Destination Thanksgiving

We spent the last week in vacation-land on a destination Thanksgiving trip to Anna Maria Island. Last November we went to AMI for my bro-in-law's wedding, where I sprained my ankle and almost died of morning sickness. This year was healthy and accident-free. 

We spent the week with Zane's parents at this lovely rental home half a block from the north tip of the island. The weather was really nice: cool in the mornings and warm in the daytime. 

We went to several restaurants, which helped us learn that Daisy does not like loud, crowded restaurants like Mr. Bones' BBQ (pictured above) or Cracker Barrel (where we went for Turkey Day dinner). But her need to escape the chaos was always met by her doting grandparents who were more than happy to walk her around outside. 

Daisy got lots of grandparent time. It was good for her soul and good for theirs. It's amazing how much joy a baby can bring, especially when she smiles or coos or falls asleep in your arms. 

We did an early dinner on Thanksgiving at Cracker Barrel, which was a new venture for all of us: eating out on Thanksgiving! It was fun to break tradition and do something different. CB does a great traditional meal though, so I still got my turkey and dressing. We ate at 3:30pm with all the senior citizens in a five mile radius. Daisy didn't like the crowds, but they all LOVED her. Everywhere she turned her fussy face there was a table of seniors smiling and waving their hands at her.

At one point, Zane left the table to change Daisy's diaper, and an elderly woman came up to me. She spoke really softly and said, "I'm from Syracuse. I have five children. When I had my first child, I came in one day, and my husband was holding him over a sink full of sh*t. He didn't know what to do."

Then she sat down.

Yes. That happened.

It was pretty much the most awesome thing anyone's ever said to me. I wonder what kind of stories I'll tell young people when I'm her age.

Since we ate so early, we had plenty of time for card cames that night. It was a fun way to wrap up the week. We drove home on Friday, and I'm not sure who was more sad: the G-parents or Daisy. 

This is her "Get me out of this carseat" face. Luckily, she fell asleep for most of the drive home.

Thanksgiving: Part Two was spent with my family on Saturday. I didn't get as many pictures, but we did a whole traditional meal and Daisy got some special aunt-time. Being the first grandkid/niece has it's major perks.

Then there are still those times that only Mommy can soothe her. Those are the times I end up rocking myself to sleep. 

This fatigue was from a mixture of tryptophan and social exhaustion. We had a great holiday with family, but I'm also looking forward to some down-time this week.