Spring Break -- Separate Vacations (Part One)

On Wednesday when I was up on a high tower getting ready to zip across a canyon on a zip line, the guide asked me "what do you do?"  (He wasn't quizzing me on zipping skills).  I said, "I watch the kids".  Yes, that's what popped out of my mouth.  He looked puzzled.  How much did Kayli and Connor need watching?  They were the only kids with me.  I said, "I have six kids".  There was a general gasp.  Then a puzzled, "You go on separate vacations?"  I had time to say that two were in college, one of those was married, and my youngest was in second grade, and then I was jumping off the podium and zipping across to another tower.  You can imagine that I, as a classic over-thinker, have wondered what I should have said, and what impression they must have gotten!  The guides were great though and I enjoyed being called "Miss Sherie".  It turns out that Derek, Kayli, and Connor were naturals and zipping across canyons, but I provided a lot more entertainment!

This year our spring breaks were separate.  Trisa, Travis, and Tia had their spring breaks earlier -- in March.  Jake and Dan had theirs here at home with their Grandma Fuller.  They got a little time with cousins, and I left surprises for them.  Jake said he liked playing UNO with Grandma, so it was fun, but maybe didn't have the thrills ours did.  Unfortunately Dan spent a few days not feeling 100 percent great.

On Monday Derek, Kayli, Connor and I flew to Florida.  We got to our hotel in the early afternoon.  Unfortunately, though I am known to have a "stomach of steel", not to be confused with abs of steel, I felt lousy and so I went to bed for a couple of hours.  I got up and tried a bit of Tai Chi and then braved the grocery store with everyone else, but I wished I hadn't because I felt incredibly yucky and so I went to the car and then sipped sprite for the rest of the evening, and went to bed early.

Tuesday was Connor's favorite day because we went to Harry Potter World.  Even the pouring rain couldn't dampen his enthusiasm, and it did seem to make the ride lines shorter, and so we benefited by being able to go on more rides in less time.  My stomach was still off, but even the wild rides didn't make it worse and so we were able to have all of the adventures we wanted.  The tower that takes you up high at an incredibly quick speed and then drops you just as quickly seemed to actually make me feel better for a minute, which I thought was funny.  We got pretty drenched, but had a good time. 

Wednesday was our get up early and travel to Ocala National Forest to the zipline day.  That was a fun adventure.  It is easy to feel good about yourself after doing something brave.  It was fun too, and I wish I could do it every day because my abs are sore, so it must be a fun way to work out the abs!  Derek drove us to the beach after that.  I wore a jacket almost the whole time.  I don't really handle cold breezes so well.  It was a fairly empty beach though, and I braved doing Tai Chi on the beach there, even though it was hard for me to concentrate with people around, the wind blowing, and the sound of the surf.  It was fun though, and the last of the Tai Chi I managed during spring break.

Here are some more pictures of Universal Island of Adventure -- mostly Harry Potter World.  I didn't take any pictures that first time we went to the beach so you can see the beach pictures next post.