Day 4 - Pottery

We had a 9:00 am pottery class in Williamsberg this morning so the alarm woke us up for the first time this trip.  We pre-ordered our Starbucks breakfast and then walked to the subway to eat on the way.

Its hot.  I mean mid-90s hot.  And so hot surrounded by concrete with tall buildings blocking the breeze.  My sweet girl did so well but clearly the temps were wearing on her.

I was feeling nervous about today… the temps are way outside of Sammy’s 82* tolerance; plus we were leaving manhattan and traveling further than I’d ventured on the subway.  I had it all planned out and kept the route / directions pulled up on my phone.  We left ourselves 60 mins to make the trip rather than the 30 the app recommended.  Yet we still arrived 30 minutes late.  First, we jumped on the wrong train… technically it was the correct train but heading in the wrong direction.  I realized my mistake but wanted to give Sammy time to finish her breakfast so we went a little further before jumpin’ off to head back.  When we arrived at the station to transfer, we saw our train and quick jumped on, only to discover we were once again going the wrong way.  Ugh.  We got off and found the right platform.  A man encouraged us to get on another train that was available and waiting, saying it was going to the same station, so we boarded. I quickly called the pottery studio to tell them we’d be 10 mins late as we waited on the final train.  But within moments they announced that the train wouldn’t be leaving any time soon as there was an issue on the tracks.  They recommended alternative routes… I was not prepared for that so we headed up to the surface and looked for a cab.  Literally a car pulled up to the curb in front of us and we got on.  Thank you Jesus!

So just to be clear… I was nervous about the travel.  So I had looked at hiring a car $175.  Or scheduling a cab $50.  But ultimately decided on the subway $5.50.  But here we are sitting in a cab ANYWAY… and it still cost me $50.  But it was relaxed and air conditioned.  Phew.

I wasn’t sure what to expect as we walked through this small and crowded little studio until we went out the back door into this lovely green space outdoors.  Our teacher was wonderful.  She was kind and very knowledgeable and was so patient with us.  She was engaging with Sam and it made for a great time!

I loved feeling the clay slide through my hands.  It was incredibly relaxing and I can see why people enjoy it so much as a hobby.  Beyond the relaxation, there was some good life lessons in it.  

• you cannot be too set on the finished project as sometimes it just doesn’t work out the way we plan or hope 
• you cannot rush it… faster isn’t always better
• sometimes the clay is just done (over saturated) or tired and you need to just start over.
• It’s all practice.  Even if you do start over, the time wasn’t wasted if it was spent learning and growing.

We each made three pieces in the allotted time.  We help clean up and left shipping instructions, then headed out again to tackle the transit system.

The first train went smooth but once again I got messed up on the transfer.  We got on and then quickly off the south bound train and then I walked in circles trying to figure out what I was missing.  Finally realized we were on the wrong side of the tracks but didn’t know how to get there so we stopped to ask for help.  Then it was pretty smooth sailing on our way uptown.  

Did I mention it’s 95* outside and what I never realized in the movies is that the subway tunnels are SO much hotter.  Oh my - we both had sweat dripping off us.  

When we popped back up on the street level, there was a Starbucks calling out to us.  We stopped to wait for our order… but we didn’t mind.  They had air conditioning and free samples.  

Then we went back to the hotel to cool off, relax a bit and get cleaned up - we were a mess!

After a little rest time, I asked Sammy how she’d like to spend our afternoon.  She got a little smirk and I knew I was in trouble.  How might one decide to spend their free time in NYC?  Sammy chose to return to the movie theater and watch the same movie we saw yesterday.  So, because it’s all about enjoying our time together (and I’m a sucker for that smirk) we headed out to the theater once again.

We arrived a little early but decided to grab a snack for lunch.  We split some chicken strips and mozzarella sticks and played some Five Crowns while we waited.  The movie was excellent … even for the third time!

After the credits, we headed downstairs and walked over to the Gershwin Theater.  We stepped into a McDonalds to grab a drink and wait in the cool air.i. Then it was on to Wicked.  This is one of the hottest shows right now on Broadway.  The Gershwin seats 1933 people and frequently sells out.

The show was amazing.  It was Sammy’s first time seeing it.  The costumes and sets were incredible but the vocalists knocked it out of the park.  Really excellent show!  

We had a fairly long walk to get back to the hotel when we got out at 10:15 pm.  I noticed some drops of rain on the vehicles and knew that if it started raining, we’d never get a cab.  So we grabbed a rickshaw instead… and travelled through Times Square in style :)

Once we got back to our room, I ordered some pizza for supper so Sammy and I enjoyed a selection of pizza flavors in bed tonight.  Now it’s time to unwind and snuggle in.

Tomorrow is our last full day here… but we don’t have anywhere to be til the afternoon.  So no alarm for us! 

Day 3 - A Different Kind of Theater

We decided to sleep in today… no alarms.  It was great.  Once we woke up we stayed in bed and watched some TV and snuggled til we decided it was time.  Realistically, I think we were just getting hungry.  I asked Sam what sounded good for breakfast, and it just so happened that she had had an idea… what if we had Krispy Kreme Donuts (she saw a sign in Time Square apparently last night) and then a Starbucks for drinks.  So we decided to pull on our clothes but not even wait for makeup.  We headed right into the craziness and got our breakfast, well actually two breakfasts - donuts from Krispy Kreme’s plus sandwiches from Starbucks.  

Brought it back to the hotel and ate on our bed.  The bad news - so many calories (they don’t count on vacation - right?)  the good news - we were so full we didn’t need to think about lunch!

Today we didn’t have any reservations.  The plan was originally to spend some time biking Governor’s Island or exploring Central Park.  However, it was forecast to be quite warm today and so we decided to find a cooler indoor activity.  

And it just so happened that there were several movies currently in theaters that Sammy has been hoping to watch.  So, we scheduled Sammy’s first ever double feature at the AMC Theater.   

So a little before noon we headed toward the theater, just a block from Times Square.  First, we stopped by Target to grab a few items that our neighborhood Walgreens didn’t carry.  It’s so fun to see how architects handle putting the large department stores (and theaters) into high rises with real actively small foot prints.  I continue to be blown away by the ingenuity it takes to make a busy city like NYC work.

After our shopping, we ran across the street to the theater for a 1:00pm showing of Elemental.  Now, Sammy has already seen this movie - but she LOVES it.  Technically, I saw it too, although I fell asleep within 10 mins the first time we went so I’m not sure it counts.  Anyway, it was lovely.  But, you should know we shared the theater made for 120ish patrons with what I can only describe as a day care field trip for delinquents.  Lol.  I’m not even kidding… and because of assigned seating we were literally surrounded on all sides by talking, kicking, popcorn throwing, obnoxious kids.  

Luckily Sammy had her noise cancelling headphones in and it didn’t seem to bother her until she removed them to watch the previews… couldn’t hear them due to the commotion around us.  I honestly wondered where the video cameras were cause we must be being punked - the only possible explanation.  Nope.  So just before the main feature began, we moved down on the floor and away from the sea of craziness.  It helped a ton to be able to focus… even if we were craning our necks to see.

Overall, it wasn’t that bad… but we laughed about it!

As soon as the movie finished, we headed out to the theater right next door and found our seats for Barbie at 3:15 pm.  This was new for both of us… And, ironically its story line is very similar to our play from last night.

The movies wrapped up around 5:30p and we headed out.  On the way we passed the wax museum who just happened to have a statue of Dwayne Johnson on the sidewalk… one of Sammy’s favs!

We had decided to grab Shake Shack on our walk back to the hotel so we made our way east a few blocks to grab our order to go.  Back to our hotel room for dinner in bed (noticing a theme?)  

We took it easy most of tonight.  We ran across the street to Walgreens for some ear drops for Sam.  Otherwise, it was showers and bedtime.  We have an early morning planned for tomorrow! 

Day 29 - Sunshine! Glorious Sunshine!

Another great day!  I almost don't know what to write about because I'm afraid I'm going to bore you but I assure you these "normal" non-significant days are becoming my favorite!

The kids and I did school early again.  Then Scott made breakfast while I jumped in the shower.

In the early afternoon the kids convinced us to head down to the pool.  Its in the low 60s but the sun is out and its honestly very comfortable.  Scott and I didn't get in the water but enjoyed lounging in the sun before heading to the hot tub.

After showers, we decided to head over to the theater and catch the premier of Ralph Breaks the Internet.  We didn't leave the theater until 7:30 pm.  We stopped at WalMart for a quick item on the way home.   Its the day before Thanksgiving and lots of folks have arrived for the holiday weekend... so the store was CRAZY.  But I was quick in and out and got back to the condo in no time.

Literally as we walked in the door, Sammy told me we were out of a grocery item that she uses every day.  Ugh.  I decided to go through all my Thanksgiving recipes again to verify we had everything before heading back to the store.

Again, it was NUTS but everyone seemed in a good mood so I made it out relatively easy.  Driving through the parking lot, I realized that I didn't have enough baking pans / casserole dishes for all the recipes I had planned... so I turned back around and went back inside.  Shopping at WalMart the night before Thanksgiving for the third time in 2 hours.

When I got home, I was feeling pretty tired so although I had 3 recipes to prep tonight, I decided instead to make myself some supper (everyone else ate at the theater) and then just hung out with Tyler.  By 10:00 pm I had a headache so I tucked the kids in and went to bed myself.

Sammy has still been dealing with her cold.  She is hoarse and coughs often so I think she sounds worse than it is.  She also gets tired pretty easily so we try to give plenty of rest times.

Day 17 - Sweet Memories

We woke up to lots of pictures from home sharing the first snow fall of the year.  It looks gorgeous with the fresh, clean white coating on all the bushes, lawns, etc.  But I’ll take today’s sun and warmth a few more weeks before heading back.

This morning, I took some time to do my devotions and am absolutely loving this new Bible study app I found.  As you read through a chapter, it scans all of the Bible resources in your library and pulls them up as they pertain to the verse you are on.  Giving you all of those cross-references, commentaries, charts and maps at your fingertips... without having to lug all those books around with you.  Its a game changer for me for travelling I think!

Anyway, after a relaxing morning, we took Coco for a walk on the beach and enjoyed a little sunshine and tunes.

The kids have been waiting for a new version of The Grinch to come out, so to celebrate the snow at home, we decided to go see it this afternoon.  Tied it into lunchtime so we filled those bellies with popcorn and shared in more than a few laughs.

Stopped at WalMart on the way home to grab a few things and bought Sammy a couple pairs of pants since I seemed to have missed that when we were packing.

We took care of a few things at home and spent some time with the dog before playing Dos, a new card game.  We grabbed takeout from Outback and ate dinner around 7:00 pm.  Then it was time for Tyler’s therapy and calls to Dad who was visiting his folks... so the added bonus of all three on the screen at once!

During all that, Sammy came out of her room and announced that the wire of her orthodontic appliance and come out and was poking her.  Shoot!  We have found an orthodontist down here already but they won’t open again til Monday and that’s a long time to wait with a wire poking your mouth.  I’ve seen the gals do this a bunch of times and it shouldn’t be difficult to fix if I could just find the right tool...  Well, I don’t think it was the “right” tool but it did the trick.  Just so you know, the photo was taken after everything was back together so we were hamming it up.  (Don’t worry, Grandma!)

Once the homework was finished, it was after 9:30 pm and Tyler was shot... I mean really done.  It was a challenging lesson and he was fatigued.  So I told him after his shower he could stay up with me to watch some TV in bed.  After an extended hug, he headed into his room to shower and prep for bed time.

I realized that this “extra” mom time might not sit well with Sammy, so I headed into her room to explain.  All I said was that Tyler was going to stay up and watch some TV with me because he was feeling frustrated after his homework.  “I think I’ll write him a letter”.  Uh ok.  No complaints, no “unfairs”, just gonna write him a note.  She jumped up and grabbed a marker and paper and wrote a very sweet letter.

After that, she headed into the kitchen and poured them both a glass of milk.  I followed her in and heard her mumbling; I assumed she was scripting her favorite parts from the Grinch and didn’t pay much attention.  When she finished putting the milk away, I pulled her into a hug and said “you sure are a great sister!”  She looked up at me and asked if I had heard her... “No, why?” I replied.

