Lil' Ballerina Girl

Grace certainly looked the part tonight at her first ballet class, but it's definitely a good thing that her sweet instructor is blessed with lots and lots of patience.

When most of the girls were sitting down like instructed, Grace needed a little more convincing. She was drawn to the dance bar that lined the wall. Or the hula hoops hanging in the corner. Or she just ignored what was going on and played with her tutu. She even decided she needed a potty break in the middle of class.

Still, I consider the class a success. Despite many moments of distraction, Grace did (sorta) follow along when the music was on and there was actual dancing happening. And, after all, this was her very first experience in a classroom setting where directions are supposed to be followed and I'm not right beside her to get her to behave.

Most importantly, I just adore the way she looks in her tutu and ballet shoes! Even if this ballerina phase only lasts the summer, I'm going to relish every minute of it.

If Grace's reaction at the end of class is any indication, she enjoyed it just as much as I did. She was the last one to leave the class and it took some coercing to get her to go because she didn't want the class to end, saying, "I want to do more ballet!"

I Can Close Two Eyes

I'm more functional now than I was a couple of days ago, but I'm still not feeling a hundred percent so poor Grace was stuck inside with me for another day.

I tried to take advantage of a day inside by washing the bed linens, vacuuming the rugs and other little chores. I also managed to cook lunch and dinner. I couldn't eat lunch, but by dinner, I was feeling well enough to eat again.

Grace kept herself busy with her books and Little People figurines. She also tried to learn the art of winking. I demonstrated for her and instructed her to close one eye. When I asked her if she could do it, too, she stared at me for a second and then said, "No, but I can close two eyes! See, Mama?"

Withdrawal

I must be suffering from withdrawal from my husband. After being together non-stop for the past week, it's hard to give him back up to Farrah again. The day he went back to work was the day I got sick. Really sick. I have caught some kind of stomach bug that makes me spend lots of time face down in the toilet. The only thing I have been able to keep down are crackers and Sprite.

I'm just thankful that I'm the only one that was affected and I hope it stays that way. And if I have to suffer through the stomach bug, I hope it takes away all those pounds I put on while I was indulging myself on vacation. It's the least it can do.

Grace has been an amazing nurse, standing by my side while I am sick and asking, "How can I help for you, sweetie Mama?" and then grabbing a tissue and dabbing my face. When she asks, "Does that make you feel all better now?" I can honestly say that it does.

Needless to say, we've hung around the house the past couple of days and the only picture I took was a quick one I snapped on my phone. Grace found her ballet outfit in her closet and wanted to try it on. I was just as excited to see her in it so I obliged. But then the girl refused to take it off again!

The Augustine Family's 1st 4th of July

I didn't realize it until I was working on this post, but this Independence Day was the Augustine Family's first one together. For Grace's first 4th of July, we were in Virginia Beach with family while Mike was spending the summer in Australia for work. Last year, he was off spending time with pirates off the coast of Africa while Grace and I hung out in Jacksonville. This year we finally spent it together!

We started the day off with family time at the gym. I needed it badly after a week of breakfast buffets and round the clock pina coladas. Then we ran around and tried to find ballerina gear that fit our petite girl. After going to three different stores, Grace is all set for her first class on Friday.

Next up, Mike fired up the grill and we had us some all-American burgers and dogs with coleslaw, potato salad, and watermelon. Then it was naps for all of us so we'd be ready to go for the late night fireworks- they didn't start until 9:30!

We watched fireworks downtown and were able to get the perfect parking with the best view. I was afraid Grace might be a little scared since we were so close to the fireworks, but she was just fine sitting on her daddy's shoulders.

Sunday at the Zoo

You would think that after getting in late last night we would just take it easy today, but nope. After church, we went home to change and then headed straight for the zoo for their 4th of July Jubilee. It was also the last day of the dinosaur exhibit and Grace said she wanted to see them before they went bye-bye.

It wasn't as crowded as I thought it was going to be, but it was a lot hotter than I anticipated. So we saw less of the animals and more of the splash park while we were there. And despite what Grace said about the dinosaurs, she was still a little fearful of them. She kept telling her daddy, "I'm not scared, but let's go!"

Two Hour Detour

We were reluctant to leave the Keys this morning, but Mike had something special in store for us on the ride back. Instead of taking the most direct route home, he said that if we took a little detour and drove on the Everglades Highway, aka Alligator Alley, it would be a cool drive and we might even see some gators crossing the road.

In an adventurous mood, I agreed. And after he told me he had always wanted to do the drive on that road, I couldn't say no. Ever since he said goodbye to Catherine, I feel like I need to indulge all his car/driving wishes- at least for a little while.

So, this is what our scenic drive through Alligator Alley looked like...




I was a little less impressed with the drive than Mike was. When he said 'Everglades' and 'Alligator Alley', I was picturing us driving through swamps and dodging gators every few feet or so. To be fair, Mike and I both spotted an alligator sitting in the water. Quite honestly though, it really might have been just a log.

To make the detour worthwhile, I made us stop at Cracker Barrel for lunch instead of the usual fast food drive-thru that we eat on the road.

Even though it took us a little longer to get back home, the drive was very pleasant. Grace was an angel because she basically slept the whole way, thanks to a dose of Benadryl I had to give her for an allergic reaction to a bug bite on her face.

Honestly though, it wouldn't have mattered where we were going because I enjoy road trips with my crew. There isn't anywhere else I'd rather be than stuck with those two.

Last Day in Paradise

We spent the day in paradise today. Seriously, I am in love with this place. Today was the sunniest day we've had and we headed straight for the beach to take advantage of our last day in paradise.

After spending the first half of the day at the beach, we headed back to the hotel for long afternoon naps. Then we decided to venture out to town for dinner. The Keys are a fabulous place to go to if all you're looking for is to relax on a beautiful beach, so there aren't many fine dining options available. We finally settled on a Pizza Hut that looked like it hadn't been renovated since the day it opened in the early 80's. We didn't care though. We were starved. Grace scarfed down her spaghetti like it was the tastiest thing she had ever had instead of the school cafeteria version it really was. And Mike and I demolished that supreme pan pizza.

After getting back to the resort, we ended our day by walking down to the docks and admiring all the boats. We bought some ice cream from the little ice cream shop there and then sat on a bench and people watched for a while.

Then, even though it was already an hour past her bedtime, we sat by a bonfire and enjoyed some live music. When the musician- who Grace referred to as Rapunzel because of his long, flowing locks of hair- played the Shrek theme song, she clapped along and then said, "That was a good song!"

It was a wonderful ending to our stay at the Keys. I will be sad to leave tomorrow morning, but I will thankfully have many precious memories to take with me.