Easter Egg Hunt(s)!

When we left for Florida, we didn't think we'd be there for Easter. So we had no egg hunt in Florida, though Grandma Joanie surprised the kids with some great Easter baskets. Also our friend Cheryl brought Easter treats for kids and adults in Florida. 

We arrived home on a Tuesday. On Saturday morning, the Easter Bunny hid a large number of eggs around the front and back yards but almost all of them were broken into and eaten by critters. So the Easter Egg Hunt was more of a trash collecting expedition by Bryn, punctuated occasionally by a happy squeal when Reed found an unopened egg and candy.

Easter Egg Hunt two occurred a few days later when Mr and Mrs Easter Bunny packed and hid an additional large quantity of eggs in the front and back yard just before the kids were expected home from school. Many eggs were found and the critters were stymied!

 

Sanibel vacation: Part 4

Some Grade A relaxing on the beach. This is a resident beach out on the west end of the island.

Baby alligator!

Turtle at Pond Apple

Jeff and I took a paddleboard lesson. We both really enjoyed the fun and challenge of it, even though we had some pretty good wind for a first time out. We saw bonnet head sharks, stingrays, mullet, and lots of other fish. I kept saying I typically fall off of every personal watercraft I have ever been on and, sho nuf, I fell in. This is a wet photo.

Chess at Joey's Custard, one of our favorite biking destinations.

Baseball on the beach

We got a bike trailer for Reed (the one where there's a wheel and seat and pedals that are attached to the adult bike) and he did ride on it with me and Jeff for the first week or so but then Beckett offered to let him ride on Beckett's pegs and that was WAY more fun. I imagine it must be quite tiring for Beckett but they just talked and talked and talked the whole way and Reed thought it was very cool to be riding on his brother's pegs. Beckett did most of the heavy lifting especially because Theo skipped a few bike rides but Theo did take him on at least one journey on the pegs.

 

Sanibel vacation: Part 3

The second week the boys, especially Beckett, really got into pickleball. Friends Barb and Paul were great sports, teaching us the rules and always up for a game with the boys. 

We took a couple walks through Pond Apple, where there were lots of baby alligators.

These guys are great at the luggage carousel

 

Sanibel vacation: Part 2

The boys and especially Reed got really into playing Wordle with Grandma Joanie!

Lots of tennis the first week before we moved into pickleball.

Beach day. The water was perfect for swimming.

Special Mama-Reed time at the Sanibel Historical Village

Beckett and Theo taking after Grandpa Stu. Checking out a green heron nest at Ding Darling.

Yellow crowned night heron on the beach.

 

Sanibel vacation: Part 1 (getting there)

We were supposed to fly out of Syracuse on Friday, April 1 but that flight was canceled, as was the Saturday flight and then the Sunday morning flight. We got a flight on another airline for Sunday evening out of JFK so we rented a car to drive to JFK but while we were still in the driveway that flight was canceled too. We felt defeated and more than one of us wondered whether we would ever get to Florida but within moments Reed suggested driving the rental car to Florida. What a great problem solver we have! We packed up a few extra snacks and hit the road, making it to DC that night. For the first time ever, we got meals to go and ate in the car, which allowed us to make it to Sanibel by early Tuesday morning. The kids were great in the car even though Beckett was still feeling sick (we were in the ER Friday night with a bellyache) and Reed and Beckett had a cold. But it was all worth it waking up in Sanibel Tuesday morning!

Captiva sunset

Uncle Jon came to Sanibel to visit for four days the first week. The boys had a great time playing in the pool, watching Liverpool soccer on TV, and visiting the lighthouse.

Beckett and Reed and I riding the Captiva trolley

We made five trips to the Sanibel library this vacation. It's a fun 15 minute bike ride from Grandma Joanie's place, and they have a great kids' section. Reed really got into reading this trip and enjoyed some wonderful suggestions from the kids' librarian Deanna. He plowed through a couple book series and loved going back to get more!

Happy driving companions