“I was just praying for Tyler, that He would bless him and help him know that we all love him.  Especially me”. Ugh. I love that kid!

And that was the day.  Tyler came out and thanked Sammy for the letter and then the milk.  He climbed into my bed and we watched a few science documentaries as we forgot about the frustrations of the day.

Rest and Relaxation After the Sand Dune - Day 18

We stayed in our jammies until 10:00 am... I LOVE VACATION!

About that time, the kids and I headed out to the beach while Mary stayed inside to keep reading her book.  There is still a ban on swimming so we enjoyed playing in the sand dune again.

Afterwards, we headed up to check on the status of the pools and I was THRILLED to see the hot tub had been refilled.  The water felt wonderful and sitting in the breeze this morning.

After getting cleaned up, we had pigs in a blanket for lunch and rested the afternoon away.  It felt SO good!  I did Bible with the kids and then we ate Italian Chicken that had been cooking in the crockpot all day.

We decided to walk the Apache Pier and go crab hunting since the water seemed lower today but just as we got dressed to go out, I noticed some rain clouds coming in.  We changed plans and decided to watch Mulan instead.  The kids Face-timed with Dad for a bit and then headed to bed.

Another relaxing day... perfect vacation!

Rest and Rain - Day 13

Today we planned an easy and relaxing morning.  We knew that Roger and Dean would be leaving this morning and wanted to be available to say good-bye when they were ready.  So, there was a lot of snuggling, the Disney channel, laundry and a bit of hide-and-seek.  It was wonderful... in a very different way!

We said our good-byes around 11:00 am and then headed down to the pool and hot tub.  Today is much cooler than its been so far this week.  Hurricane Joaquin is in the Caribbean and there is a low pressure system by Florida sending a lot of rain and clouds our way.  The forecast says we are expecting 5-7" rain fall by Sunday!  Grandma stayed in her comfy clothes but brought her book down to enjoy.  Mom spent as much time in the hot tub as she could.  

After that we headed upstairs for lunch... broccoli ham ring.  We decided to head out and run some errands this afternoon.  A trip to the beachwear store, the grocery store, then over to Crumb Buns for some dessert for later.  While we were out, our route brought us right past the bowling alley from yesterday so we stopped in to look for Elsa's shoe (see yesterday's post).  I didn't want to get Sammy's hopes up, so I had the kids stay in the car with Bev. 

I walked in and scoped out our tables from dinner.  Then I went to our bowling lanes which happened to be filled with 6 business men.  I explained and they graciously helped me look under the couches and in the cushions saying "we get it... we all have kids too!"  Unfortunately the search didn't turn up anything.  So, I headed out to the parking lot to have one more look around.  As I stepped out the door, I shared a quick moment with God knowing that although that shoe is small and insignificant, it matters to Sammy (a lot) and she matters to Him (so much more).  No kidding, I finished my prayer and looked down to see a perfect blue high heel shoe perfect for Sammy's Elsa doll... I had found it!  Thank you God.

I climbed in the back seat of the van to explain what had happened to Sammy.  She was excited to have her shoe back!  And we took the time to reflect on how good God is to us!

We let each kid rent a movie tonight and headed home.  Grandma did Bible with the kids again... they all seem to enjoy it!  Then we worked on supper and got started on the movies.  Tyler picked a new movie about two wolves "Alpha and Omega" and Sammy picked "Home" since Grandma hadn't seen it yet.

After we finished, we decided to head down to take a quick dip in the hot tub... I mean, really, who cares if its raining???  Both kids enjoyed filling their swim shirts up with air and floating around the tub.  It was lots of fun.

It was a nice evening... everyone hung out in comfy clothes and just relaxed.  Sammy even let me braid her hair.  I guess sometimes a rainy day on vacation is JUST what you need!

(don't look too closely at the braid... its bumpy.  But hey, its not everyday she lets me do her hair and I wasn't gonna risk missing out completely by going to get a comb or brush)

Mining, Minions, and Ziplining - Day 7

Today flew by in a whoosh!  We woke up just before 9 and decided to expedite our breakfast and just do cereal.  We were all dressed and ready to head out at 10.

