tv and movies all day. We also checked with the front desk of our building to see if we could find out where their famous ICEE machine was and were thrilled to hear that it was in two buildings over, so we all headed out for a little treat. Unfortunately, they had gotten rid of their machine and I guess, forgot to inform all the buildings, but it did get us out of the condo for a few minutes and a change to take a few pics of our views from the other side of our condo.

The view from the back of our building

Making our way to another building on the resort

Bre - hard to get a good pic when the sun is in your eyes!

Jayson racing everyone back to our room, too bad he was the only one racing!

Once we returned, I claimed the remote (which is hard to do in this family) and chose a few movies the kids hadn’t seen before, including ‘The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3’. Of course we all fell asleep later that afternoon and I woke up just in time to start dinner.

During dinner the kids and I discussed what they wanted to do tomorrow, since we would all be together. Jordyn wanted to hang out at the pools, especially since it is supposed to be much warmer and hardly any wind, and Jayson wanted to go to The Track (which has several go kart tracks, miniature golf, bumper rides, and kids country (which everyone but Jayson too old for). We tried to determine what activities Jayson would want to do there, in order to figure out what it would cost for our family to attend (we always throw in a math lesson when we can). After we determine how much it would cost to do the four activities Jayson chose, we then figured out which of the 4 options for ticket prices we needed. Ready to fall on the floor??? Four activities would cost $58….each! Okay maybe not really $58, we actually have three options to purchase tickets based on Jayson’s activity selection. We could buy 1) per ‘point’ at $0.93 a point (Jayson’s activities equaled 28 points), 2) a 72 point pack at $58.32, or 3) a 144 point pack for $99.36, and don’t forget to add the tax to those options. Jordyn and I decided it wasn’t worth the drive or the cost to go.

We also had a little parenting lesson, during this conversation and actually our entire trip, I have been trying to teach them more about money (where it comes from – because they honestly think we have an abundance of it and therefore we should be able do whatever they suggest, how much we have, and how much things cost – like this trip). But during this conversation it was discovered we have someone in our household who has ‘sticky fingers’. Said child had decided that because there was some money sitting out, that it was automatically theirs. Unfortunately, the rest of us knew they didn’t have this much money yesterday, because we had sarcastically made bets against them (and their video game skills) and they disclosed that they only had 30 cents on them, today they had $1.15, oops. Sadly, this isn’t the first time this year their sticky fingers have gotten them in trouble, last time their punishment was 3 weeks grounding. Today, it was a loss of privileges, including dessert, video games, movies, and any say on any activities for the rest of the vacation. Said child was also informed that dad who wasn't present at the time would be notified and mom would also be notified in order to assist in carrying out any recommended punishment, since said child would only be with us until Friday afternoon.

I may have gone just a tad overboard on trying to teach my lesson, but since this wasn’t the first offense, I really wanted my point to stick. Obviously, stealing isn’t going to be accepted or taken lightly in my household and since this was the second time said child was found guilty, I made it clear that three strikes (just like in society) you are out, and I would call the cops on them next time. Now I know they wouldn’t really do anything to said child, but most of the police departments in Alabama, will go far enough (at a parents request) to come to the home, handcuff them, and transport them to the station. Some will even go far enough to fingerprint them (which are given to the parents as a reminder) and will place them in a cell (if there is one available) for a short time. I also let said child know that the state of Alabama is harsher on punishment for stealing than other states, because they do have room in their jails. I even told all the kids that most sentences that I had read in the newspaper resulted in a minimum of ten year jail time, regardless of the amount of money the person stole. It was at this point that I may have gone a bit too far as I could tell said child was holding back the tears. But said child finished their dinner, cleaned up their items, and then disappeared. I had another family member go check on them, and was informed that said child was in their bed, so I stopped what I was doing and went to talk to them.

First and foremost, I apologize to said child, not for my statements or my extreme disappointment, but for the fact that said child felt the temptation to claim something as their own when clearly no one had given them the money. When then discussed how temptation is around us all the time, and maybe said child needed to look at things differently. We then turned the situation to the stolen money being theirs and another family member took it when they weren't looking, we discussed how they would feel, and then agreed that as an additional punishment, said child would loose any money they currently had on them and that amount would be given when said child returned the stolen money to the rightful owner. Again I could tell said child was fighting back the tears, and I asked them if they were okay, they replied they were but just wanted to lay down and be alone for a few minutes (about 30). They then asked if I would come and get them after that time, which I agreed.

Their time frame was cut short as another child wanted to go swimming and said child didn't want anyone to be left behind so they agreed to go with us. The best moment of our experience, when I asked said child if they were mad at me (one of my biggest fears being the (single) disciplinary, and their response was No, I am not mad at you, I am mad at myself for my choice. Huge hugs, followed by a night of swimming...until Eric returned shortly after our swim session and the discussion continued.

Spring Break 2013 in Orange Beach, AL

Saturday 3/23: Today doesn't really count as a vacation for me, as it is filled with baseball games, Joey has a double header today, although I am skipping out after the first game to do a little grocery shopping and check into the condo by 4, while Eric will have to fend for himself and bum a ride from the field to Joey's school, where he will ride with him to pick up the other two kids who are hanging out with their mom in Fort Morgan, and then all of them will make their way to the condo. Unfortunately, shortly after paying for the three of us to get into the game, and the first pitch was thrown, lightening was sighted 6 miles from us, which meant an automatic 30 minute delay. Every time a new lightening sighting was seen it was another 30 minutes. They finally called the games when the weather let up...yep cause that's how awesome they are, AND they didn't issue any refunds! 

So quick change of plans, we waited till the boys loaded the bus and left the field, then followed them to the school, and then we all headed towards Fort Morgan. Bre and I went our separate way once we hit the grocery store, cause lets be honest, I could shop while they picked up the other kids, then meet them, and then we would all go and check in together. We arrived shortly after 4pm, grabbed 4 carts to unload our 2 cars, yep all that pre-planning resulted in 4 carts worth of stuff. We quickly unloaded the carts, assigned the kids their rooms, and while the kids returned the carts I quickly put all the kitchen stuff away. The kids were anxious to start their fun, and the request to hit the pool was quickly thrown out. There was some slight debates as some of us were hungry (4 of us haven't had an early lunch due to the game), so a quick vote to eat first and then swim was reached. Thankfully were were having something quick and easy, so while dinner cooked in the oven we finished unpacking our belongings and checked out our surrounding views from our room.

After dinner the kids opted to swim indoors, so we hit the indoor pool in our building. I chose to watch and Bre chose to just put her feet in the pool a few times.

Jordyn

Eric and Jayson

 

Sunday 3/24: With no real plans in place, the kids wanted to hit the lazy river, which is located two buildings over. The temperature was great, mid 70’s, but we had wind ranging from 10-25mph, with occasional expected wind gusts up to 35mph. Bre and I stayed out of the water so for us the weather was great, but everyone got a bit chilly when the wind picked up. 

Our Lazy River view

Jayson

Jordyn

Jayson decided after one pass it was too cold for him, so Eric took him into the closest indoor pool. We later found out that they bounced between the indoor and outdoor pools and Eric even went on the water slide several times…too bad we missed that picture op.

Joey had made plans with several of his friends staying in Gulf Shores (next town over), so they all decided to meet up here around 11am and do a little fishing off the docks on the backside of our condo and possibly hit up some of the other activities on site.

Shortly after noon, the winds had picked up enough that everyone was ready for a break and have some lunch. On our way back I tried to find where they sold their famous ICEE’s that they advertised. We came across a deli just inside where the lazy river and 6 pools were, but nowhere on their menus or advertising boards did we see anything that mentioned an ICEE nor did we see anyone purchase one, so we decided not to stay in the long line and just go back to the condo. We ran into Joey and his friend’s step-sister, Jordan, who walked back with us while the other boys continued fishing. They took a quick restroom break, grabbed some drinks, and headed back to the others, while the rest of us stuffed our faces.

After lunch Bre and I decided to take a quick walk to see if we could find out if the resort had a little grocery shop to get a few items that were not included in our stay, mainly dish soap and trash bags (they only provide 1 for the entire week). We were also hoping to come across those ICEE’s and maybe even some coffee, no luck on either, so it looks like a trip to the store is in order but that will have to wait. On our walk we ran into Joey and his friends who were heading to play ping pong.

