Winter Break or Winter Broken?

It was quite an adventure, our first big family trip. The kind where parents earn a merit badge for survival. It started the week before, when Willa was home sick with a terrible cough and then a bladder infection. I got a sinus infection, which made packing a laborious task. The night before we flew out, we drove through a wee snow storm, complete with cars in the ditch and a tractor trailer spun the wrong way on the highway. Then Milo threw up his entire dinner all over the van ("Happy Meal"? I don't think so!), and our two-hour drive became a four-hour one. Luckily the flight the next morning was uneventful, even exciting, and we arrived in Florida safely and on schedule.

Despite the weather being, well, not entirely Florida-like (it was cold and windy), and despite Neva getting Milo's flu mid-week, we did have a wonderful visit with my mother. We celebrated Willa's 5th birthday; Neva and Milo lost teeth and were visited by the American Tooth Fairy; the sun shone every day but one; we visited the Salvador Dali Museum and the Clearwater Aquarium for rescued marine animals; we had lovely weather the last 2 days; the kids did get to "swim" in the ocean the day before we left (it was freezing) and we had one good swim in the pool. Best of all, there was no snow, no computer, no work and no morning rush!

I can't wait to go back next year!

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com