We were trying something new today... I found this place online prior to our trip that offered gem mining.  In essence, you pay for a bucket of dirt that is preloaded with fossils, gemstones, rocks, etc.  Then you take it over to the "river" and sift through the bucket to collect your treasures.  It looked a little hokey from the parking lot but we figured the kids would enjoy.  Boy, were we right!  They LOVED it.  It took about an hour to sift through our bucket, wash our treasure and have it assessed.  The kids were so proud of their collections... amethyst, emerald, topaz, fossilized squid, clam and plants, petrified wood, shark teeth, several sea shells, and an arrow head.

We could take home all of our finds but decided to have one of the amethysts cut for Sammy since its her birthstone.  We'll decide later if she wants a piece of jewelry made.  Tyler had his choice for a souvenir and zeroed in on the Megladon teeth.  He is SO excited about this one!

We wrapped up at the Gem mine and decided to take yet another go at seeing the Minion movie.  And, the third time was the charm!  We got in just in time although we did have to sit in the very front row.  Seriously, I've never seen a theater so small.  There weren't even 50 seats in it.  We all enjoyed the movie and the air conditioning.  The weather was warm today - over 90* - we just aren't used to that!

We headed home to have some quiet time, hoping to be well rested for tonight.  I made supper at 3:45 and we got on the road by 4:30 to head south-east to Pittman Center where we would go Ziplining at ClimbWorks.

This is the same company we used in 2014 and it was gorgeous...  9 zips, the longest over 1250 ft long... At times over 100' off the ground.  It takes about 2.5 hours to complete and the entire way down the mountain you are staring into the National Park.  BEAUTIFUL!

Disclaimer:  Sammy did have a hard time for the latter half of our evening... she just couldn't deal with the heat.  So there aren't a lot of pics of her smiling but we did have a great time.  We had an amazing guide (again) who has experience with autism who helped make it fun for her in spite of her frustration.

At the very end, we got to repel down out of the trees.  It is so intimidating to just step off that platform.  But so much fun!

We headed right home after we finished the zip lining.  Sammy was back to her sweet self once the A/C kicked in and she had cooled down.  Kids were both in bed by 10:00 pm.

We all agreed it was a great week and today was the perfect way to finish!  Tomorrow morning we will pack up and head for home.  

Movies and Tears - Day 7

So last night Sammy had an idea to make Dirt Pudding as seen on one of her videos so we decided that she would wake me up and we would go to the grocery store (in our PJs) to buy the ingredients.  So we did. Stopping briefly outside of Starbucks for Sammy to impersonate this statue.

It started POURING so by the time we arrived back at the RV, we needed a towel and change of clothes.

In the meantime, Scott and Tyler walked to the little restaurant here at the campground for some father-son bonding... they do love their breakfast!

Sammy and I got to work on her pudding and then we all enjoyed a pretty quiet morning indoors... I got caught up on laundry, the kids had some down time and watched a movie.  Remember its POURING!

We had chicken fajitas and tacos for lunch and then decided to head out to see a movie... Planes, Fire and Rescue.  Now here's where it get's interesting...  Remember that story of Alexander and the no good, terrible, rotten, very bad day???  Well let's just say that's how today went for Sammy.  She had it in her head that we should buy her this little mermaid doll, which we refused... and she NEVER forgot.  Autism is a crazy thing.  Its hard to figure out and just when you get a little comfortable, it sneaks up on you and surprises you again!

So Tyler and Scott enjoyed the movie while Sammy and I caught bits and pieces as we could.

Afterwards we went to say goodbye to Roger and Gretchen who were leaving this evening.  We got take out from Red Lobster for supper and then headed back to the motorhome for showers and to try some of Sammy's special dessert.

As we left the condo tonight, we took one last look at the ocean to say good-bye.  Tyler got quiet and reached for a hug as he started to tear up.  He is so disappointed that he didn't make it into those waves.  We reassured him we would be back in September and that we would definitely have a chance then, but that sweet boy loves the water!

We check out tomorrow and need to get on the road as soon as possible... but Scott and I hope to run the kids out on the beach for a few minutes of wave jumping before we pull out.  Here's hoping for no rain, swimmable conditions and jump-worthy waves!

Finally, Sammy is starting to settle back down and I think we survived the crazy... but wow, what a day.