Visiting The Sandman

Driving across the Everglades on "Alligator Alley" to visit our darling friend, Sanders.

Here we are taking a roadtrip break to stretch out... and strike some yoga poses with stuffed animal travel buddies?

Why not!  A with pink sandals, and K with white.

Quick Review
1.  Year 2000:  First visit to Sanders' new FL home, I dragged my classmate Matthew along.  Little did I know that he was a 3-for-1 package deal; with him came Christopher + Michael.  I married C the following year.  (Thanks Matthew! :)
2.  Year 2005:  Second visit, we were pregnant... with the twinkies.
3.  Year 2010:  Third visit, K + A ran toward Sanders and embraced him like they missed him terribly, even though they hadn't met before.

Here are the twinkies playing in Sanders garden of magic-ness, mesmerized by the water beading off the happy lotus leaves.  Oh sweet joy!

 

 

In our family, every effort is a collaborative. 

"fish with feet"

a kisserfly

Chillaxin'

what a wonderful spot to sit with coloring books

sharing grapes in the hammock

Anakai's happy turtle smile

Cozy Kacia loves Grand Sand

touching the 'touch-me-not' (aka 'namaste plant' :)

We had such a lovely time hanging out with Sanders!  Namaste ॐ 

Breakfast With Bill

"You know the only people who are always sure about the proper way to raise children?  Those who've never had any."

"Parents are not interested in justice, they're interested in peace and quiet." 

Here is Bill Cosby explaining the truth.

"No matter how calmly you try to referee, parenting will eventually produce bizarre behavior, and I'm not talking about the kids."

Bill Cosby said all of the above quotes.  He and his Mrs. were PhD intellectuals prior to parenthood, before they were reduced to fire breathing skulls.  In the four glorious years we were DINKs (Double Income No Kids), C and I used to chat for hours over civilized, luxurious, even expensive dinners.  Then we'd discuss which movie to watch next, or head over to which ever club was hot.  Until ...them. 

I have difficulty understanding... (No, that's not right.   Believing is more accurate.)  I have difficulty believing that the first four years of our marriage, when we became 'husband + wife' is of equal duration as the first four years of being 'papa + mama'.  I even thought we spent enough time discussing what kind of parents NOT to be, and that we had the power to avoid being reduced to fire breathing skulls.  HA!

This is one of my absolute favorites.


"The reason grandchildren and grandparents get along so well is that they have a common enemy."  ~Sam Levenson 

(Sorry that one isn't by Bill, but this is :)


"A good neighbor will babysit.  A great neighbor will babysit twins."

I want to thank my dear friend Lia, and her beautiful college age daughter, Ana.  Ana once volunteered to babysit the twins.  She and her boyfriend watched them for a couple of hours before collapsing from exhaustion into a deep snooze, comparable to first time runners crossing the finish line of the NYC marathon.  She never volunteered again.  Thank you Lia for honoring the difference between 'parents' and 'parents of twins' with this statement:

"You're not in a fencing match.  You're in the middle of an arena with two bulls charging when you discover what you're holding is a red blanket."