Once we returned to the condo Jayson and Jordyn decided they wanted to check out the indoor pool so Eric took them down. Bre and I cleaned up a bit and got the rest of dinner that wasn’t being cooked in the crockpot ready. After dinner we watched Hobbit and then headed to the grocery store to grab a few things and ended our ‘trip’ at DQ. Joey and his friends were on their way back the same time as we were from fishing at another location in Gulf Shores, which unfortunately wasn’t a huge success for them, and they later stated they wish they would have stayed here and saved their $8 (each). They hung out at our place until about 11:30pm talking baseball (my favorite topic NOT) and a little bit about school and some of their plans for college. They seemed to have enjoyed spending most of their day here, so we told them they were welcome to come back each day, or even stay a night with us, cause (in all honesty) it is Spring Break, there are TONS of teenagers here, there isn’t much around us within walking distance so they can meet tons of new people, and overall I feel much more comfortable with a bunch of the kids friends here then on the roads (it is the south, they like to drink – A LOT, and it’s spring break – just not the best combo for my comfort).

Overall it was a pretty great full day here.

Monday 3/25: Our temps today in Orange Beach reached a whopping high of 61 with winds up to 30mph and while the view was deceiving, it was way too cold to be hanging out outside, unless of course, you had a wet suit and wanted to surf in the pools or get sand blasted at the beach. The boys decided to check out the putting greens before Eric and Joey left for Joey’s baseball game. Joey’s high school every year hosts a tournament over spring break and while there are games going on all day long, Joey’s game today is at 5:30pm. 

Boys on the putting greens

Bre doing a puzzle on her iPad

Eric and Joey left around 1pm and all the rest of us grabbed some lunch. After lunch the kids put on their suits and we headed downstairs to the indoor pool and to play some ping pong. Due to the weather and what seemed to be ten million teenagers running around, or pool time was shortened by a touch and the ping pong table was in high demand, so we never got to play. We made great use of the rest of our afternoon with long naps, followed by dinner. Eric and Joey arrived back about 9:30 and after quick showers and a bite to eat they were ready to call it a day, guess those cold temps and wind really wore them out.

Tuesday 3/26: Another cold and windy day today, the high is expected to be about 55, but by 10am we were still only about 44 degrees. Since Joey’s wasn’t due to be at the baseball field until 3:30pm for his 5:30 game, we decided to hit the outlet mall to get a few summer clothes for the kids. We spent the first part of our shopping trip hitting the stores Eric and Joey wanted to go to first to make sure they wouldn’t be late to the field, after we went our separate ways, Bre, Jordyn, Jayson, and I hit a few more stores. Overall Joey ended up with only two outfits (he wasn’t in the shopping mood even though he was the one who desperately needed clothes), Jordyn only needed shorts and we were lucky enough to find 4 pairs that were long enough for her, Bre bought a new sweatshirt, and Jayson bought 5 pairs of shorts and 7 t-shirts. I can’t brag and say we found amazing deals, but every store had all their items at least 40% off.

After shopping the kids and I went to grab a bite to eat, and while I don’t have the right to complain as I did let them choose where they wanted to eat, I was tricked into going to a buffet.  Anyone and everyone who knows me, knows how much I despise buffets, but I did try to make the best of it and I even bit my tongue the entire time we were there. After the kids filled up on pizza, pasta, and a variety of deserts (primarily cinnamon rolls and brownies) we ventured next door as Krispy Kreme and bought two boxes for breakfast tomorrow. Next we headed to the grocery store to grab some more milk, bread, fruits, and veggies, and of course Eric put in a request for ice-cream, so we bought two containers of vanilla and a few toppings, which is a lot easier than trying to please everyone’s separate ice-cream choices, cause let’s be honest, no one in our family can like the same kind!

Short drive back to the condo, unloaded all our purchases for the day, and Jayson who had told us in the car that he was going to watch movies for the rest of the night kindly informed us we had only brought ‘lame’ movies. Funny thing is I chose all the movies he usually watches at our house, Transformers (all of them), Sherlock Holmes, Avengers, Captain America, Iron Man (all of them), Battleship (which he told us in the car he was starting with this movie tonight), Snow White and the Huntsman, and we even bought The Hobbit shortly before coming here, we even had a handful of kids movies, of course Breanna picked them, so there were tons of Spongebob, Narnia (all of them), Oliver, and all of the Night at the Museum movies (aren’t you glad you just  movies, and Jordyn didn’t want to watch anything on TV, Jayson played video games until Eric and Joey arrived home from the game, which Joey pitched and their team actually won! (If you knew anything about Robertsdale or their baseball, you’d understand the ! on the win). Jayson had also informed us in the car earlier that he was planning on “staying up until midnight, no 3 am”, but shortly after Eric and Joey arrived home he was out cold in the living room chair, poor guy didn’t make it past 10:30pm.

To be continued....