March 20th marked the end of a vacation that was both awesome and exhausting. I love spending time with the kids in ways that I hope they will never forget. Two days in particular stood out for me, The Tuesday visit that the three of us made to the alligator farm and the Saturday trip to the beach. All the money at Disney and Seaworld make it an event that is hurried and marred by standing in lines, fighting crowds and desperately trying to feel like the day was worth it. The beach has none of those issues and the Alligator Farm is much more laid back.
There were several precious moments as well. I was getting ready one of the mornings we stayed in a hotel in Orlando and I noticed Chloe dancing. I watched her for a bit and then realized that I should be video taping the dance. She was shimmying in one spot, stepping forward and doing it again. I wish I had caught a longer moment but here it is.
I like my relationship with Caden, he quietly has started to really mature. He has his moody minutes still but they are fewer and further between. He did something very special at a restaurant that we went to called "Buffalo Wild Wings" He copied the logo by eye - and I forgot to keep it. He drew a near perfect Buffalo. Then we played several video games. He was stoked by the time we left making us all quickly forget how bad the service was.
Here are a couple of pictures I took with my cell phone: